Healthy Little You

Well, Maddie, it's been a crazy weekend.

First, there were the very sharp pains in my cervix. (Kind of like needles. Yowch.) Then there was the almost passing out in childbirth class (several times). Then there was the dizzy spell this morning. Your dad and I were pretty freaked out, to be honest. I kept thinking, "What if this is preeclampsia? And I have to go into labor tomorrow, at 34 weeks? I don't even have my hospital bag packed! And what if your lungs aren't ready, yet?" Fortunately, it's not preeclampsia. It's just low blood pressure. Woo! And the cervical pain? That's you, my little peanut. That's your head, banging against my cervix. You're already in position, and you want out. (I hate to tell you this, but I won't be full term for another three weeks, so you've got to keep your pants on and cool it with the escape plan for now.) Can you believe that your due date is in six weeks? Neither can I! The OB said you're measuring 32 centimeters, and he thinks you're going to be between 7 and 8 pounds at birth.

I'm feeling so relieved. Relieved that the dizziness is normal, and relieved that you're super healthy and staying in there for at least a few more weeks. Still, it really might be almost time to pack that hospital bag. Just in case. Just to have it ready.

Love,

Your Mom

This would be much cooler as a flip book.

32 Weeks
30 Weeks
28 Weeks
25 Weeks
23 Weeks
20 Weeks
18 Weeks

16 Weeks

15 Weeks

33 Weeks

Dear Maddie,

This is going to be a doozy of a blog post, because there is so much to tell you! Well, first of all, I am 33 weeks pregnant with you. I'm full term in four weeks, and your due date is three weeks after that. You are going to be with us very, very soon, and we are so excited to meet you! Your dad was born at 33 weeks, which is pretty crazy to think about. But you stay in there for a few more weeks, and gain some weight, and continue kicking your mom in the organs, okay?

Your cousin Robert was born on April 1st! I got to be in the room with your Auntie Nancy, and while it did make me a little nervous (okay, a lot nervous) about going through my own labor and delivery, it was pretty amazing to see. And that sweet little baby at the end of it all definitely makes everything worth it. Your dad and I are going to take a tour of the hospital this Thursday, and our all-day childbirth class is on Sunday. The week after next is our breastfeeding class, and then that's it! No more classes, just the real thing. Holy smokes.

Your dad and I are in the middle of buying a beautiful house. If all goes as planned, we'll close right before you arrive! Cross your teeny tiny fingers! I know what you're thinking. "Mom and Dad, are things always going to be this hectic? You're buying a house right before you're having a baby? Are you nuts?" Hopefully things won't always be this hectic, peanut. In fact, I don't think it's even possible for things to always be this hectic. Within a year, we've gotten married, moved across the country, your dad's started a new job, your mom's finished graduate school, and we'll have bought a house and had our baby. Most years are not going to be quite like this one!

On March 17th, your Memere and Auntie Nancy threw us a big, wonderful baby shower! I know you can't see or play with the gifts yet, but I assure you -- you received a lot of awesome things from your family! It was a big, co-ed family shower, and we had such a fun time. Your Grandma Jill even flew out for it!

Today, I have a whole lot of laundry to do, and I should really get started on the Thank You notes for the shower gifts (don't worry, Maddie, I'll teach you all about Thank You notes. I used to love writing and sending them. Pregnancy has slowed me down a bit, but it certainly hasn't stopped me! These notes will get mailed. It just may take me awhile), and you're going to keep me company the whole time.

Love,

Mom

What Have Your Parents Been Up To?

Dear Maddie,

On Tuesday, I'll be in my third trimester! That means we're just three months away from seeing your cute little face. Next month (March 17th) is my baby shower, and it's co-ed, which means your daddy, Uncle Michael, Ooompa and lots of the other men in our family will be there, as well as lots of the women and kids in our family. Everyone will be there to celebrate you! Your Grandma Jill is even flying out from Indiana, which we are very excited about! Your Memere and Auntie Nancy are planning the whole thing, and it makes me so happy (and a little weepy!) to think about how loved you are already.

Your daddy and I have been getting ready for your arrival! I'm washing your little clothes and packing them away until you're here to wear them, and your daddy and I are looking at houses and setting up your nursery area. We're all signed up for our April childbirth and breastfeeding classes, and for the tour of the hospital where you'll be delivered!

Last week it was your Auntie Nancy's baby shower for Robert, and I sat next to your Memere. You started bouncing around, and Memere got to feel you for the first time! I'll be sure to drink some ice water (or orange juice) when your Grandma Jill is visiting, so that she can feel you, too.

You stay cozy in there, and keep up the wiggling! It's both cute and very reassuring!

Love,

Mommy

Happy Valentine's Day!

Dear Maddie,

It's Valentine's Day, and that's a day to celebrate the people we love. I love your daddy an awful lot -- he's the most wonderful guy on earth, and I just can't imagine my life without him. And he and I love you like crazy! You'll be here in three short months, and we just can't wait to see your little face. Even though you're still living inside of me, there isn't a moment that goes by without your dad and I thinking of you.

