Joyfully Jensen: Some notes to my girl

My dearest baby girl Kiera. In the back of your baby book there is a section for a letter from mom and a letter from dad. I have never been able to write you a letter because words cannot express the feelings I have for you. Plus every time I think about writing you a heartfelt letter I start to cry. Such a deep unfailing love. I decided I would try to write down some feelings and little notes about you . It has taken me a few times to write these down.

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In then instant that I found out I was pregnant I loved you more than you can ever imagine and would do anything to protect you and your life.

I would lay in bed at night using a friends stethoscope to listen to your heartbeat. You didn't like that much at all. These were the nights I made up a lullaby for you.

And every afternoon when I got home from work I would lay on the couch and watch you move around in my belly. It only took about 15 minutes before you would fall asleep. We didn't have that problem of you wiggling around and keeping me awake when I laid down at night either.

The first morning I went to see you in the NICU I had no idea where your pod was but the second I saw the top of your head I knew it was you. I was drawn to you like we were physically connected.

A couple days after you were born and in the NICU you were not happy about something and screaming your head off while I was holding you. I gently said your name and started to talk to you and you stopped crying and looked right into my eyes. Immediately I started crying because you knew me. I was the one you loved before anyone else. I was your comfort.

I always wondered if other mom's (or dad's) were sad when their babies turned out looking like the other parent instead of them. I guess some do but when I saw that you looked just like your Dada, I couldn't have been happier.

You were always such a smiley happy baby.

Sometimes I can't finish singing you songs (especially your lullaby) at night because I am so overcome with love and joy that I cry. Now you notice when I cry and instantly try to comfort me.

No matter how many limbs fall asleep or how hot and sweaty I get or if I need to use the bathroom, I will not move if you fall asleep on me.

Your laughter is music to my ears.

You have never had a fake smile. You are genuine when you smile in person or in pictures.

Your cry sounds the exact same as when you were a baby.

You prefer to run around in your undies or naked if we don't catch you in time. Probably because you spent the first 2 months of you life with minimal clothes since it was so hot outside.

You were 13 days old when we brought you home from the hospital and by time you were 4 weeks old we figured out the only way we could get you to sleep at night was on your belly. Only you didn't completely sleep through the night until you were 3 months old.

I keep looking at your toes every single day and seeing how they aren't baby toes anymore. It is the one thing I can look at and tell how much you have grown.

Now you have an attitude from hell 40% of the time. I think it's because you are becoming more and more independent everyday and have an opinion for all things you can comprehend. Still you have such a sweet heart and do things daily that make us proud.

Even when you do something we don't like, we will always love you, no matter what.

Every morning for the past 2 years you have had hot cocoa to drink. Just a smidge of chocolate syrup in your milk. It is kind of like your coffee.

Favorite color is definitely pink but you are also favoring purple and black.

Favorite songs over the past 1.5 years Rude Boy by Rhianna, Blow by Ke$ha, Tonight Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae, We Found Love by Rhianna. In that order.

Favorite ice cream - Lime Sherbet

Bedtime - 8:30 pm school nights, 9-10 on the weekends

Your all time favorite blanket is pink with brown and cream polka dots. At least if it is dirty or left at the granparents you pick another one to sleep with. You have never had a meltdown about not having this blanket.

You never really ate baby food since the first "real" food we gave you a taste of was spaghetti. After that you ate what we ate in tiny tiny pieces or mashed up. The only baby food you did like was the fruity type, squash and carrots. I think that is why you eat pretty much anything.