A Letter: Nine Months

Dear Ana,
You are nine months old today. Nine months. You have officially been outside of my body as long as you were inside. How weird is that?



But I have to say, while it was mighty convenient having you inside, it is so much better having you out here where I can play with you. Sure, when I was pregnant my hands were always free and I didn’t have to worry about you rolling off the edge of the bed, but now I get to watch your eyes light up when I hand you something for the first time or listen to you laugh as I tickle under your chin. It is moments like those that are some of the most pure and wonderful parts of being a parent.



In the last month you have recently shown an interest in moving. You use to be fine to just sit in one place until someone came along and moved you, but not any more. Now you want to GO. Unfortunately you don’t quite possess the skills to actually crawl just yet. When you lay on your back you can push with your feet and slowly move forward. When you are on your tummy you try to push with your hands but just end up going backwards. Oh man does this frustrate you! So you have taken to doing anything you can to get around the whole “crawling thing” and decided just to move your focus to standing. You try to pull yourself up on just about every vertical surface. You are particularly fond of climbing couches as well as your mama. The other day I had my hair in braids and you decided to grab one in each hand and pull yourself up. Quite resourceful if you ask me.



You work so hard all day trying to learn how to move around, you even do it in your sleep! When I come get you in the morning I never know what kind of tangled, twisted mess I will find you in. You are always facing the opposite direction from where I left you and, more often than not, have your head wedged into one of the corners of the crib! Yep, you are officially my little wiggle monster.



So I know you have noticed both your top teeth are really coming in, because you have taken to biting and chewing on just about anything you can get your hands on. But what you probably didn’t notice is just how far apart those teethies are. There is quite a gap in the middle! I have seen that very same gap on your Aunt Darcie. Over Labor Day we took you to visit your Auntie and showed her your pearly whites. She wants you to know she is very sorry you got her teeth. And that sometimes genetics can be a real bitch.



While you were cutting those new teeth you kept getting a runny nose and you discovered you could make noise with your nose. You starting snorting. Now when you get really excited you smile big, scrunch up your nose, and snort. It is the silliest, cutest thing ever and it never fails to make me laugh.



Speaking of super cute baby tricks, you have started waving. It was kind of an accident really. I was across the room from you trying to get you to say “hi” and I happened to wave while I was doing it. Then all of a sudden you waved back at me! I was so excited I ran across the room to hug you and you waved the entire time. Now you don’t always wave on command, and you sometimes spontaneously wave at the cats or the television, but we can always count on you to wave at the baby in the mirror. Every time you see your reflection you get so excited you can’t help but wave.



Oh my little cutie patootie. I just love you so much. I love getting to know the little person you are becoming. I love that you know when your Daddy is home and watch the top of the stairs to greet him but then get shy and hide at the last second. I love when your burrow your face into my neck. I love when you throw yourself backwards on my bed and squeal with glee. I love that you laugh every time I try to get you to say “Mama.” I love how much you are excited by animals. Even the ones that are stuffed or in books. I am not so crazy about the fact that you cry when I leave the room, but I LOVE the fact that you wiggle with glee when I come back. And just know that no matter what, I always will.



All my love,
Mama

2 thoughts on “A Letter: Nine Months

  1. She is so beautiful. I can’t believe she is standing!!!!!! What a blessing! Brandon hasa gap between his two front teeth too. Mitch and I (being optomistic) are thinking that maybe this just means that he has plenty of space and when he gets his big kid teeth he won’t need braces. Maybe this gap will save you thousands of dollars in dental work! haha!

  2. put a brick on her head! keep here tiny! my grandmother always threatened to do that to me as a child 🙂 i knew another little bebe who would wiggle and giggle around in his crib at night. it was always fun to go get him from a nap and see where he actually landed after his journey around his crib. she really is a beautiful baby!

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