An Open Letter

Dear Family,

Please don't take anything I tell you personally, but I am the matriarch of my family and need to do what's right for US, not you.

With that said, I have compromised my control and allowed one mother to stay at our home Thursday night and the other on Saturday night. Please keep my house tidy and pick up after yourself and Avery...there will be hell to pay if I come home and have to clean. Once I come home from the hospital, it is very important that you go home. Our family needs to adjust for a week or so to the new addition. If I need help, I will call you, I promise.

I would also ask when you return on the 27th for Avery's 3rd birthday party that you celebrate her day, not dote on baby boy. Avery's world is flipping upside down and she is going to need everyone to let her know that she's still valuable to our family. I may even carry baby around in a sling so that you can't pay attention to him the whole time.

And finally, all holidays for 2010 will be celebrated at our house. This includes Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Easter will be celebrated at Avery's birthday.) We will not be going anywhere for these holidays, so please don't give us a guilt trip. We will be planning a few mini-vacations, one to the Peoria Air Show and the annual trip to the pumpkin patch. Please note that you are more than welcome to join us on these trips, but we will be strapped for cash and time and really can't make compromises.

Please understand that you are still valuable to our family, but your roles are changing and have to take a passenger seat to our family's driving. We love you very much and have tried our best to accommodate everyone, but it's time that we actually accommodated our family.

Love, Alicia