Letter to a Bean 9

Dear Bean,

We are REALLY getting close now, little one! We have less than 2 weeks to go until our due date!! I can't believe how the time has flown by. It went by so slowly in the beginning...but lately, the weeks have been passing me by so quickly that I can hardly keep up!

Ever since we passed the 37-week mark, you've been considered "full-term" & so Dr. Heinzel says that you could be safely born at any time now. So whenever you're ready to...just say the word...and Daddy & I will get ourselves up to Lankenau & work on getting you out;-)

For some reason, I think that you'll be born either right on time or just a couple of days late. I don't think that you will come tooooo early...but I don't think that you'll linger for 2 weeks past our due date, either. That's just my feeling on it...but it's ultimately up to you, of course!

I have to tell you that your Dad is getting SO EXCITED to meet you! He installed your car seat already & wouldn't stop talking about how, before long, he'll be able to turn around and see his little girl "wiggling all around in there"... :) I must admit that it IS exciting to turn around & see it back there when we are driving around now, even if it IS still empty.

We have spent lots of time the last week or so working on getting your nursery ready for you. I love the paint colors that we picked out & hope that you will love them just as much. We are still waiting for your furniture to come in, though. I only hope it gets here before you do!

Ah well, Bean. We're in the home stretch now, my love. Thanks again for making this pregnancy so lovely for me. Even now, at 38+ weeks...I am still quite comfortable in mostly every way. If this is any indication of how you'll be once you're out here with us.......Daddy & I are going to have to make it a point to remind ourselves every day of how VERY LUCKY we are:)

Have a good day in there. Stay warm.

I'll be seeing you soon!

I love you.

~*Your Mom*

Maternity Photo Shoot:)

If you know me at all, you know that 2 of my truest loves are photography & nature......and Ridley Creek State Park is one my favorite places to go and relish in them both in all their glory.

Rob & I had our engagement photos taken there, as well as our wedding day "pro shots"...and so it only seemed fitting to take an afternoon day trip there to do a quick "maternity photo shoot". We had so much fun that we're considering going back for another round next weekend! LOL

Nathalie was the mastermind behind my *precious* 40D's lens for most of the day while she, Rob & I trekked all around the park, looking to be inspired...with my trusty bag of "baby props" in tow;-)

There are a lot of seemingly "classic" shots that appear on pretty much every professional photog's website in their "maternity" section that I'll admit I was hesitant to try, only because I didn't want them to seem passe or forced. A section of pink ribbon cut & tied around my belly to signify "It's a Girl!" & the forming of a heart shape around my belly button with my hands are 2 that fall easily into this category...but in hindsight, I'm glad that we decided to try them, in spite of being overused...because they came out awfully cute:)

...xoxo...

*37 weeks*

Here I am at 37 weeks!

Interestingly, I'm wearing the same navy blue shirt/red tank top combo that I wore in the 21-week "maternity" pic that Rob took for this blog:)

Too funny how much she has grown since then!

It looks like I'm smuggling a watermelon under there!!

Just 22 days to go...

Rob & I are working hard on her nursery. Wish us luck that we get it all done before she makes her arrival:)

*24 days to go*

24 has been my lucky number for years...and so knowing that I only have 24 days remaining until my due date is QUITE exciting news for me:)

I wonder if Bean will arrive right on her due date! That would be just lovely if she did:)

S'more Baby Shower pix

Just over a month to go!

I haven't written in awhile & felt it was due time for an update:)

Pregnancy has continued to be nothing short of a wonderful experience for me, up & through my 8th month. I am in my 35th week now and still feeling really good!

I am occasionally bothered with heartburn & definitely wake up to use the bathroom more often in the middle of the night now...but other than that & a bit of back pain, I have no complaints! Bean kicks & jabs me regularly and its still my favorite pasttime to lay down and patiently wait to watch her move my belly all around:) Yesterday at work, she pushed my belly out further than I've ever seen her do it before. There was no one around to see it but it was just SO cool; I couldn't help but laugh out loud!

We go back to see the doctor tomorrow & after that, we will be scheduling our appointments with them every week (as opposed to the every 2-week schedule that we've been on for awhile now).

