9 weeks

Total weight gain: Even. Down 2 lbs now
Maternity clothes? Nope, but I got some good ones for Christmas!
Sleep: Off and on. Mostly good.
Best moment this week: Christmas!
Gender: Mixed.
Craving: No cravings.
Movement: Nada
Labor Signs: No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Eating once again
What I am looking forward to: NT scan on the 17th
Milestones: GIGANTIC BLOAT of 9 weeks (hides face in shame)

Week 8 Letter--Our Wedding

Dearest LPG,

I have to say, first and foremost, how proud mommy and daddy are of you. You are growing so big and strong. Yesterday, we got to see your precious heartbeat flicker on a screen, and listen to the doctor praise you for measuring perfect. It wasn't rare, he said, but it's always a treat. You, my dear, are a treat to all who know you. You are bringing love and joy to a huge group of people. Please always remember that.

Last week, I told you a little bit about how mommy and daddy met. Today, I wanted to tell you about how we became a family forever. I promise it won't be so gag-worthy :)

In September of 2007, Daddy snuck out to a store and bought your mommy the prettiest ring in all the world. He was planning a big, lavish proposal at Disneyworld, or somewhere else exciting. But once he had the ring in the house, and hid it from me, he couldn't hold back. He couldn't wait. So within a week, he proposed. Our proposal wasn't lavish or "exciting" but it was amazing. We had just gotten home from the gym. I had showered and was busy stuffing my face with Little Caesar's Hot n Ready pizza (Who puts a pizza place next door to a gym?! A very savvy businessman, that's who). Daddy went to shower. After his shower, he called to me from the bedroom. "Honey, could you come here?" It sounded like he needed my help. So I went in, in my pajamas, still chomping pizza, and found your daddy on one knee. He found a way to surprise me. I can't remember what he said. I just remember it was perfect.

We had to pick a summer wedding date, because it was easiest for us to travel in the summer, and we wanted to have our wedding in Michigan. Originally, we were thinking August 1st or 2nd, but there were some struggles and other committments from our friends. So, we settled on August 8th. But first, we had to ask your Granny and Grandpa, because that is THEIR wedding anniversary. They were happy to share :)


Michigan and August are not usually a good combination. It is usally stifflingly hot and humid, so I was terrified for my hair (yes, these were my primary concerns, LPG. My hair). How lucky we were to have the most beautiful weekend in all of the summer. It cooled down to mid 70s, not an ounce of humidity and not a cloud in the sky. Absolutely perfect. Our wedding colors were blue and yellow, to honor the University of Michigan, although we changed the shades slightly :).


My wedding party consisted of: Your aunt Chelsey (my sister) as my Maid of honor, your Aunt Emily (daddy's sister), Aunt Jamie (my best friend), Aunt Rhonda and Aunt Lisa. My goddaughter, Saige, and Lisa's daughter, Kayde, were our flower girls, and Tyler and Riley, were our ring bearers. They all stole the show :) Daddy's side was: Uncle Pat as Best man, Uncle Jon (Daddy's brother), Uncle Ben, Uncle Jason and Uncle Kevin. It was the best wedding party in all of the world.

We took pictures before our ceremony, because the drive between the ceremoy and the reception was about an hour, and we didn't want to make anyone wait for us. Daddy looked so very handsome all day, and everyone else looked gorgeous. Our pictures were perfect.


Then it was time for the big moment. Daddy's cousin Jacob played organ and piano for the processional. But for Mommy's turn, two of her dear friends joined on cello and violin and played "Con Ti Partiro." Walking to Daddy was the most amazing moment of my life (before finding out about you, now it's definitely you!). I knew that this day would be perfect, and that I would be his wife the next time I walked out of the church. Aunt Alana and Aunt Stacie read from the Bible throughout our ceremony, and Pastor Winningham did an amazing job. It was a perfect ceremony. One day, I'll show you the video.


