An ECU Easter Weekend

Dear Pickles,

Your mommy had a wonderful visit with her ECU friends this Easter weekend.  Your Auntie Angela organized a reunion with our dear friend, Emily, and her two sons, Phoenix and Kingston.  We all met in college and have been friends ever since.  We have been in each other's weddings, have traveled with each other to places near and far, and now, I will be sharing the joys of motherhood with them.

Emily came up from Georgia and brought her sister, Megan, with her to help with the boys.  Angela came later with Zora, and everyone stayed at our house for the weekend.  They came to throw you an ECU Baby Sprinkle.  We chatted, went Easter egg hunting, napped, and joined some of our other ECU friends for a lovely dinner at Twisted Fork. It was nice to catch up and spend time with one another.  No matter how much time passes between our visits, it's funny how when you get together with old friends how easily you are able to pick up right where you left off.  (I hope you have friends like that one day.)

Kingston, Zora, and Phoenix

As a new mommy, it was nice for me to see how mommyhood has changed Emily and Angela.  I was able to see a new side of them that was beautified by the way they have raised their children.  They have different approaches, but both have raised beautiful, well adjusted, happy children.  I hope you know how much I want to do just that for you.

Phoenix and Zora

In less than two months, you'll be here to join this happy group of children one day as I am sure this will not be our last visit.

31 Weeks - Not much longer to go!

One day you'll get to meet the women who helped to shape your mommy into the person she is today.  They have stood by me and have offered nothing but their support and friendship.  What more can a girl ask for?

Love,

Mommy

Baby Shower Blessings

Dear Pickles,

On April 2, 2011, your Aunt Jeanine and Aunt Barbara organized and threw a wonderful baby shower for you.  So many of our close friends and family came to the event.  It was held at Lake Wheeler on a sunny (but windy) day.  The entire party was gathered under a nice picnic shelter where we enjoyed BBQ from The Pit (courtesy of your Mimi and Pop) and homemade potato salad, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, and baked beans.  Aunt Jeanine even ordered an adorable lemon cake for you.



And your Aunt Barbara designed this gorgeous diaper cake for you.


Because it was a coed baby shower, your Auntie Angela also helped to organize a day of festivities known as the "Who's Your Daddy Baby Olympics."  It was a riot to watch daddy and all the other men present participate in the events as the women watched and cheered.

Egg Toss Contest

Baby Food Tasting Contest 

(I LOVE grandma's face in this... Yes, it was quite disgusting.)

Blind-Folded Diaper Changing

Bottle Racing (Chugging Apple Juice)

Stroller Racing!

As you can see, it was a hoot!

There is a reason why they call parties for babies a shower... Mommy and daddy got to experience all the "showering" of love and support for the blessing that is YOU to come.  We received so many cards and gifts and words of encouragement and happiness that it truly was a blessed event for us.



I think the best moment of the shower was when we were opening the last gift from your grandma, Joyce Irene.  One thing to know about your grandma is that she loves finding the "perfect" card - and by perfect, I mean, she likes editing cards to make them say exactly what she wants them to say.  Knowing this about your grandmother, your daddy and I giggled when we saw her edits on the front of her card.



But then we opened it...  Inside the card, your grandma had the following message for us.


Before going to the shower that day, daddy and mommy had a moment in the car where we were missing your grandpa, Larry Dale.  We wished he could be there that day at the shower to join us in the celebration of you.  So, as you can imagine, seeing your grandma's message made us a little emotional.

Mommy and Daddy Thanking Everyone Through Tears

Afterward, we went to your grandma to thank her and told her that we were glad her card was opened last.  What would we have done if we opened it first or in the middle of opening presents?  I told her that it was a happy accident.  She said, "No.  It was a Larry wink."  That made us smile.  Your grandpa was with us after all that day.

All in all, it was such a lovely shower.  We can't wait to bring you into this world to meet all of the people in mommy and daddy's lives who can't wait to meet you and continue showering you with all their love and affection.

Love,

Mommy

My! What a Pretty Face You Have!

Dear Pickles,

On Wednesday, mommy had to go to the doctor to complete a glucola test.  This is a test where the doctor gives mommy a yummy, sweet orange drink to drink (within 5 minutes), and then, exactly an hour later, a nurse takes a sample of my blood to see if mommy has gestational diabetes.  The test takes about two hours to complete.  Daddy was a good sport and kept mommy company while she had to complete the test.  While we were there, we also had our regular check-up.  I told daddy about how feisty you were the last time you had your heart beat checked.  You didn't fail to deliver that same attitude this time around either.  This time, as the nurse tried to locate your heart beat with the heart monitor, you kept slowly inching away from her.  Once she got you into a corner, you kicked the nurse's monitor away from you.  This made mommy and daddy giggle, although, perhaps, we should not be encouraging that feisty behavior... but you're just so darn adorable.

After the check-up, we had a "fun ultrasound" scheduled with the sonographer.  For a fee, we got 57 3D pictures of you.  It was so cool!  Daddy was nervous to see you, but I couldn't wait.  Whose nose would you have?  Whose lips would you have?  Once we saw you in 3D, we were amazed... You were beautiful.

By the time we started the ultrasound, you must have been tired and going through a sugar crash from the glucola test.  You were very sleepy and just wanted to keep your hands by your sweet little face.  The sonographer shook and tapped mommy's belly to get you to move, but you just furrowed your brow and hid.  Nevertheless, mommy and daddy were entertained.  Here are some of the best shots we got to see of you that day:

 Our little thinker

Our serious girl

 Our furrowed brow girl

 A body shot

 "No, don't look at me."

 Little Miss Yawny

 Scrunched up face time

 A smile for mommy and daddy

I think you look like Daddy... and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love you.

Love,

Mommy