Dear Baby Girl-

Hospital gowns are NOT attractive.  We came into the hospital Saturday night around 8:30... you've decided to get things going a little too early.  They put us on Magnesium Sulfate to stop labor because you're small still.. They just stopped that drug this morning because the 2 doses of steroids are in for your lung development.  Why are you in such a hurry, baby girl?  Right now... I'm 3cm dilated and 70% effaced. 

There's a good possibility that you'll be here today... Labor Day.  Ha.  Ha.

The nurse is in here now...

I'm gonna go take a shower because I  can actually move my legs again since the Mag is out of my system...

Yuck.  2 days of nastiness...
Pukey, contracting, hot flashes, huge shots and not being able to control my muscles or see straight...

But you're worth every second.

I'm so going to hold this over your head for the rest of your life.....

                                 here comes another contraction....
                                                                                                see you soon, my love. 

Dear Aidyn,
        It's been quite a week.  Tuesday we had a Dr. appointment... you're measuring right on schedule!  When the doctor pulled up my shirt to measure my belly... your dad completely fell out of his chair trying to watch.   I busted out laughing... then the doctor did too.  It's a good thing your daddy's not easily embarrassed...  I just told the doctor it was pretty amazing how I could make my husband fall down when I show a little skin... hahah!!!
       I also had a birthday last week.  I'm now 23 years old... ancient, huh?  It was a fantastic birthday... first a massage from JJ and PawPaw, then a new outfit from daddy and a new haircut before dinner.  Your dad took me to Best Buy and we bought a video camera!!  It is so cool.  It has an internal hard drive... it's like it's own computer.  It hooks right up to the laptop and we can burn DVDs.  I LOVE my birthday present.  I already videoed you rolling around in my stomach.  I can't believe you've been growing inside of me for 34 weeks.  Your daddy keeps saying it's like an "Alien vs. Predator" thing going on in my stomach when you move... sometimes it's really crazy looking.
                             
        We had our last baby shower on Sunday from our sunday school class.  They went in together and bought your swing, monitor and a bunch of diapers.  We got a lot of other things too... we're so blessed, little one.  God's given us some amazing friends.
       Well, I need to go to sleep now because I have to work the next 3 nights...
                                                          Just 35 more days until we get to meet!
                                                                                                                          mommy

Dear Aidyn,
       Happy 32.5 weeks!  We're officially in our 8th month now... just 4.5 weeks until you're "full term" and 6.5 weeks until we get to meet you!  I talked to your Aunt Melanie about you... she's planning to come for your grand debut and stay a few days to take care of us.  We're so blessed to have such amazing friends...
       We found out some very exciting news last week.... you're going to have another cousin!!!  Uncle David and Aunt Susan are having their 4th baby!  I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.  You'll have 2 cousins less than 1 year in age difference from you.  The new baby will be here in February 2009, Morgan will be 1 in October,  Owen will be 3 in November and Max turned 4 in April.  I can't wait for you to meet them.  I can't wait to meet you and the new baby!!  Here's a few pictures of your cousins...

                 Here's Max and Snoop...                                           ... and this is Owen!
   

       I don't have any pictures of Morgan yet. I'm such a bad aunt.  ...but she's beautiful.  She looks a lot like Max did when he was a baby except her eyelashes are much longer.  All 3 of your cousins are so sweet and so much fun.  I love them almost more than I can stand.  It's crazy to think that somehow I'll love you more intensely...
       Jess and Ginger are in town from Colorado right now... they're sleeping.  We're going to play downtown and eat lunch outside... maybe we'll have a picnic or something.  I'm so excited that Jess is going to school close by so that you two can know each other.  She's going to spend Thanksgiving with us!  Life is so good, SweetPea.  Sometimes it's really frustrating... but when I think about all the blessings, it's impossible not to smile about all the amazing things God's doing... and about all the things He has in store for us.
                                                                                                           love you.         

