9 months of HJ

10.4.15

you've been out and about now just as long as you were in the womb... well longer really...

i love that i know the date you were created... Saturday, May 10th
that day was the beginning of 6 little embryos...
5 started flourishing right away
3 were still strong on our May 15 transfer date
and as i laid on the table, i'll never forget the dr saying... "two for Crane"
one of those 2 was you!
one, unbelievable, you

the next few weeks of waiting to see if the procedure worked were not the most comfortable for momma, i began to swell so much in my abdomen, all the way up to my ribs!  the other thing i remember is how strongly i craved salt... i remember i was in Michigan for your grandma's 60th b-day and there was a jar of pickles on the counter... they didn't sound all that hot, but I went to eat one anyway and the heavens parted!  the salt was like gold... and i ate the whole jar before leaving the next day...

the nurses said this salt craving and swelling was all a good sign b/c it usually meant pregnancy hormones were present and when those combined with all the other things I'd been putting in my body to get pregnant, it usually resulted in this! their recommendation... olives, oh why yes, of course!

and of course, they were right... about the olives and that growing embryo! there were two little blips on our screen when we went May 26th, but only one blip was flickering away... for those days prior, papa had been talking to my belly and calling the two embryos "bros" for short - but as we pulled into the garage after learning there was just 1 that was going to make it, he said, "well I can't call them the bros anymore, but I can call it "flicka" - and we did call you that a lot while you were in the womb

here you are 10 wks in!

*****

i was pretty nauseous the first 3 months of being pregnant with you, guess what i ate for breakfast probably 1/2 the time that 1st trimester?  no, not olives, tomatoes! usually 2 of them and I'd just eat them like you would an apple... i'm telling you they never tasted so good

thank goodness trimester 2 was quite event free and lovelee, despite back pain... i also lost my cravings for salty things and went back to eating pretty normal

I just can't believe you've been out of the belly as long as you were in it... except for the fact that you came early so you were really only in my belly just shy of 8 months... here we are at 36 wks, 1 wk bf you wanted out...

best gift you could have given me!  I feel like these 9 months of having you here have been the longest 9 months of my life... not in a bad way, just in a "full of so much, so much" kind of way.  So much learning, so much loving, just so much living in these past short, long months.  I believe people when they say, it goes fast... and I can see where it will, but I feel like God has gifted us with time so far and the ability to soak up every last drop of you.  I don't wish for it to speed up, so will pray to that end, that as time comes, we will be able to love you up good and full.  It has all felt like Mercy.

Here are some 9 month markers:

• Sitting up and you do a little scoot crawl, like an army crawl
• You say momma!
• Still not Ms. Cuddles, sadly a trait you've had since day 1, still keeping the faith you'll grow into me! 
• Fan of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse which you watch entirely too much while momma works
• You get up around 6:30 and go to bed pretty close to 8 pm
• You take 5 bottles a day, eat a jar of pears or apples in the am and a mixed jar of carrots and peas in the afternoon
• You are in size 2 diapers and still love to sleep in your Zippadee-Zip

10.6.15

choosing sleep during 

your last nap of the day!

• You usually nap 1.5 to 2 hours after an hour of being up, then you take another nap around noon for that same time... your final nap is around 3:30 and you'll lay in your crib and play until you fall asleep for a short 30-45 min nap or you play and then fuss and let momma know you won't be napping today... you are a great sleeper and I'm so grateful! 
• You still love playing on your mat and your favorite toy is the stand up activity center that my friend Jen bought you. 
• You have 4 teeth, your two bottom and 2 on the right side; one top, one bottom
• You have eaten out with us more times than I can count, ok like almost nightly and you seem to love that.  
• Your personality has stayed pretty true to day 1... you are happy most of the time but you have a short fuse that seems to ignite your whole body when you are not happy.  Momma gonna need some stronger heart muscles for disciplining.

We have a 9 mo dr visit on the 14th where we'll get to check your weight.  

You were 15.5#s at 8 months so I'm looking forward to seeing where you are now and prayers for those shots to continue to go well.  

Happy 9 mo baby girl.  

Love you to the moon.

10.4.15 

watching sharks at the zoo

may my girl

see her worth

through her momma's eye