October 26, 2005 November 22, 2005 Thanksgiving 2005 December 23, 2005 December 27, 2005 January 7, 2006 January 18, 2006 January 19, 2006 January 20, 2006 February 14, 2006 February 18, 2006 February 27, 2006 March 3, 2006 March 7, 2006 March 9, 2006 March 16, 2006 March 24, 2006 March 30, 2006 April 4, 2006 May 9, 2006 May 19, 2006 May 19: Dear Baby Thomas, Oh my goodness, sweetheart. Today you are exactly 37 weeks old! That means you are officially full-term and could arrive anytime! Wow! It has been quite a journey, little one, but one that I would do all over again. You have been getting very anxious lately, due to the lack of room that you have. You never stop moving, and I can just tell that you are pretty squished up in there. You seem content, though. You haven't dropped an inch and still have that little tooshy snugged right up underneath my ribs. Sleeping has become a thing of the past for me, but hey, when you get here I won't be sleeping all that much anyway so why not start a little early :) Tonight your daddy, your Grandma Pat, and I are going to go to Tammie's house and pick up the crib that she is loaning us. We are so excited! That is the very last piece of your room, except for the curtains. Daddy already set your cradle up in the bedroom, built the pack-n-play for the living room, installed your car seat in my car, and put your stroller in my trunk. You, my friend, are all set once you come out of there! Love, Mommy ;) May 9: Dear Baby Thomas, Goodness, sweet baby! I have been so busy lately that I haven't updated your site in quite a while. There is so much to catch you up on, so bear with me if this gets a little long ;) First of all you are doing so well! You are as strong as can be and your daddy and I cannot wait until you arrive! A few weeks ago we began going to childbirth classes and got the low-down on when we're supposed to go to the hospital, breathing and relaxation techniques, and just general information on what to expect during your delivery. The whole process is still very scary to me, but I'm sure we'll manage just fine ;) In the class there are about 20 couples and at least 3 that have the same due date as me. The instructor is a little kooky, but she seems nice enough and she knows your daddy's and my name very well. I'm the one with all the questions, and your father is the one with the laptop. She likes to give him a hard time and asks him how his "note-taking" is going. She'd probably be pretty upset if she knew he was playing around in Flash ;) You also had 2 baby showers thrown for you last month! The first was one thrown by my co-workers and boy was I surprised. You're daddy took me to lunch that day and we both talked about our 1:15 meetings that we had in the same building. He wasn't too excited about his and I didn't want to be late for mine, because I figured they would be talking about my maternity leave. When I showed up though, I walked in the door and everyone screamed "Surprise!" I was shocked. I'd had no idea. The past few weeks with school and planning for you I'd been in my own little world and apparently my eavesdropping skills had suffered ;) The other shower was thrown by your Grandma Pat and Grandma Ann at Grandma Ann's house. They invited all our friends and family, and my friend Rae made the most wonderful ice cream cake. I love ice cream cake ;) Everybody gave us such great presents! I was truly touched that so many people were anticipating and looking forward to your arrival. Your cousin Michael is also doing a bit better. He's taking it day by day, but just yesterday your Aunt Paula called to say that they had begun removing his respirator and making him breathe on his own for about an hour a day, and that he was starting to get that pins and needles feeling in some of his extremities. This is incredibly painful for him and causing his heart rate to become dangerously high, but feeling is feeling, so we are all pretty happy. I'm so proud of how strong he is. I know he has to be scared not being able to talk, move, see straight, etc. But he's fighting so hard that I can't help to admire his strength and courage. Everytime I go to visit him I tell him he has to get better because I'm going to need him to babysit you from time to time ;) I can't wait for you to meet him. I know you two will get along so well. Oh...I had another doctor's appointment yesterday and we are really getting down to the wire now! I now have appointments every week, and have to carry my records with me wherever I go just in case you decide you're ready. When she examined me yesterday she ordered an ultrasound to check your position and like a good little boy, you are head down and ready to go. It won't belong until we get to meet face-to-face and I just can't wait. I can tell your daddy is getting excited too. He's got plans this week to paint your room, and at least once everyday he says he wishes you were here now so that he could play with you. You are so lucky to have such a great daddy! He is already head over heels in love with you just like me, and he hasn't even met you yet! You have been moving around in there like crazy lately, and you're getting so strong! I feel you and watch you rollover and change positions all the time and it is the absolute coolest thing. Your daddy likes to nudge your little hands and feet and gets the biggest smile on his face when you nudge back ;) The puppies are getting interested in you lately as well. Sampson has begun to sniff my belly quite often and Bailey