Six Months!

My littlest pea,

I am having the hardest time coming to terms with the fact that you are six months old already. Seriously, I just gave birth to you yesterday. And already you are babbling away, almost sitting up, and trying to army crawl (!). At your six month checkup, you weighed in at 14.8 pounds (40th percentile). I guess all of those feedings are working, huh? Our appointment pretty much epitomized your sweet personality. We saw a new doctor in the group this time, and you immediately made friends with him. You squealed when he came in the room, played with his hands and stethoscope, and gave him a giant hug when he picked you up. So far, you haven't met a stranger. As we were leaving, the doctor even joked that if we were giving you away, he'd gladly take you. Um, I said "no."

Good, thing, too. He would have surely regretted that decision. You see, apparently, you were teething pretty hard this week. Daddy and I just didn't get the memo. You tried to tell us with all of the screaming, crying, kicking, refusing to sleep, and, oh yeah, the fever for two days, but we still didn't get it. Then, last night, when your fever had finally broken and you were back to your usual happy self, I noticed the tiniest, little sliver of a tooth had popped through your bottom gums. Oh, the inhumanity! That tooth nearly killed us all, kid. I can only imagine how fun the next few teeth are going to be. Let's hope we get a little breather before they come in, okay?

Despite the pain that little tooth caused, it is the cutest, tiniest, little tooth I have ever seen. Daddy and I had to exclaim over it for most of the night. You know what else is the cutest? The way you stroke my face and hold my hands when you eat. You get settled in, close your eyes, sigh, and reach for my hands. If you aren't holding my hands, you reach up and place your tiny hands on my face. I love it. Most mornings, as soon as you wake up, I scoop you out of your bed and we settle into mine for your first feeding. We get all comfy, pull the covers up around us, and stay cocooned and warm until your little tummy is full. I'll miss those mornings when you are no longer nursing.

For the record, you should know that you are the easiest baby I have ever met. You rarely cry or pitch a fit, you sleep through the night (and have since you were 1 1/2 months old), you smile at everyone, and you eat like a champ. We couldn't have asked for a better complement to our family. And your sister, oh how she loves you. You two are going to be thick as thieves one day. Hadley still calls you "Minnie" (as do Mommy and Daddy) and she loves to give you kisses and hugs. You crack up when she is playing with you and even as Daddy and I are saying, "gentle, Hadley!" you just laugh and laugh. That doesn't really help, kiddo:-)!

Recently, you started eating solid foods. We started with rice cereal, which you like, and have since moved on to sweet potatoes, squash, green peas, and green beans. You love it all! You open your mouth wide and wait for the next bite like you haven't eaten in weeks. And you gobble up every bit we make for you. I have a feeling that you will be a little foodie like your mama.

I want you to know how very much you mean to me and your Daddy, Brynn. You have added so much happiness, light, and love to our lives. I can't wait to see what the next six months will bring-- more teeth (ouch), crawling, talking, and walking. It's sure to be an adventure. And one I can't wait to take with you.

Love,

Mama

Labor of love

Dear Hadley:

This past weekend, you turned two years old. TWO! Or, as you say, "one-two-one." And TWO you definitely are:-)! You are so incredibly adorable. You repeat everything we say, you sing and dance, you are exuberant about everything, and you feel everything so BIG! You wear your emotions like giant beacons on your face and they range from extreme giddiness one second to the depths of despair the next. It's really laughable-- or would be anyway if it didn't involve you melting into a puddle on the floor when things don't go as you wish.

Honestly, you rarely have tantrums. Now that you can communicate with us, we can act almost civilized. We can ask you to stop doing something and tell you why you should stop and amazingly, you listen. I know! I never thought that day would come, either. Speaking of communication, you have made leaps and bounds in speech just in the past month. You are speaking in sentences, singing whole songs (row, row, row your boat is your favorite), learning the alphabet and colors, and learning new words at lightning fast speeds. Your all-time favorite phrase is, "Uh oh, oh no!"

When you are asked what color something is, you automatically answer "LELLOW!" Then, we remind you that it is, in fact, pink or green or blue or red, and you agree. Your favorite thing to say is "I want ______," as in "I want cheese," or "I want mou (her stuffed mouse)." Yesterday, you melted my heart by saying "I want my Minnie (Brynn)" as we were packing up to go to the store. You also routinely want everything you see. Last week at the store, you wanted (in no particular order) a cow, a dobby (doggie), a nanda (panda), a bed, juice, and shoes (men's shoes, in fact).

