Letters to My Daughters {The Ladies Are One!}

My tiny little 4 lbs 13 oz and 5 lbs Ava and Chloe are ONE YEAR OLD TODAY! Happy, happy birthday my sweet girls! I have many goals as a parent. One of them, though, is that I hope I remind my children enough what a blessing they are to me and Danny! Over the last week I have worked on writing a letter to each of the girls, and I had the intention of posting the letters on this (poor, neglected) blog so that they'll NEVER be lost, thanks to the wonders of cyber-land. Sorry for the length, I just have so much to say to these two itty bitty beings that call me Mama.

My dearest Ava,

                I want you to know I am almost certain there has never, ever been a baby on Earth that is as happy as you are. You smile, and laugh, giggle, chuckle, and grin…then smile some more. Mommy, Daddy, Brother, & Sissy are so blessed to have your bright face lighting up day each and every one of our days. You know what else you do besides smiling? You twirl your toes. You love to sit on the floor, legs extended—sometimes in an almost-splits position—and twirl your feet around and around in circles. In opposite directions. We just can’t get enough of that!

                Aves, thank you for being such a perfect little observer. You love to stop and play with a toy, figure out how you want to play with it, pause to watch your brother run across the room and give him a smile as he flies by you, and concentrate back on what you’re playing with. When I watch you, I always feel like you enjoy life so much, all the wonders and joy that come with simply living. I want to thank you for that, because you calm me when I watch you peacefully play. It also makes me stop and reflect, and enjoy tiny little moments in my day. What a blessing you are!

                How special is it that you are a twin, a sister, a daughter, a niece, a granddaughter. You have so many wonderful people who love you so much in life! From the beginning of my pregnancy right up to the end, you were “Baby A.” I thought this would make you a determined little being, with a be-first attitude, but I was wrong. I think you were “Baby A” because you were meant to be the big sister by one whole minute. You wanted to venture out and make sure it was safe for your little sissy to come out into the world. I call you my Little Mama because love exudes from your sweet soul, and you were born a lover and a nurturer, happy and confident that life is good!

                This past year watching you grow has been an absolute joy. I loved seeing you learn to roll over, sit up, start crawling, now scurrying across the room, and pulling yourself up to stand on anything and anyone! Recently, you have become quite the talker, saying “Dada,” “Go!” and “Uh-oh.” Always with a smile. Remember the power of your smile, Ava…give it freely in life, because if your smile warms up another person’s day even a fraction of how it does mine and your daddy’s…well, then there are some lucky people in this world.

                I love you, I love you, I love you to the moon and back.

                                              Love,

                                            Mommy

My sweet little Chloe,

                I want you to know my heart melts every single time I walk into your room to get you from your crib and you smile your HUGE four-toothed grin. Sometimes you even say “Mama” after you smile at me—and then my heart just explodes. I look forward to getting you from your crib because these moments I get to have with you everyday makes me feel like the luckiest Mama in the whole world. Sometimes Sissy wakes you up when you’re not ready to get up yet…but you still always manage a smile.

                Chlo-Bear, you are so busy. You don’t ever stop, always on the move, constantly looking for the next source of entertainment. I love that go-getter attitude about you, it’s going to get you to amazing places in life, I am certain of that. It’s been so silly to see you speed crawl around the room, then start pulling yourself up and cruising around furniture, and balancing on your own and starting to take your first steps. In this past month, you have become a walker. An amazing walker, as you wander around on your own little adventures. I have had such joy watching you become so independent, although it tugs at my heart a little. It’s silly because you’re such a peanut! You just bounce around like it’s no big deal, but you look like a tiny little baby doing such grand things! I often wonder if I’ll always feel that way about you, seeing you as my itty bitty baby performing such amazing tasks in life.

                How special is it that you are a twin, a sister, a daughter, a niece, a granddaughter. You have so many wonderful people who love you so much in life! From the beginning of my pregnancy right up to the end, you were “Baby B.” As you floated above your sissy, you spent a lot of time flipping and turning around. It seemed like you were always in a new position every time I went in for an ultrasound! Your active little personality developed in the womb and is still with you today. You are the littlest in our family by one whole minute, and your need for snuggles and comfort from me throughout the day makes it seem perfect that you are my “youngest.” 

                I have to admit that I love that you need me. If I walk by you then it’s almost certain you will demand that I hold you, or hug you, or sit down to let you climb into my lap. I wish you could promise me you’ll always want to sit in my lap…but that would be silly, I know. Daddy and I have loved watching you grow this past year. We are so blessed to have you in our little family and to call you our daughter. Your determined attitude is such a gift, Chloe…remember the strength you have when you accomplish the things you want to. You have the power to be an amazing role model to those around you who might not be as strong as you are. One thing is for certain, Daddy and I are your biggest fans.

                I love you, I love you, I love you to the moon and back.

Love,
Mommy