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Noodle,

So the doctor called today and said that my blood work was "good and appropriate." This is doctor speak for "your baby is kicking ass!!!" I was so happy to hear that, as I am a worrywart and consider every possible misfortune that can usurp this little throne of happiness. So I am getting re-tested on Friday and as long as you are still thriving my worries can be abated a bit.

Today when I brushed my teeth the toothpaste reminded me of an old boot. It wasn't really horrible, per say, more curious. I am starting the fall semester today. I am very excited. Maybe you will hear all the information through my tummy and absorb it and come out an advertising tycoon. I already know you are going to be brilliant...I can feel how smartly you are dividing and conquering in there. I currently have a 4.0 GPA. Granted that is based on my one summer class but still, pretty cool. Let's try to keep the tummy sickness to at most a slow roll, no tearing out of class holding my mouth would be fantastic!

So yesterday I had forgotten to mention that after the nurse came in saying "congratulations" and handed us our welcome packet and left (at the beginning of the appointment after checking urine analysis), your daddy wondered over to me with this goofy grin that has been cemented to his face since Friday. He leaned into me and whispered "I am going to take care of you." It was the exactly most wonderful thing he could have said, and he said it with tears in his eyes. Now I won't say this is the first time that he has teared up since we found out about you and I am sure it will be not be the last. But it is important to know that this is a good thing. If you end up being a boy then you should know that it is usually the strongest men that cry, and if you are a girl, you should know that men who will cry in front of you are typically keepers. That is not an absolute by any means, but nothing really is. Except unconditional love, which is what we have for you, darling.

So this leads me into things that you should know about your Dad:

1) He is a Texan, like you! Once in a moment of intoxication with a few buddies he went out and got a star tattoo that says "Texas" on it. Now this is typically a bad thing. However, as you will come to know, your Dad manages to pull off things other people couldn't. He got it on his upper arm on the inside soft part of the flesh. This was probably the only place that a tattoo saying Texas could seem artistic, and it says a lot. By the way, I joke with him about you coming out with a little Texas tattoo on your arm. That being said, he is not a die-hard or even loyal Texan, and is certainly not of a conservative leaning.

2) Your Dad is an artiste! When he draws he gets into these modes where everything seems to slip away. I remember his mother showing me artwork of his from high school, and one in particular that caught my eye was this space scene with a tiny floating astronaut. I mean itty bitty, like you. But it was the most detailed and lined and beautiful astronaut I had ever seen. I had no idea how he could have the patience and the coordination to get such detail. He has drawn me many times since. We have a tradition that at karaoke we draw each other on napkins. His are great, mine are um impressionistic. He appreciates mine and says they are good though. :)

3) Chris is an excellent writer and this was the first way I bonded with him. He had written to me about how elephants mourn their dead because I had written about how human beings amaze me because they are the only creatures that grieve the dead. He is a super scientist, with a biology degree from Vanderbilt, but he can write like nobody's bizness. I love the versatility. He also loves to read but he needs to get better about finishing the books he's reading, even if they are boring.

4) He is athletic! Daddy is a fantastic soccer player and though he hasn't been to many games in the past year because of work, he's still got these strong legs and bubble butt that are astonishing! Hehe.

5) He is a mix of German and Polish so you are going to be pretty European and white. Wear your sunscreen. Both of us have light brown hair and were blondes growing up. My hair was so blonde it was white! So we are guessing that you will have blonde hair and blue eyes (mine are green and your dad's are a light, beautiful blue).

6) He is patient, loyal, and he perseveres. He has accepted me for my faults and positives equally, and he has never given up on me, not once. Family means the world to him and while some men will chase money or women or fame, he has always been the man chasing contentment and the right people to share it with. He will take his time with you and he will be there for you and he will love you until you burst into confetti. I promise.

Now for a random picture of the day:



This is a picture of my school from the view of the library. The people down below are scurrying from the rain.