I am the only one awake at my house. It is 6 am. I woke up feeling emotional. I. Am. So. Blessed. 

I have said it a million times: This has been a hard year. An extremely excruciatingly hard year. I have always been an emotional person; I feel things very deeply. Every single emotion, good and bad, has been magnified ten times since having my son. 

I never knew I could hold so much love in my heart. I never knew how terrifying loving someone could be. 

He’s with us. Sometime within the next hour, I will hear him rustle and wake up. His cries will come through the monitor, and I will go pick him up. Hold his snuggly body. Smell his sleepy breath. Feel his tiny hand grasp and pinch my neck (his latest obsession – ouch!). Hear his voice saying good morning in that baby language we will never understand. 

There really are no words for what I am feeling this morning. Blessed is an understatement. Thankful doesn’t cut it. 

At the Christmas Eve service last night, the pastor talked about moments that change us. It’s those Before and After moments, the defining moments of our lives.  I’ve had so many this year. I am not the same person I was going into 2016. I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Reach out to the people you love today. And tomorrow. And the next day. Tell them you love them every day. Show them. Act out your love. It’s the most important thing. 

This Bible verse hung prominently displayed in my childhood home: And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13. 

Love really is the greatest of these. Thank you all, for loving my son, even if you haven’t yet met him. Thank you for loving my family, for following our journey. Every word of encouragement, hug, message of support, has come at a time when it was needed most.  You have all held me up throughout the darkest moments of my life so far – and the most joyous. 

From my family to yours – Merry Christmas. I love you and cherish you, my dear family and friends.