9 weeks, in lifes whirlwind...

This has been in interesting week, from many aspects.  I am grateful to say that Tuesday was my first feel good day in nearly a month...the nausea seems to have subsided and i am HUNGRY!! i just want to eat, eat, eat!!  but...that only happened just in time for my number one least favorite pregnancy symptom to kick in - my "laid back" digestive system becomes extra lazy whenever i am with child and that is now my new reason for not feeling well.  so imagine, excessive eating + lazy intestines = a not so great feeling in my belly :(  but if it means my baby is growing and healthy, i will take whatever i have to.  in the whole jist of life - this is only a mere 7 more months of my life! (sense my optimism today?)

but on the happy side, it is nice to have a bit more of my energy back, some days, but more often than not.  my belly sure seems to be getting bigger by the day!  and i love it! i love seeing the outward signs of you growing inside me.  (i just ask one thing, be nice to my belly button, im not so sure how much more it can handle!)  its amazing to see how much i have grown on the outside, when on the inside you are only about an inch...the size of a grape!  your brothers love my comparing you to foods.  eating is a true passion of theirs, so to tell them you are the size of something they can relate to makes them pretty excited!

mashed potatoes has been a favorite food of ours this week...and the sour cream and onion pringles are still being craved - maybe i should satisfy that one, what do you think??  i also think i could eat a subway pizza with chicken, banana peppers, green peppers and hot sauce nearly everyday - but i wont, for both our sakes!

there have been a lot of life choices weighing heavily on my heart this past week or so, regarding my choice to work, financial choices...all sorts of big things that i look forward to watching God work through our life as we prepare for your birth!  the thoughts that have come along with the discovery of you have been so amazing baby. already you have changed my life by changing my heart.  i love you more and more everyday!

a few more weeks until i get to see your tiny figure on that black and white screen again, but until then i continue to follow your growth on the internets estimates....its amazing to me that at just 9 weeks, one inch in length you already have fully formed eyes, 4 chambers in your heart, arms with chubby little fingers, legs with little webbed toes.  nostrils, lips and earlobes...all such tiny miracles...all details of the work of Gods hands.

love you millions baby,
  ~ mommy

waist = 34 inches

weight = 129.8 lbs

8 weeks and the word is out!!

For weeks now, you have been daddy and I's little secret and little by little we were sharing tidbits of you with the people we were closest to - but that is no longer the case in more ways than one!  Not only has it become apparent to us and those that know us well enough that my belly is growing, but we have finally been able to share your presence with the world!! Seeing you heart beating last week gave us the confidence from God that we were seeking, a sign that all is as it should be, that you are with us for the long haul!  So the secret is out baby!!  And we are all so excited!

The size of a kidney bean and already you are BIG news!! as usual, you have been quite busy again this week, not only with keeping me "under the weather", but also with all you own little accomplishments.  Fingers and toes, eyelids, breathing tubes...those are all pretty exciting.  not to mention all the neurological developements going on in your brain!  You are an amazing little being.  Keep up the good work and i promise ill do my best too!

i love you millions baby

  ~mommy

waist = 34 inches

weight = 128.5 lbs



7 weeks and beating...

Today was an amazing day.  We had our first doctors appointment this afternoon and not only did you get a perfect bill of health, with right on time measurements...but we were also able to catch a quick glimpse of your tiny beating heart and your brothers were even there to witness it (although matteo and vincenzo seemed more concerned with their suckers!)

My dear baby, you are only about the size of a grain of rice and already we were able to watch your heart beating, at a crazy 129 beats per minute!  that is just amazing...an amazing sign of God's work.  He is ever so carefully knitting you in my womb.  He knows just how many hairs you will have on your head and what color your beautiful eyes will be.  You are fearfully and wonderfully being  created, a true masterpiece at the work of God's hands!

Your tenative birthdate as of today is June 1st, although I'm sure that will change more than once between now and then!  Your tiny little hands and feet are starting to bulge out of the sides of your little body this week, as well as the development of your eyelids and button nose!  Veins are starting to form, so that little heart i saw beating has somewhere to pump your blood through!  And even more exciting for you, your umbilical cord is forming this week...which means you will start "eating" every meal with me pretty soon!  (Dont worry, i wont have any problem eating enough for us both!  well, assuming that maybe these bouts of nausea go away soon!)

Word is starting to spread a little bit more - once Nonna got the precious news that your heart was beating, she asked permission to tell all of your "aunties" at her office.  i can only imagine how excited they must all be for your future arrival!  they spoil your brothers quite a bit when they go in for a visit!!  Tuscan also had to tell his sunday school class this week "God put a baby in my mommy's belly when she was sleeping and now i am going to have a new baby!" 

