32 Weeks and Happy Holidays!

As you can all see, the baby had a huge growth spurt in the last month. I went from kind of showing to there is no question that there is a baby in there! I am often met in public with questions, "when is the baby due", "is it a boy or girl", and the random strangers touching my stomach. My 8 month appointment went well. The baby measured just right, the doctor tried to feel if the head was down, but wasn't quite able to tell yet. Now we start going every two weeks to see the doctor. The baby continues to practice gymnastics in my stomach every day, or as Mike says, gets his or her cycling legs ready. (: Mike continues to talk to the baby everyday and is ready to get to have some of caretaking on his shoulders. He just said to the baby last night, "I am tired of you being in mommy's stomach, I want to hold you!" He often puts his head on my stomach in hopes of being kicked in the head. It is amazing to have a partner that is so excited to be a dad, it has been the most amazing experience for us as a couple.

We continue to get things ready to bring the baby home. The room is finally starting to look like a baby's room with a crib, dresser, etc. Perhaps one of the coolest and most sentimental items in the baby's room is the rocking chair that my parents used to rock my sister and I. My dad recently gave it to me and I have already sat in it thinking how amazing it is that I will be rocking my own baby in it soon. The emotions Mike and I are both going through in anticipating the birth of our first child are amazing. We can't believe the amount of love we already have for this little one, and we think daily of how amazing it is going to be when the baby is born. We feel so incredibly blessed and can't believe our little one will be here in just two months.

On a different note, we want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years. We approach 2007 knowing for a fact that it will change our lives forever with the birth of our child and look forward to all that will accompany that. We look back at 2006 with wonderful memories, we celebrated our first anniversary as husband and wife, we celebrated our second year in our home with lots of improvements continuing to be made, we both were healthy and employed and we are surrounded by the most amazing friends and family. We pray that each and every one of our family and friends is blessed in the coming year and we continue to be incredibly grateful for all of you.

All our love,
Mike and Jill