Hilton Head.

Vacations are great on so many levels. I was looking forward to a break from the household chores and the way they seem to stare me down, making themselves known, even on days I'd rather take a breather while Gracie naps. I was also excited about breaking free from the cold temperatures of home in exchange for the more comfortable sweatshirt weather at the beach. Most of all, I was eager for 6 whole days of family time. Gracie was also thrilled when she woke up Tuesday morning, asked if Daddy was at work, and received the reply that he was not, and wouldn't be for days. We hit the road and traveled to one of our favorite vacation spots, Hilton Head, SC, where we joined Sean's dad and step-mom for the week.

Even though it's not really "beach" weather, even at the beach, we still had plenty to do during our visit. There was golfing for Sean, outlet shopping for me, beach walking, playground playing, and delicious dining for all of us.

We also enjoyed spending an afternoon at Harbour Town in Sea Pines. Gracie and I went to the top of the lighthouse during our October visit last year. I decided to avoid the endless staircase to the top this trip. ;) Still, there were boats and ice cream and lovely weather to appreciate.

(Striking a pose outside of The Crazy Crab where we ate dinner.)

Gracie was also quite entertained by the group of ducks living close by our condo! These ducks are living the high life, if you ask me, and seem comfortable with people. When they spotted us, they would literally start waddling over, until they realized we had failed to bring them food. Either way, Gracie was just thrilled with them.

One of the best parts of our vacation was the uninterrupted snuggle time and feelings of freedom from the usual responsibilities (and isn't that was vacations are for?). No emails to reply to, no urgent phone calls to answer, just the goal of relaxing and enjoying each others' company. :)

I'd say we were successful.

Eleven Years.

Today marks eleven years in my journey with Sean. Looking back, I smile at the beginning of us. We were so young, yet we truly believed that love would guide our way, and it has. There have been twists and turns along the way, even a few speed bumps thrown in to keep things interesting, but we've learned to hold on tight, and enjoy the ride. We aren't the same people we were back then, yet we are so very much the same, just bigger, better, and stronger.

(Senior Prom--almost 9 years ago!)

In eleven years, I've learned that relationships take effort, love is worth fighting for, and miracles do happen, and often arrive in tiny packages that take what you thought you knew of life and love and shift it all.

I've learned that I wouldn't be the same without this "boy next door". I've spent eleven years loving him, learning from him, leaning on him. He's always been just what I needed and continues to love me unconditionally.

And now, we're in the very best part of our journey so far. Parenthood has added a whole new dimension to the "us" that once was, and we're looking forward to staying on this wonderful, sometimes crazy, ride forever.

Eleven years ago, a plan was set in motion. I celebrate this day because of the memories, and I celebrate this day because of where it has lead me.

Happy Anniversary, Sean! Eleven years ago, I said I would be your girlfriend. Thank you for being mine for over a decade! I treasure the memories we've made and am thankful to have you as my partner and best friend. If someone had told me on January 25, 2000 that in eleven years I would be your wife, mother to a beautiful daughter, and expecting a son, I would have told them that such a life would be nothing short of a dream come true. I love you.

Momma's Rockstars, and Baby Boy's First Pictures!

I made my very first baby boy purchase yesterday...

I had to do it, especially since the only boy things in our house belong to a grown man, and a dog. Wandering over into new territory, with the objective of buying for my own son, was exciting. I held these adorable onsies up for inspection and found myself marveling at how absolutely tiny they seemed. My little guy's new guitar shirt was one of the first things I saw, and I knew it was coming home with us. His big sister has a thing for guitars, I guess 'cause she's a rockstar and all, and I knew she'd approve. ;)

Now, let me go ahead and apologize to my son.

Baby Boy, I'm sorry that the very first photo I'm posting of you also happens to be of your...ahmmm...private parts, but I know that there can be questions from time to time regarding the ability of one to accurately predict one gender or another via ultrasound. I think this pretty much clears any questions up. You are a boy, and are quite proud of that fact.

"Gracie's Baby Brother"--your sister has enjoyed toting this picture around. I'm glad we have two of these, because her copy may not make it...at the very least, there will be finger prints and smudges left behind that will serve as proof of her excitement.

This 4D picture just makes me smile. We watched that little hand moving around, and then you held it still just long enough to get a perfect image of it!

I love baby profiles. :) That little nose has a lot of kisses coming its way...

The grin that won't go away. :)

Sean, Gracie, and I are thrilled to announce that the little one kicking around happily in my belly is a baby BOY!!!

