Week 25

My Big Rutabaga!

Little girl you are getting SO big! Head to heels you now measures about 13 1/2 inches. You weigh 1 1/2 pounds the average weight of a rutabaga. I have to admit that I have no clue what a rutabaga is. All I know is that our amazing God is creating you & doing miraculous things in my womb, so wonderful!

This week was Father's Day & we had the chance to celebrate the wonderful daddy you have. Your dad loves us both so much I am always amazed by him. Here are just a few ways he shows he loves us... he works so hard everyday to provide for us. He gets up every morning & makes our lunch. He massages my feet when I get home from work tired. He lets us go to sleep early because he wants us to get all the rest we need. He prays for us all the time & every night with his hand on my belly, that is my favorite. He gets so excited every Saturday night when we get to read about how much you have grown each week. He rubs lotion on my belly nightly to help me avoid being itchy while you stretch in there. He loves to talk to you & feel you moving around. He gets weepy whenever he thinks about you, don't tell him I told you. Your daddy is a great loving representation of what your heavenly father is like. I just adore him & can't wait to see your special relationship grow.

We have officially made our 2nd big purchase! We ordered your crib online as well as your dresser. They should both be arriving in the next 2 weeks. Your daddy & I are SO excited to put them together. Thank you grandpa & grandma Brook for the great gift, she is going to love it! We also spent some time this week registering for all the fun stuff we will need for your arrival! Your auntie Sarah was a huge help making sure we got all the right stuff. :) This was an extremely fun time dreaming about you sitting in your stroller, wearing those little socks, taking baths (hopefully you love the water like us) and playing in your swing.

Your dad & I are SO excited to share life with you Hallee. We love you more then you know!

Your mom

Week 24

Cute Corn Cob!

You have gained about 4 ounces since last week & that puts almost 1 1/4 pounds. You are almost a foot long, the length of an ear of corn. This week has been so much fun because you have been extremely active. You have been moving around so much all week I become mesmerized just watching my belly twitch & roll. I have to say that you like to move the most when I'm trying to sleep...you little stinker! I don't mind when you wake me up a little bit before my alarm goes off because I get to just lay there & watch you roll around.

We went to the doctor again this week for our monthly check up. The doctor said you are doing great & growing prefectly in there. We got the chance to hear your heartbeat again and I have to say it is my favorite sound. There is nothing like hearing the sweet pitter patter of your heart first thing in the morning! I wish that I could take her doppler home with me & listen to it everyday.

Also this week we made our very first big purchase for you!! We bought a Dutailier glider/rocker for your room. Your dad & I were so excited to bring it home as soon as we got there I had to try it out. I sat in it for a few minutes just thinking of you. I can't belive that in only a few short months you will be in my arms in that chair. I look forward to those sweet moments we will spend together in that glider sleeping, laughing & reading together.

I love you so much baby girl!
Mommy

23 Weeks

My Big Mango Girl!!

This week you are more than 11 inches long and weigh just over a pound, about as much as a large mango! Mangos are my all time favorite fruit, and it just so happened that your grandma sent some home with me when I visited this week. So in celebration I have been eating mango all week! I can definitely tell you are getting longer because when you move we can see you on one side of my belly and the complete opposite at the same time. You are doing some gymnastics in there little girl!

This week I had a cherry coke for the first time in a long time. Cherry coke is my favorite drink but since it has caffeine it has not become more of a treat I don't get too often. I made the mistake of having it with dinner and the two of us were up all night. I have to say you enjoyed the cherry coke because you were doing somersaults in my belly until the wee hours of the morning. Needless to say your daddy has cut us off of anything with caffeine after 3pm.

I lead a small group of high school girls, that I adore, for 3 years at our previous church and they graduated high school this week! I was able to attend my sweet Jenna's graduation, she has been a huge influence in the small group leader I am today. I am so extremely proud of the way God had grown these girls in into Godly women they are today. It was exciting to see them all in their cap & gowns. I was lucky they had both graduations at the same facility so I got to stick around and see the other girls arriving. I have truly enjoyed sharing life with these girls and look forward to seeing God continue to use them on their new college campus. These girls love you so much, I'm excited to introduce you to them. I pray that you would love our Lord the way they do. Also that you would have a small group of friends to share life with because it truly shapes us all.

