dear little prince

dear little prince,

well, we had a fabulous little adventure yesterday. a quick road trip followed by some hiking and a bit of time in beautiful sedona. i suppose it is a bit of a pregnancy tradition. i did some serious hiking when i was pregnant with your sister and now, we are getting you in on the fun. elinor was enjoying a sleepover with "neena" and "booboo" so your papa and i not only got out for a night on the town on friday night (which you thoroughly enjoyed. and i was right there with ya. some gooooood grub was had.) we got to spend the better part of saturday in cool and amazing sedona. we got up early, loaded some snacks in the car, grabbed some coffee for the road, and took off. we listened to music and talked and just let the cares of the world melt away.

after a few stops at the bathroom (thanks for that) we hit the trail. the air was light and cool and breezy. we were shaded by trees. and walked by the creek. we were quiet. and we chatted. it was grand. and you were having a ball. tumbling around and kicking like crazy. you must be an outdoorsman...

at one point on the hike, we passed a boy scout troop. all those boys out in nature, talking about bugs and trees and survival stuff. campfires and badges and patches. your papa and i shot each other glances of happiness...with a little bit of "oh my gosh" added in. we are going to have a boy! a son. a little man. we might be accompanying you on a troop trip or field trip just a few short years from now. we will get to watch you explore and be daring. grow into a man. learn all kinds of cool things. and surprise us and make us crazy.

i am really looking forward to not only meeting you, but seeing who you become and what you do. AND learning what boys are all about. it will be such fun and a brand new experience for me. i hope that you keep us exploring and wondering. i hope that i can keep up with you and join you on incredible adventures. i can't wait to see which hobbies you enjoy and what wild things you get into and what excites you. i hope that you are fearless and strong, careful and kind.

all my love,

mama