Eli,
We worked on your nursery today! You have lots of little books and a sweet elephant lamp (thanks Nana!). We got you a sound machine so you won't wake when Daddy and I are moseying around the house at bedtime. We bought you a slender little book case and bins for your bedtime stuff and middle of the night quick-change items.
You have such cute decorations too! The little pennants were made by your Aunt Sarah. Granny (and Grammy) made those little felt elephants and we (you and me and daddy) put the little elephant mobile together and hung it up. Your Nana got that perfect nightlight elephant on your book shelf and Your Papa and Mama hung up the shelf that has decorations on it too!
It's small, but it's home. I think you'll be happy to sprawl out, even in your mini crib after doing 9 months on the inside ;) I love it and I hope you will too.
Can't wait to bring you home,
Mommy
------
6/17
27 weeks today, Little Guy. Grow, Baby, Grow!
Chocolate milk and hot cocoa make us very happy before bed! Also, we did a some of your little laundries today. Every time I see your little outfits and blankets, I just can't help feeling overwhelmed with excitement! I can't wait to snuggle you!------
6/21
Hungry Man,
We. Love. Macaroni. I can't say this is a "new" craving ... I've kinda loved mac & cheese since, well, forever. However the amount of effort I have been willing to exert in order to make mac and cheese says a lot about our desires recently.
No boxed option? No problem.
Elbow noodles... cheddar cheese... noodles boiling... oven baking... 30 minutes wait time.
-- WILL DO!-- as long as we can eat a ton of it! It had better be worth our while ;) For whatever reason, it's one of the few things that doesn't seem to make us feel nauseous at the moment.
Hooray for food,
Mom
------
6/24
6/26
Little One,Here we are at work. It thought it was funny when I put on this on and you were basically covered! I'm not typically this "thick" in my midsection but it was kinda fun feeling like I wasn't smuggling a volley ball for a brief moment.
This turned out to be a really rough day at work though. Everything was calm until the last 2 hours of the day when everyone in Virginia Beach decided to show up at the apartment. Feast or famine, you know?! I ended up walking the property 3 times in a row, showing apartments at different sides of the community and climbing several flights of stairs with each prospect. I had a spur-of-the-moment re-show, an application and security deposit to work on, another rental to enter into the database, files to quickly shove together, notes to leave for my co-workers, multiple cash sheets and checks and deposit tickets to add up and put together, phones to forward, a clubhouse to close up and end of day reports to remember to print. I didn't get to leave work until almost 7:30 (I should leave at 6) and still had to make the drop at the corporate office.
...Needless to say, after exerting so much effort and attempting to maintain professionalism and "spunk" through the end of the day, Momma had a bit of a breakdown once I left the office. I cried all the way home. Then I cried into my Pedialyte at home for a good long while too. lol
My body really doesn't do well when walking or standing around normally nowadays, let alone walking around outside in the heat with no water break and no resting for almost 2 hours straight. It doesn't sound so bad, I know ... but believe me, in light of our recently altered routines, it was a pretty taxing evening. I think you were annoyed as well. You kept kicking and kicking -- which didn't help my overly sensitive insides to calm down. Crazy kid. It is taking a long time to get my body to settle down tonight though. Hopefully the next entry won't include a visit to labor and delivery again.
I'm sure you will eventually witness the ridiculousness that is hormones and exhaustion from your Momma one day and you'll look at me like I'm a nut-case. But do me a favor and just hug me, okay?
Love you to pieces,
Mom
------
6/28
Eli,
You have a new little cousin!
(Actually ... I guess you'll be the littlest cousin soon) Hooray, Joci is finally here!!!
We went swimming with Aunt Sarah and Mama on Friday, something we've been wanting to do for a while. It was incredibly nice to cool off in the water and feel no pressure on my body for a little while -- and feel the difference between pregnancy aches and actual pains. I'm sure it was especially nice for Sarah! After all, Joci was getting ready to make her big debut! Around 4 am this morning, we heard it was officially Joci's Birthday!!!
A little bit before we got the happy news from Josh and Sarah, I woke up with some pretty sharp pains (that reminded me of the kinds of pains I had before you and I were together). Those pains in on top of a few days of contractions and discomfort, I thought it was probably best to finally stop second guessing and head to the hospital to be checked out.
