Ten Months

My Dearest Joslyn,

This month you have discovered a great love for your books. This really excites me as I feel that books open a whole new world of possibilities for people. They promote a great use of imagination, and offer a sense of an enhanced vocabulary. You love to sit on the floor of your bedroom and flip through your board books, looking very intently at all the pictures. Your favorite books right now are "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", "Bright Baby Colors", and "Ten Bears in a Bed". You really love books where you can touch and feel various things. Something soft, something rough, shiny, fuzzy, and so on. The thing I love the most about reading books with you, is watching you study the pictures as I recite the story. As well as having you flip every page in perfect time.


You've started to talk a little more this month sweetheart, and to my absolute delight this includes more use of the word "Mum-mum"! You can also say "Uh-oh" and choose to use it whenever you drop something. You say "Uh", then a little pause, and "Oh" following shortly there after. It's stinking adorable I tell you!


You've experienced a few more new things this month. You had your first visit with Santa Claus. You watched the Christmas tree go up. You came with me to visit your great-grandparents resting place. You went to the Santa Claus parade for the first time. You've watched the two trains go round & round the Christmas tree. And you've opened your first few presents. You've really enjoyed it all immensely (except for Santa, lets just make that clear), and we've enjoyed watching you even more than that. You're such a happy little girl and we love to see such joy in you.


So what have we learned about you this month? A LOT! We see that you love to look at pictures of yourself, including all the videos of you on the blog. You get this from your dad (snap!), and it's pretty darn cute. You are a SPLA-SHING MA-CHINE in the bath tub & during your swimming lessons. In the tub you somehow manage to get the walls, mirror, floor, toilet seat & counter top soaked! You are so obviously having a great time & what could be better than that?! You also don't mind having water poured over your face. You have become much more ticklish. You hate getting dressed up in all your winter gear. You hate your car seat (again) and arch your back as soon as it's in view. You have perfected the "on" motion on all light switches (and subsequently we've found you get very angry when you wake up to find your crib in the middle of the room - and away from your light switch). You are full on walking now and seem to think crawling is for the birds (oh lucky us). You love to play peek-a-boo. You love to be chased around the house. And you love to dance to anything that sounds remotely like music. This includes your daddy's crap-tastic 70's gigolo music, the Oprah show theme song (makin' momma proud!), and even sad-sounding toys in desperate need of a battery replacement.


You are such a smart little cookie too. You now know how to wave "Bye-Bye". You also understand what "No" means (regardless of whether you choose to comply). You know the few cupboards in the kitchen that haven't been secured, and you go straight for them. You get such a kick out of one in particular. The one that the toaster is in. You love opening that cupboard and immediately pressing on the toaster lever. "Boing!, Boing!, Boing!" There's no secret of what you're getting into!


Last but not least, you had your first real bump on your noggin this month. We began to run the bath water, and in usual Joslyn form, you started high-tailing it toward the bathroom. When you were almost at the tub, you took a nasty spill & landed head-first into the side of the tub. Instant goose egg, smack dab in the middle of your forehead. You started screaming, I started freaking out (cue protective mommy verbiage: "Oh my god!" "My sweetheart!" "It's okay, It's okay!"), and your father calmly applied an ice pack. Our savior!


This past month has really shown us that the whole journey with you has been a learning experience. We are learning more and more about you every day. The things you like and dislike. The way you interact with others. Your personality traits, and how you choose to do things. Every new day we have with you is such an incredible gift because we see how fast things change and how much more you develop. We are over the moon in love with our little girl.

Love,
Your Mama Bear

Nine Months

My Dearest Joslyn,

This month we've experienced many new and wonderful things with you. We are seeing quite an amazing little girl before us, full of smiles, spunk, love, and as always one heck of a personality!

