Valentine's Day

Letting our family know about you was our Valentine's Day gift to them this year. Everyone is so excited to meet you!

We couldn't find a day where everyone could get together for our special announcement, so we did the next best thing: sent packages to everyone with our special little secret tucked inside.

The last few days have been so much fun as your grandparents, great grandparents, aunts and uncle call us and let us know that their packages arrived. It's so much fun to get to talk about you!!!

Here are the onesies we made for everyone. I wish we could have seen the looks on their faces when they opened them!

Sweet one, I'll give you the "inside" on why we chose the wording for each. I know you'll pick up on these things as you get older, but here it is all at once for you. ♥

When Uncle Jon, Aunt Kate, and Aunt Laura and I were little, we always went to the fair when Papa did his pottery demonstrations. The sign next to him always said "Pastor/Potter Mark Mueller and his Four Potterettes."

I love thinking about the two of you getting to "play with clay" together some day!

Your Grandma's grandmother, Nana, always said "I love you a bushel and a peck!" Now that my mom is a grandma, too, I thought it would be fun to carry on the tradition.

Your Grandma B is a fantastic quilter. I know she's just dying to sew up all kinds of things for you!

When your Uncle Jon was a little boy, he absolutely loved Bert from Mary Poppins. His highest aspiration was to grow up to be a chimney sweep! He'd dance around with a broom singing "Kick your knees up, step in time!"

Auntie Kate's favorite expression is "Magic!" We all lovingly call her "Magic Kate." She was tickled pink by this little onesie. (Also, someday you'll have to get her to show you her very first photo op as a magician with Aunt Laura!)

Your Auntie Laura loves to travel. She's already been to more countries than I have, and she just lives and breathes her European experiences. She also starred in a friend's film where she played the part of "Bernie: World Traveler."

Three hearts--one for you, Great Papa Don, and Great Gramma Pat. They love you so much already!

Your Great Ami is very excited about you, too!

Your Daddy's godparents, Jan and Robert, are going to love you just like a grandchild. How lucky you are to grow up in the midst of so many people who love you!

Aunt Megan has already told me how excited she is to get started on some crocheted gifts for you! We've got to work on making her an "official" auntie, too! Get on that, Uncle Jon!

All packaged up and ready to be sent. No one had any idea that inside of these little gifts was the news of our precious little bundle!

We all love you so much!!!

Love, Mom

We're getting ready to tell everyone about you!

It's a very special time, and we're finding a special way to tell our family.

Won't they be excited to meet you? They've been asking us about you for YEARS!

Your timing is perfect, little one.

I'm thankful that Daddy and I have had nearly three years to just love each other first, and now our hearts are ready for you. We're so excited to get to tell your grandparents, your uncle, your aunties, your great-grandparents, and all of our extended family!

You are going to be one beloved little baby.

You already are :-)

Love, Mommy

Grow, Baby, Grow!

I wish you could have seen your daddy's reaction today as he read about your growth and progress.

He made me breakfast this morning (Cream of Wheat is all that I can stomach right now!) and climbed back into bed with me. Pulling the laptop out, he smiled and said, "Let's read about how our baby is growing this week."

I rested and slowly ate my breakfast while Daddy clicked to a pregnancy calendar and started reading about 7 weeks.

"'By this week, your baby’s heart has developed a right and left chamber, and the esophagus and trachea are changing and differentiating into separate tubes, with lungs positioned on either side,'" He read, "WOW!"

"'Facial features are becoming more defined, and at this stage tiny nostrils are visible and there’s color in the irises of the eyes.'" He stopped again and smiled at me, "That's so cool!"

He kept going, clearly amazed. "'Hands and feet are also forming on the ends of what just a couple of weeks ago were only the very beginnings of small arm and leg buds. The umbilical cord, your baby’s life line to you, is beginning to take shape.'"

It was a special time to share with him, because although we know that you're growing inside of me, I don't think it had really dawned on us how much of you there already is. The hands that we will love to hold and kiss and squeeze are already growing. Soon, you'll have the fingers and toes we'll love to play with. Your eyes are developing, and they already have color! Daddy and I both have blue eyes, so we're guessing yours will be, too, but you might luck out and get gorgeous green eyes like your Grandma B or Great Ami. It's so exciting to think about these things, and anticipate seeing you for the first time!

Keep growing, little one.

I love you.

Love, Mom

I love you

Howdy young one,

Your mother and I love you very much and you have made us so happy already that I can't wait to meet you.  I want to hold you, play with you, read with you, and show you how much I love you every single day.

I will never get tired of telling you I love you.  I will always want to take care of you.  We are so grateful that God has blessed us with you.  Though we are your parents, He will always be your heavenly father.  I look forward to teaching you about His love for us and sharing the joy that comes with that.

You are already growing up in a loving family and I love that we can already talk to you and be there for you. 

Stay safe little one.  I love you.

Love: Your father