March 17th, 2010

To my baby girl,

March 17th will always be near and dear to my heart.  It may just be St. Patrick's Day to everyone else, but I love this day for very different reasons.  It's this day, exactly 5 years ago (2005), that I met my best friend, future husband, and your daddy.  I'll never forget that night, or the months of dating that followed in which I fell madly in love with him.  I remember how natural everything felt with him.  The conversations, the laughing, doing mundane things like grocery shopping, kissing, holding hands, snuggling. It all just fit so perfectly.  We fit so perfectly. 

This is the night we met - so lucky to have a random photo of us together that night!

I remember the first time I saw him with my goddaughter.  Ellie was just about 4 when he met her.  We had only been dating a few months but I knew in that instant, watching him play with her, her pretending to blow dry his hair, and jumping up and down on him, that he was going to be the best Dad.  It wasn't long after that that I knew he was the man I wanted to marry and start a family with.

Then, we got ms. Tessa.  He took off work to take care of her and help her adjust to being in a new environment.  I'd get home from work to find a very exhausted Dad, and a not very exhausted puppy.  What I saw in him when he was playing with Ellie, I saw it times a hundred when I watched him care for Tessa.  He is so loving, scolds her so gently, is patient, and totally mesmerized by her.

I remember on our wedding day thinking to myself I was so incredibly blessed to be marrying him, and that we were one step closer to starting a family. 

Now, as I saw him beaming while watching you on the ultrasound screen just a couple weeks ago, and when I see his face light up when he feels you kick, I can only imagine how emotional it will be to watch him with you. 

Your Daddy is kind, beyond patient, loving, hard-working, smart, genuine, open-minded, funny, and honest.  You are such a lucky girl to have him as your Daddy, and I am lucky to call him my hubby.  I can hardly wait to see you two together in just a few months.

Love, Mom

To our little girl

Last night as I was getting ready for bed, your Daddy and I started talking about how amazing it was to see you.  We are so amazed that it seems like you already have your own little personality.  Now, every time I feel you moving, I wonder what you're doing in there - maybe some more yoga moves?  We wonder what you'll be like when you make your grand entrance in July.  Will you be sweet, silly, shy, brave, sensitive, artistic, sporty, cranky, quiet, loud, independent, snuggly?  We're guessing you'll be active considering what a maniac you were in there for that one hour.  I so wish I could see what you're doing in there - but instead, I'll have to wait to see you again until July.  Until then, I'll continue staring at these little pictures, imagining what you're up to.

When I thought about becoming a mom, your mom, I always thought of the typical things about being a parent: feeding you, changing diapers, dressing you, soothing you when you're crying.  As you get older, I imagined dealing with disciplining you and talking with your Dad about how we will handle certain situations like when you come home late after curfew, or how we'll handle the first time you want to date a boy (I only add this into the disciplining section because your Dad says you won't be allowed to do this...ever...but don't worry, I'll work on him).  But when I saw you on the screen, what all of those situations didn't prepare me for was this overwhelming feeling of love.  I look at the pictures, and think, gosh you are so cute.  And I cannot believe I have fallen head over heels in love with someone I haven't even met.  But I have.  We love you so much, and cannot wait to be your parents in less than 20 weeks!

Love, Mom