You, Sir, were as active as ever and your heart was beating strong. :) This time around contractions were there but not regular like last time! And luckily, no 'progress' was made and we credited the sharp pains to a ruptured cyst and went on our way. We have another appointment in just a few days, so we will see how everything goes then too. I'm beginning to wonder if my work schedule may have to change a little in order to keep me in the best shape to carry you. We will see.
***
In other AWESOME news:
We got to meet sweet Joci this morning! She's so adorable and she has such chunky little cheeks. I just wanted to kiss them over and over again.
So many things went through my mind while holding her and loving on her. -- Like wanting to squeeze her so tight and tell her how loved she is. I got to hold Evie-girl but, given the timing and emotions surrounding everything, I didn't really let myself fully embrace her ... and it's something my heart regrets. Frankly I just didn't really know how to feel at the time. It was so 'easy' to feel joyful and thankful while pressing my cheek against Joci's. I cried a couple of times. I typically try to keep my emotions to myself... so that was kind of new for me. I just love those girls. <3
Holding that new little life also made me excited and so nervous about meeting you, little man. Seeing her adorable head full of hair made me think even more about what you might look like. The anticipation of meeting you is almost too much to bear! Truly, I can't imagine what you'll look like although I'm sure you'll look a lot like your dad and I'm sure that I'll think you are the most handsome kid on the whole entire planet.
Holding that little pink bundle of fluff made me feel all ooey-gooey inside. (Like when I was a little girl holding my brand new baby sister for the first time). I can only imagine how amazing it will be to finally hold you in my arms and kiss your little cheeks and hear your newborn sighs and finally have a face to put with the punches and kicks I've fallen in love with.
I can only imagine how scary it will be to also know that you are all mine (and Daddy's). --That we are completely responsible for you. Considering that I have a hard time keeping plants alive, I am a bit fearful of my feeding and parenting skills. I'm not going to lie. But we are going to wrap you up and take you home and you are going to wrap us around your little finger. Our marriage, our family, our lives, will change forever. For the better, my little love. <3
It was so wonderful having family gathered around celebrating together. It's not something I've appreciated all that much until now, I have to admit. I've tended to like my privacy and I've often distanced myself from potentially complicated or emotional situations (especially involving family). But I'm hopeful that when you come into this world, you will feel the love of your Daddy and I -- and so many wonderful people that we get to call family. You are going to love having cousins that are close to your age and loving grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. Believe me!
And, last but not least, it's incredible what new life does for your spirit. It's such an amazing thing to look at ten perfect little fingers and soft baby skin and realize that God make this precious, pint-sized, human in only 9 months. It's just ... extraordinary!
Well, I guess that about sums up this particular installment of "The Mind of your Mother". I love you Eli. I can't say it enough. Don't you ever forget it!
<3
Mom
------
I believe I've discovered the secret to our most resent bout with nausea. ...Not
having contractions. When I don't feel terrible and my stomach doesn't feel like it's literally tied in knots, I actually want to
feed us.
When we are up for eating, we have been craving baked mac and cheese, pizza, reuben sandwiches and wonton soup and ...brownies. When we can eat, we definitely do eat! :)
Also, wow! You are getting very strong little man! I'm pretty sure you
have bruised my insides with all of your jabs and kicks. You seem to
like to hang out in the same spot most of the time and you seem to have a
pretty solid pattern going ... one super exercise day and then one day
of mostly resting.
I think you wear yourself out and have to take a day to recuperate from all of your adventures! Anyway, maybe you and daddy can work out together (flutter kicks and punches) soon. I have no doubt that you'll be great at them!
I think you wear yourself out and have to take a day to recuperate from all of your adventures! Anyway, maybe you and daddy can work out together (flutter kicks and punches) soon. I have no doubt that you'll be great at them!
...and here we are at bedtime :) Your Aunt Sarah made you that adorable little onsie with a bowtie! So cute!
7/8
We couldn't be in a better situation to make everything work at the moment. It feels right and that is incredibly comforting. I have to admit though, I tend worry about him with this particular career choice ... but most of the time ... the best things require a lot of faith. I'm sure that's what you and I will be resting on a lot in the future.
Love you and daddy so very much,
<3
Mom