Shhh! The baby is sleeping!

Dear Kacie,

I had a couple over to sign a lease. They have a daughter they are potty training and she needed to use the restroom while here so she saw the crib set up in your room. A few minutes later her dad laughed at something and she said "Shhhh! The baby is sleeping!" He hadn't seen the crib and said "Uh, I don't think there is a baby!"

It was so cute that the little girl was so concerned! but it made me just so excited for when I actually do have a sleeping baby!! Although I hear it won't be for another year after you are born!

And yet, I'm still so excited!

So my cousin Danielle is getting married in a week and a half. I'm not really sure what she would be to you but we'll just call her Aunsin (aunt + cousin) Dano. Anyway, she's getting married and so my family is coming up to Utah for the wedding. They won't be here for long but I am going to get to drive home with them and spend a few days at your grandparents house! This will be the first time you get to meet your aunts and uncles and grandparents. I am pretty stoked about it!

Since I live in Utah, your Aunt Ang was sad that she wouldn't get to have a baby shower for me. But this works out perfectly because now I can share something special with them before you get here!

I went online to register for baby stuff at Target and let me tell you, I don't even know where to begin with what stuff I'm supposed to have to take care of you.

I decided bottles would be a safe bet that I'm going to need so I started with that. When the page came up, there were like 66 different kinds of bottles! AAHH! How in the world am I supposed to know what you'll need?

I tried registering for a diaper bag. Simple right?

Wrong.

There were like 58 different ones and the cute ones don't even have the necessities like bottle pockets on the side! Not that you will have bottles anyway since I don't even know how to pick one!

There were 73 different 'bouncers' and they all swear that they are the best. But half of them look the same to me and half look so high tech I don't know why a baby would need one.

I'm so excited to have a shower. Mostly because I haven't seen a lot of my friends for a long time and it'll be nice to sit and visit with the ones that can make it!

Except let's be honest; everyone will just come so that they can buy adorable baby clothes for you. No one really cares about seeing me!

Just kidding ;)

Dad got to feel you kick and move again last night. Its so much fun! I still just love to see him get all soft and giggly for you. He'll be mad at me for describing him with those words. It'll ruin his manly image. He'll get over it.

Oh, and my pants are starting to get tight! I still haven't decided if it's a good thing or not. I'm 22 weeks pregnant and I just look like I've been ditching out on the gym! I'm hoping you'll start to grow a little more so we can get past the 'chunky lazy girl' look.

Also, last week when I was having to answer the door to collect rent I had five different people say on three different days "I'm so sorry! Did I wake you up?" And I was like "No, it's 4:00 in the afternoon and I even showered today. These don't even look like pajamas!"

Then, Aunt Ang called one day and asked if she had woken me up.

My cousin Desiree asked me if she woke me up.

And today, your aunt Mallory called and asked if she woke me up!

Apparently, we should start calling me "Chunky, lazy, zombie girl!"

I will admit though that I have been more tired lately. Not like I don't get enough sleep but I get tired a lot faster now after doing things.

Anyway, I'm all over the place with this post so I guess I'll go now... Not that I really have anything else to do. Although I am working on making you a quilt!

We love you Kacie!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Kicks, Laziness and Elephants!

Dear Kacie,

You are 21 weeks and 4 days old today. I can hardly believe you've been growing inside me for 4 months already!

You got so excited on Wednesday for some reason. You were moving around so much and kicking too! I thought you would stop after a few seconds but you kept moving so I called dad in and he got to feel you move for the first time! One kick was strong enough that we saw my stomach pop up a little.

It makes me so happy to see your dad getting excited for you! I keep trying to get you to move that much again so dad can feel your kick again. When I asked dad how it made him feel to feel you move he said "Happy, excited... giddy. No, don't put giddy. That's weird" But he totally felt giddy. I saw it in his eyes! And he said it made you seem more real. Like it's really happening!

Then Thursday while dad was at work you kept kicking me and I told dad it was like you were saying "Get up and do something mom!" But don't worry, I didn't give in to you and I stayed right there in bed doing nothing.

