Haircuts and Belly Shots

Ben and I have been through many stages with Ethan's haircuts (or lack thereof). First, there was denial. Looking back at pictures from March and April this year, we now recognize that there was a period of time during which Ethan really looked like Ethana (or Ethel, or whatever the female version of Ethan is). We were confused by the comments of strangers, referring to Ethan as a "she", but we now see that we were tricked by parental bias and could not see how long (and shaggy!) Ethan's hair looked to the rest of the world. The next stage was the homemade haircut. Not understanding how anyone could or would pay $15+ for a kid's haircut, we did it ourselves, strapping Ethan in his high chair and holding him down while trying to pretend we were stylists. Well, that only lasted so long, and after a few too many near-accidents involving Ethan's eyes and ears, we finally decided to turn him over to the professionals. So today I took him to Snip'Its - for those who aren't familiar, this is a brilliant marketing scheme. I can't say Ethan liked it any better than the homemade variety, but he sure liked the animal crackers he got to munch throughout and the prize he got at the end. And the result is definitely better...

In other news, we are actively preparing for #2's arrival. We have his room all set up, and he can pretty much come whenever he'd like. As you can see by the size of my belly, I am ready anytime!

Trucks!

When we saw the flyer for the "Touch a Truck" fundraiser at Scarborough Downs yesterday, we knew it was a must-do. For Ethan, there really isn't a better definition of nirvana than a whole bunch of trucks, tractors, and emergency vehicles all gathered in one spot for him to touch, climb on, and pretend to drive. It was a gorgeous morning, and we had lots of fun exploring the vehicles and watching Ethan's reactions.

We saw a lot of this expression throughout the morning - Ethan's open mouthed smile which we can best interpret to mean "WOW!". I think this one was taken right after he found the tractor trailer's horn...

We also saw a lot of this - the sign for "more". Ethan could not get enough of all the honking horns and sirens.

The New Grocery Getter

Today marked a big milestone in the Stockwell household - the trading in of the sporty sedan for the "family car". In anticipation of our new arrival, we decided we needed a car that was a little easier to load kiddos in and out of, and that had a bit more cargo room. We looked at a bunch of different cars and ended up with ...

... that's right, folks - a minivan. The Mazda salesman tried to convince me it was a "wagon"; Ben tried to convince me it was a "mini-minivan". But you can put lipstick on a pig and...it's still a pig. No, in all fairness, it's actually a pretty cute car/van and drives really well. And I certainly appreciate not throwing my back out or crushing baby #2 when trying to load Ethan in and out of his carseat.

Here's Ben kissing our Mazda3 (and his manhood) goodbye:

When Mom's Away...

I left Ethan and Ben at home last weekend while I enjoyed a relaxing, special weekend away with my Mom at the spectacular Cliff House in Ogunquit. We took walks, ate lots of delicious food, got some spa treatments, and just generally enjoyed some together time. I forgot to bring the camera to document the gorgeous setting and (surprisingly) gorgeous weather, but it turns out Ben had fun with the camera back home anyway. Here are some great shots of Ethan from the boys' weekend together. It looks like Ethan spent the whole weekend in his PJs (with the Pats jersey thrown over them on Sunday), but despite (or maybe because of) that, he seemed to have a great weekend with Dad.

Despite the Pats' win, everyone including Ethan was a little down after the game...

Labor Day

We joined the rest of the extended Stockwell family at the lake this past weekend to celebrate Grandpa Howie's (Ethan's great-grandpa, after whom he is named) 90th birthday. It was a wonderful event, filled with singing and stories, old pictures and memories. Howie has an amazing spirit and an incredible outlook on life, and we always enjoy soaking up some of his positive energy and wisdom when we spend time with him.

During his birthday celebration, Howie learned that two of his books have been accepted by the Library of Congress' Veterans' History Project, and will be housed at the Library of Congress in DC. One of these, World War II: A Love Story, is a collection of letters written back and forth between Howie and his wife Jane when he was stationed abroad during WWII. These letters will now inspire future generations of soldiers and their families.In addition to helping Great-Grandpa Howie celebrate his big birthday, Ethan enjoyed entertaining many other family members. Here he is with Grandma...... and flirting with Great-Auntie Mary...... and reading with Grandpa.Thanks to all Ethan's cousins and second cousins for playing with him constantly so Mom and Dad could enjoy some relaxation and visiting time! The weather was perfect - those bright blue, cloudless skies that Maine Septembers are famous for. Like everyone else, Ethan wanted to spend every last moment of the fading summer weekend outside...

August

I know we've been deliquent with the posts lately, so here goes: a mega-post. This should keep you busy for awhile. I finally got around to sifting through the many pictures we've taken over the last month. As you will see, we have been spending a lot of time at the lake this August, now that it's only a little over an hour away.

Not captured in the pictures above are the wonderful family visits we had at the beginning of August. The Haines family (Ben's cousins on his mom's side) were all at the lake for a week, and we had a great time singing (and composing new songs), playing games, and enjoying time together. We also got to spend time with Auntie Gwen and Uncle Mike, who were home from Korea for two weeks. They are expecting their own little munchkin in February, and got to practice their parenting skills on their wild nephew.

We chose perhaps the nicest week of the summer (weather-wise) to take a vacation, and moved the whole family (including Luna) over to the lake last week. It was a really relaxing vacation, with a nice mix of adventure and rest, visitors and quiet time. The Doyle Family joined us for the first weekend. I think Molly enjoyed dipping her toes in the lake and being hugged by Ethan (maybe?). I enjoyed watching her eat. Later in the week, Jeremy came to see us, and we all went to Mutiny Brook for the morning. Mutiny Brook is a little treasure just minutes from the lake - we had a blast climbing on the rocks, dipping our toes (or faces, in Jeremy's case) in the frigid water, and just exploring.

As you can see, the Stockwells have had a busy August. Finally, for those of you who have been wondering about the other Stockwell, who's due to make his appearance in 7 weeks or so, here's a belly shot:If this kid moves around in real life anything like he moves around in the womb, we're in big trouble...

Marsh Walk

I have been hearing some complaints recently about the lack of posts - sorry about that. What can I say - between chasing one kid around, growing another, and still getting settled in our new home, we have been busy. Actually, we have had time for lots of relaxation recently, having just returned from a wonderful week at the lake. We couldn't have picked a better week, weather-wise, and our vacation was filled with visitors, adventures, and fun. More on that later - I need to sift through the pictures but promise to post some this week.

In the meantime, here are a few shots Ben took this afternoon. After Ethan woke up from his nap, we decided to explore the wildlife sanctuary at Scarborough Marsh. The late afternoon sun and perfect temperature (with a hint of fall in the air!) made for a very pleasant walk. Ethan kept busy pushing his stroller (which he prefers to riding these days) and waving to the many animals we saw along the way, while Ben kept busy with his camera.