Mother's Day Thank You

Dear Isadora,

For Mother's Day, I told daddy that all I wanted was to redecorate our master bathroom -- new shower curtain, new bath mat, new shelves, and new paint.  Expecting to receive a gift card to Lowes or Home Depot on Mother's Day morning, I received this instead:






It was the sweetest, most unexpected gift I could hope for.  Having your first work of art is an honor.  My favorite part was seeing your sweet little hand print in the bottom right-hand corner of the work.  Even daddy's extra special touch of adding the decorated mat made me beam with such pride.  I am so happy that I get to have you as my daughter and have your daddy as my husband.  Don't get me wrong... Daddy's still going to help me redecorate the bathroom -- he just reminded me that you are the best gift I will have ever have.

After receiving your beautiful artwork, daddy made us the most delicious breakfast of French toast and bacon.  Mommy wished every day could be Mother's Day after eating a breakfast like that!




Mimi and Pop-pop even came down for the weekend because Mimi wanted to see you for her Mother's Day, too.  You don't get to see them every day, but when you do see them, you love spending time with them.  You loved having your Mimi and Pop-pop time!





During their visit, they got to see just how much you've grown.  I told them that since you turned 10 months old, you started taking your first baby steps.  In only the past two weeks, you went from only being able to take a few short wobbly steps to being able to walk all around the living room.  Mimi and Pop-pop were very impressed by this.  One of your favorite things to do now that you can walk is to walk all the way to window and hide behind the curtains.



Besides walking, you've started doing something else that is new... One of your new quirky habits has been eating books.  Yup, you read that correctly.  You EAT books.  Mommy and daddy often joke that you're half goat... So far you've eaten about five books and chewed through the cases of three DVDs.  But you only have six teeth!  You may only have six teeth, but you know how to use them.



Izzy, thanks for making life so interesting and fun.  I don't think I'll ever stop loving being your mommy.

I love you.

Love,

Mommy

Passing Down Family Heirlooms

Dear Isadora,

You are eight months old and getting into everything.  One of your daily rituals is going to your pink bins of toys and systematically pulling each and every bin out to play with every toy you own.  (You have yet to learn how to put all these toys back.)




Your favorite toys to play with are a collection of old McDonald's Happy Meal toys mommy collected as a child.




But there's a story behind these toys, Isadora.  These aren't just oridinary fast food toys for mommy.  Oh no.  These toys are special - just like you.




These toys represent for me the day I met mommy again - your Mimi.  When mommy was a little girl, about five years old, my parents got divorced.  I had to live with my father, and  I didn't get to see my mommy again for a long, long time - almost seven years.  But one day, she found me, Auntie Barbara, and Uncle Grant.  When we met her, we had dinner at McDonald's.  Every weekend after that moment, we would meet, go to McDonald's, and we'd spend the weekend with Mimi.  Eventually, my father gave Mimi custody of us kids, and my life changed forever - for the better.








When I see you play with these keepsakes, it makes me remember the moment I first met my mommy again.  And I understand why she tried so hard to find us again after all those years.  Good mommies love their babies, Izzy.  And I love you very, very much.

Love,

Mommy

A Season for Change

Dear Isadora,

Even though you're my summer baby, you're entering into one of my favorite seasons -- autumn.  With autumn comes cool breezes, mild temperatures, and brightly colored leaves.  This weekend, we went to the Farmer's Market with your Pop pop, Mimi, Aunt Barbara, and Cousin Lennox.  There, we got to see the beauty of autumn first hand.  Everywhere you looked you could see the evidence of autumn -- fresh apples, apple cider, and pumpkins upon pumpkins!

My Lil' Punkin Head

When you get older, I hope you enjoy autumn as much as I do.  I see lots of fun things to do in your future, missy.  Visits to the pumpkin patch, drinking warm apple cider, and jumping into leaves... Ah, it is a beautiful time of year.  A season of change.  Come to think of it, you are much like autumn because you have brought change into my life and made me a mommy.  Thank you eternally...

Love,

Mommy

Carrying on a Family Tradition

Dear Isadora,

I can't explain why, but your mommy and daddy are obsessed with mustaches.  We find them quite hilarious to say the least.



So is it any wonder that we have already passed the baton on to you (at only two months old) to help us carry on this family tradition?



Make us proud.

Love,

Mommy

Our Last Day

Dear Isadora,

Today is the last day of mommy's maternity leave.  Tomorrow, I have to go back to work.  And though I've missed some of my coworkers and friends while I've been gone, I will miss you even more.

