Sweet baby boy or baby girl,

You have been growing so big and strong these past nine months. Each day, you remind me of how precious you are as you kick and move and grow in my belly. It is a privilege to carry you.

All along, I’ve thought about the many things I want to teach you and show you as you learn and grow, but already, you have taught me more than I could imagine as your mommy. Together, we are going to take on the world–one feeding, one song, one pitter-patter step at a time, until we’ve filled up all of our days with laughter and memories and simple delights. I know that when I set eyes on you for the first time, my heart will nearly stop as I marvel at your every feature…at how incredible you are. Your daddy and I can’t wait to hold you and bring you home to our family; we’ll never be “two” again, and we’re so ready and anxious to settle in with you as “three.” Our lives are already forever changed by you, little one.

You are a tremendous gift to us, and soon, you will be here to greet the world. As your mommy and daddy, we will afford you every opportunity and bit of love that we are capable of, and when we have done that, we’ll try to give you even more. We’ll introduce you to grandparents and Aunt B and Uncle T, to the rest of our family and all of our friends. For a long time, we’ll take you with us, wherever we go, not wanting you out of our sight. I know that I’ll have trouble paying attention to much else besides our little family, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

So, baby boy or girl, with all of your delicate features and developing thoughts and soft, perfect baby skin, we are here and peacefully waiting. We’re waiting to meet you and to get to know you and to introduce ourselves as we introduce this beautiful world to a son or daughter who is loved SO much. Until then, I am loving carrying you. We have become the best of friends already–you keeping me in the very best company and me, learning how to think of you before I think of myself. Thank you for shaping me in these past 39 weeks…I am so proud, so taken by you, and I haven’t even met you yet.

unconditionally,

your mommy (mm)