It was a surprisingly cold the day you got your name. "It's suppose to be sunny," your mom told your dad.

It's you!

Your first onesie and outfit.

It was the day after your mom helped to throw a large fundraiser for her job that she first felt it. It felt like a few small bubbles in her tummy, and she had no idea what was going on. "It could be gas," she thought, but she just wasn't convinced. She grabbed her phone and began to search for what it could possibly be. Blogs and forums all said the same thing: it was YOU.

It was another week or so before she felt you again. You weren't super consistent in the beginning, but with each day that passed, you became more and more active. You were kicking, punching, dancing, having fun. Again, it was becoming more and more real to your mom and dad that you were on your way.

After a couple of weeks of you being more active, your mom noticed that you had specific times that you liked to move the most. First of all, there was your morning shift. Between 9am-11am, you would stretch and start waking up. You'd move a little throughout the day, but then, between 10pm-midnight, you would get crazy! You'd start moving all over the place. You're mom says it even felt like you were doing flips in her tummy. Your mom and dad thought, 'Well if this is any indication of our future, looks like we'll be having some late nights!'

Now, its understandable that you may not remember many of the things you, your mom, and your dad did together while you were still in the womb, so let these stories jog your memory...


About a month after you were discovered in your mom's tummy, it was time for her birthday. Your dad, being the great husband that he is, wanted your mom to be able to do whatever she wanted. So you all went to the Cleveland Zoo. Your mom loves animals, so she was so excited! Plus, she knew that you would probably love animals one day too.

Next, there was the time that you went with your mom, dad, and their friends Sarah and Steven to Beard Con. Your dad had been growing out his beard for over a year, and Steven had been growing out his for quite a while too. Your mom and Sarah went along to support their husbands as they competed at the illustrious facial hair festival/convention in Columbus. Your dad and Steven were fantastic, but there were lots of good beards present. Beards that had been growing for much longer. Though they did not place in the competition, they had fun and began scheming for next year. Your mom and Sarah began scheming too, for, as you know, there was also a kids' bearding competition and a women's bearding competition in which you and your mom would compete the next year. 

Then, you went with your mom and dad to hang out with their Bible study one Saturday. It was a fun day full of fall festivities. You went through a corn maze (both your mom and dad found hidden toy hydrants that they got to turn in for a prize!) and went for a hay ride to pick pumpkins! Plus, you were there when your mom got to hold a baby bunny. It was so warm and fuzzy, and it made your mom excited to have a baby of her own—YOU! Then everyone returned to Sarah and Mark's house for finger foods and hot dogs cooked over a bonfire. After eating, everyone carved their pumpkins they bought. It was quite a fun time!!

So after your mom and dad allowed the news about you to sink in, they began to tell their friends and family. And the responses that followed were quite entertaining...

And baby, know that you are loved. Family and friends alike were so excited for you. They, like your mom and dad, loved you already, even though they had never met you.

Your mom felt sick. She knew it was a possibility that you were in her tummy, so she wanted to make sure before she took any medicines. She showed up at home for her lunch break. "I just have to know," she said to your dad.

The test was unclear, but she was pretty sure it was a no. Your dad was too, but then your dad, being the man he is, decided to read the directions of the test to make sure. He came into the room with your mom. "Where's the test?" he asked.

"In the trash," she replied.

He explains that even if the test shows a faint second line, you might be in your mom's tummy.

They are excited, but decide to wait a couple of days and then take a test again. Though it was still slightly unclear, the second line was there. That's when they knew. You were here.

Fast forward five weeks, and your mom and dad are at the hospital, getting ready to see you for the first time. Up to this point, everything seems unreal. Your mom has been a little sick, but nothing compared to your Aunt Jessica, making it difficult to comprehend that you're really here.

But then they see you. Your moms eyes start watering and won't stop. Your dad just smiles. They don't know what to do or say. They see your tiny heart beating. It beats so fast. Then, as they keep watching, you move, as if to say, "Mom, its too early for this. Let me sleep." It is real. You are here, and the Murray family grows to three.