Dear Baby Girl,

I feel like, even though you are two weeks away from your first birthday, I have lost my baby only to have her replaced with a toddler overnight. While you may have been walking for several weeks now, we’ve gotten to a point where the time you spend walking it’s more than you spend crawling.  You’ve figured out how to squat and stand back up from the squat, so now you don’t have to sit to get that toy you wanted and can just go right back to toddling around the room, toy in hand.  You haven’t quite gotten standing from a sitting position, but I know that isn’t far behind.

Plus you are starting to lose those baby rolls 😦 You used to have the most adorable rolls at your chin, elbows, wrists and ankles. But they are going away. You are looking more like a toddler than baby every day. Your growing like a weed, just about as tall as Daddy’s inseam… Almost half his height and not even a year old! I have to wonder if your going to get the height gene from his family and end up taller than us.

You’ve got three teeth now, with the fourth soon to make an appearance I’m sure. I honestly can’t wait for you to be done teething though, it’s rough on both of us! So let’s not draw this out, my sleeping patterns would really appreciate it!

And your personality! Oh man, if infants/toddlers can be classified as divas, you are certainly one! Heaven forbid you don’t get your way, or you fall when you didn’t want to. I hear about it in a heartbeat. But you are also so happy over all! You wander around giving everything raspberries and giggling the whole while. You love coming up to me, Daddy or Bear and touching your forehead to ours, your way of saying ‘I love you’ without words.  And you should’ve seen how excited you were when Daddy brought you home Grover and Big Bird! Those stuffed toys always light up your face!

As much as I love watching you grow, I find myself missing the hours we’d spend snuggled up when you were younger. You’re not really into cuddling right now because you’re too busy exploring the world. But that’s ok, learning and exploring is important. One day we’ll get back to cozy cuddles on the couch. Until then I’ll be there when you need and want me, watching you when you need to do it on your own.

Love,

Mommy