To Vivian, two months old

Dear Vivian,

Welcome to the family. We are so happy and honored to be the people who have the privilege of watching you grow up and seeing what your amazing life will bring. By now you must know your birth story which was pretty extraordinary. Daddy and I were very impressed (and I was quite shocked) that you actually came on your due date. If you continue to be so prompt, your father will be very happy. He deserves a girl in his life who is always on time.

From the moment you came home with us, Stella was so excited to have you. She would run into the apartment when she came home from school and rush to wash her hands so she could come and play with you. She particularly loves to hold you and rock you when you are upset. Amazingly, you almost always calm down in her presence. Daddy and I are so happy that you guys have each other and always will. It seems really special to have a sister and I am so happy for both of you. One day early on, Stella was attaching the bar with toys and music to your bouncy seat but did it wrong and it fell and hit you on the head. You started to cry and then she burst into hysterics. She was so upset to have caused you pain and she ended up crying for much much longer than you. It was really sweet to see how sad she got especially since we had been warned that she might try to hurt you and to be careful about leaving you two alone. We do not have that problem. She is actually your greatest caretaker and is so proud of herself when she can make you stop crying or comfort you. She loves to hold you and carry you which can be a little nerve wracking although she is very good at it and very careful. Rest assured, that as younger children ourselves, Daddy and I have your back and won't let your big sis push you around too much. She is a tough one, though, so watch out.

A little while after we (finally) settled on your name, we decided to bake a cake and have an official welcoming party. Stella did most of the icing herself and was very excited about it.
The next day was Halloween and you were a ladybug in a homemade costume. Your not-very-crafty Mama is pretty proud of herself for having made your costume including knitting a hat for you in only three (count 'em!) days.

Daddy and I are pretty pleased with ourselves now as we think we have finally figured you out. You don’t seem to like any discomfort so we have to be quick to change your diaper. You like to be held a lot and you cry hysterically whenever you are overtired. For awhile Daddy and I could not figure out what that hard crying was all about but then I went to a seminar on sleep where I learned that you should never be awake for longer than 2 or 2 ½ hours and we realized that your crying was often due to a need for sleep. Since we learned that things have been much more manageable. Even when you are crying, though, there is something in your face, in your eyes, in your demeanor that is so sweet. We feel bad because your whole being just looks so sad and sometimes your bottom lip quivers. But it still feels really special to hold you. You are so warm and cuddly. Everyone thinks so.

You absolutely love the bath. As soon as you hear the water running, you become very peaceful and you will hang out with me or Daddy in the tub for as long as we keep you in there. Taking a bath with you has become a vital part of our evening ritual. Usually Daddy takes you in the tub and then I get you out, get into bed and feed you, swaddle you as tightly as possible and put you down in the bassinet. Last night (November 30), you slept your longest stretch so far – 8:30pm – 4:30am. You love the bath, yes, but you hate the pacifier. It is very shocking for us to have a baby who doesn’t take to that little sucking device since our older daughter had such a passionate love affair with them. We keep trying to get you to take one – and sometimes you do for a short time – but mostly you spit them out in disgust. You have, however, found your thumb which you seem to enjoy sucking along with your whole fist which sometimes finds its way into your mouth.

You make the cutest faces and smile a lot. In fact, you also are the smiliest baby I have ever seen. You were smiling – seemingly in response to people – by about five weeks. And now, at nine weeks, you do it all the time. In fact, one of the mom’s from our group whose son is exactly the same age commented to the sleep seminar lady that "Jonah doesn’t smile nearly as much as Vivian." You've set the standard for smiley baby. I cannot describe the feeling I get when I look at you and your face breaks out into a huge grin. It is just magic.

Before you got here, I was a little nervous about what it would be like to bring someone new into our family. I was really excited to have a baby again and very excited for Stella to have a sister and for us to have another daughter. But I was also worried about how you would fit in and what it would be like to go back to the baby phase and how Stella would deal with it all and how I would. Honestly, we had gotten to such an easy, lovely place in our then-family that it was terrifying to upset it all and not know who was going to be joining us. But since you got here, it has just felt so right. As though someone was missing before and now we are complete. Daddy and I have been amazed to discover how great it feels even though we are so sleep deprived. Before we were a couple with a daughter but now we are really a family. Thanks.

We already love you so much.

Love,
Mommy