Dear Ansley,

Dear Ansley,

You are such a sweet little girl and you bring so much joy to your Mommy and Daddy.  It is hard to believe that only a year ago we brought you home from the hospital on a cold December day.  A perfect Christmas present!  So tiny and content to be on the outside.  From the beginning you have been such a cuddler with such a calm temperament.

You adore your big brother, although you are definitely starting to hold your own.  You mostly sleep through the night and you have four teeth which you put to good use. You eat most anything that is put in front of you.  In fact, for many meals you eat more than your brother.  You are soooo close to walking, but you still find the most efficient way of travel remains crawling.  You absolutely light up when your Daddy comes in the room.

I wish so many things for you.  I pray for good health and wisdom.  I desire happiness and fulfillment in finding out God's special plan for your life.  I wish that I could protect you from this crazy world, which sometimes seems so senseless. But most of all I want to keep you safe and protected for as long as I can.  We want you to develop a special relationship with Jesus, which will help get you through life's ups and downs.  We pray that someday God send you a mate who will cherish you and who will help you to chase after God's will.  Your Daddy and I want to teach you perspective and compassion in a time where not much is to be had.  And we want to encourage and guide you in finding out who you will become.

We love you unconditionally.  We look forward to seeing you grow up.  We know that there will be many challenges, but we will be there for you, loving you and supporting you.  We thank God for the gift of having you in our lives, and we promise to be here for you whenever you need us.

Love,
Mommy and Daddy