Your first Notre Dame Game

Wouldn't be a Leonardo belly blog without your very first Notre Dame game. And you tailgated in style....at the Irish pub, eating corned beef and potatoes, and decked out with your very first Irish tattoo :).

Your Papa is an incredibly proud graduate of The University of Notre Dame, a domer for life! And he is the third generation in his family to attend.
Coming soon, you will hear the Notre Dame fight song and any other song related to the ND family coming through Mama's belly in stereo. Your Papa will even be reading you our ND picture books, one of his favorite things to do with Baby to get you kicking :)
For now, you have cheered your way through your first Irish football game right along with your two big brothers and a whole huge crowd of fervent ND fans/alums! And a good one at that.Notre Dame wins the Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers. Here's to years and years of championships ahead :) GO IRISH!

Papa's Christmas Surprise

Shhhhh, Mama had a surprise Christmas gift for Papa! You are 5 weeks today, on the most wonderful day of the year, the size of a sesame seed. So Mama wrapped up a jar of sesame seeds for Papa with a big red bow :). I can't wait for him to open his gift!

On a glorious Christmas morning, the Leonardo family woke up before dawn and basked in the most magical morning of the year! Your big brothers love Christmas as much as your Mama and we were all full of smiles and Christmas cheer.

Mama gave Papa his Christmas gifts while we sat and enjoyed cups of warm coffee (decaf for me :)) watching the boys swim in the piles of wrapping paper and their new toys. After Papa had finished all of his gifts, Mama pointed out that there was one more box hiding there behind the tree (remember the Christmas Story?? :)).
Your Papa is a "shaker" and he thought it was a new watch. Nope. Then when he saw the box, he thought it was a mug. Nope.
When he opened it, he pulled out the sesame seeds and said, "Sesame Seeds?"
And Mama replied, "That's the size of your baby right now!"
Papa's eye flew open wide and he stared at Mama. "You're pregnant? But how??" he asked.
Then we both laughed and Mama curled up on his lap to talk about all that had happened in the last week. He couldn't believe I had kept it a secret! :)
Mama caught Papa staring off later that morning with a beautiful little smile on his face. I know exactly what he was thinking about. It's not often that someone gets a dream come true miracle for a Christmas gift!!

BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!

Your story begins....

To my sweetheart,

Everyone has a story. Yours begins in the most beautiful way. You are my miracle in every sense of the word. And this is how the angels sent you down to us.

Mama and Papa had been trying for quite some time but as the holidays approached, we had not received our gift as of yet. So Mama went to see the doctor. I must tell you, and someday I will share the whole story, that because of past surgeries, your Mama had been told multiple times by multiple doctors that I would likely not be able to have babies. Your brothers were my first two miracles by the grace of God!! And now you have joined those ranks.

When Mama went to the doctor, he determined that things were not looking good. Mama had a whole lot of problems going on :(. Mama and Papa were very sad and frustrated. Dr. March decided Mama should try some medicine as a last effort but before that would start, I would have an ultrasound to check on things internally. The ultrasound confirmed our worst fears when they found 4 more tumors and could see that it was very unlikely that I would be able to get pregnant. During the ultrasound the doctor also saw a "fluid spot" that they were unsure about; Dr. March thought it might be another fibroid pushing from behind.

It was you! 

A sweet little angel that had beat ALL of the odds, a strong-willed, stubborn little angel that decided to go against what everyone else was saying and latch on and stay awhile! My little champion, my little amazing baby!

But Mama and Papa wouldn't know you were there for nearly 10 more days. Mama was waiting patiently for her period to come so we could start the medicine. We had it lined up on the bathroom counter, ready and waiting. And then, December 18 came and went. While Mama was enjoying her book club Christmas party, she wondered why nothing had happened that day.

When Mama woke on the 19^th with still no period, a small little voice in my head wondered if a miracle had happened. But I didn’t want to get excited because I knew the reality of the situation. Mama looked at the pregnancy tests sitting in the bathroom closet and told myself not to bother. But by the evening of the 19^th the voice in my head was just too strong. I decided if no period arrived overnight I would take a test on the morning of the 20^th just to put my mind at ease (I had two sticks so I would still have one left over to test when the medicine had hopefully helped us). Mama woke up on the 20^th, it was your big brother Benjamin’s first day of Christmas vacation, Papa was home for Christmas vacation, and we were readying the house for our relatives who would arrive the next morning. Mama didn’t want to say anything to Papa yet because we had already been on quite a roller coaster ride up to this point.So when Papa and your brothers were busy after breakfast, Mama came upstairs and peed on the test. I had to look at the box first to remind me what meant pregnant. And when I looked minutes later, I just couldn't believe what I saw. PREGNANT! 

Mama called the doctor right away and had to rush down to the hospital for blood tests that day and then again on Monday, only two days before Christmas. No one could believe it, not even the doctor!

But you were there and going strong!! Another Leonardo super ute miracle!!

Mama kept sneaking glances at the pregnancy test hidden in the closet all weekend. And smiling secret smiles when I was playing with the boys. How can I tell you little one how very proud I am of you and your strength from the very moment you decided to hang on?!
What a Christmas surprise Mama had for Papa under the tree!!! :)