A Letter To My Last Born On Her First Birthday

Dear sweet Teigan,

You are officially our last born, our grand finale. You came to us by storm and at the time I really couldn’t imagine being a mom of three. I’m still finding my footing but you truly are the missing puzzle piece that we didn’t know was missing and the one that makes our family whole.

You are now ONE and man it felt like a blink of an eye. I find myself secretly mourning each of your milestones as they pass. With your sister and brother, each new phase or accomplishment was so exciting that I couldn’t help but anticipate the next one. With you, things are quite the opposite. You my sweet little girl are my last dance with this phase of motherhood.

Often I find myself feeling sad as you make advances forward. This is not to say, that I lack an excitement about you. Actually it’s quite the opposite. I try to savor you more than I ever thought to in the past. Which, by the way is hard since you learn things faster with your siblings guiding you through each new milestone.

Today you are officially ONE and I wanted to share my desire for you as you grow older. It’s a song at first glance but when I was pregnant I read the lyrics and cried. Maybe it was hormones but your mama couldn’t stop the waterworks, lol. I heard and sang the song a million times but that time was different. When I read it, I thought of YOU- my sweet little girl before you were even Earth side.

Teigan these lyrics are more than words strung together, they are my heart’s desire for you as you grow up. My hope that you live your life to the fullest, regardless of the hardships or obstacles you may encounter. My hope that you take chances, strive for happiness and when you feel like giving up, because you will have those days – I hope you always, always, reconsider.

I wanted to hang the full oversized lyrics in your room but never got around to it – so sorry. But, I wanted you to see them so here they are:

I Hope You Dance

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’
Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’
Don’t let some Hell bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin’ out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance (Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along)
I hope you dance

I hope you dance (Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder)
I hope you dance (Where those years have gone?)

Songwriters: Tia Sillers / Mark Sanders I Hope You Dance lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave

Love you to the moon and back and more than all the sand on all the beaches.

With love from mamma ♥️

~XO