Me: "Tusc, you werent supposed to tell anyone!"

Tuscan: "Mom, i know, i was just too excited to keep it a secret!!"

oh how i love that boy!!

He is also pushing the issue that we get your crib set up, ASAP!  he is worse than i am with the whole organization, get everything ready to go attitude! but he wants to be prepared!

We bought you your first two packages of diapers today - just to use up some great coupons!!  baby you have no idea how different the life of your family is going to be compared to the life we were living when your brothers were born.  It just makes me so grateful that we have gotten to the place we are at before any of you were old enough to know that way it used to be!  God has blessed our lives in millions of ways over the last few years and you are the ultimate reward!  We are just so grateful for everything and so excited to be able to share it all with you!!

stay well baby and grow big!

i love you millions,

mommy

week 7

waist = 34 inches

weight = 128.5 lbs

6 weeks and the secret is shared!

Oh how the excitement can build in just a week...although your dad and i are chosing to be cautious with how quickly we spread the word of your presence in our life, there were just a few people that we needed to tell sooner than later.  Three of them being you big brothers.  Several months ago the idea of us bringing another baby into the family came up, by them...votes for a brother vs. a sister, specificatation of just one, not twins and the big question - "how do babies get in your belly, mom?"

my answer was simple - "God puts them there!"

   "When mom?"

   my answer - "While i'm sleeping!"

so today we sat your brothers down after their nap and told them we had a surprise to share with them.

"Boys, mommy and daddy have a surprise we want to share with you."

responses..."is it new toys? a new puppy? a bear?"

well since we certainly dont need anymore toys, we just recently got two puppies and a bear is just a little on the silly side...this was what we had to say:

"Remeber that one time when you guys were asking how babies got in my belly and i told you that God put them there?  Well, God has put a baby in mommy's belly!  But its a secret so you can't tell anyone until God tells us that its ok.  Because sometimes when God gives you a baby you cant always keep it, sometimes he has to try again and give you a different one.  So once mommy goes to the doctor and God tells us we can keep the baby, then you can tell your friends about it.  But for now, it is very important that we pray for the baby everyday."

By this point the only one really listening to us was Tuscan and he was quick to respond, "Oh dont worry mom, i will pray as soon as i get in the car! (we were leaving to meet Nonna and Poppa for dinner!)  This makes me so happy mom!"  and he crawled next to me on the floor, lifted my shirt and sort of bounced my belly around like he was just amazed by the whole idea!

Then we went to dinner.  I already wasnt feeling very well - you have been doing a good job at staking your claim in my body and making my stomach pretty uneasy much of the day this week!  But know that i am grateful, because i take that as a sign that everything is as it should be.  Although, you add nervousness to that and it makes it a little harder to enjoy a meal!  So it wasnt until dessert - after about 15 trips to the bathrooms with your brothers, that i finally had the courage to bring it up!

    "so, you guys are possibly going on your cruise in june, right?  because frank and i were talking about our vacations for next year, and i think we will be taking one towards the end of may and we may need your help with the kids for a day or so..." 

     with bewildered looks on Nonna and Poppa's faces, i continued..."because we are having another baby!"  :)

it definitely took a minute for it to sink in for them, they looked a little surprised to say the least, but i think by the time we left they were both pretty excited!  You see baby, you are the missing link to our family.  May you be a boy or a girl, you are #4.  The final piece, the one that will tie us all together and make us - complete!

As this week went by, not only did we share the secret with some pretty important people, but you were pretty busy yourself!  You now have the beginning of your facial features and little buds that will soon become your arms and legs.  Your heart is starting to beat - although i wont be lucky enough to see it or hear it for a few more weeks, but it is reassuring to know that your blood is flowing!  You are about the size of a lentil but you already have the developments of a brain, muscles, bones and lungs!  it really all is truly amazing!

I am holding up well, although i am still beyond tired by the time it gets dark every night. I'm not the greatest company on the nights that your daddy is home because i fall asleep about 20 minutes in to any movie!  But he's a good sport about it!!  I have indigestion, no matter what i eat, from the time i wake up until the time i go to bed!  But dont think of this as complaining.  I will take on whatever i have to as long as it means you are safe and growing healthy inside me.  I'm your mom, and i am proud to say that thats my job - to take care of you!

next week, we go to the doctor! i can only pray that maybe we can catch a glimpse of you, if for no reason other than checking in the possibility of twins status!! Oh My!!  :)

i love you millions baby!

waist = 33.5 inches

weight = 127.5lbs