34 Weeks! Little Man Arrives in less than 6 weeks!

What a Christmas Blessing....our little man arrives in just 6 more weeks.  That is so surreal.  I'm 34 weeks pregnant and the baby is the size of a cantaloupe weighing almost 5 pounds!  It's a hiccuping cantaloupe...he hiccups 3 to 4 times a day :)  And moves 100 million times a day.  He's always swimming around doing something, especially when Mommy is trying to sleep.  He's a busy little guy.

Little man...Mommy stays up all night sometimes and sleeps during the day because you move so much.  Good thing Mommy works from home, so she can work any hours of the day.  That will make it much easier when you are born and you are up ALL the time at night.

So Little Man...Are you wondering what Mommy looks like now?  Look at my tummy!  You are growing like a watermelon!  Look how big you are making Mommy's tummy.  It's going to get even bigger as you grow.  Oh, you just kicked me a bunch of times.  Are you doing somersaults in there?  You must know I'm talking to you right now ;)  Oh and now you have the hiccups. You are always up to something.

So, we sure have been busy getting this house ready for you.  You'll be glad to know, we have just about everything you'll need to be a happy baby in this house. And your family and all our friends are just so excited to meet you!  I'm going to leave all the Christmas decorations up until you get here on February 7th.  I was thinking you would want to see them so if you want to come a week or two early, that would be cool.  I think you'll like how they look!

So, the nice men from the furniture delivery company came and brought your furniture!  So, here's your room now.  It's still not done.  I have to get some art for the walls and your curtains but do you love it?  I just sat in your room last night and dreamt about the day you will be here in that chair with me. I really can't wait to meet you!! Do you have any idea how much you are loved?  Mommy and Daddy LOVE YOU THIS MUCH!! (My Hands are all the way out to my sides.)

This is your special bed!  I have to take the bumper out when you arrive cause they aren't safe for babies. Your Mimi Cunningham bought the bedding for you!  Do you love it?

This is the Special Rocking Chair that your Grandma Denenberg bought for you. And Sara bought you those monkeys in the corner.  They are going on the wall when Daddy hangs them up. 

Your Changing Area

This is your closet area.

Do you love it?  I know you are thinking, "Wow Mom and Dad...that's totally nice and perfect for me!  I'm really lucky! How did you know I would love it?"  As parents, we just know things like this.  Now you aren't allowed to mess up this pretty room, okay?  No drawing on the walls, peeing in the corners or on the wall when I change you and no messing up the furniture or messing up the closet.  Got it? Great, we have a pact. :) And, Mommy never had a room as nice as this. Daddy didn't either, so you are VERY lucky.  So you need to take good care of it and share it with your friends when they come over to play.

The last thing I want to tell you is that you already have a new friend when you arrive!  My friend Julie just had her baby boy 10 days ago!  This is a picture of your friend below.  Guess what though?  His Mommy and Daddy were told by the doctors he would be a girl!  So they prepared a purple room, got all girl clothing, picked a girl name and got everything ready for a little girl and guess what?  A little man came out!  So now you will have a little man friend you can play with that lives right down the road.  He is simply adorable.  He'll be 6 weeks older than you!  I think you'll like your new friend Ethan.  I think he's very friendly, he's motivated (like his parents), he's very good at sharing, he is nice to others and has a smile on his face all the time. So you will be good friends! And don't worry, he won't dress like a girl...his Mom already has tons of new boy clothes from friends and family, so he'll be dressed like a boy when you meet him.  See his picture, this is your Ethan friend.  I was over there yesterday and I held him and I adore him.  I can't believe you will be a little baby like him!

That's your update for now.  Mommy and Daddy LOVE you very much and want you to know you can achieve ANYTHING you want in this world with hard work and dedication.  Remember, to the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.  So ALWAYS be kind, happy and caring when you meet people.  You are going to be such a blessing to this world!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

29 Weeks Pregnant!! Baby Cunningham arrives in 11 weeks!

Wow! Only 11 more weeks left to go before the Little Man arrives.  We are SO excited to be parents!  Wait! 11 weeks!?!?  Can that be right?!  Oh it's just flying by and I'm LOVING being pregnant that I'm going to kind of miss it!  But I am SOO excited for him to arrive.  It's kind of like the anticipation of going on vacation to Disney when you are 8 years old and your heart flutters with happiness every second you think of the trip...remember those days?  Well, that's how excited I am every single day in anticipation for my baby!  Right now, he's so bouncy and happy inside my tummy that I hope he loves his new second home (the home outside my tummy) and more importantly, I hope he loves his fabulous parents when he arrives.  This week, the little man is the size of a butternut squash and weighs 2.5 lbs!  He's really getting big and my tummy is growing really fast.

