Dear Sassy...

my Dearest Sassy Pants,
Please stop referring to your baby sister as "the new girl".
You haven't been replaced. She's not your competition. She's simply the final addition to our family- and she just happens to be a girl. I thought you were excited to *finally* be getting a baby sister.... you know after being stuck with "all those boys" for so long?

Yep, in a few months you're going to be over shadowed by a cute, brand new version of you, but you're still cute, and most of the time you're sweet, so you're not likely to be forgotten. (Who can forget about you?! You're the first girl in this family- and currently the *only* girl on both sides, and on daddy's side you're the only girl in 2 generations! You have nothing to be worried about!)

She's not going to be super fun at the beginning anyway. When she comes home she'll be floppy, so she won't be fun to hold for long. She's not going to do anything but stare at you when you talk to her. Plus there's all the pooping and yarfing she'll be doing. Not to mention the crying. You really want to compare yourself to that? You're pretty self sufficient and I love that about you. You've grown into quite the fabulous little girl. One that is capable of making herself a sandwich, dressing herself, taking herself to the bathroom, and doing multiplication in her head. Can your baby sister do that yet? Umm...NOPE!!

Give her a few months and she'll cute up a little. She needs time to learn to sit up and interact with you. Maybe learn to smile and coo at you. When she's a little sturdier maybe you can help dress and feed her. But don't count on doing her hair anytime soon...you kids don't seem to grow hair for a very.long.time. Then in a year or so she'll be your little friend- someone you can have tea parties with (umm...sorta? Plan on her trying to eat the teacup, not actually try to drink out of it..and don't count on her wanting to wear gloves, necklaces and tiaras for a couple of years...), and she'll follow you around wanting to be your little shadow. Your built in best friend. You know...the one you've been wishing you've had for the last few years...give her some time and she'll be the sister you've always wanted. Just please remember that she's actually a person, not a toy...there's only so much doting upon that she can take before you make her scream...

And...you can't send her back. You're stuck with her for eternity. No give backs. Sorry. So if she bugs you? Don't worry- you'll both outgrow it eventually. She's the baby sister you've been begging for. It took almost 20 years for me and Auntie to get along as well as we do. And you know what? I begged for a little sister too, and got one. And now that she's living on the other side of the country, I miss her.

Think of Baby Sister as a gift. The gift of a built in best friend. Someone who will always be there for you whether you want her there or not. Someday you'll thank me.

Love always,
Mom