Just after your 8 month milestone, you officially started walking. As a result of this new achievement, it has become your dads latest mission to record as many videos of you, as can be found at our friendly neighborhood movie store. We then find ourselves watching them over and over while you are sleeping. (It has been reported that your Grammy does the same thing with the videos of you we post on the blog, so what else can we say but that it seems none of us can get enough of you!) It's during these night time movie viewings that your dad and I have had fun recounting your steps. So far we have counted a whopping 55 steps! That's without falling, nor holding onto anything. You can also turn very well, which allows you to change directions with ease. We think that the progress you've made is just pretty darn fabulous, and it seems that nothing you do ceases to amaze us! Keep on keepin' on sweetheart!


This month you have found a great love of imitating the puppy dog. You've always gotten such a kick out of her, and constantly try to play with her. But now you roam about the house making cute little "Rarrrrr" sounds. It's absolutely hilarious when you do it, and what couldn't have been better, is the fact that it worked exceptionally well with your teddy bear Halloween costume. Almost as if we'd practiced the sound that bears make ahead of time!



Speaking of Halloween. This, as well as Thanksgiving, were two new celebrations we were blessed to share with you for the first time. You LOVED (or more like WE loved) dressing you up and parading you around to a few houses of loved ones. We were even given some candy! Perhaps next year we'll allow you to indulge in a few samplings, but this year mommy and daddy were the ones who were treated. :-) Thanksgiving was not quite as fun for you as Halloween was. You were sick with your very first cold. You ran a temperature, were coughing and sneezing, and had the stuffiest little nose. You had great difficulty eating and sleeping because you couldn't breathe all too well out your nose . . . which nearly broke our hearts. You still suffered through it like a trooper and came out unscathed. We are very glad that this particular "first" is over and out of the way!



For whatever reason, we've noticed that you've taken a bit of a disliking to men over the past little while. Unfortunately for Grandpas and Uncles (but not daddy, no NEVER daddy) you require a little more time to warm up to them. We can't figure out exactly how you can tell the difference between men and women, whether it be facial hair or a deeper voice, but you most definitely have it figured out! Time and time again you've made your preference known. I do believe that your dad is secretly okay with this, and hopes you stay clear of the opposite sex for the next 30 or so years. I on the other hand think it's just a phase that too shall pass.



There have been many newly discovered "firsts" that definitely need mentioning. You've found your first favorite television show, called 4 Square on the childrens Treehouse station. It's a cute little 15 minute skit of brightly colored puppets, dancers, and singers who have you completely mesmerized every. single. time. I haven't seen you sit still for anything else, other than these 15 glorious minutes. (Please note that we have every episode PVR'd, from now until college).



You had your first flu shot (the special H1N1 version) this month. We've taken you on a few first time outings, including the Corn Maze, Boo at the Zoo, the Great Canadian Train Show (that was all daddy's doing of course), and the Childrens Museum at the Forks where we took you today to celebrate the first day of your 9th month. Sadly you no longer fit your baby ring, and we've had to put it away. But you've been showing a very notable love of jewelery this month (boy are we in trouble!), as well as a love of buttons. You love playing with whatever earrings, necklace, or ring I have on, and are are forever putting buttons from our clothing into your mouth. Your reach has also gotten a whole lot taller, and you have an undying fascination of opening doors and cupboards. (Operation installing safety latches is officially ON!) We have also seen 2 new teeth come in this month. Another two up top, for a total of 6 teeth!


Your favorite thing in the world right now is bath time. As soon as you hear that water running, you smile, scream with delight, and go scurrying off in said direction as fast as your little legs will carry you. Your favorite food is undeniably yogurt, and your favorite word is Dadada. You have a few new favorite expressions. One is clicking your tongue. Another is making a cute little face where you scrunch up your lips, and stick them out, in what we call your fishy face. And lastly, whenever anybody talks to you, you give a little shy look where you bury the side of your face into your shoulder. It's the cutest darn thing we've ever seen . . . well, one of many anyway.



