TWO!!!

Dear Tycho,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN! You turned two today! I can hardly believe it!

I said I wasn't going to have a party this year, just dinner at home with family, but dinner at home with family IS a party. Grandma and Opa and tante Annika and Julien and Yoann and Anna and John and of course Shea and Ashley and your best buddy Arlo all came over to eat tacos with us and celebrate YOU. Because you're so awesome.

You loved all your presents this year. Mostly sports equipment. You're sleeping with your new baseball bat right now. I love that you've such a distinct personality. Everyone knew just what to get you!

What a two years it's been! You've changed my life totally and completely and every day it gets even better. I can't wait to see what your third year brings!

Love, Mama

Happy Birthday, Tycho!

Dear Tycho,

Yesterday you turned one year old. One year! That is amazing. YOU are amazing.

We had a fun day yesterday for your birthday. I am a mean mama, though, and started things off with your one year doctor appointment. It was a necessary evil, I guess. You were very unhappy about your shots, but only for a minute, and then we were on our way. You are still growing like crazy. You weigh 31 and a half pounds (99.99 percentile!) and are 32 inches tall (99.02 percentile), which means you are kind of thinning out. A teeny tiny little bit. Maybe. :)

After you had a nap we took a trip to the aquarium. The last time we visited, you were in my belly. You liked looking at the fish, and at the otters, but you were a little bummed when you reached out to touch them and the glass was in your way. Sorry, buddy. We'll take you snorkeling someday.

We ate some fish and chips for lunch, and then Daddy took off work early and met us at the new Great Wheel. It was a first ride for all of us. We were very high up, but you were no scared at all.

And after all that we watched Daddy's baseball game together. It was a long day, and by the end of it all you were pooped! So was I! But I think we had a lot of fun, and I'm glad I got to take off work and spend the whole day doing new things with you.

You are without a doubt the most significant thing that has ever happened to me. You made me a mother. You have changed my life. I am such a different person now than I was just over a year ago. I love you.

Nine Months!

Dear Tycho,

As of yesterday you are nine months old. Nine months on the outside. So, give or take a few days (I haven't done the math), you have been on the outside for as long as you were on the inside.

You just get more and more awesome, it's hard to believe. All of the sudden you are on the go. Just a few weeks ago you started rolling over on the regular, and now you're crawling and pulling yourself up. In general, you are in motion. Daddy and I really need to get on this baby-proofing business before you can outrun us.

Little man, you are so charming. Even though this is supposed to be the prime age for seperation anxiety, you just love everyone you meet. Our cousin Alastair said that you are his favorite baby. (Don't tell his god-daughter!) When we took you in for your check-up all the nurses and receptionists swooned. They always do. You light up when you catch sight of your Grandma and Opa. And they do the same when they see you! You are so much fun these days, I think this is my favorite age so far.

I love you to pieces!

Love, Mama

Six Months

Dear Tycho,

You are six months old! Actually, six months and two days, because Mama is a little late with this letter. Anyway, you are amazing. We took you for a checkup to get all weighed and measured and you're such a big boy now! You weigh 24 pounds and 11 ounces, and that puts you in the 99.94 percentile. I never imagined I would have such a big baby, but I wouldn't want it any other way. You are almost 28 inches tall. You've grown so much since our last visit.

Growth "curve" - more like a line, I think.

You have one tooth, and I think another one is on the way. You've figured out how to use it already, working on the apple slices we give you. Speaking of food, you had your first taste of avocado this week. Fun, but messy.

You totally love food. You will try anything, and there hasn't been anything so far that you haven't liked. Sometimes it's a little hard feeding you, since you want to participate in everything, but I don't think you're quite old enough to hold your own spoon just yet.

You're still not really rolling or scooting, but you sometimes lurch forward from sitting, so I don't think crawling is too far off.In any case, you're so big that you look like you could just get up and walk if you wanted to. Even to me.

You are very much YOU, now. You have a definite personality and you are sweet and funny and often demanding. You are very good for Grandma and daycare while I'm at work, but you are so happy to see me when I get home. You love to play with Daddy, and your laughter fills the entire house. You are always wiggling your legs, so it's pretty impressive that they are still so impossibly chubby.

There has been more packed into the short time since you've been born than in any other six month period that I can remember. You are such an awesome little person. I love you!

Love, Mama.

An invitation:

Dear Baby,

Hey baby boy! How are you? I am incredibly uncomfortable.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I don't have any plans for tomorrow, so if you're not busy either maybe you'd want to hang out with me? We could meet up at the birth center. I'll even invite Daddy; he can drive. Let me know if you're interested. You know where to find me.

Love, Mommy

Term

Dear Baby,

We made it! Today we are officially 37 weeks pregnant, which means it's safe for you to come out, anytime you want within the next five weeks. I'm hoping you choose sooner rather than later, though. You're getting really big, and I think we're both a little uncomfortable sharing my body these days. But if you're anything like me and your daddy, you won't make us wait too long. And I'm  pretty sure you're at least a little like me and your daddy. Did you know that he was three weeks early? That would be like you coming TODAY! I don't think we'd be quite 100% prepared for that though, so give us a little time to get all the finishing touches together.

I am probably going to miss this time that I always have you with me and it being just the two of us, but I'm also so excited to get to see you on the outside and to introduce you to everybody. There are just so many people that can't wait to meet you. And I'm sure that you'll be just as thrilled to finally get to see your dad and all your grandparents and your aunts and uncles. They can't wait to meet you, either.

