Letter to My Daughter

Caroline Elise,

As I sit here writing this, I can feel your little hands and feet punching and kicking away at my belly. I love that feeling. It's so strange to think how close you really are to me...but how far away you are at the same time. You're getting so much stronger these days. Sometimes, I can feel you on both sides of my belly at the same time - as if you're stretching out for a nice nap. You're 1lb, 2oz - and getting bigger every day! I can tell you're going to hit a growth spurt because of my insatiable appetite the last few days. I crave chocolate chip cookies with a cold drink. You must have a sweet tooth!

I can't tell you how much I love you already. Daddy and I talk about you all the time. We daydream about the day we'll meet you. Daddy thinks it will be in the afternoon, but I think it will be early morning. We'll see who is right! Today I went into your unfinished nursery and just stared at the brightly colored walls. I hope you enjoy your room. Your Uncle Austin even came over to help paint it! You couldn't be coming into a more loving family, little girl. You have great grandparents, great aunts and uncles, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and of course Mommy and Daddy who are anxiously awaiting your arrival. From the moment I found out you were coming into the world, I wondered about you. Who will you look like? Daddy? Me? A good mixture of us? Who knows, you may not look like either of us! What will you grow up to become? Maybe a doctor. Maybe you'll save lives with medicine. Maybe you'll grow up to be a mom. I hope so. I hope you get to experience this feeling one day. I think to myself constantly how amazed I am that I can love someone so much who I've never even met. Then I think about the day you'll be born and try to imagine how much more I'll love you then...but no imagination can tell. It will be infinite and unconditional. I feel like it already is, but I know most mothers tell me that nothing will compare to the love I'll have for you after you get here. I hope I'm as great of a mother to you as my mother is to me. You'll be one lucky little girl if I can live up to your Granna's standards!

Daddy has been so wonderful to us the past six months. He likes to fall asleep with his hand on my belly just in case you decide to kick. His eyes light up everytime he feels you move. He loves you so much already. He is going to be such a good daddy to you. Speaking from experience, a good Daddy is one of God's most precious gifts. I'm so glad you'll get to experience that, too.

You'll be here in just 16 short weeks. In a way that seems like ages away. To think that it's all the way in September makes it seem so long. Since May is halfway over, I've only got June, July, & August left. I can't believe time has flown so quickly...but I'm glad it has. As much as I want to see your face right this instant, I want you to stay in there and keep growing for as long as you possibly can!

We love you, little girl. I think about you every minute of every day.

Love,
Mommy