dear baby eric,
i haven't written in a while mostly because there hasn't been anything exciting to update. you're growing, of course. my belly is large and my skin is stretched taut, which is at times uncomfortable but i deal with it. i don't know the meaning of a "good night's rest" anymore because you get feisty and kick-y when i lay down to rest, and it seems i can't go an hour without a break for the bathroom. not only that, but the weight of you on my hips causes uncomfortable cramps if i don't switch positions every hour or so as well. needless to say, i haven't gotten a solid sleep in a long time.
summer seems to be on the way out. officially, it's autumn now but we've still been dealing with ridiculously warm temperatures. there's a raging wind storm outside as i type this, however, and i'm hoping it blows away the heat and the coolness of fall will finally settle in. you're a warm little guy, and you bring up my body temperature quite a bit, so i'm looking forward to feeling comfier in colder temps as the weeks go on.
this week marks the end of my second trimester, which means we're in the home stretch! we only have october, november, and december left to conquer before you arrive sometime in early january.
my baby shower is next month, and your grandpa lovell will be here for the event. definitely looking forward to that and receiving all sorts of goodies to make your life (and mine! and your fathers...) easier when we welcome you to the world.
27 weeks today, baby boy. only 13 more to go!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
026
dear baby eric,
you have a name! your dad and i had a lovely dinner last week with jean and bob, the parents of our friend eric who passed away in april. we figured out that you were probably conceived about a week before eric's death. eric was one of your father's best friends, and he made an impact on my life during the short time i knew him as well. we received jean and bob's blessing to name you after him. he was an extraordinary person, baby. adventurous and energetic but poetic and introspective and compassionate and friendly and so giving of himself. though i know you'll grow up to be a unique individual, i hope you'll also embody some of those characteristics as well. and i find it so reassuring to know that our friend eric will be your guardian angel. he was practically fearless. it's good to know that your angel will be willing to accompany you on all the crazy twists and turns your path in life will take.
you've been kicking up a storm lately, baby, so much so that your dad finally felt you move a few nights ago. we were in bed, settling in for the evening, about to fall asleep. he laid his hand across my tummy and i felt your little flutters on the other side of my abdomen. i moved his hand and you kicked it softly a couple times. your dad smiled, awestruck.
i think you're experiencing a growth spurt, too. you're pushing more into my upper body, my diaphragm, making it difficult for me to get a good breath of air.
i was cleaning out an old purse the other day and found the pregnancy tests i took that confirmed i was expecting you. i'd stashed them in my purse when i headed out to meet your dad to tell him the news. i wasn't sure if he'd believe me, so i brought them along as proof. i thought he'd be grossed out to know i still have them, but your dad wants to keep them for your scrapbook. if this embarrasses you in the future, i'm letting you know now that it's his fault, not mine.
love you, baby. 16 more weeks 'til we meet.
24 weeks along:
you have a name! your dad and i had a lovely dinner last week with jean and bob, the parents of our friend eric who passed away in april. we figured out that you were probably conceived about a week before eric's death. eric was one of your father's best friends, and he made an impact on my life during the short time i knew him as well. we received jean and bob's blessing to name you after him. he was an extraordinary person, baby. adventurous and energetic but poetic and introspective and compassionate and friendly and so giving of himself. though i know you'll grow up to be a unique individual, i hope you'll also embody some of those characteristics as well. and i find it so reassuring to know that our friend eric will be your guardian angel. he was practically fearless. it's good to know that your angel will be willing to accompany you on all the crazy twists and turns your path in life will take.
you've been kicking up a storm lately, baby, so much so that your dad finally felt you move a few nights ago. we were in bed, settling in for the evening, about to fall asleep. he laid his hand across my tummy and i felt your little flutters on the other side of my abdomen. i moved his hand and you kicked it softly a couple times. your dad smiled, awestruck.
i think you're experiencing a growth spurt, too. you're pushing more into my upper body, my diaphragm, making it difficult for me to get a good breath of air.
i was cleaning out an old purse the other day and found the pregnancy tests i took that confirmed i was expecting you. i'd stashed them in my purse when i headed out to meet your dad to tell him the news. i wasn't sure if he'd believe me, so i brought them along as proof. i thought he'd be grossed out to know i still have them, but your dad wants to keep them for your scrapbook. if this embarrasses you in the future, i'm letting you know now that it's his fault, not mine.
love you, baby. 16 more weeks 'til we meet.
