Nursery Nesting

Dear Little Lady,

Mom and Dad have begun the process of getting your room set up. We have purchased your crib! Daddy listened to the world's longest baseball game and had a beer while he constructed the crib all by himself. I helped a little bit but for the most part, Louie and I just sat on the bed and overlooked the progress. It is perfect and your new bedding will look wonderful with it!



After weeks and weeks of looking at different bedding options and trying to figure out why baby bedding is almost double the cost of adult bedding we finally came to a decision. Your original color scheme was going to be very modern and colorful with reds, greens and grays. After realizing that the cost of that choice was going to be more than your Dad and I have spent on the last three bedding sets combined in our room we opted to go the more economical route and picked a bedding that was well within our budget but still just as beautiful. Your room is going to be a calming and soothing combination of cream, beige, brown, white with some hints of color thrown in throughout.



I fell in love with this crib set for a few reasons. First of all it was affordable. Secondly it has 5 different textiles that make up the patchwork quilt and your mother being very tactile loved the feeling of the different fun fabrics that were used. Lastly, the colors made me instantly feel relaxed and I am hoping they will have the same effect on you.



The above dresser is a gift from Grandma Lori and Papa Patrick. You will be able to keep this dresser for a long time and hopefully as you become a teenager you will do a better job of keeping clothes in the drawers than I ever did growing up. Note to my daughter: clothing belongs in drawers, not on the floor! Trust me, you will be much happier spending the short amount of time it takes to put them away rather than spending a long period of time cleaning your room. Just a little motherly advice. Take it or leave it.

We are continuing to shop for a rocking chair and some artwork and accessories but just knowing that we have the crib, bedding and dresser makes us feel that much more prepared for your arrival.

We love you baby girl. 26 weeks, can you believe it?!?

Love,
Mom

Tummy Time

Dear Baby Girl,

Momma is finally starting to show! 22 weeks and you are finally making your existence hard to deny (not that I have tried). Your Dad has an obsession with rubbing my tummy which just in the past week started looking a little more pregnant rather than just bloated. I am still wearing normal pants but they are starting to get a little snug after eating so I walk around in public with my pants unbuttoned. It is very attractive! I tried to find maternity pants but they aren’t very comfortable and don’t stay up so after purchasing and returning two different times I have decided from now on I am opting for leggings, stretch pants, long shirts and dresses.

I haven't felt a full on kick yet but it should be any day now. I feel little flutters here and there but am anxiously awaiting the first real tap from within. So far I am still feeling great and the only cravings I have been getting is for Mexican food. Tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, you name it, I want it. The spicier the better. This craving makes your Dad a very happy camper because before I was pregnant Mexican was the last think I wanted, now it is the only thing I want and it is his favorite!

You just keep doing your thing in there baby girl. We are moving right along!

Love you!

Love,
Mom

Baby Girl!!!

Baby Girl,

Daddy and I went to Dr. Agnew's office today to get an in depth ultrasound and to confirm what exactly has been developing between those cute little legs of yours. We have been talking about your gender since we found out you existed and although I knew I would be thrilled with a boy or a girl, I pictured you in my mind as a girl from the get go. In fact, even as I was growing up when I imagined you entering my life, I saw my first child being a girl. That premonition came true today!

Dr. Agnew went through and took all of your measurements. All were right on track and proof that you were growing at a perfect rate and developing on target. Then she pointed out where your butt was. A very cute little butt I might add. She pointed to three little lines and said "here is her labia". CONFIRMED! No testicles forming. Now, because this was only 20 weeks she said that she was only willing to give us the 80-90% chance of you being a girl, but that was good enough for me to call the family and let them know that the boy name game could finally come to a close.

Your Dad and I went out to lunch and talked about how excited we were to be having a girl. Daddy was already discussing how nervous he is about letting you date and having to watch boys start to give you attention. He is going to be your biggest protector!

Time to finally start decorating your room my beautiful little lady. We are so excited to watch you continue to grow. 20 weeks gone, 20 weeks left.




We love you so much!

Love,

Mom

New Family Vehicle

Dear Baby,

Mommy made a big step today on her pathway to motherhood. She let go of the convertible and bought an SUV!



My VW Cabrio was a birthday present to myself back in 2005 before I moved to California. I decided at that time that if I was going to be living in a warm climate I wanted to have the top down and take advantage of the year long warm weather. That little car took your dad, mom and Louie across country from Minnesota to California. It was a scary time but I was so happy to be reunited with your Dad who had been living in Cali while I finished up college in Chicago. We weren't married at the time and didn't know if we would even be able to make the long distance relationship work, but we did! Now look where we are...married and expecting you, our first beautiful child!