So, Little Man, here's an update on your bedroom and all other things baby, so you can rest easily tonight knowing that things are under control around here.  Remember your closet from the last time we talked?  I know, it was a mess.  You are right.  Well, check this out.  It's all built for you so you can store all your things in here like bull frogs, rocks, snakes and dirt...or whatever other items you bring home one day as you get a little older.  You can use the drawers for that stuff.  Until then, I'm going to cherish this bright white, sparkling clean closet for you.

And...remember I said that Daddy was going to start painting?  Well, he did!!  We aren't done yet with everything, clearly, but look it's light tan and blue.  Do you love it?  And we are going to run a border where the two colors meet.  This is the border.  I know, you are totally thinking, "I'm going to be living in the coolest baby room in town."  You're right.  You are.  

Now the other thing I'm actually really excited about are two gifts that arrived from your Aunts.  Aunt Christine sent you this amazing stroller. After we set it up, I thought it was completely normal to walk around the house with it pretending I was pushing you.  Your Dad, who was watching sports at the time, glanced over at me and wondered if I had lost my mind.  It was probably the length of time that I spent walking around that concerned him.  Being pregnant has made me a little coo-coo.  It seemed completely normal.  I was pretending you were here!  In any event, my walk around the house determined that the stroller will not only ride smoothly, but it's seriously so cool, so you'll look really cute in it.  Oh and I looked like a real Mom when I pushed this thing around.  I made quite a few passes by the mirrors in the house.

Okay, and here's the other thing I'm really excited about.  I know...It's a high chair.  But, how amazing is this high chair?  It's blue and brown for you!  And your Aunt Jen bought this for you.  Isn't it so fabulous?  I can't believe that one day you will sit in this chair and I'll feed you.  Until then, I just look at it with excitement knowing that soon it will be filled with a little man who will smile and laugh in it and make my day. I also realize you will spit up all over it, probably poop in it and make it super dirty.  This photo can serve as a memory of it's super clean beauty. Let's work together to keep it looking like this photo, okay?


Here is something else that just tickled my heart.  Check out the size of this diaper.  Yes, that's my hand!  Can you believe you will be THIS little?!  So cute!  This is the only diaper in our house.  It came in a welcome packet I received from Babies R' Us.  Don't worry, I'll be getting you some more before you arrive.  One diaper will only last you about 2 hours from what I've been told.  A book I read said in your lifetime you'll go through 7,000 diaper changes.  Umm...wow.

Right now it's Sunday night and that means Sunday Night Football.  Your Dad is SO excited for you that actually right now, he's working on your bedroom, finishing up the paint instead of watching football.  He's been sweating and working really hard on it, so when you arrive, maybe you can give him a big hug and kiss and tell him how much you appreciate it.   I know he'd rather be watching Sunday Night Football instead, but he sure is excited for you to come into our world.   That's Daddy dedication.

We both can't wait to meet you!  Just know you are LOVED.  You have been since the day we knew we were expecting you.  You are our joy, our love of our life and will be forever.

xoxo,

Mommy and Daddy

26 weeks! Baby Cunningham the size of a turnip!

25 1/2 weeks pregnant

The baby is the size of a rutabaga turnip!

So, it just occurred to me last night that I'm officially in my third trimester at 26 weeks. That's a little shocking!  I can't believe how fast this is going.  My baby is the size of a rutabaga turnip!  Truly, I am cherishing every moment of my pregnancy with tons of baby kicks and a very quiet, non-crying, non-pooping baby.  I've been made aware by lots of Moms that this is THE ONLY TIME my baby will be quiet and poopless all day long :)  So I'm cherishing these moments for now but so excited for my little crying, pooping baby.  I adore and love him SO MUCH already.