24 weeks along:
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
025
dear baby boy,
spent a few hours in the hospital a couple days ago for dehydration due to a stomach bug. i was released early yesterday morning. the nice thing about being 23 weeks pregnant and going to the hospital is that i was able to entirely bypass the emergency department. i was shuttled up to labor & delivery in a wheelchair and settled into a comfy semi-private room with pretty wallpaper and a special hospital bed made for pregnant ladies.
the nurse strapped monitors to my belly to listen to your heartbeat. you didn't like the monitors, or maybe it was the cold jelly she spread on my skin beforehand. your heartbeat came across loud and strong, along with other random funny noises that the nurse explained was you moving around. i felt you kick at the monitors, too. you're a savvy little guy -- you knew exactly where they were on my tummy and you fine tuned your little kicks right in those areas, as if you were trying to figure out why these funny things were invading your space. you'd switch between poking at the one on my lower belly and the one on my upper belly, which caused me to feel a weird tickling and rolling sensation up and down my abdomen. it was a nice distraction from the nausea and pain i'd been feeling for days.
you've been rather quiet since then, though. i'm guessing all that activity was due to related discomfort from the stomach bug i had. i think i'm more or less over it now. i took it pretty easy yesterday, but i was able to keep food and liquids down all day. the effort in doing that tuckered us both out, though. we napped away a good portion of the day, you and i.
yesterday was a frightening day, baby. a rogue gunman opened fire in the carson city IHOP and killed three people, injured another eight, and then committed suicide. your father and i eat there often. if i'd been released form the hospital later in the morning, we might've stopped by there for breakfast.
sometimes i wonder what kind of world i'm bringing you in to. what kind of mother am i to invite you into a world where our country's been at war for ten years with know discernible goal or end date in sight, where children in other countries are dying form starvation before their first birthdays, where our world leaders care more about their twitter updates and celebrity status than solving problems and creating progress. how can i bring you into a world where it's not even safe to go to the neighborhood diner for a meal?
but maybe you'll be the answer to one or some or all of these problems, baby. you're a clean slate, brand new, full of potential. maybe you'll grow up to cure cancer, or to be the president of the united states who actually unites everyone for a common good. your life was created and conceived despite barriers and boundaries that your father and i put in place to prevent pregnancy, which makes us believe that your life is that much more significant. every life is precious, baby, but YOU are our gift.
spent a few hours in the hospital a couple days ago for dehydration due to a stomach bug. i was released early yesterday morning. the nice thing about being 23 weeks pregnant and going to the hospital is that i was able to entirely bypass the emergency department. i was shuttled up to labor & delivery in a wheelchair and settled into a comfy semi-private room with pretty wallpaper and a special hospital bed made for pregnant ladies.
the nurse strapped monitors to my belly to listen to your heartbeat. you didn't like the monitors, or maybe it was the cold jelly she spread on my skin beforehand. your heartbeat came across loud and strong, along with other random funny noises that the nurse explained was you moving around. i felt you kick at the monitors, too. you're a savvy little guy -- you knew exactly where they were on my tummy and you fine tuned your little kicks right in those areas, as if you were trying to figure out why these funny things were invading your space. you'd switch between poking at the one on my lower belly and the one on my upper belly, which caused me to feel a weird tickling and rolling sensation up and down my abdomen. it was a nice distraction from the nausea and pain i'd been feeling for days.
you've been rather quiet since then, though. i'm guessing all that activity was due to related discomfort from the stomach bug i had. i think i'm more or less over it now. i took it pretty easy yesterday, but i was able to keep food and liquids down all day. the effort in doing that tuckered us both out, though. we napped away a good portion of the day, you and i.