Afterwards, we all piled into our gigantic hummer limo, where Daddy yelled out the window that he was married :) There were lots of toasts and general festivities before we arrived to the reception. Our reception was amazing. Aunt Jamie made the most beautiful centerpieces, and Aunt Chelsey helped to create the awesome place cards. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect setting.

Daddy and I danced to "Forever" by Ben Harper.
I danced with your Grandpa to "Rope the Moon" by John Michael Montgomery. I know that you will think your daddy could rope the moon, too. We surprised Granny and Grandpa by playing their wedding song so they could dance. Daddy danced with Nana to "Have I told you lately" by Rod Stewart. Our wedding party danced to "You've got a friend in me" from Toy Story. Then, we ate delicious food, delicious cake, and partied all night long. Mommy didn't even get to have one single drink! We had over 200 people to thank and hug. It as a spectacular party, and the only thing we did wrong was not having an exit strategy. We were basically there until everyone left. But that was ok, because we just got to enjoy the night even more.

LPG, I tell you this so you can know how incredibly in love your parents are. We had the wedding of our dreams. We would not have changed a single moment, and we loved it all. We are so very lucky to have such wonderful families and friends who contributed to our perfect evening. We went to Oahu for our honeymoon, and had the most amazing week, parasailing, taking helicopter tours, and learning about Hawaiian culture. One day, we will take you there, too, because it's so amazing. As your parents, we hope to give you the most perfect day of your life one day. We hope that you will grow up and find the one special person, whoever it may be, that makes you feel complete and whole. The person that you couldn't imagine not having in your life, and that even when they drive you crazy, you love them more than words can say.


Our dearest baby, you were born because of this unending love. No matter what happens in the world, or in your life, please know how deeply we love each other, and how deeply we love you. Our lives have been so magical up to this point that we can hardley believe we will be given a gift as precious as you to make it even better. But we are so thankful for the opportunity, and we promise to give you everything you've ever dreamed of.

Oh and also, Daddy won his game tonight. It was a good game. I know you were watching right along with me.

Love and free throws,
Mommy

8 weeks and First Ultrasound!

Total weight gain: Down 3 lbs as of this morning. The sinus infection and food aversions are helping that out.
Maternity clothes? Not for a while yet, considering my regular jeans are falling off of me.
Sleep: Pretty good
Best moment this week: Seeing LPG on the u/s machine, measuring PERFECTLY to the day.
Gender: Def feeilng boy all week long
Craving: Eggs, thanks to Ashley. But on the whole, not really a fan of any food.
Movement: Nada
Labor Signs: No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Eating? I haven't felt like eating because when I do, I gag.
What I am looking forward to: NT scan on the 18th
Milestones: Knowing LPG is a perfect A Student

And without further ado.... LPG!

I have no idea what I'm looking at, but I love it desperately.

Dear Little Point Guard--Week 7

Hello my dearest little one.

I know that you can't hear or feel me yet, but I am talking to you every day. So is Daddy. We are so excited to seeing you in a week. The thought of having you here with us makes us overwhelmed with joy. We cannot wait to meet you.

My dear little point guard, although we feel as though we know you quite well, you are just meeting us for the first time. I want our letters to explain a little bit about who your parents are, as well as other important things that I hope you will one day know. I want to tell you this week about how Mommy and Daddy met.

In 2002, I had just graduated high school. I desperately wanted to attend the University of Michigan. However, I waited too long to send in my application, and was placed on the waitlist. My heart was broken, so I committed to MSU. However, late in that year, I got an acceptance packet to Michigan. MSU disappeared from my mind instantly. I registered for the cheapest room that I possible could--an economy triple. That is essentially 3 people in an 11 by 17 room. I was placed in West Quad, which is typically a sophomore and athlete dorm. It was quite terrifying, being one fo the few freshmen in a place where everyone already knew each other. But it all turned out ok.