Our highly anticipated ultrasound was scheduled for this morning at 9:30. I couldn't sleep last night because of the excitement of today! I spent the two hours between waking up and checking in for the appointment totally anxious. More than anything, I wanted to see a healthy baby on that screen.

Once we were called back, Sean and I took a moment to explain to Gracie (to the best of our ability) exactly what was going to take place. We told her we would be able to see the baby and that the "nice lady" (and she was completely wonderful!) would tell us if she would have a brother or sister. Gracie confirmed her understanding with a big, "It's a boy!" Sister's intuition? Maybe! :) Within the first 30 seconds of the ultrasound, I clearly saw what I thought was the part that would set this baby apart from his sister! The ultrasound technician pointed out the place of interest and asked me if I knew what I was looking at it! There is no doubt, we will be welcoming a son in June!

The moment was both surreal and spectacular. It was a lovely surprise that brought tears to my eyes and left both my husband and I with a grin that just won't go away. We spent the next half hour watching our boy. The flicker of his heart beating, the turns and flips, the way he raised his hands to his face... all I could think was "this is our son"! I found myself totally at ease as I watched the smile on the technician's face. Everything looked perfect. Our baby is healthy, and this is all I really wanted to know. Twice, the technician switched over to 3D/4D view and we saw the tiny features of our growing boy. His profile reminded me of Gracie's. I can't wait to sit down and compare ultrasound pictures.

Gracie was very sweet and curious during the ultrasound. I heard her ask her daddy if I was going to get a shot and she was concerned that I may need a band-aid. She also wanted her brother to come out today... so we had to explain that he needs to take a bit more time to grow before he's born. Gracie also enjoyed having Sean point out the different body parts (Baby Boy's feet in particular) to her. She loved getting pictures of the baby. Our super sweet technician printed a picture just for Gracie with "Gracie's Baby Brother" typed in at the top. As simple as it may seem, it meant a lot to me. I've wanted Gracie to feel completely involved and special all along, and this was one more way to express just how important she is, not only to her little brother, but to her mommy and daddy as well. She is the little miracle that made us parents in the first place, and now, with the addition of our son, our family feels complete.

I also had a check-up following our ultrasound. My blood pressure remains good and I've gained almost 3 pounds since my last appointment (8 lbs. total), which was only two weeks ago! I knew that increase in appetite was going to get me! Haha! The nurse practitioner let Gracie hold the doppler on my tummy while checking the heartbeat, and then told her to have fun rubbing the gel all over. She said she was a doctor, too, and had a fantastic time "painting" my belly. I have so appreciated the way each person we've seen has made her feel like such a big girl, and let her experience this pregnancy in such a "hands on" way!

Now, the planning and preparing really begins! I'm looking forward to building a new "blue" wardrobe, and since I've so rarely visited "that side" of the store, it should be so much fun choosing outfits for our son. The decorating wheels have started turning. Gracie will soon be getting a "big sister" room and I have a few ideas of a nursery theme for her baby brother. While we have a few names in mind, we are still undecided on what our little boy's name will be. We're almost half way there and feeling so thankful today, and always.

18 Weeks.

What a chilly and rainy Tuesday! Gracie and I spent the morning at The Natural Science Center. It wasn't busy at all, I think we literally saw 3 other kids. It was fun for her to kind of have the place to herself. She just did her thing! I had a craving for Mexican, so we stopped by our favorite Mexican restaurant for an early lunch. She loves their cheese dip and rice! She gets this from me, not her daddy. ;)

(I took this a few days ago. She was ready to paint!)

I'm 18 weeks pregnant today! Our baby is now the length of a bell pepper, almost 6 inches! Only 154 days to go! I'm still feeling really good. I have occasional heartburn and I'm a moody momma! This is no different than my first pregnancy. :)

I'm almost certain that I gained at least 5 pounds...yesterday. I don't remember having this type of appetite with Gracie. I try to go for the good stuff first--an orange, strawberries, crackers and cheese--but I've found that I'm totally addicted to the Quakers Chewy Granola Bars...and can easily eat 2 or more at a time. Any flavor will do, but peanut butter and chocolate chip is my favorite! Lucky for me, we just bought a variety box at Costco. It looks like they should last a while... I did read that an increase in appetite is common at this time, so looks like I'm right on point!

I'm still feeling lots of baby kicks, and they are getting stronger and more frequent. I've been surprised at how much I'm feeling this early on, but I do remember my doctor telling me I would possibly feel this baby sooner this time around. It may also be that I'm more aware this time, since I've experienced those movements before. In other news, Sean has also felt the baby kick! He thought he did a couple of nights ago, this baby will throw a pretty powerful punch from time to time, considering its size, but last night he definitely felt the baby. :) Part of what I love about pregnancy is being able to share what I've been experiencing for a while with my husband.

