JUNE 24 - engagement

Hello my darling grand-child,

Yes - this is a picture of your mother and father's hands, with an engagement ring on Tammy's ring finger - they got engaged in Cape Town! They couldn't get to the top of Table Mountain because of the wind and the weather but Mark proposed to Tammy that evening and she accepted and we are so thrilled! I'm sure you are too because it must make you feel more secure knowing that your mother and your father are planning on staying together to care for you.
They are very much in love and are so excited about having you.

I have been thinking of you today because your mother isn't well. She has a sore throat and a cold and was put off work for a few days. She can't take anything stronger than Panado and that is because whatever she takes will filter through to you. I read today that you could be developing a sense of taste and I don't think you would like the taste of Panado anyway!

Today when I was in the Davenport Centre doing some shopping, I looked at baby clothes for the first time. I can't believe how small things are! Tiny little socks and booties, minuscule vests and jackets, 12cm long leggings and little caps like boiled egg cosies. Are you really going to be that small? How big are you now?

22 weeks: According to Baby Centre your mother is now 22 weeks pregnant (or in her 23rd week). The baby now weighs almost 430 grams, measures just over 27 centimetres long from crown to heel, and is proportioned like a new born, albeit a thinner version since her baby fat hasn't yet developed. Although she's getting heavier every day, her skin still appears wrinkled because she needs to gain more weight. The lips are distinct and the eyes are formed, though the iris (the coloured part of the eye) still lacks pigment. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. Even this early, the first signs of teeth appear in the form of tooth buds beneath the gum line. Before you know it, your baby will be born, and soon after, her first teeth will come through. Her hearing is well established and she can make out a distorted version of your voice, the beating of your heart and your stomach rumblings. Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog next door or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother your child when she hears them outside the womb. Some studies seem to indicate that the unborn prefer classical music. In a couple of weeks she will be viable if born prematurely.

You just stay safe and warm where you are little one, and keep growing and developing. You could be delivered in about 4 months time. We are all dying to meet you but we are happy to wait until you are ready. Tammy is going for a scan this week and we might find out if you are an "Emily" or an "Aiden".
Bless you little one,
Silly