Dear Amelia {Twelve Months}

Dear Amelia,

Happy First Birthday, a week late! I have been nothing if not consistently late with these letters to you all year. I apologize, but better late than never, right?

I’m happy to report, though, you had a quite nice first birthday. We did your favorite things: Went grocery shopping (you love all the people and things to see), played with new toys, and had cake. I think the last one might be your all time favorite thing ever.

I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since you were born. It both feels like yesterday and also eons ago. Part of me can close my eyes and feel your tiny body snuggled into me, in the crook of my arm, late at night, and the other part of me can hardly believe that same tiny baby is now this crawling, yelling, excited girl.

You are all over the place all the time now. You’re not walking yet, but that’s okay. You’ll get there on your own pace. You love music and dance every time you hear it. You love all forms of it, too, from classical to country to alternative rock. You are not picky about your tunes, as long as you can jam along with it, you’re good.

You have six teeth, which beats last month’s prediction you would close out your first year with five. You use them well, too. You eat a lot and often, though you would not know it by your size. You are still tiny. In fact the other day a teacher at your daycare asked, “When is her birthday?” When I replied “last week,” she was stunned. “Wow,” she said, “she is small!” And you are. You are more or less the size of most 8-9 month olds. You still fit in 6-9 month onesies. I’ve just started putting you in 9-12 month clothes.

I don’t mind the smallness. You will grow bigger quickly, and I’m not ready for that yet.

Your already big personality has gotten even bigger. You are happy, almost all the time. You very rarely throw tantrums, but when you do…YIKES. Your daddy and I have our work cut out for us. You are fiercely independent. You can and will figure out how to do most things on your own. Including but not limited to working out iPhones/iPads, the television remote, and your baby monitor. You test your boundaries daily. You definitely know what “no” means, but you often choose to ignore it.

I love watching you figure out your world. If your daddy or I laugh at something, you laugh too. You get that we found something funny, and you want to be a part of it. If you sneeze, you will stare at me until I say “Bless you.” You clap whenever something good happens. And in your eyes, “something good” is almost anything (except maybe a bath).

It has been such an amazing year with you, Boo Bear. I know the the next year will be just as amazing. I can’t wait to see everything you learn and to see how you will grow. I’m so thankful I get to be your mama.

I love you to the moon and back.

XOXO,

Mama

Dear Amelia {Eleven months}

Dear Amelia,

Well, this is probably your second to last monthly letter. You are turning ONE next month. (I would love to say I’ll have the energy to continue to do them monthly into your second year, but who are we kidding?) How is that even possible? It seems like just yesterday I was anxiously waiting your arrival, and now look at you.

You are all over the place these days. You are crawling, pulling up, cruising, and getting your balance together to start walking. You are also, like your mom, an accident waiting to happen. Your legs are covered in bruises, and you fall over a lot. None of these things stop you from going after what you want, though. You are, in a word, persistent. Once something is in your sight, you will stop at nothing to get it. And if we take it away from you? Hooboy, look out, because you can already throw an impressive temper tantrum (or as I prefer to say, a hissy fit).

For the most part though, you are still a good, happy baby with smiles for everyone.

Speaking of smiles, you have two new teeth coming in. You will (probably) close out your first year with five pearly white chompers. You use them well, as you will eat just about anything we put in front of you. This is good, because you have pretty much weaned yourself off of bottles. You still get one every morning, but I don’t know if that’s more for me or for you. (I love the cuddle time! Some days it’s the only cuddle time I get.)

By far the biggest change this past month is we are now residents of the Hoosier State. You were a total trooper on the drive up here, and so far you are adjusting well, with only a few minor issues here and there (we are currently dealing with a little sleep regression–I am listening to you cry over the monitor as I write this. Go to sleep, baby, you are so tired!). I am happy to report everyone up here finds you just as adorable as everyone in Louisiana did. Your cuteness is universal.