One thing I've really taken notice of this month, is how much you've grown. You are so much longer resting in my arms when I feed you at night. You are much heavier when I pick you up and am holding you. And I can't help but notice how many bins of outgrown clothes are sitting in our basement. This saddens me, and I find myself wishing I could keep you this age forever more. As you continue to grow and become harder to hold, like the baby I hold in my arms today, I will always cherish this very special time with you and will keep it close to my heart. Just as a favorite line from a book I read aloud to you, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

Love,
Your Mama Bear

Eight Months

My Dearest Joslyn,

Today you turn 8 months old! It is Saturday, of a very special weekend, and another first for you. Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a special time to gather with loved ones and give thanks for all the goodness in our lives. Expressing gratitude is something that is very important, and we will do our best to make sure you know what that means as you get older. I am so incredibly thankful for you this year. You have entered our lives & turned it completely upside down. You have shown us what unconditional love and devotion truly means. Something this huge was once hard to imagine in its entirety . . . until you came along sweetheart. I am so grateful to be a mother to my most precious little peanut.


This month has been full of outings! We have joined a whole bunch of mommy & me groups that keep us busy pretty much on a daily basis. We started a stroller fitness group that meets at St.Vital mall on Monday & Wednesday mornings before the stores open. It has been a bit of a challenge to get us both up, and ready, and out the door at such an early hour, but it has been well worth it. I get to socialize with the other mommies and participate with them in a really great 1 hour strength training and cardio workout. You on the other hand, get to sit in your stroller looking cute, have staring contests with the other babies, and talk to everyone who will listen. Very loudly I might add! You have stopped the trainer in mid-sentence with your verbal antics, and have left her in stitches laughing. That's our little Jambon alright!


On Tuesdays and Thursdays we have joined 2 different mommy & me groups at a few public libraries in the area. The group is called "Baby Rhyme Time" and we meet at the Fort Garry library and the Osborne Street library. There are about 15 mommies and babies, and we all sing songs and read fun new books that are different from the ones we have at home. I wasn't sure how much you'd like this class, only because of how active you are, and how you never like to sit still. But when you put a bunch of us in a room singing the same songs and doing the same actions, you are hooked every time! I've also discovered recently how much you like to look at books, which I couldn't be more pleased with. Books enrich our lives in so many ways. They teach us things about ourselves, about others, tell great stories, and spark such imaginations. I certainly hope you continue on, and enjoy reading for pleasure as much as I do.


Starfish & Duck is the latest group we've joined this month. It is the first level of many in the Red Cross swimming program. Starfish & Duck is for children aged 6 months to 3 years (along with their parent) to become familiar with the water. We take it Wednesday afternoons for 10 weeks at the Bonivital pool. We sing songs, splash the water, get our faces wet, and blow bubbles. Just as we've seen so many times in Grammy's pool over the summer, you LOVE the water. I think this is the perfect place for you, and see you doing very well with your swimming in the future.


One of my favorite new things this month is your new found love of snuggling. Every time I pick you up from your crib, you rest your head on my shoulder, put your arm 'round my back, and settle in for a little snuggle time. You also like to cuddle a little bit more on the couch, as well as when you're tired, and I can't even put into words how much I love this! I can only hope it continues, and that you'll forever know that my arms (& your fathers' too) are the safest place for you to be.


We've seen a bit of a change on the talking front this month. You've always been very vocal, especially in comfortable settings. Meaning, if you're surrounded by people you don't know very well, who are talking to you, you tend to be a little shy & quiet. But if you're on your own, with your dad & I, or don't think people are paying much attention, you really like to belt it out! But what were once "Ooooh"'s and "Aaaaah"'s and grunts and screams, have now turned into more word-like formations. Your favorites of course are "Dadadadada", and "Mummummum". But you also put other sounds together to make, what you appear to think are, words. You talk to us so seriously that it seems you know EXACTLY what you are saying, and are just waiting for us to respond in similar fashion. For all we know, "Gurgledorf beish aaah!" could mean "please pass the gravy mom". But we'll never know, now will we?