Dear Sweetpea,
     Your daddy and I have been married 1 year today!  He took me away Sunday night... we stayed at a really nice hotel and visited a beautiful botanical garden today.  I got to take some pictures... my favorite one is of a lavendar waterlily.  I can't believe it's been a year already... and it's just 8 weeks until you'll be here! 
     We had our first baby shower yesterday and got all kinds of great stuff for you. Your room is looking SO good!  It's pretty much finished now... I smile every time I walk down the hall.  I wrote all the thank you notes this morning... sitting in the rocking chair in your room.
     My mom gave us all my baby blankets and the outfit I wore when I came home from the hospital.  Your great-grandma (Papa's mom) came home from the hospital in the same outfit.  You'll be wearing it when we bring you home too.  It's a beautiful white gown... and it has "sugar and spice" embroidered in pink at the bottom.  You'll look so beautiful in it, I know.
     I love you so much, darlin'.
                                                                                lots of love,              mommy
                      

Dear Aidyn,
       Happy 30 weeks to you and me, sweetpea!  We're officially 7.5 months along and you'll be here in just 9 short weeks!  It's so hard to believe... Sometimes I still want to hyperventilate thinking about how soon it is.... and then the other half of me is so excited I almost forget to breathe... It balances out I guess. 
        Mrs. Linda Wood is planning our first baby shower and it's on Sunday!  I am SO excited to see all the neat things and pretty clothes we're going to get for you!  Everyone is so generous... I still haven't finished wedding thank you notes yet...  yikes.  Your daddy and I will be married 1 year a week from today!  He's got a surprise planned for all day August 4...  I think we might be going on a little trip.  We'll see!  He won't tell... even when he's half asleep and I ask him over and over.... haha!
       Your room is pretty much finished!  We still have to do some odds and ends and get the closet cleaned out and all... but as far as decorations go, it's about done!  Daddy and I finished painting the letters yesterday and I made your curtains and the cover for the rocking chair last night.  Here's the panoramic view of your room, starting as you look in from the hall!   
          
        Then these are some flowers your Daddy got me just "because".   He's so great, baby girl.  You're gonna have him wrapped around your finger, I know.  I'm so excited to see him holding you...
        I made an appointment for maternity pictures and your first photoshoot as a newborn today.   We have our childbirth classes tomorrow night and Thursday night... we already toured the hospital where we're gonna have you- they finished remodeling and it looks fantastic.  We're doing our best, trying to get ready for you... I don't think we ever really will be though.
        I can tell you've gotten a lot bigger... it feels like you're running out of room in there.  Sometimes you stretch your legs out so hard that my entire stomach changes shape... It pokes out on my sides and it's flat around my belly button!  You get hiccups a lot too... and they make you mad.  Ha!  Almost every morning you get hiccups after I eat breakfast and then you stretch and wiggle all around for about 15 minutes til they're gone.  It makes me laugh... except for when you stretch so hard it hurts...
        Well my love, it's almost Tuesday now and I didn't sleep much last night so I'm gonna lay down.  I hope I can sleep better tonight.  My back has been hurting so much lately I can't fall asleep...
                                                                                     but you're so worth it.
     love you.      forever and ever.
                                                          mommy

Dear Aidyn,
         I love you so much, baby girl.  We've been working on your room and it's looking SO good!  I have some pictures to show you, my love.  We had a 3D ultrasound last week and saw your beautiful face... and counted all your toes and fingers.  You're perfect, Aidyn.  It makes me want to cry, thinking about how much I love you.  I can't wait to hold you in my arms and kiss you over and over.
             Here's one of your profile shots!                            Here's you and me at 28 weeks!
                          
   
I can't wait to see you sleeping in your crib! These are pictures of children from around the world on your changing table.  We got a cork-board old world map to pin pictures of you when you get here!  We're working on painting the words to "Jesus loves the little children" around the top of your room.  I hope you like it.
               I love you, baby girl.  I've never seen anything more beautiful than you.
                                Write you soon,
                                                -mommy

Hello sweet baby.

             Happy July 4th!!  We had Laura Beth, Blake, Megan, Ashley, Uncle Michael and Blair over tonight to cookout and watch fireworks.  So much fun!  Daddy was nervous about shooting off fireworks because it's been so dry lately, but our neighbors were shooting them of and no fires had broken out... so we shot our fireworks off too.  They were so pretty.  I need to put a picture on here! 

