Oh, Baby!

I can believe that in three weeks we will know if you are a girl or boy! I got a sewing machine for Christmas and I kept thinking if it was a girl I could make her dresses like I used to do for your mommy!

Or I can get a big roll of denim and make lots of blue jeans if you are a boy! I just want to know so we can give you a nickname while we wait for mom and dad to decide on your real name! Mommy used to call Miles Mojito (little monkey)before they decided on a real name.

Mommy said she can't wait to feel you move as that is when a baby starts to feel "real".

Christmas isn't here yet but we celebrated yesterday as I have to fly to Hawaii with a family (I did tell you I was a travel nanny, right?)on Christmas eve. We did a video chat and your brother was a bit cranky! He went with mom and dad to a party the night before and didn't get all his "beauty" sleep! But he did grin at me which is always priceless!It was fun watching him sit on mommy's lap and she read him the two books Uncle Clyde and I bought him. And I got to talk a bit with your mommy which is always great....I wonder how many times mommy and daddy will have to read the Llama Llama stories...

I was thinking of you when I bought them too. I know you will love books just like him so we are getting a good supply for you to read someday! He also has a good supply of Baby Signs so you will get a head start and maybe Miles will even teach you how to sign. You are going to be so smart because he is going to teach you so much! (don't let him teach you how to stuff everything down the couch though!)

I just wanted to say a few words so that someday you will know how much you were loved and thought about long before you were born...

Mommy: Here you are in my Tummy

Once upon a time, you lived here in my tummy. You were so small you have to look close to see my tummy was bigger! But I know you are there...You aren't kicking me yet and I can't wait to feel you bumping around inside me because then I will know you are healthy.

This is a picture of me and your big brother. I thought one day you might like to see what he looked like when he was 18 months old.

Next Year Christmas will have 2 Children!

I have been shopping for your brother this week. He has too much already so I settled on some clothes and bath toys. I am sure he will share with you when you get big enough for baths!

I passed by so many cute little girl things and thought, "I wonder if I will be shopping for a girl next year?"! Then I smiled, because if you are healthy and good natured, a good sleeper, why would we care?! We will love you so much if you were a girl or boy...

It is crazy trying to wrap and pack your family's box up. I will be going with a client to Hawaii during Christmas week so I am hoping your box gets to NY and we can video chat and watch little man tear into the paper! I haven't really shopped much for a few years. It wasn't a good time for me but this year I feel so lifted.

Which means I spent way too much but they are all good things and I want the people in my life this year to know how important they are to me...I find I spend the most on your mom as she is still my "little girl" and always so much fun to shop for and then I feel a bit bad as I am not good at shopping for men! So I just got him the gift certificate...Don't worry, I will always buy you "stuff" until you become a teenager!

So thinking about you here in Texas.....Mimi

Mimi and Papa

You have two sets of grandparents and Mimi and Papa are your mother's parents. I will be 63 when you are born and Papa will be 68. I know...that sounds pretty old! But I like to think we are very young at heart! The good news is that Papa is retired and has time to spend with you when you visit. I am a traveling nanny that goes all over the world helping people with their children when they travel and sometimes when mommies have new babies, I come and help them learn how to care for their new baby. I do love what I do and have many great adventures.

The first time I traveled with a family I went to St Croix in the Virgin Islands with a baby who was just 10 weeks old! I traveled with that family every year for 5 years and got to go to France twice, Italy, Morocco, Bora Bora, Tahiti, Mo'orea, and my favorite Tahaa,

I have also traveled to Santorini which is a small Greek Island in the Mediterranean that you reach by riding mules up the cliff or you take the sky lift to the top. I wrote the sky lift and also walked down the mule path. It is a very beautiful island and everything is white stone buildings. The food is interesting and I tried as much as I could and liked it all! I always say you can't be a travel nanny if you are a picky eater!

Recently, A family from Australia found my website and I am now traveling to Australia once a year with this family of 2 children. They are super nice and my clients do become my friends after a trip or two. Normally, we fly from Perth to Sydney and spend the night as it is a 3.5 hour flight. We walk around Sydney and find our favorite places to eat. One place is a little small outdoor stand that serve "meat pies". It is the oldest outdoor eating stand in Sydney. Meat pies are pies with meat, potatoes, carrots and gravy inside with mashed potatoes on top! They are so delicious! Then we fly to Honolulu, Hawaii and spend two and half days. It is a 10 flight so the children really need some time to rest up. We always have breakfast at this Denny's as their is a waitress there, Rosie, who loves this family and always remembers their names and what they like to order every year! Then we fly to San Francisco, Calif for two days to rest up again as we have already made it through 3 time changes. Finally, we fly to Boston, Mass where I say good bye and the family goes to visit the grandparents in Maine for a month. In a month I meet them again in Boston and we start back! Coming back we often go to other places like Ireland or Austria. It's always a bit different.

Maybe this time when I do your book I will put some of my travel pictures in it. It is my hope you read this when you are about 16 and a little curious about who your grandparents were and this will make you feel like you know us all over again.

This year, I had papa meet me in Sydney when I finished the Australian family. We climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge which at first seems a bit scary as it is so high above the city at the top. Our guide Bernie, was the best and told us delightful stories about the history of the bridge. If you ever get to go there, climb it and think of us...

We loved your first picture!

Mimi:

Mommy and daddy went to the doctor a few weeks ago and they took a picture of you in her tummy! You looked so adorable all curled up with tiny little arms and legs. When mommy was expecting Miles, we did a little story for him that told how we felt as we waited for him to be born.

Sometimes, when we get so busy taking care of that first child, we skip the things we did for the first. I was the last of four children so I know how that feels. I wanted to write to you for the next few months so that some day you will know how special you were to us even before you were born.

By the time you read this you will know that I am your mother's mother or your grandmother. I don't live by you but I come to work in New York City quite often so I will get to see you a lot I hope. I helped your mom after Miles was born and this time I will be there when you are born and then come back when you are about two weeks and help some more. I want to make sure mommy has plenty time alone with you so I will take Miles out to the park.

I will write more later and tell you all about your family on my side!

Love you little munchkin, Mimi

Mommy: Our first pictures of our new "little Man"

These are my first pictures of you! There is nothing more exciting that watching your first pictures. Daddy was with me of course and we held our breath till they told us you were "perfect". We can't wait to meet you!

Our Zarhary in November, 2011

There you are Zach!  We could just tell you were going to be an amazing kid!  And we were right!