Maeli Grace McFarlane

Dear Maeli,

Where to even begin...It was almost two years ago that we realized that our lives were missing something special...you. We thought that once we came to that realization that you would be here in no time. Boy were we wrong. ;-) We had no idea what a rough road we would have ahead of us as we tried to bring you into this world. The following year definitely had its ups and downs but it was all worth it the moment we found out you would soon be on your way.

I still remember that first ultrasound...You were only 8 weeks old and about the size of a tiny mustard seed. Although the ultrasounds didn't show much at that point, we always counted down the days until the next ultrasound where we could see your progress. As we went back week by week, all of the nurses consistently commented on how much you looked like a little gummy bear - hence, the gummy bear video. At the beginning of each ultrasound we would first look for your heartbeat. One time, when your dad didn't see the flicker of your heart, he quickly asked the doctor if everything was okay. We never realized that worrying would begin so early on.

Just like your mom, you like to be early to all of your appointments and decided to grace us with your presence 3 weeks early. In one day, I went from working full-time in an office to working full-time as your mom. Talk about a great promotion. ;-) All I can say is thank goodness for your dad. Even after only two days, I'm convinced that you and your dad have a special bond. Your dad and I have been married for almost 4 years now and I've never seen him look at anything with the love and admiration that he does for you. Throughout the entire pregnancy he was at every doctor's appointment and would openly admit that his favorite part of every day was getting to come home at night and lay on the couch feeling your movements inside my belly. You've been with us for two days now and your dad has taken every chance he can to cuddle and gaze at you. I hope you always realize how lucky you are to have a dad that cares for you so much. You are his pride and joy and there's nothing he wouldn't do for you.

Maeli, words cannot even begin to express how much we love you. We're so thankful to have you in our home and to watch you grow into a beautiful young lady. I'm sure this will be the first of many letters that your dad and I will write to you. I hope that you will read this letter along with the others throughout your life and realize that we want nothing but the best for you. It's been a long road coming which makes us appreciate every moment we have with you even more. Not a day has gone by in the past two years that our prayers haven't included you and you can be sure that moving forward, you will be a permanent fixture in every prayer, thought, and memory. Thank you for being an angel in our home. We love you and are so happy you're finally here.

Love,

Your Mom