Dear Sweetpea,

Here are our latest pictures of you!
I love you.       

                      Sweet little profile...                                               My litttle giraffe-neck beauty...
   

                                                                           Little acrobat!!  Your legs are stretched out at the top left.
            
Amazing tiny little bones... God's making them all perfect!

                               
                                        Little legs are crossed!!!!  what a lady...

Dear Aidyn-

         It's been a crazy month.  I quit my first full-time job and was hired at a new hospital.  It's scary... thinking about starting over completely.  I just wasn't happy at all...  and your daddy says, "life is too short and precious to be miserable."  He's so right, baby girl.
         Guess what!? We have some new arrivals to our front porch!  There's about 6 or 7 baby birds chirping in a nest just outside the living room window.  I hope the mama bird likes it here... I want you to see her babies next spring.

  sweet baby birds...                                                                        Here we are- almost 21 weeks!
        

You're kicking me all the time now.  and I love it.  Even when you keep me up at night.

I love you, sweetpea.
                                    

Dear sweet baby girl,

We found out on Saturday that you're our daughter!  I had a feeling about you being a little girl ever since we found out that you're coming.  It's still so amazing to know for sure...  I love you so much it hurts...

           We've decided that your name is Aidyn Lane.  It means "fire of the narrow road."

It's hard to believe we're in our 4th month already!
Oh, Aidyn.

Driving home from Papa and JJ's house is amazing.
There are so many things in the short drive between our houses that I can't wait to share with you. 

           The sound of your daddy's work truck when he's waiting for me to get in my car...
                   The sour smell of fresh cut onions just down the street from Papa and JJ's house...
                   The clear open skies and all of the stars you can see from the country roads.
           The sweet smell of hay fields when we're almost home...
                      The comfort of your daddy's headlights, knowing he's right behind us.
                                                    The squeak of the door when we're heading inside for bed...

So many things to see and hear and smell...  all of the things about home...
                                                            ...  I can't wait to bring you home.
lots of love, sweet girl.   

Dear SweetPea-

Last night at work was really hard.
A mom came in to have her baby and we couldn't find the baby's heartbeat.  The baby passed away sometime yesterday evening and the mom delivered her yesterday night.  She was a beautiful and delicate little girl.  We were all crying, and no one could explain why things went bad so fast.  The translator told me "don't cry, dear.  God knows what will happen and why it will happen.  Pray for these people in their grief and pray for your little one every day.  Pray to Jesus and He will work it out."
It's still really hard not to cry.

Your daddy and I prayed for you and I cried for you a lot today.

I can't even tell you how much we love you.
It's such a heavy, scary thing.... knowing that you're growing inside of me.

You're a miracle.

And no matter what happens or what you do in your entire life, in however many years or days or minutes God gives you; know that you are desperately loved.  You will always have a place in my heart that no one else can fill.

Sweet dreams tonight, my miracle.
    love,
           mommy

Dear SweetPea,

It's so cool to feel you moving.

I thought it was you the other day when I woke up, but for sure tonight I know you're in there, wiggling around.  I called your dad on the phone to come in from the back yard because I didn't want to move... He put his hand over you and we sat there for about an hour together.

You're amazing, little one. 
I'll never forget tonight... knowing for the first time what it feels like when you move.  
                                                                                                                           
I love you.



 

Hello my love.

I heard your little heartbeat today.  It was SO amazing... I just wanted to call everyone and let them listen to you.
I love you.

It's so much more fun being pregnant now that I'm feeling better.
And we had the best lunch EVERR!!

A #1 combo from Chick-Fil-A... I've never tasted a more wonderful fried chicken sandwich.
I hope you liked it too.

I love you, Sweet Pea.
so, so much.

                      - mommy 

Ok, LittleOne.

Post emotional breakdown last night, you've officially made me puke my guts out.  The nasty kind, because it was 6am and it was just straight stomach acid.  My throat is still burning.

It's a good thing I love you so much.

... but I am a little sore with you right now too...

                                                                            ok.                                      i'm over it. 

I'm trying to decide whether to go to work this morning...
I was sick all day yesterday and now I have a little bit of fever.  hmmmmm...
                                               ... i wish your nana would answer her phone...

Love you.         

My Sweet Baby-

Today was a fantastic day.  I can't believe how much you've grown in just 2 weeks!  We got an amazing picture of you... and I promise I can see your face!!  Not many other people think so... maybe it's just a mama thing.

I love you so much.
It's... breathtaking to see you... to see your arms and legs and little heart beating so strongly.
It's hard not to just stare at your picture. You are such a miracle, littleone.  God is so good.

Here you are... right at 9 weeks.

Your daddy and I are SO excited about you!!!

                       
                                                                                                         You and me... starting into week 10!!

Lots and lots of love.
                    -mommy

  

Dear LittleOne,

What a week. 
We had our first visit with the doctor and saw your little heart beating yesterday.  It was such an incredible thing to see you, even if you are just a teeny blob right now!  The doctor scared us pretty bad... he made us think that there were going to be 2 of you!!!  We started laughing and thanking God that you're only one baby!!

We just keep praying for you all the time.
It's been so incredibly wonderful to tell everyone about you. 
Your daddy and I told Papa and JJ during lunch at Fatz yesterday... your uncle Mike and Nate were there too.  JJ got up on her knees in the booth, waved your picture around and shouted "we're gonna have a baby!!!"  They are so excited to be grandparents.

We're taking you on your first airplane ride tomorrow to Colorado.
I hope you like the Spaghetti Factory... or anything at all while we're there...

I love you, SweetPea.
                                   

Dear Surprise,

We told my side of our family today.  Just couldn't keep you a secret.  I think we would have gone straight to JJ and Papa's house and told them too, but they have the flu.  Gross.  We'll tell them before too long.

We're all set to start work on Monday, 2/11.  My benefits start on March 1, so almost all of our visits will be covered!!!  I found that out on Friday... and I cried the whole way home, thinking about how good God is ... and how much He's taking care of us.

We're so excited, sweetpea.

Your daddy's sleeping on the floor because the couch hurts his back... Snoop's sleeping on the couch next to me.  We just finised watching "Music and Lyrics".  Such a good movie.

It's almost Sunday and I get to sing in the choir in the morning... if I can get your daddy up early enough to get there on time!!  We like to eat a good breakfast together on Sunday mornings.  Your Pawpaw Phil used to make everyone breakfast before church on Sunday mornings and your daddy does it for our little family now.  I can't wait to share that tradition with you.

Hope we can get some good sleep tonight.
Please I hope you don't make me feel too yucky. 

Love you.                       t  o  n  s .