this week, my handy phone app tells me that you're the size of a crenshaw melon. I have no freakin' clue what a crenshaw melon is. Neither does your Dad, and he's a chef! Last week, you were comparable to a honeydew. That was easier to understand.
We're only 27 days away from your estimated due date, and I have to say -- I'm ready for you to come on out. This week, we've crossed into the phase of pregnancy that involves me being really uncomfortable pretty much all the time. I don't sleep well. I wake up and have to flip over once or twice in the night. I can't really bend over anymore. Standing up from sitting is pretty difficult and awkward. I've also started getting a lot of foot cramps and leg cramps -- weird, hip-level leg cramps. Now, I know, I have no room complaining about being uncomfortable. At least I get to move around in a virtually limitless space. You, on the other hand, are squeezed into a cramped little area with barely any room to move. It'll be better for both of us when you are born.
You had your THIRD party last week. My friends at Drinking Liberally gave us a baby shower, and you got some sweet loot. We are now only 3 diapers away from having all 24! You also got a fleecy Gamecocks outfit. We are an unaffiliated household in the great USC vs. Clemson war, but I guess your allegiance got decided for you. (However, you also have some bright orange diapers, so really, you could go either way).
Hmm... what else is new? I guess you should know that you are still wreaking havoc on my hormones. Emotionally, I am just a mess. I am alternately grumpy, snarky, weepy, maudlin... it's exhausting just keeping up with myself. I've never been exceptionally emotionally stable (to say the least), but this is a new level of volatility for me.
I've been packing up our hospital bag. Last night, I got a little misty-eyed because I washed some of your little clothes for the first time before I packed them. For some reason, it got me really sentimental to be packing up your things... like you're this little person, and you have your own stuff. So far, you've just hung out inside me, and we've shared "stuff." But in approximately 27 days, you'll be an independent little person, who needs more than my womb to keep you safe and warm and happy. You'll need little outfits, little blankets and socks and hats... you'll need your own little THINGS.
I am going to pack the very first toy I ever bought for you. It's a blue teddy bear I got at O.P. Taylor's on Main Street. I told you about all the initial freaking out I did when we found out we were pregnant. Well, that bear marks the moment when I began to move from petrified to excited. I was sitting at work one day, and I found myself thinking about you (not surprising, since that's all I've done since the day in May when we found out). I started to think about how totally awesome it was that you suddenly existed, where a few weeks before, you hadn't. I found myself picturing you, and slowly, you stopped being something that scared me and started to be something I loved. It was a wonderful revelation, and after that moment, I just wanted to give you things, to give you everything. I realized that there were going to be all kinds of things that we'd buy you before you showed up, but I wanted the first thing to be something simple, something soft and warm and comforting. So I went down to the toy store and picked out the bear.
It's blue, but I didn't know yet that you were a boy. I just really liked the blue bear, and I hoped you would too, no matter what sex you turned out to be. I want it to be the first present you get from your parents -- a sort of promise that, no matter how strange and scary it may be to be parents, we will always take care of you and give you what you need (no matter what it costs us).
On a lighter note, we toured the OB at the hospital, and I found out that you can play music in the labor rooms. As I announced to all my Facebook friends, I am trying to figure out how to time it so you are born to "Eye of the Tiger." I think that maybe your Dad thinks I'm kidding...
Can't wait to meet you!
Love,
Mom
36 weeks, 2 days in the oven
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Dear Toot,
you are officially the size of a cantaloupe! (Last week, you were a pineapple. Sorry I missed it. We were busy with Thanksgiving cooking and travelling).
Everything is going well. We had a doctor visit last Friday, and you are still right on track. I didn't much care for the doctor we saw, though, so if you could try not to show up when she's on rotation, I'd appreciate it. We'd really rather you came when either Dr. Gower or Dr. Price was on rotation, if it's not too much trouble.
I got a little stressed out this week. We thought we'd finished paying what we owed for your delivery, but apparently, it was just the OB-GYN portion. We got a letter from the hospital with an estimate of what we will have to pay them. It's astonishing how expensive it is to have a baby, even if you have decent insurance!