Within my first week, I had met a group of boys from the floor below me. Many of them were from Okemos, and others were from elsewhere, but they were very nice. I instantly had a crush on one of them. I'm sorry, though, LPG, I wish I could tell you that my first college crush was on your daddy. But it wasn't. It was on his flirty friend with blonde hair. Your daddy was very nice, but I didn't notice him much for the first week. At the end of the first week, while some of the girls went out to get wasted, the boys organized a bowling night. That sounded more like something I was interested in. While I was there, however, I started realizing how Daddy's friend was just a flirt, and how cute Daddy's smile was with his little dimple. We talked a lot that night. We walked home, and there was a slight chill in the air. Daddy was wearing a white t-shirt with a yellow button down over it. He took it off and gave it to me. It was pale yellow, like butter, and it smelled amazing as I put it on. I could tell from that little shy smile that he was happy I was wearing it.

We talked a lot the next few days. I discovered he was in an a capella group, which was something I had considered trying out for. I watched him perform one night--he sang "My Sherona." Ask Auntie Susan about it one day, it makes her giggle :) He helped me put together a song to audition for a group, and the sweet little man didn't even have the heart to tell me that I was awful ;) After my audition, I had went home for the weekend, when I received a frenzied phone call from my roommates. "CHRIS WAS HERE! HE WANTED TO TALK TO YOU! HE LIKES YOU!!!!!" The two shouted. I couldn't rush back, but the seed was planted, and I knew that this was going to be something special.

We spent the next few weeks inseperable. Daddy took me on my first date--to a little Italian place, Palios, on Main Street. He brought me a flower. We walked up and down main street after, talking about sports and our families. We met each other's parents, and we took a weekend trip to Chicago over Fall Break. Daddy and I often joke that we condensed a 3 year relationship into a 2 month span. We fell in love and we fell hard, but we became to dependent on one another. Well, I become too dependent on him, since spending all of my time with him prevented me from making a large number of friends (although, as you'll find, I've never been a social butterfly). At the end of October, Daddy and I decided it would be best to go our seperate ways (read: Daddy decided lol).

We spent the next 2 years as friends, but dated occasionally. We dated other people and took time to grow individually. However, no matter who we met, no matter what we did, something always led us back to one another. We both went through some dark times while we were apart. We even dated for a solid 6 months in 2004, but it still wasn't time for us to be together yet. The thing is, LPG, love stories aren't always perfect. Sometimes, life gets in the way, and sometimes, we have to learn hard lessons. But one thing Daddy and I know for sure is that everything on our path happened so that we could be together now, and be as blissfully happy as we are.

One cold night in December of 2004, Daddy showed up on Mommy's front porch. It was the day before he would leave for Christmas break. And it was the day, from that point on, that Mommy and Daddy would be together forever. Since that night, there has been nothing but us. Nothing but love. In 2005, Daddy moved to California to teach, while Mommy had to finish her senior year of college. Upon completion, I joined Daddy in California, and never looked back. He is, without a doubt, the man meant for me. Your Daddy has an uncanny way of making Mommy feel like the most amazing, the most special person in all the world. I know he will do the same for you, too. I love him so desperately, and I would do anything for him. I am thankful for everything that led us to each other.

LPG, at one point in your life, this story may make you gag. Hopefully, later, you will appreciate it. But please know that sometimes, even when things seem darkest and surely won't work out, they do. They lead you to where you were meant to be, and who you were meant to be there with. You just have to trust your heart, and follow its lead.

Love always,
Your Momma

7 weeks

Total weight gain: Still 0 lbs, and I'm glad for that!
Maternity clothes? Nope, although it is getting tougher to hide this silly little bloat
Sleep: Has been good except for last night.
Best moment this week: I can't say anything stands out
Gender: got my first girl feeling....
Craving: Nothing in particular
Movement: Nada
Labor Signs: No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Not being crampy all the time!
What I am looking forward to: 1 week from today!!!! Ultrasound!!!
Milestones: Is the bloat a milestone?

Dear Little Point Guard--week 6

Hi, baby. It's your momma. Hopefully you know who I am, since I am the one you will be growing inside of for the next 8 months.

