Month Twelve

Dear Aeralyn,

Saturday was your first birthday, and what a day it was. I got through the entire day without crying, so I hope you will be proud of me for that in the future. It wasn't easy. We had such a great time at your party. You were the perfect birthday princess.

I can still remember exactly how I felt the moment you were born. It is a feeling I will never forget. My heart was yours from the first moment I laid eyes on you. It seems like it was just yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital. Your daddy and I had no idea what to do with you, but it looks like we managed because you've turned out pretty good so far.

You finally got your first two teeth this month. We were beginning to wonder if you would ever get any. You weren't too happy about them, but I hate to tell you that there are quite a few more where those came from.

It is amazing how much you have changed over this past year. You have such a fun personality, and I can't wait to see it blossom even more over the years. You are curious, adventurous, loving, and spunky, and so much more. You are one of the busiest babies I have ever seen. You are constantly moving and playing, and you absolutely hate to be strapped down into any contraption. Especially your highchair. This has made for some fun times at dinner, but I'm sure you will get the hang of the idea before long. Atleast I hope so.

This past year with you has been by far the best year of my life. I will never be able to express how special you are to me, and you will never understand until you have children of your own someday. I love you more than anything in this world. Happy Birthday punkin'!


Love,
Mama

Month Eight

Dear Aeralyn,

Yesterday you turned eight months old, and I know I say this every single month, but I can hardly believe it. This month seemed to go faster than ever, and I know that was just a preview of how fast the rest of your childhood will go. I'm enjoying every single minute with you.

You have accomplished some major milestones this month. Just last month I could put you on the floor to play with your toys while I went into the kitchen to do dishes or to the laundry room to put on a load of clothes. Now, you follow me everywhere I go. You are constantly moving while you're awake, and you are curious about everything in your new world. Especially electrical cords and the dog food. And anything that is on the floor. I'm vacuuming several times a week now, but you still manage to find the smallest pieces of fuzz or paper on the floor. And then you promptly put your discoveries in your mouth. Yum!

All in one day two weeks ago, you learned to pull yourself to a sitting position from lying down, and you learned how to pull up on the furniture. You are so proud of yourself. I'm quickly learning that you are fearless because more often than not when you pull yourself up on the couch or chair, you will let go like you are big enough to stand up on your own. You have yet to protest when you fall hard on your bottom. Instead, you just try it again. I'm hoping you will keep that attitude.

You love to go shopping. Whether it be a quick trip to the grocery store, or an all day trip to town, you are always an angel. The only protest you have is getting in the carseat, but you are much happier since we moved you into a "big girl" seat and out of the infant carrier.

I'm not going to mention your sleeping habits this month except to say that they pretty much stink. I just want you to know this so that if you decide to have children one day, you can go back and read this letter and say "Hmm, I wasn't sleeping through the night either at 8 months old. This little devil must have got it from me!" And then I will laugh and say how I remember those days and I will reassure you that those days will pass. And you will roll your eyes and let out an exasperated sigh I'm sure because that is what I do now every time I hear that these days will pass because MY BABY IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD WHO DOESN"T SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT! WAHHHH!!

I'm hoping you start sleeping better soon. But, if you don't, that will be fine too. I still love you, even when you wake me up six times a night. Even when you refuse to take a nap all day and you scream at me because you're so incredibly tired. Even when you get mad at me while I'm feeding you and you slap the spoon out of my hand, causing peas to splatter all over the kitchen. I will love you no matter what, forever. This unconditional love stuff is pretty great.

Love,
Mama

Month Seven

Dear Aeralyn,

I'm having a hard time with you turning seven months today. For some reason, that just sounds too old to me. Is it all just an April Fools joke? I wish. I think you need to work on slowing down this growing up process, okay?

Your seventh month has been one of many new accomplishments. First, and most importantly according to your daddy, you started saying "Da-da" this month. You started out saying it in a whisper, like it was the best secret you ever had, but shortly after that you learned to shout it at the top of your lungs. At first I was sure that you were just babbling and trying out your voice, but now I'm almost certain you know what you are saying. We had a hard day one day last week, and I'm positive that you were just as tired of me as I was of you by the time daddy got home. As soon as he walked through the door, you started yelling "Da-da!!!!" at him, and you had not said it all day until then. Frankly, I think you also need to learn to yell it at 3am when you're crying from your crib. Work on that for me.

Another accomplishment this month was learning to pull yourself up in your crib from a sitting position. This one suprised the heck out of both your daddy and I, and I know it is just the begining of pulling up on everything you can get your hands on. I'm not looking forward to all the bumps and bruises that I'm sure will follow.

