Dear Jedidiah // One Month

Dear Jedidiah,

Happy one month my sweet boy!!

People keep saying "Can you believe its been a month already?!?"

and to be honest I can't believe its only been a month.

As I try to remember life before you were here it completely baffles me.

Haven't you always been here?

Haven't we always kisses your rapidly growing in chunkiness cheeks?

Haven't we always danced and bounced to "hey mama" to help the gasses?

Haven't we always laughed at your old man grumbles and faces?

Maybe its these new mama hormones,

but its brings tears to my eyes when I try to

 remember  my days before you filled them.

Don't hear me wrong my little love,

Papa and I deeply enjoyed our life just the two of us,

but somehow you have made our life so much MORE

and I just cannot remember our days without you.

From our nights filled with snuggles and your funny grunts reminding us

that you're a growing boy and you need to eat,

to our days filled with adventures and more snuggles and watching you 

learn and grow before our eyes,

our days are just so much more because you are in them.

Our hearts, lives, and days simply explode in delight and love of you.

So glad you're here Little One,

happy one month.

xoxo,

mama

A Birthday

(listen to this while you look)

Its hard to believe that it was just a week ago that we celebrated Little One's

coming with a banner and a cupcake and cuddles in the sun.

We sat and marveled and enjoyed our sweet boy 

while agonizing over what his name was to be.

The name would come later,

but that day, the birthday of Jedidiah David Burkhardt,

will forever be one our favorite days.

xoxo,

lyss

Dear Little One // 38 weeks

My Dear Sweet Little One,

Hello.

You have filled these past few days with such joy and wonder,

we cannot stop marveling at you and kissing you all over (:

We had a scare last night and the whole 6 hours we were

at the ER wondering if I was going to be ok,
(and I am)

you were just wonder baby.

So content and quiet in the midst of the chaos of the ER and Dr's and questions,

as you have been since the moment you came.

So content and joyful.

Today as we celebrate what would have been 38 weeks,

and what is 4 days of you, we are extra grateful that we are

all healthy and well and so very very happy.

You have blown up every day dream we ever had about you

and given us something so much more marvelous and beautiful.

You.

You are absolutely incredible, my little one,

and I am just in wonder that you are here.

I love you sweet boy,

xoxo,

Mama

Jedidiah David Burkhardt

came as quiet and content as could be at 1:41 Sunday morning, September 7,

weighing just 5 lbs 9 oz and measuring 18 inches long.

We have been in complete bliss ever since.

Dear Little One // 37 weeks

"Everything grows rounder, wider, weirder,

as I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder

who in the world you will turn out to be"

Carrie Fisher 

We're so close Little One,

and we are so ready.

I'm finding it so hard to not mentally rush you.

Not that rushing you would actually DO anything at all,

but I am aware of the danger of the habit of rushing you

and beginning that before you're even here.

I love you so much my little man 

and I trust that God will bring you in His perfect time.

We will be here ready and waiting,

as we always have been.

But I do think September 5th would be quite a lovely birthday

AND you would share it with your Granddaddy,

which would be pretty darn cool (;

xoxo,

Mama

Dear Little One // 36.5 weeks

Dear Little One,

We're here, at the end, the last days.

(well weeks actually but days seem easier so that's what we'll go with ;))

You surprised me by celebrating the morning of 36 weeks with a couple hours

of practice labor. That was intense and really really neat!

To feel my body contracting and preparing was so wonderful and quite incredible.

You practiced some more late that night/early the next morning and 

I wondered if that meant you were coming in the next couple days.

But no, a couple days have gone by and you seem quite content (:

This is such an interesting time.

The end of anything is kind of awkward, a suspension 

between an ending and a beginning, simultaneously somber and delightful.

I'm finding us to be no different.

And it shows in the varying looks we receive while out and about!

Ranging from a motherly/fatherly joy from older people to looks of pity 

from young parents to looks of alarm and fear from bus drivers and young people alike (;

I hear words of encouragement such as what a sweet fleeting time this is

and then also words of survival,

"just keep going!"

"You're almost there mama!"

Ha!

I cherish it all (:

For it is all true.

This IS such a sweet sweet time for us my dear Little One,

a beautiful time sprinkled with deep aching tired and general end of pregnancy discomforts, 

and a constant vacillating between enjoying you here inside my womb and 

longing for you to be here in my arms.

We are so eager and ready to meet you my sweet ninja.

I will forever hold this time of us fondly in my heart 

and will enjoy these last weeks in every way.

I love you Little One.

xoxo,

Mama

Dear Little One // 35 weeks

 Dear Little One,

Trace Adkins' "You're gonna miss this" keeps running through my head.

As I count how many onesies we have just one more time.

As we walk in the mornings and I wonder how many more times I'll walk

with you in my belly before I'm walking with you in my arms.

As I try to figure out an appropriate response to the silly remarks men make in regard 

to how soon you're coming. As elderly ladies tentatively ask if they can feel you

and exclaim "my goodness! That is ALL baby!". 

As I look at my closet and wonder what will continue to stretch over you

and what you'll let me wear without punching the waistline all day long.

As I roll over in bed and feel you roll and tumble too.

As you do your little bum wiggle thing and I wonder for the thousandth

time what that's going to look like when you're out here.

I'm not sure if its because you're coming soon or because I'm aware

of the fragility of of fertility and that this may be the only time I carry a child within me,

but each passing day you continue to grow and live inside me I cherish deeply.

But I am also so very excited to meet you out HERE.

As I feel you move with frustration and get the hiccups again,

I think about how much you will enjoy being out here.

How you will love cuddling with your Papa,

the feel and smell of the autumn breeze on your skin,

and how you will be able to move and ninja chop to your hearts content

which will surely help those hiccups (;

I love you so very much my sweet boy

and I am just so happy that you're here

and very nearly, almost, truly HERE.

xoxo,

Mama

Dear LIttle One // 34 weeks

Sweet Little One,

We're having so much fun (:

You are nearly constantly playing and poking your bony little bum

out for me to pat or play tag with.

And you just LOVE when your Papa lays his arm across

me and you kick and kick as hard as you can until you kick

it off and then wiggle until he puts it back on and the game begins again.

Still not much sleep going on over here,

you prefer to play with either me or your Papa all night

and while we're tired we also think its pretty cute.

And we have wipes!!

Lots and lots of wipes!

I was just giddy when they came in the mail,

I now feel ready for you (;

We're so enjoying and cherishing these last

days (weeks....) of carrying you inside of me

and feeling you getting bigger and stronger by the day.

Happy 34 weeks little man (:

xoxo,

Mama

P.S. So what's with you loving those pink wintergreen mints huh?

Seriously, EVERYDAY you want more.

What is with that??

You know carrots give you laser eyes right?

Why don't we crave some of those.....