Recently, much to my surprise and delight, you have decided that you want to wear bows in your hair. You now ask us repeatedly for a bow and frequently request that we "bow Minnie," too. You also love to play dress up and often wear three or four tutus at once while playing in your playroom. One day recently, you refused to take off your tutus, so we compromised and you wore one to Target. The check-out clerk almost fell over fawning over you.

You are the best big sister ever. You love, love, love your little sister and dote on her constantly. As soon as you wake up, you ask for "Minnie" and if Brynn is sleeping, you tell everyone "shhhhh." Lately, when Brynn cries, you say, "Minnie's crying" and you tell her, "It's ok, Minnie," and "I know, Minnie." You have such a big heart and are even learning to share your toys with Brynn. Yesterday, while we were playing, you hugged your giant Pooh Bear and then walked over and placed him right on top of Brynn. Then you casually walked away. Pooh is easily three times bigger than Brynn, but I was still proud of you for sharing! Baby steps.

You recently started preschool and so far, you are loving it. You still have moments where you get lonely for me, Daddy, and Brynn, but otherwise, you are having so much fun. You are learning new songs, painting, coloring, playing outside, and making friends. I love that you are getting the social experience that school provides, and I'm so proud of you for adjusting to something so new.

For your birthday, we had a delightful, little family party at the local botanic gardens. There is a children's "backyard" area there with treehouses, miniature playhouses, a rainstorm area, gardens, a hedge maze, and fountains. You love the gardens and I knew that a party there would make you so happy.

And it did! You had a blast in your pink tutu, headband, and bow. You even wore the sunglasses I brought as party favors. After we played for a while, we took a break to eat some brownie cupcakes that I made. You surprised all of us by blowing out your birthday candle with no prompting at all. I have no idea where you learned that!

It was an amazing day that I will never forget. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

I love you, my Sweet Pea. My life is so much brighter and happier with you in it.

Love and happy, happy Birthday!!!

Momma

Dear Hadley: Month 14

My Sweet Pea! This letter is a bit late, but only because we have been spent every free minute at fun play dates and playing in your new playroom. That's right-- you now have a room that is solely devoted to your TOYS. We used to keep most of your toys in the living room, but we really felt that you were outgrowing that space. So, Daddy spent a few weekends cleaning out his "man playroom" upstairs for you. And, you love your new space. I really love it, too. We can reclaim our living room now and you have this wonderful space to pull out all of your toys and play.

Right now, your favorite toys are your baby doll, your stuffed animals, your books, and oddly enough, my headbands. You love to put one of my headbands on your head, usually backwards or across your forehead Rambo-style. You then continue playing with your toys as if wearing a giant headband backwards is the most natural thing ever. One day, you even wore a headband backwards to Costco because you refused to let me take it off of you. I'm sure we got some funny looks that day, but I don't care. I hope you can always be so confident in your fashion choices.

You have really astounded us this month with your understanding of EVERYTHING that we say to you. I can ask you to put something away and you actually do it. And, one day, I asked you to find your water cup and you went and searched through your piles of toys until you found it. Then, you brought it back to me and triumphantly held it up as if to say, "Here it is, Mama! I knew where it was all along!!" You have also developed a love and fascination for the phone this month. You love your play phones but you also really like our cell phones and home phones. You push buttons and hold the phone, usually upside down, to the side of your head and babble away. It is so fun to watch.

We are having so much fun teaching you new things, too. You have learned the coolest things this month, like that a sheep says, "baaaa," and a lion says, "rrrrrrooar," and monkey says, "ah ah ah." You pound on your chest with your fists when you make the monkey sound. I just love that-- even if it isn't technically what a monkey does. And, you learned to sign "love" this month by crossing your arms over your chest. The first time I told you I loved you and you signed back, my heart just melted. I still can't get enough of your sweet love signs. And you are loving blowing kisses this month. You say "mmm--ahhhh" when you do so, and you blow kisses at everyone, even our cat. Your vocabulary is really expanding rapidly right now, too. Just in the last few days, you have started saying, "tiger," "apple," and "diaper." I just love hearing you talk, Sweet Pea.

This was an amazing month and I can't wait to see all of the new things you learn next month!

Love,
Your Mommy

Dear Hadley: Month 13

Dear Hadley:

You are 13 months old now, and we are having so much fun with you! You learn something new every day and amaze us with your wit and charm. Right now, everything is funny to you. You giggle constantly-- while you are eating, while you are petting Bella, and especially while you are running around the house. And man, are you running. Daddy asked me a few days ago when you started running and honestly, I can't remember, either. It just happened. You were walking with this wobbly gait one day and the next, you were running as if you had been doing it forever. You have so much fun pushing your little ride-on car around, chasing Bella and Allie, and just exploring your house.