Next month, we’ll celebrate your first birthday for the second time (you already had one party with all your favorite people in Louisiana). You will be excited to eat cake again, but I will probably cry. Just warning you now. (I can’t believe we’re already almost here, and it’s scary because before I know it, you’ll be reading these yourself and saying “Mommmmm, why do have to be so embarrassing? My friends could read this.” And I’ll laugh, because that’s what moms do.) In the meantime though, don’t mind if I try to snuggle you a little closer and longer to try to soak up all the babyhood you have left.

I love you to the moon and back, Boo Bear.

XOXO,

Mama

Dear Amelia {Ten months}

Dear Amelia,

You are now 10 months old. I know I’ve said this in every letter, but it’s just crazy to me that we’re here already. You are getting SO BIG! I mean, just look at you:

If ever a picture personified you perfectly, that’s it. You are a very busy girl. You have figured out the crawling thing and you. are. everywhere. All the time. And nosy. You have to know what is going on at all times. You are pulling up on pretty much everything (the couch, the table, me, the cats), and even starting to cruise. You definitely are keeping me on my toes!

You can say “dada” and what I think is some version of “okay”. I’m not certain what you are saying most of the time, but you are. You, like your mama, talk a lot and you say it with so much authority, some times you almost convince me you’re the boss instead of me (who are we kidding, we all know who the real boss is around here…). You’ll talk to anyone and anything. Your daddy and I are gonna have our hands full when you are older, because you are the world’s biggest flirt. You are pretty and smart and funny and gosh darn-it, you are going to make sure everyone around you knows it.

You now have three teeth, and you’ll eat just about anything in sight. You have weaned yourself down to three bottles a day, and when you want to, you’ll even hold your bottle on your own. You have mastered self-feeding, and you even get upset when I try to put something in your mouth. You want to do it yourself. Which is just about your attitude with anything these days.

I got an email from the other day about the “transition from baby to toddler” you are currently in. I can definitely see it happening. Not only in attitude, but also physically. You are getting taller and slimming out. You look less and less like a baby every day. This is all terribly exciting, but a little saddening, also. I will miss being able to call you a baby, even if you will always be my baby. And I definitely miss your non-mobility. Seriously, can we go back to that, just for a few days?

I love you so much, sweet girl.

XOXO,

Mama

Dear Amelia {nine months}

Dear Amelia,

This month’s letter is a little late because we have been SO BUSY lately. In between packing and traveling and life in general, things have been insane.

There’s a lot going on for you lately, little girl. In the past month you have been pulled from daycare, an emotional decision for me, and you are now being taken care of by your Gran and your Auntie. I think this situation is for the best though, because you get to spend a lot of time with people who love you a ton before we move. You were thriving in daycare here though, so I hope you will be okay when we put you back in Indianapolis.

By far the biggest accomplishment of yours this past month is CRAWLING! You are officially mobile. Well, kind of. You haven’t quite figured it out totally yet. You do this totally adorable lunge/army crawl thing, but it gets you where you want to go, eventually. You are also pulling up on things and people. All of this means you are into everything and all over everyone, which is causing me to pull my hair out. You are also self feeding and will eat just about anything I put in front of you, which is pretty awesome. We’re starting to wean the bottle some, and you have adjusted magnificently to it, thank god.

You are also growing like a weed. Here’s some fast stats for you:

Weight: 17 lbs (~20th percentile, we’re bulking up a little!)

Height: 28 in (~53rd percentile)

Teeth: One (but number two is about to cut through)

Hair: Blonde and crazy

You are the cutest little cuddle bug ever. It’s the truth; it has been independently verified. You are also inquisitive and social. You have yet to meet a stranger. You will “talk” to anyone and everyone, and you are very generous with your huge smiles. Even the grumpiest people light up when they see you because you are so happy to see them. I hope you never lose this quality.

Baby A, you make me laugh and smile every single day. To quote the cheesy song, “you light up my life” in ways you will never be able to imagine. I love you more and more every single day.

