Letter of Love

I wake each day waiting for your first movement, your kicks are like butterflies that sing to my heart. I am overwhelmed with this love that I feel, an unconditional love that foresees no end. We loved you before you existed and yearned for your presence, it’s been weeks of excitement as we wait patiently for you to grow so you can meet the world, and the world can meet you.

We were told your arrival would feel like forever; but truth be told, the days are shorter and the weeks go by in a blink. It feels like yesterday since I realized you were there, a moment never to be forgotten, a moment we had wondered if it would ever happen. I didn’t think anything would ever compare, until we first saw you on the monitor, or the first time we heard your heart beat to the first time we felt you move and when we found out you were a precious sweet baby girl. We realize that there will be many more moments to experience with you, and our love for you will grow stronger each and every day.

Our lives have already changed and we can’t wait to share it with you; our days go by getting ready for you, to experience all the adventures you have planned for us, and to share with you all the love we have to offer. If there is one thing that you take from us in your whole life, let it be that you were wanted so very much and we love you with all the love we have to give.

Bump Update

27 weeks baby bump pic is here................. I get asked about these a lot - so I will try to take more regular bump pictures :).

Look back over the other ones we have posted - its taking on quite the shape now. Loving every minute of it :).

Invites

I had to post this because I think they are so cute.
I made the invites for my amazing friend Liz (you all know who I am talking about - so exited to be pregnant at the same time :).

I was hoping to get them done a while ago, but I had no energy - so instead I just bombarded her with questions about what she liked. It ended up being a little different, but still so cute anyway :). I printed them at home and I am super happy with how they turned out.

This is an image of them taken all spread out, ready to be put into envelopes!

This picture is of the actual invite! 

Don't worry friends that are reading this who know Liz - your invite is on the way :)

Baby Shower (England)

I have been meaning to do this post since the my sister (Natasha) had a baby shower for me. It was on December 23rd......... and I fully planned on doing a proper post right after Christmas, but then I got the flu. It is just this week that I have started to feel better!.

Anyway, the baby shower was so much fun. My mum made food, and Natasha and my nephews made an adorable diaper (nappy for you Brits :) cake (that I had to take apart to bring here). My mistake was not taking my camera with me :(. Natasha took photos with her iPhone though.............. they quality isn't great but you get the picture (ha ha no pun intended).

This picture shows the diaper cake in the middle of the table, it had baby bottles in the middle, with diapers surrounding it and a cute baby bear blanket on top! (that blanket is so soft - she will be lucky to get it from me ;). There is also some really yummy foods on here, sausage rolls, quiches and orange cupcakes (my favorite). 

The next picture is of baby grows (onesies for the American peeps) hanging on a clothes line that Natasha hung up between the dining room and the living room. They are so small and so cute (and   pink)!!

These two pictures show flowers (lilies - may favorite). You can't see very well in this picture, but the flowers also had little tiny socks rolled up as flower buds....... so cute!). Then on the other picture there is Bucks Fizz (love - but no, I didn't have any) and wine glasses with pick ribbon around the base).

There were also lots of gifts, which we don't have many pictures of............ but there were so many things for mom to be (me ;)! As in, luxury spa sanctuary oils and lotions etc etc (I wish they sold that stuff over here) ..... some adorable blankets and clothes. This really cute Classic Winne the Pooh money box and notebook for guests to write the baby a wish. I loved it - we haven;t read it yet - we are waiting until she arrives.

 And games - lots of fun games, my cousin Marise was in charge of games (she is a riot, and should totally be a baby shower/event planner). She had a safety pin game (which I almost won, but Holly - my younger cousin in the picture to the left, got me in the last few minutes). We played, guess the size of the belly with a piece of string, my younger cousin Hannah won that - she was right on (you couldn't get any closer). We also had a quiz of many many questions, who knew how many diapers you would go through in a year. I asked Jesse when I got home, and he told me what he would have said his answer to be........ ummmm way off!!! I also had to be the judge for some games where the guests were split into 2 teams, they each were given rolls of toilet paper, and then told to create the best diaper that would stay on. The picture with Holly above won............ because seriously have you seen the concoction my two sisters (Andre and Natasha) and friends Linzi and Abbey came up with. Yup - hoping this is not how Jesse and I put on diapers ;). So much fun.