There are a few things you really love this month: Bananas!!!, dancing, and your Baby Doll. Those bananas!! You have always loved them, and this month, that love has seriously intensified. You decided that bananas are THE food to eat for breakfast and you do every morning. As soon as I put you in your chair in the mornings, you start chanting, "nana, nana, nana." And, as soon as I get your banana to slice into your oatmeal, your chants become all-out impatient wails that turn into outright tears when you realize that I have to, of all things, heat up your oatmeal for 20 seconds before you can eat it. You would think with all of that drama that I was starving you, but no, you just can't wait 20 more seconds for that banana. Horrors. Your love for bananas runs deep, child.

And the dancing! You LOVE to dance. You have been dancing for a couple of months, but this month was completely different. You seek out music, pushing buttons on your activity table or push car to start a new song, and as soon as the music starts, you start moving. You shake those hips, bop your head, and swing your arms to the beat. Daddy and I have the best time just watching you bop along to your music.

You also recently developed a deep love for a doll you received as a gift for your birthday. It is a cute, little pink and purple thing that you carry around all day, hugging, squeezing, and kissing. You talk to her, prop her up on the couch and fireplace hearth, and at times, try to get her to sit on your ride-on car seat. You work so hard at trying to balance her on that seat and then you slowly back away to see if she will stay. She usually doesn't, but you are stubborn enough that you keep trying and trying and trying. And, at nap time, when I tell you it is time to go "night night," you look everywhere for that doll and once we find her, you clutch her to you and carry her to your bed. I absolutely love that you have a favorite doll now.

You made huge strides developmentally this month, too. Of utmost importance, we transitioned you to whole milk. And at the same time, we made the transition from bottles to a sippy cup. Amazingly, no one was injured in this transition! I have to admit, I was a little worried. You did great, though. We completed the transition in a little over a week, and you never complained. You are also now almost completely feeding yourself finger foods. You like to hold your food and take bites as opposed to having me cut you little bite-sized pieces. You still let me spoon feed you your oatmeal and yogurt, but other than that, you want to do it yourself. You are such a big girl.

All of a sudden, you also seem to understand just about everything we tell you. This both fascinates and terrifies me. We can tell you to give Bella kisses and you will whirl around, find Bella, and run to her to give her a big, slobbery kiss on the head. One night, you were trying to cuddle with Bella and she was being too wiggly for you to kiss. You fixed that by taking your little hands, putting them on either side of her face and holding her still so you could lean in and kiss her on the top of the head. It was too cute!

I can ask you to hand me something or to share with me and you immediately hand it to me. We constantly tell you to "sit down" in the bathtub and you do-- albeit slowly sometimes. Speaking of the bath, you LOVE your bath. You jump with glee next to the bathtub while we prepare your bath water and giggle and splash once we put you in. You have the best time "swimming" in the bathtub.

You have become quite the little chatterbug lately, too. You are saying "nana" for banana, "apple," "Daddy," "Mama," "no, no, no," "yeah," "bye," and "all done." My favorite is when Daddy gets home at night and you squeal, "Dad--eeee," when he walks in the door. I love to watch you two together.

I love you, Sweet Pea, and can't wait to see what this next month brings!

Love,

Your Mommy

Dear Hadley: Month 12-- Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea!!!

Dear Hadley:

Happy Birthday, my sweet baby!!!! You turned one a few days ago, and I am still amazed that a whole year has passed since your birth. I remember those last, few days before you were born as I prepared meals to freeze, made last-minute purchases for your arrival, and generally nested like crazy. I remember the first moment I met you when you stared right into my eyes and pursed your lips into a sweet rosebud. You did that with your mouth for the first few weeks, and I spent most of that time just staring at you and taking you in. I remember introducing you to our family and friends, bringing you home for the first time, settling in and developing a routine with you, and struggling through those rough, first weeks of breastfeeding. I remember when you learned to roll over (both ways), began cooing and then babbling and jabbering, began smiling and laughing, learned to crawl, stand, and then walk, and finally, started talking. It has been an amazing ride, Sweet Pea, and I have loved every moment with you.

Your birthday was a fun, fun day. You, Daddy, and I woke up early to take care of last-minute preparations for your big birthday bash, then we had a nice, relaxed lunch, and got dressed for the party. You took a looong nap that day and woke up about 15 minutes before your party started. I was getting a little worried that you were going to sleep through the party, but you woke up just in the nick of time!