Now, don't get me wrong, buddy. We don't begrudge you a penny of the money it will cost to get you into this world. We can afford it, and once we see you, we won't have a thought for anything at all except how totally rad you are. But it really upsets me. You see, there are countries in this world where families don't have to pay doctor bills at all. They can just focus all their energy on being joyful and getting ready to welcome their little people into life. Here, though, it really can be a financial burden for some folks. I couldn't help thinking about all those poor families who DON'T have the money for those gigantic hospital bills -- those families who fall into that uncomfortable range between being able to afford good insurance and qualifying for assistance. It's a travesty that any family should have to worry about money in such a beautiful, exciting time. This is part of why your mother votes the way she does, and it's why I get so worked up about politics. I want the world to be a better place for you (and for me!) I don't want you to have to worry about how to provide the basics of life for your family. I think certain things like housing, food, and healthcare are human rights, not privileges that have to be earned.
But, as far as these doctor bills go, there's really nothing to be done about it. They are realities of life in this country right now, so of course, we will take care of them. Instead of worrying about it anymore, I went out and bought a toy for our office's Toys for Tots drive. I figured, since we DO have the money to pay the bills, I should focus my energy on all the less fortunate little babies who won't be as spoiled as you are guaranteed to be (just ask your grandparents). Really, the gift was from you too, so if you're curious, it was a game - Apples to Apples, Jr. I've never played the junior version, but the grownup version is one of my favorites, and I hope you will play it with me and your father someday.
I just realized today that I only have 15 more days of work until my leave starts! It's getting so close. You are due for a landing 5 weeks from tomorrow. We can't wait to meet you. You are getting the hiccups a lot lately. It's pretty amusing.
Love,
Mom
34 weeks, 7 days in the oven
Everything is going well. We had a doctor visit last Friday, and you are still right on track. I didn't much care for the doctor we saw, though, so if you could try not to show up when she's on rotation, I'd appreciate it. We'd really rather you came when either Dr. Gower or Dr. Price was on rotation, if it's not too much trouble.
I got a little stressed out this week. We thought we'd finished paying what we owed for your delivery, but apparently, it was just the OB-GYN portion. We got a letter from the hospital with an estimate of what we will have to pay them. It's astonishing how expensive it is to have a baby, even if you have decent insurance!
Now, don't get me wrong, buddy. We don't begrudge you a penny of the money it will cost to get you into this world. We can afford it, and once we see you, we won't have a thought for anything at all except how totally rad you are. But it really upsets me. You see, there are countries in this world where families don't have to pay doctor bills at all. They can just focus all their energy on being joyful and getting ready to welcome their little people into life. Here, though, it really can be a financial burden for some folks. I couldn't help thinking about all those poor families who DON'T have the money for those gigantic hospital bills -- those families who fall into that uncomfortable range between being able to afford good insurance and qualifying for assistance. It's a travesty that any family should have to worry about money in such a beautiful, exciting time. This is part of why your mother votes the way she does, and it's why I get so worked up about politics. I want the world to be a better place for you (and for me!) I don't want you to have to worry about how to provide the basics of life for your family. I think certain things like housing, food, and healthcare are human rights, not privileges that have to be earned.
But, as far as these doctor bills go, there's really nothing to be done about it. They are realities of life in this country right now, so of course, we will take care of them. Instead of worrying about it anymore, I went out and bought a toy for our office's Toys for Tots drive. I figured, since we DO have the money to pay the bills, I should focus my energy on all the less fortunate little babies who won't be as spoiled as you are guaranteed to be (just ask your grandparents). Really, the gift was from you too, so if you're curious, it was a game - Apples to Apples, Jr. I've never played the junior version, but the grownup version is one of my favorites, and I hope you will play it with me and your father someday.
I just realized today that I only have 15 more days of work until my leave starts! It's getting so close. You are due for a landing 5 weeks from tomorrow. We can't wait to meet you. You are getting the hiccups a lot lately. It's pretty amusing.
