Merry Christmas, Baby!

Well, Baby, it's Christmas! I was going to write "Your mom and I just spent the last Christmas we'll ever spend without you," but then I realized you've been here the whole time. You're physically here, hitching a ride in your mom's midsection, and you're certainly with us in spirit, as we can't seem to have a conversation that doesn't include you in some way, which probably annoys everybody we know. So maybe we'll just say this is the last Christmas we'll spend without looking at your cute little face, at least for a good long time, but maybe ever, since by the time you're too cool to spend Christmas with your parents, our awesome holodeck technology will probably let us see you anyway.

While it was a pretty great day, spent with your Memere and Ooompa and your Uncle Mike and Aunt Nancy and your cousin Autumn and on the phone with your Grandma Jill (cool grandma name pending), I can't help but think it would have been just a little bit more awesome if you were already here celebrating with us.

You've already gotten a lot of gifts, and you're barely the size of a sweet potato. You got a cool shape toy and a carrot rattle from your Grandma Jill, some classy sandals from your Great Aunt Sue, the coolest pigeon toy ever from Uncle Mike and Aunt Nancy, and a pinkish lamb from your Memere. If you're a boy, and you try to complain about this, we're going to use it as a lesson in living in a post-gender-role society. It's ridiculous how spoiled you're going to be when you're actually here to open things.

Christmas is about a lot of things, but one of those things is family, and we can't wait to welcome you to ours. In only a few short weeks, we'll hopefully know if you're a boy or a girl, which will make this whole pronoun thing less awkward. Do you know about pronouns? Don't worry, we'll teach you.

Merry Christmas, Baby. Next year I'll get to say that in person, and also use your name, and that blows my mind. It would blow your mind, too, but you're too busy doing important things like giving your mom cramps and solving world hunger. No pressure.

Love,

Your Dad