15 Weeks

Dear Baby,

This week you've grown so much - you're now the size of an apple, and 4 inches long! It's hard to believe that just a couple months ago you were only the size of a tiny little lentil bean.

{via}

Right now you're forming taste buds, and you can sense light! If we shined a flashlight on my belly, you'd move away from it. It's so exciting how big you've gotten, baby, and we feel so lucky and blessed that you're in there and growing.

We'll be finding out if you're a boy or a girl in just a month, and we're so excited, baby. Will we have a daughter or a son? Will we be watching fashion shows or playing superheros with you? You already bring us so much excitement and joy, baby, and we can't wait for the future.

But while we know that you're in there, baby, sometimes it just doesn't seem real yet. We've seen photos of you (when you were even tinier than a lentil bean!), and we listen to your heartbeat every week, and I've even felt you move already - but yet you still seem so surreal to us. I imagine that as more time goes by and we really start to feel you moving around (both of us!), you will become very real to us. But sometimes, now, it's still hard to wrap our minds around the idea that you are growing inside of my belly, and oh-too-soon you'll be growing up and endlessly making us laugh and cry as the roller coaster of life unfolds.

We can't wait.

Love,
Mommy

14 Week Baby Bump

Trying Out Our New Baby Sling

The first thing we bought was a baby sling. We haven't really bought anything else, either (besides one hilariously funny onesie from Gap that says "I'd rather be naked") because we didn't want to "jinx" the pregnancy early on. But we couldn't pass up this sling from Seven Slings that we got for free - we just had to pay shipping.

It arrived, and like many other reviews, the fabric was a bit stiff (but it softens up a bit after a washing). It seemed pretty sturdy, but we decided to give it a test run with our toddler-sized dog.

And then the following madness ensued.

Caution: shirtless man alert!

Let's just say that Tom was REALLY ready to take that sling (and dog) off!

And his ear was soaked with puppy saliva.

Ew.

(The sling passed the test. If that sling can handle a wild and crazy thrashing 30 pound dog, I think we're good to go on the child-safety front.)

14 Weeks

Dear Baby -

You just keep growing! We call you our little bean, and so far you've certainly been growing like a weed. This week you're the size of a lemon:

{via}

This week you're able to frown, squint, smile and grimace, and we can't wait to see your little facial  expressions up close. For now, I wonder if you would be making a face if we looked at you through an ultrasound? I'd like to think you'd be in there making all sorts of cute and funny faces.

You can also stretch and move around - and boy, are you fast and active! We can only hear your heartbeat for a few seconds before you're off and on the move, baby. You're definitely going to be an active little one!

Love,
Mommy

13 Week Baby Bump

13 Weeks

Dear Baby -

It's still hard to me to believe you're really there inside of me, baby. I'm growing a baby! It still seems so surreal to me, although my slowly growing belly proves that yes, this is really happening. YOU are really happening.

A week or so ago I felt you move, baby! Your Mommy and Daddy were in bed reading and all of a sudden I felt these little flutters down in my belly. It felt like you were busy popping some popcorn in there, baby! I've never felt anything like that before, and so I just knew it was you, baby. I told your Daddy that I felt you move, and he got the biggest grin on his face as he asked "Really? You did?". I have a feeling that you're going to be a very active little bean in there, baby, although with your parent's athletic history you never really stood a chance of being otherwise!

This week you're about the size of a large shrimp - is that why I've been craving shrimp so much this week?

You're now able to flex your toes and fingers, baby, and you now have fingerprints! It absolutely amazes me that while you're still so so so tiny you already have fingerprints, baby.

We sure get tons of use out of our Doppler, baby - we use it every week! We LOVE to hear your little heartbeat just thrumming away in there - the sound of it fills us with joy and reassures us that you're doing okay in there. Every time we hear it - no matter how many times - we can't help but smile. It's the most beautiful sound in the world, baby.

The other day we were even able to let your Grandma hear your heartbeat! She was so excited, baby, and couldn't believe that she was able to hear your little heart over the phone when she lives half the country away. It was so special, baby.

Everyone loves you already, baby.

Love,
Mommy

12 Week Baby Bump

11 Week Baby Bump

12 Weeks

Dear Baby,

This week you've gotten so much bigger - you're now the size of a lime.

{via}

You have reflexes now, baby - you can curl your toes and fingers! And you can also make sucking motions with your mouth. I bet if we looked inside my belly at you we'd find you trying out all your new reflexes, and even sucking your thumb.

We have a Doppler at home to listen to you, baby, but so far have been unlucky - until last night! We squirted a big fat glob of jelly on my belly and moved that Doppler probe around until we heard a fast little heartbeat - that was you, baby! We were so excited to finally hear you in there! Your heart was going so fast baby, it sounded like a train just moving right along. Your heart rate was so high - 153! You must've been really working out hard in there baby - probably twisting and turning around and doing flips and spirals to get your heart rate that high.

When we first heard your heart on the Doppler, both your Daddy and Mommy got all teary eyed just listening to your heart beat away. We love you baby, and can't wait to hold you in our arms.

Love,
Mommy