Your baby sister’s first birthday

Dear Madeleine,
Every now and again I go back and read the snapshots of our life frozen in time within these written posts. It helps me to remain grateful for the time we had together, and for the time since. The other day I reread your Daddy's post about how he wanted to selfishly keep you and Annalise to himself. And how he promised to paint the most important and beautiful picture of you to any other siblings you may have. That made me smile and love him even more than I already do. The two little sisters we've welcomed in the last five years bring us such joy and sleepless nights. Violet at 3 years old absolutely knows your face and your status as her big sister- she will tell anybody when pointing to any of your pictures. She asks about you; she will tell me which toys belong to you. She even once told me that she played with you, and I have absolutely no doubt that her statement is true. I KNOW it in my bones that you are in our home daily. I feel your presence. And I know the innocent little children at least in my family have always had a clairvoyance difficult for adults to process.
So it is just a matter of time before Genevieve will also tell me she knows you and knows your face. Today is her first birthday! And I believe you have a special connection. I can't remember if she was still in my tummy or first born, when Annalise asked how will Madeleine know the baby? I told her just like with Violet, that you helped Jesus choose her for us. That all babies are a gift from heaven and you got to know them and love them even before us, before they came into this world and so you have a special relationship with each of your sisters. I will always tell them that story: Annalise got to have you here on earth, and they got to have you in heaven before they arrived. How precious, my Love!!
Miss you so much Squishy.... one day closer baby.