Becoming Big Sister

Hi Big Sister -

You are now 18 months.  Oh my goodness how did you get so big so fast?  You are my perfect little best friend and the one I share my smiles with, my meals with, and my hopes and fears with.  Thanks for always lending a listening ear.

I am so happy for you to meet your sister.  I can tell you love her already.  You love to give mommy's belly kisses and point to baby sister.  You know she is in there (or in your belly .. you may be a little confused about that concept).  You are going to love having a sister so close to you and I hope that you girls will always be best friends.  Even when you fight about clothes, makeup and boys.  Just remember how much more important it is to be on the same team and share your highs and lows.  Sisters are permanent best friends and you are blessed to have each other.

I will always have the most special place in my heart for you.  You made me a mother and taught me all about the love and special bond between a mother and daughter.  I can't express the way I feel about you.  I don't ever want you to feel left out, neglected, or under appreciated.  Daddy and I have always wanted multiple kids.  We want you to have siblings.  It doesn't mean you weren't enough.  My heart has never been more full.  You make everything perfect.  But we want to expand our family and give you siblings because we know it's important to our Heavenly Father.  It's also important to us.

I love you to the moon and back Nora Grace.  You are the highlight of my life.  I need you more than I could ever explain.  You impress me and bring me so much joy every day.  I can't wait to see you flourish and grow with your sister.

I love you always and forever.

Love, Mommy

Learning and Loving

I love spending our days together Nora.  I cannot believe the progress you make everyday.  I can see you learning by the minute.  Each day brings on new realization, awareness, and discoveries.  Watching you learn how to use your hands has been so entertaining.  I am so impressed at how something that seemed so out of reach yesterday is completely possible the next.  You know what your pacifier is and that you want it in your mouth. What's more is that you know HOW to put it in your mouth.  You reach for things, grab them, and pull them to your mouth.  A week ago you couldn't quite figure out how to grab something.  But you are a sponge and soak up so much in a day's time.  We don't really watch "Adult TV" around you because even though you are so young, you are learning and growing and I believe you are sensitive to the things you see around you.  The things that are in the media currently are not the things I want my sweet baby learning.

You now roll over front to back easily, and back to front sporadically.  You twist and turn things on your saucer because you know how to make them produce a sound.  You like to watch Backyardigans, you are drawn in by their fun music and choreography.  And we frequently sign with you.  I can't wait for you to start reciprocating these signs.  You are now highly aware of who we are.  And you are very disappointed when you see that we have left the room.  I love seeing you develop awareness of your surroundings.  You know your room and you certainly know your crib and carseat.  You are a smart little cookie and I am just gobbling up all the fun faces, giggles and attention you give me.

This week we are celebrating your first Valentine's Day and I have just one question for you .. Will you be mine?

I want to start a special tradition.  I think baby girls deserve to be treated like princesses and understand their beauty and importance. That is why your Daddy and I want to take you (and your sister(s), if you have any) out each Valentine's Day for a special date.  Little girls need to know that they are loved so they grow up secure.  You are beautiful and will grow up to be the most amazing, wonderful, lovely young lady who deserves the second best boy in the world (Sorry, I already got the first best boy in the world.  You're lucky to have him as your Daddy).

I love you sweetheart.  I know I don't know everything about being a Mom.  But I know the Lord helps me.  I pray constantly for the help of the spirit in raising you.  And I know I couldn't do it without the love and support from your Dad.  I am so blessed to have you two in my life.  I am obsessed with my little family.  I want you to know that I try to give 110% when it comes to parenting you.  I pride myself in being patient with you and trying to make your days full of fun, laughter, learning, and memories.  I hope I continue to develop the proper characteristics that define a good Mother.  I hope I will be a Mother that you can be proud of.  I love you princess.  You will always be my princess.

Love Always,
Mommy    

4 Months

Baby Girl,

Four short months have gone by and every day is bitter-sweet. I love you more than words can express. You are turning into such a vibrant little girl.  You personality grows every minute and I love the person you are becoming.  You just learned how to blow bubbles with your own saliva .. a real talent I might add.  You've also learned to make the "Guh" sound.  I am proud of everything you learn. It's exciting to see you so anxious to use your hands! You stare at toys and you focus so hard on trying to use your hands to play with them and you are getting closer and closer each day. You just started raising your arms in the air  - it seems like you are actually learning how to use those crazy limbs that, up to this point, seemed to just be in the way!  Your father and I couldn't be more happy to have you in our home.  We have loved every minute of being your parents and we are so enormously blessed that you were sent to us.  We just had our first health scare as you came down with croup.  It broke our hearts to hear you cough so painfully and see you so miserable and for us to not be able to do anything to comfort you.  But we thank the Lord for your health.  There are many parent out there who are not so fortunate.  You are wonderful.  You are so special to me Nora Grace.  I am so thankful for the time we have to spend together everyday.  It may seem cliche, but I love to nurse you.  It is something that has always been important to me and it is very special for me.  I love how close it brings us and I love that you need me in such an important way.  I want to give you everything you ever need baby girl.  I always want to be here for you as your mother, your mentor, your friend, your biggest support.  I want you to always know that you can come to me with anything.  I will always be there for you and I will always love you you.  No natter what.

