To my Third Baby- an Open Letter the Month Before her Due Date

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Sweet Baby,

While everyone else seems to be using this month to jump into resolutions and add more hustle to their schedules, I find myself slowing down and anticipating the pause and change that your birth will bring to our family. I am filled with so many conflicting thoughts as I enter this final month before your due date.

First, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that when we announced we were expecting your siblings we were met with unequivocal excitement and when we announced we were expecting you, our third baby, we were greeted with a strange mix of excited reactions and people just replying, “Really? Another one?” or “But you already have a boy and a girl…” And I’m especially sorry for your father’s friend who just sent us scissors emojis in response to our news. I’m sorry that you’ll be entering a home full of noise and activity and that your siblings will probably wake you up more times than I can count, that your naps may be interrupted by school drop off and pick up, and that I have begged people not to buy you any new clothes because we have more hand me downs than storage space. Please forgive us all as we figure out how our new dynamic as a family of five is going to work.

Second, I know it may not sound like it from the last paragraph, but as the third baby you are also SO LUCKY and SO LOVED. Your siblings can’t wait to meet you and help with you. The sleep interruptions they bring you will be made up for with kisses and hugs and declarations of how cute you are. Your daddy also gets to take more time off than he ever has before and he is so excited to spend time with you. Also, as the third baby you get parents who at least have experience with some of the twists and turns of parenthood. This is apparent in your baby blanket- I’ve hand knit a blanket for each of my kids and your brother’s blanket is a hot mess compared to yours, and I didn’t finish your sister’s until the week before her due date, just hours before I went into labor. That may be a silly example, and your dad and I have no delusions that we have it all figured out, but we do feel a lot more confident than we did when we brought your brother home. We can diaper one handed… at this point we can do most things one handed to be honest. We even bought a different car just for you! (OK, technically for your carseat to fit along with the other two carseats, but you are the reason for that so… still exciting!) 

Finally, cherished third baby, a few requests: This last month before your due date, you may hear us talking a lot about how we want to squeeze things in or savor time with our other kids before everything changes again. Please know that you are wanted and we know that our family would be incomplete without you. Please don’t get too confused when your sister declares that you are the Anna to her Elsa one day and the Elsa to her Anna the next- what she really means is she can’t wait to have a sister. Lastly, we love you so much already that your mom was willing to sacrifice nine months of feeling miserable (thanks hormones!) just to meet you… so… if you decided to make labor a quick one, and if you could not arrive late, that would be awesome. Kidding! I know you aren’t really in charge of that… but on the off chance you have ANY say in the matter… 

Anyway, I can’t wait to meet you next month.

Love, Mom

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