Month 12 – Letter to Piper

Dear Piper –

Happy 1st Birthday!

Last night as I was putting you to bed, I was trying to remember what our life was like without you… As happy as your Daddy and I were, we were not as happy as we are today. One year ago today you were born and changed our lives and our hearts forever.

Imagine that… the smallest of beings, only 7lbs 1 oz, grabbed hold of our hearts. Our sun sets and rises to a tiny baby girl that we named Piper… our sun sets and rises to you.

I continue to be amazed that I had any involvement in your creation… something so perfect. I have so many hopes and dreams for you. So many things that I want you to see and do. I have so many things that I wish for you, but mostly I just wish that your life is just as you want it to be.

I am so lucky to have shared an entire year with you. There hasn’t been much time in this past year that we have spent away from each other and I feel incredibly blessed to have had all that time. Incredibly lucky. It certainly shows in our relationship and our bond. Comments are made that you are your Mommy’s Girl… and of course you are. You are what I do everyday and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As we near the end of this chapter in your life and embark on the toddler years, I am excited and scared, both at the same time. I worry about the NO!NO!NO! phase but at the same time I look forward to your personality and your independence developing. I can already see some strong traits emerging and you are becoming YOU.

For now, both your Daddy and I continue to enjoy rocking you to sleepy time at night and bringing you to our bed when you wake. Although we don’t want you in our bed for the entire night, we want you to know that you are always welcome there no matter how old you are. If you wake from a bad dream or just want a little extra snuggle time we will always pull back the sheets to let you in. I know that this will not continue forever and before we know it you will be doing so much on your own and you won’t need us there or want us there every step of the way.

Before we know it you will in daycare, and then starting school. You will give us a hug and a kiss and think nothing of it as you walk into your new classroom… but that will come to an end all too soon. Before we know it you will be too embarrassed by those public displays of affection and then soon enough even being seen with us will no longer be cool. Instead of asking us for a ride to the movies, you will be asking us for the keys to the car and we will be sitting on the couch, just your Daddy & I, wondering when exactly was it that our baby girl grew up.

So for now, I hold you when you want to be held and I rock with you at bedtime. I bring you to our room when you wake in the middle of the night and I kiss your face and head as you reach out for us, sigh and drift off to sleep. Because before I know it you won’t want to be doing these things with us. You will be far to independent and there will come a time in your life when you will be embarrassed by the fact that your Daddy lounges around in his boxer shorts and your Mommy sings out loud, off key and dances around.

You will be mortified and we will still do it anyway…. and when you have a family of your own, you will know why. We love you and we want you to be happy and it is our mission in life to teach you the joy in laughing your little arse off at least once a day.

My hope is that these letters will be there during our hardest times together. That when you stomp off to your room in anger you will remember that you are very much loved. You are very much wanted. My hope is that when we hit your tween or your teen years these letters will be a comfort to you when you are confused and comfort you during those times when you are discovering exactly who you are. I hope our relationship doesn’t become strained and distant like some Mother and daughters. I promise to work very hard every day so that doesn’t happen.

I promise to you that I will always tell you what you mean to me. That I prayed to have you in my life and that my love for you grew long before you did. Your Daddy & I carried you in our hearts for a long time before we were able to carry you in our arms and I promise that I will never let you forget that.

So, Sweet Pea, the happiest of days for us and a reason to put on our party dresses and our dancing shoes… Happy 1st Birthday, Happy 1st Birthday to you.

Mommy loves you, Sweetest Pea,

Love Mommy