Being that the convertible was very small, only two doors and having a heck of a lot of mechanical issues, Daddy and I decided it was time to start shopping for a more family friendly option. We just received our tax return and figured this was as good of a time as any to start shopping. We test drove a few different models and landed upon the Toyota Highlander. What a beauty and rated very highly in safety ratings. We absolutely love it and can not wait to get a car seat in there in preparations to safely get you home from the hospital.



This is also a big day for you sweet pea. You will be going to an epic concert tonight and since you have ears now, you will actually be able to enjoy it as well! I can't believe one of your first concerts is the legendary PRINCE! Your dad and I look forward to driving our new car to the stadium.

Love you honey bunny.

Love,
Mom

Is Everything Okay in There?

Dear Sweet Little Baby,

We have made it to 16 weeks! Only two more weeks to go and we will know if we can start saying "he" or "she". That is if you decide to uncross your legs. So far, you have been sitting in the meditative lotus position and unless you decide to stretch out and relax a bit we may not get to see exactly what you are working with in there.

As of 15 weeks every bit of my pregnancy symptoms and "feelings" disappeared. It is almost as if I am not pregnant at all and I keep worrying myself by thinking maybe I made it all up in my head! Then I look at the ultrasound photos and my burgeoning belly and let out a sigh of relief. I keep poking and prodding at my tummy in hopes that you might make a movement so I can confirm that you are indeed in swimming around in there. Soon enough though. Most women start to feel there little bundles of joy between 16-18 weeks so I will just continue to wait patiently for you to make your whereabouts known.

Although my normal pre-pregnancy clothes are still fitting, things are definitely starting to get a little bit more snug. I am down to one pair of jeans that I don't feel the need to unbutton after eating. These were previously reserved for "that time of the month" bloating comfort but have now become an almost daily staple in my wardrobe. If not my "big jeans" I have been wearing light weight, long dresses that allow plenty of room for growth and they keep me cool during hot days.

Friends and coworkers all know about you now and have started openly reaching for my belly to give it a rub. Or they crouch right down next to it and say hello to you from time to time. So if you are hearing some weird things in there, don't be scared, these are the people that love you and are excited to meet you in October.

Dad and I are beginning to shop for our new family vehicle. The little Volkswagen convertible will be traded in for something a little bit more car seat friendly. We can't believe that in a little over 5 months our lives will be changed forever...and we can't wait.

We love you sweet pea. Do mommy a favor and give me a sign that you are okay. Make your presence be known my love.

Love,
Mom

14 Weeks

Dear Baby,

You are now 14 weeks. We got to see you again last Monday at 13 weeks and the Doctor said everything looks great and that you continue to progress perfectly. Mom is finally feeling human again and can actually stay awake past 9:00pm. This is a HUGE accomplishment considering for the past month I was sound asleep by about 7:30pm. Dad would get home from work and find me drooling in a deep sleep on the couch. He has commented numerous times now about how nice it is to have his wife back. I guess I wasn't much fun this past month. All that extra sleep was well worth it though.

Grandma Lori and Poppa Patrick were visiting this past week. It was so wonderful to have them out here. They even got to join me in the Doctor's office when we got to see you and Grandma got to hear your heartbeat. It was very difficult to say goodbye to them yesterday. Many tears were shed knowing that it will be a while before I will see them again. It is so hard being pregnant and not being able to be close to them during the process. We are making the most of it though and they plan on making more visits and once you arrive, lengthening the duration of their stays.

While they were here we had a busy week of decorating and doing home improvement projects. The apartment is looking great thanks to their love and talent and soon enough we will be decorating your room and making it perfect for your arrival. We have another 5 weeks to go before our next appointment when we will find out if you are a boy or a girl and then we can finalize the color scheme that will fill your room. Dad and I don't care what gender you are as long as you are healthy. I will tell you though that we are having a heck of a time coming up with boy names...if you are a girl you are all set, but if you are a boy, you will remain nameless until we can agree on a name we both like.

On the last night of their stay we went and saw Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks at the Hollywood Bowl. Since developing ears you have already been to two concerts. This last one with Grandma and Grandpa and Lady Gaga. Not too shabby little one. Stick with me and you will be to many more. Hopefully your musical taste will be influenced more by me than your Dad. Some of his selections are less than amusing, but I love him all the same.

