My Active Little One

Hello My Little Boy,

        Here's how I announced your boyhood to my family and friends:

Many people enjoyed the mustache. I was actually going to give you a tie, but they didn't have ties on the photo editing software that I was using. I think it turned out better with the mustache. More humor! Your Uncle Brian said that your mustache looked manly and that it was impressive. I am assuming that he is talking about how incredible it is for a 2.36 inch baby to grow a mustache. I think the fact that it is baby blue is the most impressive thing about it. Your Aunt Gina said, "Lol lol." I am sure she thought the photo was funny with the mustache. However, I think she was laughing more so because you are Ruland and Sue's 14th grandchild and you will be the 11th boy. I tease your daddy, because rarely can the Cardon boys produce anything other than boys. I've said that the Cardon legacy must be meant to live on- at least through the last name anyway!

I actually feel relieved that you are a boy. I was dead set on having a girl in the beginning. Then, one day I woke up and didn't care if you were a girl or a boy as long as you are healthy. Then, I started wanting a boy. Your mom (that's me) has always been a tomboy. I will either raise a girl that is a tomboy or raise a boy. I love sports and hiking and camping. I used to play with worms and mud, but I grew out of that phase. I've never grown out of my desire to climb trees. I went fishing with your dad this Saturday, and I actually picked up an earth worm out of the container to give to your dad. It took me about 2 minutes worth of screaming to get him out. 

So, we got to find out that you were a boy about 3 weeks earlier than we thought we would. That was a relief, because the wait was almost unbearable! I don't understand how people can stand to wait until a baby is born to find out if they are having a boy or a girl, especially on their first child. Even if people are more patient than we (and our family) have been, you still don't know what stroller to pick out, what to paint the room, or what clothes to buy.

 The best part about the whole ultrasound was that you started moving around. You weren't just wiggling your fingers a little, you were really going to town. You started moving both of your arms. Then, you reached down to touch your toes! I couldn't believe it, and my mind is still blown from the experience. It was like- you were no longer an idea or a little picture on a screen anymore. Your movement created a realization for me that you have feelings and awareness. I wonder what you think about. I wonder if you dream. You are already so beautiful and brilliant. You can't tell (because the mustache is in the way), but it looks like you are smiling in that sonogram photo. Actually. I will post the picture without the mustache, so you can see: 

I forgot to mention that your heart is now beating at 154 bpm now. The pregnancy website that I read says that you are the size of a peach. It also says that you may be able to get your thumb into your mouth which is a habit that comes in handy for self-soothing when you are a newborn. It's funny that it mentions that, because, most of the time during the sonogram, it looked like you were sucking your thumb. Sister Hibbert from church is the first person to say that I am starting to show that I am pregnant. I love you little one! I hope you can feel that from your dad and I even though you are only 13 weeks in utero. 

Loving Regards,

Mom

The first time I saw your face, I fell in love.

Hello Little One,

         I mean really little! It turns out that you are a week younger than I first thought. You were 2.35 cm on Tuesday morning when I got my first sonogram. That's right at an inch. Your doctor, Dr. Barfield, says that the measurements are accurate at determining age within plus or minus 4 days. He did two measurements just to make sure. Both measurements said you were 9 weeks and 1 day. When I heard your heartbeat, I cried. It was overwhelming to hear it. Not only had I had a nightmare the day before that they couldn't find your heartbeat, but it was also beating so fast!

He estimated your heart beat to be around 170 bpm which is normal for a fetus at 9 weeks. According to the chart that I looked at online, your heart is beating the fastest that it will ever beat in your life (resting heart rate), because heart rate starts to go back down after 9 weeks. The healthy range at 9 weeks is 155-195 with 175 being the average.

I asked him to let me record your heart beat from the ultrasound machine on my phone. Here's the recording of it:

                               
Here are the first photos I have of you in my belly:

You are truly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I love you SO much!

Love,
Mom

P.S. By the way, you are not a twin :). I won't find out if you are a boy or a girl until you are 16 weeks, though I know your Grandpa (my dad) will keep asking in spite of telling him that.