Week 37

"Dr. E says you still aren’t in a hurry to come out and meet the world. She really wants you to make your arrival by the end of the month so looks like you will be a july baby no matter what. She thinks you weigh about six to six and a half pounds and growing about a half pound per week. You are getting so big and strong. You still don’t kick a whole lot but you love to stretch and move all the time and it’s starting to get a little painful for Mommy. Mommy had a really relaxing spa day last weekend. It was so nice to be pampered. We celebrated Independence Day on Wednesday. Mommy had to work part of the day but after that, Daddy barbequed while Mommy painted a canvas for your room. It was a really nice afternoon. We can’t wait for fun family afternoons together once you are here. Today is Aunt Tiffany’s birthday. We celebrated by doing a little shopping with the Gillenwater clan and then we all met Daddy after work for dinner on South Congress. Other exciting news is that Aunt Tracy is moving back to Texas next week! She and Mr. Steve are moving to Austin so we are so excited to be close again and see them often. You are going to love them!"

Week 36

"We are getting so close to the day that we are finally going see your precious face! I am so anxious, nervous, excited and thrilled. Your nursery is ready for you. Everything is washed and organized. Nana came to visit and we went shopping for all the things you still needed. I never knew you would need so much stuff but it has been really fun shopping and preparing for you. the only thing left is to hang some stuff on the walls, which may have to wait until after your arrival. Pepper loves your chair…of course. What was I thinking buying a white chair knowing that we have a black kitty that loves to cuddle up on soft furniture? Mommy is now seeing Dr. E every week. At our last visit, we were told that you are happy in my tummy for now and you are not moving down anytime soon. This week we took a tour of the new hospital where you will be delivered. It is really nice and I’m sure it will be nice and comfortable for all of us during our stay. We also learned all about feeding, diapering and caring for you in our infant care class. Hopefully, you will be patient with us as we learn this parenting thing as we go. I know we will make many mistakes but we are both committed to doing the best we can for you."

Week 35

"We celebrated Father’s Day this week. I can’t even tell you how much Daddy is looking forward to your arrival. He has been working hard on getting your nursery prepared and almost every day tells me how excited he is to meet you soon. We were so busy preparing for you this week. We took a childbirth class on Saturday which taught us all about what to expect on D-Day. We also had maternity pictures taken of us by the same photographer who will be taking your newborn photos. It was really hot but we had a great time posing with you. Mommy washed all of your clothes and we did a lot of organizing in your bedroom."

Week 34

"Mommy and Daddy have been spending a lot of time on the lake. We were able to get the boat into a slip so its much easier for me to get on and off with you. We have been doing a lot of floating in the cool water. It feels so nice to be weightless and relax on the raft as the sun goes down. Next year, you should be old enough for some boating of your own…although we will have to wait to teach you to water ski or tube but if you’re anything like Daddy, we won’t be able to keep you out of the water for long. We are already planning our lake adventures for next year and looking at extra safe life jackets for you."

Week 33

"The Gillenwaters, Ericksons and Boulewares hosted a couples shower for us this week. We had such a great time celebrating you with our friends. Everyone decorated diapers for you, we ate BBQ and lemon cupcakes, and played corn-hole. Miss Paige and I compared bellies; her baby is due just a week after you. I hope you two become great friends. Uncle Jason and Aunt Candice came to Austin to stay with us and we had such a great time. It will be a while before we will have adult-only time with them again but it will be so fun to watch you get to know your cousins. It is really hot this summer. Mommy has started taking water aerobics classes to stay active and beat the heat. Daddy’s birthday is today. He is now 32 years old. We are celebrating by going to dinner and seeing George Lopez at the Paramount." 

Week 30

"This week we went to San Antonio again for the weekend. It was our annual spring party with Nana, PawPaw, Uncle Jason, Aunt Candice and your cousins. We had so much fun playing on the tire swing, eating yummy food and ice cream and watching the basketball playoffs. This was definitely your favorite kind of day. Sunday was Mother’s Day. Even though you are not out in the world, I am still a mother to you so this day was really special for me. You are a prayer answered and a dream come true and I am counting the days until our eyes meet for the first time. I’m starting to feel very tired. You are a busy bee inside of me and I am finding it more and more difficult to put one foot in front of the other. It’s kind of frustrating because your mommy likes to be very active but it will all be worth it in the end. Only 10 more weeks!"

Week 29

"We were blessed with several wonderful showers for you this week. The first shower was a garden party at Nana’s house. It was just girls except for you and your cousins Wyatt & Hudson. We had a great time eating lots of yummy breakfast food, visiting and opening presents for you. Aunt Candice and Nana made it really special for us with the Goodnight Moon theme. Daddy’s cousins Chrissy and Andrea and his aunt, Lynda, hosted the second shower, which was held at Grandma’s house. It was an evening shower and all the family and cousins were there. Your cousin Cat wanted to know what your name is. I told her it was a secret. She thought about it for a little while, came back and asked me how to spell your name. She is very smart and eager to know your name but we are still keeping it a surprise. For now, everyone is still calling you “Randall” or “L-Rod”, short for Little Rodriguez. While Mommy was in San Antonio this week, I was able to meet Miss Stephanie and Miss Michelle for dinner. We always have such a fun time together; Mommy got a good ab workout that night from laughing so much. The staff at Mommy’s work also had a shower for us with yummy cake and a gift card to buy fun stuff for you at Target. I hope you were able to feel all the love that surrounded you this week. We are so blessed to have such amazing family and friends."