dear baby, you're a fig.

Dear Baby,

Tonight your dad and I looked at pictures online to see what you look like now and I maybe for sure cried. I think dad had a little tear glistening in his eye too, but I doubt he'd admit it :).  It's crazy to think that you're practically a real person now!  I mean...you've been a real person for awhile, but you've even got fingernails now and you're the size of a fig...almost a lime.

I'll bet you've got pretty cute fingernails by now :).  I keep thinking that my tummy has started growing a bit by now, but I think dad thinks I'm crazy.  Maybe in a few more weeks he'll start noticing it too.

Love,

Mom

dear baby, announcing your impending arrival.

Dear Baby,

This week was really busy and exciting for us.  We announced to all of our friends that you are going to be joining our little family in January!

One of my friends from work named Dana is also having a baby less than a week before you are due so we decided to announce our news at the same time by wearing t-shirts as our announcements.

We also shared our news on Facebook.  You don't know what that is yet, but everyone was very excited about you.

I think we are still the most excited though :).

Love,

Mom

dear baby, your second photo.

Dear Baby,

Today we went back to the hospital to get another photo taken of you and to make sure you were safe and sound in your nesting spot.

I can hardly believe how much you've grown in just a week!  The doctor said that things look ok and that you seem to be healthy, so we are very relieved about that. 

We've been praying for you before bed too.  We pray that you'll love Jesus and not get into too much trouble and maybe, possibly (pretty please?!) sleep through the night.  We're really hoping that sleeping through the night thing works out for us :).  

Love,

Mom

dear baby, your first photo.

Dear Baby,

Today you had your first photo taken!

You still look more like a sea monkey than a human baby, but you have a heart beat and your dad and I got to hear it at your appointment.  I officially have two heartbeats!  

Our appointment was actually quite terrible, because we had a really rude doctor.  She wanted us to do all these tests on you to make sure you were healthy, but we declined and she was mad about it.  We're going to love you no matter what, so we didn't feel like we needed the tests.  She also seemed to think there was a little something strange about my uterus, so we have another ultrasound to check things out next week.  I'm kind of worried about it, but I'm trying not to think about it too much.  We're thinking of having you at home or at a birthing center instead of at a hospital, but we haven't decided yet.  For now I'm glad that you are healthy and cozy in your new little temporary home :).  

We love you already.

Love,

Mom

dear baby, how you came to be.

Dear Baby,

I figured you might want to know how you came to be one day, so I decided to start writing it all down for you.  Well....I mean....I'm not planning on telling you exactly how you came to be, because that's not a conversation I want to have until you're at least five, but I wanted you to know how we got to this point of deciding to become your parents.


In November of 2010 your dad and I had been married for almost 3 years and decided that while we loved your little fur sibling Marley we were kind of ready for a real-live human baby.  We waited and waited....


Then, six months later you finally showed up!


It was kind of strange, but I just knew I was pregnant.  I woke up one morning and took a Dollar Tree pregnancy test and when that second little pink line appeared I went to go tell your dad.  I had always thought I might tell him I was pregnant in a cute and creative way, but I was just too excited for that.  The conversation went a little something like this:

Me:  "Ummmm....I just took this test and I think it says I'm pregnant.  I can't really tell though.  It's hard to read."


Dad:  (previously in a gape-mouthed sleep pops straight up off of his pillow and out of his dreamy state) "Well...I'm awake now!"


Me:  "What does it say?"


Dad:  (carefully inspects the directions on the box)  I think that means we're pregnant.


Me:  "Really?  Like, really pregnant?"


Dad:  "Yeah."


From that moment on we knew that our lives would be forever changed and we couldn't be more excited about this.

Love,
Mom