Dear Baby

Yesterday I saw your face for the first time. 

I watched you wiggle on the camera, and even the technican said, "Oh wow - look at that baby moving!"  I explained to her that you were dancing.  I think she rolled her eyes.

What she didn't know is that you were just doing what your Mama asked.  The night before we had our first midwife appointment, and while everything had looked good, they weren't able to find your heartbeat.  No one was particularly concerned, after all, you are only ten weeks old, early to be able to hear it at all.  But for your Mama, who had been waiting and waiting for something, anything, to tell her that you're real, it was a little bit much to bear.  And so before bed, I put my hand over my belly and told you that tomorrow we would see you for the first time.  And I told you that I hoped that you were dancing.

And so you did, moving your little head and your tiny arms.  I saw what will someday be your little nose, and I watched your heart flicker on the screen - 171 beats a minute!  I could have sat and looked at you all day.

When finally we were finished, I got dressed and went out to find your Daddy in the waiting room.  He looked so worried, and I realized that he didn't even know that you were just fine!  I quickly pulled out the photos and showed him the first pictures of his new baby.  Someday when you're older you'll probably be embarrassed to know that we cried a little looking at your sweet face. 

Oh baby.  What a life we have ahead of us, if already at 10 weeks you are dancing.


Love,
Mama

Dear Baby

When you were 8 and a half weeks old, we took you to Disney World for the first time.  We hadn't quite planned it that way - the trip was scheduled and I guess you just decided that you wanted to come too.   We were, of course, so happy to have you with us.

Now, being 8.5 weeks old, you did cause some trouble for your Mama, but we made it through.  We paid special attention to the "EXPECTANT MOTHERS MAY NOT RIDE" signs, which meant avoiding Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain and, well, we didn't even go to Animal Kingdom since they pretty much hate babies there.  Mostly we ate a lot of popcorn and pasta and crackers, me and you.  It was totally worth it to have you there.

We were thrilled to buy you your first set of mouse ears - embroidered with your name and everything!  Your Mama stood right on Main Street in front of the castle and we took the first "offical" picture of you "wearing" them.  We shared the good news with Mickey and Minnie and you got rubs and kisses from them both. On our last night at the Magic Kingdom, we bought you your first Mickey Mouse right on Main Street.  The most magical Mickey there is for our baby.

I couldn't stop thinking throughout the trip how blessed you are already - how many people love you and can't wait to meet you.  Your whole family talked about you the entire trip - imagining what you would do the next time we visit, wanting to buy you funny things, thinking about how much joy you will bring our lives. 

Every night as we watched fireworks light up the sky, I put my hand on you and wondered if you could feel how happy I was.  You see, your old mama can be a bit of a pessimist.  She worries about things that are beyond her control, and is always afraid of the worst happening, especially when it involves things she wants desperately.  You are, of course, one of those things, and it was hard for your Mama at first to trust that you were real, that you were truly on your way.  But as I tilted my head to the sky, I listened closely as an old friend, Jiminy Cricket, promised: 

When stars are born, they possess a gift or two.
One of those is, they have the power to make a wish come true.
Star light, star bright,
first star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might,
have the wish, I wish tonight.
We'll make a wish, and do as dreamers do,
and all our wishes,
will come true.

And I pushed aside all of my crankiness and pessimism and began to believe that maybe he was right after all.  Maybe it was as simple as wishing, as easy as picturing you, two years from now, in the same spot wearing your mouse ears and sharing popcorn with your Daddy as you watched Tinkerbell soar across the sky.  And I finally quieted my doubts and my fears, and closed my eyes and wished as hard as I could.

I can tell you this for sure, Baby.  If old Jiminy is right, if in the end it all comes down to a wish, then you will join our lives, and you will be the most blessed, the happiest baby that ever lived.  All our wishes will come true.

Love,
Mama

Baltimorons

Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 23

December 23 will always be a day dedicated to remembering our Stitchy.  I don't know that I can say that he got his fashion sense from the Ying side of the family, because I can tell you this cat knew what was UP when it came to dressing to the nines.  He was, he still is, one of the best friends I could have asked for.  It was unbearably hard to lose him at Christmas, but I know that he would always want us to remember him with a smile, and so today we'll toast his amazing life and give thanks for the time he spent with us and the lessons he taught us.  We miss you, Stitch, and we love you - so so much.



Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 22

And now comes the day you've all been waiting for.  Introducing A!  Check out that hair, man.  Totally sweet dude.  Luckily he has stuck around much longer than his hair has.  Merry Christmas!

Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 21

Oh, the two lovebirds that started it all.  Check out Santa and his Mrs. Claus.  What a lovely faux fur neckband on that outfit, Mrs. Claus must really hve some fashion sense.  We also must pause to appreciate Santa's strange black leather gloves.

Dear Baby

Last night there was a kind of Christmas miracle.  You have to forgive your old Mom here, because we both know that science is not my strong suit, but it was the first time in 450 plus years that the Winter Solstice has been on the same day as a Lunar eclipse.  I, of course, found out about it on facebook and some quick googling proved how rare this phenomenon was.  I immediately told your Dad - we have to see it!  We have to set our alarms, wake up and see it!  Crazy pregnancy hormones aside, he is used to these kinds of bizarre requests so he nodded that sure, we could get up and see it.

There was some rhetoric on the interwebs not only about the rarity of this event, but about the sacred meaning of the solstice combining with the energy of a lunar eclipse.  You know that I am even less of a religious scholar than a scientist, so I didn't understand a lot of what was said except that the combination of these two events would be a time of reflection and personal transformation.  As my body even now starts to swell in preparation for your growth, this seemed to me to be appropriate, and I suddenly couldn't wait to stand with you in the moonlight.

When the alarm rang at 2:30am, it was not quite as romantic as I'd hoped.  We stumbled out of bed and tried to find some sweatshirts in the dark.  We woke up our entire zoo of furry animals and they began to stretch and weave under our feet.  We tripped and swore.  We made it down the stairs and out the back door.  At first, I couldn't even find the moon.  And, man, it was COLD!  We stood on the deck and gazed at the moon.  It really was beautiful - all red and spooky-looking.  I waited to feel something magical.  I hugged your Dad and asked him if he was saying a little prayer.  He nodded, either because he was, or because he was already falling back to sleep.  I tried to think of the perfect thing to say.  I mumbled something about you being healthy, about us being happy.  I tried to feel blessed but all I felt was cold.  It was time to go back to bed.

We got back upstairs and Compass had found our abandoned bed.  We couldn't bear to kick him out so we curled up around him, snug and warm.  I laid on my back and put my hand on my belly and wondered if we had been blessed by the light, if it would bring us luck.  I thought of what I wanted for you, if we would miss it because I hadn't been able to articulate my hopes and dreams in those few moments under the moon.  It came to me then, simply: I hope you are extraordinary.  That was it.  That was all.  I thought for a moment about trudging back downstairs, back outside, back under the light to clarify what I was asking, what I was hoping for.  But I knew the moon was still shining on us, and that we would always be like this - we will show you amazing things.  We will stand with  you under the moonlight.  We will do our best to make sure you are blessed.  We won't always know what to say, but we will always, always love you.  And as long as we are there, together, that will be enough.


Love,
Mama

Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 19

Ah yes, here is the great sweater switcheroo in which M is now wearing MY sweater and H is wearing HER sweater.  Wish I knew who gave me theirs though, because I know you can't really see it but that sweater was AWESOME.  Also, nice pants, M.  W is sure lucky to be getting a girl with such fashion sense.



Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 20

Man did we Yings love those pictures on the stairs.  PS We still do this every year.  You should see all five of us, A included, fit on those steps.  My mom is going to need to invest in a wide angle lens soon...

Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 18

This year, J goes from being a total stude to being a total stud WITH GLASSES.  Also, M grows like two feet while I stay the same size.  Seriously compare this photo to December 17.  Yikes!



Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 17

Man do the Ying men have a sense of style.  From the green shirt and red tie to the sweater vest.   J really is on the cutting edge, how many people could pull off plaid pants WITH a coordinating plaid vest.  Wow.

Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 16

More Yings in matching sweaters!  Truly this is what the Christmas season is all about!

Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 15

Oh yes!  Aunt S makes a special appearance in today's countdown!  Think of it as an early christmas present from me to her!  Happy Holidays!

Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 14

Yet another christmas morning finds the Yings in their pjs.  This year WITH ROBES.  Yeah!



Countdown to Christmas with the Yings: December 13

Oh plaid pants.  Really mom?  Why did you hate us?