My Dearest, Darling Girl...

My dearest, darling girl,

It's getting near the time where we get to meet you. This is really exciting and really scary at the same time. Not because you are scary, but because we cannot believe we actually have to get to be your parents. To be honest, the idea of being anyone's parents is scary to Daddy and me because we don't feel nearly old enough or grown up enough, but you are particularly special, since we grew you by ourselves. Please be patient with us. We don't really know what we are doing and we will all have to learn together.

I am desperately hoping you get your daddy's brains. He is rather brilliant, but I'm hoping you don't notice because he's too busy chasing you with the cat or teaching you how to score left-footed. He is also much better at being by himself, still and quiet, than I am, and I'm hoping you learn that too. I do want you to be able to sing like me though- we definitely don't need another singer like daddy in the house...

I hope that you are confident and brave and love to be around people. Being shy is fine, but there is always a danger that you will miss out if you don't speak to anyone and everyone. I hope you love to eat sushi and go to the cinema, because I don't like either of those things and it will mean daddy will harass me less about it.

You are so lucky, my little one. You are the centre of a big fat onion of people who love you. Daddy and I, and Joan the cat, who loves to curl around you and feel you kick. Please be kind to the cat, because she bites and it'll be a sore lesson to learn later. Then 4 grandparents who are so excited for you to arrive. They will teach you the stories Jesus told, how to bake and what the things in the garden are called and take you on exciting day trips and to the beach to eat 99 Ice Creams, even when it is cold and wet. You also are extra lucky because you will have a GG too, who cannot wait to meet you and talks about it all the time. She is very, very silly and very, very wise. She loves everyone with a fiery passion and grit determination, and sometimes love needs both. She will always be your number 1 ally, no matter what you do.

Then you have your brilliant, beautiful Aunties and your very silly Uncles. You are so lucky because they all have interesting things to teach you (although you should probably ignore everything Uncle Andy says. He's almost certainly winding you up.) You also get 2 marvellous big cousins that will definitely lead you astray in a multitude of ways.

The outer layer of your secure little onion has so many Great Aunties and Uncles, 2nd, 3rd and even 4th cousins in it. These people are hilarious and the most fun. You'll learn to be competitive at pub quizzes, sing songs from musicals, and never to take life, or yourself, too seriously. Finally, to ensure you are always protected, daddy and I have the family we chose for ourselves- our friends. They are busy producing more playmates for you all over the world. They are smart, funny, usually quite ridiculous and generally good people. You are so well-loved already my girl.

I can't wait to take you to the beach, and to watch the Dodgers, to make Halloween costumes and to explore new places. I want you to read. Read everything you can possibly get your hands on. It's so desperately important because the world is a big place and people have such diverse experiences- reading helps open that world up to you. Reading makes sure you are never lonely and helps you to understand the challenges and joys in the lives of others. I cannot wait to take you on adventures with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Daddy will take to you Middle Earth, because I find it insufferably boring. I know this because I tried, and you should try everything once. 

I hope that when you are a grown-up and filling out forms, that writing 'Place of Birth- Santa Monica, California' makes you smile. It should, because it is a magical place that Daddy and I have adored. The sunshine permeates everything here, and whenever I think of being pregnant with you I will imagine the sun that glowed gold all the time, helping you grow. You will always be my sunshine girl, which is funny really because that's what my grandad called me when I was a little girl. 

We're ready for you to come any time. But you should take your time. Never be in too much of a hurry for anything. Unless I tell you its time to go, in which case you should move your butt, because we're going to be late. Life is full of contradictions, my little one. This is just the first.

All my love, 

mummy x