Well 1st Trimester is done and my symptoms have almost completely subsided aside from the occasional hormone/dehydration headache and a bit of nausea when I have let too much time pass between snacks or meals. I feel very blessed to be having an easy first pregnancy, so far (knock on wood).

We love you little one and can't believe how fast these past couple months have gone. Before we know it you will be in our arms, we can't wait!

Love,
Mom

Meet Your Cousin

Dear Baby,

Let me introduce you to your cousin. Uncle Shea and Auntie Sarah are 9 weeks ahead of us in their pregnancy and already know that they are having a boy and got to see this amazing photo of him today. It is so much fun to know that we will have a child the same age that will probably be going through the same phases roughly at the same time. Look at how much growing you have to do in the next 9 weeks!

Dad and I look forward to finding out if you will be a boy or a girl in another 6 weeks. In the meantime,start looking forward to meeting that little McGinnity next Christmas. Be prepared to pose for many, many, many pictures together because this will probably be the first time you two will be meeting with many years of fun to follow.

Love you muffin!

Love,
Mom

Mama's Birthday

Dear Baby,

Well, it's your mama's 29th birthday today. You are definitely the best birthday gift I could ever ask for although a very dear friend of mine also gave us a nice gift on his blog which you can read here www.spogeo.com. Thank you, Mike! You always know how to make me smile!

It was always my life dream to have my first child before the age of 30 so we are right on track with that plan. I can't wait to have you join us for my 30th birthday celebration. In the meantime I am going to enjoy the last year of my 20's and be thankful for the gift growing inside me.

Grandma Wendy and Papa K were in town this past weekend to celebrate and we had a very lovely dinner out with friends at Benihana. The chef cooks the food right at the table and puts on a show with the food by lighting things on fire and catching things in his hat and front pocket. We will take you there someday, I promise you will be entertained!

Mom hasn't been feeling real well the past few days. I caught a bit of a cold and flu bug and just couldn't get enough sleep. Today I am finally feeling human again. It is much more difficult being sick while having you inside me because I can't take the same cold meds that I used to knock myself out with when feeling ill. It was an interesting experience but with a lot of fluids and sleep we kicked that cold together.

You are now 10 weeks and 2 days and we can not believe how quickly time is passing. We are already a quarter of the way through the 40 weeks! Dad and I look forward to our next appointments on April 11th when we get to see another picture of you.

We love you so much baby. Stay healthy and keep growing. Thank you for being the best birthday present ever.

Love,

Mom

Your First Picture

Dear Baby,

We had our appointment with Dr. Masterson yesterday and found out that you are perfect! Healthy, strong and already very active. Dad and I had your due date pegged correctly so we will expect you to be arriving on or around October 15th, 2011.

You were so adorable to watch on the sonogram screen. Your little arm buds were waving as if you were saying hello to Mommy and Daddy and your little heart was fluttering away just as it should be. The Doctor measured you at 2.1cm, which is right on track for your current age of 9 weeks and 2 days. You are so tiny but already taking up so much room in our hearts. It was a miraculous thing to see that picture of you on the screen. You have the most adorable little profile and I can't wait to kiss that little button nose of yours!

We shared your photos with family and friends who are all so excited to meet you and love you. We just can't contain our excitement and want to share your little accomplishments (like losing your tail and becoming a fetus) with the world! We are pride filled parents already, just think what you have to look forward to after you are born.

Thank you for continuing to be so sweet and beautiful. Mom still feels great (knock on wood) and is in love with being pregnant, so far. My Birthday is less than a week away and geting to see you and how you are growing inside of me was the best gift I could ever receive. Dad and I can't wait for our next appointment on April 11th @1:15pm. This time Grandma Lori and Poppi will be in town and get to share in the joy of tracking your development.

Grandma Wendy and Papa K get into town on Friday and are very excited to see our new home and hear all the details about little you.

We love you baby. Make yourself comfortable and keep up the good work!

Love,
Mom

Finally a Fetus

Dear Baby,

You are officially a fabulous little fetus, CONGRATULATIONS! Dad and I can't believe how fast the past 4 weeks have gone since we got the wonderful news that we were going to be parents. We can only imagine that time will continue to fly by and soon enough you will be blowing out your first single birthday candle and we will be videoing you smashing cake and frosting into your mouth with your hands.

