Bump Update

Apparently I don't like to do my hair before taking these pictures!

But at least I'm smiling :) That's for you Grandma Linnartz!

23 weeks

25 weeks

26 weeks

and just because it's so tiny and cute and i love it! a little present we got in the mail :)

Week 26 letter

Dear Length of a Burp Cloth (or 14in long) baby girl,

This week you are also about 1 and 2/3lbs , getting bigger all the time! Only 14 weeks to go! Less than 100 days now! Well, give or take. I don’t expect you to be early or on-time so I’m not getting my heart set on the estimated due date of Feb. 1st so I am just telling people the beginning of February. I love that you are going to be a February baby, or possibly a January baby (if you were to be early).

Hopefully you’re here by Valentines day, what a sweet perfect gift for a day all about love. We already love you sooo much! I was telling your daddy the other night how much he is going to just melt over being able to hold you and snuggle you and have you sleep on his chest when your still brand new and tiny. He has no idea what’s in store! You are going to break his heart in the best possible way! Mine too!

This past week I am noticing that you seem to wake up with us when the alarm goes off at 4:22 AM each morning since we take your dad to his drop of point for his ride to work. It makes me wonder if that time will stay the same once you arrive? Even if it does, my guess is after eating or maybe a diaper change, you’ll fall back to sleep, since right now we do every morning once we get back and climb in the cozy warm bed. Of course, not without you getting a little dance party on first!

I am so excited for mornings with you! Well, really every part of the day! But since my work schedule is going to be 12-5 once I return to work part time, I know that time in the morning until I go will be cherished. I am sure it will be hard to leave you, especially in the beginning but I also know you’ll be in good hands! And hopefully, like we are planning, I’ll eventually be able to stay at home with you with in a few years.

I’m looking forward to going on walks during our mornings, just having special hang out time, maybe some play dates in there with special friends and also coming to our church’s mom’s group when it meets. I can’t believe I’m going to be a mom! It’s still very weird to think of kind of, but I am sure it will really hit me once you are here. What a blessing and honor though!!

You mean so much to me baby girl! I love you so much!

Love,

mama

Week 25 letter

Dear Ellie-girl,

Yup, that IS your name! There is no changing my mind now, and I don’t think Matt can change his from now on either (right, love?) He calls you that now so I am pretty sure, well, like 99.9%, that it will be your name. I LOVE it!! And so does everyone we tell.

This week you are approximately 13.5 inches long and approx. 1.5 lbs. You’re growing in there, that’s for sure! Because I am growing too! My belly is getting rounder each day and I love it. You’re daddy is still giving you love each day with a poke or a pat and on this past Sunday evening, as I was laying on my side on the couch, he FINALLY got to feel you kick!! It was so great!! He was really surprised at it and excited. The next night he really got to feel you moving a lot.

I am so thankful for the special moments he and I get to spend together now in anticipation of you!! I know I will cherish them always. We talk and dream about you a lot. We are so thankful for you and are excited to meet you little lady. We’re still making progress on our room so hopefully about the middle of next month we can start on yours. I need to find some fabric to make your bedding because I can’t seem to find any bedding sets I like anywhere! It will make it that much more special to have it be handmade especially for you I think.

I had another mid-wife appointment last week and she said everything was looking great, that we were measuring right on track and your heartbeat sounded perfect. My next appointment will be the glucose screening one where they test for pregnancy diabetes and also the midwife told me they should be able to start determining your position then just by feeling my belly. That part will be neat!

I love feeling you move all the time now, I feel you kick, squirm, and do flips! Those are my favorite because they are so involved and last the longest. It is such a neat sensation. I think at this point you can start to hear outside noises more distinctly so we should start playing you some music. I bet that could really spur on your dance parties!


Well, my little babe. That’s it for this week’s letter. I love you so so much!

Love,

mama

Week 24 letter

Dear length of a foot long hotdog girl!,

This weeks' comparison makes me think of the couple of times your daddy and I have had cheap dates at costco for the $1.50 polish dog and drink deal! You're worth WAY more than $1.50!! Try like times a gazillion.

We are having so much fun thinking about you and watching me/you grow. I love my bump and your daddy makes sure to keep patting, squeezing, and jiggling!! you just a little bit each day. I know it's just his way of showing his love for you. He's a funny guy! I can't wait for you to meet him.