You're going to be born into a big family that loves you so much already. (See the photo above. Not pictured is Robert, who was actually in your Aunt Nancy's belly when this picture was taken.)

So happy Valentine's Day, Maddie! I love you. And you love chocolate, so I'm going to go ahead and eat another piece.

Love,

Mommy

My Little Rib Dweller

Dear Maddie,

I'm working on my thesis now, because I have to mail it to my advisor in about a week, but it's been so hard to focus on it, because all I want to think about is you, and about preparing for your arrival! I'm trying to guilt myself into focusing, though. I'll think, "Maddie would really be proud if I could just turn this thing in and finish grad school before she arrives." You're a good little motivator!

You're good at lots of things, actually, and you aren't even born yet! For instance, right this very minute, you are doing a great job of kicking me from the inside of my ribcage. Pretty wild, right? It isn't painful, exactly, it's just a very strange feeling! (Your Aunt Nancy assures me that it'll get painful in a month or two.) Right now you're head down, which is the position I would love for you to be in when it's time for me to deliver! But no pressure. You have lots of time to do some more flipping.

Lately, I get tired very easily, and I'll put on a movie while I'm cleaning or cooking, just to have something entertaining going on so that I don't sit down and fall asleep. I had the realization the other day that you haven't seen any movies, and that your dad and I will get to introduce you to all of the best ones (like Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, That Darn Cat, and many more), and we'll get to share with you all of the best books (like Go, Dog, Go, Goodnight Moon, all of the Madeline books -- which, you'll figure out pretty quickly, influenced our baby name choice -- and so many more). You have tons of cool stuff ahead of you, Madeline Lucille! We can't wait for you to get here.

You know, I never used to drink milk until I became pregnant with you. Isn't that weird? I hated the taste and consistency. Then, in the first trimester, I craved it a lot. I didn't drink much of it in the second trimester, but all of a sudden, I'm stealing your dad's 2% again. (It really helps with the nighttime pregnancy heartburn!) I wonder if I'll keep drinking it even after you're born?

I've noticed that your dad has been signing his blog posts "Love, Daddy." It makes me a little teary, because it's so sweet, and because he's already such a good dad! It's made me wonder what you'll call me. There's "Mom" when you're a little older (though you can come up with any variation you like. I call your memeré "Marm" a lot of the time, which I think is a shorter version of "Marmie," originally from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. That's another great book). But what about when you're still little? Or when you're older, but are feeling particularly cozy and loving toward your mom? "Mommy" is pretty standard, and "Mama" is nice, too, with the spelling variation of "Momma." What do you think, Miss Maddie?

Love,

Your Mom, Mommy, Mama, or Momma

On the Importance of Family

Dear Maddie,

It's Super Bowl Sunday, and while this probably doesn't mean a lot to you (your mom is currently napping on the couch, so I imagine the festivities aren't really pertinent to your current interests), I think most of New England is currently freaking out to some extent. Me, I'm hanging out and writing you a blog post, so I guess that says something about my interest as well.

That's not really what I wanted to talk about, though, I wanted to talk a little bit about family. Yesterday, your mom had a party to go to and while she was there, I didn't have much to do. So I called your Grandma Jill (cool grandma name STILL pending) and your Aunt Annie and chatted with them for a bit. That was nice, because I really don't talk to them as much as I should (much to your mom's chagrin, since I'm pretty sure she tells me to call my mom once every day. Let this be a lesson to you about how she'll feel when you don't call her). I've generally been pretty independent, going my own way in life and flitting about the country to suit my whims, but sometimes it's a little bit hard being away from family, and I know it's going to very hard on them being away from you, because you're going to be way more awesome than I am.

Later that day, we went to your Uncle Mike and Aunt Nancy's house to spend some time with them. Your Memere was there, too, much to our surprise! I think everybody wanted to check up on you since we had a little bit of a scare last week. I think your mother would be horrified if I wrote about it here, but I'm sure she'll tell you all about it when YOU'RE pregnant someday. You know, when you're 35 and married to the first wonderful man you ever dated when you began dating at age 30, having never really had any interest in it prior to that. Your poor cousin Autumn was sick, which is never fun, but she managed to be awfully cute anyway, which I think is a talent you'll have as well. But try not to get sick. We promise to think you're cute anyway.

Anyway, we spent the evening hanging out with your aunt and uncle, going through Autumn's old clothes, which she has been kind enough to offer to you. We talked and ate and laughed, and it seemed like every time we were about to leave, we started talking about something else and spent another 20 minutes there. It was a great day, and all today I've been thinking about just how much I appreciate having such a great family. Both the family I was born into and the family I got to choose (as though there was ever really any choice involved in me loving your mom). I'm very, very lucky, and because of my luck, you're going to be very, very lucky, too. Isn't it great how that works out?

Please stay warm and safe in there. We're not quite ready for you out here yet, but we're working on it.

Love,

Daddy