9/11 memorial...

I simply cannot get over how beautiful the weather was while we were in the city.

New York Februaries can be killer, especially when the wind gets whipping through those buildings, so I was worried about giving my child frostbite and came prepared with a Randy-worthy snowsuit just in case ("I can't put my arms down!").

Turns out, the snowsuit never left my suitcase.

Though it was cold, the sun stayed out and the wind (mostly) stayed away -- thus making me fall even more deeply in love with this place called New York.

Saturday we had reservations to view the new 9/11 memorial downtown.

It was a sacred, sad, and unforgettable experience to read the names of those lost on that horrible day, etched into the beautiful pools that sit on the original foundation of the towers.

 I held it together fairly well until I saw this:

 I was surprised at how many pregnant women were killed during the attacks.

For some reason, this fact really tears at my heart.

I held my boy a little tighter from that point on.

 On a lighter note, I will forever get a kick out of the picture above, thanks to the guard to warned me not to throw my baby in the pool while it was being taken.

Yep, that really happened.

James got a bit cranky while we were walking through the museum (which was very, very quiet), so Kim gave him his first lollipop in an attempt to stop the growling.

It was a crazy, sticky mess, but at least it inspired some reverence.