Letters To My Children | 15 Months + 15 Weeks (In My Belly)

Letters To My Children | 15 Months + 15 Weeks (In My Belly)

thursday, july 27, 2017

dear babies,

my heart is full.

the life that your daddy and i wanted is just playing out beautifully and it’s all because of you two.  from the moment the doctor placed big sister in our arms last year, i turned to your daddy and said, “let’s do this again.”  and while most daddies would halt the breaks, your daddy quickly agreed.  if there is anything we wanted for our children, it was for them to be very close in age.  we want you to never know life without the other and grow up being one another’s best friend.  we want you to have the childhood of your dreams, with a sidekick sharing every single moment and memory.  we want you to know that your sibling will always be your biggest fan and will always be there to hold your hand.

to my oldest:

everything about you at 15 months is pure bliss.  although calm and reserved, like the little lady you are, you are equally full of life and the first to offer a heartwarming smile.  and babe, are you smart!  it was only a few weeks ago that we were at dinner, talking about how cute you are as you played quietly in your highchair.  as you were entertaining yourself, your daddy asked me, “don’t you think it’s adorable when she claps her hands.”  all of a sudden, you looked up and clapped your hands!  it was in that moment that we realized that you are listening at all times, and can truly understand certain words.  since that moment, we have taken that to heart and really watched how you respond to simple commands.

you can easily hand mommy your milk, play peek a boo, clean up your toys, put your books away neatly in their bin (yes, you literally put them in the same direction!…you are a little mama!), stand up and sit down when asked, dance and pat your belly.  while you have always loved to read books, you now turn the pages a little slower and really examine the pictures before moving onto the next page.  it is as if you are retelling the story to yourself and it thrills us to pieces.

when it comes to eating, you are a blueberry addict!  you love, love, love blueberries.  and while there are a lot of things you will share with the puppies, there has never been a blueberry shared.  you also really love organic cheddar bunnies, cilantro chili, strawberries, yogurt, cheese, beans and red peppers.  and steak!  you really love steak.

steak is easy to eat with the 12 teeth you have!  four of those are molars and you got all four of them last week!  you are literally the easiest teether anyone has ever seen.  you wake from nap with two new teeth and a smile.  you don’t show any signs of teething, making it an ultimate surprise when you open your mouth for your toothbrush and reveal new teeth to us!

while you aren’t walking yet, you are cruising around really well.  you love to walk along the couch and your play table and pull up on everything!  the thing is, you have become a very fast crawler!  you know that crawling will get you from point a to point b in the blink of an eye, so it’s your preferred method.  but babies who crawl well are known to excel at fine motor skills, making some of the most famous surgeons excellent crawlers.  or so someone told me…

since my last letter to you, we have learned that you will be a big sister in 6 months!  just watching you giggle at the puppies and play kindly with your friends, i am so excited to see you as a big sister.  i will always love you because you made me a mama and i can’t wait to give you the gift of a sibling.  you are going to be a perfect role model and we couldn’t be more excited for you.

to my littlest:

we learned about you on a sunday in may.  mama had been feeling a little tired for about a week and excitedly bought a test…only to wait another week to take it.  i was the same way with your sister, too nervous to take the test.  i always want a plus sign so badly that i get nervous.  after daddy finally urged me to see if what we hoped was true, i took the test and immediately two lines appeared in the window.  immediately.  i then took a digital test, and a plus sign popped up quickly.

the first thing about of my mouth was, “well peanut, you are going to be a big sister!!!”  to which your sister looked at me with a quizzical look and then kept drinking her milk.  then i started jumping up and down when your daddy hugged me, to which he said, “be careful!”  and for the next 5 weeks, it was a beautiful secret that just your daddy, your sister and i knew about.  i love those first couple months of being pregnant, when we are the only ones who know.  i love the secret smiles that we share and the anticipation of seeing you for the first time at the doctor.

your sister got to see you get your first picture taken and hear your heart for the first time, right along with us.  it’s heartwarming to know that she will literally see your whole life.  if there is one thing you should know about your big sister, it is that she is so loving and there is no better big sister to wish for.  she is it.  you are so lucky to have her to look up to.  i can’t wait for you to meet her, you will adore her.

if there is anything that i am most excited for, it is watching the two of you together.  she will always be there for you to help you when you stumble, to hold your hand, to listen to your secrets and to kiss you when you worry.  she will be the one to find you when you hide, to chase you with the sprinkler, to pick up your dropped ice cream cone and shush you in church.

as you continue to grow and grow, we can’t wait to meet you in january.  we are getting your room ready for you, one decision at a time and dreaming what life as as family of four will be like.  know that you are so loved and that there is a little girl waiting to tickle your toes.

love, mama