I can't BELIEVE that this Friday will start the 1-month countdown to our due date!!! I wonder if little Bean knows how close she is to meeting all of us?

I wonder if my water will break at home?

I wonder how many hours I'll be in labor?

I wonder how much she'll weigh? And if she'll have hair?

Well, I suppose there's not much longer to wait for all of my questions to be answered:)

33 days & counting...

*34 weeks*

< --- Rob took this photo of me in the wine cellar where my baby shower was held this past Sunday afternoon.

And what a wonderful shower it was...

There will be lots more pix to come...I promise.

P.S. Consider it my Week 34 belly shot;-)

Letter to a Bean 8

Dear Bean,

Well...we're really starting to get close now! This is week 34 & we are only 45 days away from our due date! Your Daddy and I are getting sOoOoOoOoOo excited to finally meet you.

We went to the hospital this past Monday night for a tour of their labor & delivery ward. It was really neat to get a chance to see everything in advance so that we'll know what to expect when the time comes that you're ready to make your GRAND ENTRANCE into the world! I think it's really neat that you will be born in the very same building that I was born in 30 years ago:)

We had another appointment with Dr. Heinzel yesterday afternoon & he told us that everything was looking great. Your heartbeat was at 130 beats/minute and you are already in a head-down position! You were this way when he checked you at our last appointment 2 weeks ago...and so now he believes that this is how you'll stay up & through our delivery day. This is great news, Bean...because head-down is just the perfect position for you to be born in! Thanks for helping Mommy out:) I appreciate it!

Tomorrow is your Daddy's birthday & I would like to take him somewhere special for dinner! Before long, we won't be able to travel as lightly as we can now anymore. We'll need all sorts of special things with us for you, once you are out of my belly:)

Ah well, Bean. That's all for today. Have a good day in there. Stay cozy & warm. I will be seeing you very, very S-O-O-N.

xoxo
Your Mom

Thirty-three

Here are some photos that Rob just took of me, now in my 33rd week:)

Tonight we go to Lankenau for our hospital tour of labor & delivery! Fun times:)

P.S. Only 49 days till "D" day! ! !

New Ultrasound Pic

Bean's sweet little profile:)

Taken @ 31 weeks, 3 days: 07.10.08

31 weeks!

Yesterday was an incredible day. Mom, Rob & I went back to the hospital for my growth ultrasound. It was *so great* to see our little Bean again!

They told us that she is growing just as she should be and weighs around 3 1/2 pounds already! She winked at us twice when her face was up on the ultrasound screen and then she even stuck her little tongue out at us:)

She looked so much more "filled out" than she did at our last ultrasound. You can really tell that she is starting to plump up and I love that we got the chance to see her again to confirm that she is doing OK in there. We also got confirmation from another ultrasound tech as well as another doctor that she is, in fact, a GIRL;-)

Because Photo Updates are FUN.

Baby's going to be STYLIN' in her Peg stroller;-)

Daddy's 1st Father's Day gifts from the Bean:)

Letter to a Bean 7

Dear Bean,

Hey there, littlest one! It's been awhile since I've written. This month has been a busy time for us! Your Daddy and I have been gallavanting all over the place, seeing Pearl Jam time & time again:) As always when they're in town, it's been wonderful...

I hope you could hear them in all of their majesty;-) My books say that you have been able to hear sounds outside of the womb since about the 5-month mark...so I'm betting that you heard it all! We are in our 30th week now-which means we're about 7 1/2 months along! I can hardly believe that we've come so far, so fast.

You got LOTS of attention at the shows! So many friends rubbed my belly in hopes of feeling a nudge from you & so many others bent down to whisper you a few words:) Hopefully you heard all of that going on, too.