I'm still stubbornly wearing my regular jeans, although I did break out a pair of my Gap maternity jeans over the weekend (I'd forgotten how comfy that wasteband is!). I guess I'm in an awkward size stage at the moment. My normal clothes are getting noticeable tighter, but the maternity jeans won't stay up...which is an issue, obviously.

I went looking through older pregnancy pictures and found one of me at 18 weeks with Gracie.

This second picture is my attempt at a belly picture this morning. I'll have to get a better shot when someone can take the picture for me!

I think the bellies are still looking similar!

Thursday is the big day for us! We'll hopefully have a cooperative little one and should be able to find out the gender. I'm looking forward to sharing the details of our ultrasound and maybe even a picture. :)

Photography.

For the past 7 months, I've been playing the part of family photographer. I wrote a post after my very first session about the pre-session nerves, the pressure, the desire to take a moment in the lives of a family and freeze it. I started out on this journey knowing I would find plenty of room to grow as a photographer (let's face it, I still know relatively nothing compared to what's left to learn), but I also knew from the beginning that by stepping out there I was making the decision to grow as a person as well. During those first months, I still questioned myself. I let self doubt creep in from time to time to attempt its damage, but as a challenge to myself, I kept moving forward. I've learned that comfort zones can be renovated, confidence can be built, and fulfillment can be found by simply taking a chance.

I am having a fantastic time, people.

Some sessions turn out better than others. There are lighting and weather challenges, unhappy kids, background issues, people in the background issues....so many things that can go completely wrong, but somehow something always seems to go magically right.

(This little beauty set this shot up all by herself. I turned from talking to her momma to find this perfect picture opportunity and grabbed it!)

You can't hide true emotion. Whether rain, shine, or freezing cold, the genuine smiles still come through and happiness is inevitably caught on a 4GB memory card. The thing that I love about all of this is that my smile behind the camera is just as genuine. I love love. I love seeing people happy. :)

I think the most important thing I've discovered is that being a "photographer" has a lot less to do with the camera you own or the equipment you use, and a whole lot more to do with giving yourself over to the art of it all, finding yourself free in these moments, living these moments, too.

(You tell us how you feel baby boy! Love this picture.)

These are just a few of my favorite pictures, not only because of the image itself, but because of the actual moment it was taken. I was there. I could hear that sweet baby cry and celebrate with my clapping nephew. I can hear the laughter and watch expression after expression cross the faces of these precious kids as they explore new places. I love it. Even on those days when I question whether or not I'm any good at it, I love it, and there it is, the reason I keep doing what I do. :)

Emotional.

I've been such an emotional pregnant woman lately! It's strange to feel so out of control when it comes to my emotions. I realize that I can blame my hormones, but it doesn't make it any easier, or make me any less likely to cry at any given moment. ;) I find myself fighting back tears while watching the news (unfortunately, there is lots to cry over...), or TLC, or even while watching my "baby" (who is so not a baby anymore) throughout the day. A good friend of mine has a sweet baby boy who just started walking. :) It's so exciting, but I understand exactly what she means when she asks where the time has gone! Why does it go so quickly, these first precious years? I'm terrified that I'll turn around and find myself getting my daughter ready for her first day of kindergarten...and that's as far as I'm thinking ahead, otherwise I will cry right now.

And then there are these thoughts that keep swimming around in my head about these last few months with Gracie as an only child. As excited as I am about welcoming this sweet baby into our lives, I'm also desperate to make the most of this time with Gracie. I know the "new" baby won't replace her in any way, so it seems like a strange obsession, but I do know that once Baby arrives, everything will change for her... At the same time, I'm insanely excited about giving her the blessing of a sibling. I've always known I wanted more than one child, I just didn't realize there would be so many emotions attached. :)

I told Gracie the baby was kicking last night and she ran over saying, "I want to feel!" I can't wait until she really can! She also gave the baby a quick "hello!" before running back to what she was doing. It's these sweet little moments with her, no matter how quickly they come and go, that I want to remember forever! Each age has been special and amazing in some way, and I'm currently in love with this two and a half year old stage (okay, maybe minus her relentless fight against having her teeth brushed...). It's just fun! The tutus and fairy wings, the dancing and singing, the conversations and hilarious things she says... I'm just trying to soak it all in and keep her little for as long as I possibly can.