I'm praying for you little daughter, that you would love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind & strength. I anticipate the days we will get to talk about the bible and what those stories mean for you. Please continue to grow in there sweet Hallee, but don't grow up too fast!

Love you more then you know!

Your mother

Hallee

You are the luckiest girl alive to have Kristin as your mom. She is the most amazing woman I know and I love and respect her more than anyone I have ever met. I love talking about you to people. I bet people are getting sick of it, but I love it. I love dreaming of the kind of woman that you will become, and pray for you all the time. I pray that you are healthy, that you are a peaceful baby, and that you love Jesus and dressing conservatively.


In any event know that your mother and I love you more than you will ever realize, and have wanted you from before you were conceived. I love you Hallee Jane Brook.

Dad

My little girl

Hallee,

Every little girl I see makes me think of you. Today I watched a little girl run up to her dad and say "daddy, I need a kiss!". I can't wait for the short window I get of those moments with you, before you get too embarrassed of course. There is even a little pink pacifier hanging from my rear view mirror that makes me smile. I am so excited to meet you. This week was the first time that I got to see you kick, and we played our first game.... I would make kissing noises on moms belly and you would kick me in the mouth. I would move to another spot and do the same thing and you would kick me again. I loved every second of it.

I spent the better part of the last few weeks at the beach and trying to figure out how to convince you that one piece bathing suits are the greatest inventions in the world. I know you will be beautiful (just look at your mom) and I pray that you are as conservative as she is, and was. That is one of the things I love most and while you might not believe it in junior high or high school, good guys really want that in a girl.

I pray that you are an easy baby that doesn't cry a lot, sleeps through the night, and loves to be around people. I pray that in elementary school you are confident in yourself, that you have my sense of humor and imagination, but your moms brains. I pray that in junior high you don't hate us too much and that you are disciplined (in a good fun loving way) and are like Kayla Stephens in terms of self respect, and in high school I pray that you have fun and grow and know that you were made to be a Proverbs 31 woman for yourself, God, and your future husband. I look forward to your first day in my arms, the first time I get to take you to school, and the day I get to walk you down the isle. I love you.

Dad

PS. It still feels weird typing dad.....it makes me think of my dad, and makes me feel old.

22 Weeks

My Spaghetti Squash!

You are around 11 inches, the length of a spaghetti squash and almost 1 pound. I can't believe you are already that long! You are starting to look like a miniature newborn now, so exciting! I wish we had another ultrasound so I could see you again!!

We had some great friends, Kara & Marc, come out to visit us this week, they love you so much!! It was so refreshing to spend time with them & share in the excitement of this pregnancy with them. They brought the cutest little outfits for you from them & our other friends the Werner's. I can't wait to dress you in them and take tons of pictures! We went to the beach on Memorial Day it was so beautiful out. This was the first time I shared my belly with the world, it was fun. I don't think people really noticed but it was exciting for us. You really liked the sun because you were moving around a lot, either that or you were telling me you were hot in there. :) I can't wait to take you to the beach and watch you play in the sand & feel the water for the first time.

This week was some fun moments with you. During church services you had hiccups for the first time. I wish your daddy was there to feel them, they lasted for about 5 minutes. I think you are going to take after your mommy, I get the hiccups at least 3-5 times a week. Also, this week we got to see you move around in my belly. Your movements have been stronger lately so I have been laying in bed waiting to see you move. Every night your daddy talks to you and you rub his hand. So a few nights ago I told him to talk to you so we could see if you would move enough for us to see, sure enough you did!! It was such a sweet moment, we both looked at each other & said "did you see that!" That was not the last time you were doing acrobatics in there. I love feeling you move around & especially enjoy seeing your movements.

Love you Hallee!

Mommy