Tomorrow is the BIG DAY!!!!

Dear Little One,

It’s Poppa here, once again! I’m sorry that I haven’t written to you in a while. I’ve just been trying to get all my feelings and emotions down on paper before I post to you because I don’t like it when I write something that just sounds like words and thoughts all thrown together. I guess I’m a little neurotic about that, so please don’t think that dad is crazy or off his rocker…I just want my little notes to you to be worth reading when you get old enough to read them.

So today is a HUGE day for you! Happy Pre-Birth Birthday!!!! You are exactly (approximately) 20 weeks old!!!! That’s right, you have made it through the first half of pregnancy! Congratulations!!! That’s a huge accomplishment! You have grown all your organs and extremities. Your brain and heart are really working hard now. You are a beautiful little person and your mom and I are so very excited! You have definitely grown a lot in the past couple of days. Mommy’s belly went from “looking like she ate too much cheese” to looking fully pregnant! It’s beautiful! She looks amazing and she is doing very well! You guys are eating good and actually getting a lot of exercise (I thought that exercising would be at the bottom of the list for mommy…boy was I wrong). According to Mommy, you are really working on your Karate skills or maybe your ballet pirouettes? I’m not sure what’s going on, but Mommy says that you’re really moving around in there. That’s great! Keep up the kickin’ because it makes both your mom and I so happy when she can feel it. Unfortunately, I can’t feel it yet, but that will soon come and than you’ll be hearing a loud voice from outside saying, “Keep Kicking!!!” That loud voice will be me because I want you to get big and strong while you’re in there. But I know that you are going to be a bundle of energy when you get here. You’re a Levis…

So tomorrow is a big day for everyone. We, finally, get to find out if you’re a boy or a girl! YES!!!!! I think everyone is 50/50 of what they think you will be. This is very exciting! I’m actually a little nervous. I’m not nervous because I have a preference…I really don’t care if you are a boy or a girl, but I think I’m nervous because this is a major life altering experience. I mean, this will determine what kind of a dad I will be. Don’t worry, you’re still getting a dad who will love you and support you no matter what! But after we find out if you’ll be a boy or a girl, I get to start thinking about all the things that life will have to offer. If you’re a girl, I’ve got to start prepping myself for dress shopping, tea parties, Barbie, teenage-hood, & boys (CRAP…boys!). I should definitely start a wedding fund early! If you’re a boy, I’ve got to get ready for sports stuff, cars, Transformers, Star Wars, & bugs probably. If you’re a girl and you want to play with boys’ stuff, I’m cool with that. If you’re a boy and you want to do girlie things well, I’ll be okay with that too…as long as you are happy and having fun! That’s all I really care about! I want you to be as happy as humanly possible and I want you to enjoy everything that life has to offer! See these are the things that get me a little nervous. I get nervous because things have changed so much from your generation to my generation (I don’t know if you have a generation yet, but that’s how fast things change around here). I know that as parents, we’ve got to battle things like computers and Internet and technology. I’m good with computers and technology, but I’ll probably be a dinosaur by the time you’re ready to use a computer. These things really scare me, because sometimes these concepts can have negative characteristics to them and it’s my job to protect you from it. I don’t want to fail! That’s my biggest fear in life…I never want to fail you or your mom or any of your future brothers or sisters. But with help from your mom, I’m sure I’ll be ready for whatever comes. I know that both sets of grandparents are VERY, VERY excited! We’re just all anticipating your arrival.

Well, I just wanted to write you a little note before tomorrow’s ultrasound because I want you to know what was going on in dear old dad’s head. Please know that I love you dearly and that my love for you grows every single second. I love just knowing that you are inside Mommy’s belly and that you are going to be with us soon! I’ll be talking to you soon…literally…because now you can hear my voice, so I’m going to start reading or talking to you. It’ll be weird because I’ll be talking to a stomach, but I think it will be nice for you to know my voice! I love you!

P.S. I guess Downey is bad, SO “if I ever catch you in or around the City of Downey, YOU ARE GROUNDED!” Ha! Ha! How was that dad moment for you!?! I really have to work on that, huh? Oh well, I've got time to practice!