Your messy, messy closet right now :) 

Which color do you want little man?

So little man...here's the scoop.  I know you are very interested in the progress we've made since a few weeks ago on your nursery, so here's the news.  We have no idea what color to paint the room so we're stuck right now.  Got any advice for me little one?  The plan is to paint the room this weekend for you.

And on Friday, Jim, our favorite handyman is coming to put in a SUPER COOL closet for you...complete with shelves, drawers, and room for all your soft, cuddly animals and all your trucks.  You'll love it.  It won't be able to hold my extra suitcases, pillows and comforters anymore...which has been it's sole purpose for 5 years.  Having YOU gives it a much better purpose :)

Little Man's new wardrobe 

Now what is SUPER exciting is the fact that I have been shopping for you.  I feel the need to buy you the CUTEST little man clothes so you can look like Daddy when you go golfing with him.  I ironed all your cute little clothes and pants and vests.  Do you love your wardrobe already?  Seriously, you are going to be such a stud with the ladies.

Cutest Little Man Socks!! Thanks Julie!

Your Golfing Vest you can wear with Daddy when you go golfing.

Matching outfits for Daddy and you!

Little man, I can't wait to share more with you in a few weeks!  Just know that you are SO LOVED and SO CARED for already.  We can't wait to have you running around this house and filling our lives with total joy.  Can't wait to meet you in February!  xoxo, Mommy and Daddy

On a side note, I feel compelled to give everyone Handyman Jim's number because he is amazing...he does amazing work for like 1/3 of the cost of anyone else.  He's just one of those honest guys that LOVES what he does.  He did our entire basement (that's what he specializes in) and can build anything from fences to decks to closets...he just loves to build things.  I'm fascinated by his work and he has done lots of business with my friends...so if you need his info..shoot me a message :)

Baby Cunningham: 23 Weeks! He's the size of a mango!

You are the size of a Mango!

Wow!  Time flies.  I'm already 23 weeks pregnant!  That's almost 6 months!  I can't believe how fast it is going.  I'm enjoying every single moment of being pregnant.  It's so precious!  This week my little man is the size of a large mango.  This month is significant because I feel like I'm finally looking pregnant.  I was on an airplane the other day and a man stopped me and said, "Oh, did you have to buy two seats?  One for your baby in your tummy and one for you?  Congratulations!!"  And I literally wanted to hug this complete stranger for knowing I was pregnant.

Mommy's belly in her bicycle outfit

A note to my little man:  What an exciting week. Daddy felt you move inside my tummy four days ago!!  It was magical.  Well, honestly, it was magical for a moment until Daddy said, "Eww...gross."  But now he has recovered from the initial shock and he thinks it's really amazing.  He puts his hand on my tummy and feels you move every other day when we are lucky. You really are a dancing machine or you are playing football or soccer inside my tummy.  You move all the time, like every 4 hours, so I've gotten used to it.  When you don't move, I get worried about you.  But if I lie down, you wake up again, so sometimes I do that just to make sure you are okay. I love the kicks.  Oh and I love you too.  I can't tell you everyday cause you don't really know English or any words yet, but you are SO LOVED.  We love you little man.

Your Baby Room as of 10/9/2011

Okay little man.  Here's the scoop.  Here's your baby room.  I know that it appears as though I've made no progress, but I assure you, there has been tons of progress.  See that brown bar on the ground?  That's your curtain rod for your curtain panels.  When Daddy is done golfing this weekend, he's going to hang that bar up.  Then we can put your curtains up when they arrive.

Oh, and I ordered your crib and furniture set.  I went with Espresso for the color instead of white.  The lady at the store said you'd like darker better as you got older, so that made sense.  Now, let's have a serious talk.  Your furniture set is WAY nicer than Mommy and Daddy's bedroom furniture.  So that means you must keep it forever and love it and be nice to it.  Got it?  It converts to a full size bed so it should last you until you are like 18 or beyond. That's assuming you don't write with crayons on it when you are 3, paint it when you are 5, scratch it when you are 8, dent it when you are 12, and graffiti it when you are 16 and then break it when you are jumping on it at 18.  So as long as you avoid all those activities, this furniture is going to totally be the bomb forever  What's the bomb?  Oh that's what cool people at my age say when something is super cool or awesome or great.  I'm sure you will have a different word when you are a teenager.  Needless to say, you can give me a big hug when you see me because not only do you have a cool sounding Mom, but you also have the best furniture in the house.