still likes to lay next me during dinner and lay his head on there. So...with school finally over for the semester my only stress these days is making sure you are healthy, and getting work all situated for when I take time off. I've been so tired lately with all the extra weight (I'm up to 144lbs as of yesterday!), and not getting enough sleep. I've been trying to relax in the pool more often, and enjoy that feeling of weightlessness, but with all the things to do, I don't get to do that as often as I'd like. ;) Well, I think that just about catches you up on things. I'm sure I've left some things out, but I'll try to add to this as I think of them. Love, Mommy ;) April 4 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, You did so good today at your second ultrasound! Daddy couldn't come because he had to guest lecture for someone, but when I got home and told him how wonderful you did, he was very proud :) I can already see a lot of your personality. You definitely didn't like that the sonographer was impeding on your space but you tolerated it for a while. Then, after about 10 minutes or so, you basically said "That's enough" and rolled over to bury that little head again. This session was great, though. You were moving around so much (as always) and you kept yawning and sticking your tongue out! It was so cute! It's been such an amazing experience feeling you grow, so to be able to actually see you and your personality was just incredible. The sonographer was saying throughout the process that she was amazed that you were moving around so much. She said that most of the time the babies are asleep, but I told her...you are always awake :) You wake up everyday at 7 and you really don't stop playing around in there until about 11 at night. Every few days or so you seem to take a break and sleep most of the day, but that hasn't happened in about a week. You are a very active baby! I love it. I love being able to feel you moving around all day. At times I find it hard to concentrate during meetings and especially class, because it's like you're having your own little party in there! We play and nudge eachother all day, and I really think I'm going to miss that after you're born. I love having you with me all the time. Unfortunately, other things that have happened this week were not as pleasant. Your cousin Michael (he's 16) got sick with pneumonia last week and over the past few days has become paralyzed from the shoulders down, has been put on a respirator, a feeding tube, and every other machine imaginable to keep him alive. You and I went and saw him tonight and read a little bit of Harry Potter to him. He is able to communicate by moving his eyebrows and his jaw, but other than that he can't move. We were able to ascertain that he didn't like being read to ;) I made sure that I stayed very positive for him as I talked to him, washed his face, held his hand, etc. but when I was leaving I broke down. It's been really hard to see him like this. He's never even been sick before, and for something this drastic to occur and not know what it is or what caused it, has been incredibly tough on all of us. I try not to let myself get too upset, for your sake, but it's hard when someone you love so much is hurting and you can't do anything to help them. I really and truly hope that you grow up to be healthy and happy. I have the same hopes for Michael as well. He's a strong boy and I just know that he's going to make it through this to be as big a part in your life as he's been in mine. Love, Mommy ;) March 30, 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, Today your daddy and I got to see you in 3D/4D! You started off not being very cooperative :) As soon as I laid down and she put the ultrasound attachment on my belly, she said: "Well, it looks like he's burying his head today" You just did not want to be photographed! We tried putting me on both sides, but everytime I moved, you would bury that little head further down facing my spine. Her suggestion was to go eat some candy and come back, so we did ;) I ate an entire bag of almond M&M's in record time and nudged you for about ten minutes. When we went back in you were face up (yay!). You gave us about 10 minutes of camera time, before you got bored and rolled over, but WOW...what a cutie you are! We got to see you're beautiful little face and fingers. You are adorable! Since we didn't get a lot of shots she said we could come back next week to try again. I can't wait! You'll be a whole week older by then and I'll be able to bring home the pictures and video for everyone to see. See you next week! Love, Mommy ;) March 24, 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, Your daddy came back last night from his conference in Chicago, and not a minute too soon. We were missing him like crazy ;) The puppies were okay, they whimpered a lot at night because he wasn't there, but other than that we made it through ;) You, my sweet boy, have been getting stronger every day! The days of gentle kicks are over, my friend. Now, you push and knead your way you around in there trying to find some more room. I love feeling all your little bumps and knudges, though. It is such a weirdly amazing feeling that I find myself losing focus during the day, because I'm paying attention to you! The rib issues are still large in charge of my daily life. I tried taking a darvocet last week, but first of all it didn't help all that much, and second of all you are a lightweight like your mommy