2 WEEKS FROM TODAY!

Dear Baby Holler,

I cannot believe it!  The first thing I thought when I woke up this morning was that in exactly 2 weeks from today, Daddy and I will be getting ready to go to the hospital to get you on the outside with us!  I am SO EXCITED I can hardly stand it!  I've been acutely aware that we're getting so close, but we are truly down to the wire and it's almost too much excitement and anticipation to handle - sometimes I think I might burst from it!

Speaking of bursting - I'll go ahead and show you what a big girl you are at 37 weeks!

You are FULL TERM in there!

I had my 37 week checkup on Friday and it turns out that you are starting to get ready to make a break for it....So I'm a little curious to see if you'll visit us beforehand, but my mom never had her babies before her due date, so that makes me think you and I will follow suit.  It's okay if you can't get packed up and moved out before December 2nd.  That's right around the corner, and we can wait for your eviction:)

I have been really emotional this week, and one thing I've been fretting a little about is what is going to happen in our household with the baby that came before you....Frankie.  He is so used to basically doing whatever he wants, and I am completely guilty of being a total softie with him because MOST of the time, he is such a sweetie.  Also, with Daddy gone so much, he is my little buddy.  But he has bad habits- like he sleeps in the bed with us and makes a lot of noise - barking when he hears something outside or wants in or out of the bed.  And on occasion, he has peed or pooped on the carpet upstairs when left unattended- Daddy and I think that he can still smell the dogs that lived in the house before we lived here, and he is marking the carpet.  Either way, we have had the carpet professionally cleaned and also purchased our own steam cleaner for spot treatments.  So that's the background on Frankie, and I've worried about how all his "behaviors" are going to coincide with your sleep and habits, and ultimately, I don't want you crawling on the floor and coming into contact with a Frankie "surprise" because he marked a spot.  Or worse, because he's mad about all the attention you're getting.

I'm equally happy and sad to report that all of this anxiety has been solved.  Frankie solved everything yesterday.  You see, I walked into your room, like I always do, and I was HORRIFIED to find a tiny yellow pee spot on your beautiful light pink Pottery Barn Kids rug that I was so proud to buy you.  To say that I had a total emotional breakdown that he did that to your precious rug is an understatement!!!!  I was so upset with him, and I worked all morning trying to use cleaner and the steamer to get the stain out, and I pretty much cried my face off the whole time that he would do something so AWFUL to me!

So that was the final straw, and even though he is sweet and adorable and I love him to pieces, you are more important now, and I'm actually not even sad to tell you that Frankie got himself a one-way ticket to living downstairs only.  He is banned from upstairs.  I have blocked off the stairs, and set up shop for him in the laundry room downstairs, and that is the living arrangement from now on.  He will not sleep with us, he did not sleep with me last night.  And that is how life in the Holler household will be - done and done.

I don't feel bad for him.  I'm actually glad that he made the decision for me!

I originally took this photo to send Daddy because I though he was being so sweet....But do you know what he's laying there thinking?  "Hmmmm.....I can't wait to get up and go pee on Harper's pretty pink rug....Good times...." 

So that's our update from the outside, Baby Girl!  We are ready for you- Daddy comes home tomorrow night, my hospital bag is packed, and Frankie lives in the Laundry Room.  We're totally ready!!!!

We love you!

Mommy