Memorial Day!

I've decided I kind of hate the blogger app.

I can't tell you how many times I've tried to start a post on my ipad and save it only to find that it never saved.

And then we have to start all over again.

But we had so much fun over Memorial Day weekend that it made up for bloggers inadequacies. 

We went up to poppo's cabin, which has some of the most beautiful views I've seen since leaving Utah...

And had a bonfire, and roasted hotdogs and hamburgers and walked and talked and went down to the pond to see the fish and ate too many s'mores.

Bence had the first s'mores of his short little life. 

He had marshmallow everywhere; in between his fingers and in his hair and all over his face. 

And then he would touch other things....the bench, me, a tree, his toys, me again....and he'd try to eat the marshmallow off all those things too. (inlcuding me.)

He has also never been around a bonfire before. He kept holding his little hands out to feel the warmth, and then covering his face because it was pretty hot; even though he was a good four feet away.

He didn't like the pond so much....

The boys fished for a little while and Bence was torn between wanting to run into the water and not liking the feel of the grass on his legs. 

So we carried him most the time. 

This was his face after poppo held a fish out to him. 

he wasn't diggin' it. 

He had more fun pretending to drive poppo's truck. 

It was so beautiful the weather was so perfect. I couldn't help but take a million pictures.

Henry and sawyer even took the little pontoon boat out across the pond to see how deep the water was.

it was awesome. 

We had such a fun day and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. 

Bence was even really well behaved.

I was worried that the entire day would involve me chasing him away anything and everything dangerous.

and there can be a lot of dangerous things around when you're hanging out at a cabin that has a pond and you plan on having an open fire. 

but he was so good.

he played so well and was easily redirected whenever he got close to anything that made me nervous. 

and a lot can make me nervous.

he really is a sweetheart.

We also tried out bence's new life vest.

Not in water...but he tried it on.

Henry took the kids out kayaking in the morning, and Bence wanted to climb in while they were packing up. 

We just have to figure out how to get him to breath once it's buckled. 

Saturday we were outside (literally) from 10 am until about 8pm. 

But Bence still had a meltdown when we finally got back to Grammo and poppo's. 

He went to bed at 9:30 and I had to wake him up for church around 8:00 the next day.

he's never slept that long before. 

Then when we went to the coppersmiths!

We had the best steak dinner I've ever eaten, another campfire, stargazing, and ever more s'mores. And Bence even got to swim in the kiddie pool.

It was heaven. 

He kept giving me the funniest looks. 

especially when the sun started to go down.

He was playing and having the time of his life and all the sudden he would like at me as though wondering, "why are we still outside when it's dark?" 

Or when we roasted marshmallows...and I could tell that HE could tell this wasn't our usual sunday night routine. 

It was pretty cool out and mommy didn't pack a sweater for the little man, so we had to borrow the smallest thing aunt Callie had. Bence looked like a little jawa- complete with nonsensical muttering. 

We were excited for roasted marshmallows! 

He had the time of his life. 

We were sad to come back to laundry and groceries and real life on Tuesday. 

Especially since we've had rain everyday and haven't been to the park at all. 

But I think the whole weekend had a lasting impact on little man, 

He took an (almost) four hour long nap the other day.

He also ate corn on the cob for the first time last night, so this week hasn't been a total loss.

Lastly, Bence learned a few words over the holiday weekend. 

"Ahh-pop-pop" and "ShhhuuShus"

In bence speak that means "papa" and "shoes," respectively. 

I tried to get him saying it on video, and I think he might have whispered it once. 

It's about five minutes of watching him eat and play while I try to coax it out of him, but I'm sure the grandmas won't complain.

I feel so lucky to be mommy to this sweet, special, vivaciously crazy boy. It's hard to imagine a time when I wasn't his mommy. 

and we are so excited to meet his little brother!

P.S. 

It has been a really long time since I posted any videos. 

I finally went through my phone and uploaded the best.

by "best" I mean there is no baby-nudity and I sound the least like an idiot. 

There is still lots of screaming and loud noises; mostly from bence. 

But I thought I post them since it's been awhile. 

25 weeks and 18 months

Oh hey...we finally got around to updating this dusty old rag.

I'm surprised you remembered we blogged at all at the rate we've kept up lately. 

I have so many photos and so many stories I've already half forgotten....

so this will mostly be a picture dump and a bence update. 

I had intended to work on new posts every week, but we fell off that bandwagon about two weeks in. 

Daddy has been working remotely for the last few weeks, so we mostly try to stay out of his hair and (when possible) out of the house.

Which means updates have to be done on the iPad.

Which can be really annoying.

But we've had lots of adventures in the last month or two.

We've had lots of visits to Nana and Papa's and Grammo and Poppo's. 

Bence continues to grow and change everyday.

As I watched him eating meatballs with a fork

(Or trying to, at least) 

He looked like such a little boy. 

A kid. 

Not a baby.

It makes me sad and happy.