             I think I've re-thought my hope of the mama bird returning. The baby birds and all their family seem to have taken up residence on our front porch and they dive bomb us every time we walk out!  It seems like I have to spray off bird poo about twice a week too.  So gross.  You should have seen me the week your dad was in Puerto Rico... 3 of the birds got caught in the garage and I couldn't get them out!  I was yelling, honking the horn and hitting the garage door with a broom handle (all at about 11pm... you know the neighbors must love me!) but they wouldn't get out!  I finally got the bright idea to squirt them out with the hose before they sprayed my car with any more decoration... ewww...
             In exactly 1 month, your daddy and I will celebrate our 1year anniversary.  It's hard to believe it's almost been a year already.  I finally took my wedding dress to get it cleaned and preserved... so maybe someday you can try it on for me...   It's been such a good year!  We bought our house, got married, moved in, got Snoopy, bought a car, started full time jobs and found out about you all in less than a year's time!  Sometimes I really feel overwhelmed... but at the end of the day, I climb into bed with your dad and the Snoop and the world seems right.  It's peaceful here, baby girl.  I can't wait to have you here!  ... even if it's not so peaceful for a while.
             Your room is looking FANTASTIC!  JJ, Uncle William and Aunt Jenny came over to paint... it's beautiful.  We have such a great family.  Your crib is together... and we have pictures in frames ready to be hung when the rest of your furniture gets here next week.  JJ's painting your rocking chair now... I'm so excited to rock you to sleep...
             Pawpaw Hobart had his 92nd birthday today.  He asks about you almost every time I see him.  We're going to celebrate his birthday with him tomorrow night before I go into work.  I really love my new job, Aidyn.  The nurses are absolutely wonderful and I feel loved already.  I'm working almost completely on my own and this is only my 3rd week.  Everyone is so supportive... and the financial side of things is much better too.  I feel much happier now... I enjoy going to work all the time again.  I was really starting to question why I had become a nurse before... and now I remember.
               Well my love, I think I wrote enough for now....
                        I love you to pieces.
                                                              forever and ever,
                                                                                             -   mommy
       

Dear Aidyn,

           I took your daddy to church this morning at 3am for the mission trip to Puerto Rico.  I cried a pretty good bit watching the bus leave... I'm still crying now.  I miss him so much, baby girl.  This is the longest we've been apart since we met.  We're just gonna pray a lot.  He'll be there til next Friday leading part of the youth group in construction projects.  I'm so excited for him to be on this trip, but I miss him so much already. 
           I think Snoopy, you and me will visit Nana and Papa for a few days next week.  After all, it is Father's day on Sunday!  I think maybe we should get a little present for your daddy when he gets back.
           Snoopy likes to fall asleep on the back of the couch these days... and 2 nights ago, he was sleeping so hard he rolled off!  Your daddy and I were watching a movie and all of a sudden, we just heard, "kah-lump!"  We looked over the back of the couch and Snoop was just looking up at us, all sheepish.  We were dying laughing.  He just got back up on top of the couch and went back to sleep!  What a goof.  You two are going to have so much fun together, I know.  He'll kiss your feet and hands all the time...
           I love you so much, sweet girl.  It's good to have you for company... I think I'll be talking to you a lot more this week.  
                        Lots and lots of love,
                                                       - mommy 

Edit:  Your daddy's team started with just a foundation at the beginning of the week... and then look at all they got done in just 5 days!!  The family was so appreciative, daddy said they brought lunch by almost every day.  12 people prayed and asked Jesus to be their Savior during the week too!  How cool is that??
   

Dear Aidyn,

       As of yesterday, your quilt is finished!  I think it took about 10 or 12 hours of straight work...  but it was so worth it.  I picked really soft fabrics so they'll feel good on your skin.  I hope you like it... 
       I think you can hear me now!  When I wake up in the morning, I sing to you and you start moving a lot.  We went swing dancing last night and you danced right along with us!  I really think you like music!

                  It's finished!                                            Your handsome daddy and me... 22 weeks here.
                           
    I love you, my sweet music girl.  
                                                       

Dear Aidyn,

         It's been a great couple of days.  You move so much that we can see you under my skin.  It's so much fun... your daddy and I stayed in bed this morning for an hour and watched you roll around.  You're fantastic.
Funny story I forgot to write about before... on my last day of work, I woke your dad up to say goodbye and he asked very sleepily,
              "where's the baby???" 
              Me-  "what?" 
              Him- "where's the baby??"
              Me-  "In my belly." 
              Him- "what??" 
              Me-  "She's in my belly."
              Him- "oh.  (pause)  ...I had a dream we had her... and she was a firecracker."  
                                                                  And then he immediately fell back asleep. 
                                                                         I smiled about it all the way to work.
   Oh, sweet baby.
   I've been working on the quilt for your bed.  Here's some pictures of the progress as of midnight last night- 
                                                                                     Snoopy's snuggling your blanket!  
           
               I love you, Sweet Girl.