Belly Button

Dear Michela,

I fear that I have taught you the wrong term for your tummy.  You have been fascinated by your belly button so you lift up your shirt and say "be bo".  It's super cute!  I also point to my belly button and say "belly button".  Then I rub the rest of my belly and say "baby".  So now you lift up your shirt and say "baby" while rubbing your belly.  Oops!  :)  That's your tummy silly!

Before Daddy returned to work we made a trip to the beach in Santa Cruz.  It wasn't a sunny day like your first trip to the beach but it was nice none-the-less.  You love the sand.  You couldn't get enough of it!  I can't wait until you're older so we can make sand castles together!

This sand stuff is pretty cool!

Hi!  Look at my sandy hands!

Dig, dig, dig!

Yummy sand!

The last two pictures are here simply because they're cute!

With all my love,

Mommy

Monthly Check-in: 24 Weeks!

How far along?: 24 weeks! We have reached viability. This simply means that if you were to be born from this point on you have a chance of survival (as slim as it may be). Of course, we want you to stay the full 40 weeks but it's nice to know that you have a chance to live should something go wrong. 24 weeks also means that I have to wait until after your birth before I can go on another cruise. I guess that's okay considering we just got back from our Alaskan cruise! :)

Total weight gain?: 10 lbs - that seems like a lot to me and I'm blaming it on the cruise. Dr Tien wasn't concerned though.

Maternity clothes?: Yup

Stretch marks?: Nope

Sleep?: Yes please. Your sister is sleeping much better at night but I seem to be waking up off and on during the night and have a hard time falling back asleep.

Best moment this week?: Deciding upon your name.

Movement?: Yes. I feel you kick and roll multiple times a day!

Food cravings?: Peanut butter. I have enjoyed apples and peanut butter, banana and peanut butter, peanut butter on top of honey granola bars, and rice cake with peanut butter on top. Yum! I have even enjoyed a small spoonful all by itself.

Labor signs?: Nope

Belly button in or out?: In.

What I miss?: Sorbetto. Okay, so it's not a huge miss but I saw a recipe for something similar this morning and thought it sounded yummy! Sorbetto is sorbet blended with a little vodka. It's a nice after dinner treat on a hot day. I have enjoyed sorbet without the vodka though. :)

What I'm looking forward to?: Daddy going back to work. Just kidding! I'm looking forward to the day that you're big enough I can video you moving around in my belly. It's so fun watching and feeling you move. I could video you now but I know it'll be more fun to watch when you really make my belly move.

Lets see how my bump has grown!

How we announced

Dear Bugga-boo,

I am happy to finally share how we announced that you are a baby girl to our families.  First I'll share what we did for Nana and Papi.

In June, Daddy and I brought Nana and Papi two boxes that were numbered 134 and 172.  One was for boy, the other girl.  We didn't know at that point that you are a girl, so we packed both boxes with a little note in each. 

Here is what Nana and Papi received.

The items and note on the left were in box #172.  The items on the right were in box #134.

The items on the left are easy to figure out.  You have little lady fingers!  Can you figure out why the items on the right mean boy?  I'll tell you - they all have nuts!  

Of course on the evening of July 13th, we told Nana and Papi to open box #172 while on Skype.  Nana and papi guessed right away and were thrilled to learn that you are their second granddaughter!  Papi was also excited to indulge in the sweets that were packed in both boxes.  hehe! 

I don't know why we wanted to complicate things by sharing the news in a different way.  It would have been just as fun yelling, "She's a girl!"  But I must say that I enjoyed being different.

We did something different for Grammy and Grandpa.  Well, actually, we simply yelled out "she's a girl!"  Grammy was watching Michela during our appointment and we couldn't lie to her.  So when we got home Daddy showed her your ultrasound pictures and we told her "girl!"  Grammy went home and told Grandpa the great news.  

For the rest of the Quillinan family we waited until our Alaskan cruise.  The night we announced also happened to be our 7 year anniversary of when Daddy and I started dating.  Back to the announcement:  On the first night (July 29th) Daddy talked with the head waiter and told him to deliver a special dessert with "It's a girl" written in chocolate on the plate.  The head waiter, Fausto, must have been confused because he delivered the dessert to Auntie Sophea and thought she was the one expecting a girl.  He congratulated her several times!  After a few times of her saying she's not pregnant Fausto figured it out.  It was pretty silly!  Daddy enjoyed the chocolate dessert while I put Michela to bed.  Unfortunately we don't have any pictures of the dessert.    

We are all so thrilled to know that you are a healthy baby girl!  Keep growing strong little one!

With all my love,

Mommy     

Alaskan Cruise 2011

Click on the collages below for a larger view.  If you would like an individual picture(s) in full size please let me know and I'll email them to you!