Page 46 of Fall
To My Baby - Letter Five
Hello, strawberry!
I’m ten weeks pregnant! My goodness, you’re growing so fast! And guess what? Soon, your father and I will get our first real glimpse of you. Yes, we’re going to see you! I have my first ultrasound scheduled for next week. The OB-GYN recommended it so she can estimate when you’ll arrive. Once we have your due date, wecan plan and make sure everything is ready for you.
I have to admit I'm a little nervous. Of course, I'm sure every expecting mother is worried, hopeful our little bundles of joy are healthy, happy, and whole while we carry you in our womb, nature's incubator. It's a big job. The other reason I have a wee bit of concern is because I have been picturing you like a little person since Ifound out I was pregnant. This ultrasound will show us your outlines, and some of your parts, like your head, hands, and feet. I guess I don't want that image of you that I dreamed up to change.
Still, we are so excited to finally see you next week! Can’t wait, my darling.
With love,
Your Mother
To My Baby - Letter Six
Hello, lime!
I'm eleven weeks pregnant, and I'm starting to show. We were wondering how long it would take for me to start wearing maternity clothes. I'm not exactly there yet, but most of my jeans and fitted pants can't quite make it around my midsection anymore. And when I turn to the side in the full-length mirror hanging on my bathroom door, there's a little round bump belowmy belly-button that wasn't there before. That's you!
My appointment for the ultrasound is tomorrow. I can't tell you how excited we are to see you. Your father will be with me too. He can't wait. He's already said that he's going to have the doctor take a few extra snapshots so he can mail one of the ultrasound pictures to Nonna Romano. And he wants one that he can show his friends,and one to put into a frame. Of course, I want one too, and I plan to attach it to next week's letter so you can see it while you read these letters, when you're older.
On my end. I've been a bit more tired than usual, and my calves have been tight and sore. But I hear it's not out of the ordinary. The good news is I haven't felt nauseous for at least a few days. And I can't wait to seeyou tomorrow! Well, we'll see you, I mean. Not the other way around. But you will soon. I promise.
With love,
Your Mother
To My Baby - Letter Seven
Hello, plum!
You made it to the twelve-week mark! We've been keeping you a secret from most of my friends and acquaintances, mostly because it's one of those hardand fast traditions in our family, to wait until the biggest risks of anything happening are over. Actually, since the ultrasound last week, your father and I have had the hardest time keeping the news of your arrival quiet.
My heart almost burst when the ultrasound technician pointed to your small form on the screen.
You’re truly the most gorgeous thing we’ve ever seen. Thesecond I saw the image of you, I couldn’t stop the tears that kept springing from my eyes. I think I saw your father swipe one away from the side of his face too, though he probably won’t ever admit that.
But now that you've hit the twelve-week mark, we've been sharing the news of you with everyone. We couldn't be more ecstatic. Not that I could hide it, now that I'm showing.
We also found out your due date is August 10th. That means you might be in the Leo astrological sign like me. My doctor has already advised us that like most first pregnancies, you might arrive up to a few weeks late. If you do, it will make you a Virgo like your father. His birthday is on September 7th.
On the subject of birthdays and celebrations, your father and I (and you, too, ofcourse) are flying to Boulder, Colorado for a few days later this week. We'll visit a first cousin that he's close to, but also plan to spice it up with a little romance by returning to a gorgeous ski cabin we had visited one year around Valentine's day. We'll have to make the best of this trip because, in all likelihood, I won't be able to do much traveling once we're in the third trimester. RockyMountains, USA may be the one place we take you outside of New Jersey before you arrive.
Don’t worry, though. I’ll keep you warm! I plan to bundle up.
With love,
Your Mother
To My Baby - Letter Eight
Hello, lemon!
I’m at the end of the first trimester, my darling. That’s three whole months! You mightbe the size of a lemon at week thirteen, but boy have you grown. I am officially ‘girthly,’ now that we’re a third of the way to your delivery date. All my yoga pants are too snug around my waist now. So that leaves bulky sweatpants, and the couple of maternity jeans I picked up the other day. I suppose all the juicy ribeye steaks and loaded baked potatoes I inhaled while we were in Colorado lastweekend contributed to my expanding waistline. But it was so worth it.
Now that we’re home again, I’m back to walking a mile or two every couple of days to maintain some cardiovascular conditioning. For us.
With love,