Mom has finally started making more progress on clearing out your room. I have a few more boxes to unpack but you can actually see your carpeting now, aren't you proud of me? I have been trying to find ways to keep my energy up throughout the day and have found that it is better that I force myself to stay awake and go to bed early instead of taking a nap, because once I am down for the count, that is the end of me and the day is shot. Taking walks outside and getting fresh air also helps to keep me from drifting into dream land.

You will have your first visitors in a few weeks. Grandma Wendy and Papa K will be coming to visit over my birthday weekend and then Grandma Lori and Papa Pat will be coming out a few weeks later. You are loved by so many people already and your four Grandparents are the leaders of that committee. They are so anxious to meet you and love you up that they couldn't wait and sent you your first gift for Valentines Day. Grandma Wendy and Papa K sent you a stuffed giraffe and adorable matching pajamas and Grandma Lori and Papa Pat sent you a puppy blanket, much like your cousin, Jace's favorite and in true Irish fashion a green onesie with the words "O'Cutie Pie". We can't wait to have you model these items in the near future.

Grandma Lori and Papa Pat look forward coming out and helping us make your nursery and home extra special with their love and decorating expertise. It will be so much fun to shop with you in mind.

Well little one, we love you and are counting the days until our appointment on Monday when we will get more information on your development. In the meantime, you just continue making yourself comfortable and I will continue doing my best to keep you safe, happy and healthy.

Love,

Mom

Big Changes

Dear Baby,

Your Dad and I have officially moved into our new home! We aren't completely unpacked yet, and you are partially to blame for that. You have zapped Mom of all her energy these past couple weeks, so Dad has been the leader of the unpack. For now, what will be your room is still strewn with a few boxes that are yet to be put away. I promise they will be gone before you arrive. I am happy to report that Dad, Louie and I went for a walk to the beach the weekend we moved in and it only took us 20 min to reach the sand. We talked about how exciting it will be to have you join us in your stroller on these walks. We can't believe you will be seeing the ocean before you see snow, which is completely opposite of the way your Dad and I started life back in the mid-west. I didn't see the ocean until I was 7 years old on my first trip to Florida.

We had our first appointment with my Doctor. She confirmed that you really do exist! I teared up and Dad had the biggest smile on his face. We received our referral for the OB that will bring you into this world and it turns out she is Oprah's expert for reproduction and has appeared on numerous talk shows. By the time you are old enough to watch TV, Oprah will no longer have her long running talk show, but trust me, she was a big deal in my lifetime! We will meet with Dr. Lisa Masterson on Monday, March 14th. You will be a little over nine weeks old and we will have her confirm if we should be expecting a Libra or Scorpio. Dad and I have estimated your due date to be around October 15th, 2011. We shall see how close we are!

So far, you have been a very well behaved little embryo. You haven't given Mom too many issues, other than the extreme need for naps every couple of hours. You definitely have done a good job of making sure I know when it is time to eat and when it is time to sleep and I have been letting you control the mother ship in those regards. What makes you happy, makes Momma happy.

This past weekend, when you hit 7 weeks, I started experiencing some lower back and hip pains. The doctor says that it is normal and that my body is simply adjusting to the expanding that is taking place so that you can continue to grow. I had my first morning sickness experience the other day, but it didn't last long and after I ate and took a walk I felt great. Let's continue on this happy and healthy, smooth sailing path together after you become a fetus at the end of this week.

We love you so much already and can't stop talking about you.

Love,

Mom

You Are A Dream Come True

Dear Baby,

It was a long road getting here but your Dad and I finally made it! Our dreams came true and you are beginning to settle in and make yourself at home in my tummy. We found out about you the same day we found what will be your first home, but not exactly in that order. What a wonderful day Saturday, February 5th, 2011 was!

Our new home has lots of space and is close to the beach so expect a lot of strolls along the boardwalk with Louie. Louie is our family dog and up until now, who we considered our first child. I am sure you two will be driving Mom and Dad a little crazy as a team soon enough. He is a good dog and will make sure you are always protected...and he loves to cuddle.

We are getting very anxious to move in to our new home and begin getting everything prepared to welcome you home. It has been almost a week since we found out about you and we have our first Doctor appointment in the morning to see just how long you have been with us. Dad and I think you are about 5 weeks at this point, with a due date in late October, but we shall see. We are very excited but a little nervous too. You are our first born so everything is going to be new to us, but we are so ready for this adventure and already love you to pieces.

Love,

Mom