Dear Jekyll (or is it Hyde?),
What changes you have gone through this past month. I left you for one week while Daddy, your brother and I went on vacation. There will be a time in your future when you see pictures from a trip to Disney World and you will be searching those pictures for your pretty little face and then you will wonder, "Wait. What year was this trip? 2006? I was alive, I know it. SO WHERE THE HELL AM I?" That is when mommy will have to explain to you that taking babies on week long vacations is not fun. It sucks and there was no way I was going to take you along. Sorry. We'll take you when you are older! I promise!
I was so worried about leaving you. I was worried for you because I did not want you to think that we had left you, forever. I was more worried for your grandparents because I know what a handful you can be with your temper and your not wanting to sleep at night. You had just started sleeping through the night the week before and I was fully prepared for you to forget all about that and wake up 4 times a night. Half of me would have felt awful if that had happened and half of me would have felt a bit appreciative that someone else would see what I had been going through for the past 12 months with you.
Of course you were just fine. You didn't miss us one bit and you slept just fine. Mommy thought about you every minute of the day and each time I saw a baby (roughly every 1.3 seconds) my heart would ache for you. I wanted to grab those babies and hug them and smell their little heads. I talked to you every day on the phone and the sound of your breathing was enough to rip my heart out. We got back after you had gone to bed and when you woke up in the morning, you got into bed with us and I had the best 20 minutes of my life just looking at you and remembering every expression and every tiny hair on your head. Then the novelty of your parents wore off and you cried to get down. Touching moment over.
Let's see. We are up to 7 teeth, cruising along the furniture faster than I am really comfortable with, saying "Dada, Mama, Nana, Kit (cat) and ight (light)" You drink from a cup, you are done with formula and drink whole milk, you point to your nose and belly when prompted, you brush your hair, nod your head and bounce up and down to music. There is not a food in existence that you will not eat. You feed yourself entirely independently. I'm waiting for you to potty train yourself and start earning your own salary. Should be any day now.
This time in your life is such fun for us. You make me laugh all day long with your temper and the funny faces you make and the way you hold your baby doll like a mommy. We couldn't imagine life without you. Yesterday your Nana asked me if I remember what life was like before you. I'm sure she expected me to say no but the truth is that YES, of course I remember life before you. It was easy, it was predictable. It was calm and ordinary. Honestly? It was boring. You make life more fun. You've forced me to be a little more patient and a little more easy going. You are making me a better person, day by day and I thank you. I do remember life without you, but I'd much rather concentrate on life WITH you. Happy Thirteen Months, Baby Girl. You make life interesting.
Love,
Mommy xoxo