Love Letter

Dear Peyton (my most precious thing),

I’m writing you this letter on what could be our last day as “just the two of us”. For almost 3½ years, you’ve been my constant companion, my sidekick and my very best friend. Any day now, we will be adding a baby sister- another adorable girl to be a part of our family. Now it will be “the 3 of us girls”. I am so excited about your baby sister coming. Daddy and I wanted you to have a sibling so badly, and it took us a long time to be able to have her, so we are thrilled to finally have her come. We’re so happy that you get to have a sister- a built-in best friend, someone who you will be teammates with your whole entire life. Sisters have a bond that is unlike any other, and I am so excited for you to have that.

Even though I’m really excited about our family growing, it is a little bittersweet for me to think about the imminent change of what has been the absolute best time of my life- it being just you and I, all the time. We have been able to do so many things together, just the two of us. There have hardly been any moments when we haven’t been together- a handful of nights with babysitters, a few days when daddy and I have been out of town, and for the last month, 5 hours a week of you in preschool, but besides that, we have been together 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, your entire life. And the big majority of that time it has been just the two of us (since daddy works most of your waking hours). It has been amazing.

I know when your little sister gets here things are going to change. A lot. We won’t have too much alone time anymore. The last few months, it hit me pretty hard that things are going to be so different. Knowing that things are going to be dramatically changing has made me cherish all our time together. I have been so grateful to be able to take a step back and really rethink my priorities. I have truly treasured these last few months, where I was able to slow down and just appreciate every single second I have with you. You are amazing, and I love you so much. I really could just sit with you for hours in your playroom and not do anything except watch you play, talk to you about whatever comes to your mind, and just be near you; and I would be totally happy with that. In fact, that’s how a lot of our days have been spent lately, and there isn’t any other way I would have rather spent my time.

Things are changing, but I really think you’re going to be happy with the result (probably lots happier once your baby sister isn’t so much of a ‘baby’ and is more of a playmate). It will be great for you to have someone close to your age who will love you unconditionally, and be your best friend, unconditionally, forever. Sisters are the people you can count on when all your friends let you down. Sisters are true best friends. I can’t wait for you to have a sister!

You’re going to be a huge help to me; I already know it, and I already appreciate it. I watch you with your baby cousins and my friends’ babies- even baby dolls- and I marvel at your caring, loving, tender nature. You are such a big girl, but I think I’ll always consider you my baby. I am absolutely head-over-heels in love with you, and every single day I thank Heavenly Father that He let me be your mommy. I am so lucky! Things are going to be different now, but ‘different’ can be really great. And I will always look back at these last 3½ years and treasure every single moment of them.

I love you so much.

Momma