A Love Letter to my Unborn Baby Girl

Dear Mariah Jade,

I know I haven't met you yet, but I feel like I already know you. I have dreamed about you. Thought about holding you. Touching you. Seeing you for the first time. What will you look like? Will you look more like me or your dad? Will you have my nose, my toes, my smile? Or his? Or will you be a perfect blend of the two of us?

We always knew you were going to be a little girl. Even from day one. And though you were a complete and total surprise to me and your daddy, you were never a mistake. God knew you, as He knew Jeremiah in the Bible, long before you were born or even conceived. He thought about you and planned for you. And He has given you a purpose. You are a valuable jewel in His eyes. And in ours. You are loved. You are beautiful. You are unique. You are destined for greatness! And even though you haven't lived a day on this earth yet, God knows all about your whole life. And it is going to be wonderful.

Sweet baby girl, you were conceived and brought forth in this world against insurmountable odds, so I know that you are going to have a resilient spirit. And, you are also going to be incredibly strong. You don't know this yet, but you have already survived a car accident and being hit in Mommy's tummy with the airbag! But God protected you, and you did not get hurt at all. You are one tough little girl! And if you are anything like your mama, you will be a feisty little thing sprinkled with a little bit of sassiness and attitude. :) But you will have your daddy's kind heart and sweet spirit.

You are an active child! I started feeling you move around in my tummy at 16 weeks. At first it just felt like butterflies or a little flutter every now and then. But now that I have reached the 17 week mark, I feel you more and more. Me and your dad have decided that you just might be a gymnast when you grow up. Every ultrasound I have gotten, you just move and move and move!

Baby girl, we pray over you every night. And even throughout the day. We pray that you will accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior at a young age, that you will love Him as much as we do, that you will be a servant for Him, that you will obey Him and let His purpose be fulfilled in your life, that you will be a blessing to many. We also pray that you will not only have outer beauty but also inner beauty. And that many people will be drawn to you and be saved because of the spirit of the Lord who lives inside of you.

Sweetheart, by now, your ears have already formed, so we know that you are able to hear us. Your daddy reads Bible stories to you at night and then explains them in simple terms so that one day you will understand. You like hearing Bible stories because you move around a lot when he reads and talks to you!

You don't know this yet, but your daddy has a soft spot in his heart for you already. You are already the apple of his eye. And he and I, together, are so excited to meet you! But we want you to take your time to get here. Keep growing, keep moving, keep developing. Keep sleeping. And then, when you are ready, and when it is time, we will be waiting for you with open arms. And you will be surrounded with so many friends and family who are going to love you to pieces, spoil you, and adore you.

Sweetheart, I want to tell you one more thing. For so long, your mommy asked herself the question: what if? What if I am pregnant? What if? And you know what, baby girl? Even though mommy doesn't have all of the answers or know what the future holds, there is one thing that I do know. I know that my future will soon hold you. And I have found the answer to my what if.

Mariah Jade. She is she, she is YOU.

Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. -Psalm 127:3

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. -Psalm 139:1

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart ..." -Jeremiah 1:5