I can't believe how much I can feel you move these days! Last Monday night, Daddy and I even SAW you move for the first time! We were standing in the kitchen and I was wearing a pink shirt when...all of a sudden...we saw my shirt move back & forth!!!!! It was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Ever since that day, I have been noticing your bumps & kicks more than ever. Last night I couldn't fall asleep because I didn't want to have to stop watching you roll my belly all around. You were bopping all around in there & it just looked sOoOoOo cool:)

Daddy & I get to go back to the hospital to get one more ultrasound of you on July 10th. Dr. Laverin is calling it a "growth ultrasound". He wants to make sure that you are growing at a good strong pace & that he predicted our due date correctly. Hopefully he did because I couldn't imagine having to wait even longer to meet you!

Well Bean, I suppose that's all for today. I am going to go get us something cold to drink. I've been awfully thirsty today.

I love you & will be seeing you soon:)

xoxo
Mom

*Photographic Update*

*27 weeks*

...I picked this up to add a dash of pink to the nursery...

*baby's first hoodie*

*baby's first...er...second pair of chuck taylors*

Letter to a Bean 6

Dear Bean,

Well, we've made it comfortably into our 3rd trimester! Here we are in our 28th week now and things seem to be going as well as they could be for us. Short of some (pretty terrible) heartburn last week, I'm still feeling really good. You are bopping around in there all the time and you're getting bigger & stronger by the week. I can tell because I'm feeling you move more & more often. Last Friday, my mom & Mom-Mom (your Mom-mom & Nonna) were able to feel your movements for the first time! That was an exciting day. I had to drink 2 glasses of cold water first...but it worked like a charm because you started squirming around all over the place after that;-)

I wonder why that happens...

Can you feel the cold? I wonder what it feels like to you in there...

I read today that you can open & close your eyes & that you weigh over 2 pounds now. You're getting so big! I wonder how much you'll weigh when you're born...?

Over the weekend, your Dad told me that he has been wondering how much hair you will have and what color it will be. I wonder that as well...and what color your eyes will be, too! I wonder if they'll be brown like mine...or blue, like his?

We haven't settled on a name for you yet, although there are quite a few pretty ones that we are considering. It's just so hard to choose one & be sure that its the right one for you...

We have our next OB appointment tomorrow afternoon. I love that your Dad comes with me every time. He loves to listen to your heartbeat and to everything that the doctor tells me about my belly & you inside of it;-) You & I are both very lucky to have someone like him in our lives. He is going to make such a wonderful Daddy.

We can't wait to meet you. Just 90 more days to go now till our due date! I know it will be here before we know it.

Well, have a good day in there. I will be seeing you soon:)

Love,
Mom

Impeccable Timing:)

Although this is my first pregnancy, I have been anxiously awaiting the day that Pearl Jam would release authorized baby clothing for years. Since so many of their most devoted are in the prime of their child bearing years right now, I knew in my heart that it was nothing more than a matter of time...

Now...as of today, the only anxious wait I have remaining is the one for them to arrive in my mailbox!!!

P.S. Special thanks to Ursula & Joe for their voicemail messages last night:)

Double Digits:)

As of yesterday, we are officially under the 100 day mark!

Only 98 days to go till we meet our little girl...

There is still SO MUCH to do to prepare for her arrival.

In the meantime: Keep on growing strong in there, little bean.

We love & can't wait to meet you.

Bunny Meadow

We also recently decided on Bean's crib bedding -->

Its called Bunny Meadow & I find it to be just the perfect combination of modern & organic/nature-inspired...

I'm thinking that her room will be ecru, chocolate & sage...along with just a pop or 2 of light pink here and there, to add a bit of girlish flavor;-)

Decorating might truly be my favorite pastime. I can't WAIT for this room to all come together:)

Baby Appleseed

After much deliberation & research (& indecisiveness!) we finally chose the furniture for Bean's nursery. The order has been placed & it should be delivered to us in about 10 weeks.

Yay to that!

The company who makes it is called Baby Appleseed and when you purchase one of their cribs, they plant 10 trees in your baby's name. How cool is that?! My little Bean is already a little environmentalist!

I'm so proud of her;-)

The collection we chose is called Davenport and we ordered her a crib, a combo dresser/changing table & a tall dresser. Its all so beautiful and I can't wait to set it up in her room.

I'm so glad that we took so long shopping around because I wasn't truly excited about anything that we'd seen until we saw this one...

