Little Stirings

Hello baby!

I have truly nothing new to report. It's a gorgeous, sunny, almost 60 degree day outside and I SHOULD be out enjoying the weather and soaking up the sun, but I am here writing to you instead. Good trade I think! :) Truthfully your Big Brother likes his "alone" time so he can play his beloved video games (which I allow, but has a time limit) and your Big Sister is napping so I DO have a little time on my hands.

OH! I guess I DO have something to talk about! This weekend Daddy caught "the baby bug" and decided to turn one small corner of our bedroom into the "Midgie Suite." We had talked about how we would handle the sleeping arrangements when you came home and came to the conclusion that you and Momma will be sharing a room for a while and Daddy will be "visiting" but not sleeping in there with us. Kind of sad, but practical and Momma always says she is NOTHING if not practical! When Andrew was born we lived in a different house- one bedroom was his and one was ours. That was it- only two! Because he was our first OF COURSE he slept in our room at night. But after a while Daddy began to resemble a zombie because he had to work each day while Momma was home with him and each evening he would wake Daddy up because your brother got LOUD when he was hungry! So we sadly let Andrew start sleeping in his beautiful crib and I came to him each night to nurse. We missed his sweet little baby noises but it was so much better for Daddy.

Then your Big Sister was born and although she didn't nurse like Andrew did, she still got up nightly for many feeding sessions. She of course slept in our room until she was ready to sleep in her crib as well. But once again Daddy had to awake each day to go to work and Momma did not. So when Ellie began sleeping in her own room, Momma came to HER at night. It worked out well! One bedroom for Momma and Daddy, one for Big Brother and one for Big Sister.

And then we thought, "What about the BABY?!" Where will the baby sleep? We only have three bedrooms this time around and all three are already taken! Unfortunately little one, you are due right around the time Big Brother begins ALL DAY school. And Miss Ellie will be going to pre school the following week and will need her beauty sleep as well. They have both GENEROUSLY offered to share a room with you but Momma and Daddy are being slefish and want to keep you with them for a little while! :) So we decided to place you in our room for the first few months until you are sleeping well into the morning. If you turn out to be a boy then you and Big Brother will be roomies someday. If you turn out to be a girl, then Ellie will be thrilled to share her room with you. You are so lucky to be loved so much already little baby!

And by doing things this way only you and Momma will be woken up each night and Daddy, Andrew and Ellie can sleep as needed. I don't mind AT ALL- those sweet, hazy nighttime feedings are my fondest memories of all my children and I am blessed to be able to do it again for you, sweet one. Daddy secretly moved his dresser and bookshelf into our already crammed closet while Mommy was downstairs one morning and made you a little "room" of your own. Small lamp, baby basinette and glider ready to go! Daddy very much wants to add something to the walls for you so we'll have to work on that but otherwise, make yourself at home!

Hope you like it! On Thursday I go to my favorite doctor for a listen of your precious heartbeat. I lIVE for these appointments when I get to hear you, one beat at a time. She has also asked that we agree on a date for when we will meet you in person and as of right now we have decided upon Wednesday, August 25th, 2010! That will be your birthday, sweet one! I cannot wait- it seems like that day seems so far away. I know that it will be here before we know it and my pregnancy journey will finally come to an end but I am so anxious to meet you, touch you, smell you, hold you, LOVE you. You have no idea of how truly lucky you already are.

15 weeks

Hello baby! It's been so long and I am so sorry but it is a beautiful day outside today (sunny and 63!) and I am feeling inspired! According to all of my online helpful hints you are now about 4 inches long and weigh about 1/2 an ounce. About the size of a peach. Yet I haven't felt you move in there yet. I keep thinking I feel slight flickerings but nothing for sure.

Where are you in there?

I am feeling so much better- no nausea at all now and my energy is back, except for the occasional afternoon nap I've been taking while Big Sis Ellie naps too. Last week I scheduled "The Big Ultrasound" where we not only find out how perfect you are, but whether or not you'll be perfect in pink or blue! Since we found out about you Daddy has wanted to know whether you are a boy or girl but I have been wanting to keep it a secret up until the very moment we meet you. But I have secretly decided that since Daddy can only be involved minimally right now while you are still safe in my tummy that letting him find out if you are a boy or girl is the best gift i can give him. He is anxious to plan your room (with Ellie or Andrew?), to pick a name, to buy new clothes. And I cannot refuse him because you are our last baby gift and I want Daddy to be as involved as happy with you as I already am. So kick me and let me know you approve!

The week of April 12th is our big appointment so hopefully you'll cooperate and let us know who you are in there! I have thought from the beginning that you a little boy. I see 2 boys in our family in years down the road. I see all of Andrew's favorite old clothes being worn again and I can see the sweet blue Winnie the Pooh bedding we have back in the crib that all of our children have used. But I am also confused because this pregnancy is so much more like Ellie's went- sick at night, less energetic, craving apples and chocolate. So we will see and I promise to love you either way.

Another interesting tidbit for you sweet one: at my last appointment with the doctor that is taking care of us both until you arrive she asked me to narrow down when we wanted to deliver you- essentially asking my to choose your birthday! Let me explain a little about this. Big brother Andrew came into this world in a rough way. Mommy was in labor with him when things went very wrong and we both, Andrew and I, were not doing so well. They pulled us into an emergency operating room where Mommy was put to sleep and they helped get Andrew out of my tummy before we could both get worse. That operation is what's known as a c section and once a Mommy has one of those chances are that all of that Mommy's other babies will be born the same way. I very much wanted to have all of my kids born "the natural" way but when considering my silly wants versus what would be safest for us all, Ellie was born via c section too. Which makes you our c section number three.

Now, when I saw our doctor- Dr. Alexander- she said she wanted you to be born about a week before your due date which is August 31st. She asked me if I has a date in mind and I said yes, I did. And I chose August 25th because your Daddy and I both were born on the 25th (he in December and mine in June), your brother was born on the 20th and your sister was born on the 5th. In order to make things "even" I was hoping for a date that was either a 5th, 20th or 25th and 25th it is! Unfortunately after choosing that date I found it that it is also your big brother's first day of FIRST GRADE and that I will be missing it! I am so so sad about this baby, but I know that in the long run he won't remember and you will end up with a birth date just like all of ours!

So that is all the news! 15 weeks along, feeling good and hoping to get great new pictures of you soon. Keep growing in there, know that we all love you very much (Andrew likes to kiss my belly at night and say "Goodnight Midgie") and Mommy will hopefully be able to write more memories for you soon! I love you little one!