Love,
Mom
34 weeks, 7 days in the oven
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Dear Toot,
you are now the size of a large jicama (???) Sorry. I wish I had a better visual for you. Good news, though! Dr. Gower says that, at least as of Thursday, your head is pointing down! I really want to do this naturally, and I'm glad you seem to be on board.
I have a confession, Toot. I know I have sort of romanticized this pregnancy in my letters to you, but I need to be honest.
When I found out I was pregnant, I was FREAKED OUT - not because we didn't want you, not because we weren't actively TRYING to have you. We did, and we were. But I was freaked out anyway.
See, I had been worried for some time that it would be really hard and take a really long time for us to have a baby. It took my Mom a long time, and my own body has never been especially cooperative or predictable in that department. So I was convinced that we would struggle. I told your father that I thought we should go ahead and at least stop trying to NOT get pregnant because, in my words, "it's not going to happen overnight."
I was right. It took us two whole months.
And I freaked out.
I thought we had at least a year before we had to think about any of those scary, grownup, parent-y things. I figured it might even be several years because I read that it takes the average couple a year, and I was expecting us to be even slower than average.
But you had other plans. Apparently, you were just itching to exist. Your soul was just hanging around, tapping its foot, waiting for the opportunity to present itself. I imagine this is just the first of many, many times that you will surprise us and make us find new (more awesome) plans.
Anyway... I guess what I am saying is that this is why we aren't quite where we thought we'd be when you got here. We don't own a home yet, and we still have a lot of dreams that we haven't started pursuing. We wanted everything to be perfect for you, and the truth is - it isn't.
It's clear to me that you are already a lot smarter than your parents. If we had waited until we felt "ready," you might never have gotten here! And we are so, so happy that you are on your way. You are such an inspiration, little guy. I have spent a lot of my life being moody and ultra-introspective and a little cynical at times. Now, though, I can feel myself changing just from the thought of you, from the dream and promise of you. I don't want your life to have my sometimes-dark shadow hanging over it. I don't want your idea of adulthood to be all about resignation and sullenness and gloom. I want you to look around (and at me) and see joy and hope and neverending possibility.
Undeniably, you are changing my body, but it is becoming clear to me that you are already changing my heart as well. As much as your little body is rounding out my belly, your little (little?) spirit is swelling my soul. That's not something they mentioned in "What To Expect..." You are full of wonderful surprises.
In other news, three different people this week have pointed out that I waddle. It appears to be official.
Love,
Mom
32 weeks, 2 days in the oven
I have a confession, Toot. I know I have sort of romanticized this pregnancy in my letters to you, but I need to be honest.
When I found out I was pregnant, I was FREAKED OUT - not because we didn't want you, not because we weren't actively TRYING to have you. We did, and we were. But I was freaked out anyway.
See, I had been worried for some time that it would be really hard and take a really long time for us to have a baby. It took my Mom a long time, and my own body has never been especially cooperative or predictable in that department. So I was convinced that we would struggle. I told your father that I thought we should go ahead and at least stop trying to NOT get pregnant because, in my words, "it's not going to happen overnight."
I was right. It took us two whole months.
And I freaked out.
I thought we had at least a year before we had to think about any of those scary, grownup, parent-y things. I figured it might even be several years because I read that it takes the average couple a year, and I was expecting us to be even slower than average.
But you had other plans. Apparently, you were just itching to exist. Your soul was just hanging around, tapping its foot, waiting for the opportunity to present itself. I imagine this is just the first of many, many times that you will surprise us and make us find new (more awesome) plans.
Anyway... I guess what I am saying is that this is why we aren't quite where we thought we'd be when you got here. We don't own a home yet, and we still have a lot of dreams that we haven't started pursuing. We wanted everything to be perfect for you, and the truth is - it isn't.
