Today, when I opened my email, I received the message below-no more tadpole. My little one (and very very little right now) is now looking more like a baby....He/she's about an inch tall! I'm so proud of her (or him)! My email read:
Hello, Crystal!
Your new resident is nearly an inch long -- about the size of a grape -- and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form -- as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks.
Josh and I are becoming more and more excited. I always look forward to my next doctor's appointments, especially if I'm getting an ultrasound, I get to see the little guy and know that everything is okay.
Today is the day that we will let the rest of the family know and I'm certainly looking forward to that. Its such a cool feeling knowing that in my belly is a human being, a person that will one day have face that will reflect mine (and Josh's!) a person that will have unique ideas and a person that I will be beside every step of the way, to nurture, teach, lead, guide and eventually give away, a person that will one day have children of their own. Someone who will one day (hopefully) give me little grand-babies of my own!
I've never stopped to think about how special the relationship between a grandparent and grandchild is until recently. When I found out I was pregnant, I don't remember crying, I remember an abundance of feelings from surprise and giddiness to being anxious and nervous. When Josh and I told our parents for the first time that I was pregnant, I don't think there was a dry eye in the house....looking back to that moment and stepping out of my shoes, and into theirs, I feel that there must be something magical about watching your child, your baby, the one whose diapers you used to change what seems like yesterday, now bring new life into the world......that is something pretty darn cool if you ask me--- It's witnessing God's hands at work: seeing life that you made, make new life.
I believe maybe it's also a little bit of being able to welcome a baby into the world, that without you, technically wouldn't be here, and having the opportunity to forego most of the discipline part of child rearing and spoil them rotten!!
Quote of the day:
What a bargain grandchildren are! I give them my loose change, and they give me a million dollars' worth of pleasure. ~Gene Perret
