Dear Rachel,
Hey baby girl, I hope you know how much your mommy and daddy love you. Your big brother loves you too, he may be kinda rough with us sometimes but that's cause he is still trying to figure out how to be gentle.
I've spent a lot of time since I found out you were coming to our family trying to figure out why Heavenly Father wanted you to come to us when he did. You weren't exactly planned little girl. Please don't misunderstand we are so happy you are coming and can't wait to meet you, we were just really surprised. We had planned on getting a little more settled, on getting me a little healthier, and letting your daddy get school figured out. But you and Heavenly Father had other plans. Sometimes I think babies just come when they come, but from the moment the stick turned blue and I knew you were on the way I have felt like you are coming now for a reason. That for some reason me being pregnant with you now and you being born in the spring of 2014 is important.
Rachel I am so excited to spend the rest of your life figuring out why you came when you did (ask your Aunt Becca sometime how much we love people who join our family unexpectedly). I'm sure that there will be so many reasons that I can't even comprehend right now, but I want to share two that I've come up with. One I am sure of and one might just crazy Mommy thoughts but I want to share them with you. I want you to know that from the first moments you have been important to our family and shaped our lives.
1. Being pregnant with you has helped me love Maine. I know sounds crazy but there are things about Maine I love that I would not have known if I hadn't been pregnant. Mommy tries really hard to be happy wherever she goes but she really missed her old friends and family when we came here. She also really missed the food from out in Utah and California (someday when you are older I'll take you to El Nuevo and J-Dawgs... you will understand). But you sweet girl helped me make friends here, you helped me by not craving foods that super hard to get all the time, and you helped me by showing me just how kind the people out here are. I think our Heavenly Father knew I would need that extra boost of good attitude to get through our first 6 months.
2. This is the one that might just be crazy, but the more I ponder it the more I pray about what Heavenly Father has in store for you and how I can help the more these thoughts come to mind, but only time will tell. I think you are coming down to this earth with your best friend. I think you and your cousin Evalyn are partners in crime and didn't want to come to this life with out each other. I also wonder if Uncle Mark and Aunt Ariel's baby girl is part of the trio, but only time will tell. I don't think it's coincidence or chance that you and Evalyn will be born at the same time, potentially the same day. We will see how the years play out but I will not be surprised if you two have a very special bond, even across country. I can't wait to watch you two together, and I hope that we can end up living close enough to each other that you get to play all the time (but you'll have to talk to your Daddy about that, we get to go where he gets a job).
Little Girl more than anything else I want you to know how important you are. To our family and to your Heavenly Father. Keep growing and kicking (especially when your daddy is talking to you, he's a little offended that the Dr has felt you kick and he hasn't... just a thought).
Love Mommy.
