Sugar and Spice!

From every Old Wives Tale to the Chinese Gender Chart to the early prediction at 12 weeks to Daddy's intuition. All signs pointed to "girl", and in our case, they were right.

The anatomy scan went perfectly. Baby Girl weighs in at 1 lb. All her limbs and organs are exactly as they should be. She was bopping around in there, and as you can see in the 2nd picture, she had her legs up over her head. The sonographer said that she likes to play with her toes. Awwwwwwwww!

Some good news. It looks like our friend, the fibroid, has stopped growing for now. My weight is up a bit more than we'd like to see at this point, BUT I've been cleared to exercise again. Woot! (I've been on "modified rest" for about 9 weeks in hopes that it would help with the feet and ankle swelling, but it hasn't, so we have a different plan of attack now, which includes walking laps in a pool.)

Anyway, it's suffice to say that Brad and I are thrilled and we are feeling very thankful on this Thanksgiving eve.

Baby is half-baked!

As of 2 days ago, this wee-one is half way to being an outside baby! I hit this milestone while in Orlando for NCTE (National Council for Teachers of English). Of course, I had to commemorate the 'big day' with some pictures, including my first ever bare-belly picture. Yikes!!



On a side-note, Orlando was fabulous. The weather was *perfect*, I got to visit with some friends, stay at a Disney Resort (Caribbean Beach), see a little bit of Disney World, do some shopping, and pick up some cool materials to bring back to school with me. While I wish I'd been there with Brad for purely vacationing purposes, it wasn't a bad way to spend 4 days.

Here are 2 pictures from the resort I stayed at, including the building I was in and our own private "beach".



Also, while at the conference, I was able to hear 2 people who I look up to speak. The first was Erin Gruwell. You may know her as the teacher from the movie "Freedom Writers". I boohoo'd my way through her presentation. The 2nd was one of my very favorite young adult fiction authors, Sharon Draper. I was able to get 2 books signed by Ms. Draper at the exhibit hall after her presentation. Score!

Check back in on Wednesday for news from my anatomy scan! I am excited and extremely nervous. I hope to post a perfect report and some awesome ultraound pictures for you.

I'm also working on Brad to post a blog, but apparently, he doesn't have much to say about this whole pregnancy thing. I'm hoping that means that I've been easy to live with and that the past few months have passed just like "business as usual" for him.

Letter to Baby from Mommy

Dearest Sweet Baby,

I've been pondering for weeks what it is that I want to tell you. There is so much to say, yet I'm at a loss for words. (This is something you'll find very ironic later, I am sure.)

I've spent a lot of time recently not only imagining what it will be like to see you, touch you, smell you, kiss you, and snuggle you close for the first time, but also what it will be like for Daddy and me to experience a lifetime of "firsts" with you.

From your first bath to the first time you see the ocean.

From your first car ride home from the hospital just days after you're born to your first airplane ride to your second home in Nova Scotia.

Your first pumpkin patch and Halloween, your first football game, your first snowfall and Christmas.

Later, your first steps, your first words, your first day of school.

I know every moment is going to be extraordinary because I have no doubt that YOU are extraordinary.

I know that we'll also have to deal with not-so-happy firsts like your first cold and your first scraped knee, your first disappointments and hurt feelings, but for now I prefer to delight in the things that I can not wait to share with you: Your grampy's songs and our favorite books, your furry siblings, and so many people who are going to love you (almost) as much you your Daddy and I do.

I think of all the things that I hope to be able to do for you and give you. I pray that we can be the kind of parents that you deserve. I can not promise you a perfect life, but I can promise you unconditional love and a soft place to fall from your first breath to my last.

I can't wait to meet you!

Love,
Mommy xo

16 weeks, 3 days


17 weeks, 1 day