I Want You to Know You are Very Wanted

Dear Baby,

I want you to know you are wanted. Your dad and I, we don’t have a cutesy nickname for you, at least not yet. We simply call you “Baby” and talk about “when Baby comes. . .” But our lack of creativity in this area is far from a reflection of our excitement and anticipation.

So to start, I want you to know that you are very, very wanted and that you are prayed over daily. In fact, we prayed for you before you were conceived. I’ve been praying for you since the beginning of my adult life. Through all those times I didn’t know if I was destined to be a wife, much less a mother, I prayed for you just in case.

We celebrated the beginning of your life in me! Just your dad and myself. There were happy tears and dreams shared. There was this beautiful secret that we kept between the three of us for the first little bit. Then we shared the news of your existence with our families and friends and there were more tears of joy and hugs and beaming smiles.

Little one, I want you to remember that all babies, all life in the womb - deserves to be celebrated. It doesn’t matter the situation or the trials to follow.  All mothers need to be told that what they are carrying is joyful and precious! All babies deserve to begin life in hugs and smiles. All life is precious.

For that matter, life is many, many things. For most of those things, it’s pretty handy to have a mother. The thing is, the world keeps turning even for us mothers and sometimes we don’t get around to saying all the things we want to say to you. Whether it’s keeping up with the hustle and bustle of family life or because God directs our path in a direction we weren’t expecting or because He calls us home sooner than you would have liked, we don’t always have quiet moments or the right words to say what we want to share from our hearts to yours.

Your mama likes to write. And since she is carrying her first, she has more time to embrace this preparation time than mothers with a whole brood. I want to make a point of telling you some things I want you to know, now, in this special in-between-time. These writings are not just for you Baby, but also for your little siblings we hope will follow you.

I don’t even know how to be a mother yet. I’m still learning to be a wife. But I have noticed a few things about being a well-rounded person. Many of these things I learned from your Papa and Grandma McKechnie. Some of them I’m learning from your Dad. Many of them have been teachings I’ve learned from God.

I hope I can give you a few gifts over the years. I want you to know that the first gift I’ve given you is that you are very, very wanted and your life’s beginning was celebrated with happy tears, hugs, smiles and joy.

Love,
Your Mom