Dear Lilly Belle

Dear Lilly Belle,

I cannot wait to meet you and start being your mommy. Being pregnant is some serious hard work. It's going to be hard work being your mommy, too...but at least I'll get to hold you then. I'm writing this to you at 2:30am. You like to have parties in the middle of the night (let's hope it's something you outgrow quickly) and I've been awake since 1:00am. You are kicking away right now and I'm rocking in your Neverland nursery. Daddy's sleeping of course (lucky).

As the days get closer to our August 15th due date, your daddy and I are getting more and more anxious to meet you. We talk about you constantly. If we're not talking about you, we're thinking about you. You already consume our every thought. That will never change. Already everything we do, we do with you in mind. This too, will never change. We are going to do everything we can to give you the best life possible. Lots of love, a nice home and a good education. As you'll find out soon enough, I am quite the planner and I have some serious plans to make your life the best life we possibly can.

Your daddy loves to think about all the fun things he is going to do with you. He has already scoped out the basketball hoop he's going to buy for you (he can't wait for that). I'm pretty sure you'll have that before you're one. He is really looking forward to taking you on daddy-daughter dates too. You're already a lucky girl and you're still in my tummy. You'll get to play at Nana & Papa's beach house on the weekends and we'll take fun trips to WI to visit Nana & Pops and all of your Aunts and Uncles. You're going to go to Disneyland when you're just 3 months old and a Disney Cruise when you're just about 1 1/2. See what I'm saying. You'll have lots of fun with us.

I can't wait to hold you and to kiss your little cheeks. I've already decided you're the cutest baby on the planet (and that's just from ultrasound photos). I can't even imagine how cute you're going to be when you're out in the world with us. Daddy has a countdown to your due date on his phone now. He has been downloading a bunch of baby and parenting apps on his phone as well. You're going to love him so much, Lilly Belle. He picked your name, you know. He has loved you since you were just a dream to us. Lately he's been getting to feel you kick more and more. You freaked him out the other night. He couldn't believe how strong you are already. (Me either). He had his hand on my tummy waiting to feel you move and Bam! you kicked so hard against his hand that he kind of jumped. (He gets scared easily...you and I will play lots of tricks on him when you get older). I'm sure he'll plan some pay backs with you too.

We want to give you siblings one day, but not for a long while. We are so excited to just soak our time up with you and enjoy every minute we have together. I cannot believe that tomorrow I will have had you in my tummy for 22 weeks already. That's just 18 more until we get to hold you. Now that it's April, time is flying by. Last year we went to Seabrook for my birthday and made the decision that it was time to try to make you. I started taking my mommy vitamins the day we got home. Now we'll be back to Seabrook for my birthday again next weekend and you're in my tummy. I will be 25 years old when we meet you.

I love you so much my Lilly Belle. I love that you are my baby girl. You are our baby girl. We will never ever stop loving you and never ever stop being your mom & dad. You are giving us the best job in the whole world by just being here. You already have made us the happiest people around and we haven't even met you yet.

You've stopped kicking me and it's now 3:00am. I'm going to go have a bowl of cereal and then try to go back to sleep. This being awake all night thing isn't so bad. It's going to be a lot better when you're actually needing to be held or fed.

I love you, Little Bean!
Love,
Mommy

P.S. Daddy made cheeseburgers tonight and you were going crazy in my tummy. Aunty Mel would be proud ; )