I rarely thought about becoming a mother, but on the rare occasion that I did, I always pictured myself having a little girl. I had the perfect name picked out and I picked the name when I was 5. So that had to have meant I was destined to have a little girl, right? It made sense that when I found out that I was indeed going to have a daughter, I cried like a baby during my ultrasound.

I wasn't just happy that I would bring a beautiful little girl into this world, I was also proud of the fact that God had given me the special job that is raising a little girl. Not only am I responsible for raising my little human to be a functioning member of society, but I am also responsible for setting the example of what a good mom looks like so that when shes ready, she'll be the best mom she can be to a little family of her own.

Aside from teaching her the "ABCs" and the essentials like walking and talking, I have to teach my daughter how to be caring and nurturing. I have to teach her how to be a friend, but to have set boundaries. I want her to know the difference between the two and when each is acceptable. I have to teach her to have strength in her moments of weakness and how to be strong for somebody else when they can't find the strength to get moving forward on their own.

I want my daughter growing up to know that being a parent is the easiest hard thing that she will ever have to do because it is. And I want her to always know that it is okay to not know everything all at once. People understand that it's not always easy, and a lot of parents are always willing to give out helpful hints.

I truly believe that getting the chance to raise a little girl is the most precious gift God could have given to a mother. But little boys are miracles, too!