Park Avenue Modern  Room Theme

I also picked out all your bedding and the nursery room theme.  I went with a Park Avenue Modern Theme instead of my original plan.  It's light blue and brown and very modern.  I hope you like it.  Daddy is going to paint the room to kind of match this picture.  I'm not sure how close we can get, but we'll give it a try.  Your room is going to be SO trendy and peaceful so you can sleep and play happily.

What else has been going on around here?  Well, I suddenly feel the need to make the house as beautiful as possible for you so you like your new home.  So, I've been on a mission to get curtains for all the rooms in the house.  For 5 years this hasn't been a problem, but now, I MUST have curtains and immediately.  Being pregnant has made me a crazy curtain lady.  So I've ordered curtains for four rooms in the house...with many more to go.  I hope you like my trendy selections.  Daddy sure has a lot of work to do to hang up all those curtain rods.  You'll have to let me know what you think when you get here.

Super cool Patriots clothes

What else have I done?  Well, I'm super into buying clothes for you.  And these are a few of the super cool outfits I've bought.  Daddy loves the Patriots and Red Sox, so you are going to have lots of outfits that say that on it.  Here's a few I got you.  Do you love them?! You and Daddy will probably watch lots of sports together.  Daddy loves to watch football on Sundays and he likes to watch golf, so you two can get into that together.  I'm not really into sports.  I get bored watching it, but that can be something you two do together.  Maybe you'll even have a fantasy football team when you are about 1 or 2.  I'm sure Daddy will give you a winning team.  You can discuss and strategize with him when you arrive.

The back of your newborn outfit

Oh and when you are born, I was thinking it would be really cute if you had the most adorable outfit to wear home.  So when I was visiting my Mom and Dad in North Carolina last weekend, we went on a mission to find you the best outfit ever to wear home from the hospital.  After an hour of deciding, I got you this little bear hat and this outfit with a little doggie on the butt.  I just think you are going to look SO cute in this as we parade out of the hospital with you on a snowy February day.  It's going to be COLD when you get here!  At 16, you'll probably tell me that was totally uncool, but for now, you are going to be the coolest baby in town.  Everyone is going to LOVE you.  And if/when you have babies, I'm sure your wife will also want to dress your baby up in a cute outfit for the ride home from the hospital.  So, just humor her.

Slumber Bear to help you sleep

Okay. So, I think I finished adding stuff to your baby registry at Babies R' Us.  So, I put a TON of stuff in there.  Every night, my fun way of relaxing is to play on your registry and add lots of stuff that I'm not sure if you will need but it looks utterly fabulous.

You see, I'm not sure what you really need.  You are my first baby, so I just guess and get advice from other Moms.  If Daddy saw all the stuff I've added to your registry, he might think I've lost my mind.  But I seem to feel it's totally acceptable to have a lighted baby wipe warmer, rattle slippers for your feet and a teddy bear that makes noise to soothe you to fall asleep.   

Rattle Slippers for your feet

Lighted Baby Wipe Warmer

Your Grandma said that all that babies really need is their Mom and Dads and lots of love and affection.  So, I promise you'll get tons of that.  And we can't buy that at Babies R' Us.  Good news is: that's free.  And, as you get older, you'll realize the best stuff on earth is free: friends, love, affection and happiness.



  We love you more than you know and always will.  You are the best and will always be amazing.

Love, Mommy and Daddy

20 Weeks! We are having a Little Man!

20 weeks!

I am currently at 20 weeks and we are SUPER excited to announce we are having a precious little man!!  We are so excited.  The little man is really starting to kick around in my tummy.  It feels like little puffs of air hitting my stomach from inside.  He kicks me like 5 times in a minute and then goes back to bed.  It's adorable. Brian hasn't felt it yet.  Every time I try to show him, the little man goes back to sleep or stops moving.  Maybe it's a little game he's playing.  I feel great...no sickness, no pain...I feel like I'm not even pregnant...well, I feel like I have a big moving baby growing in my stomach.