I will miss your sweet ears.



I will miss your sweet nose and lips.



I will miss your tiny toes.



I will miss your sweet hands and chubby legs.



I will miss our time together -- just you and me.



Starting tomorrow, you will be going to a trusted caregiver while mommy goes back to work.  I know you'll be in very capable, loving hands while mommy is gone.  That gives me comfort.  But I guess my fear is that I will miss something.  Every day, it seems, you learn something new (and I learn something new about you).  I know I can't be there with you every moment of every day, but I will always be there for you.  That's what mommies are for.

This week will probably be harder on me than it will be on you.  But I know it will get easier.

You're the best thing I've ever done, Isadora Yume.  I love you.

Love,

Mommy

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

Dear Pickles,

We're in our last week of pregnancy with you... At least, as far as we know.  Everyone is so excited for you to get here.  At your last doctor's visit, the doctor reported that you still had a long way to go to make your way down to the birth canal.  Mommy and daddy think you are getting really cozy in there.

To prepare for your arrival, one of mommy's friends started a baby pool at work.  The baby pool gives people an opportunity to guess the day you will be born, how much you will weigh, and how long you will be.  It's $5 for 3 guesses, one guess in each category.  The winner(s) will receive a portion of the pot.  Daddy has his money on Father's Day.





To help people with their guesses, mommy and daddy's baby stats were shared with participants:

Daddy's Stats:
-Born 6 days early
-Weight: 7 lbs, 8 oz
-Height: 20 inches

Mommy's Stats:
-Born 7 days early
-Weight: 8 lbs, 12 oz
-Height: 17.5 inches

I hope you take after daddy in weight and after me in height...  Just sayin'.

We'll keep waiting patiently for you to come, Pickles.  But, I must say, you've worn your daddy out with all the anticipation of your arrival.





Hope to see you soon... Don't forget... Tomorrow is Father's Day.

Love,

Mommy

My New View of the World

Dear Pickles,

I'm officially 37 weeks pregnant.  Only three more weeks until you make your debut (we think).  Up until this point, I've had a pretty easy pregnancy (knock on wood).  I can't really complain.  Overall, I have really loved being pregnant with you.  It hasn't been until recently that I have begun feeling the discomforts of pregnancy.  Nothing too bad -- just some constant soreness in my right shoulder blade that won't seem to go away. 

I had a check up last week and told the doctor about my shoulder pain with which he promptly suggested treatment with a prenatal massage (bless him).  Although it didn't make all my pain go away, it did help a little.  (I may have to go back again soon...Until then, daddy will have to fill in.)

It's also starting to get hotter outside.  With summer just around the bend, it's getting harder to stay cool, especially at night when I am sleeping.  I sleep with the fan blasting right on me (something I used to hate) and with only a corner of the sheet covering me.

Most of all, you're starting to get bigger.  Although I'm not as big as I could be, it's been interesting carrying you around.  When I sit down, I can feel you on my lap.  When I lay down, I can feel you sink from side to side as I try to get comfortable.  When I walk, I have to lean back to compensate for the pull up front.

Basically, my view of the world has changed:




I know that this view won't last for forever, which partly makes me sad and happy at the same time.  But I know that when you do arrive, I'll have yet another way to view the world -- as your mommy.

Can't wait to see you soon!

Love,

Mommy

A False Alarm

Dear Pickles,

Today I had an interesting day at work.  It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon.  I was at work trying to resolve a client issue with my friend, Alfonso.  Before we went to speak to our friend, Ken, to help us with our client issue, I told Alfonso that I had to go to the bathroom.  (I spend a lot of time there every day going #1 since you have nestled so close to my bladder.)  After taking care of business, Alfonso and I went to Ken's office to discuss our client issue.

As your mother tried to explain what she believed was going on with the client, I was stopped mid-sentence with a strange feeling.  "Hmm... What's that?  Is that...?  No... It can't be..."  Sensing something wrong, Ken and Alfonso looked at me.

"Are you okay?" they asked.

"Um... I either just peed my pants... or my water just broke," I announced.

A flurry of activity happened from that moment to get me out of the office and to the hospital.  Alfonso agreed to drive me (even though I wasn't having any signs of contractions).  On the way to the hospital, I called the triage nurse, and she advised me to do the following before coming to the hospital: change into some dry clothes, put on a sanitary pad, and if it's still wet or soaking in 15 minutes, I should come to the hospital.  If it's dry in 15 minutes, I probably just wet my pants.

