Sweet Baby,

Someday I hope you’ll come to love Saturdays like I do. They’re usually filled with family time and house projects and seeing people we love, and at this time of year, they’re also full of yard work, springtime events and weather warming up to a temperature I can get behind. This is probably one of my favorite times of year, with the hope of summer on the horizon and everything feeling full of promise as things bloom in the garden and all turns green.

This morning your brother ran his first 5K. It was a great way to start the day. We chased the event with donuts downtown and then the wheels kind of came off. Your siblings were all a bit melty, and I’m not sure why. As your youngest brother would say, “We were on the struggle bus.” It was true, all day long.

So here we are at the end of the day and I’m one tired mama. Weary, really. Hearts were extra tender today and needs were at a high. The weather followed suit with chilly rain after a forecast of warmth and sun, which I guess left us all on the same page. Your brothers and sister were sent off to bed early, and I’m not too far behind them. This is really just to say that there will be days and this has been one of them. Sometimes emotions get the best of us and sometimes we all just need a nap.

In spite of the hard moments today, there were shining ones, too. When your brother (who is four) said goodnight to me, he took my hand in his and said he wanted to hold it forever. Then, he kissed you goodnight in my belly and laid his head down, telling me he was going to stay there and sleep “right by the baby.” There might be some crazy days around here, but we have a lot of really good ones, too.

For all of the hard at times, we love deeply in this family. I can’t wait for you to meet your brothers and sister and to get to know their love and tenderness towards you.

To all the Saturdays to come with you in them, little one…

You are loved,

Mama