Jadey, my little sister and life long best friend.
You have gained many titles so far in your 25 years in this world; daughter, sister, grand daughter, niece, auntie, sister-in-law, best friend, girlfriend, fiancé – just to name a few, but in a few short weeks you will gain a brand new title – Mammy.
I remember the anxious, excited and overwhelming feelings I had before I gave birth to my first child, so I wanted to write this letter to you to let you know that, although your life is about to change forever, you are about to go through one of the most amazing experiences you will ever have.
From the moment you and Michael told us you were going to have a baby I just knew you’d make the most amazing mother; I mean, you did practise with dolls your whole childhood! The way you care for my boys melts my heart every single day, you are one of the most selfless and caring people I have ever known. We have shared everything our whole lives and I feel so privelidged that we get to share these special life milestones with each other too.
You have smashed pregnancy so far – I have not heard you complain once (about pregnancy related things anyway haha), you have took everything in your stride and you look absolutely glowing. I am so proud of you and your baby is so lucky to have such an amazing woman to call mammy. I have no advice for the labour and birth, apart from please do not worry about it (especially after that god awful antenatal class we went to). I just wish you, and especially michael and the midwives, all the luck in the world if it’s anything like the time you cut your foot. Jokes aside, however the baby gets here you will be just fine. The birth is just the start…
Once the baby is here is when parenthood really begins. Just so you know, you will never be the same again and I mean that in the best way possible. Being a parent adds this whole new dimension to who we are. You will love more; you will love so much that it hurts your heart – when you look at your new little bundle you will know in that moment the true meaning of unconditional love and you will just know that you would die for that little person in an instant with out a second thought.
On that note you will never look at mam and dad in the same way again; you will gain a new found respect and admiration for them because you will finally really understand just how much you mean to them.
Then there’s Michael; you will develop a whole new level of love for your baby daddy – not only is he your fiance now but he is your child’s daddy, and when you see the unconditional love they have for each other you will fall more deeply in love with him than you ever thought was possible. On the other side of that, the love and admiration he has for you will intensify too – it is an amazing gift you are giving him by safely carrying and bringing his child into the world. Dont get me wrong, having a baby tests your relationship but it stenghtens and deepens it so much more; just remember to make time to be Jade and Michael – not just Mammy and Daddy.
Now, I could list all of the advice I have about raising children but I know you will still come round and/or text me asking a million and one questions anyway, so for now I only have this advice for you… Just do you! You’ve got this! There are so many opinions and debates on how to raise children, but after having three of my own, my most valuable piece of advice to you is to find what works for you and your family and go just with it. No one knows you and your baby better than you do. Your mothers instinct is always right, trust in it and you will be just fine.
You are about to enter one of the most challenging, yet most rewarding parts of your lives together. Make sure you cherish every moment, even the hard ones because one day they will all be precious memories. ‘They grow so fast’ – I was told that so many times but I didn’t realise just how fast until I experienced it myself. The sleepless nights won’t last forever but those moments you have in the middle of the night, where it feels like you and your baby are the only two people in the world, will be moments you look back on and treasure for the rest of your life.
I am so proud of you and I will always be here for you, to offer my support, advice, baby sitting services and a listening ear; just as you do for me. I can’t wait to see our children growing up together; it’ll be like all those years ago when we used to play dolls, apart from I won’t be able to get out of it by pretending to be the dad, who is a lorry driver and works away haha.
I love you all unconditionally and I can’t wait to be an auntie to your precious little bundle and share this amazing time with you all.
All my love, Tone – your little, big sister 🙂 x
Mrs McRea 