Dear sweet future children of mine,

Hello children, this is your mother. First I will address you Sweet Angel Princess Girl.

Dear Beautiful Daughter of Mine,

I just want you to know that even though I haven't met you in this life, I am your number one fan. To me, there is no one more beautiful than you. You have the sweet, caring gifts of your father (and hopefully his abilities with math), and hopefully I have passed on some quality "Swank" traits as well. You have incredible potential and are loved not only by your father and me, but by your Father in Heaven as well.  We are cheering you on, even now and your earthly life hasn't even begun yet. Needless to say, you already have us wrapped around your finger.

That being said, Little Girl, don't think for a second that I'm going to let you come down here and pretend like you are some kind of floozie. Yeah, I said it. Thanks to the invention of Facebook, I have seen way too many pictures of girls dressed up like they are being forced to wear toddler-sized clothing.

I have to say, I am grateful for parents to taught me the importance of dressing modestly. Without their encouragement, it would have been much harder for me to make good choices about how I present myself. Again, luckily for me (not then, of course) I was always a little bit of a chub chub, and I knew it. What's even worse is when a girl has a little bit of extra weight on her, pretends that she doesn't, and dresses herself up in skimpy little outfits that do not flatter and also speak volumes about her self-esteem issues.

So Dear Baby Girl, please understand that when I tell you that what you are trying to get away with wearing is not acceptable, that I am doing it for your own good. Please try not to hate me. Also, please realize that there will come a time when you will understand why is it so important for you to not dress like a hooker. You will also realize, one day, that you do not want to marry a man who is attracted to that kind of showing off. And contrary to what you may believe when you about 16 or so, you will find a man that doesn't expect you to wear a burka, but respects that you respect your body and virtue. In fact, he will be attracted to your sense of maturity and self. He will recognize that you don't need to show off your body in order to gain the attention you deserve. How do I know this? Because I married a guy like that--he's your father.

And that brings me to you Handsome Little Prince,

You are such a light in our lives. Your father and I are simply in love with you. You are so blessed to have such a wonderful father that is so excited to not only meet you, but to teach you everything he knows. He cannot wait to share his love of sports with you--in case you didn't know, you're already a life-long Lakers and Dodgers fan. And as for me, I cannot wait to be your mom. I know that we will always be close. You can come to me anytime. I'm always here for you. In fact, I bet I know you better than you know yourself.

So please, Sweet Boy, please understand that when your father and I enforce rules in our home, we are not doing it to ruin your life. In fact, we are trying to do the exact opposite. We are trying to improve your chances of living a happy, successful, and gratifying life. Although you might resent us for it, we are going to try our hardest to keep you away from silly, less-than-virtuous girls. They might seem appealing at more than one time in your life, but they are not the "One." I guarantee it. Please find a girl who knows her worth. Please seek out girls who share your values. Please save yourself for a girl that has done the same. Don't be enticed by short skirts and skin-tight tees. Remember that each person you will ever meet is a child of God. This is very important to know. But also know that you don't deserve a "damsel in distress." As you try your hardest to be a worthy young man, you deserve a young woman who has worked just as hard as you have to be her best self.

That being said sweet Nelson children, your father and I love you very much--in case you couldn't tell. Now please get here already!

Love forever and ever,
Mom and Dad