when it comes to medicine. You were knocked out and sluggish the whole next day. Poor little thing! I felt so bad. I was just trying to get some sleep ;) Oh well, you will be here soon, then the ribs will go back to normal, I'm sure. Speaking of you're arrival...I get to actually SEE you next week! On Tuesday the 28th, your daddy and I are going to the doctor to get a 3D ultrasound of you! We can't wait to see your little face. I'm sure you'll look just like your super-handsome daddy ;) Love, Mommy ;) March 16, 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, Well sweet baby, for the past couple of days you and I have been communicating quite well with eachother. The day before yesterday when I got home, your daddy was fixing dinner while I rested on the couch and you started kicking. After a couple minutes the kicks became pushes though, so I reached down and began rubbing where you were applying the pressure. To my surprise I felt a little foot or heel! It was so neat. I'd never been able to actually feel a little part of you with my fingers before so I was just awestruck...you are sooo tiny! For about five minutes I'd push your little foot and a couple seconds later you'd push back. It was the coolest thing. We were actually directly communicating with one another! Ever since then, we've "talked" everyday ;) You shove a foot or fist or an elbow somewhere, I nudge it around, and you push back even harder. Today after lunch we were playing and you actually got a little aggressive about it. You kicked me hard! Even daddy was amazed at how strong you are. I guess I'll have to be mindful that sometimes you don't want to "talk", you just want to get comfortable ;) Love, Mommy ;) March 9, 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, You will not believe what your puppies did last night. Luckily for them I had class after work, so it was your daddy that found the wreckage and repaired it. I had a long day. I had to get up at 6am and drive downtown for a President's Breakfast hosted by President Hitt (pres. of UCF). Apparently my entreprenuership class had gotten the attention of some important people and a few of us were invited to be recognized at the event. After that I had to go to work all day, and then I had to go to my film class until 9pm. Now, we've been trying to give Bailey and Sampson a little freedom, and let them stay out of their crates while we go to work, and they have done so well for weeks, but after last night. That will never, ever happen again. Apparently your daddy walked into a nightmare. Somehow they had ripped the carpet up in front of the front door and kitchen and proceeded to shred and eat all the padding underneath. The carpet and all that padding has to be replaced. I can't believe they did it! I felt so bad for your daddy having to come home to that, but like I said, had I come home to it I don't think those pups would be at our address any more. I am so mad at them. We are trying to fix up your nursery and clean things up for your arrival and now we have to spend time and money on something they tore up. I was so mad, I wouldn't even look at them when I got home. Your daddy on the other hand, let them back in his good graces. I'm not that easy ;) Anyway, getting rid the crates I guess, is just a pipe dream. Maybe one day when they are old and crippled they won't be such terrors when left on their own ;) Love, Mommy ;) March 7, 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, I finally got your QUAD test results back today and everything came back negative! (They had to be rerun because my old doctor gave the lab company the incorrect gestational period.) I am so happy! I have been worried for months waiting on those results, and now I just feel this huge sense of relief. Your daddy and Grandma Pat were happy too, but they had been telling me the whole time that everything was fine. (Ugh...know-it-alls ;) ) You'll come to find out that I'm a pretty good worrier. I've worried about you since day one and I'm sure I'll continue to worry about you for the rest of your life. That's what you do when you love you someone, right? You worry ;) Love, Mommy ;) March 3, 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, Today your mommy was in a "Quick Pitch" competition in the College of Business and I won 4th place and a $100 dollars! We only had 2 minutes to pitch our product (I'm doing ARGIS; the software application mommy works on everyday). It was incredibly stressfull, but fun. I was amazed that that morning I was able to button a pair of my nice tailored slacks, so for once, wardrobe wasn't an issue. I had a good time, and your daddy was so proud of me! You were funny, too. Right when I was about to go on, you started kicking like crazy. I took it as motivational kicking, but knowing you you were just hungry ;) You are doing so well these days! Your daddy and I can't wait to see you, and hold you, and play with you. We say that every day. You start kicking at about 6am every morning. You keep on throughout the day sporadically, but consistently, then you stop at about 11pm. I hope you keep that schedule after you're born, but who knows. A girl can dream though, can't she? You make me laugh all the time though. I don't just feel you roaming around in there, I also see you. Sometimes you ball yourself up and just sit in one area of my belly. It's a bit odd because then I'll have this lump just sticking out. After a few minutes you then stretch back out and start kicking and punching at