Dearest Nora,

As I write to you I’m resting in my bed reveling in your spritely flutters and wiggles. I think of your sweetest little cheeks, your tiny button nose and your beautiful little eyes. Those beautiful little eyes that I dream will one day soon look up at your Mommy and Daddy expecting nothing but love. We have an over abundance of love for you, sweet Nora, if only that were enough.

Just incase you decide you can’t stay too long with us, I want to tell you about your family.

This picture was taken just before Christmas shortly before we received your diagnosis.

I’ll start first with your Daddy. Your Daddy is simply the sweetest, kindest, funniest, most loving man I have ever met. When I’m not busy taking him for granted (which fortunately isn’t all that often!!), I marvel at how lucky I am to be his wife. His faith, his devotion to his family, his strength, his compassion toward his loved ones, friends, even complete strangers is awe-inspiring. I wish that every girl could be as lucky as I am. “To know him is to love him,” should be his slogan. Some of my favorite moments are listening to him play with your older brother and sister. I love how he makes them laugh and his unique way of making them feel special and loved. He can cheer me out of the worst mood and can make me laugh till I feel like I can’t breathe! I love that he loves to make me laugh. Every morning before he leaves for work he pulls the covers off of me so he can kiss my belly, lovingly stroke you and wish you a good morning. Oh, how he loves you!!

You have a birth sister who doesn’t live here with us and didn’t grow up with us, but she is no less loved, no less important. She started her tiny little life right where you are right now. You share a middle name with her – both my beautiful “Roses”. She was one of the very first people to know about you, and she was so excited to hear the news! I hope you will get to meet her and you can see  for yourself what a beautiful person she is inside and out.

Your brother Gavin is such a funny and sensitive little boy, just like your Daddy. He loves to play sports, he loves to draw and he loves to make people laugh. He is very curious about you and often puts his ear up against my belly to see if he can hear you. He likes to feel you moving around in there and gets a big smile on his face when you kick. I love that when we’re here by ourselves at home he still calls Daddy “Dada” and me “Mama”. He’s so full of love, and can’t wait to meet you! He’s everybody’s buddy!

Your sister Greta is a sweet cuddle bug. She is the most compassionate, empathetic little person I have ever met. If she finds me in bed when ordinarily I’m not, she comes in real close to check my eyes for tears and to see if there is any way she can “make it all better”. Often she’ll lend me one of her “bees” (security blankets) as she knows those always makes her feel better! She talks about you lots and is always drawing pictures for and of you. There are lots of angels in the pictures she draws — even angel kitty cats, her favorite, favorite animal. Greta couldn’t wait for a little sister and just KNEW you were “her”, long before we found out for sure. She gives you hugs several times a day and tells you she’ll miss you, even if she’s just going into dance class for a little while. When we’re cuddling sometimes she can feel your little nudges up against her back and she gets so excited! Today she asked me how to spell “Nora”. I later noticed the red magic marker on her hand. She had drawn a collection of hearts with your name next to them. She makes me smile with all of her sweetness. You will love your big sister, just you wait!

Beside your immediate family you have a treasured extended family that loves you intensely. They were all so surprised and excited to hear the news back in August that there would be another little one in the family. These are among the most tender, compassionate, beloved, determined and courageous people you could ever hope to meet. No matter what, we are always there for each other, picking each other up in times of despair, and we always come out on the other side stronger than who we started out as. You come from a long line of strong fighters, my love! Simply by having made it this far, you definitely have inherited that strength.

There are also a countless array of friends who love you and who are praying for you. All of these friends and family that help Mommy and Daddy get through these exhausting days, we don’t know what we would do without them. Even those who aren’t able to be physically present, rest assured, we feel the prayers and the love they send our way, and we hope you do too.

No matter how long or how short your stay is with us, I can promise you that you will spend a lifetime that some people can only wish and hope for… surrounded by those who love you the most.

I guess I should tell you about me too. I’m your Mommy. I too, love to make people laugh. I think that as long as you have a sense of humor, you can get through just about anything. I’m so thankful for the strength and peace that God has bestowed upon me to get me through this time. I’m also thankful that I still have the ability to laugh despite the uncertain road ahead of us. I feel blessed to be your Mama and I’m excited to meet you. I promise to keep you safe and loved in the mean time, and I hope you got all the candy heart messages I’ve been sending you through your umbilical cord, CUTIE PIE.  I love you, Nora Rose!!

Love,
Mommy