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Dear Holly: Today is Your Due Date and Mommy Can’t Stop Nesting

40 weeks (due date).

Dear Holly: Today is Your Due Date and Mommy Can’t Stop Nesting

Dear Holly,

The day is still young, but I’m writing this letter to you now, the morning of your due date. You may or may not be born today. Meanwhile, you have many family members and our friends anxiously awaiting your arrival.

With Grandma in town, and Mommy beginning maternity leave this week, I couldn’t help but notice Mommy is so “nesting” right now.

I helped Mommy move the furniture around in the living room, for a new design that will better cater to your arrival; plus still provide plenty of play room for Jack. We decided we actually like our new layout better than how we had it before.

When I got home from work yesterday, Mommy showed me the really cool retro clock (and accompanying sign) she bought to fill the wall space since we changed the furniture. It really fits the space well. Plus, she bought a blanket to decorate the back of the couch.

Dear Holly: Today is Your Due Date and Mommy Can’t Stop Nesting

She also bought some perfect décor for outside in our yard, to further invite birds; since they have been hanging out without us even trying.

So we might as well make it official that we want birds, and bunnies, there in our yard.

Dear Holly: I Want Mommy to Go into Labor Tomorrow Night

Not to mention, this weekend Mommy and I cleaned out our cars and officially installed your car seats, right next to Jack’s; while I played Bob Marley’s greatest hits on my old cracked iPod from 2007. Meanwhile, your brother Jack played in the garage with his toys. It’s weird because we rarely hang out as a family in front of our house.

I realize there’s no way to fully prepare for a new baby, but I feel we’ve done the most we can on our end.

For months now we have been preparing our home for you, which is your home as well.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

5 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

Dear Jack,

This past weekend was likely your final weekend as an only child. I recognize the significance of that and so I wanted to make sure we got out and made it exciting.

Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

On Saturday, our family met up with your friends Madison and Avery (and their families) at the park. You have known them both since you were around 1 year old.

Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

We didn’t realize it, but there were some vendors there including K-Love radio station. They had a man in a bucket in a crane truck who threw a foam ball to all the kids below. You loved it!

Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

That afternoon, we dropped Mommy off at the house to do some further “nesting,” while we went back to explore some more of McCutcheon Creek, where we left off from the week before.

In order to cross the water, we had to “build a bridge.” I found an old piece on sheet metal nearby, so I tossed it across the water and it landed on a rock; giving just enough length for you to get to the shore.

Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

Whereas the theme of our McCutcheon Creek expedition the week before was mud, this time it was trees. We were trekking through an area of the creek where the trees served as a canopy over us. Some of the branches were so low that we had to cross over and under them.

Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

At one point I abruptly announced to you, “Stop! Do you hear that?” We immediately heard a swarm of bees, but didn’t see them. I wanted to make sure we weren’t standing on some kind of underground bee colony.

Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

Fortunately, we weren’t. However, we were standing right underneath them: The tree we were standing next to was rotted out, with the bees having their home at the top of the tree!

Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

We turned around and escaped without any bee stings. It’s always an adventure when you and I go exploring the creek!

Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

And once Papa gets here when your sister is born, I have a feeling we will go explore more of McCutcheon Creek with him too. Even more fun!

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Your Last Weekend as an Only Child?

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Dear Jack: Cotton Candy, Chocolate Coins, and a Piñata

5 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack: Cotton Candy, Chocolate Coins, and a Piñata

Dear Jack,

This past Sunday during your last (assumed) weekend as an only child, I took you to your friend Kendyl’s 5th birthday party on the other side of town. It was a time of several “firsts” for you…

Dear Jack: Cotton Candy, Chocolate Coins, and a Piñata

It was the first time you had a friend from school who had their birthday party in their yard at their house, instead of an official party place like Chuck E. Cheese.

Therefore, it was the first time you got to play in a “bouncy house” in a friend’s yard at a birthday party. (It should be no surprise that I helped add even more thrill by serving as the “monster” who chased any kids who tried to escape from the bouncy house.)

Dear Jack: Cotton Candy, Chocolate Coins, and a Piñata

You also got to try cotton candy for the first time; as they had a machine there that made it there on the spot. You liked the cotton candy, but you also seemed confused by it.

Another first for you at Kendyl’s party was chocolate coins. You really thought they were cool. Since it was hot outside, you decided to only eat one there at the party, then take the rest home; where they are currently chilling out in our refrigerator.