A few more important things to mention, are some "firsts" and new developments. You've learned to stand all on your own this month, and just last week you took one step forward while staying on your feet! Your first 2 top teeth came in this month as well. The front ones, which now give you a whopping total of 4 teeth! You love to stand at the window with Nikki and wait for daddy to come home. You have learned how to switch off the light in your room while standing in your crib. Let's hope the "on" motion for the switch isn't learned as quickly as the "off" was, otherwise you might find your crib in it's new permanent location in the middle of the room. (I see bedtime antics of repeatedly turning on the light, in our near future). Your new favorite foods are cheerios and yogurt. We can't feed them to you fast enough, you LOVE them! You also tell the best stores when you eat your cheerios. You're likely commenting on the texture, taste, and other things like how glorious they feel between your gums, your concerns on how nobody has shared these little pieces of heaven with you sooner, and that the inventor of such delicacy should win a Nobel prize (or something of the sort). No?


You came down with your first cold this month. It started yesterday actually, and your poor little self has been coughing, and sneezing, having a runny nose, and a fever. We knew this day would come, and are lucky it has stayed clear this long. But we still hope it goes away quickly. And lastly, this is something that should have been mentioned a few months ago, but better late than never I say. You have learned your name. We've seen for quite some time now how we can call your name and you will always stop to acknowledge it. You're one smart cookie sweetheart, and we can't wait to see more!

Love,
Your Mama Bear

Seven Months

My Dearest Joslyn,

You just turned 7 months of age, and there is no question that this month has been the busiest we've had with you so far. We've moved forward into a new chapter of our lives, and together we have experienced many new things along the way.


First and foremost, your daddy and I were united in marriage on August 29th. You played an important part in the particulars of the day, but it was a day of celebrating the love your father and I have towards one another. Whether you remain an only child, or one day have siblings, the journey this family set out upon began with the complete love and adoration your father and I have for one another. It is important for you to know how much we love each other, and that it is this love that keeps us bound together. We hope you always feel safe, and stable, knowing that your family has been built from a strong foundation. I personally believe that children need to see the love and commitment their parents have for each other, and so we will do everything in our power to continue reminding you of this always.


This month has been filled with many "firsts". We took you on your first plane ride. It was actually 4 plane rides to be exact. All in an effort to get us to Halifax and home again. Our travels took us to Toronto and Hamilton Ontario, and various places in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. You were an amazing little traveler. You slept on each plane ride, on long car rides, and slept 12 solid hours every night we were gone! You never even woke us once.


Since the time you were only a few weeks old, we let you sleep with us in our hotel bed one night. As it turns out, you insist on tossing and turning all night long! On a king sized bed you rightfully claimed three-quarters of the space, sending your father and I off the edge more than once. You slept completely peaceful, which is more than I can say for your dad and I. From that moment on, I'm sorry to say sweetheart, but you play-penned it for the rest of the trip! We never thought you'd be as active while you are sleeping, as you are when you're awake. Until now.


You caught your first glimpse of the ocean this month. Actually, more than a glimpse, you got right in there and splashed around like crazy. You thought it was great fun! As the waves would come up higher onto your legs, your eyes would open very wide, and you'd take in a deep breath to brace yourself for what seemed to be a big wave that was about to sail clear over your head. Rest assured, not a one ever did. While wading in the ocean, you loved the feeling of the sand between your toes. Constantly looking down at your feet, your eyes were fixated on what this new substance could be. You are always full of wonderment, just as we are of you.


You were blessed with your first two teeth this month! Your bottom two teeth. The first one of which poked through on August 19th, and the second following close behind on the 27th. We can see a small whitish spot on your upper gum too, but nothing has cut through yet. We have however experienced your agony in it wanting to come out. We've never seen more drool from you, nor have you ever had a runny nose until now. And you are obviously hurting and just haven't been yourself for the last few days, which completely breaks my heart. I hope that just like many more hurdles you will face in your lifetime, this one will be as quick and pain free as possible.


