Sofia: Nine Months

Dear Sofia,
On the 24th, you turned nine months old. Are you really nine months old? The months have gone by so quickly, they're a blur. It is amazing watching you grow and discover things each day, but at the same time, I wish I could keep you a baby a little longer.

Sofia, you are such a big girl now. You are constantly talking! You express so many things with your baby talk. I know when you're happy and I know when you're upset (especially when I take things away from you -- you don't hesitate to yell).
I know when you're excited and tired. Gone are the days when I didn't know what the heck was bothering you when you were crying and crying and all I could do was nurse you or rock you to soothe you. You are growing up.

You are eating all kinds of foods now. Still, mainly Gerber, but we're branching out. I've started giving you meats at your doctor's instruction, but you're not quite sure about them. You eat all kinds of fruits and veggies and we've started giving you wagon wheels and fruit puffs, as well as cereal and oatmeal. And of course, you always get mama's milk.

I find so much joy in nursing you. When you are nursing, you're still my baby, and I love cradling you and stroking your hair and cherishing those moments that will be gone before I know it.

You're not too shabby with your sippy cup although a lot of the water ends up on your shirt. I'm hoping you'll get better over the next month or so and we can get you off the bottle completely. We'll see how that works out. Your grandma, aunt and uncle visited this past weekend. They were all so impressed with how well you feed yourself and how you drink from your sippy cup.

This past month you grew some more teeth! You have about three coming in, which may explain why you are so fussy sometimes and wake up at night. You had another ear infection this past month too, which wasn't fun for any of us. That brings the count to four (I think) so far. You can also stand and walk the length of the coffee table or couch or crib...

I think your favorite song is "Old MacDonald had a Farm". I go on and on and on with all the different animals. Sometimes it's the only song that stops your crying in the car. You love it. You also love "She'll be Coming 'Round the Mountain". You smile and laugh when I bounce you up and down on my knee singing it.

You love bubbles and try to crawl on me and your daddy whenever we blow them for you. You still like playing peek-a-boo with me and your new favorite game is "hide the pacifier". Daddy and I hide your pacifier under the pillows on our bed, but you find it every time. We started out really trying to hide it from you so you wouldn't use it, but that didn't quite work out.

You had your nine-month check up the other day, and you weighed in at 21 lbs, 6.8 oz. You are 28 and 3/4 inches long! I can't believe how big you are. Your grandma and aunt reported sore arms after they got home from carrying you all weekend. They watched you this weekend while your daddy and I went out for the first time without you here in Houston. It was strange being without you. You are so much a part of us.

This past month we took you out for playtime in the park. You liked watching the ducks and loved shoving grass into your mouth. We also made a stop at the beach on my first Mother's Day. You loved the water! We actually let you feel the waves rush up to you. You squealed every time. It was so cute. We took you over to our neighborhood park the other day too, and you LOVED the baby swing. I had no idea you would love it so much. Our little thrill seeker. You love the outdoors. Everytime I leave the back door open for the cats you try and escape.

Sofia, I love everything about you. I love watching you grow, listening to you talk. I love the way you show all your teeth when you laugh. I love the way you yell when I try to pull something away from you. I can't believe there was a time not long ago when you weren't in the world. I can't wait to hear your first words, watch you take your first steps, and continue to discover the world around you. Every day brings something new, and I'm constantly reminded of how blessed we are to have you in our lives. Thank you for all the joy you bring.

Love,
Mama