Our Little Tax Write-Off

And that is a good thing according to the doctor. We had our first doctor visit and he said that because she has no prior conditions, allergies or anything like that, she is the best kind of patient — the boring kind. And that is great for the baby. The first doctor appointment went well and everything looks good. Thanks to my book (Dad’s Pregnant Too!), I knew what to expect so there was nothing too surprising for me.

Oh, and the doctor said that I shouldn’t gain any more than 25 pounds … oh wait … he may have been talking about Val.

We finally had a good opportunity to tell Val’s immediate family. So they are pretty happy about the news. It was so great to finally share everything with them. Baby Bonilla is loved even more now.

We can’t wait. The first appointment falls on our one-year wedding anniversary. I read in my book (Dad’s Pregnant Too!) what to expect at the first appointment. So hopefully that has prepared me a little bit. We shall see. It should be very interesting.

I don’t know if you will ever read this. Maybe you will one day. It’s funny. Other than a line on a stick, a smiley face on another, and your mommy’s nausea, we have no real proof that you actually exist. We know you exist, but we have no physical proof — other than what is happening to your mommy. Despite this, it may be comforting to know how much you are already loved.

You are loved so much by your mommy and myself. You are loved so much by grandma and grandpa Bonilla. You are their first grandchild. You are loved so much by auntie Linda. Soon, grandma and grandpa Gonzales will know about you and then you will be loved even more. Soon you will have other aunts and uncles who will know of your existence as well and they will all love you. All this — and you are still just a little prune in your mommy’s tummy (or close enough to it).

I’m not going to say it has been easy for your mommy so far. She does not feel well most of the time. That’s not your fault. It is common during the early portion of a pregnancy. However, no matter how bad she feels, she just has to think of you and the thought of seeing you for the first time and that helps her get through it.

I’d like to tell you a little about your mommy. She has all of the traits that make up a wonderful mother. She is kind, intelligent, compassionate, and loving. In fact, if you ever have any questions about the world, I suggest you go to your mommy. She is more likely to know the answers. She is also very funny with a little bit of dorky sprinkled in — in a good way. She is the most perfect match for me. I wanted you to know this so you know that you are coming into a loving home.

I’m doing my best to take care of your mommy while she is carrying you. I am trying to make sure she eats right and knows that, no matter what, she has my support. It is my mission to do what is best for you and your mommy. When it comes to that, nothing and no one will ever stand in my way. You two are too important to me. You two keep me going. You make make me want to work harder to ensure that you are provided for.

We are looking forward to meeting you and cannot wait to bring you home. Your due date seems so far away, but I am sure it will get here soon enough. Soon, I will be able to hold you in my arms and tell you all of these things in person.

Val just read to me that our baby is now the size of a prune and is growing rapidly this week. Bones are starting to form and his/her stomach is even producing digestive juices. Teeth will even start to form under the gums, but obviously won’t be visible until well after the birth.

Val still does not feel well, but hopefully that passes.

No longer a raspberry, Val informs me that our baby is now the size of an olive. All this according to her iPhone app.

Can’t wait to meet you little olive. You are growing fast.

We were getting pretty excited that our first doctor’s appointment was right around the corner. But I guess the doctor’s office had to reschedule so it was pushed back. I guess we will have to wait a bit to see our little raspberry … or whatever size it will be by then.

Not much else going on at the moment. Just trying to keep Val comfortable and little-by-little, trying to read my “Dad’s Pregnant Too!” book. Gotta be prepared for whatever Val throws at me.

A raspberry. That’s a decent size now, no? Why am I talking about a raspberry? Because according to my wife, that is the size of our baby now.

I remember when she said it was the size of a poppy seed. That seemed too small to be significant. I mean, that is really really small.

Then it was the size of an orange seed. Bigger, but still small.

Then she said it was the size of a blueberry. That size had some significance.

Now? The baby is the size of a raspberry. It is growing really fast. Seems like it was just yesterday that it was a poppy seed.

Yesterday was my mom’s birthday dinner. We decided to use the occasion to finally tell them that we were expecting a baby. We bought an “I love my grandma” frame and put a picture of a calendar with the due date circled in it. The reaction was everything we hoped. Total excitement and very emotional from both of my parents. We have known since January 9th. That was 20 days ago. It has been tough keeping this from everyone for this long. It was great to finally tell someone.

This will be my parents’ first grandchild so it was so much fun telling them and discussing it afterwards.