You have also been introduced to a few new solids. Avocado, apricot, pear, strawberry, banana, and spaghetti squash. All of which you've handled very well. But the fruit still beats out all others for the funniest & sourest faces.


Somehow, we have yet to figure out, you managed to pull your crib mobile down this month. The entire rotating arms and figurines were removed (in tact) from the rest of the unit. This seems impossible to me, as it was attached to a hook at the very top of the frame, that you are not currently tall enough to reach. Never the less I came into your room one morning to find you lying in your crib, peacefully minding your own business, chewing on the entire mobile head. I managed to grab the camera while you still had it in your hand (please note one very satisfied grin) . . .


And I also captured a picture of the remains . . .


You have mastered the art of sitting this month. We never thought the day would come, because whenever we tried to sit you on your bottom in the past, you'd immediately transfer to all fours. Never wanting to sit still. While you continue to be quite the handful most days, I take reverence in knowing we can sit you down with a frozen teething ring, and you will generally sit quiet and still for about 20 minutes. This is the only thing worthy of such attention so far. We hope to find others. And we've taken stock of 2 additional freezable rings.


You are so precious to us Joslyn. I can't help but get all excited about this little family we've created, and look so forward to spending the next few months with you. You are positively perfect in every way. I'm quite certain that at this very moment in time, I've never been happier in my entire life.

Love,
Your Mama Bear

Six Months

My Dearest Joslyn,

You are 6 months old today and that is most fabulous thing going on in this lifetime so far. You are happy and you are healthy, and you have made quite the marking in the world over such a short amount of time. As we watch you grow from month to month, we know we are the luckiest people on earth.


It was this month that we had to lower your crib mattress for the first time. The reason for this is because you have come to master pulling yourself up into a standing position against the railings. You seem so proud of yourself, and truthfully, so are we sweetheart. But as much as we encourage all of your developments, we feel we are getting a little bit gypped of the calming, restful, and somewhat stationary baby we thought we'd have for a reasonable period of time. You are quickly showing us how much you can get into, always looking for stimulation, and have to be on the Go, Go, Go! You are a little spit fire, that much we know!


You've developed a few new funny faces this month peanut. And you continually like to perform cute and silly acts to get a rise out of us, which has triggered a new nickname daddy has for you. "Our Little Jambon" (pronounced Jam-Bonn, which when your dad says in his non-French tongue, just sounds hilarious). And the reason behind the nickname, is because you are always such a ham! Hamming it up for everyone to see. You like to hear your voice, the noises you can make, and the louder you are the better you feel! If people are talking, you're talking too. And if we're not paying close enough attention, you're gracing us with faces like this one:

And this one:

And it keeps us laughing until our tummies hurt. There is a new sound you like to make and I'll do my best to describe it. It's like a hard, fast, farting noise you make with your tongue. Another little attention-getter of yours that Grandma M says is your way of being "cheeky", because when you make this sound, it always seems to be in response to something. "Do you want your cousin to open his presents?" Response: "THWP!" We took you to church for the first time this month, and you insisted on making these loud blasts throughout the entire service. You even had the pastor laughing . . . and during prayer too! You have quite the personality little one, but we'll have to keep tabs on the cheekiness part. :-)


This month we started you on your first stage of solid foods. And here's what we've discovered so far. You love your peas, squash, and sweet potato. But the green beans make you wretch, and the peaches send off the sourest looking faces we've seen from you to date. Who knew fruit would give off such a reaction? And speaking of reaction, there's one thing these foods have in common . . . they all give you flatulence that puts your father to shame, and some seriously stinky poops to boot! When out in public, I don't think I've ever high-tailed it to the nearest rest room so fast. (Which, at the stake of the poor diners in the mall, has to be located INSIDE the food court). People warned me that as soon as you hit solid foods, things in the Southern hemisphere would change drastically. But really!?! Hopefully these moments won't scar you for life, nor will my detailing them on here for that matter.
(I pray that by the time you are old enough to read this, you'll have learned that I only have the best intentions)