I love how much you have been moving inside me all throughout the day and when I lay down for bed at night. It is the most surreal and neat feeling. With as much as you move, I am sure you are taking after your daddy in that way! Though I am the one squirming at night when we are trying to sleep, when he pretty much stays in one spot from the moment his head hits the pillow. Our sleeping isn't the best, but we are also getting lots of cuddling in too!!

This past weekend I went to Baby's R Us to check it out for the first time. I took pictures with my camera of things I liked and the majority of them were blankets! I must have taken pics of like 6 different blankets or blanket sets! I guess I really just can't wait to snuggle you all wrapped up in a cute or pretty soft blanket. I also bought you a super cute jumper type of summer outfit with a really bright flowery print. It won't fit you until your about 6 months old, but it will be perfect for next summer. I am going to have so much fun dressing you and eventually doing your hair when your old enough/have enough! I am thinking right now that you will be bald when you're born and probably stay that way for a while! I was bald and Matt was too, my mom taped bows to my head for pictures!! ha! But we're a beanie family, so we'll have you wearing lots of cute ones too.

This week at our church's high school youth group which your dad and I help out with, I found myself thinking of you and praying for you. Tom, the youth pastor was talking about sharing Christ with others and I was thinking about sharing Him with you, when you are ready. Just praying that a relationship with Jesus is something you will have in your life, that your dad and I can share Him with you and teach you about Him, that as you get older and become a high schooler or even earlier in your life that you will have a desire and boldness to share Him with others. I know your dad and I both feel that our relationships with Jesus are a huge part of our lives and that we would be lost with out Him. I hope as a family we can always be learning about, praying to, and seeking Jesus together. That as we all grow over the years we can be open and encouraging to one another about our relationships with the Lord.

Oh, I have so many hopes, dreams, and prayers for you my little babe. I love you with all my heart!

love,

mama

a list....

Wow! That ticker on the right says 112 days left, that means in 12 more days we will be in the last 100 days of pregnancy, (GIVE OR TAKE!! a few or several I guess, if she's late!)

But really what that makes me think about is WHAT I STILL WANT TO DO before she's here:.....so......A LIST! (which won't include some of the obvious things like finish our room and hers!)


-Make our home more warm and homey for fall! I need some fall smelling candles, a pumpkin on my porch, a cozy blanket to cuddle up with on the couch, etc.

-Clean and organize my craft room! Get rid of A LOT of the stuff in it too!

-Find some good crockpot meals for the fall/winter to make on Sundays.

-Do one sweet thing, either little or big for my husband EVERY day!

-Go on more walks! Alone, with a friend (Kari, you interested?) or with Matt. Enjoy that fresh fall air!

-Bake some banana bread with all the black bananas in our freezer :)

-Sew/or buy a curtain for the front door

-Continue to dream of, pray for, and nuture this growing baby girl in my belly!!

My birthday present and another BUMP update!

22 ALMOST 23 weeks!

Week 23 letter

Dear "I hope your name stays" Ellie,

This week you are compared to being the length and weight of a Harry Potter book or 11 1/2 inches long and about 1 pound! I don't know if you'll be into Harry Potter but I sure can't wait to read with you as we tuck you in at night and I also hope you develop a love for reading like

I have had growing up.

This week I have really started to feel you moving all around in my belly. You are tossing and turning all day long but also settle down at night which hopefully means you'll be good sleeper at night, but we'll see. Even though you are still at night, I seem to be the one that has been tossing and turning ALL night long. I am really starting to drive your dad crazy with it! But we're both hanging in there :)

Today is my birthday and I am 26! You're daddy and I spent the day working on our soon-to-be bedroom so then we can move on to working on your room. He installed french doors for our new room and I can already picture those special times that we are all piled in the bed on a weekend morning when you come wake us up, with the nice morning light streaming in all around us! I am looking forward to so many special moments to come, both little and big!

You're daddy has really been so great, spoiling me and just making me feel so special. I can tell he is so excited to meet you and get to do all kinds of things with you! I'm sure he'll teach you all about hot rods, toys, and power tools! But also about things like being able to talk to anyone, being a good tipper, and being polite and considerate to people he meets! He always makes a point to ask the checkers at grocery stores or people who ring us up, "How is your day?" while looking them in the eyes. He really makes an effort. It is something he has taught me to do to and I think it really does make a difference in peoples days!

Baby girl, I am so excited to think on my next birthday you will be here with us! Knowing that is a birthday present in itself! I also can't wait for your birthdays through out the years. I always want to make them a special day for you. I have lots of ideas I'm already thinking of. They will be a day where we make sure to celebrate you in many many ways!

I love you my book sized babe!

Love,

mama