It's clear to me that you are already a lot smarter than your parents. If we had waited until we felt "ready," you might never have gotten here! And we are so, so happy that you are on your way. You are such an inspiration, little guy. I have spent a lot of my life being moody and ultra-introspective and a little cynical at times. Now, though, I can feel myself changing just from the thought of you, from the dream and promise of you. I don't want your life to have my sometimes-dark shadow hanging over it. I don't want your idea of adulthood to be all about resignation and sullenness and gloom. I want you to look around (and at me) and see joy and hope and neverending possibility.
Undeniably, you are changing my body, but it is becoming clear to me that you are already changing my heart as well. As much as your little body is rounding out my belly, your little (little?) spirit is swelling my soul. That's not something they mentioned in "What To Expect..." You are full of wonderful surprises.
In other news, three different people this week have pointed out that I waddle. It appears to be official.
Love,
Mom
32 weeks, 2 days in the oven
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Dear Toot,
As of today, you are the approximate size of "four navel oranges." I think the makers of the BabyBump app are really stretching it. I didn't write you during the past couple of weeks, so you missed the butternut squash and cabbage phases. I'm sorry I have neglected our correspondence, but we have had a lot to do.
We've got less than two months before Space Shuttle Alex is scheduled for landing. Scary! But we are making a lot of progress with the preparations. We have your bassinet, two car seats, a pack and play, lots of clothes, and 14/24 of your diapers. There are still quite a few little things we have to pick up, but we're getting there.
You had a pretty cool weekend. Grandma Garrrett's sister (Aunt Mako) is in town, so on Saturday, your Dad cooked breakfast for all of us. Then, you and I went to my friend Christie's house to watch "Twilight." (I don't want to hear a word. As long as you're a tenant in my womb, you will be subjected to my cheesy vampire romance movies). Sunday, we went hiking at Chimney Rock. You did great on your first hike, although your Dad was the only one who went up to the top of the chimney. The elevator was broken, and after about 3 flights of stairs, I gave up. When we got home, we ate sukiyaki! You will love it when you are old enough to taste it with your own mouth.
I had this weird revelation... it hit me that you are never going to see me the way I see myself. In my head, I will always be young and moderately cool. I will always be green-haired and nose-pierced. I will always be a poet and a wanderer. I will always be the sort of person who drives around all night aimlessly or takes off for the beach at midnight, on a whim. But you will only see me as I am now. I will be your archetype for "adult." I find this a little bizarre, but it's sort of liberating too. You and I have never really met, so, while you don't know all the neat things about me, you don't know the bad ones either. We get to start over fresh, with a clean slate. I think we will have fun with that.
I can't wait to meet you. Not long now!
Love,
Mom
31 weeks, 2 days in the oven
We've got less than two months before Space Shuttle Alex is scheduled for landing. Scary! But we are making a lot of progress with the preparations. We have your bassinet, two car seats, a pack and play, lots of clothes, and 14/24 of your diapers. There are still quite a few little things we have to pick up, but we're getting there.
You had a pretty cool weekend. Grandma Garrrett's sister (Aunt Mako) is in town, so on Saturday, your Dad cooked breakfast for all of us. Then, you and I went to my friend Christie's house to watch "Twilight." (I don't want to hear a word. As long as you're a tenant in my womb, you will be subjected to my cheesy vampire romance movies). Sunday, we went hiking at Chimney Rock. You did great on your first hike, although your Dad was the only one who went up to the top of the chimney. The elevator was broken, and after about 3 flights of stairs, I gave up. When we got home, we ate sukiyaki! You will love it when you are old enough to taste it with your own mouth.
I had this weird revelation... it hit me that you are never going to see me the way I see myself. In my head, I will always be young and moderately cool. I will always be green-haired and nose-pierced. I will always be a poet and a wanderer. I will always be the sort of person who drives around all night aimlessly or takes off for the beach at midnight, on a whim. But you will only see me as I am now. I will be your archetype for "adult." I find this a little bizarre, but it's sort of liberating too. You and I have never really met, so, while you don't know all the neat things about me, you don't know the bad ones either. We get to start over fresh, with a clean slate. I think we will have fun with that.