Side profile view of our little man

Little man waving to us in the ultrasound

Note to my little man: I am so in love with you little guy!  I can't tell you now, but one day you can read this and know just how much you are loved by your parents even before you are born!  This was the first ultrasound we had and we got to see you are a real person growing in my stomach.  I didn't really believe it until I saw this.  We can't wait to meet you.

I'm planning your nursery, which is right now between a monkey or a sailor theme.  And I'm picking out your decorations and getting all the hippest baby tools so I can take great care of you.

You are going to be totally loved!  If you can be over loved, you might suffer from that.  I just want you to grow up knowing that you can be ANYTHING you want to be in this world!  You truly can have anything you want if you have a happy attitude and you work hard at everything you do and never, ever give up.

Here's your nursery right now. Haha...I know, don't worry, I'm working on it.  I registered for most of your items and picked out the coolest stuff for you!  I have a meeting to pick out fabrics for your curtains tomorrow, shelves are being built for your closet and I'm going to go look at crib sets for you this week.  Not sure if I'll do white or espresso for your crib.  Tough decision...wish you could tell me what you'd like :)  I'm sure there will be plenty of that in years to come though.  Oh and your name, that's a whole other issue I'd like to discuss with you.  We are not sure just yet on your name.

Everyday you and I go for a one hour bike ride and you love it.  I think you like dance around in my stomach when I'm biking like this picture shows. You were really kicking around and moving your mouth and hands during the ultrasound.  Your going to be really athletic, I'm guessing. And I think you like healthy foods.  You've been craving watermelon, apples, oranges, peaches, strawberries and salad.  And for protein you really like steak, chicken and eggs. You don't really crave pickles, potatoes or the Pirates Booty that you really loved in the first 3 months.  So you are eating more normally now.  I just want you to be healthy and happy!  I love you little guy! And your grandparents are all thrilled to meet you!  Love, Mommy and Daddy

Brian and Michelle will welcome a little Cunningham in 2012!!

Michelle and Brian's wedding in December 2010

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

So, we have very special news for you!! The Cunningham Family - Brian (aka BC) and Michelle are expecting a little adorable, wanna kiss your face all over, munchkin baby!!  A BABY!!!!!  We have wanted a baby since we got married in December and we are SO EXCITED!  It took only 4-5 months and now God blessed us with a pregnancy!  I'm 3 months pregnant (13 weeks now) with a healthy (fast!) heartbeat that we heard on Monday!  Brian took a recording and he frequently forwards it to other Blackberry users, if you'd like a listen. ;)   

Why a Blog about a baby?  Well, we love our family, a lot.  And here's a map of where our families live.  They are the hearts on the map (hearts cause we love them) and we are the star.  So a blog is our way of keeping in touch with the ones we love!   And if we added all our friends, we'd be covering all 50 states, so now everyone can feel connected! :)  Plus it will be a memory book for our baby as he/she grows up!

So now that we have a heartbeat, we can tell the world!  Keeping it hush, hush for the first 12 weeks might have been the hardest thing we've ever done :)  Brian managed pretty well keeping it quiet.  Me on the other hand...I wanted to paint the town and tell the world, "I'm PREGNANT with a little baby we are going to love for the rest of our lives and I'm so excited I could jump out of my skin", but instead I had to pretend like life was NORMAL when people asked me what was new.  "What's new with you Michelle?"  I'd actually answer, "Oh nothings new!"  AHHH!  So, this feels more normal to tell everyone our exciting news! :)  We wanted to wait until the 3 month mark to tell...it's a little safer then :)  WE ARE SO EXCITED!!  Our Team is growing here back at Mary Kay Land and BC's Man Zone.

I guess the first trimester is supposed to be the hardest, so I'm glad we are in the clear!  The first 11 weeks were not too bad (well, I can say that because I'm forgetting that they were a little rough, but no sense in complaining).  I just felt carsick for 11 weeks. But once I hit week 12...it all went away!  And I just feel like ME again!! I am LUCKY!

A Mary Kay friend gave me some of her baby outfits last night and it just sunk in that we are having a baby! Look how cute this little Pooh Bear Outfit is!!  Aww, it almost made me cry it's so cute!

