Your hairy brother

Dear little one,
I know for certain that you already know your hairy brother Stanford very well! His barks don't disturb you in the least, and I see how much you love cuddling with him at night time when we get to settle down after a long day!
He is very, very special to all of us!
Big hairy brother had quite a scare this weekend getting bit twice by a copperhead snake! He was protecting big brother Christian (who he refers to as "Widdo widdo brudda" :)) and we are so proud of him for taking such good care of his little brothers. You can bet that you have a built in body guard ready and waiting for you when you arrive.

Our brave Stanford, home from the hospital, swollen, and in lots of pain.

He's doing much better now and getting EXTRA cuddle time with me and you to make up for the scary hospital visit (See how much he loves to be right up next to baby belly? He's always inching closer so his head rests on/next to you; he loves you!!).

Your first boat ride

Your Papa wanted to be sure this made it on to your blog :) Your very first boat ride! He can NOT wait to take you out on Clark the Shark (our boat lovingly named by your big brother Benjamin :)).

I've tried to explain to Papa (and your big brothers!) that it will be a few years before you are ready for the tube ride....but they're VERY excited to get you out there with them! :)
Look at all of these adventures you have ahead of you :)

Morning Party! :)

This is a super grainy video but I was trying my best to capture what wakes me every morning without fail :)
My little one loves the mornings and is clearly having a party in there (please excuse the lines from my tank top...Mama had literally just rolled over from sleeping :)).

I've never had much luck capturing how amazing it is to see (and feel!) a little human inside my body, moving around, sticking a leg out here, punching my belly when I give he or she a little push. But if you watch closely, this shows much of the rolling around that is happening in there :)
And your Mama LOVES every minute of it!!!

Football Fan

My little duck;
Sooner rather than later you will learn about your Mama's obsession with all things football. I love the season, the sounds, the hitting :), the plays, the smack talking, the competition, and all things associated with football like Sunday afternoons, fall weather, winter blizzards in packed stadiums, College Gameday!!!. It reminds me of my Padre (your Ga) sitting with me after he mows the lawn, picking apart every play, it reminds me of Michigan falls when I was selling submarine sandwiches for school door to door and seeing all of the cozy houses with football on in the background, it reminds me of my brothers and the season after season I spent with a hoarse voice after screaming for them while they were playing (and being simply awesome!). Your Mama would have done anything to be able to play football but alas, I wasn't born the right size :). So God just put a little bit of it in my blood and for all the years to come, I will be madly in love with ALL of it!
In fact, I am fairly certain you may already be well aware of it! (You seem to know just what I like - yum nectarines and avocados!!!)....Over the course of the last couple of weeks, you have enjoyed (and I don't use that word lightly :)) watching the NFL draft with me, and perhaps coincidentally but probably not, catching Remember the Titans (the very best movie EVER, EVER made), the Blind Side, and repeated viewings of Invincible. And throughout each and every show, you have booted me like a madman in there and I have just smiled and laughed! Even your Papa was a little amazed at your response each and every time! It looks like you and I are going to be SUPER football fans.
And this is all quite appropriate and fitting....right when you are due to make your grand appearance, when Mama just can't wait to finally have you in my arms, the first pre-season football games will be on tv! And you can count on that Mama not only has that on the calendar, but has been daydreaming about when I will sit with you and watch our very first game together (even if it is pre-season :)).
LEFT SIDE.......STRONG SIDE!!!!!!!!    :)

Summer is almost here.....

From strawberry picking (you kicked like crazy at the smell of those sweet berries (Mama knows you KNOW exactly what they are because they were one of only two things you would let me eat for those first couple of months :))

to running through the sprinkler, it looks as though summer is almost here!!
And that means we are getting closer and closer to having YOU here with us, my little one!
Your brothers are so excited!!
Your Mama and Papa are so excited!!!
WE LOVE YOU!!

Your favorite sounds....

What joy Mama has when she feels you jump in to action whenever you hear your brother's voices. Your Papa and I can't believe how quickly you respond when they talk to you and rub Mama's belly!
But Mama has also discovered that you have quite an ear for George Winston!
EVERY single time George Winston comes on Pandora you do somersaults in Mama's belly. Tonight you knocked the headphones right off my belly! :)
 
Your Mama has always loved piano (hence the creation of the George Winston channel :)) but it makes me smile so big when I see your little legs and arms and rump roast dancing to such beautiful music. Without looking, Mama always knows what is playing; George Winston brings out your dance moves :)
I love you so very much!!

Not long before two becomes three!

One of the gifts Mama received from Papa and her boys this Mother's Day was a beautiful statue of a Mama and her boys. It captures perfectly what Mama feels when she is enveloped by her two loves. I feel like they made this just for us to capture this beautiful moment in time before our new angel arrives! (Although Papa and I laughed at the name...Quietly... because your brothers play and love at the same level...not necessarily quietly :)

And, as Papa's beautiful note says, soon, I will have one more to hold!!

I just CAN NOT wait!!
I love my beautiful creations more than anything else in the whole world!

The Luckiest Mama

On this Mother's Day, I have two gorgeous boys and the most beautiful gift of a baby on the way (and my beautiful husband too!) who make me so blessed to be a Mama!

I just love all THREE of you SO very much!!

Your brothers can't wait to have you here to celebrate these special days with breakfast in bed, cutting roses from our garden to decorate the house, and making Mama special gifts! Benjamin wanted to be sure you enjoyed the cinnamon roll and fruit he brought me for breakfast but.....he ate most of it! :)
I can't believe that this time next year I will have three angels surrounding me, singing to me, and making me the luckiest Mama!!

What makes your Mama laugh?

Because some day soon you will realize that this is not so far from the truth :) I am always worrying about my three little ducklings :)
I LOVE YOU LITTLE ONE!

Baby Blooming

The roses are in bloom and so is your beautiful baby belly :)

Mama loves wearing this shirt as it is so fitting for the beautiful Raleigh spring...and my beautiful baby! Next year you will be here with me to smell all of these gorgeous flowers :)

24 Weeks = 6 MONTHS!

Where has time gone? Wasn't Mama just praying for you? Wasn't I just surprising Papa under the Christmas tree?
And there you were; love at first site!

It seems like just yesterday that I was barfing my brains out in what seemed like an endless string of weeks!!
And now here you are, 6 MONTHS OLD!!

Mama is so, SO very proud of you! And I cherish every single moment we are sharing together my sweet little angel!

Quite the social calendar!

Dear little one,
Your social calendar has been busier than the most popular person on the PLANET these last 6 weeks! At this rate, I think you've come to believe that the only time you have to play with Mama is when I am supposed to be sleeping :).....which makes sense since I have not stopped moving since St. Patrick's day!!!
We've had so many wonderful family and friends come to stay with us! Although Mama is very, very tired, it has been SO much fun to see them so excited to talk to you :) and feel you move! What a joy it has been for us to have so many wonderful visitors!
First Grandpa John and Martha,

then Nana Leonardo,
then your Aunt Amy, Uncle Freddie, and cousins Lo Lo, Nattie, and Dani.

Next came Dr. Bruce,

then Mimi and Ga,

Aunt Marian. Uncle Peter, cousins Josie and Ellie,

Aunt Suzette, Uncle Nathan, and cousin Geronimo,

and finally cousin/Auntie Jennifer.

Phew!!!! What fun we have had! You are VERY, VERY loved my sweet little one! You have SO many beautiful family members who can't wait to meet you in person! :)