Instead of going to the hospital, I asked Alfonso to take a detour to CVS to buy some adult diapers for me (what a trooper!).  Then, we went to his house, since it was nearby, and I borrowed some sweat pants from his wife, Beth.  I did as the triage nurse ordered; I changed my clothes and waited.  All I could think was, "I'm not ready.  I haven't even finished the nursery.  I haven't finished my birthing classes!  I don't even have a bag packed!  Crap!"

After 15 minutes - there was nothing.  I called the triage nurse back, and we concluded that I just wet my pants.  She said that it was a common occurrence for women at my stage in pregnancy since the baby is pressing down on the bladder.  (I thought that it was weird since I literally went potty seconds before the accident... Oh well.)  At that news, I decided to go back to work.

On the way back to work, I couldn't help but think of this scene from the movie, Billy Madison:





Best quote from this scene? "You ain't cool unless you pee your pants."  So there you go.

Love,

Mommy

A Happy Mother's Day

Dear Pickles,

On Mother's Day, mommy walked down stairs to find the most wonderful surprise waiting for her on the kitchen table... an array of gifts to enjoy from you!  (What a clever girl you are to outsource daddy from the womb for help!)




I even called my mommy (your Mimi) to wish her a happy Mother's Day, too.  I told her how you gave me the sweetest card that read:

Mom, for love above and beyond.


I owe you big time.  Happy Mother's Day.


Thanks for making me.  Love, Izzy.


P.S. Every time I kick, it's just me letting you know how much I love you and want to get out there so you can hold me.

I would like to say that I spend the day relaxing, lazing about, and watching the awesome selection of DVDs you picked out for me, but, instead, I spent the day nesting.  Mommy spent the day washing your awesome wardrobe in scent free, allergy free detergent and softener.  I also unpacked a lot of items in your nursery, organized your closet, and put finishing touches here and there in the nursery.  (I can't wait to reveal the finished product to you.)

When I wasn't nesting, I took short breaks to read Bossypants by Tina Fey... And while I'm on this topic, I have a confession to make... Even though you gave me this awesome book for Mother's Day, mommy already bought herself a copy of the book the day before...  Sorry Pickles.  Daddy reprimanded me for buying myself something before a major holiday... But I couldn't help myself!  This chick rocks!  I hope you find her to be one of your heroes growing up.  Seriously, she's awesome.  Don't believe me?  Watch this clip:

See what I mean?

Thanks again for the Mother's Day presents.  We'll have to collaborate soon to get daddy something special for Father's Day next month.

Love,

Mommy

Japanese Baby Shower from Your Mimi

Dear Pickles,

This past weekend, your father and I traveled down to Swansboro to see your Mimi and Pop Pop.  Who are Mimi and Pop Pop?  They're your mommy's mommy and daddy (your grandma and grandpa).  Lennox, your cousin, is the first grandchild on mommy's side of the family, so she got to choose what to call them.  I think you'll really love your Mimi and Pop Pop when you meet them.  I know they love you so much already.

Mimi and Mommy

Pop Pop and Lennox (and Daddy)

The main reason we went to Swansboro to visit your Mimi and Pop Pop was because your Mimi organized a baby shower for you and invited all of her Japanese friends from church to come.  Many of them could not make it to your first shower but still wanted to do something special for you.



All of the women chipped in and made so much wonderful Japanese food for the party.  It was all so delicious!  This is the kind of food mommy grew up eating.  (I hope you like Japanese food -- it's a huge part of your heritage.)



There were also lots of desserts to enjoy, including a lemon cake with lemon filling that said "Baby Girls are a Blessing."  Your Aunt Barbara got that cake for you.  She has a little girl, too, so she knows how precious you will be.

Lennox and Aunt Barbara

For the baby shower, your Mimi organized a quiz game where she offered new boxes of tissues as prizes to the guests who could correctly answer questions about mommy and daddy.  She also had guests draw pictures of what they thought you were going to look like, and mommy and daddy got to pick the winner.  It was a hoot!

The Winner!

For entertainment, the Japanese pastor and his wife sang a beautiful song for you in English, and the all of the other women there sang two Japanese songs for you, too.  It was so pretty to hear their voices harmonizing in Japanese.



After the entertainment, we got to open presents for you.  Lennox helped mommy open all the gifts.  She was such a good helper.  (One day, you can be my little helper, too.)



It truly was a sweet little shower.




Mommy and daddy are blessed to have so many people care for you already.  We can hardly believe that you'll be here with us in approximately seven weeks!  See you soon, sweet baby girl.

Love,

Mommy