TWENTY WEEKS

I can't describe the feeling I have now that I know our little sweet pea is a precious little boy. I love the fact that we already have a name for him and I can talk to him, pray for him, and sing to him. I'm falling in love all over again, and I haven't even seen his sweet face yet.

We are also so thankful for so many of our friends and family that have already brought us gifts for little Connor. You guys are so sweet! There is no doubt in my mind that this little boy will be loved to the maximum, not only by us, but by all of you.

I've always heard people talk about the type of love you have for your child and how you won't fully understand how much your parents love you until you become one yourself. I'm starting to see a glimpse of that even 20 weeks before our little blessing is set to arrive. And they are right, it is hard to fully understand. The type of love that I have for this child growing in my womb is unlike any other. It's not that it is stronger or better than the love I have for my husband, it's just different. The only way I can think to explain it would be this...

In life, we love many people. We love our family, we love our best friends, and even more so, we love our spouses. But all of those people were loved by someone else before they were loved by me. But not my child. Mine was the VERY FIRST HEART to ever love him. And THAT makes it different.

According to babycenter.com, Connor is now the length of a banana! At the doctor last week he weighed 9 ounces and the norm for 20 weeks is to weigh 10 1/2. That really surprises me because by looking at my belly bump, you would think he was going to be a HUGE baby! He can now recognize my voice, along with Adam's, and familiar music that we have been playing for him. He also can sense my mood. I have been feeling him move a little more lately, and can't wait for the moments when I actually get to see a little hand or footprint from inside my tummy.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING:

We have decided on a theme for the nursery, and I can't wait to get it all set up so that we can show all of you! For now, I will keep it a secret until I can post some pictures.

Work has been going good for both of us. Adam's co-workers are really excited that he is going to have a son, and the girls at my office have been really sweet to want to go look at baby stuff during our lunch breaks! Oh, and some more good news about my job, is that I officially made my goal for the year! The communities I manage have raised over $545,000 in the fight against cancer! Thank you to all of my volunteers who made that possible for me! Just one more thing to add to my list of why 2011 has been a fabulous year!!

CRAVINGS:

I haven't been craving a lot like I was in the beginning. I have my certain "snacks" I like to eat each day, like pickles or green olives when I get home from work, and thanks to Adam's mom, I now want Chicken Express Sweet Tea all day every day! But I have to discipline myself to not drink it very often because of the caffeine. And probably because it would give Connor a pretty wicked sugar high! ;)

SWEET BABY MOMENT OF THE WEEK:

I've got so many, it is kind of hard to pick. The joy in Adam's and the rest of our family's eyes when they talk about Connor. The kids of our friends who come up to my belly and say "Hey Conn-uh" in their cute little kid voice, or maybe just the moments that I spend alone in silence in an empty nursery going through Connor's blankets and outfits over and over again.

During the last 20 weeks I have been pregnant, I have dreamed about our baby three times. All three times in my dreams, when I looked upon that precious little face, it was a little boy. Mother's intuition, I guess. My heart is filled with wonder and amazement at the thought that God knows the exact number of hairs on his head, and has plans for his future. I just KNOW our Connor will have a heart of gold, a heart for God, and will one day do great things.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." - Jeremiah 1:5 If these next 20 weeks go by as fast as these last 20 weeks, we will be holding our little bundle of joy in the blink of an eye. Then I will finally be able to rock him, and kiss him, and watch him sleep. I sing him lullabies now, but I can only imagine how much more incredible it will be when I can sing them and watch him doze off in my arms. Or when he gets a little older and I can peek in the bedroom to see Daddy teaching him how to pray. I imagine his precious little heart praying for things like squirrels and his action figures. I'm going to love being a Mom.

God bless Mommy and matchbox cars,
God bless Dad and thanks for the stars,
God hears 'Amen' wherever we are ...

... And I love You.