Reading to my sweetheart

Mama sits in your nursery in the quiet moments of the day (aka when your brothers are napping :)) and dreams about when you will be here. We talk about how strong and beautiful you are (and sometimes Mama puts in a wish that maybe, just maybe you will sleep like your brother Christian :)....I've probably now officially jinxed it :)).
When we talk, Mama also loves to read to you. I have come to see how very much you LOVE reading books as you kick like a karate champion each and every nap and bedtime when we are reading books to your brothers. This is your special book;

Mama loves reading it to you now and will cherish reading it to you VERY soon when you are in my arms!

In LOVE with the belly!!

Each and every pregnancy I find that I fall in love with my baby belly right around the 7 month mark. I am obviously in love with my little one from the very moment I know you are there (and while we are praying for you for that matter!) but there is something about the 6-7 month belly that is just so beautiful!
I find myself "hugging" the belly all the time :), rubbing it, and spending hours playing kick with you, little one. You stretch out a leg and I push back.You stick out your rump and I pat it, you let me rub your head! :)

Pregnancy is an amazing gift! I look down and can't believe it's my body housing you and your beautiful growth. And I am so forever grateful!!

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!!