Just this weekend, you have learned to crawl. You've been trying your hardest for a long time now, but you finally figured it out on Saturday. You still look quite awkward doing it, and it takes you a little bit to get where you want to go, but you can do it nonetheless. The first person you crawled to wasn't me or daddy. Not even Gammie or Papa. Heck, it wasn't even Lola. You crawled right into the arms of daddy's best friend, Alan, while he was visiting. You've already learned to flirt.

A year ago yesterday, we found out that you were going to be a girl. I'm going to be honest with you and tell you that I was a little taken aback when I found out. You see, I always pictured myself as a mom to boys. I don't know why, but that's what I always saw when I daydreamed of being a mom. I was so sure that you were a boy, and when the ultrasound technician exlaimed excitedly that you were infact a girl, I didn't quite know what to think. It took a little while for the news to sink in, but once it did, I was elated. Now I couldn't imagine you being anything other than what you are. You are the light of my life, and I love you more than anything in the world.

Love,
Mama

Month Six

Dear Aeralyn,

Today, you turn six months old. It's hard to believe that we have already spent half a year with you. I can still remember being pregnant with you like it was yesterday.

Your personality has really blossomed this month, and we have learned so much about you. For instance, we have learned that you do not like to be strapped into things, such as your high chair, carseat, or swing. Also, you don't particularly like to have your face wiped. I have had to turn away from you several times lately while you are pitching a fit so that you won't see me laughing. It is already apparent that you will be quite a handful, little miss.

You love to laugh, especially at your daddy. You also like to imitate the faces that we make at you. Your favorite funny face is scrunching up your nose and snorting in and out. It is one of the funniest things we have ever seen, and you will pretty much do it on command.

Jumping has become your favorite past-time this month. We moved the swing out of the living room a while ago to make room for your jumperoo. The first night you had it, you jumped and jumped and laughed and jumped some more until you were so tired you could barely hold your head up. Then I picked you up to rock you and nurse you to sleep, and you kept turning your head and looking at it longingly until you finally gave up and went to sleep.

You can sit up by yourself now for a long time, and you are trying your hardest to crawl. You can get one knee under you, and then you'll push yourself towards whatever it is that you want. If that doesn't work fast enough, then you will just roll until you get close enough to grab the object you desire. When you do manage to get up on both knees, you can only go backwards. I'm sure it won't be long before you get going, and then? There will be no stopping you. There are major changes that need to take place around here before you get moving, so hold off just a little bit longer for me, okay?

You have doubled your birth weight now at 16lbs, and I'm sure I will be moving you into 6-9 months clothes any day now. So far you have been in the 50th percentile on the charts, which means that you are about as average as they come. Not big, not small, nothing extraordinary, just normal and average. I'm here to tell you right now that you are nothing short of amazing in mine and your daddy's eyes. We are in awe of you every single day, and we are amazed at how much more joyful and complete you have made our lives. Even when we feel bad or grumpy or just want to stay in bed all day, all it takes is one little smile from you and the world is alright again. Thank you for being so much more than average.

I love you sweet pea,

Mama

Month Five

Dear Aeralyn,

This month has brought so many changes in you. It's hard to believe that you are five months old today, and if we went back in time to the begining of last month, I would hardly even recognize the baby that you were.

This month the biggest new adventure for you has been eating real food. So far you have tried green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, bananas, apples and peaches. By far, your favorite is sweet potatoes, and of course, they are the only food that we have tried you on so far that you have a reaction to. I'm hoping that in time your little tummy will be able to handle your love for sweet potatoes.

Another big change for you this month is that you sleep in your OWN BED in your OWN ROOM down the hall. And mommy and daddy sleep in their room with the monitor turned up to THIS LOUD so we can hear you breathing. We started trying to get you to sleep in your own bed way back in December. It was not an easy process, and you were bound and determined you were NOT sleeping in your crib. You would go from being sound asleep in my arms, to screaming like we were laying you on a bed of knives as soon as we would lay you in your crib. It became extremely frustrating, and after a couple of sessions of rocking you to sleep and laying you in your crib, I would end up just bringing you back to bed with us. Lather, rinse, repeat. Every. Single. Night.

Then, one night, I layed you down and put my shirt in there with you. You snuggled up to it and went right to sleep. I almost fainted right there in your room. And then the next night, I put you in your crib while you were still awake because you were cranky and wouldn't go to sleep in my arms. When we checked on you about 10 minutes later, you were asleep. And now every night, between 8:30pm and 9:30pm, I put you in your crib, turn on your musical birdies, and you go right to sleep all by yourself. And every night, my heart breaks a little bit more because you don't need me like you used to. You even take naps in your crib every day. You still don't sleep through the night yet. When you wake up for the first time aroud 12:30am, I will go and get you and bring you back to bed with me. I know I need to break this habit, but I'm not quite ready yet.

You are growing up so fast.

