Got Love? Button Sure Does!

There are so many things to be thankful for right now that I hardly know where to start (or how to group them under some kind of coherent blog post heading!). As a result, I've decided to focus this week on the ways in which so many of you are already wrapping Button in love, because she's not going to know what to do with this huge extended family--some blood-related but many heart-family--come February!

Sharing with us in the joy of reaching the 28-week milestone

When I say I'm 28 weeks this week, almost every mama responds with, "Oh, you're breathing a sigh of relief!" They're right--28 weeks is when premature babies have developed enough inside the womb that their chances of survival in the outside world are excellent; few long-term effects of premature birth are seen in infants who were introduced to the world at 28 weeks or later. And so, while we want Button to say snug as a bug for another 12 weeks or so, we're in awe of the fact that we've made it to this milestone--and that so many of you are just as excited to celebrate it as we are!

Sharing with us in the delight of new baby items in our home

(Stasy, this one's for you!)

Last week, I mentioned that we had tested out our new baby carrier with a furry occupant--here's proof! (For the record, Ozzy loved it and didn't stop purring the whole time.) Back at 18 weeks, I wondered if I'd ever be excited to bring baby items into our house; now, thanks to your infectious excitement, you all have made it a joyful occurrence that is to be celebrated!

Loving on Button with unexpected surprises

This week, several things arrived in our house from people who love Button already--things that made me squeal with delight and tear up with emotion.

From a friend I've never met--one who lives all the way across the country--a package arrived with a button-themed layette. These are definitely contenders for what Button may come home from the hospital wearing!

From strong and loving women at church came onesies (that apparently were too irresistible to wait until our shower in two weeks!) and a full (second-hand) Pottery Barn Kids ducky bath set, complete with towels, wastebasket, tissue holder, and shower curtain. (There will be photos for the bathroom set later--once I convince Jeff that we really do need to repaint the bathroom itself first!)

From my beloved godmother, an extraordinarily generous and unexpected early shower gift: the Graco Pack N Play that will also serve as our stand-alone bassinet and a mobile changing table. (We're pretty sure pictures will be forthcoming of the cats pre-warming these spaces for Button...)

And, perhaps most incredibly of all, a hand-knit baby blanket--in the perfect colors to match our nursery--from my dear, sweet, amazing friend, Jenn (who blogs over at The Canadian Housewife). With all the heartache she's had in recent months, she still arrived at our house last night (yes, she's visiting this weekend from Canada with her husband!) with this beautiful blanket in hand, so excited to shower Button with love. Jenn, this will always be Button's blankie, and we suspect--just like you and Dan--it will be in our lives forever.

Caring for Button by caring for her mama

There's no way to end this post without mentioning Jeff's care of me--not just in the last six months, but really in the last seven years. This week marked our 5th Engage-a-versary (if you're not sure what that is, you can read last year's post here!), and I was completely overwhelmed--once again--as I reflected on how Jeff cares not just for me but, through caring for me, for our little Button. As we finished our dinner, dressed up for a night out, Jeff quickly read the exhaustion on my face. Without missing a beat, he signed the check, pushed back his chair, and got his jacket. His next words were possibly the romantic ones he could have said to this pregnant mama on a school night: "Shall we go get you a cupcake and let you eat it at home in your PJs with an episode of Modern Family?" Even when I don't know how to care for our daughter--when I'm too exhausted to know I'm tired, too ravenous to know I'm hungry, too self-conscious to consider skipping a workout, he's the one to gently take me by the arm and lead me to nourishment, rest, and renewal. How in awe I am of the fact that he's my partner for this journey!