To My Future Middle Child

We were blessed with your brother over eight years ago who made us parents for the FIRST time, which ultimately put us in a tailspin of the unknown – rapidly trying to figure things out –  and chasing our tails to try to keep our sanity, but be the best versions of ourselves that we could be.

As you already know, your brother is wise beyond his years, and is always two steps ahead of ALL us (as much as it drives you crazy to admit), so you can imagine that the idea of having a second child was a bit terrifying for us, but we knew you were a part of the ultimate plan.

Fast forward five years later, and you’ve allowed us to experience things we have never got to experience with your brother, almost overwhelmingly so, and you have brought so much light and laughter into our family.

We thought your brother was a spitfire, but you have reminded us what it ACTUALLY means to be a spitfire child– and what’s even more fascinating is the blend of this spitfire-ness with your free-spirited nature. It’s really quite the duo. Some days, it’s a perfect balance, while other days, it seems these two sides of you collide – which leaves us all feeling a little speechless (to be honest).

What I want you to know is that when you were born, you gave us a sense of completeness. Ever since, as a family of four, we have been incredibly blessed by the journey you and your brother have allowed us to take, and I will forever hold on to the memories that have been captured.

However, your Dad and I believed we had another chance to challenge this sense of “completeness” and struggled for a few years with this urge to expand our family. While we would be perfectly OK doing life as FOUR – we believed we were meant to be a family of FIVE. So here we are today, anxiously awaiting the arrive of your little sister OR brother.

We joke – that making you a big sister also makes you a middle child – and we all know what they say about the “middle child syndrome”. There is a pretty big negative connotation associated with it, but don’t forget – I married a middle child. And as much as I like to tease your dad for this “syndrome”, he is the most loyal, tenacious, and caring person I know – all attributes I already see in YOU. Regardless of middle child or not, we know you are going to ROCK your new role as a big sister!

There’s a part of me that’s sad – the idea that you will not be our “baby” anymore. But that’s OK because watching you and your brother grow into your personalities and find your niche in this life has been one of the greatest joys of our lives.

There is nothing more important to us than to make you understand that family is everything. My hope is that you will learn to lean on your siblings at any point or time in your life and you will work tirelessly to protect each other.

Here’s to many more years together with our newest addition!

We love you, Reggie girl.

-Mom