He's officially melted...

You're Dad has melted.  I really didn't think it would happen until AFTER you were born, but... I.WAS.WRONG!

See, your Dad has become cutely obsessed.  Obsessed with my belly, obsessed with you kicking, punching and rolling around inside me, obsessed with looking at your room and everything in it.  But mostly, (and yes, I'm sure he'll kill me for documenting this) he's become obsessed with...

watching "A Baby Story" and "Baby's First Day".  Actually, he seems to love it so much, he asks me to PVR it (record it on the digital box).  He comes home from work and gets REALLY excited to be able to sit, relax and watch his "baby shows" :)  I think it's adorable. 

He loves asking me questions about "how I feel" or "if it's okay if he does x, y or z, that the Dad's do in the videos" or "gets all pouty and excited when the baby is born and the Daddy gets to hold him/her for the first time.  He then tells me, "I think when the baby gets here, I might turn to mush"...

I look at him, very lovingly and usually say to him, "Honey, you already have".

Lastly though, he is already getting territorial.

He likes to tell me that since I will have "held" you for 9/10 months, I don't get anymore turns when you come out.  He feels/thinks that he gets to be the FIRST person to hold you and doesn't have to hand you over to anyone if he doesn't want to.  I just laugh at him, why burst his bubble? :)

I wanted you to have all of this to remember, because when days that your Dad defends that he's "too manly", "a tough guy" or is the "hard one" of us two...you can rub this in his face with me...hee hee!

Month 6...a slow moving month...

Month Six (January 2012):
Going off of work, exciting news from friends, serious belly growth and a surprise present in the works for Daddy...were all things that were really memorable this month.

Last month, Mommy and Daddy had another secret to keep (there's been so many while you've been growing!), that they were just bursting and overjoyed all of Christmas!  My most favourite Christmas gift that I received, was a phone call on December 24th, that was by far, the "strangest" conversation that I had ever had with our best friends, Kathryn and Gary.  Kathryn was inquisitive, yet vague and all over the place.  Then she hung up.  I immediately told Dad that I thought she was pregnant, but knew that she would have told me if she was.  Then a photo msg came on my phone, of Brayden wearing a Big Brother shirt!!!!!!!!!!  I knew it!  I was so thrilled to find out that we would get to enjoy pregnancy together and you were already getting your first friend, closest to your age!  We celebrated New Year's together, which was such a fun time to celebrate two new lives coming this year!

This month, I also stopped working.  While I enjoyed my co-workers, it was getting very difficult for me to stand for long periods of time, with minimal breaks and constant lifting/bending.  My fibromyalgia started to get worse, my sleeping affected the most, as well as my joints, so the midwives knew that I needed to stop.  They wanted me to be able to get more rest, still be able to exercise and keep healthy, rather than go to work, exhaust myself, be in pain and not be healthy enough to not worry about your growth and wellbeing.  I felt very guilty about this and had a hard time adjusting, but the better I felt, the more I had a chance to take care of myself, the better chance I had taking care of you.  It made it a very long month, but it was the right thing to do!

You have been VERY active off and on this month!  You also like to play games on us though, hiding for hours...sometimes DAYS on end!  You'll move like crazy one day and then I don't feel you for a whole day, which not only worries me, but your Dad and the midwives.  You spent 48 hours not moving one week this month and Dad and I had to make a Friday night trip to Labour and Delivery.  Of course, as soon as we got there and they put the doppler on, you tried to kick that thing right off!!!!!!!  You were a little stinker!  Dad had a stern "talking to" with you after this, telling you not to do this again, as neither of us enjoyed that time particularly much!

Your nursery is REALLY starting to come along now and fabric has been decided on for your room!  Both Dad and I are REALLY excited to have found the nicest lady to help us make your custom bedding.  We wanted something "gender neutral", but FUN and she helped us pick the perfect choices for a travel themed room!  Pictures will probably have to wait till next month, as the bedding is currently being worked on, but I am on the edge of my seat till then!  Daddy has bought a few new toys for your room (mainly two 5 foot stuffed animals), that he is obsessed with and Mommy has found some of the cutest clothes and shoes for you!  A sneak peek:

Landmark Scenery fabric for some of your bedding!

I didn't think that my belly had grown too much during these weeks, but now that I compare our photo by the Christmas tree, to what my belly looks like by the end of this month, I realize that it has grown quite a bit, just not week by week!  Daddy still gets really EXCITED to my belly changing.  He loves to talk to you (sometimes through my belly button, thinking that you'll hear him better) and he loves to feel you kick!  He starts to pout when I feel you kick, he comes over and then you hide from him!  Lately though, your kicks have been getting SO STRONG, that it makes my belly bounce or my ribs REALLY hurt!  I beg you to move out of them, but it NEVER works!  You have yet to move "head down", so I pretty much spend the day, trying to push you out of my ribs, or get you to move from being sideways (transverse).  You have yet to let anyone else feel your kicks yet and are much more active when I keep my belly warm, then when I expose it...so funny!

 

A comparison of me at Christmas vs. me at the end of this month!

