Dear Laney Girl,

The time has come for us to become a family of four. Upon my last few days pregnant with your sibling, I want to share with you my love, my hopes, my pride and my thoughts on how special you are to me and our family.

Ever since you learned you’d become a big sister, you’ve been tentative, thoughtful, and compassionate just as we would have imagined. You’ve shown no signs of disdain (yet, and it’s OK if/when you do) and your motherly instincts have grown with you over the past 6-9 months. We see it in your behavior at school with new friends, your caring/bossy nature with your friends, your adherence to your own bedtime routine with your baby dolls, and above all else, your outward expression of love and excitement for your baby sibling in my stomach.

You’ve been a baby and my baby since the day you were born and while there are so many ways you’ve been a big girl, there are certain baby tendencies about you that I can’t help but let go of. You still cry when you wake up (scream is more accurate really), you still need a very rigid bedtime routine with various books, a bottle, being rocked, three blankets, a short back rub and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and you still want to be held quite a bit. In nearly every other way, you have the demeanor of a big sister and it wasn’t until fairly recently that it dawned on me that you are going to be the leader of your siblings. Oh, how lucky he/she/they are to have this be true!

You are passionate, smart, helpful, responsible, funny, inclusive, cautious, adventurous, confident, thoughtful, specific, habitual, kind, and you are the kind of leader I want for our kids.

While you will be the oldest, the first born, and the leader, you will also always be our baby and we will always care for you, make you feel safe, be available for guidance and we promise to let you be little. I can’t wait to see how much fun you have helping us out when we need it and being the doting big sister I know you’ll be, but I also want you to do know that you don’t have to grow up too fast.

This transition is going to rock us and I’m confident in that. You and me in particular are going to need some time to adjust. I’ve had the luxury of being an adult and being able to take the time to *try* and comprehend the changes upon us, but I know that for you, all of the upcoming change is just too much for you to absorb. Daddy and I have done our best to prep you, but we also don’t want to flood you with “warnings” about what’s to come because we’re just not sure it’s good for any of us. I will always carry the majority of our family’s worry and I hope you’ll let me handle the uncertainties and believe that you, me and your Daddy will work together as the team we are to embrace the change that’s coming. I promise to do my best to keep our time special and to maintain our most important routines, but I can also promise that for you and me in particular, this is our chance to be bold. This is our chance to embrace the change, get uncomfortable, and believe in our abilities to adapt. We will be closer, happier and prouder in the end.

We are going to welcome a brand new sweet baby to this family and you have been our most special gift that has made my and Daddy’s marriage a family in the first place. I love what we have and I know that with this new addition, we will be surrounded by even more love and more fun.

I love you so, so, so much and can’t wait to see you be the big sister you’re so excited to be.

All my love forever,

Mommy