I Hope I Won't Forget...

-to be the 'fun mom' I have always dreamed I'd be
-to not take everything too seriously
-to introduce you to the smell and calm of the ocean, often
-that you have your own ideas
-that you are the most divine miracle your dad & I could ever ask for
-that you came to make our family 3 people, in just the perfect timing
-to sing you "you are my sunshine", like "back in our days of getting stuck in traffic, in utero"
-that each stage, phase, day is fleeting and no matter how joyous or how hellish, we will never have that moment again
-that knowing me, I will look back one day on everything and wonder how it flashed so quickly before my eyes
-that you are the one that is making me a mommy
-how much gut-wrenching love I felt for you already, the first time I saw your little embryotic heart beat
-that I can make it thru the day/week/month with less sleep than I would choose
-the first time your daddy felt you kick and his ear-to-ear grin and jaw-dropped expression
-the first time I felt you moving around in my tummy
-that I went ten months without coffee, champagne, sushi, & brie- and for you- it was not a problem at all!
-to let you go/grow at your own pace
-to let you make things with your own hands
-to keep a journal for you
-to remember things
-to know what you are passionate about
-to not be too permissive
-to have family dinners as often as possible
-to take family walks as often as possible
-to get messy and let you get messy
-to play outside a lot
-to always be present and mindful
-to let you find the wonder of this world in the way only you will be able to
-to give you the best life experiences we can possibly give
-that the most important 'thing' we will ever be able to give you is unconditional love

Dear Baby D

This is your Dad. He loves to grill on the deck. He got to feel some huge kicks and maybe even rolls and tumbles out of you last night. He's pretty excited. He works super duper hard for us and loves to take care of his family already!

This is your dog, Matilda Heart DeVries, but we just call her Tilly. She loves to snuggle and cuddle, and I wonder how long it will take her to get used to another snuggler and cuddler (you)?! I hope you will be the best of friends. We will need to show her how to share her "mom and dad", though, I bet.

She also loves to sunbathe on the deck.
Soon, we will all sunbathe on the deck!

This is your mama's belly at 26-28 (I think?) weeks pregnant with you. You are starting to move a lot more these days, and we wonder what you are doing in there! Sometimes you rest your little feet on my belly and give me a good kick. I love to feel you moving around and can't wait til you're squirming around out here with us.