Dear Baby,

I've been out of denial for quite some time now, especially since you've decided to show yourself a little bit more as you start to grow. For awhile, you were in a bitter battle with my beer gut/frontal muffin top, so it was kind of hard to figure out whether I was pregnant or just bloated with a drinking problem. Last week was YOUR week. You really popped out and started to develop quite the personality.

It was our first solo trip together, probably the easiest one we'll ever take. We went to Atlanta to work at the Thirty-One National Conference. My co-workers were all very concerned about how this would affect me, but luckily I was mostly unaffected. As long as I kept you fed and hydrated, you were just fine, choosing to stay quiet all day. The mornings were your time. Right before I got out of bed, you'd throw yourself a little party in there - bopping around, kicking and punching. Its now much more distinguishable than before, no mistaking what's happening in there!

You and I must be jiving really well because I wasn't ever sore or swollen as I worked some longer-than-normal hours with less than normal sleep. Your favorite food last week was a peach scone from Starbucks. You had a party about 1/2 way through my first one!

When I got home, your dad noticed the difference in your size. As I was coming down the escalator to see him, his eyes got a little wider and when he hugged me, he took a step back and looked at my belly and said..."Babbbbyyyyyy" in his funny voice. The week away made the "pop" a little more dramatic for him, especially since I had on a tighter shirt that accentuated the bump.

As I'm sitting here now, you're kicking me a little. It might be the Hershey Bar that I ate a little while ago, or maybe you know that I'm thinking about you. OR maybe its the 64 oz of water that I've already consumed today and you're feeling happy and hydrated. Either way, was we continue to prepare for your arrival, I'm both scared and excited. The planner in me is trying to get the "must do's" done so that we can really enjoy our time together when you arrive. That also includes work...which is becoming increasingly hard to focus on.

This week's agenda:  Finishing up the nursery decor, Thank-you notes from our Pittsburgh shower and more babysitter interviews. You're sure keeping us busy.

XOXO,
Momma