Your party was so great, too. We had tons of family and friends there to celebrate, and you had so much fun playing and opening presents. You didn't really know what to make of everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to you, but you really LOVED your cake. You started out daintily dipping one little finger into the icing and tasting it. Then, once you realized how good that icing was, you dug both hands into the cake and shoved as much of the cake and icing into your mouth as you could. You even shared your icing with me and Daddy. You are such a sweet baby!

You have really grown from an infant into a little toddler this month, little one. You took your first steps at the beginning of August and by the end of August, you were walking pretty confidently on your own. You decided one day about mid-month that you were ready to walk instead of crawl, and you practiced constantly. Now, you pop up and walk just about everywhere. You still only make it a few feet, and sometimes only a few steps, before you plop back down, but you're getting where you want to go.

You are also talking now. You repeat words that we say, you consistently say "book," "banana," "Mama," "Daddy, and "bye," and you scream "BELLA" all the time. I'm not sure Bella really appreciates it, but you definitely get her attention-- and ours, too! Speaking of books, you LOVE your books right now. You have always loved for us to read to you, but this month, you realized that you can ask us to read to you. And, you do-- constantly. You have a favorite book that you get down from a table in our living room and bring to me. You then flip the book up into my lap and say "boooo" and smile really big at me. After we read the book, you flip it into my lap again and say "aga, aga," as in "again, again, Mama." And, we read it again and again and again. Sometimes we read your books 14 time in one morning. I make sure we switch up your books, but you always come back to your favorite. I love that you are loving your books. I'm thinking you are going to love to read as much as Daddy and I do.

You also have this adorable thing you do right now when something makes you happy. You bunch your little hands at your chest, scrunch up your face, and smile really big. I love when you do that! And, your laugh. Right now, you are so incredibly giggly-- at everything and nothing at all. You giggle at Daddy, you giggle when I hand you something, and sometimes, you just giggle for the heck of it. You are definitely a giggly, little girl.

I love you, my sweet baby and can't wait to see what this next year holds. If it is anything like this last year, we are in for a wild ride!!

Love,
Your Mommy

Dear Hadley: Month 11

Dear Hadley:

You are 11 big, amazing months old now! Already, you are acting like a little toddler. You took your first steps alone a few days ago and are prancing around constantly with the aid of one of our hands or a piece of furniture. And, the attitude! Oh my. You let us know instantly if something is not going exactly as you want it. You have this squeal that you emit when you are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. It's one for the books. But most of the time, you are a happy, content baby and love to learn new things and play with us. You mimic just about anything we show you, copy sounds that we make, clap constantly, and have started waving at anything and everything. Lately, when we walk through the house together, you wave as if you are in a parade and want to make sure your onlookers see you. You also wave to Bella and Allie as we pass them in the house. They rarely respond but you hardly notice. You are happy just to see them.

You spend most of your day cruising around the furniture, or any sturdy object that will support your weight, and walking while holding our hands. You walk very confidently when only slightly touching something. But, the minute you don't feel like you are holding onto something, you plop down on that bottom. It's a security thing for now, but I think you will be walking in no time. A few days ago, you were practicing walking between Daddy and I and you would reach for our hands as you walked to us. One time, you let go of Daddy and couldn't reach me, so you took a few steps all on your own to get to me. I think you were as surprised as we were! You haven't done this again, but I expect you just have to work up the courage.

Your favorite toys right now are little, plastic balls and little, puffy cars and trucks. Your Maggie and Pop are helping foster this love by giving you new balls and trucks to play with, and I jokingly told Daddy that they are going to make a tomboy of you yet. But, you really do love these toys. Your favorite activity right now is to stack toys. You have learned that a ball fits inside a cup and your cup fits inside bowls and you practice this constantly. If we show you a new configuration, you work on that, too. It's so cool to see you learn these things and then apply them.

Things you love this month include cheese crackers, blowing raspberries on our shoulders and knees, your Bella, of course, and any other dog you meet, pasta, cheese, and pancakes. You also LOVE your shoes. You will play with them for hours and actually sit still when I put them on you. You try to put them on by yourself and hold your feet up for me when I put them on you. You may like cars and trucks, Sweet Pea, but you have a little girly side, too!

Unfortunately, this month wasn't all good. You experienced your first loss this month with the passing of your dear grandmother, your Daddy's mom. Memaw had been battling brain cancer for four years, and I hate that you will not remember the short time you had with her. She was a beautiful, talented woman who you inherited your beautiful looks from, and I am grateful she got to meet you and that you were able to spend even a small amount of time with her.

