Wow Marlee…double digits! Ten…10…years old! So now it’s your turn for me to post your first letter. I posted Miranda and Trevor’s on their birthdays. I wrote Miranda’s letter when she was 3 weeks old, Trevor’s when he was almost a year old, and you—my dear third child—were almost 15 months! But you do have a letter, and just like your brother and sister, you do have a completed baby book. Many third children can’t say that!
You have undoubtedly been my sweetest natured child—the most sensitive to other’s feelings. Maybe because you had to deal with me being sick for the first seven years of your life…but for whatever reason, God made you who you are and He made you perfect!
It’s fun{ny} to me to put these old letters in print…to see what y’all have grown to become from when I first wrote these letters. Yours is a long one so here goes…
September 3, 2004
Dear Marlee,
It is so unbelievable to me that it has been 15 months since you were born and I’m just now writing this letter to you! I wrote Miranda’s letter at 3 weeks, and Trevor’s letter at about a year, and now your letter at 15 months! I guess that’s what happens ~the more children you have, the longer it takes to do things!
When I married your daddy 15 years ago, the last thing I thought I’d be doing right now was writing a letter to my third child! (I’m sure your daddy would have been even more surprised at the thought)! But you are one of the best things that ever happened to us…just like we felt when your sister and brother were born.
Right now I’m sitting up in my bed with Trevor asleep beside me. Daddy and Miranda are gone to spend the night with Great Grandpa Vaughan, and you are asleep in your crib (but these days who knows how long that will last).
I want to tell you about your name. We’ve had the hardest time deciding on your name. (Just as we did with your brother and your sister). You can read in your baby book in your prenatal record each month what “the name of the month’ was. (Well, you just woke up…now it’s five minutes later and you are laying beside me in the bed. You are so sweet!)
When you lay your head on my you lay your head on my shoulder and pat my back with your hand.
Anyway…back to your name. I decided on Elizabeth Parker Martin (after my mom and dady) and call you “Ellie,” but Miranda and Daddy just couldn’t settle on that name—they didn’t think it was right for you. So one night when Daddy came home rom a business trip he asked me how I liked the name “Marlee.” He thought of it on the way home~he’d heard it on his trip. (It was someone’s last name.) As soon as he said it I loved it. Miranda and Trevor liked it too…we yelled it through the house pretending you were already here to see if the name fit. It sounds like a silly to do but we did the same thing with Miranda and Trevor’s names…just to make sure yelling them sounded right. (Miranda and Trevor love you to death by they way.)
I hope you will always like your name. Daddy and I have always tried to choose names that are beautiful but not common. So far I think we’ve succeeded~we have a beautiful little name to go with a beautiful little girl!
Your middle name is “Parker” after my daddy. Quite a few people said we should call you Parker, but that will always be my daddy’s name. I wanted you to have a name of your own. I sure do wish he could have seen you~but I know that he sees you every day from Heaven and I like to think he had a little something to do with God sending you to us. (Uh-oh…you need me. Gotta go for a minute).
Okay, I’m back. You won’t believe this but I’ve found myself finishing this letter now and you’ve jumped to 22 months old!
I hope and pray that your daddy and I will make all the right decisions for you until you’re old enough to make your own choices, and that we’ve instilled the Godly values necessary to make it in this world we live in. People say you shouldn’t shelter your kids from the world, but I believe just the opposite. I think you should be sheltered from the bed things in this world until you are old enough to understand and handle them. So when we make decisions that you don’t agree with (though I’m sure that will never happen), please understand it’s only because we love you more than anything! God has given you to us to protect, love, and raise the best we can. We will always do that with an unconditional love. My space in this book is gone, but know that this letter will continue in a journal for you.
I write down all of the funny things you say and do, and I take that opportunity to write you a letter. I love you so much Marlee and these first 22 months have been wonderful! We have lots of picture to prove it. I look forward to a fantastic relationship with my youngest daughter for many years to come! I love you Marlee!
Love,
Mommy
