Sweet Braxton,
It’s almost Thanksgiving, one of my most treasured holidays, and though you don’t understand it quite yet, I know you will one day love it as much as I do. It’s a time when we celebrate with family, eat enormous amounts of food and think back on the things we are thankful for.
It all starts with a trip to Virginia where the leaves will be falling on the little paths at your grandparents house. There will be a heavenly scent of hazelnut in the air and—just like when I was little—we will help Grammy baste the turkey and peel the apples for the pie. We will spend the entire morning watching the Thanksgiving Day parade with your poppy. The rest of the day will be spent eating sweet potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce—and laughing so much that we almost cry. We will take a stroll down the gravel road where we are sure to encounter a family of deer in search of nuts and berries. For a few blissful hours, we will feel transported to another time, a time when everything was just a bit slower and more special. The evening will be filled with board games and movies. Then we will fall asleep basking in our full stomachs and good fortune, reflecting on all that is right with the world.
As I reflect this year, it’s easy for me to be appreciative of all the blessings in my life. I give thanks for all the people that already love you—grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. (They can’t wait to meet you.) I am grateful for your father, who holds my hand every day and loves you already more than you will know. (In case I forget to tell you later, you have the best dad in the world.) I am thankful for my job and for our church and for all the simple things that make life so meaningful. But most importantly, this year, I am thankful for you.
I didn’t really know it was possible to love someone you haven’t met as much as I love you. But it is. If I could stop time and keep you this close to me and this protected, I would. But I know you have to experience the adventure of life and I am excited to be your guide on the journey. I can’t wait to see your little smile or hold you right against my heart. I am already amazed by how much you’ve grown in this short time and I can only imagine how much information you will soak in when you get here. I love your little nose and your sweet toes and those little kicks that you give me each day. I love you, Braxton.
You are my most precious gift and I am so glad I get to be your mom. Happy Thanksgiving!
Love always, Mama
