Belly Baby

As my due date approaches (two weeks tomorrow) and I am feeling about as practically prepared as I can for our impending arrival, it comes time for my now traditional letter to my baby about everything I hope, pray and dream.  So, here goes.

Baby,

I am sorry, you are a third baby, you have no nick name, you are lucky to have middle names after your Dad and I had kind of forgotten to get round to picking any for you.  You are going to be born into an environment that is already really rather busy and you'll just need to fit in.  You will be expected to do nursery pick ups from only a few days old and you'll spend much time sitting on the edges of dance classes and gymnastics classes. You'll be taken to toddler groups because they are where your sisters go.

Please do not mistake that for me not having any hopes or dreams for you, though.  Especially having two siblings already it has taught me how different all children are and I now realise more than I knew I would, that you will be your own person with your own aspirations and hobbies and loves and desires.

I am so excited to learn who you are.  As your arrival into the world draws nearer I am particularly keen to know if you are a boy or a girl, it feels odd not to know "who" you are! Who are you? Are you my son or my daughter? Will you be a brother or a sister?

I am so excited to see what kind of child you are, in my belly you don't move around to much, I suspect you are rather placid, when you do move though, you REALLY move.  You do big flips and kick hard! Are you just trying to make sure we don't forget you are there? Do you already have a sense that as a third child you will need to fight to make sure people don't forget you are here?  Don't worry sweetheart, we know!

I am excited to see if you like to read books, play music, play with trains, do dressing up, play sports, be outside or inside.  I am excited to know if you like science and engineering or arts and crafts or maybe both? I am excited to know if you will love school for the education or the people you meet, maybe you won't like it at all but I hope that isn't the case.

Will you love Naomi's rough and tumble or Miriam's reserved, quiet patience? At least we have both although whichever you prefer I am sorry you have to deal with the other too.

Baby, I hope you know you are precious, I will be praying you continue to know you are precious all your days.  I will be praying that as well as knowing you are my child and your Daddy's child that you personally know your so-much-better-than-us, perfect Daddy in Heaven.  He loves you so much more than I ever could because He IS love and because He is perfect.  I pray that you will know God even now, I am have taken great comfort during my pregnancy with you in knowing this (from Psalm 139)

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

My main prayer is that you will ALWAYS "know that full well".  Your Daddy and I are so pleased you are in our lives and while we don't promise to never get angry or frustrated with you we do know that the privilege is all ours.  God is giving you to us and we are grateful, so grateful.  But I pray you will always know that you are GOD's creation, GOD's child and the apple of GOD's eye.

Mummy is starting to feel rather uncomfortable and so I am becoming anxious that you make your appearance sooner rather than later but you come when you are ready and show us just how incredible you are.  I love you already, baby and looking forward to meeting you and seeing your face (in related news, can you have brown eyes? I have always wanted a child to have my eyes and your sisters haven't complied!).

Come on baby, it's fun out here, we have milk!