195 more sleeps

Let me just say that this process has revealed some pretty rusty writing skills. I hope little Cash or Cate is not a literary critic or grammar cop. Though the product might not be the best, the intentions behind it are. I want this little one to know that with healthy respect for how our lives will change in ways we cannot even fathom, we chose this adventure. That we spent 40 weeks joking (kind of) about sharing diaper duty 50-50, the agony of sleepless nights, and being "those people" with a screaming kid in a restaurant or airplane. That one of the most anticipated parts of our week is receiving the email that tells us what piece of fruit the little one compares to in size. That we, along with grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and dear friends, literally counted down the days until we met face to face.

We had our first preview of that sweet face on September 30 at our 8 week sonogram. My first response to seeing the little one on the big screen was to reach for Jared's hand. That tiny one was bouncing around all over the place. Jared, wide-eyed, asked, "Can you feel that?" I couldn't, but I did feel an overwhelming sense of wonder and relief when I heard the heartbeat. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Vital stats at 8 Weeks
Heart Rate: 158
Length: 5.89 cm