Goodness gracious! Mom needs to be better about posting. You're almost 7 weeks old now and growing so fast. you're really losing that newborn look and growing into a toddler face. Dad and I are trying so hard to get social smiles from you! .. You're kind of stubborn though.. But you do give us lots out sleepy smiles and they're more previous than gold!
This last week you had your first shower with dad and you loved out! Dad enjoys this time with you and now he takes every opportunity he can to steal you for shower time! I love to watch you two together. Your dad had such a way with you, it's beautiful really. I'm a blessed girl to have two amazing people in my life!
You are such a princess Nora Grace. We just enjoyed your first Halloween and I got to make your costume! It was so fun for me and i hope to make this a tradition!
Mom really wants to continue breastfeeding you but things have gotten kinda rocky. You seem to prefer a bottle and I think my supply is decreasing. I've tried to power pump and hopefully this will increase my supply. I don't wanna stop. Breastfeeding is important to me and I will feel slightly like I failed if I have to start supplementing now. I pray that things will get better and you and I can enjoy this bond for many more months to come.
I love you baby girl and I'm so blessed to have you. I've never once missed my old life. You make it real. You make our meaningful. You make it worth it.

Love always,
Mom

Baby girl, you hold my heart. I love you more than I knew was possible. You've given my life so much meaning. You bring so much joy to your dad and myself and we love being a family.

We took you last night to Dad's missionary reunion. We love to show you off. This is the second time I meet president and sister Evans, both times they have raved about your humble dad as a missionary. From their testimonies I know that your Dad was a missionary who gave 110%. I've always known that, but it's beautiful to hear their reassurance in realizing that they are still touched by his example and dedicated service 2 years later. Nora,I love your dad so much. I hope you always see the love we have for each other and how happy you too will be one day if you marry an obedient, service-oriented, compassionate, and caring young man. Our Father in Heaven could not have sent me a more perfect husband. And now luckily, we have a perfect daughter to share our joys and happiness with. Thank you for coming to us and making or lives complete. We love you Nora Grace.

Love,
Mom

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Baby Nora,

Your birthday finally came!  I can't put into words all of the emotions I felt on September 17th, 2012.  You are the most precious, heaven-sent angel I have ever met.  Your Daddy and I are so thrilled to have you here and we love you more than words can say.  My heart is so full of pure joy and pride whenever I look at you and remember that you are my little girl.  That Heavenly Father sent you to me and trusted me as your earth Mom.  Bringing you to this worls was such a surreal experience.  I felt like Superwoman in the delivery room.  And as soon as you arrived, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with love, pride, and satisfaction.  Labor and delivery was such a hard thing, but it was the most worthwhile day of my life.  In those moments my life immediately changed from selfish to selfless.  You were my new focus and my whole new life.  We're so blessed to have such a perfect angel in our family.  We love you Nora and we are so thankful you are here and healthy, but mostly, we are so happy that you are ours.  Everyone loves you and your spirit is already captivating.  I love spending my days with you and I love taking care of you.  Life is so good.  Thank you for your company.  You are completely worth the 9 months of sickness and pain and the changes to my body.  I love you sweet girl and I always will.

Love your Momma

 

The Last Stretch

Sweet Baby Girl, your due date is drawing near! We have 2.5 weeks left, but your Daddy and I are hoping that you come sooner.  I want as much time to recover as possible before we head to California for Uncle Chris' farewell. 

I am so glad to have your Daddy back.  Things have been so wonderful since he has been home.  We have always had such a strong relationship, but his 4 weeks away just made it even stronger.  I am so lucky to have him as a husband and you are going to be SO lucky to have him as a Daddy.  His Dad, Grandpa Boyd, gave him a blessing the other day and he was told that he would be a very helpful Daddy.  That makes me smile and thankful for such a willing, loving, and dedicated husband and Daddy.  I want you to know how important it is to marry somebody who houses these same characteristics one day. 

I love you so much, and I know it's only going to double when I finally get to meet you.  I can't believe we have been together for over 9 months now.  I feel so close to you spiritually.  My heart swells when I think about holding you for the first time and seeing your beautiful face.  Your Dad and I feel so blessed.  There are so many people who want to bring children to this earth but are unable.  We constantly thank our Heavenly Father for giving you to us.  It's such a beautiful miracle to have a daughter who is part of the both of us.  We are a true eternal family.  We are so excited to meet you Nora.  I can't wait to be your Mom and I hope that I do a good job.  I hope that you can be proud of me, I hope that your Dad will be proud of me as a wife and mother and I also hope that our Heavenly Father will be proud of me as your earthly mother.  I know that I will need his help every single day though, to be the kind of Mother that he would have me be. 

Things have been kind of hard for Mom the last few weeks.  I haven't slept well for weeks.  My body is tired and I don't have the energy to finish the chores around the house that I want to before you get here.  My legs are so swollen from retaining water and by the end of the day, I feel like an elephant.  You are sitting so low that my bladder is constantly being pressed on.  I have to go to the bathroom at least once every hour, and sometimes twice.  I get really sore and tired just from doing the easy things that I used to do everyday.  I've been having contractions every single day and they make me very sore from the tightness in my chest to the soreness in my pelvis.  My back is very tight from trying to hold you up and there are knots all up and down my spine.  These and many more reasons make me so very excited for you to come home with us.  You're getting so big now - big enough to sustain yourself outside the womb.  It's so surreal.  The moment I have been waiting for for the last 9 months is finally around the corner.  I am ecstatic.  I am also very nervous.  I am scared for the delivery.  Mommy has never had a very strong tolerance for pain, and I know that delivery is very painful.  I hope that things go smoothly and we bring you here healthy and strong.  I hope that I can recover easily and quickly and be able to do all the things with you right away that I have been dreaming about.  You mean the world to me and I can't wait to hold you, feed you and bond with you every minute of every day. 

Baby girl, I will see you so soon and I want you to know that I love you more than I have words to express.
Daddy and I cannot wait to hold your little head in the palm of our hands and call you by your name and kiss you over and over.  Daddy always talks about seeing your first yawn.  Make sure to give him a really cute yawn.  We will see you ever so soon.  Stay strong until the day that we meet you.

Love always and forever,
Mommy.