I guess that a lot HAS changed!  I don't know how much bigger I'll get, but I can only see it in my upper half.  It's starting to weigh down my hips and back, but I'll take that, over it spreading everywhere :)

Lastly, some cloth diaper shopping has been done for you and we have started our "stash".  Even Dad is getting excited about diapers and how soft they are, which are his favourites so far and how cute you will look in them.  He has picked out his favourite one to put you in first, which I think is beyond adorable!  We have great friends supporting us through this and giving us a lot of tips, so we are confident that this is a successful and good choice for all of us!  Dad's favourite minky diaper!

Only 3 more months to go!!!!!  I really hope that time starts moving a little faster soon!  Not only is your Dad getting more impatient to meet you, so am I!  Mom has also been working on a BIG surprise for Daddy, but that won't be revealed until next month!  All I can say is, that one very special lady helped Mommy make something for Daddy, that he is going to LOVE!

OUCH!

Dear baby...

If you could PLEASE turn head down, move your head/behind out of my rib cage and your feet/hands out from underneath my ribs, I would BEYOND greatly appreciate this.  It is not fun when I try to move you and you shove/kick/punch back harder.  My rib cage, is not a piano!

I understand that I have a short torso and therefore not much room for you to move, but at this point, with 10 weeks to go, IT IS NOT FUNNY.  Standing is the only way you stop pushing my ribs up and I can't stand all day.  So, now that Daddy AND I have begged you to choose one position (head down please), we'd like you to try and listen.

Yes, this is your first lecture.  I'd appreciate you co-operating ASAP.  Thank you so much.

Also, laying across my belly, taking up any and all space you can, is also not comfortable.  I have learned in these 30 weeks, that you ARE SO MUCH LIKE YOUR DAD, but you need to share space.  My hips, back, ribs and body will appreciate this.  Your exit strategy should be out my lady parts, not my throat!  Having two midwives and 1 nurse tell me that I am "carrying REALLY high" and that "you must be REALLY uncomfortable", is NOT helpful.

Thanks so much for listening,

Love Mom

The day Daddy felt your feet!

Last night, you were moving like a mexican jumping bean (I don't know if those are real, but it's the best description that I can think of)!  Well, actually, you were like that almost ALL DAY!  I don't know what's gotten you moving so much, but I love it!  It's much more reassuring than last week, when you wouldn't move at all!

It was crazy to see you kicking SO hard, that things were bouncing off of my tummy.  You'd stop the second I put my hand on my tummy, but you'd start right up again, as soon as I moved it!  Dad came home from work and you were moving so much, he could see it- RIGHT THROUGH MY HOODIE!!!  He was so excited to feel your kicks and couldn't believe how strong they are from the outside now!  I think he *somewhat* understands now, if it's that hard on the outside...how hard my ribs are getting a beating!

We went to bed last night, and he couldn't keep his hands off of my belly.  I didn't think he could get anymore excited, until you got hiccups!  It was like 20 kicks in a row to him and he was excited, but thought it was weird.  I was laughing so much, as he has been waiting so long for you to kick and not hide from him!  I didn't think he could get anymore excited, until he put his hand near my left ribs and you kicked so hard, that he COULD FEEL YOUR FOOT!!!!!!  What a special moment!  I haven't gotten to feel it yet, as your Dad has been hogging belly space, but I hope to feel it soon.  So cute!

Keep those kicks up, little one, but I'd love it, if you moved your little bum- OUT OF MY RIBS :)

To my unborn child, from Daddy:

You have been growing for 6 months and already you have taken mummy and daddy through the spectrum of emotions; from the “uhh…. say again?!” moment with the stick (or I should say 8 sticks!! Mummy is very efficient like that), to the denial, 3 months of anxiety, the anticipation and excitement that encapsulates the remaining 6. All in all though, frustration reigns supreme at the moment; I know you need to grow but the simple truth, is that I want to meet you and hold you today. Needless to say, I’m hoping that the remaining few months fly by.  

Today mummy is modeling a rather large belly and daddy spends his evenings trying to hunt you out, like a warship chasing a submarine. As the score stands, I’m wining 5-2 in the game of battleships; last night you lost your sub. I do have to confess; I’m cheating though. I will teach you what this means by introducing you to Uncle Scott one day. The thing is, recently you have become so big and strong that my hand doesn’t detect your movement anymore but is literally repelled from mummy’s belly every time you give her a one-two or a kick. I cheer you on; mummy put down the pom-poms when you took an interest in her ribs and bladder but she still loves to see you grow.  

It will be hard to explain to you one day what becoming a parent feels like. It is a responsibility you have to live to appreciate. We are only scratching the surface at the moment but our days are spent thinking about how you will grow, play, laugh and who you will become. I find myself standing in your room looking at the crib and thinking of what will be. In short you have become the center of our worlds and everything else seems that little bit less important and benign.  Becoming a father has opened me up and knocked down a few walls. It is not just a new chapter in life but more like different life altogether. Strong emotions develop for someone so small, so foreign, someone you don’t even know and haven’t even met yet. Your focus turns and your priorities change. As it turns out, ironically, the most selfish thing in the world is to want the joy and happiness of another.

Lots of love,

Now and always,

Daddy.