Love XOXO,

Mama

Dear Amelia {eight months}

Dear Amelia,

Holy cow, you’re eight months old! You are growing so rapidly, I’m trying hard not to blink because I don’t want to miss anything.

This past month has brought on a lot of changes. You cut your first tooth, went on your first plane trip, went out of state for the first time, met tons of relatives, and you are now really close to learning how to crawl. I get a kick out of watching you flounder trying to figure out how to move your arms and legs to go. Don’t worry, you’ll get there soon enough and will be wreaking havoc on the whole house, especially the cats.

The biggest change (for both of us) has been adapting to life sans Daddy. It’s been difficult for both of us, but pretty soon we’ll be gearing up for the biggest change ever: Moving to Indianapolis! I can’t wait to take you on this adventure. If there is one thing your Daddy and I love, it’s seeing new places. We definitely want to instill that love in you.

Amelia, you are definitely my daughter. You inherited my eyes and my love to be the center of attention. And let’s not forget our mutual love of talking. You love to hear your own voice! And we all do, it’s the sweetest sound in the world. You are bright and inquisitive. You love to “read” books and be sang to. You have a couple new favorite games to play, too: “Let’s pass Amelia back and forth” in which you get handed from one person to another, and “Let’s pull everything out of this bag” in which you find a bag and pull everything out of it. I actually really like this one, it keeps you occupied while I do other things, like get dressed or eat.

You are getting prettier by the day. You have the biggest, bluest eyes and the most adorable smile in the world. The best part of my day is picking you up from daycare and getting the biggest smile in the world while you practically fall out of whatever you’re in trying to get to me. It makes my heart melt to know you love me almost as much as I love you.

It’s hard to believe in four short months you will be one whole year old. I keep willing time to slow down, but it just seems to be going by faster and faster. Every time I see a little girl, I wonder what you will be like at that age. You are the world’s best baby, I’m so incredibly blessed to be able to watch you grow up.

I love you times infinity forever.

XOXO,

Mama

Dear Amelia {Seven Months}

Dear Amelia,

You are now seven months old. In just five short months, you will be one whole year old. We will also be moving shortly after, so I am determined to make the most of the next five months with you here in your home state.

So what’s new in your world in the past month? Well, you are officially into everything. Nothing is safe around you anymore. If you see it, you want it, and you will do anything you can to get it. Your favorite “No Amelia” objects are iPhones, the TV remote, and the Playstation controller. You’ve mastered sitting unassisted, which means you cannot stand laying down. Unless you get yourself there. Which is the pretty much the theme of your life right now: It’s not okay unless I do it myself.

You’re taking your time with some other developmental milestones, like scooting and crawling and pulling up on things, which I am totes okay with. I know you’ll get there when you’re ready too. We’re still waiting on your first tooth, which makes me wonder if you’re going to be one of those babies who has no teeth til they’re one.

Even without teeth, you are more into food than ever. If you see me eating, you want to eat too. This means I am no longer able to eat certain things in front of you, because you think everything is for sharing. Apparently this spreads to daycare too, because I am often told you try to steal other babies’ food. I’m not sure where you are putting all the food you eat, because I can definitely still fit you in your 0-3 onesies, and all of your 3-6 clothes still fit perfectly. You eat table food like a champ. Pretty much anything we put in your mouth you love. I know this won’t always be the case, so I’m enjoying it while it lasts. You’re starting to learn how to pick up your food on your own. Sometimes it actually makes it to your mouth, too.

It amazes me how much you continue to grow and change. In seven incredibly short months, you have gone from a colicky newborn to a happy, active, talkative baby. And in seven more months you will be a toddler. I couldn’t want anything more from you as a baby. You are the happiest, smiliest, funniest baby ever. The only thing I could ever ask for would be for time to go by a little slower.

I love you to the moon and back.

