Checkup number.... oh I've lost count

Dear Baby,

Today I went to another doctor appointment. I have to get my glucose test pretty soon. I don't know why everyone I talk to always complains about the drink you have to drink, I hate the needle and drawing blood part.

Today I heard your heart again, felt you move, and then they measured me. To my doctor's astonishment my tummy is measuring 2 weeks early. This is the same thing that happened to me when I was pregnant with Noah. At my 36 week checkup with him, I measured 40 weeks. The doctor said "oh you're going to have a big baby." I didn't, instead I went into labor the next day.

I am 26 weeks pregnant now, and I am measuring at 28 weeks. If that is correct, than your due date is not going to be October 28th. I'm thinking, at least the 14th or 15th by what I am measuring now. I can't wait to see what I'm measuring in 3 weeks. I am curious what that will tell us about when you'll decide to show up. It's kinda fun having a built in system that gives me a heads-up early to be prepared and pack my hospital bag.

But for now, I am still busy getting your room ready, and planning your baby shower, and preparing for my baby girl.

Love,
Mama

Journey to your nursery

Dear Baby,

We spent all day today painting your room today. Even though we don't have curtains up, or sheets on your bed. Even though there is boy stuff ALL OVER your room. It still feels like YOUR room. You wanna know why? Oh..... because it's PINK!

We had ever so much fun today painting the nursery. Carefully taping the walls, picking the right paint, meticulously getting every edge and nook. There is something about putting pink on a wall that makes me smile from head to toe. It's just a color I never thought I'd get to see on a wall in my house, and now here I am staring pink in the face. I am excited about how everything is coming together. Here is a sneak peek:

It makes me hungry for watermelon!!

Pretty in Pink

Dear Baby,

This weekend your Special Aunt Lauren and I are going to be painting your room. Doing your room has been a challenge for me because I have had so many years to dream up what I want to do with it. I have sat and researched the internet until my eyeballs have popped out of my head, looking for ideas I loved, and baby bedding that I liked. Ofcourse, I couldn't just go with a REGULAR bedding set like any normal mommy would. No, you had to have original bedding. So I eventually decided on doing your room in a damask print.

It's a little more sophisticated, and a little less tiny baby so that as you grow a little older, your room can also grow with you. After searching fabrics FOREVER, I finally decided on a Michael Miller fabric in candy pink. We're going to make curtains, a bumper, and a bedskirt out of this fabric. I am going to use the green stripe that is already painted in your brother's room and add pink to it. Then I plan on painting one accent wall pink. Here are some paint samples I am thinking about and the fabric for your room.

I've got this total picture of what I want it to look like in my head. A princess room, but not overly fairytale just more like a room fit for a princess. I think I mostly want it to look really really girlie, because I haven't gotten to experience that yet. I am having so much fun coming up with creative ideas. You and I are going to be spending a lot of time in that room, a lot of sleepless nights quietly rocking away in that room. And I want it to be a place we can both enjoy!
I'll be sure to keep you updated on the progress little one.

Love,
Mama

Being HUGE

Dear Baby, you're BIG!

Okay, so you're really not that big, but you FEEL enormous. I actually put a bathingsuit on the other day (don't worry baby, I'll spare you the pictures) and your grandma said "wow, you're HUGE!" I think she had good intentions while saying that, but it didn't feel good hearing it.

I am 6 months pregnant today. That means, I still have 3 more months. At this point, I cannot imagine how giant I am going to look by the end, but I am guessing that I will look like I swallowed the world's largest pumpkin. On top of that, I FEEL big. I can now see you poking out of me when you kick, my belly button is dangerously close to being non-existent and I am sore all the time. I remember what being big looked like, but I forgot entirely how it felt. And now that it is 102 degrees outside and showing no signs of getting cooler for at least 2 more months, I am getting crabby too!

I remember when I told people what my due date was, they would often make the comment "Oh... that means you have to go through summer months really big." I didn't think much of it at the time because I was big and pregnant with Elijah all the way until August. But I wasn't thinking about the fact that all of August and September it was going to be scorching hot too. It's getting kinda hard to breathe.

Yet, even though 3 months seems like FOREVER to be big and pregnant, I am also thinking how quickly 3 months is going to fly by and how much work I have to do on your nursery. I have a few more girl clothes this month, we're getting there. This whole girl thing is new to me, and it's taking some time.

Please don't squish me baby.
Love, Mama

A pickle person

Dear Baby,

We've made it to 22 weeks now, a little past halfway. You're starting to take up most of the room and I'm starting to feel a little cramped :)

I wouldn't say that I have had any really strange cravings until last night. I pulled out a jar of pickles and a tray of chocolate cookies. I'd eat a slice of pickle, and then a bite of cookie. It sounds gross I know. But baby, I was in heaven.

There are a million things you HATE for me to eat. Like tacos, milk, yogurt (pretty much anything dairy related really). You don't like when I eat salad, or most kinds of chips or really anything greasy. It's getting hard to find things that you DO like to eat. So I'm sticking with my pickles and chocolate cookies okay?

Love,
Mama

Just the 3 of us

Dear Baby:

I am 21 weeks pregnant, and this is what you look like inside me. It has been a crazy few weeks as we have been focusing on your brothers. So this last weekend your daddy and me got to have a weekend getaway, and just enjoy you. We sat by the ocean, which baby you are going to love one day, and spent time together being quiet.

But the highlight of the weekend for me was the night that we laid in bed and listened to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. You responded by moving around all over the place. And your daddy got to feel you moving around. He smiled and would say "ooooh she's hyper". It was a really special moment we got to share, just focusing on you and your little life growing inside me.

Your daddy keeps wondering what life will be like with a little girl. I secretly think he's really excited about. He keeps thinking about your prom, and your wedding. He asks me about what girls like to do. He speculates that you will be a talker and will have to be tough with 2 older brothers.

It's so fun to think about what life will be like when you come. We are excited baby.

We love you baby,

Love mama

Peekaboo- I see you!

Dear Baby:

Today we saw you in action. We saw your tiny feet kick around. We saw your arms stretch. We saw you move your lips, and flip around. We saw your heart beat, and heard it whirring around in my belly. We got to know you, this little life we've prayed over, thought about, planned for, and loved.

We got you on videotape, and we finally got your first pictures. What a moment, what a day. Today is the day that we found out that you are, in fact, a little girl!

My dear sweet little baby, I cannot tell you how long I have drempt of this day. I can now tell you that ever since you were teeny tiny I have had the idea that you were a girl. It is a thing that I have had with all my babies, knowing what they were from the time they were too itty bitty to even tell. Both of your brothers, I knew they were boys. And you my love, I knew would be a girl. But being able to finally see it on the screen, was amazing.

I ran to the store and bought pink bows for your hair, and pink bibs for you to wear. I am afraid my dear, that in a house full of boys, you are going to be ever-so-covered in pink from head to toe and there is really nothing you can do about it. I have drempt of my girl, prayed for my girl, hoped for my girl, and cried for my girl for a very long time. I thought about all the birthday parties, and girl movies, and sleepovers, and makeovers, and your prom, and your wedding. I cannot tell you how delighted I am to add you to our family, to make it complete.

We got to see every part of you today my sweet sweet baby. And I feel like I got to know you a little bit more, other than just the foods you like and don't like. I am so blessed to have this day, I will really never ever forget it.

Love,

Mama