November 20, 2020
To my Rainbow Baby,
Today, I am 26 weeks pregnant! I am writing this letter from a little cottage in the woods of Hocking Hills, on Burr Oak Lake. Your daddy and I have escaped the hussle and busyness of work and home for a few days to rest and refresh for our final stretch of this pregnancy and preparing for your arrival. This babymoon was very much needed, as both of our stress levels have been pretty high lately. We’re making gradual progress on clearing out the room that will be your nursery, and this week we were notified that your furniture is ready for delivery! There’s still so much to do in that room, so I was able to schedule the set-up a few weeks from now to give us more time to get everything done. But we definitely still have a lot to do, so taking a break and just enjoying some time together was a must!
Today, we slept in (!!!) and then your dad made French Toast for breakfast. After a quick trip to the grocery store, we came back to our cottage and used a trail from our deck to the docks to scope out the lake. There’s a long trail that goes around the entire perimeter of the lake, so there was no way we were doing the whole thing, but we hiked for about a mile before we turned around and hiked back to the cottage. For late November, the weather today was stunning!! Low 60s, sunshine, and a light breeze. We scoped out the critters in the woods- mostly squirrels- and your dad gave me some forestry lessons like he usually does when we hike. He even saved a little tree from being strangled out by an encroaching vine! It was really nice to be out in God’s creation, enjoying each other’s company, and getting some exercise. My lung capacity is nowhere near what I’m used to, and my walk is more of a waddle right now, but it was good to use some of the second trimester energy before it’s gone!
The other exciting thing that happened this week is that you are finally moving and kicking hard enough for your daddy to feel it on the outside of my belly!! For the last few weeks, when you start wiggling like crazy, I grab your dad’s hand and put it on my belly, asking, “Do you feel that?!” He has always looked at me with a smile and said No. It has been mind blowing to me that you can be moving so much and he cannot feel it! Last weekend, I noticed that the stronger bumps were making my belly jump a little bit, so when you started up, I told your dad to feel my belly and asked again, “Did you feel that?!” when I felt the quick pop. This time he laughed in this shocked way and said “Yeah!” It was such an amazing moment for me to see your daddy finally getting to experience that amazing feeling that I’ve had for the last few weeks as your movement increases. I know, soon enough, those kicks are going to be very uncomfortable, but I’m cherishing every single one because it means you are growing healthy and strong. I’m so excited to get to share it with your daddy at last!
This week, you are the size of a bunch of kale. You are 14 inches long and a little over 1.5 pounds. You are developing your five senses right now- your eyes will finally open soon and in a few weeks, your vision will be developed! However, your irises haven’t developed color yet and we won’t really know what color they will be until you are a few months old. You are growing like crazy, squishing my bladder, my stomach, and my diaphragm, which explains my struggle during today’s hike. My pregnancy brain gets worse by the day- this week I walked all the way to my classroom still wearing a winter hat- and I’m still feeling itchy on my belly. But I’m still not terribly uncomfortable yet and I thank God everyday that He’s allowing me to mostly feel great during this pregnancy after the long, challenging road we walked to get here.
I continue to pray that God will protect you inside my belly and that He helps you grow healthy and strong. I praise Him for his protection over my so far at work and that it was finally announced today that school will be returning to the virtual format after Thanksgiving break due to the growing concern surrounding the pandemic. I pray that He will allow the rest of our babymoon to be relaxing and rejuvenating, and that when we get home, He will provide me with the energy I need to continue marking things on my to-do list to get ready for your arrival. All these things are in His hands, and I now ask that He continue to do His will.
I love you, little Rainbow Baby.
Love, Mommy
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