You have aced the art of crawling all over the house. From the living room, to the bedroom, to the kitchen, and back again. You've discovered so many new things along your travels, that it's just amazing to me you'd even notice. You now crawl into your room and mess it up. Yes, you pull your stuffed animals off the shelf in the corner, the baskets off the shelves on your change table, and you move the stuff off the floor in your closet to other parts of the room. You've gotten into mommy's books and magazines on the coffee table, climbed up the stereo equipment, pulling down DVD's in your path, and repeatedly scurrying off to the dogs food dish where you love to pick up the pieces and attempt to put them in your mouth. It doesn't matter how many times we move you away, you put yourself right back there in record time.


You love to play cat and mouse. When we crawl behind you, you look back at us and then squeal in such delight before you crawl away as fast as your little legs can carry you. I never thought I'd be needing to baby proof our house in the fifth month of your life, nor did your dad and I think there would be scuff marks on the toes of your size 2 (or 3-6 month) shoes. It's hard enough seeing the time go by so quickly, never mind when you're so promptly off and running to the next stage of the game.


We took you to Folklorama for the first time this month. Folklorama is a huge multi-cultural event in the city that dates back 40 years. You attend different pavilions for each of the cultures that take place, learning all about their history, food, and dance, along the way. Your favorite part of each pavilion, is the dancing. Your eyes are always fixated on the stage, staring at the lights and the costumes. And if there are singers, you try to sing along too. Loudly. So loudly in fact, you usually end up having an audience all to your very own (along side some very red-faced parents). So far, we've attended the Scottish, Scandinavian, Chilean, Israeli, and Greek pavilions. We still have plans to take you to the Hungarian and Ukrainian pavilions. We have yet to have the culture-talk with you, but just so you know, you are one half Scottish because your mommy and daddy are each one half Scottish. So when we took you to the Scottish pavilion, we got you all dressed up in a red kilt and stockings. Well, if only we had a video camera with us to one day show you all the attention you got. You were by far the youngest kilted Scot in attendance, and all who saw you just had to stop and say hello. We were so proud to show off our little lassie to everyone.


We've had so much fun with you this month peanut, and we can't even begin to think of all that's in store for us in the next month. We love you with everything. It's because of you, and because of our little family, that we feel our lives have such great purpose. We will always be here for you. And with you. Loving you every day of your life.

Love,
Your Mama Bear

Five Months

My Dearest Joslyn,

You are five months old today, and this completely blows my mind. This month has been a fun one because the nice weather is finally here. We've been able to go out and enjoy the sunshine a lot, and you just love to take it all in. Swims and Grandma R's house. Play dates with friends. Long walks. Your first trip to the zoo. Your first Canada Day, and Auntie Rihana's high school graduation celebrations.



This month we also celebrated a very special day. Your daddy's first Father's Day was on June 21st. He thoroughly enjoyed his day which consisted of a pancake breakfast, a special gift and card from you, a trip to visit your Grandpa M, and a drive out to the Half Moon for dinner. Sounds a bit like our travels on Mother's Day, but it was perfect, and a day that your dad will treasure forever. He is so proud of everything you are, and everything you do, and is always sharing the most recent pictures of you with his colleagues. He is completely taken with his little girl, just as you are with him.



We were happy to see your colic completely disappear this month. It is officially something that we can say you no longer suffer from. I can't begin to tell you how much it had affected us, being completely heartbroken to see you hurting. Knowing there was nothing we could do to help you, but still trying anything and everything we could think of. We are so incredibly grateful that you are now living a healthy and completely content existence.



