12 Weeks, 5 Days

Dear Baby Batts #2,

It’s the last day of 2016. Starting tomorrow, I can say, “Baby Batts #2 is going to be born THIS YEAR!” which is really exciting. 

We went to a New Year’s Eve party tonight – it ended at 8:15pm, right after the ball drop in New York City and we plan on going to be early for church tomorrow. Dada and I are planning on taking you and Ruth to Ghana next December for a mission trip to serve with the Gelatts, so next New Year’s Eve, we could be in Africa. Wouldn’t that be fun?!

We’ll be writing our list of Imaginings for 2017 soon. Our family will be growing this year (numerically, yes, but hopefully also spiritually!), but we also want to invest in retirement, get in better shape, etc. It’s going to be a big year, that’s for sure!

Oh baby, we love you…

Love,

Mama

12 Weeks

Dear Baby Batts #2,

Today, you are 12 weeks old in mama’s tummy! This week, your little earlobes have developed, your reflexes are kicking in, and you are already squirming around in my tummy. I can’t quite feel it yet, but you’re the size of a lime and I might be able to soon!

I had today off work, so we went on a family date day in Palmer this afternoon. Dada and I like to get coffee together, so we drove through our favorite coffee stand (and even got a steamed milk for Ruth). We parted the car, bundled up, and walked around a little bit. It was COLD and windy, so we hopped in and out of stores together, too. We didn’t buy anything (we were all spoiled over Christmas!) but had a lot of fun. After a little bit, it got too cold… so we headed to Wasilla. We looked around Value Village for a few minutes before going to dinner. We ate at Mat-Su Family Restaurant (one of our local favorites). It was practically empty so we enjoyed a delicious and very filling meal in a quiet atmosphere.

Family Date Days are one of our favorite traditions. Soon you’ll be bundled up (probably in mama’s carrier) and adventuring with us. Yay!!

Love,

Mama

11 Weeks, 6 Days

Dear Baby Batts #2,

Merry Christmas!

It’s different being pregnant this Christmas. I think of Mary, expecting her first child – the Son of God – and how she must have felt traveling a long distance to Bethlehem. I think of how her time came for Jesus to be born and how scared she must have been, in that dark and cold barn. And I think of you, nestled safe in my tummy, warm and secure and healthy and happy.

We celebrate the life of our Lord and Savior today, baby… and we celebrate the life He is growing inside me, too.

Love,

Mama

11 Weeks, 4 Days

Dear Baby Batts #2,

Tonight, we are having a formal Christmas dinner with our College & Career Bible study group. We’re excited… but especially because now everyone knows about you! We posted the photo of your 4^th little stocking, all hanging in a row, this week on Facebook. The word is out and excitement is mounting!

Next Christmas, you will be here with us on the outside, already rolling over and getting into things. I’m sure you’ll want to be chasing your big sister all over the house, eating foods, and starting to play. And we can’t wait.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. We are just hanging out at home in the morning and going to the Christmas Eve service at church that night. I’m wearing my new purple / blue lacey dress that highlights my small (but growing!) bump; dada is wearing gray pants, a cream shirt and a purple tie; Ruth is wearing a gold and cream dress.

I love you, little one!

Love,

Mama

11 Weeks, 2 Days

Dear Baby Batts #2,

Today is my second midwife appointment with Donna. I’m excited to hear your little heartbeat this afternoon. Your BIG heartbeat, I hope! Dada and Ruth are coming to the appointment with me, so that Donna can meet Ruth. She provided all of her prenatal care, too!

All day today (starting at about 6:30am, if not sooner), I have felt so sick. I have a sore throat and congested sinuses. But even more than that, my stomach has been hurting. I threw up a little this morning and have felt like I needed to again all day. Yucky.

You and I took a two-hour bath last night! We played Candy Crush and read. It was so nice and relaxing and I loved that quietness with you, your heart beating beneath mine.

I love you, little one. XOXO

Love,

Mama

11 Weeks

Dear Baby Batts #2,

You are 11 weeks and about the size of a lime! Your face is distinct now, with ears in their final place (almost!), lips and mouth formed, and open passages in your nose. You are getting longer and straighter – no more curving around for you! Your paper-thin skin is translucent, but your bones are in place. They are starting to harden, but are still soft… that means it’s easier for you to tumble around in utero!

I’ve been seeing a chiropractor recently (due to some pain in my jaw) and it’s helped my back a lot, too. I’ll probably keep going, even though my jaw feels better, but maybe not all the time. Back pain is no Bueno!

THIS WEEK we get to hear your heartbeat again! The day after tomorrow… the winter solstice… yay! Speaking of winter, we got a lot of snow this last weekend, so it finally looks like winter again. Unfortunately, the wind picked up and blew some of it away. Winter solstice also means the days will be getting longer again which is always nice!

Today after work, I have a chiropractor appointment, then we’re going to Memaw and Papa’s house for dinner and to help them with a couple projects. They’re trying to finish their house so they can put it on the market and then move to Oregon. We are really going to miss them!!

Well, baby – we pray for you daily: that you grow strong and healthy, that you keep developing as you need to, and that Wednesday’s appointment goes well.

So keep it up! You’re doing great.

Love,

Mama

10 Weeks, 5 Days

Dear Baby Batts #2,

Today we celebrated Christmas with Memaw and Papa, since they’ll be out of state on Christmas. We ate a yummy lunch, read the Christmas story from the Bible, prayed, and opened presents. And guess what! You even got presents!

Memaw and Papa gave you a beautiful muslin swaddle blanket and some gray Burts Bees onesies. So cozy, but lightweight, and perfect for our summer baby!