Oh wait... that's not really a good thing, is it?

So remember this post when I talked about pregnancy brain?

Well I've discovered that when I wake up at 4:00 in the morning to go to the bathroom, pregnancy brain does not apply. I get a lot of thinking done - sometimes too much thinking - for about an hour I lay there thinking of everything before I fall back asleep again. I guess it's just practice for when I have to get up for you in the middle of the night in a few months.

Speaking of pregnancy brain, I was writing a check for our tithing and I wrote it out for $200 more than it was supposed to be for. Like, I wrote it out in the amount of money we had been paid, not the 10% of it we owe... I'm just glad I figured that one out before I gave it to the bishop.

Needless to say, I'll be glad when I get some of my brain back. Although, I'm sure it'll never fully come back! You will always be the focus of my thoughts.

Here's a fun fact: Elephants pregnancies last for 22 months.

My 'Pregnancy Day by Day' book told me that and said that when I am having a rough day being pregnant to just remember it's only 9 months and to be grateful! I thought that was pretty funny.

Only 4 months left!

Love,

Mom and Dad

Ruffle Butt

Dearest Kacie,

I love being able to call you by your name instead of 'baby' or 'it' or as your uncles have called you 'Kletus' and 'Kranny.'

I had a dream about you the night we found out you're a girl. It was so real that when I woke up and realized you weren't here I was so sad! I'm sure it is smart that dad and I have a few more months to prepare but I honestly can't describe the excitement and anticipation that I feel for your arrival! I guess it's just something that only a mother and father could understand.

I forgot to mention in my last letter that you weigh approximately 10oz and the nurse said you are kind of like a banana because you are long and skinny! I thought that was funny!

On Thursday I made cookies with M&M's. I don't know if I was craving them or if I just wanted to bake something but either way, they were delicious. Let's just say it was a pregnancy craving instead of blaming it on my lack of self-discipline when it comes to sugar.

You know, I really don't want to experience the morning (A.K.A. 24/7) sickness again but at my first doctor's visit I found out that I had actually lost a few pounds since getting pregnant. And that was even with a tiny human growing inside of me! But I think the biggest thing that helped was that I didn't crave sugar for like 3 months! (because I didn't eat anything for like a month). Can we go back to not craving it? Because apparently this past week, you've decided that we need it and we need it constantly. And the worst part is that it doesn't even have to be chocolate. Apparently, we are just ok with all sugary treats now. Blast! But mostly those delicious little cakes that are on sale at Wal-Mart...

If anyone out there is looking for a way to make me happy, these will do!

I spend a lot of time wondering who you will look like... I wonder if you'll be a good mix or if you'll look more like me or dad. It's just so weird to think about how you start out as a tiny microscopic egg and someday you could be taller than me. How is that even possible?? I'm sure one day I will look at you and say "How the heck did I get that out of me?!"and I'm sure that day will come sooner rather than later.

Is it June yet? I feel like I've been writing this post for months!

No?

It's still February?

Oh...

Well, here are the first baby clothes I got for you. Neon is totally hip so I hope you're ok with it!

Also, It's so convenient how they sell baby clothes in sets. Why don't they do that for me? It would be so much easier to buy cute outfits instead of wearing jeans with everything. I need to get me some neon polka dot leggings...

This is what sold me on the pink striped outfit:

RUFFLE BUTT!!!!!!!

I giggle with excitement every time I look at these... And even dad got a little tickled with excitement when I showed him. He is gonna love you!

OH! And I forgot something. Dad really wanted a boy first. He says that then their would be an older brother to look after the younger siblings... He's the oldest kid in his family so he thinks he knows everything ;)

On our way home from the appointment I asked him if he was disappointed you aren't a boy and he said "I really wasn't. It's just annoying because now I have to be all protective from all the boys that are going to want to date her"

If you date a little more than I did but not as much as dad did then I think your father won't have anything to worry about!

Well Kacie, until next time!

Love,

Mom and Dad