baby bump: 26 weeks

I'm a day late getting week 26 posted… I'm sure she'll forgive.

dear baby,

christmas time has made me ache to hold you even more. you spent a lot of time around your cousins and other family members this week, and already received some wonderful little presents. you are already loved so deeply by so many. you and i are lucky in this way: we have a wonderful, wonderful family.

your cousin, caroline, already asks about "baby cousin" all the time. she knows you're in my "tummy," yet is still a little confused that she can't see you. she will love you immensely… and probably boss you around a bit since she is a lot like mommy's sister. :)

this entire week i kept daydreaming about what next year will be like with you, nine months old already. i so badly want to be able to picture your sweet face and little features in those daydreams, but i will just have to wait three more months! thinking of your little baby fingers and toes also makes me appreciate even more the gift of the baby jesus that we celebrated this week, and how human he was in that moment he slipped into our skin as an infant.

you kept me awake a bit for the first time this week, also. one night when i crawled into bed you just kept kicking and kicking and kicking. i didn't mind too much since it was the first time :). many still tell me that they think i look "small" for 6 months… but sweetheart, let me tell ya, mama does not feel so small right now!

i hope you enjoyed the sounds of christmas from safe in my womb, and this week you get to experience another first: new years! [though as tired as you've been making me again lately, we'll see how well i can stay up]. love you so much.

love,

mom