Letters to Baby2, 1

Dearest S~,

I've written some letters to your brother, and it's past time I started writing to you too. Right now, I hear my stomach gurgling with you inside, kicking and punching and shifting every so often. You won't be in there for much longer. You're scheduled to be delivered this weekend! I'm excited to finally meet you!

N~ was our first baby, so the concept of having a child was such a new thing to us then. With you, it's still exciting and new - we've never had two children before, and you will inevitably be very different from your brother - but we at least know what having a child is like. I'm not too scared about what changing your diapers will be like or what feeding you might entail. I've been through all that stuff before now. And that's the great thing about having new experiences. They prepare you for similar ones down the road, so you feel better prepared. I'm still nervous, but I do feel up to the responsibility of being your parent, as well as N~'s.

Right now, I think my main concern with you is how you're doing. It's been a difficult pregnancy, with numerous complications. One of my nurses said you're an ornery baby, but it's not your fault. I have diabetes and I'm small and get sick easily. But you've been a teeny trooper this entire time, always healthy and active. I hope that resilience will follow you into your life. And I'm hoping you're still just as healthy when you're born.

And I guess I'm like any parent about to have a child. I wonder a lot about what kind of baby you'll be, what kind of child you'll be, what kind of adult you'll be. You're very active in my stomach. Will you be an active child? N~ is goofy and energetic and curious. Will you be that way too? Obviously you won't be exactly the same. But I wonder what ways you'll find common ground with your brother and in what ways you'll be completely different. I'm really looking forward to getting to know you.

I'm sorry that I'm already thinking of you in comparison to your brother. I think you'll find that to be a common occurrence as a second child. As a second child myself, I empathize. People will always compare you to your older sibling. I want to say I'm sorry for the timing of your birth, I guess. Your birthday will be very close to N~'s, so you'll inevitably wind up sharing parties. I will try to bake you each separate birthday cakes, but that might wind up being too much work for your poor ol' mother. And too much cake. As with most things, we'll see how it goes.

I hope you like being part of our family. I hope you feel immediately loved and cherished as you most certainly are. N~ keeps saying how he can't wait to meet you, and your dad and I feel the same way. You will be such a bright spot in our lives.

See you soon!

Love always,
Mommy