Lately you have developed a fascination with faces. You love to touch our face with your hands, and pull on our lips and noses and ears. This activity could amuse you for hours, but we can only take so much of your little pinchy fingers.

Your favorite time of the day is bath time, and I couldn't be happier about that. You love the water so much, and this fact just makes me even more excited for summer to get here so we can have fun in the swimming pool.

You have become such a happy baby. You laugh and squeal and smile almost all the time, and you are truly the light of our lives. I don't know how we ever lived without you.

I love you more than anything in the world,
Mama

Month Four

Dear Aeralyn:

Today you are four months old, and you are barely a glimpse of the baby that you were a couple of months ago. I had no idea that you would be growing so fast and changing drastically from day to day. Your daddy and I are enjoying you so much right now, and we know it's only going to get better from here.

You have turned into such a happy baby who smiles almost all the time. Also, you finally gave us that laugh we have been waiting on for so long, and let me tell you, we just can't get enough of it. We have recently discovered that you are tickilish, and I can't say that I won't be using that to my advantage later on.

I started feeding you rice cereal with a spoon this month, and I did it all on my own without any input from a doctor or a book. This whole time I have been parenting you, I have gotten all my advice from a book, the pediatrician and family and friends who have children of their own. I felt like I had to have someone or something tell me what to do with you, that I couldn't make the right decisions on my own, but I think that is finally over with. I have now become a real mom who really does know you better than anyone else. Thank you for giving me the time I needed to get used to that idea.

You roll over both ways now and you are trying your hardest to get moving. You can get your knees up under you, but you're not quite sure where to go from there. I know it won't be long before you are into everything, and I am slowly realizing that I need to get on with the baby-proofing.

In two days, on the third of January, I will be taking you for your four month checkup. Exactly one year ago on that same day, I had my first ultrasound and I got to hear your heartbeat. That is the moment that you became real to me. I found out I was pregnant with you on December 26th, 2005, but the idea of you did not become real until I heard your heartbeat and saw you on that screen. I can't believe that a year has passed since I found out about you, but I can honestly say that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.

I love you sweet pea,
Mama

Month Three

Dear Aeralyn,

Your third month in this world has been one of many new discoveries for you. You have found your hands this month, and you love to chew them. Especially your thumb. I think that you might become a thumb sucker before too long because you still have yet to embrace the pacifier. You have also discovered that you can roll over. You rolled over a couple of times right before you reached two months old, but just this past week you have started rolling from your tummy to back constantly. Once you get on your back, you are not too happy about it, and you try your best to get back onto your tummy. On Tuesday you almost succeeded, but you couldn't get your arm from underneath you and you screamed until I came to your rescue. I'm so glad I can solve your problems that easily.

Oh how you love to smile, Miss Priss. You smile so much these days, and you even give us little hints of laughter. I'm still waiting on that big belly laugh that is going to melt me into one big pile of mommy-mush. I know it's coming soon.

You celebrated your first Thanksgiving with the family and it went off without a hitch. You even kept yourself entertained in the bouncey seat through the whole dinner so mommy could eat. Thank you!

Another big first this month was staying home with daddy while mommy went shopping. He kept you from 4:30am until 12:00pm. You were a perfect angel and he couldn't understand why mommy looks a little frazzeled sometimes when he comes home from work, and why sometimes she literally throws you at him and runs to another room for just one moment to herself. Next time you should try the nap free/scream everytime you're put down/explosive poop scenario and then maybe he might understand. But really, I'm so glad you were good for him. And almost every day you are good like that for me too.

You are doing much better with the naps, as long as you are in your swing. You have yet to sleep in your bassinett or crib for any length of time, but I'm not going to be picky as long as you will nap. You are the best baby this world has ever seen when you nap. And when you don't take a nap? Well, let's just say I'm already hoping that you have a baby just like you one day.

You have changed so much, and there is something new every day that it seems like I can't even keep up. I'm enjoying this time with you more than anything, and I'm getting in as many cuddles and kisses as I can right now because I know that as soon as you are mobile, there won't be as much time for those things. And it won't be long.

Loving you more and more each minute,
Mama

Month Two

Dear Miss Priss:

Today you are two months old, and what a month it has been! This month you have started to show us more of your personality, which has turned our hearts into mush and completely wrapped us around your precious little finger. You have the CUTEST dimples in the whole world, and you are already learning how to use them to get your way.

Your crying spells in the afternoon are almost non-existent now. I contribute this to the fact that you have decided to embrace nap time. Don't get me wrong, you still have your off-days where you are definitely not about napping in any way shape or form, but mostly you take a few short naps throughout the day, and all is well. Thank you!! Now I just have to work on getting you to nap in the bassinet instead of the swing, but I'm taking what I can get right now!