I can't wait to meet you. Not long now!
Love,
Mom
31 weeks, 2 days in the oven
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Dear Toot,
supposedly, you are the size of a Chinese cabbage this week. I imagine we're not talking about the freakishly large ones your father and I bought when I made kimchi. Those were gigantic, mutant napa cabbages. I don't think I could have fit one of those inside my uterus.
We are now officially into the third trimester! I'm excited to be here, but it's also a little scary. There's still so much we have to do.
You had your very first party on Saturday. I know you won't remember it, but a lot of your parents' friends came to visit and brought gifts to help you get ready for full-fledged personhood. Your baby book has a complete list of guests and gifts, so I won't recount it here. I will, however, let you know that your wardrobe is now at least three times cooler than either mine or your father's. You have so many clothes that I know you'll never get to wear them all before you grow out of them. We will have to spend days dressing you up, taking a picture, then changing your clothes and repeating the process. (I have no problem with this. I am sure you will be very cute and will need lots of photo evidence).
It's amazing how much one's life can change in a year. Last October, I was getting ready to run my first half-marathon. This year, I am getting ready for you! I haven't run in quite some time. I didn't have any energy for the first few months, and once my energy came back, I didn't feel up to starting back, virtually from scratch. So I am going to wait until you show up before I get back on the road/trail. Hopefully, once you are big enough for a jogging stroller, you will enjoy it too. There are some great places to run in Greenville.
Your Dad and I went downtown to a big festival this weekend, and you got to try a lot of new foods. You were pretty excited about a German dish called Maultaschen (filled pasta). You also liked the shrimp and grits, but that's no surprise. If all that palate-preparation stuff is true, you will be well primed to enjoy shrimp and grits.
I don't have much else new to report, except this. When I went to my last doctor's appointment, Dr. Gower was listening to your heartbeat, and he said, "Wow. That's a laid back baby!" You have no idea how excited this makes me. I try really, really hard to be a cool, chilled out, calm, peaceful love child. But the truth is, I'm usually pretty far from laid back. I've made a lot of progress, but I still get a bit anxious about things. Yesterday, for example, I was really comfortable on the couch, watching a great TV show. But I had this little nagging voice in the back of my head that kept reminding me how messy and untucked the couch cover was. I had to fight the urge to get up and fix it, so I could relax.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a really happy person most of the time. I love most parts of my life (especially you and your Dad and all the aunts and uncles you're about to meet). I do wish, though, that I were better at cultivating this "laid back" attitude which you have apparently developed. I'm practicing, but I'm relieved to hear that you come by it naturally. Clearly, you got this from your Dad.
We are really looking forward to meeting you!
Love,
Mom
28 weeks, 2 days in the oven
We are now officially into the third trimester! I'm excited to be here, but it's also a little scary. There's still so much we have to do.
You had your very first party on Saturday. I know you won't remember it, but a lot of your parents' friends came to visit and brought gifts to help you get ready for full-fledged personhood. Your baby book has a complete list of guests and gifts, so I won't recount it here. I will, however, let you know that your wardrobe is now at least three times cooler than either mine or your father's. You have so many clothes that I know you'll never get to wear them all before you grow out of them. We will have to spend days dressing you up, taking a picture, then changing your clothes and repeating the process. (I have no problem with this. I am sure you will be very cute and will need lots of photo evidence).
It's amazing how much one's life can change in a year. Last October, I was getting ready to run my first half-marathon. This year, I am getting ready for you! I haven't run in quite some time. I didn't have any energy for the first few months, and once my energy came back, I didn't feel up to starting back, virtually from scratch. So I am going to wait until you show up before I get back on the road/trail. Hopefully, once you are big enough for a jogging stroller, you will enjoy it too. There are some great places to run in Greenville.
Your Dad and I went downtown to a big festival this weekend, and you got to try a lot of new foods. You were pretty excited about a German dish called Maultaschen (filled pasta). You also liked the shrimp and grits, but that's no surprise. If all that palate-preparation stuff is true, you will be well primed to enjoy shrimp and grits.
