Letter 9

Sarah Girl,
I can't believe that officially you have been out more than you were in. Blows my mind.

I have started planning your first birthday party and have found that I need to reign in a little. I just want everything perfect for you, always. Party or not.

This perfect thing is leaching it's way in to everything that has to do with you. I want  you to be right where the "they" say you should be, I want your outfits and bedroom to be perfect and now your party.

The thing that I am slowly realizing, although I am ashamed to admit it, you are perfect.

No if ands or buts about it.

Anyway back to how you are growing.

Your naps have become much less stressful and I am so thankful for that. You are much more pleasant when you wake up if you didn't go through the screaming before hand.

The doc cleared you for table food and you L.O.V.E it, a little too much at times. You are doing great feeding yourself but you are a little to over zealous sometimes. We had a scary moment this month when you were choking on a yogurt melt and I had to grab you out of your high chair and lay you across my legs and strike your back to get it dislodged. You were scared, crying and taking deep breaths, I was scared, crying and taking deep breaths. Then you proceeded to throw up all over me, I didn't care I was just happy you were ok.

Honey, you are sooooooo close to crawling. It is happening as I predicted, you sit and then lean forward and then get on your knees and try to move your legs. Then you fall on your tummy and scream. It's a process but I am just happy that you are getting closer to being mobile.

Speaking of falling...

You fell off the couch... twice, on my watch. The first time, I set you on the couch and the dogs started going after each other, so I left you content, laying back drinking a bottle. I came back after being gone 30 seconds and you were sitting on the floor, with your bottle. No thud, no tears. The second time I caught you and lowered you gently to the ground but total mom fail.

You are trying to pull yourself up and I think that once you crawl, walking won't be to far behind.

You have a total of 5 teeth with two more making their way down but these smaller teeth have been a breeze compared to your front two.

Something that has been bothering me lately is how enamored you are with TV and how your daddy and I don't really deter it. It started with just a couple shows in the morning because, like your mommy you aren't a morning person. Then it transformed to about an hour, and then I just gave up.

I don't know how to interact with you and keep your attention and keep you engaged like the tv does. Now please don't think I just plop you down and let it babysit you. We sing, clap, count, look at shapes and colors. You love to dance with me when the songs play and you grab at my fingers when we count.

I know I need to cut back on your screen time but I have come to the realization that if the worst thing I do to you is overload you on educational programing that we both interact through. Than I am not doing to bad in my book.

You love the little songs I make up for you and you have started with your DA DA DA, BA BA BA, MA MA MA. And you have started screaming, sometimes because you feel ignored if I have to walk away and sometimes because you are just testing your vocal cords.

I read that at this age you are becoming more aware of the concept of me being around just not around you (aka separation anxiety) and you HATE when I leave the room or walk away from you. The tears and screams are real little one! Unfortunately I do have to leave you sometimes and just make sure you see me leave and then give you extra cuddles when I get back.

Well, little one that is about it for month 9. I can't believe we are getting in to double digits here in a few weeks. You are getting so big and growing up so fast. I miss when you were a baby and we just laid in bed cuddling all day. But this new chapter is going to be so much fun!

I love you love muffin,
Mommy.