To Vivian, nine months old

I really cannot believe that you are already nine months old, that you have been outside my tummy for as long as you were inside. I do sometimes look at you and recognize the little baby who was once in me, especially when you have the hiccups! You had them a lot during those last months of pregnancy. I so loved being pregnant with you (after the horrible, torturous first trimester) and, even though it is better having you on the outside, I do miss it sometimes.

This has definitely been the most monumental month of development for you. One Saturday at Grandma and Grandpa's house, you practiced pulling up on their ottomon foot rest thing. We all just sat in the living room and watched you for hours. Until that day, you had pulled up a couple times at home but not often. But after practicing all day, you became a pro and that was all you wanted to do from then on. You just got better and better at it and were soon starting to cruise. This also made you a much stronger crawler. I think the desire to get to the destination where you could practice pulling up was very motivating and you are now crawling all over the place at a breakneck pace. All this moving prompted me to buy a jumperoo thing off of a friend of mine who has a baby a little older than you. That was a waste of money. We missed our jumperoo/exercauser window. You are already way too active and curious to go in one of those things.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how far you and I have come in the past nine months. Our breastfeeding relationship is so easy and lovely now and that was quite a journey. Remember when we cut your frenulum and you wouldn't eat for a day? That was so horrible and scary. And when I used to hear that clicking sound and know that you were breaking your latch and sometime wasn't quite right but I couldn't figure out how to fix it. Now I just listen to you suck, swallow, suck, swallow just as you are supposed to do.

Separation anxiety and stranger anxiety have both set in. At the same time, you seem to be quite independent for a baby. We went to playgroup recently and you were on the other side of the room from me playing with other babies and with toys. I don't think Stella ever would have done that, she was glued to my side. I am trying to encourage your independent nature (mostly in the hopes that we won't have a long drawn out separation process when you get to school -- just kidding) by letting you go off now that you can crawl away. It is cute when you move away a bit and then turn around just to check that I am still there.

You know all about gravity. You will drop your toys from your high chair and then peer over the edge to see where they've gone. You have also learned to wave bye bye which may be the world's most adorable thing. But then again there is so much about you that is just too too adorable. You are really ridiculously cute. And sweet. And I love you so much.

Love,
Mommy