A letter to my unborn daughter

Dear Elizabeth,

Today is the first day of 2010 which means that Daddy and I will be meeting you very soon. We are so excited and cannot wait to hold you in our arms and study your face. Will you have Daddy's nose? Only time will tell is for sure.

It was just a year ago that we were asking ourselves, "are we ready to become parents?" And here we are, just weeks away from meeting you, our first child. Thank you so much for choosing us to be your parents.

We promise to always love you unconditionally, just as you are, no matter what. We will always do our best to be the best we can be so that you may thrive and flourish to become the best that you can be. We won't always be perfect or right, but I promise you that we'll always do the very best that we can do in that moment and when we know better, we'll do better. Always.

You are being named after your Grandma Debra and your Granny Judie...two of the strongest and giving women we know. They both have overcome many obstacles and much adversity in their lives and we hope you'll learn from their wisdom and life's experiences. Elizabeth is Grandma Debra's middle name and Joan is Granny Judie's middle name. We're calling you Libby for short, but if or when you decide you'd prefer a different nickname or none at all (like Daddy) we'll respect your choice, one-hundred percent.

You are our first baby, our first child. We will learn to be good parents from you. And we will teach you everything we know about being a good person - loving freely, respecting diversity and appreciating all that this life has to offer you.

I'll be a little sad when your birthday finally comes - just for a fleeting moment though - because I will no longer have you all just to myself. Your little flips and kicks and wiggles. But I'll be so happy to have you here to hold and to share your fingers and toes with Daddy and everyone else who already loves you so much.

Please never doubt how much you were wanted or how much you are already so loved. From the moment we knew about you, we were overwhelmed with love for you. Even before that, we wanted you with fierce passion and we were so happy that it didn't take you long to find us. I am pretty sure that you're the best birthday present Daddy has ever received. And you're a treasure to me. You are the only person in this world who knows what my heartbeat sounds like from the inside. It's amazing to know that I am giving you life. Thank you for this privilege, I will treasure it always.

We love you sweet little girl and cannot wait until you arrive. Stay safe until you're ready and when you are...Daddy and I will be waiting with open arms.

Love,
Mommy