 I know you are all wondering - what on earth is this last image of. Well........ those teams also had to go through baby magazine and come up with an image of what the baby would look like based on Jesse and I (I think it was based on Jesse and I). I then had to judge the picture and choose the best one. Come one - which one would you choose........... my cousins made up the crazy looking one on the right............ my sisters and friends chose the more realistic looking one on the left! No guesses to which one won......... :)

I had ALOT of fun, and I was so thankful for everything we got. I am especially thankful for the years supply of body lotions (nope I am not exaggerating). It was also fun to go through everything with Jesse later that night. He didn't come to the baby shower, he went out with Natasha's other half and our nephews..... I think they went bowling! Needless to say - it was fun for everyone. I wish I had more photos to show off................

This baby shower had made me super excited to plan my friend Liz's (its February 23rd). I have been planning some fun games, decorations and yummy food for her too. I hope she has has much fun as I did :)

Snow Walk

I am out and about........... finally - I am starting to get better. I still have an awful cough, but at least I have the energy to do more than sleep and move from bed to sofa!

Jesse and I took the dogs for a walk today. We finally had a big snowfall to be somewhat proud of.......... its cold so I am wearing my IU Parka......... swimmers totally get this (and maybe other athletes that use parkas). I think people laugh/look at me odd when I am wearing it - but seriously people - you have no idea how warm/windproof/waterproof this thing is!

Yes the snow is up to my knees and I was sinking ;)

The Size of a Cauliflower

Baby Girl is the size of a Cauliflower and she is cooking along at 25 weeks. Yup, I said it, 25 weeks........ that means only 15 more to go. Since my last post, I have been for a regular check up. Remember I was sick, at this appointment the Doctor confirmed I had flu and essentially sent me home to rest. I am just now starting to feel normal again, although I think it might be a few more days before this cough disappears.

In the meantime, we have made an attempt at starting to get the house ready for a baby. It really shouldn't take a lot, BUT and its a big BUT. We live in a 1000 square foot house, with not a lot of storage space. Its teeny tiny! Anyway - our small three bedroom home, that we share with our two massive dogs (not really - but for the size of the house), it getting transformed. Actually - its been getting transformed for what feels like forever. As much as I love to makeover spaces and house - Jesse probably despises it. He seems to like to start a project, but never really finish one. Anyway, back to the issue at hand! We have a baby coming, she needs some space. You wouldn't think she would really need a lot of space, but after figuring out what we need (or rather she needs), it had become evident that this baby needs a whole house just for herself! So we started on clearing our our office space. So sad, because I really enjoyed that space. Its small, but cosy and over the past month as baby items have come in, we have been storing them in the office (now nursery). This means the office must now share a room with the guest bedroom................ ugh!!! I hate clutter. So we now have a desk, bookshelf, huge misplaced bed that Jesse's dad gave him (that might end up going back to Indiana) and everything else that has no place in what was our lovely guest bedroom.

Here are some before shots of the office (nursery)................... its not cleared out yet, but once it is I will post more. I will take good ones, these are just taken with my iphone and patched together using diptic.

 So the nesting is starting to kick in. We have finished our registries (oh my what an experience that was), and we are now looking at buying some nursery furniture (mainly a crib and a dresser). I am pretty indecisive right now, and we are still paying off what we spent on fertility testing when we thought we were going to have to do IVF. But seeing as we are at 25 weeks, I figured we needed to get a wriggle on and at least get the basics, i.e. a crib and a dresser. I just can't seem to decide though, here is what I have been looking at so far, they are all supposed to be 3 in 1 or 4 in 1 designs. So they should convert to a toddler bed, day bed and full bed. To me, that sounds like they will last along time, but I guess time will only tell. Feel free to give us your opinion on the style crib that you like............. oh and the color. I keep changing my mind between Espresso and the clean White look.
 
Tonight we start our childbirth class. The resources up here are VERY limited and they will only offer the class if so many sign up to do it............. and it was either start now for a 4 week class on a Tuesday or wait till May. Hmmmm - guess we have to go now then, and hope that more people signed up (we haven't had any confirmation or anything). I will let you know how that goes :). In the meantime, check out these cribs and share your opinion.