Time is so fleeting. Your first year is rapidly winding down and I sometimes feel that I don't know where the time has gone. I love that we have experienced so much in one year but at the same time, I want to stop the clock and hold you right where we are now. I know I can't do that, though, so I'm determined to cherish and remember every moment. I love you, Sweet Pea.

Love,

Your Mommy

Dear Hadley: Month 10

Dear Hadley:

Happy 10 months, Sweet Pea! This was your first June with us and your first experience with our local summer weather. Let me just start by saying, I am so sorry. Summers here are tough-- we have temperatures reaching the low 100's and humidity so extreme that you melt the moment you step outside. But all of that aside, summers are also so much fun. There's swimming, picnics, parties, vacations, and of course, ice cream. And for me, summertime now makes me nostalgic. I spent last summer melting in this crazy heat while I was pregnant with you. Consequently, I will now forever associate summer with your pregnancy and the last few months before I met you.

I sometimes wonder if you realize that you have now experienced three seasons since your birth. Do you realize that it was cold just a few months ago and now it is so hot that going outside is almost unbearable?? Do you realize that you used to wear layers and layers of clothes and now you hardly wear even one? I'm betting you will tell me all about these crazy things when you start talking.

We're making the most of our summer together introducing you to lots of fun warm-weather firsts. We went on our first family vacation to Florida in June with your aunts, uncles, and cousins. We stayed at a cool resort and you swam in both a pool and the ocean for the first time. You loved the pool, but you were a little underwhelmed by the beach experience. We also bought you your own little pool for our back porch. It blows up to just big enough for Daddy and I to sit in it with you. And, you love it. You splash and kick and squeal with delight when we go swimming. I love to see you so happy.

Recently, we enrolled you in a class at The Little Gym. I wanted to make sure you had plenty of educational and physical stimulation and the social interaction is just icing on the cake. You are in a class called the "Birds," which is for babies 10 months to 19 months. You are the youngest in your class, but you are giving the big kids a run for their money. At our class last week, you bested all of the babies by hanging unassisted on the parallel bars, something that completely amazed your teacher. I kept telling her that you have a crazy, monkey grip and that such feat did not surprise me at all. She, however, could not get over how strong you were and kept asking me where you were hiding all of those muscles. When I told Daddy about your athletic feats, he immediately declared that he was going to enter you in the Strong Man competition. He was so proud of you. And he wasn't really surprised, either. We've both had to pry too many things out of that crazy grasp to not think it is entirely possible that you can suspend your weight from those little hands and arms.

Just before Melissa let go to see if you could hang on your own. You did!!

We are also in a playgroup with about six babies and this week, we went to the local sprinkler park for the first time. All of the kids loved it, especially your cousin Ayden, and you had fun letting Aunt Kacey run you through the sprinklers. The best part was that once the sprinklers turned off, you could sit on the ground and splash in the water. It was just like your bath but without the drama of having your hair washed.

You reached a few more important developmental milestones this last month, too. You are now almost entirely transitioned to "finger foods" and love trying new things. You get excited when Daddy and I are eating and reach eagerly for the food on our plates. One of your new favorite foods is blueberry pancakes. Yummy. You also now have two new teeth (the second bottom tooth and one top tooth) and are working on the third (the second top tooth). That top tooth should be in any day now. That means that you have effectively gotten all four front teeth in the span of about five weeks. When you decide to do something, you go all the way, kiddo! You have also mastered standing on your own, cruising on furniture like a champ, clapping, dancing, and walking with assistance. You are such a big girl!

You tend to think you are too big sometimes, though. You have decided in the last month or so that you no longer want us to change your diaper or dress you. The moment we lay you down on your changing table, you flip over and try to crawl away or you just sit up. That makes changing you such a delight-- and changing you by myself is always an adventure. Your grandparents, Maggie and Pop, babysat you last weekend and they had the unfortunate experience of having to change your diaper. They are convinced that it takes four people at a minimum to do this job. I just laughed because you and I know that I manage to do it on my own. At least, most of the time.

GG, Maggie's mother and your great-grandmother, said that Maggie did the exact same thing as a baby. GG would start changing Maggie on one side of the bed and would end up at the other side of the bed before she got the new diaper on. And apparently, I was exactly the same way, too. At least you got it honestly, sweetie.