I made Memaw a braided wool rug for their cabin in Oregon. I can’t wait to take you and Ruth down there and see you crawling around all over it while we watch you and chat. I’m sure Ruthie and cousin Blaire will be running all over the ranch and you’ll be wanting to chase after them!

For now, though, I’m glad you get to be with just me – inside just my tummy. Soon I’ll get to feel you moving and kicking, stretching and reaching. Magical.

Oh baby. We can’t wait to meet you!

Love,

Mama

10 Weeks, 2 Days

Dear Baby Batts #2,

ONE MORE WEEK until we hear your heartbeat again! I can’t wait. It is such a lovely lovely sound and I feel so much better knowing we can hear it and you’re still doing okay.

The other day, your dada pulled out his stethoscope and we tried to listen to you through my tummy… but no luck yet! You’re still too little for us to pick up on it. That’s okay. One week from today, we’ll be back in Donna’s office, with my shirt up over my belly button, and blue goo spread all around while we listen with the Doppler. Yay.

Until then – keep growing, little one! We love you

Love,

Mama

10 Weeks

Dear Baby Batts #2,

At ten weeks in utero, your vital organs are functioning and will continue to mature. Your head is about half the length of your body, your fingernails and toenails are growing already on your no-longer-webbed digits, and your hair is starting to fill in. You can swallow amniotic fluid and kick! Wow! Who knows – maybe those little kicking legs will turn you into a karate or ballet master!

I’m finally feeling like I’m over that terrible tummy flu I had last week… it was rough! Thanks for sticking through it with me, little one.

Christmas is in less than two weeks and we are busy packing boxes to mail to Alabama, addressing Christmas cards, wrapping presents, etc. I found an ornament on line that your dada ordered to add to our tree: it has a mama, a dada, a little girl, and the mama has a baby bump!! I labeled all of us and we put it front-and-center on the tree in our living room.

When we go to stores, I look for things to put in your bedroom when the time comes… but since we don’t know if you’re a little he or she (but dada says “HE”!!), we will wait. We’ll have to do some massive decluttering and reorganizing when the time comes so that you can fit in your room. But of course, at first, you’ll sleep in our room in the cradle.

The preparations are so worth it, little one, for you to be in our family and in our arms next summer!

Love,

Mama

9 Weeks, 6 Days

Dear Baby Batts #2,

This morning, in Sunday School, I said, “I have a praise! I’m almost at the end of my first trimester which means no more morning sickness!” People said, “Oh, great!... WHAT?! I had no idea!”

And your dada and I just smiled and laughed.

Love love love,

Mama

9 Weeks, 5 Days

Dear Baby Batts #2,

Your dada and I went to our Sunday School Christmas party tonight and I know I was showing a lot! I kept expecting someone to ask, but no one mentioned the size of my growing tummy. We’re planning on mentioning you during praises and prayer requests at church tomorrow, but for one more night, you are (mostly) our little secret.

Love,

Mama

9 Weeks, 4 Days

Dear Baby Batts #2,

Tonight, we told our College & Career group that you are coming! Well, actually, we hung up an itty bitty crocheted stocking, next to our stockings, and tucked your ultrasound picture inside… and waited for them to notice.

Finally, right after we started Bible study, Auntie Juliet interrupted and said, “Wait, can I ask a question off-topic?” I said yes, and she just pointed to your stocking and asked, “Is that…? Are you…?” I grinned, laughed, and said yes!

Cailtin and Caleb were both there and it took them a couple minutes to catch on. Then Caleb exclaimed, “You’re having another KID?!” and Caitlin jumped up to hug me and look at your picture.

So much joy already, baby. You bring so much joy to us.

It makes me so happy to see your little stocking hanging up by ours. You are already such an important part of our family and I know you will bring an extra something special to our lives.

We love you.

Love,

Mama

9 Weeks

Dear Baby Batts #2,

I spent all day yesterday so sick with a stomach bug… and it was especially sad since it was Ruth’s first birthday! I kept praying that you were okay, deep in my tummy, and that this wasn’t affecting you at all.

You are now 9 weeks old… nearly an inch long, your eyes are fully formed. Your facial features are developing, and soon my placenta will be developed! Your little “tail” disappears this week (yay!) meaning that you look more like a little baby and less like a little froggie. Your joints are functioning and you can move all around. You could even make a fist and suck your thumb if you wanted to! You are a true miracle, little one, and learning about how you are growing and changing is so exciting.

We love you to the moon, our little nine-week-baby!

Love,

Mama

8 Weeks, 4 Days

Dear Baby Batts #2,

You have made your mama so nauseous and so sleepy the last couple weeks! I took a 45-minute nap yesterday at 5:00pm… and still slept like a rock all night long! I’ve been eating anti-nausea drops like they’re going out of style (and made your dada order me some more on Amazon at 11:00pm last night!).

Right now, I have an absolute aversion to potatoes – which is so weird; I used to want them for breakfast every day! But the thought of them makes my stomach churn. I could eat Mexican food just about any time (mmm, nachos and quesadillas), love toast and pancakes lately, and have been eating grapes and mandarin oranges like they’re going out of style.

So far, only three people at work know about you, little one: Charity, Luke, and Marianne. Although, my tummy is starting to pooch out more and I wouldn’t be surprised if more people have guessed!

We got our Christmas cards in the mail yesterday. We signed them, “With Love, Allen, Melissa, Ruth, and Baby # 2 (due July 2017!)”. I am SO excited to mail them to our friends and family. When we decorate for Christmas after Ruth’s birthday, we are going to hang up a mini stocking for you and just wait for our college and career small group students to notice! Then I’ll probably take a picture and put it on Facebook as my cover photo.

Oh baby… we can’t wait to hear your heartbeat and see your little face!

Love you to the moon,

Mama