XOXO,

Mama

Dear Amelia {Six Months}

Dear Amelia,

How is it possible that we are already here again? These months are going by faster and faster.

This month is especially important, because you are six months old now. What does that mean? Well, it means you were born half year ago. If we were still counting your age in weeks, you would be 26 weeks old (or the same amount of weeks that I am years, which is a little amusing). And if we want to get really crazy, we could also say you are 185 days old.

So what’s new in your world now? You can officially sit up on your own, most of the time. You do pretty well with it before you get distracted and topple over. You have completely mastered rolling over, and that is your main form of momentum when you aren’t being carried somewhere. You are starting to work on scooting on your belly, but so far you haven’t quite got the hang of it, thank god, because we haven’t baby-proofed yet.

You are also eating a TON OF FOOD. I’m going to document everything you’ve eaten and liked here so when you are five and terribly picky and refusing to eat your veggies I can say, “See? You liked peas once! YOU WILL LIKE THEM NOW.”

Foods Baby A will eat:

• Peas
• Carrots
• Green beans
• Sweet potato
• Squash
• Bananas
• Apples
• Cantaloupe
• Watermelon
• Blueberries
• Pears
• Mangoes
• Peaches
• Oatmeal

You LOVE to eat. I don’t even think it matters to you what’s in the bottle or on the spoon, as long as it is going in your mouth. We just started giving you breakfast, and you think it’s the best thing ever. You can even drink from a cup (no lie, I don’t even know how you figured that one out, you were just able to do it).

You are laughing and giggling at everything. Seriously, everything is hilarious to you, but it makes me feel incredibly special that I can make you laugh the most and the loudest. It’s no secret that I am your favorite. I often hear, “She just wants her mommy,” and it’s true. You can be screaming bloody murder (and good lord help us, can you do that, you are already throwing toddler like tantrums, and it is frightening), and if I pick you up you stop. I suppose I should feel a little guilty you like me best, but I know it won’t always be the case, so I’m just going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Even though you’ve been here for six months, I still can’t believe I am your mom. I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it every month because it will never stop being true: I am so lucky and so incredibly blessed to have you.

I love you times infinity forever.

XOXO,

Mama

P.S. Can we try to grow up a little slower?

Dear Amelia {Five Months}

Dear Amelia,

It’s hard to believe you are five months old, but you are. It’s amazing and saddening all at the same time.

You continue to astound your Daddy and me daily with all you do. New accomplishments in the past month include sleeping in your crib (sometimes) (last night was your first night to sleep there all night long), eating all sorts of yummy food (carrots and surprisingly peas top your favorites list), and a belly laugh that would make even the most cynical person ever smile.

Seriously, while we’re on the subject of it, your smile could break hearts. One day it will, but for now you use it to woo strangers in the grocery store and melt Mama’s heart. Pretty soon that smile could have its first tooth because we are pretty sure you’re cutting one.

You are a beautiful baby, and it’s not just me who says so. It’s been independently verified by others. Someone even asked us recently if we were going to put you in baby pageants. We won’t, because you would be way cuter than all the other babies, and I don’t want to be responsible for their low self esteem.

You are inquisitive and curious and strong willed. If you could, you would be into everything. You cannot wait to sit unassisted and you are angry you can’t yet. Pretty soon you’ll be giving us a run for our money. You roll over in all directions, and you love to play. Your favorite games right now are peek-a-boo and can-I-fit-this-in-my-mouth.

Mimi, to me, you are the cutest, sweetest, funniest baby in the whole world. Every day with you is better than the last. It’s hard to believe this time next month you will be six months old and inching closer and closer to the one year mark. It seems like just yesterday you were my snuggly little newborn. Now you are a fully interactive baby, which is awesome, but sometimes I miss cradling you all day long. Luckily you still love to cuddle. Hopefully you always will.

I love you to the moon and back.

