Today's Letter

I know I just posted last week's photo with a letter to Baby, but I have a few things to add, so listen up Little One!

Dear Baby,

• Your nana is coming tomorrow at 10 a.m. She'd really like to have as much time cuddling you as possible, so you should probably get here ASAP. And while I'm sure she'll be happy to spend some quality time with your mama, she's really coming for YOU. So be sweet and come on out.
• Your great Uncle Gary wants you to show up tomorrow. He says that November 1st is an AWESOME day to be born (he's a bit biased because he's born on that day), and while I'm still not convinced that you should share his name (Uncle for the first name and Gary for the middle name), I would be COMPLETELY happy with you sharing his birthday!! He's a pretty great guy, and it would be quite special if you had the same birthday as he does! 
• Your mama is getting bored. I know I may look back on this time and think to myself, "What in the world was I in such a rush for?!" but I don't feel that way now. I am so incredibly excited to see you, to hold you, to kiss you, to watch you grow into a little person (and someday a big person). I can't wait to watch you and your father. He's beyond excited too! And I'm really ready to stop thinking that each little thing in my body might be a sign of you coming! 
• And while I have just mentioned 4 of us that are super excited for you, TRUST ME, THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE WONDERING WHERE IN THE WORLD YOU ARE! Each day, we get messages, texts, emails, phone calls of your caring family members and our dear friends checking in to see about you. They are dying to know if you are a boy or a girl. They can't wait to hear your name. They want to see your sweet little face. They want to know that you made it safely and that you are a healthy little baby. 
• Your daddy is so excited that I can't even call him on the phone at work without a text warning prior... He gets so disappointed if I do and there's no news of your impending arrival. So please, let's get this going so we can make the call he's so incredibly excited to get! 
• And you've made your point. You're going to come when you want. I'll remember this as you grow up. (You're teaching me about control... Mama needs to remember that she can't control everything ;) October wasn't the month of choice for you (November is good too - some great people were born in November - including your father!) Good thing we didn't buy the birthstone for October for mama like we had planned... ;) And you are also teaching us a lesson - kids cost more than we had anticipated. So, while you would have saved us some money by coming in October  (hopefully you aunt and uncle don't mind having renters for a more extended time ;),  we are more than happy for you to come in November.
• Heck, if you really want to, just come today, even though it's Halloween. 

Love,

Mama

PS: Your cousin, Phoenix, requested that you don't come on the 2nd. That's his birthday. Of course, if you insist, I won't be surprised - if you are anything like his little sister, you'll want to do EVERYTHING he does. He's a pretty cool kid, and I think you are going to really love him! 

41 Weeks

A New Poll - Cast Your Vote

First of all, it's quite a surprise that we've (maybe more me) have been able to keep the baby's gender a secret for almost 20 weeks!! I'm not that great at withholding information... I have this smile that gives it all away (if you know me well enough to recognize it). And although I love the game Bullshit, I am not that great at it because of that damn smile! You'd think I'd have it mastered for the amount of orneriness I have in my OWN family and after years of living with Seth and his own streak!!

So as the days are closing in, and we are getting the last of the phone calls seeing if maybe, just maybe, we'll slip and share the details, I thought it would be fun to put a little poll on the blog. There at the top, you can cast your vote!! We'd love to see what people are thinking our little jujube is. We can't wait to let the cat out of the bag (but that's only happening when the babe is out of the belly). Sooo hurry, get your vote in before the baby comes! Voting ends when the baby decides it ends! 

40 Weeks

39 Weeks

38 Weeks

37 Weeks

34 Weeks

Maternity Photo Shoot: Melissa, Brett, and Baby [Boy] Belly

I haven't used my DSLR since Thanksgiving... and in packing, I didn't even pack the battery charger or extra battery in a place that was accessible to me. I meant to ask Melissa (my very dearest friend) if she wanted me to take maternity shots for her while I was back in Kansas. Somehow, I kept forgetting... until the night before my last day in Abilene! She, being flexible and eager, was happy to meet me early Sunday morning in a nearby park for a quick session. I felt no pressure (which was good, because like I said, I haven't taken photos in a very long time! I wasn't even sure I'd remember HOW to use my camera!! & unfortunately I couldn't practice, because, as I discovered late Saturday night, my battery was running LOW and I had no charger near!)

Luckily, the camera held out for the whole session! (It actually lasted through a session with my nephew, Tristan, and my newest niece, Khloe on Sunday evening too - those photos to come next!)

Here are a few of my favorite shots from my session with Melissa and Brett!