First, I want to start out by saying thank you. I will go into more detail on why I am thankful for you, but I just want you to know how deeply you are appreciated. I know you are young and do not understand what it means to be appreciated, but I hope and pray that someday you will understand it and believe it. 

Thank you for teaching me more than any school ever would have been able to. I may have fallen behind in the school process because of you, but I am not viewing that as a bad thing whatsoever. You have taught me how to love unconditionally, be more open minded, to be vigilant, but most importantly, although not a perfect one, but how to be a mom. These are things that you don’t learn in school and that I see are far more important than English and math.

Thank you for shifting my world. You have taken over our house, my car, my Pinterest boards, and paycheck, but most importantly my heart. Before you came along, everything was about myself. My time, my money, my tv shows, and even my own mess. I do not get many things to myself these days, but I would much rather share it with you anyways. If trading club music for “The Wheels on the Bus”, trading Grey’s Anatomy for Daniel Tiger, and trading my (somewhat) clean house for a pudding stained, laundry filled, cheerio infested home, means that I get to be your mom, I’ll take it every single day.

Thank you for helping me to worry less about what others think. I have quickly learned that with being a mom comes much judgment. Being pregnant at 19 is typically socially frowned upon, but even when you were growing in my belly, you were teaching me to not care about the scowling looks and judgmental questions. I knew you would do so many positive things for me and boy was I right. Formula vs. breast feeding, cry it out vs. attached parenting, bed sharing vs. crib, blah blah blah. Everyone has their opinions to shove down your throat, but thank you for showing me what worked best for you, so I know that I am doing the best that I can. 

This letter wouldn’t be from the heart if I didn’t take a moment to let my overly apologetic side say a few words. I’m sorry that I am not the perfect mom (I know there is no perfect mom, but you sure deserve one). I’m sorry that I lose my cool some(most)days. I’m sorry that I don’t have the patience of a saint. I’m sorry that I can not giving you 100% of my attention all of the time. Lastly, I am sorry that there are moments that I am not in the mood to be a mom. I know you are too little to know what forgiveness is, but you sure know how to give it. The way you smile at me, run to me, reach your arms up to me, let me kiss you on the head, cry for me, and say “mama” tells me that you accept me for my imperfections. 

 You are the best gift that God has given me. Who would have known that someone so young and small could make such an impact on my life? I will never stop being thankful for you and I promise to love you know matter what and always work at being the best mom that you deserve.

Love Always,

Mom