You have learned a few new "tricks" lately, too. You love to hide your face and then pop out to look at us. You laugh so hard when you do this. You mimic Daddy and I when we raise our hands or hit our hands on the table. You love to be the leader, too, and usually get us to copy you. You also have recently started shaking your head no when we ask for kisses. Then, you usually give us kisses anyway. And, you have started walking around your little activity table, over and over again, bopping to the music. It's like you have to see how many times you can go around without sitting down. We love to watch you play, Sweet Pea. It's so fun to watch the wheels spin and to see you learn new things.

I love you, Sweet Pea, and am having so much fun with you. I can't wait to see what new adventures we have in July.

Love,

Your Mommy

Dear Hadley: Month 9

Dear Hadley:

A few days ago, you turned nine months old and that night, we attended your Uncle Jack's college graduation party at Maggie and Pop's house. You were the youngest in attendance, but you didn't let that stop you from letting loose. You squealed, laughed, sang, and bounced with the best of them. I was told by one party guest that he could hear you squealing when he was getting out of his car. And you were in the house. And all of the doors and windows to the house were closed. I knew you were loud, but the fact that your squeal can pierce the sound barrier came as a bit of shock.

You definitely found your lungs this last month and love to see just how loud you can be. You squeal with delight at your toys, screech at Bella, and yell at Allie. Sometimes, out of nowhere, you just screech like a little monkey. And, you cause a stir everywhere we go. Daddy and I were at the grocery store about a week ago and you were happily screeching and squealing as we wheeled you up and down the aisles. You had everyone's attention and may have even embarassed Daddy a little bit. A passing man made sure to tell us that you sure have a lot to say. Yes, yes, you do. I'm not sure what you are saying yet, but I'm hoping you develop an indoor voice really soon.

Even if you don't, though, I'm planning on keeping you. Mainly because you give hugs AND kisses now. Daddy got the first kiss a few weeks ago and since then, you have been doling out kisses like crazy. Your kisses are soooo endearing. You open your little mouth and lean in to touch us on the cheeks or lips. It is the sweetest kiss on Earth and one I wish I could have every second of every day.

Speaking of your Daddy, you absolutely and totally adore him. If I am holding you and walk by Daddy, you reach out your arms to him, grab his shirt and pull him to you. And then, if he doesn't get the hint fast enough that you want him, you practically throw yourself into his arms. It's amazing to see you act on what you want-- and get it. I think you have realized that Daddy is gone at work all day because you cling to him in the mornings at breakfast. And, when Daddy gets home at night, you squeal with delight and give him the biggest smile. You just melt his heart.

We have had so much fun with you this last month. You are like a little sponge, just soaking up everything we teach you. I am constantly amazed at how fast you learn. On our way to visit family out of town last weekend, I taught you to to say "AHHHH" while I patted your mouth (to make the "ABBABABABA" sound). This is one of your favorite games. You have quite a few-- most of which you have made up on your own. You are trying to whistle, mimic us when we hit our hands on a table, "chase" us, and jump in your bed. You definitely keep us busy.

You hit a couple more developmental milestones this month, too: you are trying to stand and balance on your own, you are pointing at characters in your books, and of utmost importance, you got your first tooth!! We were so excited about that tooth. It has made us a little more comfortable expanding your solid food repertoire. You are now working on finger foods and have found lots of favorites, like mashed potatoes and bananas. Oh boy.

I'm wondering if you will love food as much as Daddy and I do. Right now, you really seem to. When I was pregnant with you, I craved cheeseburgers 24 hours a day and even ate one a time or two for breakfast (Sonic serves them early). I am not normally a cheeseburger fan, but your Daddy loves cheeseburgers. I can't wait to see if you love them as much as he does. Given how alike you two are already, that would not surprise me in the least.

I love you, Sweet Pea, and can't wait to see what next month brings.

Mommy

Dear Hadley: Month 8

Dear Hadley:

You turned eight months old a few days ago and as usual, this last month was a doozy! I know I tell you every month that that month was a big one, but believe me, this last month could not have been any bigger unless you stood up and walked into the kitchen to make a sandwich. And honestly, I kind of think you might do that any day now. You spent this last month perfecting your crawl, learning to pull up, starting to "cruise" on furniture, and mimicking us. It's so amazing to watch you learn all of these new skills. It just seems like it is all happening so fast. In no time, you will be running around, talking, and asking to borrow the car.