Welcome 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 



I had fully planned on having this post ready to publish as the clocks struck midnight and we transitioned into 2013. However, late last year (yup I can write that), I caught the flu. I felt it coming on when I was at the movies with my mum, sister, brother in law (not legally - but hopefully one day) and Jesse. We went to see the Hobbit.............. it was pretty good, everyone seemed to enjoy it more than me (I loved the book). Anyway, looking back, I think I just didn't want to be there because I was really starting to feel just awful. The back of my throat was itchy and my ears had started to ring :(. Ugh, I was hoping it would just be a cold, I couldn't possibly get the flu - I had the flu shot. The next day I had planned to visit my cousin Leanne and take newborn pics of Anya, and hang out with my nephews. I woke up and knew that wasn't going to happen. Jesse and I walked the dogs and then essentially spent the rest of the day on the sofa. We were packed and ready for the trip back to the States the next day. I kept hoping, sleep would help and I would wake up feeling better. On the 28th we headed for the airport and thankfully, someone up above was understanding how awful I was feeling and upgraded us to business class. This is the way to travel on those long haul flights................. one day I hope to have money that allows us to book these seats often :). I can dream right?!?!

We got into Chicago and headed down to Indiana, we spent the night at his mums. We got there around 1.30am ............. can you say exhausted. At this point I was really spiralling down hill. I woke up around 5am (thank you Jet Lag) and felt awful. I woke Jesse around 6am to send him out to get me some medicine that pregnant women can take. When he was gone I realized that I hadn't even wished him a Happy Birthday (ugh bad wife :(............ We were also supposed to be going to celebrate his great grandmas 100th birthday with the rest of his family. I went back and forth about whether I should go, in the end I went and in hindsight I definitely should not have gone. I felt exhausted, weak and I couldn't talk because of my swollen glands etc. After that we went to his dads for a birthday lunch, which essentially passed by me and then back to his mums.  By the time we got back there I just wanted to settle in, but we had made plans to head down to Indianapolis and stay with his cousin Kyle and wife Meredith (she is 18 weeks pregnant now). We went to a Mexican restaurant to celebrate Jesses birthday, it was good - I know he had fun, then we went back to their place with his other cousin Craig - it was so great to see Jesse with them. It is clear they have ALOT of fun together and I know over the years they hadn't seen each other that they all obviously missed it.

The next day - after Jesses hangover had got a little better we started our journey home - I think this was probably my worst day. We stopped for a quick lunch with his friend Steve (he was in our wedding) and then drove to Milwaukee. I fell into bed, but within an hour I woke up and couldn't breathe (The quotes in the Pooh picture are exactly how I was feeling, and Jesse was great and trying to get me things to make me feel better). We debated on me going to hospital, but I managed to get a hold of my breathing and then slept sitting up the rest of the night. I think I was taking 20 minute naps rather than sleeping that night.  I should point out I still hadn't given Jesse presents or birthday card :( - that's how bad I was. New Years Eve we spent driving the rest of the way home. We got back just after 6pm and Jesse had to go to a murder mystery party that our friends were hosting. He reluctantly went, he really didn't want to leave me, but I think the party would have been ruined if he hadn't gone. He came home around 10.30pm when the murder mystery was over. He said it was fun and I would have enjoyed it. I was pretty bummed, I have been dying to go to a murder mystery party since I was about 18 :(. I was sad to miss it but thankful he came home. We stayed up and watched the New York glittery ball drop and then went to bed. I think this was another really bad night for me where I contemplated the hospital again. I felt like I was never going to get better. Ugh - the flu is awful. I'm not 100% certain why I get so sick from them, but I attribute some of it to having a lower white blood cell count. Its something I have been aware of since I first got glandular fever when I was 17............. and I just don't seem to be able to fight common colds and flu's very well. I may well be incorrect with my medical diagnosis - but maybe?!?! New Years Day was essentially the same. If I had been in England, we would have celebrated with another Turkey and wished my Nanna and Granda and Happy Wedding Anniversary. I had planned on making an elaborate 'British' New Years Day lunch for our friends here, but I was so sick I could barely drink water or move around. 

Today I am starting to feel somewhat ok - I still have swollen glands and when I got up this morning I was a little wobbly on my legs, but I am up and moving around. I am optimistic and hoping I am on the mend.

See what I mean about this not exactly being the Happy New Years and Welcome 2013 post I was hoping it would be. I guess it is safe to say I don't even feel like I knew what day it was over the past few days. Oh well, these things happen! We are super excited for this year though. We are 24 weeks into our pregnancy and other than this set back, things have been going really well. When I feel better I am excited to look at all the lovely gifts we got for her over the holiday period :). Its such an exciting time :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all - I wish for good health and lots of laughter :)

p.s. - Jesse finally got his birthday card and present from me yesterday - January 1st! Better late than never right?