Dearest Baby,
I am so excited to meet you. I have known about you since September 23rd, knowing that you were growing and developing, and praying that as much as you will hear about your big brother Gabriel in Heaven, that you are not in a rush to hurry and see him.
I wonder what you will look like often - your daddy suggests that he wants you to have my blue eyes, but I love his brown eyes so much, I know that I would be happy with either color, or even your Grandad's green eyes. Your eyes will be beautiful regardless of what color they are. I wonder if you will have freckles - like me, or the light creamy skin like your dad - but this too is already determined and known by God, but not by me. Will your hair be blonde, brown, or barely there at all? All of these things are just the external parts of your body - what I am most curious about is your heart, your personality, what you will love, and how God will use you to further His kingdom. I can only wonder as you grow who you will be and how you will find your passion to love Jesus more.
We are in the midst of a wonderful season of waiting in the Catholic Church, that of Advent. I am excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but I know that my realy Christmas gift is you - I have wanted so long to be pregnant at Christmas - to have a connection with the Mother of God in a time that she was carrying the Savior. It is so exciting to me - I hope one day you understand. Grandma Punches reminded me that next year our lives will have changed with your arrival, and with God's grace, you will be our chubby little baby at Christmas. I am so excited to hold you and kiss your little head. Any time now, my body will be able to sense your body kicking - I am so excited for that movement, that little confirmation that you are in the womb.
I found a calendar of Grandma's from the year that she was pregnant with me, and I remember distinctly finding the day she told her Mom that she was pregnant with me, I thought it would be fun if you wanted to know what dates we shared the delightful news of your pending arrival with our family.
We told Grandpa Keys and Mimi (Dave and Vickie Keys) on November 15th (2010). They were so excited and thrilled to be welcoming a grandchild! Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Eddie are expecting Ignatius in January, so it will be awesome that your ages are close together. On November 24th, we drove to Kansas to be on the farm for Thanksgiving, and we told Grandad and Grandma (Pumphrey) that you were arriving. They were both so excited - knowing that we had dreamed of this day for quite some time. (Your Grandad's preference for babies is that they are bald and fat, in case you were wondering. Luckily, as a baby, your momma was both.) On Thanksgiving(11/25/10), we told Grandma Ellen - who I believe screamed in excitement for 5 minutes straight. She was so excited, and it was just beautiful for us to know concretely of her utter excitement. We proceeded to tell the rest of the family - and then on December 5th, we told the rest of our large church family, the teens we volunteer with at Incarnate Word. They were beautifully excited, and I have felt continually blessed and supported with the excitement of our community - I pray and hope that you will feel the love of the Catholic Church in the same way that I feel the love of the community at Incarnate Word. God has been so faithful in giving us this community to pray for you - yes, the teens have been praying that we would be able to have a child for quite some time, and you are an answered prayer.
I hope you know deeply someday how much I love you and have dreamed of your arrival. I am so grateful for God for this gift and responsibility - I want to please His heart above all, and then to please your Daddy - I love being his wife, and he is such a good husband - he is diligent at taking care of me, making sure I don't lift anything that is too heavy, and being completely understanding of my increased desire to sleep often, even when he wants to talk to me. He is so funny, and I am so thrilled to watch his parenthood unfold.
Dearest Baby, please continue to grow strong, and know that we love you and that God loves you.
Love,
Momma
