Downhill

Well, halfway is here! I hit 20 weeks yesterday and it's hard to believe it's all downhill (theoretically speaking) from here. I realize that's counter-intuitive as I get bigger and every-day things will become increasingly difficult between now and October, but I like to think about the fact that we'll be meeting these little toes...

...in *hopefully* less than 20 weeks. Obviously it all depends on God's timing and when He decides baby is done cooking, whether that's 20 weeks or 22 weeks from right now. Regardless, we're making progress.


Letter to baby, halfway edition


----


Dearest baby - complete with heart, brain, spine, fingers, toes and many other bones,


We got to see you again yesterday!! Man, I love those days and only wish there were more of them. The dr said most everything looks great, and you're measuring right on track! We got special peeks at your femur (thigh bone), humerus (upper arm bone), brain, beating heart, toes, and the two most amazing parts.....the spine - seeing the individual vertebrae was amazingly mind-blowing....and the fingers - we saw you moving your little fingers around!! Each time we get to see you, this gets a little more real and seeing you moving those little fingers, well, I can't put into words what that did for me. I never knew I could love little body parts so much, but it's overpowering.


There were two things the doctor mentioned that are not big concerns, but items worth talking about for the record.
1. There was a "shadow" on your little heart. She said that this is fairly common and they want to do another sonogram in a month to see that it has gone away, as she's certain it will. She mentioned that as the heart forms, sometimes calcium deposits show up and can look like a spot on the sonogram, but if that's what it is, they always go away within a few weeks. Your daddy asked her what happens if the spot hasn't gone away and she said she didn't really have an answer as they have always disappeared by the next sono. So bright side: we get to see you again in a few weeks! We're saying prayers that this goes as the doctor has indicated and that all is ok with your heart. I'm completely at peace with the fact that if she says not to worry, then I won't!
2. You're breach for now - this is not an issue right now, but could be later on if you haven't flipped around by the time delivery gets here. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but it would be great if you could go ahead and flip to check this one off the list :)


I made up for some lost weight over the past 4 weeks....still nothing in the grand scheme of things but it was quite the jump from last time! I'm feeling good overall as long as I stick to my healthy eating. One of my emails said this week you are starting to taste what I eat so I need to be a little more cautious with eating habits if I don't want you to develop bad habits. Guess it's time to cut back on the chocolate a little bit :) As I type this, I'm dealing with a little heartburn for the first time and it doesn't feel good, so let's hope it's not a regular visitor!


I know one question we've been asked is if we were finding out what you are, and we stayed strong today and said "no" when asked if we wanted to know! I almost caved, not from pressure from your pops, but because the curiosity almost got the best of me! I'm glad we're waiting...the surprise will be fun!


I'm overly grateful for making it this far and feel blessed every day that God deems me worthy to be your mama. I was talking to one of your Mama's closest friends, telling her how seeing your little hand movements today really made me realize you're a real, live human in there! Her response? "Yup. Created. Though of. Psalm 139ed" She refers, of course, to the following...


"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."


I love that the Bible verse became a verb, and it's so true! Every word of that..."when I was being made in secret"...I just love it. And I love you. And that's all there is to it.


Talk you soon, my one and only first-born.


Love,
Mama


----


And with all the chaos of this weekend, there were no official belly pics, but you can see it in this group shot from graduation. I don't want the pictures to become a stress point for me if they don't get done, so I will make due with what we have!



Happy Wednesday to ya!


Oh, and I'll likely be late on next week's post as we have some more visitors coming! My parents, niece and aunt will be spending the week seeing the sights in DC and we look forward to some more tourist action! Be back soon :)