yesterday was a frightening day, baby. a rogue gunman opened fire in the carson city IHOP and killed three people, injured another eight, and then committed suicide. your father and i eat there often. if i'd been released form the hospital later in the morning, we might've stopped by there for breakfast.
sometimes i wonder what kind of world i'm bringing you in to. what kind of mother am i to invite you into a world where our country's been at war for ten years with know discernible goal or end date in sight, where children in other countries are dying form starvation before their first birthdays, where our world leaders care more about their twitter updates and celebrity status than solving problems and creating progress. how can i bring you into a world where it's not even safe to go to the neighborhood diner for a meal?
but maybe you'll be the answer to one or some or all of these problems, baby. you're a clean slate, brand new, full of potential. maybe you'll grow up to cure cancer, or to be the president of the united states who actually unites everyone for a common good. your life was created and conceived despite barriers and boundaries that your father and i put in place to prevent pregnancy, which makes us believe that your life is that much more significant. every life is precious, baby, but YOU are our gift.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
024
dear baby,
we were SO excited to learn two days ago that you're a boy! haven't uploaded the pictures from the sonogram yet, but there's no disputing the evidence :-)
you've been moving around so much more in my tummy lately, and today i actually felt your kicks from the outside. i called your dad over to feel, but you calmed down by then. i can't wait til he's able to feel you moving around, too.
22 weeks this week.
we were SO excited to learn two days ago that you're a boy! haven't uploaded the pictures from the sonogram yet, but there's no disputing the evidence :-)
you've been moving around so much more in my tummy lately, and today i actually felt your kicks from the outside. i called your dad over to feel, but you calmed down by then. i can't wait til he's able to feel you moving around, too.
22 weeks this week.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
023
dear baby,
tomorrow we're 21 weeks along! you've been moving around a lot today, seemingly having a grand time wiggling against my bladder. this makes me very uncomfortable, by the way. and it makes you feel a LOT heavier than you actually are. in fact, i don't even think you weigh a pound yet, but you feel ENORMOUS against my internal organs.
in truth, i feel huge, too.
tomorrow we're 21 weeks along! you've been moving around a lot today, seemingly having a grand time wiggling against my bladder. this makes me very uncomfortable, by the way. and it makes you feel a LOT heavier than you actually are. in fact, i don't even think you weigh a pound yet, but you feel ENORMOUS against my internal organs.
in truth, i feel huge, too.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
022
this is a photo of your second cousin, abbigail savanah reynolds. she was born today to my cousin jenny and her husband tony, via emergency c-section, because her umbilical cord was tightly wrapped around her neck.
despite her dangerous situation in-utero, abby is healthy and wonderful. she weighed a bit over 6 lbs.
jenny and i have had rather similar pregnancies, despite her being about 20 weeks ahead of me. the enduring nausea, fatigue, and frequent indigestion and heartburn are symptoms that jenny is quite familiar with because she dealt with them all 39 weeks of her pregnancy with abby.
knowing that, i ask you to please not scare me by getting the umbilical cord wrapped around your neck -- or anything else that would cause you or me undue stress during your birth. let's strive for a swift, easy-going process to bring you into the world! no sense in following too closely in cousin abby's footsteps. be a trailblazer, baby!
just want to plant the idea in your head now so you have a while to think about it. okay? thanks. love you lots.
Friday, August 12, 2011
021
dear baby,
i had a dream last night that i gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. i named them isaac and ruby lee.
please don't be two. i'm quite satisfied with one baby at a time.
anyway, i don't think there are two of you. just one. just one baby. i have a good size belly bump when i stand up, but a part of that is you pushing my existing belly fat up and out. when i lay down, i get a better idea of your actual size:
i had a dream last night that i gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. i named them isaac and ruby lee.
please don't be two. i'm quite satisfied with one baby at a time.
anyway, i don't think there are two of you. just one. just one baby. i have a good size belly bump when i stand up, but a part of that is you pushing my existing belly fat up and out. when i lay down, i get a better idea of your actual size:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)