Baby Outfit from Sarita!  Love it!!

And my Mary Kay friend Maggie gave me these adorable baby toys!  Seriously, they are the FIRST baby toys in my house.  I love them!

Baby toes from Maggie Rader

  Aww...I even started moving the "adult" furniture out of the nursery so we can make way for the baby!!  See...we moved the king size bed out and gave it to my friend who just moved into a new house, so it was perfect!!  I can't wait to paint and decorate...5 more weeks for that.  We are going to find out the sex in ONLY 5 weeks!  That's the first week in September, so then I can really start making the PERFECT baby room!

The Soon to be Baby Nursery!  It's a pretty big spot for our little one.

Brian gets a little smile every time we talk about it.  He is sooo excited and it's just so adorable.  We can't wait to be perfect parents and take care of our little one :)  And because I work from home and Brian is home when he is not traveling to see clients, it'll be so fun to be able to watch him/her grow up!!  That's a blessing!  I think I  have the PERFECT job for a new baby because I have total flexibility with my work day.  I love Mary Kay!! And I have a great 16 year old named Erin that helps me run my office that can't wait to help me take care of the baby!  So we have a built in nanny :)

We are due February 7th, 2012!  That's my brother Marc's birthday!  How ironic!  My Mom said she delivered me on the exact day I was due, which is a good indicator of when I'll have the baby, according to my midwife.

This is what our baby looks like at 13 weeks!  It has fingers and ears and everything!  Now I have to start playing classical music to my stomach so my baby is smarter.  Lots of research on that :)

13 weeks - Not my actual baby, but a 13 week old baby :)

If you want to get a weekly update on the size of the baby, go to babycenter.com and sign up for a weekly email.  It will email you to tell you how big the baby is in terms of a food.  This week it's the size of a medium shrimp or 1 ounce!  Brian said, "That's gross."  So sorry if this grossed you out too.

The baby is the size of a medium shrimp this week

And last but not least, you always need the photo of the growing stomach.  It's only showing very little right now, but stay tuned...:)

Barely showing baby bump at 13 weeks

Oh and a few frequently asked questions:

What did your Mom say? My mom said this, "Oh gosh!  You are going to make me cry and I'm at work!".  So don't call your Mom at work to announce you are pregnant.  But she is ecstatic!  I actually found out I was pregnant the day my cousin Julie gave birth to her baby, so that was really neat.  And my Dad Dave is very excited too!  My Mom is going to be Grandma and he is going to be Papa.  And of course, Brian's family is SO excited!!  So all around...everyones SO HAPPY!  And we knew they would be.  We have the most amazing and coolest family in the world, so that was to be expected.

Are you going to find out the sex?  Yes. First week in September.

What do you want, a boy or a girl?  Just a healthy baby.  A boy would be fun because Brian will bring him golfing and play hockey and that would just make my heart dance.  A girl would be fun because of all the makeup and pink stuff in this house.  But either way, healthy is the goal.

When are you due? February 7th

How do you feel?  Awesome....NOW! :)  And if you asked me how I felt 4 weeks ago, I would have told you awesome then.  I only want to bring happiness and joy to others...not complain and stress. :)
Are you doing anything wacky? Yes!  As you may know, I love coffee and have for years.  Well, the second I got pregnant, I couldn't stand the smell of it anymore.  I haven't had coffee in 3 months.  And what's really funny, is every morning when I make Brian's breakfast, I have to put the coffee pot on a back patio and brew it for him outside because the smell is so overwhelming.  haha..It seems completely normal that I do this, but let's be honest, it's not. :)

Are you craving anything?  YES!  Fruit, Fruit and more Fruit.  So I'm craving healthy foods for the most part.  But I really love Eggs, Gluten Free Bagels, Potatoes - so amazing, Dill Pickles, Gluten free pizza and for some reason, this Pirates Booty Veggie is Gluten and Dairy Free is absolutely 100% my addiction right now.

Pirates Booty Stock goes up 100% because Michelle Cunningham is Pregnant.

We will keep you posted once a month with an update!  Until then, lots of love to our family and friends!  We love you!!  And can't wait to introduce you to our bundle of total and utter JOY!  xoxo :)  Brian (BC) and Michelle