You are happiest in the mornings. You love to be be propped up on a pillow so you are sitting like a big girl, and then you want us to sit and talk to you. You want to talk so badly, and we love to watch you try. You have learned that you can make sounds with your throat, and you like to click your toungue too. Your mouth is almost always moving. I have a feeling that once you learn to speak, you may never shut up!

You got your first round of shots this month and I cried right along with you. They made you feel yucky and run a fever for a couple of days, but now all is well and back to normal. Thank goodness because that was no fun for any of us.

On Monday you rolled over for the first time. I had you on your blanket for tummy time and I turned my back to look out the window, and when I turned back around you were on your back with a shocked look on your face. I immediately flipped you back over onto your tummy to see if you would do it again, and you did!! I was so excited. But, I have to tell you that we almost had our first disaster that day. You see, we haven't been strapping you in the swing because we didn't really feel there was any danger of you actually geting out of it. On Monday evening I put you in the swing for a second so I could go to the bathroom. When I came back into the living room to get you, you had flipped completely onto your tummy and you were half hanging out of the swing. Thank God I caught you in time! You will be strapped in to everything from now on.

I was in your room rocking you the other day, and I started thinking about all the times I would go and sit in your room while I was pregnant with you. I would sit and wish the days away, so impatient to finally meet you and hold you. It seemed like time was crawling back then. But as I sat and held you that evening, I found myself doing quite the opposite. I was wishing time would stand still so that I could hold you like that forever. The days are passing so fast, and you are growing and changing so much each day. I want to remember these sweet moments forever.

Don't ever grow up, okay?

I love you more than anything in the whole wide world.
Mama

Month One

Dear Tatertot:

Today you are one month old, and I can hardly believe it. This has quite possibly been the shortest month of my life, especially when I compare it to last month, which was probably the longest waiting for your arrival. Your daddy and I have had so much fun getting to know you these past 4 weeks, and it was instant love the frst time I saw you. You are perfect in every way. Here are some things I have learned about you this month:

You hate being swaddled. No, you seriously hate it. You tolerated it while we were in the hospital, but as soon as we got home you decided you were not putting up with that nonsense any longer. In fact, you don't like covers on your body at all. Period. You are perfectly content to hang out in your onesie all day, and I promise I won't put you in footie pajamas again for a very long time. Atleast until it gets cold outside. I apologize for the severe dismay that those cute little jammies caused you.

You love to take a bath. In fact, it is one of the only ways we can get you to calm down in the afternoon. You see, we need to talk about something. Every afternoon, you go through these little crying spells, and you want to nurse constantly. This is no fun for anyone, especially mommy. These crying spells last anywhere from one (if I'm lucky) to five hours at a time. Please get happier in the afternoon. Please, for all our sakes.

You decided the day that we came home from the hospital that sleep is not your thing. Well, I take that back. You do sleep rather well at night, but only when I'm holding you. When I try to put you in the bassinet, you act like I'm throwing you into the burning pits of hell. Trust me, the bassinet is a very nice place, and I'm hoping you two will become good friends soon. And daytime naps? You see no need for those whatsoever. I think you are too afraid you are going to miss something fun and exciting. Let me be the first to tell you that NOTHING fun and exciting is going to happen while you are sleeping, so please, sleep away little one. Unless you count doing a load of laundry or unloading the dishwasher as fun and exciting.

You also are not a big fan of the pacifier. It's pretty funny how you look like I just poured motor oil in your mouth when I try to give it to you. The only person who has been able to get you to take it so far is Papa, and he has to hold it the entire time to keep you from spitting it out, which defeats the whole purpose if you ask me. I personally think you are going to be a thumb sucker just like your mommy. That is, as soon as you can figure out how to get it in your mouth.

You never cease to amaze us at how well you can hold up your head. The nurses in the operating room couldn't believe how well you were holding your head up right after you were born. Your daddy and I think this means you are going to be a genius. Don't dissapoint us, okay? Actually, I'm a little terrified about what this might actually mean. If you can already hold your head up now, does this mean that you will sit up, crawl, and walk earlier? I'm not sure I'm ready for such things anytime soon.

You cried you first ever real live wet tears this week, and my heart broke into several thousand pieces. Let's not make that a habit because mommy cannot handle it.

You have gained almost two pounds this month, and you grew one and a half inches longer. You are getting stronger and more alert every day. This week you have really started making eye contact, and you will even smile at us on occasion. Your daddy has figured out that blowing in your face amuses you for a few minutes, and will sometimes make you laugh. He now does this many times a day. Thanks for humoring him.

Your daddy and I love to just sit and look at you. We can't believe we created something so beautiful and perfect, and we are so in love.

And then, there were three.

I love you miss priss, more than anything in the world.
Mama