A letter to my unborn daughter

Dear P-Nut,
My sweet baby girl... Welcome to our family! You've been a part of it for the past 9 months but soon you will physically be here with us and we are happily awaiting your arrival.

I wanted to share with you my feelings on having a daughter. You will probably read some of my past blog posts (since you will automatically be one of my #1 fans and pour over each post with vigor) and you may notice that I was in a bit of shock upon finding out you were a girl. I want to make one thing very, very clear... That shock is LONG GONE!

I am over-the-moon excited to be having a girl for so many reasons. Of course there is the obvious reasons... dresses, tights, shoes, bows, etc. Which I promise not to go overboard on because little girls need to get down and dirty just as much as boys do and you will be dressed accordingly!

I'm also incredibly excited for you to meet your father. There is something very special about the relationship between fathers and daughters and I can't wait to see your Dad's heart melt once you are in his arms. You will learn a lot from him, be protected by him and have so much fun with him. I can't wait to witness it!

You will also have a big brother. Little C will be a playmate, a friend, a nuisance at times, and another one of your protectors. The two of you are going to have a lot of fun. Just try not to gang up on your Dad and I too much!

Another reason I'm super excited to be having a girl is the possibility that you will enjoy some of the same things that I do. Perhaps you will want to be a ballerina like I was, and share a love for dance and musicals. We will have nights where we paint our toe nails and giggle about silly things. We will sing and dance around with reckless abandon. Maybe you will even want to be a cheerleader like your 'ole ma. So much fun!

That all sounds like perfection to me but do you know what else sounds perfect? If NONE of that is your cup-o-tea! Maybe dance and musicals are of no interest to you whatsoever. Maybe you will love all things sports and will be a great athlete. Perhaps you will excel at playing an instrument and music will be your passion. You may be a little smarty pants with a thirst for knowledge and spend your time reading books and figuring out math problems.  I can't wait to see what path you take and I want you to know that I will support you no matter what.

The next reason I'm excited to have a daughter is the opportunity to make a positive impact on your impressionable little life. It will be my greatest challenge to date for no other reason than I don't want to be a complete hypocrite! I don't want to simply tell you to be brave, fearless, confident, and self-aware, I want to be an example for you. I have been working very hard for a long time now to be all of those things and I can safely say that I'm getting there. I'm not perfect, but I'm a work in progress.

I want you to know that you are "good enough" just the way you are and that trying to be someone you are not will prove to be a giant waste of precious time and energy. I am speaking from experience on this one.

But enough of that mumbo jumbo! We'll cross those bridges as we get to them. Until then, here are a few more things in store for you:

• You will have some of the most amazing women surrounding you and loving you unconditionally. The core group is Mopsi, Nana, Mimi, and Auntie Shannon. That line-up is pure gold and each one of those ladies will have something very special to share with you.
• You will have some of the most amazing men surrounding you and loving you unconditionally. I can't tell you how you are about to have some of the toughest guys I know wrapped around around your finger! Popsi, Scotty, Uncle B and Uncle C won't know what hit them!
• You will get to meet your great-grandparents, and P-Nut... just let me tell you, they are a hoot and holler!
• You will have the proper manners of a lady and be able to throw a football with the best of them!
• You will be able to change your own tire and kill your own spiders.
• You will appreciate fine food and fancy hotels but know how to pitch a tent, gut a fish, and camp your little heart out.
• You will fall in love.
• You will break some hearts and get your heart broken.
• You will learn that being a Princess means more than being beautiful and finding Prince Charming. Princesses are smart, brave, kind, and more often than not, can really belt out a good tune!
• You will make mistakes and learn from them.
• You will have some amazing girlfriends that will never let you down, that you will love and cherish, and have moments of laughing until you can't breathe and your sides hurt.
• You will have some girlfriends that do let you down, but you will learn from those circumstances too.
• You will know the value of hard work.
• You will also learn that compassion, kindness and understanding really do go a long way.

I could go on but the best part is there's so much that awaits and you have to live and experience it all for yourself.

Baby girl, you will carve your own path in this world and as you do there will be two people by your side throughout it all... your father and I. We may not always be physically by your side because I'm told as you grow up there will come a time that we have to "let you go," but we will always be there for you no matter what. No. Matter. What.

I hope you're as ready to join our family as we are for you. I can't wait to meet you and hold you in my arms! See you soon, precious girl.

All my love,
Mom