I am starting to discover that you are just a liiiiitle bit crazy like your mommy. What I mean by that is, you find it impossible to sit still for a moment. When you want something that's within reach, whether that's grabbing for objects, or learning to roll over and crawl, you go for it with full-on gusto! You want it, or just have to do it. Stat! I laugh and tell your dad how much trouble I think we might be in. Or more like, how much trouble he might be in. Two girls, with the same busy personality, under one roof?! All I can say is that your dad will be tired, but a saint, if he isn't one already.



It seems you've developed quite the habit this month. Or perhaps obsession is a more descript term. Thumb Sucking. You've discovered how readily available it is, and you've mastered it. And just like everything else you do, it is simply adorable. You suck your thumb when you are either tired or hungry, so it's our convenient new cue that you're in need of something. I sucked my thumb when I was a baby too. Well, not only a baby, but as it turns out, a toddler, a child, and embarrassingly (and at the time unknowingly) enough, a teenager too. Around age 12, years after I thought I'd given up my thumb, Grandma R walked into my bedroom and found me sleeping . . . with my thumb in my mouth. It has been recently joked that I should talk to your dad about this, as there's a possibility it may still be happening today. I hope not, and I hope that it is a habit you can easily break when the time comes. Just like my Grandma R (your great-grandma) used to say to me: "What flavor is it today sweetheart? Chocolate? or Strawberry?", we now get to ask you the same cute questions.



For the past little while, you've been playing strange to others. And I don't mean to just anybody, I mean to everybody. Grandmas & Grandpas too. You are okay if it's a friendly smile someone has given you. You affectionately smile back, and what seems to be, in hopes that the gesture sends people packing. But in the event that someone other than daddy or I pick you up, it's a bit of a different story. You watch me like a hawk, never taking your eyes off me, making sure I don't go anywhere. And if this holding business goes on for any longer, than oh, lets say, a minute or two, you bring out 'the lip' wanting to come back to us. As much as I think this is just a phase, and that you definitely need to get used to others holding you, I secretly adore it. Just a little. Is that wrong? Our loved ones are so important to us, so of course we want you to love them as much as we do, but this little neediness of yours is making us feel like we must be doing something right. To be the center of your world, and your main source of comfort is, well, a pretty nice feeling. And frankly, there is no place else we'd rather be.



You've developed a new form of moving around besides your usual rolling. One could call it crawling, but you aren't moving your arms and legs in a rhythmic motion per se, to get from point A to point B. It's more like a 'Lift, Push, & Dive!' motion that goes a little something like this. You get yourself up on all fours. (Got that part down, check). But then you dig your toes into the carpet and push your bum up to the ceiling so that your body is in the shape of an upside down 'V'. And then you dive head first towards the ground (while we protectively watch over you of course), which coincidentally, or so you've figured out, moves you forward an inch or two. Repeat as required. The fact that you've come up with this little 'bit' has us completely stoopified, but proud as punch none the less. So we find ourselves wondering, wouldn't crawling just be a heck of a lot easier? :-)



And lastly, I have a confession to make. When it comes to you, I have a few little obsessions of my own. First of all, I love to kiss you. You are so darn kissable, that I worry I'm going to suck the nose straight off your face. It is completely sick. It's almost like when I come towards you, lips pursed and ready for landing, you start to quickly bat your eyes as if to say "good god, here she comes again!". I do know that it can't be all bad, because you always smile when I do it, and because it is so important for you to be shown how much you're loved. And the second confession is that I love to smell you. I love to smell the nape of your neck, the top of your head, your hands, your toes, and behind your ears. If I had to guess why I love to do this, it's probably because I'm trying to cement these beautiful baby smells of yours, in my mind, forever. It saddens me that it is something that will dissipate (or at least should, as I'm sure you won't want your mother smelling the spaces between your toes at 16), but it is something I just never want to forget.

Sweetheart, I love you up to the sky, down to the ground, and more.

Love,
Your Mama Bear