Dear Lily,

Dear Lily,

Today you are nine months old. I can't believe it! I remember the day we brought you home from the hospital. It was the happiest day of my life. You are a complete joy and the light of my life. You have accomplished so many things already as such a small person. You are definitely Daddy's little girl, but I know that you think Mommy is pretty special too. My favorite thing is your toothy little smiles in the morning when I first pick you up out of your crib or when you see me after I have been gone at work all night. Those nights are the hardest for Mommy. I don't like to be away from you. I think that is evidenced by the fact that I have only been out one time with friends since the day you were born! I know that sounds crazy, but I am even crazier when I am away from my baby girl.

Your milestones thus far include: crawling everywhere and very quickly, pulling yourself up (in your crib, on the stairs, and onto the couch, you have 5 teeth that are all the way in and some more on the way, you eat 3 plus meals a day with snacks in between, you drink 4 bottles a day averaging 26 ounces a day, you don't care for juice, you love when Pa Mike gives you water from a cup, your favorite snacks are Gerber Cheeto Puffs, you do eat some table food but not a lot yet, you are able to tell us how big you are, you can show us your tummy when asked, you give kisses only sometimes, you can wave hi and bye-bye, you know what "no" means but you do it anyways, you can say "mama, Mom, baba and dada", you usually take 2 naps a day and sometimes 3 and you prefer to take them with Mommy than alone in your crib (which is A-okay with mommy!), you love to be outside, you like to spend time with your cousins and Maddie is pretty special to you because you laugh and smile when you see her, you don't care for regular TV cartoons or shows, but you do still like your Baby Einstein movies, you love to swim and you love baths and playing in the bathtub, you are getting better in church, and today you crawled up some stairs all by yourself.

Lily, these are just a few of the many things you can do so far in your short little life. I can't wait for you to experience so much more and to see you grow up and be able to learn and do so much more. I have already picked out the cake for your first birthday party because I know if I don't do it now it will sneak up on me just like the last nine months have! Sweet, sweet baby girl, I hope you know how very much I love you. I hope you don't get too mad at me for picking you up out of your crib at night when you are sound asleep so I can hold you and cuddle with you. Sometimes those are the only chances I get...you don't like to cuddle very much these days. You are always on the go! Please know that you have changed my life in ways that I could have never dreamed possible. I wear a constant smile on my face and in my heart because of you.

Love,

Mommy