Your Maggie, my mom, frequently exclaims about how "busy" you are-- just like I was at your age. And, oh, are you busy. You are constantly moving, moving, moving. You are crawling on your hands and knees like a champ now and you are super fast. If we lay you down on the floor on your back, you immediately flip to your tummy and start crawling away, usually to a piece of furniture so that you can pull up to standing. If we are holding you in our laps, you roll over and try to slither away or if we won't let you turn over, you squirm constantly until we put you down. You're so cuddly wuddly like that.

Maggie babysat you for about an hour last weekend so Daddy and I could run a few errands. That one hour exhausted Maggie. You are just that busy. And just think, I spend every hour of every day with you. That might be why Mommy is so tired. Lately, we can't take our eyes off of you for a second or you will be in the next room. In fact, yesterday, I tried to run to the kitchen for a glass of water and I turned around and you were sitting behind me in the middle of the kitchen floor. You must have crawled about 100 feet from the living room to the kitchen to get to me.



You have also perfected your crawling to sitting and sitting to crawling maneuvers. This has made life somewhat easier since you can now crawl to the toy you want, sit up to play with it, and then crawl to the next object you want. Recently, you have been doing a lot of crawling/ sitting and then crawling some more and sitting. You love to sit up, look around and smile at me and then take off crawling again. I just love those smiles.

This last month you started saying "mama" regularly. You seem to say "mama" most when you are crying, though, in a "ma ma ma ma" chant that is just heartbreaking. You will sometimes say "mama" when you are happy, too, but most of your happy babbling is "dada's" and "baba's." Daddy says this is because you need me for comfort and him for playtime. I have a sneaking suspicion that this pattern will continue long into your childhood years. Daddy is just so much fun to play with.

You are also mimicking things that we do now. You started shaking your head "no no" on Easter day and since then, when we say "no," you shake your little head. You also copy us if we shake our heads. It is so cute. We are working on teaching you "yes," too, but for now, you just laugh when we nod our heads at you.

You have also learned to clap your little hands when we clap or when we say "yea." Your little fists flap wildly together when you are happy. It doesn't always look like a clap, but it's close. We have been working on teaching you sign language for a few words that will make life easier for all of us, like "eat," "more," and "all done." You now recognize each word and sign and are trying to wag your hands in the "all done" sign.

And, you try to repeat us when we say your dog's name, "Bella." Your version sounds more like "bewaaaa," though. Bella doesn't mind. In fact, she adores you-- and the feeling is entirely mutual. You are in love with both of your animals, Bella and Allie. As you know, Allie, our cat, doesn't let you get too close to her, but Bella is more than willing to let you pet her. Your version of petting, though, usually includes some fur grabbing and pulling. We are working on teaching you to pet easy. You love to crawl up to your Bella and play with her fur or her feet. Bella has learned to get up and move when you are getting to be a little too much for her.

But, oh, how you love her. Your little face lights up when you see your animals and you let out the most endearing squeal when you see them. A few nights ago, Daddy was consoling you while you were fussing before bed. You turned your head and saw your Allie and immediately went from crying to squealing and laughing. I love that you already adore animals.

You had some fun adventures this month, too. You celebrated your first Easter and had your first visit from the Easter bunny. I had no idea that you would love your Easter basket as much as you did. You loved looking in your basket and pulling things out to play with. Easter was really the first day that you sat unsupported and didn't terrify me. Although you have been sitting for months, you still swayed and crashed when you got tired of sitting. This month, you finally learned to catch yourself when you wanted to lay down or crawl.

You also visited the zoo for the first time this month. Your love for animals didn't seem to extend to the zoo wildlife, but I think you might have been too distracted by all of the people to really notice the animals. We plan on taking you back to the zoo again soon, though.

I know I tell you this all the time, Sweet Pea, but I want to make sure it is in writing since I doubt you will remember much about this time of your life. I love you. It's that simple but that complicated, too. I also can't wait to see what this next month brings. Given the speed with which you are learning new things, I wouldn't be surprised if you are out mowing the lawn by June 1. That would make Daddy the happiest father ever!

I love you, Hadley.

Mommy

Dear Hadley: Month 7

[I am following in the footsteps of many other bloggers with this series, most notably those of Dooce, one of my all-time favorite bloggers. Heather writes a letter to her daughter each month. I love her series and hope I can stay on track for as long as she has. I think Heather is up to 60 months so far.]