Dear Jack: Cotton Candy, Chocolate Coins, and a Piñata

And perhaps the biggest first was the piñata. You’ve known about them for years now, having seen them on your favorite shows. But finally you got to experience it yourself.

Dear Jack: Cotton Candy, Chocolate Coins, and a Piñata

You were 2nd in line; behind the birthday girl of course.

Her mom did a wonderful job putting the party together. No one was in a hurry to leave. We would have stayed longer had we not needed to get home to check on Mommy.

Dear Jack: Cotton Candy, Chocolate Coins, and a Piñata

You had a blast. This was the kind of birthday party you see on TV shows and movies. It was a special fun time for your last weekend as an only child… unless Holly is born next week instead.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Cotton Candy, Chocolate Coins, and a Piñata

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Dear Holly: Mommy’s Big Bruise a Week before Your Due Date

39 weeks.

Dear Holly: Mommy’s Big Bruise a Week before Your Due Date

Dear Holly,

On Monday morning, Mommy casually bumped her leg on the side of the bathtub. She noticed it left a bruise.

By the time she got home that evening, she pulled up her pants leg to see if that little bruise had gotten any worse.

As you can see from this picture, the bruise got much worse. It looked like she just smeared black ink over her leg.

I’m assuming blood circulation must be worse in her legs right now during the pregnancy, for such a massive bruise to come from just a minor bump.

So when you read this letter, you’ll know that this was what was going on in our lives, exactly one week before your due date: She had a huge bruise on her leg!

Yesterday Mommy went in for what I assume will be her last visit before you will be born. The technician mentioned that there were pockets of fluid that looked a little low, but that a radiologist would review and make the final assessments on the report. The ultrasound showed you as being 7 lbs. 3 oz., though the technician said that is not very accurate and it’s generally about a pound off.

I suppose our family is as ready as we can be for your arrival. We all got haircuts. Our overnight bags are packed in the trunk. Grandma is flying in from California on Monday. And Nonna and Papa are “on call” for the moment we leave for the hospital.

There’s a very real possibility that since your due date is a week from today, the next letter I write to you will be about your birth!

I’ll be telling how hopefully short the labor was… and how hopefully Mommy went into labor in the morning time so we all had a full night of sleep before you arrive.

We’ll see how that works out, though.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: The Quicksand (Mud) at McCutcheon Creek

5 years, 4 months.

The Quicksand (Mud) at McCutcheon Creek

Dear Jack,

This past weekend for our tradition of being dangerous but not getting hurt, we decided to explore the McCutcheon Creek at Jerry Erwin Park.

The Quicksand (Mud) at McCutcheon Creek

The Quicksand (Mud) at McCutcheon Creek

I insisted that you jump across every possible crevice with water flowing under it, as you have quickly proven you have a remarkable ability to hurdle spaces you shouldn’t physically be capable of.

The Quicksand (Mud) at McCutcheon Creek

The Quicksand (Mud) at McCutcheon Creek

Of course, I made sure you wore your Spiderman rain boots, to be better equipped to walk across the water.

The Quicksand (Mud) at McCutcheon Creek

While that was a decent amount of fun on Saturday, we decided to venture out again on Sunday for an afternoon of mud.

The Quicksand (Mud) at McCutcheon Creek

After driving through that big puddle again, we made our way to the field behind Lowe’s, which features the same creek from the park the day before: McCutcheon Creek.

At first, I wasn’t so sure our surroundings would be that unique. That is, until you asked me if you could go down to the water:

You got stuck in the mud on the way there. It was like the mud was pulling you in as you attempted to step out into the nearby water.

I explained to you that’s how quicksand works. As you can see from these pictures, you at some point fell down in it and became what I call a “soggy bottom boy”.

The Quicksand (Mud) at McCutcheon Creek

It became obvious to me that we will need to be returning this coming weekend to better explore that muddy, swampy part of McCutcheon Creek.

Granted, for all we know, your new baby sister could be born this weekend, which would delay our plans.

But we definitely need to return as soon as possible. That’s because I need to let you get much muddier this next time.

I can help ensure we can be dangerous without getting hurt, but I’m not sure we can get thta muddy without it leaving some stains.

Love,

Daddy

The Quicksand (Mud) at McCutcheon Creek