27 weeks

27 weeks

I have officially arrived into the third trimester and can hardly believe that we are 2/3 of the way to meeting Lydia! That is only 13 weeks.... or 91 days... According to my books, Lydia is about 2 pounds and nearing 16 inches long! She will begin to slow growing in length, but will start to pack on the pounds as we get closer to her birthday!

Not only is today a new trimester, but it is also my first Mother's Day! I received a few cards in the mail and text messages from friends wishing me a happy mother's day. It is surreal to even begin to think of myself as a soon-to-be-mommy, but then Lydia kicks or moves and I am reminded what an awesome journey we are embarking on.

Although next year will be much sweeter with Lydia here to celebrate with, Brett has done a good job at making sure this pre-Mother's Day occasion is celebrated. Brett brought me breakfast in bed this morning.... Trader Joe's Honey Nut O's complete with frozen fruit on top, some OJ, and turkey sausage:) Yummo!Obviously the early morning picture is not the greatest of me, but I had to share it:)
We are going to celebrate the rest of the day with a picnic on Grandview Drive- complete with my favorite meal from Avanti's... If you know me, that means grilled cheese with cheese soup:) We are also going to go to Lowe's for new globes for the fan for Lydia's room and the living room, Pier I to check out some accessories for the nursery, and wherever else the day takes us...

My diaper bag arrived from Pottery Barn and it is perfect. Brett thinks it resembles a laptop bag, but maybe that just means he will be willing to lug it around when we are travelling. It comes with the changing pad and lots of pockets to put all the baby necessities. It is embroidered with my initials, "MEE" in pink...


We are still no closer to deciding a middle name, although I have gotten great suggestions and input from many of you. Aunt Linda made the suggestion to do both names and not choose between them. This is something I would definitely consider, but I am not sure Brett is on the same page as me. For a little more background on the two names up for consideration: Claire is Brett's grandpa's middle name. Brett is close to his Grandpa Don and it would be very special. Elizabeth is my middle name and my Aunt Karen's middle name. We were named after my great grandmother, Martha Elizabeth.

Now that I have given the background of the middle name choices, I don't think I have discussed why we are naming her Lydia, although I am sure many of you figured it out. Brett and I met at Bradley University as freshmen in the fall of 2000. We dated all throughout college and Bradley has been a big part of our lives. We continue to be active alumni and have a deep affection for the university. With so many memories founded at Bradley, and a continued appreciation for the university that brought us together, we wanted to name the baby after someone or something that symbolized this. Lydia Moss Bradley was the founder of Bradley University. She was a great steward for Peoria, philanthropy, and education; all three of which are equally important to Brett and I. Therefore, when brainstorming names, Lydia made it to the top. We know that naming her Lydia will instill in the baby that her namesake is equivalent with a sense of pride, commitment, and dedication to education, volunteerism, and leadership.