Beloved Prea,
Vishvashanti was born!! I can’t tell you how proud of you I am for laboring through all the pain and for being so brave when actually giving birth to Vishva. You are so amazing. I watched the whole thing happen and I can’t tell you how magical it was to see Vishva be born. You tried so hard and somehow survived a 2-hour long pushing session. I couldn’t believe just how intense the whole process was. We were so exhausted after his birth that I’m only getting to write this to you now!
Already, only one week into our son’s life, I can see how amazing of a mother you are and will be. He eats CONSTANTLY. If he is not sleeping, he is either getting his diaper changed or feeding. I know this takes a toll on you because it is so constant, you don’t get to sleep for more than 2 hours at a time. I try to help where I can by changing his diapers and swaddling him and holding him sometimes, but I know it is not enough to assuage the intensity of his eating needs. It is not only that he wakes you up every 2 hours, but he is breastfeeding so I know that takes a toll on your body. Being a breastfeeding mom to a newborn is taxing psychologically and physically. And yet, throughout it all, you never express impatience, you never let your tiredness get the best of you when it comes to your interactions with Vishva. I know the rest of our lives will consist of the tireless (and often thankless) task of raising our child, and I am so thankful to you for being the kind of mom that is up to the task.
One of the many things I love about you, aside from your kindness and your deep thinking ability, is your level of commitment. Once you commit to something that you consider important, you stick to it until the end. When we got married I knew without a doubt that we were committed to each other beyond any external pressures. We will stay together no matter what, and there is such a great relief in that. It has helped us stay strong through stressful situations and never question our relationship. If anything, we’re stronger now than ever before, and it grows stronger every day. Now with the arrival of Vishva, it is a new kind of commitment — not only one in which we commit to each other, but one in which we, together, commit to something new. Our most beautiful adventure yet.
We are parents now, but that is on top of everything else we are, not in place of it. All of our other titles — friends, lovers, partners, spouses, confidantes — are only deepened by the addition of “parents” to the list. Now, we have one more dimension affecting our actions, a commitment to a new life that depends totally on us for survival. What a feeling.
I am so thankful to you for being my partner and co-parent in this journey. I’m always thankful for you, but these days I’m being reminded again and again why I’m so incredibly lucky to be with you. Your mom tells me you were always a lucky child, but now I know that you are a lucky wife too. All good things seem to happen to me by being close to you. And one of the best things that has happened to us now is Vishvashanti. I feel this every day, and I’ll say it again: I cannot wait to live the rest of my life by your side. Prea, I love you more than anything in this world.
With all my heart,
Varun