how do I love you? let me count the ways.....

To my dear sweet baby boy,

Although I have never written a letter for you to read when your older, I thought I might. I have been inspired by another mommy who writes to her son, and I thought it was sweet. So here I go.
Today I write you and you are 2 months and 1 week and 3 days old. I've loved every single minute of these past 2 months 1 week and 3 days. Although some days were harder than others, they all have been worth it. In this letter I write you, dear son, I am going to go as far back as I can, and that even means while you were in mommy's tummy.

I remember the day that we found out that you were growing in my tummy. It was January 11th, a Friday. I thought I might had been pregnant, and while I wasn't sure, I went ahead and took a pregnancy test. Daddy didn't know I was doing it, but as soon as I took it.... it showed up POSITIVE!!! I opened the bathroom door and smiled so big at your daddy. He looked at me like I was crazy. I held up the stick and he came in to the bathroom, where I stood frozen from shock. He hugged me and we both just looked at each other like we couldn't believe it.

Daddy and I made a doctors appointment as soon as we could. Your daddy went with me to just about every single doctors appointments I had ( I let him skip out on some of them) All through out the pregnancy you grew just like you should have. Everything was always fine up to about my 6th or 7 month. Mommy had waaaay too much amniotic fluid in my tummy. So therefore that lead to a lot of ultrasounds and NST's ( Non-stress tests) for the rest of my pregnancy. I had 2 NST's a week for the last month and half . I loved every single one of them because I could hear your heart beating and hear you move around in my tummy. We never found out why I had so much fluid in my tummy ( I like to think you just liked to pee A LOT!!!) Dr.Birch ( the woman that delivered you) wanted to induce mommy, so about 3 weeks before your expected due date, we went in to have you. I only slept for about an hour the day before you came into our lives. Although mommy tried to have you naturally, it just wasn't possible. You ended up being brought into this world through mommy's tummy, at 9:11pm Sept. 5th 2008. At birth you weighed 7.7 lbs and were 20.5 inches long. Your head was 14 inches round and your chest was 13 inches ( or maybe I have that backwards. I was kind of out of it when I was told everything about you). You were prefect!!

We only had to stay in the hospital for about a day and half after you were born. We were released from the hospital on Sunday afternoon. On the way home from the hospital we got into a car accident! It was the scariest thing for mommy and daddy. It didn't seem to faze you one bit. In the end we were all fine, but still very shook up. Now we drive with a " Baby on Board" sign in the back of mommy's window, and if anyone gets too close, daddy points to the sign.

After you came home, you lost some weight. Which is pretty normal in , okay I'm gonna say it, breast feed babies. ( Yes son, mommy nursed you, and you enjoy it ) But by the time babies are 2 weeks old they should be back up to birth weight. Well at your 2 week check up you were down to 6.11 lbs. You also had jaundice. So the mean ol' doctor wanted to do blood work on you. We went to the lab and there was only one lady there, so poor daddy had to hold your little arm while the lady stuck you with the needle and drew your blood. Oh you did not like that one bit. Your levels ended up being kind of high, but it cleared up on it's own. By your one month check up your weight had increased. You were now at 7.3 lbs. Still not that great but getting better. You had reflux so it was hard for you to keep food down. So the doctor put you on some medicine, it helped, but not that much, I guess you are just a spitter upper.

So here we are, at your 2nd month of life. At your 2 month check up, you sir, have gained 2 pounds in 1 month. Excellent my friend. You are now at a whopping 9.2 pounds. Your head is now 16 inches round and you are about 21 to 22 inches long. You had 3 shots at your 2 month check up and that was kind of hard. Luckily you had 2 very nice nurses give you shots at the same time. Dr. McBee ( our family doctor) said you are pretty darn perfect ( we think so too ).

Well that is the story of your life up till now.

Some funny things about you that mommy and daddy have noticed about since you've come into our lives:

• When you are not hungry or do not want your paci, you push your lips together really tight.
• You smile while mommy nurses you. ( I love it)
• You only like to sleep while someone is holding ( I know some people would say you are beyond spoiled, but I don't care what those people think. I love holding you so that is all there is to it)
• You LOVE , LOVE, LOVE animals. Especially Monkeys.
• You love to have " conversations" with mommy.
• You love to headbutt mommy and daddy.( it seems to hurt us more than you)
• You love to pull your daddy's body hair. IE. daddy's armpit hair. ( I laughed so hard the first time you did it)
• You love laying on your changing table and staring at the wall hanging that is right above it.
• You love to poop and pee as soon as we get a new diaper on you. ( Mommy's and Daddy's bank account don't like that too much)
• You love going for walks ( although now it is starting to get cold outside, so it's a little harder)
• The sound of a running vacuum cleaner will put you to sleep.
• You like to wake up around 1 o'clock in the morning ( which is about the time mommy gets sleepy), and stay awake till either 5 or 6 in the morning.

And so dear son, those are just a few of the things that we have noticed about you so far. And just some facts about us while you were in my tummy. I CRAVED!!! Taco Bell just about every single day of the 9 months. For sure in the first trimester. All I wanted was burrito supremes. During the first trimester daddy got the flu, which of course gave it to mommy. The first time I ever got the flu I was pregnant with you. It was rough on mommy. Okay since I thought about the Taco Bell craving, it brought back a lot of memories. I will now list everything that that I remember craving while you were in my belly ( granted none of it was healthy and that maybe explains why I went from weighing 105 lbs and a size 0 to 153lbs and almost wearing a medium in maternity clothes)

Foods I craved while I was carrying you :

• Taco Bell - Burrito Supreme ( sometimes I would get a small mt.dew)
• Hunan Manor. Daddy and I could easily spend over $40.00 on food there, most of it was for me. I would always get vegetable fried rice and lots of egg rolls.
• Fudge Rounds ( I once ate a WHOLE BOX in less than 24 hours)
• decaf. Sweet tea
• Fruit snacks
• Nutrigrain strawberry breakfast bars
• Cereal- I loved cinnamon toast crunch up until the day I threw it up and after that I have never eaten it again
• McDonald's hamburger happy meal with no pickles or onions

Well son I am sorry I ate like crap with you in my belly, but that is what mommy wanted. And what mommy wanted, MOMMY GOT!!!

So my dear blue eyed boy with crazy blonde hair, that is your life in a nut shell. You daddy and I love you very much, and are so thankful God picked us to take care of you. You are a blessing, a true blessing.

I promise I will try to write you letters through out your life, so one day you can read them and know what a sweet, loving little boy you were/are.

Love ,

Mommy