He doesn't snuggle much anymore, just a tiny bit at night before he settles down for bed.

The rest of the day is a blur.

I'm not kidding.

This kid moves so fast that 90% of  all pictures he's in are smudged around the edges. 

(See what I mean?)

I know I've written about his love of the outdoors, but lately it's been even more apparent. 

He understands the word "outside," and will run for the door if he hears it. We've had to be careful not to drop that bomb in casual conversation. It's not worth the half hour it takes for Bence to calm down when he realizes we're not going outside. 

Our neighbors have a playset behind our building that they let us use whenever we want, and Bence loves it.

I think our record on the swing was around half an hour. 

He pulls on the straps of the swing while looking at me and grunting until I left him up and buckle him in. 

And then he'll sit there and squeal and giggle with his eyes closed (if the sun is bright) while I push him. 

And if I try to take him out before he's good and ready he'll scream and cry and try to crawl back up into the swing by himself. 

(The shovel--also courtesy of our neighbors--is one of bence's favorite toys. he can't put it down long enough to go down the slide or swing.)

We had our first real tantrum as a result of that swing set. 

Bence has always hated coming inside after playing outdoors.

He's usually throws a mini tantrum when we come in and it usually lasts five minutes or so before he finds a toy he's interested in, or gets a cup from mommy to distract him. 

But last week, I had to go to the bathroom after we'd been out for less than ten minutes;

I had to carry him up the stairs to our apartment under my arm with his little legs flailing and his arms flying in every direction. 

This has never been an easy feat, but with my growing belly it's becoming even harder. 

It took him an hour to come to grips with being inside again. 

We didn't go out again that day.

I was more than a little nervous we'd repeat the whole incident.

I seriously considered starting one of those photo journals you see on pinterest...

"why my child is crying"

(for example: "I wouldn't let my child climb on the table"... or "I wouldn't buy my child 'the dollie movie' i.e. chuckie...)

(I wouldn't let him stick his feet in his breakfast.")

 (His toy was suctioned to the side of the table and he couldn't get it off.)

Bence hasn't really used many more words than last time we updated, but he understands a lot. 

When I tell him we're going outside he runs right to the door and pulls on the knob. 

Yesterday I asked him where daddy was, and if he would get daddy for dinner. He didn't do it, but he kept looking back down the hallway and pointing toward our bedroom. 

Here's some more of his favorites:

"AAaaay!" : His version of hey! Which Henry and I say all the time. He always says this very emphatically whether he's trying to climb on there kitchen table or on top of us. 

"NA NA NA" : I'm pretty sure this means "no" because he saves it for when I take him off the table or stop him from climbing on me. 

"DADADADA" : daddy's name; or just something to say when anything fun is going on. 

"MAMAMA": used interchangeably with NANANA- usually when he's caught doing something naughty. Or on occasion when he actually wants me (instead of daddy) he'll throw himself on the floor while saying this in the most pathetic way possible until I pick him up and snuggle him. 

He doesn't say too many "real" words yet, but he's a chatterbox. He's constantly speaks in baby language while looking at Henry and I in the most matter of fact way like, "come on guys, can't you me understand me?" 

It's so cute to hear the conversations he has with himself. He also will speak in a really low, gravely voice and it's so cute to hear that coming out of such a little person. 

I have to throw in here that Bence has also turned into a little daddy's boy. Henry has been working remotely the last three weeks, which means we get to see a lot of him during the day. 

Seeing daddy for every meal is a novelty we haven't gotten tired of yet. the hard part is when daddy has to go back to work (our office is in the bedroom) and bence can't go in. He knows Henry is there and will pound on the door or wail right outside until I come and distract him with something else. 

(These guys are best buds.)

It's really sweet to see him form such a strong attachment to henry. Just a few weeks ago I was wondering how B would transition with the new baby since he always wanted me at night, not henry. 

We had our little routine at night (a routine that could last four hours-but a routine nonetheless) and Bence didn't like it when daddy tried to take over on the odd night here or there. Now the roles have reversed and he always wants daddy to hold him. 

In Baby news all is well!

My last appointment (23 weeks) came and went and everything measured as perfectly normal.

I can't believe we're already to 25 weeks. it has really flown by.

(at least, once the morning sickness was over it started to fly.)

we've got ten fingers, ten toes, and little boy parts!

(This is the only nude shot I will ever post of my child online.)

Sadly, most of the 14 or so images they printed for me are really kinda pathetic.

Bence's regular ultrasound pics turned out way better than the 3-d images they did here.

I only got one good shot of this little boy's face. 

During the entire appointment, he kept putting his hands up by his mouth so we couldn't get any face or profile images.

but he is just perfect as can be and right on target for size, weight, length, you name it.

The other day when I pulled the stroller out of the shed I saw a clear plastic container i had used to hold all bence's newborn clothes.

and realized, with a jolt, that in just a few months, I will have another little man to dress.

and snuggle.

we are pretty excited. 

I love my boys!

besides, I think we did a pretty good job the first time around.