LPG, I want you to know, right away, before I say anything else, how loved you are. Already. You are just the size of a sweetpea, but you are loved beyond my capacity to even understand. Me and your daddy wanted you very much, and we are so thankful and blessed that you are ours. Your grandparents love you, your aunts and uncles love you, and tons of people you haven't even met yet, and may never, love and care for you. If you are anything, my littlest one, it is loved.

My plan on this blog is to create a virtual scrapbook for you to have one day. You will be able to see the pictures of you as you grew in my tummy, and hear about all the things I went through while I had you with me. No matter what, I want you to know that you are worth anything. I would already do anything for you, to make you happy and give you a good life.

My precious one, I have so much to tell you about. I can't wait to write about your daddy, and how me and him met and fell in love. I can't wait to tell you about your dog and cat, who already seem to know that things are different. I can't wait to tell you about the wonderful family you will be born into. I can't wait to tell you about our world today--a world still without you, but anxious to know you.

But for now, I just want to say that you have already met a very important member of your family. Your great-grandpa, my papa, he went to be with God and the angels just days before we found out about you. I know, LPG, that when he got to heaven, God pulled him aside and gave him the very special honor of picking you. He held you, and rocked you, and said, "Yes, this is the baby for Alyssa and Chris." He gave you a sweet kiss on your forehead, and then sent you along to be our light during the dark times of his absence. I am glad that you got to meet him, and feel his warmth and see his smile. And I am so thankful that he picked you.

You, Little Point Guard, are so special and precious to us already. We can't wait to see you, for the first time, in 2 weeks. I hope to carry you on a safe journey, and fill you with love and happiness until the time when you are in my arms. As I say goodbye for today, I'd like to share with you the lyrics to the lullaby your daddy is already practicing every night to sing to you.

"Like a baby when it is sleeping
In its loving mother's arms
What a newborn baby dreams is a mystery
But his life will find a purpose
And in time he'll understand
When the river meets the sea."

With all our love and 3 point shots,
Momma and Daddy.

6 weeks

Total weight gain: 0 lbs! Yay!
Maternity clothes? Not happening for a while, I hope.
Sleep: This baby is the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. I sleep very well.
Best moment this week: Christopher practicing his chosen lullaby.
Gender: No idea. Chris says boy. Chinese Gender chart says boy.
Craving: SPICYSPICYSPICYSPICY
Movement: If gas counts as movement lol
Labor Signs: No.
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Beer. I mean, not a lot. But I do miss it.
What I am looking forward to: 2 weeks until the first ultrasound!
Milestones: I would say 6 weeks is a milestone. Our baby is the size of a sweetpea!

First Craving?

Want to know how I am sure this is my husband's child? (I mean, I'm definitely sure but you know lol)

All I have wanted is SPICY SPICY things.

Yesterday, I had to have nachos. THankfully, the bball snackbar was open. When I got there, I saw the jalapenos. I covered my nachos in them.

I NEVER do that!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Pictures so far.

Helllooooooo LPG!



4 weeks.



5 weeks (at the airport!)

Game Time

If you are reading this blog, then you already know, but it's fun to type and/or say, so I will.

I'm pregnant!

5 weeks 2 days, to be exact.

I found out on Thursday, November 18th. I was 11DPO and couldn't resist the urge to test early. I used a digital, and then took 6 more tests. You know, I had to be sure :)

This blessing came at a very bittersweet time in our lives. My beloved Papa passed away suddenly, and his funeral was held on the 17th. It is hard to combine the saddest and happiest days of one's life, but here we are. I am convinced that my Papa's first job as an angel was to pick the perfect baby for us. He got up to heaven, God hugged him and then said, "I have a very important job for you." He picked the perfect baby. He held it, and rocked it, and then he sent it on to us.

But, it is still a blessing, and a very hoped for one at that. Chris found out via phone, which wasn't what I had pictured, but he was very excited. We decided to call our baby "Little Point Guard" for now, until we know the gender and decide on a real name.

I will keep this blog updated for all of you to see progress, hear tales of symptoms (which there aren't many of right now), and stay informed as LPG grows.