I don't have much else new to report, except this. When I went to my last doctor's appointment, Dr. Gower was listening to your heartbeat, and he said, "Wow. That's a laid back baby!" You have no idea how excited this makes me. I try really, really hard to be a cool, chilled out, calm, peaceful love child. But the truth is, I'm usually pretty far from laid back. I've made a lot of progress, but I still get a bit anxious about things. Yesterday, for example, I was really comfortable on the couch, watching a great TV show. But I had this little nagging voice in the back of my head that kept reminding me how messy and untucked the couch cover was. I had to fight the urge to get up and fix it, so I could relax.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a really happy person most of the time. I love most parts of my life (especially you and your Dad and all the aunts and uncles you're about to meet). I do wish, though, that I were better at cultivating this "laid back" attitude which you have apparently developed. I'm practicing, but I'm relieved to hear that you come by it naturally. Clearly, you got this from your Dad.
We are really looking forward to meeting you!
Love,
Mom
28 weeks, 2 days in the oven
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Dear Toot,
today, my phone tells me that you are the size of a cauliflower. Last week, you were evidently the size of a "hothouse cucumber." I'm getting a little fed up with these comparisons. Why can't they use something less variable than fruits and vegetables? When you were blueberry-sized, it was a helpful comparison, but I just cannot visualize a "hothouse cucumber." Grr...
I'm happy to say that you're at a point where I feel you moving around every day. I really enjoy this part of being pregnant. It's so reassuring to feel you wiggling around, doing your little fetus things in there. The other day, you hit me so hard that it sort of tickled my muscles. I've never been tickled from the inside before, so thanks for that. Your Dad got a big kick out of it. You move around a lot when I eat fresh carrots. As a result, I find myself eating a ton of carrots. If you come out orange, now you know why.
Don't tell him I told you, but the other night, your Dad felt his first BIG kick, and he cried a little. He would insist that "teared up" is the more accurate phrase, but I saw him wipe his eyes, so some of those tears that welled up CLEARLY made their way out. It was really very sweet. He loves you a lot.
It sounds weird, but I think I am going to miss it when I can't feel you moving anymore, after you make your big journey into the real, non-uterine world. I know that we'll be able to have a lot more fun together once you're born, but it will be different. I feel like this is our special Mommy/Little Buddy time, and I'll be sad to see it go. But I know your Dad feels a little left out, so it'll be great when he can play with you too (and tickle your feet and poke your belly -- you were warned!)
We went to a family reunion on Sunday. Everybody asked about you, and they even gave you some presents! So now, you have some books, a set of really awesome eating utensils that are made from cornstarch, a storage bin with owls on it, a baby book for all our memories, two more cloth diapers and a diaper sprayer! It was really awesome. You'll get to meet everybody next year, and you can thank them then.
I'm going to sign off now because it's almost time for me to go to my weekly trivia game. Wish us luck. We won last week, and it would be great to repeat the performance.
Can't wait to meet you!
Love,
Mom
27 weeks, 1 day in the oven
I'm happy to say that you're at a point where I feel you moving around every day. I really enjoy this part of being pregnant. It's so reassuring to feel you wiggling around, doing your little fetus things in there. The other day, you hit me so hard that it sort of tickled my muscles. I've never been tickled from the inside before, so thanks for that. Your Dad got a big kick out of it. You move around a lot when I eat fresh carrots. As a result, I find myself eating a ton of carrots. If you come out orange, now you know why.
Don't tell him I told you, but the other night, your Dad felt his first BIG kick, and he cried a little. He would insist that "teared up" is the more accurate phrase, but I saw him wipe his eyes, so some of those tears that welled up CLEARLY made their way out. It was really very sweet. He loves you a lot.
It sounds weird, but I think I am going to miss it when I can't feel you moving anymore, after you make your big journey into the real, non-uterine world. I know that we'll be able to have a lot more fun together once you're born, but it will be different. I feel like this is our special Mommy/Little Buddy time, and I'll be sad to see it go. But I know your Dad feels a little left out, so it'll be great when he can play with you too (and tickle your feet and poke your belly -- you were warned!)
