Nine Months!

Dear Emerson,

You are nine months old today.  It seems like that can't be, I swear I just brought you home from the hospital. I remember being so worried about you when you wouldn't gain weight fast enough.  You had little tiny chicken legs and I thought they'd never plump up.  Just look at you now!  Mommy can hardly lift you, you are so heavy and tall!

You are turning into such a big boy and it's both wonderful and heartbreaking to watch you change so quickly.  Gone are the days when you were content to cuddle with your Mommy on the couch for hours.  Gone are the days I can even change your diaper without it feeling like I'm wrestling an alligator. 

I'm so proud of the boy you are becoming. You are so curious and independent.  You crawl all over the house like you own the place.  You'd crawl anywhere we let you like that.  You want to touch everything, put it in your mouth, teeth on it a little for good measure.  You love to cruise along the couch, seeing what fun you can find.  And you find fun and joy in everything, even crumpling up junk mail.  And you make my life more fun simply because of your smile.

You babble and laugh all the time and you are FULL of opinions.  You so expressive and its amazing to watch you find new sounds and noises to try out.  You giggle to yourself when Daddy tickles you and you laugh out loud when Sissy plays with you.  You so full of love and happiness every day. 

You have your Daddy's handsome smile and beautiful blue eyes.  And you love to share that smiles and bat those baby blues at anyone who comes near you.  Grandma pointed out that people stare at you when we go places and they do.  People stop me to tell me how handsome and cute and sweet and happy you are every time I take you anywhere.  You seem to brighten people's days with your adorable little gummy grin. 

You love to feed yourself and will stuff whole handfuls of rice in your little mouth.  You do a happy dance in your high chair when you like your food or are feeling silly. 

My favorite time of day is just before bed.  You've had your dinner, taken a bath, gotten into snuggly pajamas...and then its just me and you.  We cuddle up in the big bed and you nurse until you fall asleep.  You make the sweetest little noises when you are sleepy and sometimes I snuggle with you for a while longer after you've fallen asleep.  Then Daddy moves you to your comfy crib to sleep the night away (or at least until one a.m. when you need your midnight snack).

One day I'll look back on these middle of the night feedings and miss them, I think.  I like having the quiet time with you, just the two of us.  At four a.m. it's just you and me, buddy! 

You changed my world nine months ago.  I was not prepared for how much it was possible to love someone so tiny!  Now that you're growing so much bigger, my love for you is growing too.  I love you even more today than I did then.  And I will love you more tomorrow.  I will love you always.

Love,
Mommy