(Week 7) Tuesday, December 20th

Dear Blake,

     I love you little man; so, so much! You take up almost all of my time and I wouldn't have it any other way. We hardly cook, we never clean, and yet we always make it out. At lease once a day you and I go on an adventure to the store or to work. We have some pretty fun times, I will tell you that. This little number you are in is not your favorite thing to wear in the car. I think you might even hate it. But that doesn't matter, because I love it. It makes you look like a little bear. Sometimes I call you Little Bear, but I don't know if you have an official nick name yet. We call you very many things around here. Don't worry, they are mostly nice names. Papa calls you Little Man a whole lot. I also have him calling you Brother and Budders. He doesn't like Budders, but it just comes out all on it's own. For me it is just a combination of Buddy and Little Brothers, both of the nicknames at the top of my list. Sometimes we call you stinky, but not often enough for it to stick. 

     Well, you keep me up at night, but I still love you. Things have been going very well and we hope to keep it up!

                                             Love, Mommy

(Week 6) Tuesday, December 13th

Dear Blake,

Yesterday marked the beginning of the twelve days of Christmas! Yesterday was also the worst day I have had in a long while. Most of it was spent on the floor of the bathroom with a severe case of flu, the worst kind of flu. You know the kind. Well, you probably don't, but I am not going to spoil it for you. You will know it when you get hit with it. Papa Superman had to take care of you the entire day. You got out of the house and spent most of it at LaLa's house. I finally crawled from the bathroom around two in the afternoon and flopped in to bed. Yes, this took all of my strength. 

Everything ached, even my fingers and toes. Papa came and checked on me and brought me his Grandmother's secret flu serum to drink. It was lovely, and combined with some saltines did the trick. No more barfs! I got a lovely pair of warm slipper socks for my first gift of Christmas and they helped keep me warm. By today I was feeling so much better. I was mobile and able to take much better care of you. Everyone else was spared the terrible flu, which was a relief, especially because you didn't get sick. 

You are still just as healthy and happy as ever. Right now you are really starting to play and interact with us. We put little toys on your set and you bat at them with your little paws. You have scratched yourself several times, and boy do you get mad! I have to sit back and laugh, but then I always try to fold over the mittens on your shirt so you don't do it again. 

Loves always,

Momma

(Week 5) Tuesday, December 6th

Dear Baby Blake,

Here we are. Another week flown right by us an you keeping right up with the trend. I cannot believe you are getting soooo big. Sometimes I really hate it. We already have had to up the straps on your car seat twice. It just blows my mind, honestly it does. That is why I love to spend every moment with you. If I blink something might slip right by. 

Well, this month is going to be a busy one with Christmas coming. We will be spending a lot of our time with family, but we already do that anyway. Up until now we have stayed cozy in the bed upstairs, getting out for a trip to lunch or G.G.'s house every once in a while. Tio and Papa are usually huddled in the downstairs playing the new Zelda. You and I go down to watch once in a while. All is well and I wouldn't have it any other way

Love you little man,

Momma

(Week 4) Tuesday, November 22nd

Dear Blake, 

You baby, are a chunk. Though I don't believe it is in an excessive way. Today we did some fancy weighing magic and you are already 10 lbs 6 oz. I can feel it every time I lift you from the pack n' play. You getting hefty and I love every jowl and jelly roll. Yep, you are cute and cuddly. Yesterday you spit up a lot, spouting like Ole Faithful the minute I finished feeding you. You not only nailed yourself, but me, the bed spread, my pillow, and even the floor. Not pretty little one, not pretty. It made me feel so awful. You looked so stunned after and I couldn't believe how much came up. It was gross, to say the least. It was also kind of horrifying. I wiped you clean, changed your clothes, and you fell right to sleep. It must be hard spitting up that much,m because you were plum tuckered after. Fortunately we still had plenty of dirty diapers and the scale to prove you are still getting exactly the nutrition you need. I cannot believe how quickly you are changing before my eyes. K.B. my little man with the thick belly and projectile spit ups.

Loves Always, 

Yo Mama

(Week 3) Tuesday, November 15th

Dear Baby Boy,

Week three and we are starting to get a routine down. Our morning usually starts around 4 a.m. We wake up again at 8 a.m. Most of these wakings include a dirty diaper and a twenty minute breastfast. Then it is back to bed for both of us. We usually decide to finally start the day around 10 a.m. I get to hop in the shower because Daddy has exceptional FMLA leave. He gets to be home for 12 whole weeks. I love it because this means I get a lengthy shower every day and you get to have some Daddy time. Once we are all dressed we usually spend the rest of the day hanging around the house. We migrate from the bedroom to the living room. Sometimes we eat lunch. We always take naps. We listen to audiobooks, watch some of our favorite shows, and will usually pop in a movie around dinner time. Papa gets his time in the garage, mama gets her time out of the house. All in all we are loving this stage of parenthood. We have also taken you on some outings. We have visited LaLa, G.G., and Doc Willis. I love hooking you up in the car seat and breaking out of dodge. It is nice to break free. I have to say, people are always shocked that I am taking you out in public so young and in the "bad" weather. Guess what kiddo? You are doing super great and I hope you keep it up. No sickies and no colds. Just one healthy little baby. 