I just love it.

Hopefully Bean will love it just as much.

15 weeks to go!

Today completes my 25th week of pregnancy...

Here's a photo that Rob took of me over the weekend -->

It sure seems that Bean is growing big & strong in there...

Just look at that belly poppin' out! ;-)

thenest.com tells me that she is as big as an EGGPLANT now:)

My Bouncing Baby Girl

Though it may have taken forever for me to first feel her move...now I feel her all the time! And let me just tell you.........it's the best:)

Last night when he got home from work, Rob got to feel her for the first time, too! She moved twice for him, in fact. It was really exciting. We had been waiting for that moment for a long time...

I notice that she moves most often when I am the most still...most always when I am laying down or sitting...and sometimes right after I've eaten something.

I'm sure she will be moving all the time soon enough...but feeling her flop around in there just every now & again is sOoOoOo special to me right now.

I will cherish these moments forever:)

Prego Pals

Rob took this photo of Dawn & I on Friday, May 9th...me in my 23rd week & she in her 30th.

Her little boy is due to arrive about 2 months before my little girl is!

Hopefully they will get to grow up together & be great friends:)

Letter to a Bean 5

Dear Bean,

How are you doing, my littlest love?

We are just entering our 24th week...and 24 has been my lucky number for as long as I can remember...so this is bound to be an extra special week for us:)

I have been patiently waiting to feel you move for weeks & you have finally obliged my silent requests:) For the past 4 days, I have felt you move every single day!! It happens the most often when I am driving or after I eat or drink something and its truly just the coolest feeling ever. Sometimes it feels like you are lightly tickling me and other times it feels like you are flipping around in there like a little fish! One night over the weekend, Daddy & I were watching a movie and you made me jump TWICE! Those were more than just tickles...I think they might have been your first actual kicks;-)

This past Sunday was Mother's Day and so many of our friends & family members were nice enough to acknowledge me as a Mom in spite of the fact that you haven't been born yet;-) I got cards, emails & text messages and they all made me feel so special & happy. Just a few more months & I will be a MOM.

I still can hardly believe it.

Well, Miss Bean...I hope you're having a nice day in there. Please continue to kick & tickle me often.

See you soon.

Love,
Mom

Letter to a Bean 4

Hey Bean:)

How are you doing in there? I can't believe that it's May already. We are flying right through this pregnancy, aren't we?

It was the greatest feeling to see you last week during our ultrasound. You looked wonderful:) Thanks for cooperating for us because now that we know that you're a girl, we are able to buy cute things for you as we find them & that is LOTS of fun for mommy! I bought you your first pair of Chuck Taylors yesterday and they just might be the cutest little things I have ever seen. I can't wait for you to be able to wear them.

Daddy & I had another visit with the OB yesterday afternoon. This time we met the third & final doctor in the practice: Dr. Heinzel. He was really funny & very nice. We liked him a lot. He said that your heart rate was measuring at about 155 beats per minute & he also said that its a good sign that it seems to be going up & down. We were glad to hear that. It still sounds like galloping horses to me!

While we were there, we also learned that I have what's called an "anterior placenta." Dr. Heinzel said that this is why I haven't been able to feel you moving or kicking yet; because my placenta is positioned right in the front of my belly & it is acting like an extra cushion between us! So you will have to get a bit bigger and stronger before I will be able to feel you move through all of that padding! So grow-grow-grow, little bean;-)

After the appointment, we visited a baby furniture store and found a beautiful set that I think we may end up getting for your nursery. We're going to look around a bit more first though...just to be sure that we love that one best of all. Next we'll have to pick out your bedding set. Its so hard to choose one because there are so many out there. I wish you could tell me what your favorite color is because I am having a very hard time deciding what color to paint your room!!

Ah well. Its about time for lunch again. Honey Bunches of Oats with banana slices & vanilla soy milk sounds delicious to me today:) I am going to go get us some.

Have a good day, my love. I will see you soon.

xoxo
Your Mom

Ultrasound Pix

*Bean's profile*

Look @ those lil' bitty feet!

You can really see her spine in this one:)