polar ends of my belly again. It's amazing how big you are, and even though I've read all the books and logically I know you are about 14 or 15 inches long, it just doesn't seem possible. I have a feeling though, that you will be someone who will always amaze me ;) Love, Mommy ;) February 27, 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, Your daddy and I went to the doctor again today! Your heart beat is so strong. As soon as the doctor put the instrument to my stomach there you were. Her remark: "Wow...what a happy baby!". She was also pleased with my wieght. I've plumped up to a respectable 132 lbs, thank you very much ;) She also gave me some darvocet for this pesky rib problem. It is so hard being in constant pain all the time. I've tried heat, cold, tylenol, you name it. I bend myself backwards over chairs just to stretch it out, but to no avail. You need more room, and right now I'm just not big enough to give it to you. Oh well, this too shall pass. Right now I'm just having fun feeling you squrim all around in there ;) Love, Mommy ;) February 18, 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, Today your Grandma Pat came over and the four of us had a garage sale. We did really well. Your daddy was able to see his Proscan TV and the big entertainment center that was in your nursery, and Grandma was able to get rid of a lot of stuff for her big move back up north. We got rid of so much stuff, it was amazing...we made quite a bit of money too ;) Now we can begin work on your room and get it all "boy'd" up for you ;) Hmmmm...I wonder what colors you will like? Love, Mommy ;) February 14, 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, Happy Valentines Day, sweet love of my life! Your daddy had the most beautiful roses delivered to my work today. Make a note: Your mommy loves roses. If you ever do anything bad, you'll probably be able to smooth it over with a dozen large, fresh roses :) You, my dear, are just kicking around in there like there's no tomorrow! You kick constantly during the day now. It's great! Classes are going well, I guess. Since I'm getting bigger, huffing my toosh across campus at night doesn't necessarily appeal to me, but I'm getting through it. At least I don't have to drive downtown this semester. Thank goodness for the little things. Love, Mommy ;) January 20, 2006: Dear Baby Thomas, Well, the rib pain is really intense today. But guess what?...I know I felt you moving around in there! What a cool feeling. Now, I know that little "thump" I felt a while back was you! It's amazing how strong you are. You didn't just kick either...it's like you rolled over or something. Even daddy got to feel it! He too was absolutely amazed ;) Oh...I almost forgot to tell you about my horrible cold this week! Oh my goodness I have been miserable! I took a sudafed the other night (the doctor said it was safe) and got looped out of my mind. I was slurring my speech, bumping into things, and slept for like 12 hours. Being sick while pregnant is the worst! Love, Mommy ;) January 19, 2006: Dear Baby, You're daddy and I got to see you for the very first time today. Oh my goodness are you adorable! You seemed a little camera shy as you kept your head buried, but you are beautiful none the less. Wow...what a mover you are! I can't believe I haven't felt you yet. Well, actually I think I felt you the other day (at about the end of my 18th week). It felt like somebody flicked the inside of my stomach just below my belly button. Most women feel a flutter...I felt a thump! Anyway, today you were moving around like crazy. The coolest was when you were just sitting there and then all the sudden "punched" straight up. It was fast and deliberate. I have no idea how I didn't feel that! Oh well, they say I'll get to feel you soon. Other than seeing you move, we got to see your perfect little spine, your sweet little fingers waving at us, and a some other great shots of you just being amazing ;) I was totally in awe of all the stuff you were doing in there. I've never seen an ultrasound before, so I was completely mesmerized by the entire experience. Oh...and we found out that you're a BOY! How could I leave that out! So...we're still not sure on a middle name yet, but we agreed that you will definitely be named Thomas after your wonderful, intelligent daddy. Love, Mommy ;) January 18, 2006: Dear Baby, I went to see my NEW OB today! My other one just wasn't very caring so...I switched. This place is great! They've scheduled my sonogram for tomorrow...I definitely cannot wait for that. This new doctor is a little concerned about my weight as I'm only about a pound and half above my normal weight now. Since the nausea is over (thank goodness that ended just a few days after I began taking the medicine) I should be able to put some on. Putting on weight has always been an issue for me, and to tell you the truth, I was a smidge insulted that the nurse practitioner made me feel like a bad mom for being small, but I understand where she is coming from and I will work harder to pack on the pounds for you. Since my back and ribs are killing me anyway, I think I'll cut out walking and basically stop excercising. I had to quit running anyway when I found out I was pregnant...I was way too tired and sick to continue with all that nonsense ;) Well, anyway...I'm going to try harder and I can't wait to see you tomorrow! ;) Love, Mommy ;) January 7, 2006: Dear Baby, Your Grandma Pat and I went shopping today for some maternity