We went to a family reunion on Sunday. Everybody asked about you, and they even gave you some presents! So now, you have some books, a set of really awesome eating utensils that are made from cornstarch, a storage bin with owls on it, a baby book for all our memories, two more cloth diapers and a diaper sprayer! It was really awesome. You'll get to meet everybody next year, and you can thank them then.
I'm going to sign off now because it's almost time for me to go to my weekly trivia game. Wish us luck. We won last week, and it would be great to repeat the performance.
Can't wait to meet you!
Love,
Mom
27 weeks, 1 day in the oven
Monday, October 3, 2011
Dear Toot,
you are apparently the size of a rutabaga! I don't much care for rutabagas, but I like you a good deal.
You have been wreaking a bit of havoc on my emotions lately. I found myself crying in front of my boss's boss last week. It was really mortifying, but I hope everybody just blames the hormones. You have also made me incredibly clumsy. In a single 24-hour span, I dropped the following delicious food items on the floor:
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich
A chicken and egg biscuit
A piece of carrot cake
I won't lie to you, Toot. I ate the sandwich and the biscuit anyway. The only reason I didn't rescue the cake was that it fell icing-side down. Also, after I dropped the cake, I ate your Dad's piece.
The closer we get to your ETA, the more I realize that I am starting to get a little nervous about the prospect of actually giving birth. It's important to me to try to do it without pain medications or an epidural or anything. I make no judgment about ladies who want help with the pain. I just want to try it old school. But it's pretty scary. Don't worry, though. We'll figure it out together.
Along those lines, your Dad and I were writing out our "birth plan," and we had to make a decision that I know will affect your life. We had to decide whether to circumcise you or not. Circumcision is pretty common in the U.S., so it may surprise you that we decided not to have it done to you. I hope this is the right decision. I am aware that it may lead to some uncomfortable moments, since you will look different from a lot of your American friends. But the truth is, in my heart of hearts, I think it's weird to cut pieces off your baby. So that's why you aren't having it done as an infant. If it causes you a lot of angst later, I really am sorry... But I think that it should be your decision, when you are old enough to make it.
Meh, by the time you read this, you will probably be more concerned with the fact that your mother was posting things online about your "junk." I love you and can't wait to meet you!
Love,
Mom
25 weeks, 7 days in the oven
You have been wreaking a bit of havoc on my emotions lately. I found myself crying in front of my boss's boss last week. It was really mortifying, but I hope everybody just blames the hormones. You have also made me incredibly clumsy. In a single 24-hour span, I dropped the following delicious food items on the floor:
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich
A chicken and egg biscuit
A piece of carrot cake
I won't lie to you, Toot. I ate the sandwich and the biscuit anyway. The only reason I didn't rescue the cake was that it fell icing-side down. Also, after I dropped the cake, I ate your Dad's piece.
The closer we get to your ETA, the more I realize that I am starting to get a little nervous about the prospect of actually giving birth. It's important to me to try to do it without pain medications or an epidural or anything. I make no judgment about ladies who want help with the pain. I just want to try it old school. But it's pretty scary. Don't worry, though. We'll figure it out together.
Along those lines, your Dad and I were writing out our "birth plan," and we had to make a decision that I know will affect your life. We had to decide whether to circumcise you or not. Circumcision is pretty common in the U.S., so it may surprise you that we decided not to have it done to you. I hope this is the right decision. I am aware that it may lead to some uncomfortable moments, since you will look different from a lot of your American friends. But the truth is, in my heart of hearts, I think it's weird to cut pieces off your baby. So that's why you aren't having it done as an infant. If it causes you a lot of angst later, I really am sorry... But I think that it should be your decision, when you are old enough to make it.
Meh, by the time you read this, you will probably be more concerned with the fact that your mother was posting things online about your "junk." I love you and can't wait to meet you!
Love,
Mom
25 weeks, 7 days in the oven
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