XOXO,

Mama

Happy Valentine’s Day + Dear Amelia {4 Months…ish)

I hope you all are having a better Valentine’s Day than we are. I got the dreaded “your child is sick, come get her” call from daycare this morning, so my little valentine and I have a date with the pediatrician this afternoon. I’ve never been a big V-Day fan; we always seem to have bad luck on this day, and it looks like A’s first is no different.

At any rate, I’m finally posting her four month letter! I feel bad it’s so late. And I didn’t get to take a normal picture, either. One day she’s going to look back and wonder why her fourth month is different than all the others. Oh well.

If she looks grumpy it’s because she was.

Dear Amelia,

You may notice this month’s letter is a little late. Sorry about that! To say we’ve been busy is putting it mildly. Between work and daycare and trips to see your Nonni and Grampy I haven’t had a lot of time at home to write you.

You are growing by leaps and bounds, though you may not know it by looking at you. You are still a tiny baby, but people should not be fooled by your size. You are a little girl with a big personality.

You are also very strong. You can’t stand to be cradled (unless you are sleepy, then you just want to snuggle in like a sweet newborn again, and I love it). You want to sit up and stand up and generally see what the heck is going on. You can roll over and kick your legs so hard I’m surprised you haven’t fallen off or out if anything yet.

You’ve started solids, which you love. You are all about eating! You especially love grabbing the spoon from me. If this is any indication of a “I’ll do it myself” attitude, we have a long road ahead of us.

You can babble and laugh. My favorite thing to do is make you smile and giggle. Luckily it’s not very hard to do. I’m happy to report your disposition has improved greatly, and generally speaking you are a content baby, although I’m still not sure happy is your default mood.

Amelia, you continue to be the biggest joy of my life. Everyday with you is better than the last. As far as I’m concerned, I’m the luckiest mom in the world because I get to have you as my daughter.

XOXO,

Mommy

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! You all rock my socks, thank you for reading and supporting HSM! I appreciate every view, every like and every comment more than you know!

Dear Amelia {Three Months}

Dear Amelia,

Wow. Three months! Can you believe it? I can’t.

You are an amazing little girl to watch grow up, and I feel so lucky and blessed to be able to do so. You are getting bigger and stronger every day. You have total head control now. No more bobble head for you! You want to and are trying to sit up on your own. If you’re awake and someone tries to cradle you like a newborn, you will fuss and attempt to sit up in their at arms. You can put weight on your feet and will “stand” for several minutes. You can roll from side to side so well pretty soon you’re going to roll all the way over and scare the crap out of yourself.

You are definitely no longer my little newborn. I’m not even sure you know you’re a baby. You hate to nap. Actually you hate sleep, period. It’s always a fight to get you to go down. And you’re already teething. You are my little early and over achiever, that’s for sure. I hope you stay that way.

You are getting more and more interested in the things around you. It’s so fun to watch you interact with everything. I can see you trying to figure out how to get a hold of your toys and your feet now. Pretty soon you’ll be grabbing at everything, not just mommy’s hair. I’m looking forward to you figuring out how to put things in your mouth and chew. I’m sure I’ll feel differently when you do, though.

Amelia, you have the sweetest smile and the cutest little giggle. I can and will spend hours everyday trying to elicit them, but thankfully it’s not that hard to get them out of you. You are growing out of the colic, but you can still be fussy (thank you gas and teething).

I’m learning all your little quirks, and I love them all. You get angry when you don’t get your way; you shake your head and SCREAM. You rub your eyes when you’re sleepy and suck on your fingers. You kick your legs when you’re excited. You furrow your brow when you’re trying to figure something out. You love to watch cartoons, especially Transformers, with your daddy. Your eyes light up at all the colors and motion. I’m not so sure we should be letting our three month old watch TV, but it’s just to funny to watch your reactions!

The last three months have been so special. We are so lucky to have you. I love you more than you’ll ever know.

Love,

Mama

P.S. A bonus picture just because it was too damn cute not to include: