The only love letter I've ever written to a girl.

Dear Sadie,

Hey Bruce Lee, it's your mom. I thought it was time we had a chat, since your relatively peaceful gestation is drawing to close. Since we'll be meeting each other soon, I wanted to give you a heads up about this wonderfully strange world you'll be stepping into shortly. So here it is, a Cliffs Notes if you will about us, you and life as I see it:

Your Mom & Dad:

The first thing you should know about us is that we love you more than anything in the world, except perhaps the Bears (your daddy), cheese (your mommy) and wine (both of us). We loved you from the second we knew you were coming, when all you were to me was a second pink line and nausea. We'd dreamt about you even longer, when you'd appear, what you'd look like & whose features would echo in your tiny face and personality.

We talked about what we wanted for you (college, faith, family) and what we didn't (video games, pressure, a stint on reality TV) and how to make it happen. We talked about who you'd laugh like, who you'd look like and what you'll think of us. We hope that you love us, at least until you're a teenager at which point we realize you'll probably think we're totally lame. Hopefully, by the time you are 22 and eating top ramen in a crappy apartment you'll realize that we were pretty kick ass and swing back to loving us. Just know we'll always be here, waiting for the moment you realize how cool we always were.

Your dad:

All you need to know about your dad is that he is the best man you will ever meet. When I told him you were coming, he set about doing all the things he'd always promised to do to take care of you. He went back to graduate school so he can give us the best life possible. He worked his ass off for a promotion at work. He kissed you through my belly everyday. When he found out you were a girl, I watched him fall in love with you before my eyes. He talked about all the things he wants to teach you, mostly things like the Chicago Bear song, how to kick a soccer ball & the entire Bruce Springsteen discography. I know you'll be a daddy's girl because he won't have it any other way.

The rest of your family:

Get ready kid, because you are getting a whole heap of crazy, loud, Italian/Mexican/Jewish/Catholic/Irish/British/American style family love. You know all those muted noises you've been hearing through the cozy safety of my uterus? That's your family. I will warn you, they are crazy. But as you'll find out, all the good ones are. You are being born into a world full of people who love and adore you already and who will never let you down. If there is one thing I want you to know baby, it's that in this life, family is everything and you are getting the best one ever.

This World:

I'm not going to lie to you, this world can be a scary place. It's loud and bright and full of danger. I want you to always keep your wits about you as you walk through it. That said, this world is a wondrous place. It's full of life and laughter and oceans and mountains and buildings and music. I hope you explore it with gusto and never stop trying to find the beauty that exists here. There is sadness here too, which makes the beautiful things stand out that much more. I hope you listen to Mozart. And the Rolling Stones. I hope you read Shakespeare & David Sedaris. I hope you go to Paris. And Wyoming. And the ocean. And anywhere else your heart desires. And I hope that no matter where you travel, a little piece of you always thinks of me & your daddy when you think of home.

So what else is there to say really? Not much, except that I can't wait to meet you and watch you find all this out for yourself. My only advice to you is to always say please and thank you, always try new foods before you decide you don't like them, try not to swear too much and always leave your heart open for the possibility of love. Oh, and try not to hurt mommy too much when you decide to come out, OK?

XOXO,