18 weeks...the beginning of a new year!

im sorry to say that the week of christmas was just so busy, it flew by so quickly, that i just never gathered my thoughts together long enough to journal the week!  so here i am, one week later...filling in the gap with words that you have otherwise filled in with growth!  im starting to get comments like "wow, you have really popped this week!"  and im getting down to the nitty gritty in the work clothes selection!  the holiday eating i think helped us both put on a few extra pounds, although i wasnt nearly as bad this christmas as i was when i was pregnant with your brother tuscan. for both of you, the second trimester has run right through the holidays!

im so many ways i am feeling sooooo much better....but in other ways i feel worse.  my joints have been very achy recently, making it that much more difficult to get up and about!  and the heartburn is setting in more frequently, which im assuming is a good sign that you will make your grand appearance with as much hair on your head (and elsewhere) as your 3 brothers did.  you should know, they were the only babies in the nursery at the times of their births that had eyebrows already!!

you are currently being estimated at nearly 6 inches and about 6 or 7 ounces.  in terms your brothers can understand, you are about the size of a bell pepper! it seems so crazy to think that you could possibly be that big already!  thankfully i dont feel on the outside that you could be that big on the inside, so between the two of us, we must be doing something right!!  your ears have apparently moved into their proper place and your arms and legs have certainly gained mobility with their increased growth as well.  you are quite the busy body little baby and if this is any indication as to who you will be on the outside, i may be in for a big surprise!

next week is a big week for us, i just may have a chance to see your beautiful face (no matter how silly and disformed the screen may make you look) and i cant wait!  it will just solidify our relationship that much more and make your presence more real to all of us!  so stay tuned...the best is getting better!!

millions,
   ~ mommy

waist = 36 inches

16 weeks...and the moments are "kicking" by!!

Baby, this week i want to say thank you...thank you for the early Christmas present you have blessed me with!  feeling you moving inside me this week has been so amazing!  it has made your presence seem even more real and it has given me a sense of peace.  feeling you move tells me that you are doing ok in there!  that you are still with me.  and that is all i can ask for at this point!

we have scheduled our sonogram for January 5th, the same day as our next doctors appointment.  and i must say, knowing that we will be keeping your identity a secret until your birth is causing me to have mixed feelings about seeing you in black and white (or brown and orange, as it may be)  don't get me wrong, i am more than thrilled about the chance to see you moving, to see your little heart beating, maybe catch you sucking your thumb.  i am so excited to have a chance to share you in that way, with you daddy and Nonna and even your brothers.  but i know there will be a part of me that is just dying to know more about you, the part about you that tells me so much more than how many fingers and toes you have.  its going to be tough, but i know in my heart we are making the right decision. 

God placed you in my womb in his time and only he knows best about whether you shall be a boy or a girl.  i am trusting in his plan and trying my best to put all faith and belief in whatever it is he has planned for our future!  but know baby, no matter who you may be, boy or girl, i will love you just the same.  no matter what you are a piece that completes our family puzzle.  i will love you and be proud of you everyday of your life. i will protect you and raise you to the best of my ability. and most importantly i will teach you to love our Lord, because with him in your life, all things are possible!

this week you have apparently grown to the size of a light bulb...or to keep it in food terms, an avocado!  you are becoming a bit more proportionate, your eyes are closer to their permanent position, as well as your tiny little ears!  they even say at this point you may start reacting to voices around you...so all three of your brothers have been talking to you the last few days, introducing themselves so you can become accustomed to each of their voices!  they are so excited to meet you baby!!  already they are sharing their blankies (Nie-Nie's) with you.  i cant wait to see them in action when you are here in our arms.  they already talk about taking such good care of you!

hold on tight baby...the next few weeks may be a little rough on us, but i promise i will try to rest as much as possible.  try to keep my not feeling well (like last night) down to a minimum!!  thanks!

love you millions,

  ~ mommy

                                                                    waist =  36 inches 



15 weeks - things arent always as they seem...

well, i hate to admit this, but yes i missed a week!  in the midst of our seasons first tremendous snowfall (4 feet in 36 hours) my mind was just a bit to snowy to sit down and create a memorable blog posting!  so here i am, writing to say that things are not always as they seem.  and i mean that in more ways than one. 

first off, we had a doctors appointment today.  although the calendars and calculators say that your birthdate should be somewhere around june 1st, in actuality you are measuring one week smaller than that, so we are now looking closer to somewhere around june 6th.  instead of being 15 weeks along, the doctors think we might just be at 14 weeks...but who's counting right, you will be in my arms when you feel good and ready! and the only one who truly knows when your birthdate will be is God.  he created you in his time and he will bring you into this world in his time.  and trust me, i find much comfort in that.  its always reassuring to know that someone out there knows more about your own life than you do!

i also want you to know baby, that life is not always what it seems.  as you are growing up i want you to know that i will do everything in my power to protect you, both physically and emotionally. i will try my hardest to teach you the differences between right and wrong, the good and the bad, when to trust and how to follow your heart and your own gut instincts.  i want you to know to never settle for anything but the best, but you need to know that the best is what you feel, not what someone else may label for you.  i want to teach you how to grow up to be a strong, whole hearted, yet free spirited individual...someone who thinks for themselves, who doesnt follow in the footsteps of those around you. to lead your own life and be in complete control of who you are!  be brave baby and dont let anyone or anything get in your way.  you are  a child of God and know that he has had a great plan for you from the moment you were conceived.  never doubt yourself and most importantly, never be afraid to come to me, for anything.  i will always be here for you, no matter how hard it may seem to find the right words, be honest.  i will never judge you, i will never put you down...i will always try my hardest to be the best, most supportive mom you could ever ask for. i want to be the kind of mom that you are proud to introduce to your friends, i want you to be proud to call me Mom!  i love you baby!

today was our 3rd dr's appointment.  your heart was beating at a strong 158 beats per minute.  i have gained 2lbs in the last 4 weeks, which puts us at a whopping -1lb weight gain!  but dont worry, christmas cookie baking started this week, so chances are we will have put on a few extra pounds before our next appointment!  according to the statistics, you are about the size of an apple now...weighing roughly 2.5 ounces, about 4 inches in length.  you are practicing your breathing movements, helping your lungs develop.  and although your eye lids are still fused shut, they say you can sense light now, if it is shined on my belly...sounds like a fun game for your brothers maybe, once i can start feeling your movements a little more regularly - they can shine the light on my belly and you can kick them back!!  they have been asking about you a lot lately. matteo and vincenzo have both asked this week if you are ready to come out yet!  they are getting anxious, which is cute. that means the next 22+ weeks will be just as tough for them as it will be for me!  but they all also agree that we should wait until you are here with us to know whether they will have a brother or a sister!  and know too, that i am also very excited about the idea of you being a big surprise!  it will be a first for me and so fitting, as you are the piece that completes our family puzzle!

rest well baby, the next few weeks will be sort of exhausting for us as we head full force into the christmas season.  but know that it is all for good reason...celebrating jesus is such a wonderful thing!  we will have plenty of time to get "caught up" in our relaxation once the new year heads our way.  Christmas only comes once a year (even if for our family, it lasts 3 weeks!)  so we have to make the very best of every moment!

i love you baby,

millions,

  ~mommy

                                                 the pic will hopefully be posted tomorrow!

waist = 35 inches

weight = 132lbs