clothes. Everything was so big, but I was able to find one pair of yoga pants, one pair of maternity pants (they are way too big, but Mom said I'll be in them in no time), a pair of flats to try to help with the back and rib pain, and a new maternity shirt. Now, don't get me wrong, I love to shop, but shopping for maternity clothes when nothing fits isn't all that enjoyable. I can't button any of my regular pants, going a size up didn't work, because then the seat was too big, and maternity clothes are just too big right now. Oh well, I'll be bigger soon, and then maybe I can dress comfortably again. Love, Mommy ;) December 27, 2005: Dear Baby, Today I took the QUAD test at a lab facility where they test to see if you have spinobifida or Down's Syndrome. Since I know that I have been very sick the past couple of months, I'm so afraid that you haven't gotten enough nourishment from me, but no matter what the test says, your father and I will always love you and will spend our lives taking care of you! As for the nausea, that medicine has been a godsend. I can eat again! (yay!)...the back problem doesn't seem to be getting better though and it's really worked it's way around into my left rib. The doctor suggested a massage, but that is just so pricey for only a limited time of relief, so I'm hoping it will just get better. Love, Mommy ;) December 23, 2005: Dear Baby, Today has not been the best of days for your mommy. The nausea is really kicking into high gear and I seem to have pinched my sciatic nerve. When I went to the doctor today I only weighed 113 lbs (that's 7 less than normal), and couldn't walk very well. Your daddy had to practically carry me in and get me seated (he's such a sweetie). The doctor said that waiting for the nausea to cease was no longer an option for me, and that I HAD to take the medicine she had prescribed. I feel pretty bad, like I'm not strong enough to care for you, or that I'm just not trying hard enough, but I think that will pass. I will do whatever it takes to bring you into this world both healthy and happy ;) We got to hear your heartbeat again today and your daddy recorded it on his Dell DJ that I got him. We'll be emailing that out to everyone so that they too, can hear how wonderful you are! Since I can't feel you moving around yet, it makes me feel so much better when I get to hear your heartbeat. Love, Mommy ;) Thanksgiving 2005: Dear Baby, Today we told all the family about you at Thanksgiving dinner! Everyone was so excited! The look of joy on Grandma's face was priceless and Aunty Lynn even made an attempt to look surprised even though Grandma Ann had spilled the beans to her earlier that day ;) Telling the family about you was a big deal to me and your daddy. We didn't want to jinx anything so we waited until that ever-so-important 12 weeks or so to fill them in. Like I said, everybody was very happy to hear of your existence, and even though I'm not showing yet, quite a few people got a good rub on my tummy to be some of the first to say hello to you ;) Love, Mommy ;) November 22, 2005: Dear Baby, Today was my second OB appointment, and guess what?...we got to hear your wonderfully strong little heartbeat. Wow! What an amazing thing! I've never heard anything like it. Of course, I cried. I'm just so happy to have you with me! I'm still pretty darn sick ;) The doctor prescribed some anti-nausea medication that without insurance would cost a whopping $42 a pill, but I'm trying not to take it. I know she said it was completely safe, but still...I think I can hold out. The tiredness is getting a bit better, the nausea is just the worst. I know I've lost weight (which isn't the greatest since I'm so small anyway), but I've heard that it will get better. Trust me, sweet baby...you're worth it ;) Love, Mommy ;) October 26, 2005: Dear Baby, Today I went to the doctor and found out that I was pregnant with you! Your daddy and I are so excited! We knew we were probably pregnant, as we've been trying to have you for about 2 months now, but to get that positive test back today was amazing. I just got back from the Macromedia Conference in Anaheim, and then Atlanta for a conference that your daddy had to give a presentation at, and just let me tell you how pooped I am! I don't think I've ever been this tired in my entire life. I'm already starting to feel a little sick to my stomach, too. That really kicked in on the plane going to Anaheim. I was nauseous the whole way there, and I was in a middle seat ;) As we were getting into LA the turbulence was unreal and I'm not exaggerating...I was searching for the bag. I was so happy when we landed and the bumpyiness had come to an end. The conference itself was another thing. I was so incredibly tired. I've read that women get tired in the first trimester, but this tired? LOL...I guess making a whole other person can be a stress on the body. The trip to Atlanta was better, but that was probably just because I was with your daddy. He makes everything better, you'll see. We went to a wonderful "tapas" restaurant and stayed in a beautiful hotel named the "Georgian Terrace". We also got to meet up with your cousin Emily. Even though we thought we were pregnant and I was a sick as could be, we had to keep our secret just in case it was a false alarm. ;) So, my sweet little baby, we can't wait for you to get here. We already have some names in mind, but as the months progress and I get to guage your personality, we'll wait before we set anything in stone. Love, Mommy ;)