Sorry everyone, I know I haven't written any updates in a while. We've been incredibly busy, and sitting is now becoming horribly uncomfortable for me. But everything's going great. We have our hospital bags packed, and now it's just a waiting game for the baby! I'll keep everyone posted if anything happens.
Love to all,
Anna, Chad, and Baby
2008-05-03 (35 weeks)
Yes, This is Who I Married
I saw a picture of my husband as a newborn baby, still in the hospital, for the first time today. He was cute. And when I say "cute", I really mean VERY adorable. The kind of baby that make people stop and say, "Oh my goodness, that baby is really cute."
And so when we left his parents house and got into the car, I suppose I shouldn't have been very surprised that the following occured.
Him: I was a really good-looking baby, huh?
Me: Yeah, you were pretty cute.
Him: I know. I was totally baby in the manger material.
2008-05-02 (35 weeks)
Dear Baby (May)
Right now, you are dragging your little heels across my belly, just below my ribcage, reminding me yet again that you are in fact getting larger with each passing day, and you are on your way.
The past month has felt like a whirlwind of activity in our house. We've been getting things ready for your arrival, having checkups to make sure that you're healthy, buying tiny little socks that will fit you just right, and discussing breastfeeding tips with other Mothers to make sure I have a bit of an idea on what to expect.
We only have a few weeks left before you're here, in our arms, and I can't even explain to you what that feels like. It's been such an incredibly journey, with many ups and many downs, that it's hard to believe it will all soon be over - just like that - and we'll all move on with a new beginning.
I have to be honest, it's a little bit overwhelming to imagine that you won't be safe in my tummy anymore. You'll be in this world, seeing and feeling and subject to life's unknowns. Right now, I'm able to eat healthy and take a tiny vitamin pill every night and I can rest easily knowing that you're getting everything you need. Soon, you'll be out here in the world with the rest of us - catching colds and stubbing your toes and learning how to pick yourself up when you fall.
Your Daddy is very anxious to meet you, to see your face, to finally hold your tiny precious body; and we are starting to constantly say the words, "I just can't wait," over and over while the other agree's. It's as simple as that, Baby. We just can't wait.
I remember the first moment I heard your heart beat in our doctors office. I was staring at the ceiling as Dr.Curtis stood over me trying to find it. For a moment, there was nothing. He couldn't quite put the mic in the right place, and I felt my heart skip a beat with worry that maybe you weren't there anymore. I held my breath and stared at the lines on the tiled ceiling above me and gritted my teeth, feeling like my insides were going to come flying out of my ears any second if I didn't hear the life inside of me. And then, it happened.
That "tunka tunka tunka" rhythm played over the little speaker, and I felt my head snap towards Dr.Curtis and saw his eyes light up with success. You were there. My second, little heart.
I felt the same initial spark of joy when we saw you on our first ultrasound visit. You were fully formed, yawning and moving and as stubborn as any little baby ever could be; and I felt my heart swell with pride and love as we watched your image on that screen. You were ours. Everything about you was beautiful, from your little nose to your tiny legs, and there was nothing more perfect than what I was looking at during that hour.
Recently, Doctors thought that you were going to be a breech baby. I kept telling myself that even if that was the case, everything would be fine. But I was absolutley terrified. Not because I thought something would go wrong, but because there was just so much unknown about you and your arrival that it practically drove me crazy.
But when the Ultrasound Technician looked at you, the first thing she said was, "Baby's head is down." and I stared at her dumbfounded for a moment, crinkling my forehead in confusion.
"What?" I asked, completley shocked and very surprised.
"Baby's already flipped and in a great position for birth." the technician explained further, showing me that your head was actually very low into my pelvis.
I smiled, and immediatley felt sorry for doubting you. You knew what you were doing all along, Baby. All along.
When I think back now, remembering my utter shock as I stared at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test, positive that it was wrong and there was some kind of mistake - I could not be more thankful and more relieved that it was actually very right. I could not be more happy and grateful that you came into our lives, so unexpected and with such force that it still takes my breath away.
This will be my last monthly newsletter to you while you are still inside of me, and the next one I write will be with a new understanding of who you are as a person, as a child, as my baby. I can't wait.
So in the meantime little one, keep kicking.
Love
Mommy
2008-04-30 (35 weeks)
GREAT NEWS.
So as I mentioned before, today was our ultrasound for "fetal assement of position". We just saw Dr.Goldie yesterday, who was very sure that baby was breech, and wanted to see exactly what was going on in the womb before I went into labor.
Well. This is probably the part where I start flailing my arms and talking really fast in a very high-pitched voice because I am so excited and yet partly angry at our prenatal doctor for scaring us and making us think about c-sections and breech babies when there was no need for it. Baby is DOWN. And according to our Ultrasound Tech and the Doctor that spoke to us after, they believe Baby has been down for some time now because of how low the head actually is in the pelvis. Yeah. So I was shocked, and relieved, and very happy.
Baby is measuring great, and weighs approximatley 5lbs 3ounces right now. The Doctor told me she thinks that Baby will be around the 8lb mark by the time of birth, which is very healthy.
Mainly, I can't wait to finally meet our little bean.
(I've posted a few ultrasound pictures in the photo alubm.)
