Parenthood

So, it's been quite some time since I have written and much has changed in our lives. Rob and I married in July of 2009 and in June 2010 Rob and I spoke about the possibility of having a child. We thought about it for a few days and decided that we would like to give it a try for at least 6 months. We decided that we would be happy if we became pregnant but, would be fine if we were not able to conceive. After all, we are no spring chickens!!

2 weeks later, I was pregnant!!! I am due on March 24, 2011 and am very excited that I am going to become a mommy. Rob is equally excited to become a daddy as well. I am currently 6 months pregnant and am enjoying every moment of it....well, with the exception of the heartburn and sleepless nights. We found out that we are expecting a little girl -- which Rob has deemed as his little princess. We have decided to name her Allison Gael Flaherty. We wanted to incorporate an Irish name for Rob's heritage and came up with Gael, which is short for Gaelic. There are many, many, many strange Irish names out there; this was about the only one that seemed normal to us!

To know that life grows inside of me is an awesome feeling. I feel our little girl moving around inside of me and I cannot believe that I have been so blessed to be given this gift. I imagine my life as a mommy and I can only picture happiness. There is no dread, there is no fear...just happiness. I love her so much even though I have not met her, or touched her face. It is that bond that a mother has with child -- from the day you find out you are pregnant, to the first time hearing the heartbeat, to the first time seeing your baby on an ultra sound. You picture your baby as a newborn and then growing older and all of the things that you want to teach them and experience with them.

I plan on giving my all to my child. All of my love, all of my attention, all of my spirit. Anything she wants, anything she needs, Mommy and Daddy will provide for her. She is going to be so spoiled, but I don't really care. I want to give my child the life I never had. I want her to have normalcy, I want her to have kind parents, a nice home, a sense of pride. Mostly, I want her to feel safe. I'll do anything to protect her. She is my world.