Dear Hadley:

For the past seven months, I have documented your existence in detailed emails I wrote and sent to our family and friends. I have persisted with these updates, despite the fact that I was bordering on the obnoxious, for several reasons. One being that I wanted our long-distance family and friends to feel like they were right here with us. But more importantly, I wanted to document each special month for you, so that you could look back one day and read about all of the little things that made us smile, all of the developmental milestones that made us proud, and all of the special things that made our hearts melt. Now that I have a blog, I've decided (and this idea is by no means original) to start writing and posting letters to you telling you about all the fun we are having and all of the new things you are doing. There are so many little things you are doing right now that I just want to bottle and keep with me forever. These letters are hopefully the next best thing. I love the idea of documenting your life for you to read later and hopefully, you will enjoy these letters as much as I enjoy writing them.

This has been a big month, sweet pea. You learned to crawl, you started babbling, you actually started eating green vegetables, you started drinking from a sippy cup, and you learned your first game. I can't get enough of how active you are and how busy you stay. You have so much to do and squeeze into each day that there isn't a spare second for you to waste. You are always talking, bouncing, playing, crawling, and reaching for something, sometimes even in your sleep. It is not uncommon for Daddy and I to check on you at night and find you crawling around in your crib. Kinda funny when it isn't 3:00 a.m. in the morning! You definitely keep us busy, kiddo.

Learning to crawl has by far been your biggest accomplishment to date. From the moment you started rolling from your back to your tummy, you have been determined to crawl. You practice constantly and you are doing it! You finally have a technique that works for you. Your crawl really is more like creeping, where you pull and drag yourself along on your belly with your hands, arms, and sometimes, your forehead. I admit, it's pretty entertaining to watch, but you are super fast and so determined to get around that you usually squeal with delight when you reach your destination.

You also surprised me by learning to babble this month. Out of the clear blue, you started saying "dada," "bla bla," and "ba ba" one night and you have been going on and on ever since. And you love to laugh and squeal. As soon as you see one of us, you squeal with delight. You especially do this when Daddy gets home from work. Your happiness at seeing Daddy after a long day is palpable. It's as if you are saying, "You're home, you're home, you're home!!" You then bounce and wave your arms until he picks you up. I love seeing you two together. Your Daddy loves when you say "dada" to him and you make sure to say it A LOT. I'm hoping if I stop trying to feed you the dreaded green peas so much, you might start throwing in a "mama" or two.

And, your laughter. If I could somehow freeze time so that you always laugh and giggle the way you do now, I would in a heartbeat. You are so free with your laughs, and we try to get them out of you as much as possible. Sometimes, just smiling and laughing at you will grant us a big giggle. Other times, the most random things will make you laugh. A few nights ago, Daddy was singing "Shake it Up, Baby" to you at the dinner table and on each "AAAHHHHH," "AAAHHHHH," you would laugh hysterically. Daddy and I were both laughing so hard that we were crying. We have also learned where you are ticklish, and tickles will normally elicit great laughs from you. It's hard not to constantly tickle you just to hear that adorable laugh. We try, though. Really, we do.



There are so many small things I want to remember about this month, too. There are the big, gummy smiles you give me when I smile at you. You have done this since you were a tiny baby and I never want to forget them. I'll need those memories when you are a temperamental teen! There are the weekend mornings when we let you sleep in our bed on a pillow between us. Those mornings are so sweet and lazy, I just want to hold on to them forever. And, watching you play with your toys, I am always amazed at how great you are at working those little hands. You can pick up the smallest things and enjoy trying to see how many things you can hold at once. I loved watching you read a book with your Maggie this month, too. You were so intent on turning the pages and talking that it was hard to tell who was reading the book. You now hold your arms up to me when you want me to hold you and sometimes, when I am holding you, I am lucky enough to get a big neck hug. This month, I taught you your first interactive game. You hide your head on my shoulder until I say, "Where's Hadley? Where's the baby??" You then pop your head up with a big grin and look around for your audience. I love that we have that game.

Lately, when you are sleepy, you put your little fists behind your head, one fist behind each ear. You usually fall asleep like this and then at some point during the night, you roll over and sleep on your face. You prop your face up with your little hands and snooze away. Your Daddy and I worry when you sleep like that, but you love it. Also, when we are feeding you your bottle before bed, you rub your head and play with your hair. Your Daddy does the same thing when he is falling asleep. It's amazing how alike you and your Daddy are already.

I realize each month as you become more and more independent how far we've come since we brought you home on that sunny, Sunday afternoon in September. In just seven short months, you have morphed from a tiny, swaddled baby who quietly chirped and slept all day to a laughing, squealing, playful, busy, little girl, who has completely stolen our hearts. I miss that little bundle that you were, but I'm also loving the fun, active baby you have become. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.

I love you, sweet pea.
Mommy