Okay, baby, let's get this show on the road!

Love, Mommy

Dear Baby

Dear Baby,

Daddy was able to feel you moving for the first time last night! You've definitely been kicking strongly enough for a while now, but you seems to quiet down every time he puts his hands on my belly. I think maybe you find his touch calming. He has big strong hands, so it's possible.

You kept me up most of the night with your kicking. You are very active these days, and I feel you all the time. As frustrating as it is not to be able to fall asleep, I still love it. I love the constant reminder that you're here with me. I am always thinking about you and talking to you. I hope you can hear me!

You are getting so big! You and me both. I keep being surprised on almost a daily basis by how quickly things are changing, and how fast we are growing. I'm glad that I can see your presence from the outside now, since we won't be able to peek inside again.

I am doing my best to prepare for your arrival. You now have your very own drawer in my dresser, and I am starting to fill out your wardrobe. You are going to be a very well-dressed little boy. Daddy and I got another car, one that is bigger and safer and warmer for you. Next we are going to figure out who is going to take care of you while we go to work. I will miss you when I am working, but I know you will only benefit from having even more people to love you.

Our friends and family are really excited for your arrival, too. Many parties are being planned in your honor, to help  get ready to welcome you to the world. And next month we are all going to Ohio to visit your grandparents and great-grandparents and assorted aunts and uncles and cousins who are all oh-so-excited about you. You will be the very first born of your generation! We will take you there again once you're on the outside, too, so that you can meet everyone face to face.

I can't wait for July and for you to be here! I love you!

Love, Mommy

Fishy

Dear Baby,

Hello in there. These past few days have been amazing, because I'm starting to be able to feel you move around inside me! I've been hoping it would happen for a few weeks now, and I'd spent a lot of time concentrating on my belly, but I wasn't feeling anything. I've read that it should feel like butterflies or maybe like bubbles popping, but I didn't feel anything at all. But then the other night something was different. It wasn't butterflies or bubbles, but it definitely was you! I think I can most accurately describe it as feeling like a tiny goldfish was swimming around in there. And I guess that makes more sense that insects anyway, since my uterus is an aqueous environment and all.

Anyhow, little fishy, can I just tell you how much I love you? Every new milestone we hit overwhelms me with more love than I thought was possible for someone I haven't even really met before. Next week we have another ultrasound, and we'll get to see you again and find out if you're a him or a her. I will love you no matter what, but I'm really excited to know any thing more about you that I can, and to see your perfect tiny little face and hands and feet.

I feel like the weeks are going by so quickly, and you'll be here sooner than I can imagine. I'm excited to finally hold you in my arms, but I know that I will also miss this time that I am holding you inside me. I love you.

Love, Mommy

Thirteen

13 Weeks

Dear Baby,

Hello! We are thirteen weeks along today! Almost finished up with the first trimester. Everything changed on Monday. Your Daddy and I got to see you for the first time! You are completely amazing.Your heartbeat is strong, and I've already watched the DVD we got from our ultrasound so many times so I could hear it again. You look perfect, and you're just as big as you should be. You have all of your arms and legs and you were waving them around like crazy. I'm glad you're already so feisty, even though I might regret saying that when you're exhausting me next year. I've been carrying your picture around with me everywhere because I'm just so excited and so in love.

You're also really starting to have an effect on my body. A couple weeks ago I started noticing that my pants were fitting tighter, but I wasn't really showing, at least not if I stood with any sort of reasonable posture. But today after I put my belt on, all of the sudden there you were! I was so happy and surprised that I said, "Hello, Baby!" out loud. I couldn't help myself.

This week we've also announced you to the world! Your grandparents and aunties and uncles have known about you almost since the beginning, but you were a secret from everyone else. It was fun for us to have a secret for a little while, but at this point I can't keep the news to myself any longer. Everyone is really excited to meet you, just like we are!

Love, Mommy

Your Facebook Debut

Giving Thanks

Dear Baby,

Today is your first Thanksgiving. Or maybe it is your -1 Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, we will both be eating well today. I can only imagine that your Opa's stuffing will be one of your favorite foods, just like it is one of mine.

Today, and everyday, I am very thankful that you are here. I am looking forward to you getting bigger, to seeing you in an ultrasound, to hearing your little heart beating. I can't wait to feel you move and to share that with your daddy. But wait I will. It will all be worth it, I know. You need to take your time growing all of your important parts.

This time next year, although you won't be big enough to enjoy the food, you'll be celebrating with us. I know you'll love it!

Love, Mommy

Four Weeks

Dear Baby,

Today we are officially four weeks pregnant. Or perhaps not officially, since I haven't been to see a doctor or midwife yet, but I know you're in there. Some women don't even know they are pregnant this early, but I had a feeling you were around last week even.  I'm really glad that I get that extra week of knowing you. According to the books, you are only the size of a poppy seed, but you are certainly making yourself heard. I've been starting to feel sick, but so far it's not so bad.

I think that the kitties are starting to sense that something's up. They are all following me around and staying very close. Even the bunny kitty, who normally doesn't really like me, or people in general. When we took a nap with Daddy today, she curled up on my back. I'm really excited to see how the kitties react to you when you finally arrive.

That's all I have for now. See you in 36 weeks!

Love, Mom