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Yates writes letter about her children

Photo of the Yates family before the tragic events of last July.

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- After Andrea Yates was sentenced to life in prison Friday, one of her attorneys, George Parnham, read part of a letter she had given him the day before. It included a tribute to the five children she drowned.

"Noah, he was my first-born. He was so inquisitive and his favorite thing to do was hatching Monarch butterflies.

"John, with his cute grin. He loved to do crafts and was very enthusiastic.

"Precious Paul, nurturing and loving. He sought to please us and be special friends to his brother.

"Beautiful Luke, trying to keep up with his brothers, he also was nurturing, especially to his baby sister.

"The beautiful Mary, such a loving baby with the big blue eyes.

"I thank God I was blessed with such a loving family."

Parnham said Yates noted "that she regrets that this illness brought her to a place where she was capable of killing her own children."

She also wrote that she "thanks God for all the prayers from others. And she tells her family that she loves them and she is sorry for the pain that she has caused them."

Yates thanked her husband and family for their love and support and thanked her "dear friend Debby for our special friendship," said Parnham. She also thanked her attorneys, supporters, treatment team, pastor and others for their help.