26 weeks

Dear Baby Hawley,

Here you are at 26 weeks and 3 days.

You are definitely making your presence known...I'm stretching out all over and you move a lot!  Mornings are quiet and I sometimes think that my swimming or walking at the Y puts you to sleep.  Evenings are your active time, especially after dinner when I finally start to sit down.  You still love your daddy's voice--you start to kick more when he starts talking.

Lately it's been really hot so we've stayed in the house most of the time.  Since you are heating me from the inside already, I prefer not to be heated from the outside also.  We've found lots to do, though.  Your room is painted and clothes and diapers are in the closet, Grandma Colby was here last week and she, along with Auntie Lowie and Julia, tore the carpet out of the basement.  They want you to have a clean and safe floor to crawl on one day. We've been working on sewing projects and one day I hope to have a blanket finished for you.

Keep growing, baby!

25 weeks

Dear Baby Hawley,

We've made it 25 weeks and 3 days!  Here you are before we headed to Salem for the day.

Grandma Colby brought the little chair for you.  I remember using it when I was little.  Mostly, I put my dolls on it when I played, but I'm sure I used it as my own chair also.  In Barron, Gracie the cat loved to sit on it.  I wonder if Joey or Casey will claim it as theirs before you start to use it.

Keep up your kicking!

Minnesota Baby Shower

Dear Baby Hawley,

Crystal and Ellen hosted a shower for us this weekend.  They are really excited to become aunties!
Here are some pictures from the celebration.

Crystal had lots of fun decorating for this party.  She knows how much I love children's books and she went all out...look at all the books she bought and checked out from the library.  

The blue 'boy' outfit and the white dress that are hanging up have been in the family for a long time.  When you are big enough, you'll have a portrait made of you wearing one of those outfits.

Ellen made the cake and cupcakes to coordinate with the theme.  Notice the cake design - your aunties photoshopped the cover of the Lowly Worm Word Book to better fit with us.  This cover is even printed by Hawley House!

Lots of Minnesota Twins clothes.  We hope you are as big a fan as each of the rest of us are.

Grandma is trying on the bib that looks like a cat.

Lots of Minnesota and Wisconsin people who love you came to the party.  Grandma Elaine came with Anita and Maggie, Jeannie, Karin (with her friend Hedy), Yvonne (Bill's mom), Grandma Colby, Crystal, and Ellen all made it.  

We got lots of great presents - you are loved a lot by everyone.

Keep growing and kicking,

22 Weeks

Dear Baby Hawley,

We made it to New York and we all had a great time.  This week I discovered that my stomach now moves when you kick.  It's only a little, but it's definitely there.  We have a great time watching you move around to kick in many places.

Here's our belly update - taken while we were out hiking on the Tiedtke property.  We went up the power line path, down the hill, over the water, and to the shale bank.  It was hot, but fun.  These pictures were taken on July 4, when you were 22 weeks and 4 days.

You're getting bigger each day!

Pictures of You

Dear Baby Hawley,

We got to see you today!  We brought Grandma Hawley with us for the ultrasound and, boy, were we excited!  Here's what you look like at 21 weeks, 4 days.  The technician said you are a very cooperative baby--you moved when she prodded you so she could see everything she needed to and take her measurements.  We asked that we not find out if you are a boy or a girl, so we still don't know!  I love the suspense.

After looking at this picture, Grandma Colby (Grandma Marge, Granny? - still not sure what to call her) responded by saying "It looks like a rabbit to me.  Gracie and Greta will be pleased."  Have no fear, though, we will NOT be feeding you to the cats.

 You may start to wonder about all the cats in our family, though, because after looking at this (incredibly cute, and possibly my favorite) photo of your foot, Ellen said, "Troy and I think that that is one CUTE foot! And...at least we know that you're having a person. Did I ever tell you that I once dreamt that I gave birth to a kitten. True story. It was ridiculous...."  What can I say?  Aunts - you gotta love them.

Here's the last photo of you for the day.  On the left is your head.  You can see two dark holes, which are the eyes, and in the middle of those is a smaller dark spot--your nose!  It looks like you have a very round belly here, too.

How exciting!!!  Today you weigh about 15 ounces.  You are still measuring small, so the technician wants to say your due date is November 9.  The midwife still says November 3, but we know you will come when you are good and ready.

Up next for us is a trip to New York to meet some of the uncles.  I hope you like long car rides, lots of food, and fresh mountain air...

21 Weeks

Dear Baby Hawley,

Time is going by quickly.  We made it through numerous summer pd sessions and lots of lunches with friends.  We have worked around the house more than we have done in all the last months combined.  This week, we scrubbed the stove top and kitchen sink til they shine, we washed all the baseboards, and we cleaned out your new closet!

We also have spent lots of time swimming.  Stretching out in the water is much more comfortable (and fun) than using a treadmill or elliptical machine, which your dad likes to do.  I suspect that swimming will become my choice activity even more as you continue to grow.  I hope you like the water when you are big enough to start swimming, too.

To end our Thursday, I had a bowl of pistachio ice cream and a fresh mango.  You really woke up then!  In fact, you kicked so much that I decided to go for a walk to stay comfortable--you are getting stronger each day.

Here is what you look like today, at 21 weeks even.

I love you so much,

19 weeks, 4 days

Dear Baby Hawley,

We finally took a picture to document your growth.  I'm sure in the coming months and years I'll wish we had started taking pictures as soon as we knew you were coming, but unfortunately, we didn't.

Here is what you look like today, at 19 weeks and 4 days.

I can still fit into my own clothes, but you are growing so quickly that I will soon need a whole new wardrobe.  Things are getting tight!

It's so fun to watch you and to feel you growing.  This is an exciting time!