Love You,

Mommy

(Week 2) Tuesday, November 8th

Dear Little Buddy,

Two weeks already gone! We had our two week visit with Doc today to check on things. Baby, you are now 21 inches and 8 lbs, 12 oz. Doc says it usually takes a baby at least this long to get back to their original birth weight. So yes, my K.B., you are a chunker. And apparently you have a large, strong chest. This is something the Doc told us after he gave you a few good thumps in the chest. They made me cringe a little, but you didn't even stir. At least, you didn't stir until Doc unhitched the diaper. Then the wailing began. It was almost like you were saying, "Hey! I remember the last time you did that and it was not pleasant!" Superman and I were relieved when doc said you didn't have a heart murmur. Everything looks great! Yeah Buddy. 

Love You,

Momma

(Week 1) Friday, November 4th

Dear Baby Blake,

You are here! My little buddy, you are growing and changing right before my eyes from day to day. It seems like just yesterday I saw you for the very first time and now that little tiny baby is all gone and I have a new newborn every time I turn around. You are getting heavy, you are getting expressive, and you are going through diapers like it is the end of the world. I confess, I miss my brand baby newborn, but am loving my little K.B. more and more each day. I cannot wait to see the boy, teenager, and man you become. Baby newborn will be missed, but it is still very exciting.

Love Love Love,

Momma

(Week 35) Thursday, Sept 22nd

(Week 35) Thursday, Sept 22^nd

Baby Honeydew,

            Your melon is just getting bigger now and you are feeling pretty hefty in there too. Resources suggest you can be up to five pounds by this point and that you are quickly running out of room. I believe it. I lay down and you are in my ribs. I roll to one side and you stick out. I roll to the other and you kick my liver. Really kid, I would appreciate it if you would stop picking on my internal organs. They can’t take much more of your abuse. Fortunately the end is near, about one month or so away.

            The reason I am writing to you is because I need a break from writing boring articles for my freelance job. I was told the month of September would be fairly slow, in fact I may not have any work at all. I was excited about this, thinking I would finally have the time I needed to start getting things done around the house. Not with my luck, little one. Turns out I am still working just as hard at writing articles as I have in the past. In fact, I may be working harder. Eeps! I don’t know how much longer my lower back can take in my thrown of pillows. Not only do I have to find a way to support you, but I also have to be able to see my laptop. Quite the feat little one, because you stick out so far.

            I love watching your little kicks and wiggles. You thump here and bump there. I can feel you and sometimes I can even see parts of you. Mostly your bummy is what is poking out.

            Well, I better get back to it. I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you and loving you. It happens more and more every day.

                        Always yours,

                                    Momma

(Week 35) Wednesday, Sept 21st

(Week 35) Wednesday, Sept 21^st

Well Little One,

            Today Ryan McKenna was born and now GG wants to have a little baby to hold. Her very own grandbaby boy. That is you, but thank goodness you are showing no real signs of making a break for it because Papa and Mama are NOT ready. I mean yes, we want you here and with us. Yes we want to see, and meet, and cuddle you. But no, we do not even have a crib for you to sleep in. We do not have any newborn diapers. We do not have any wipes, or bottles, or binks. All we really have is a newborn Halloween costume. You will be a cute and cuddly monkey your first year. Hope you don’t mind.

            But when Steph showed up with baby Ryan we all were a little covetous of that perfection only a newborn can bring. She is one big newborn, and I hope you are not nearly as big. I am already scared enough about bringing you into this world. Let us not make it any more difficult on your mommy, agreed?

                        All My Heart,

                                    Momma

(Week 35) Tuesday, September 20th

(Week 35) Tuesday, Sept 20^th

Dear Monkey Bum,

            Tonight we went sorting through some of Great Grandma Gygi’s things. It was fun for me to sift through drawers and find treasures hidden throughout. What was more fun was sitting and chatting with my cousin Steph while we sorted. Her baby is coming tomorrow morning, guaranteed. You will love Steph. She makes me laugh and makes me cringe about all the things to expect in the hospital. This little Ryan Mckenna is going to be your closest relative as far as age goes. She will be Steph’s second baby, but the first was nine years ago so there is a bit of a gap there. Yet she still remembers her first pregnancy vividly. I tell you, at some points she had me wanting to run for my life. Your arrival is avidly anticipated, despite all the hideous and horrifying things I have heard about labor and delivery.

                        Always and Forever,

                                    Momma