A letter to you

Dear Anna,

I started this blog because I love to write. Then, when I got pregnant, my hope was that I could document everything I was thinking and feeling so that one day - you could read it all.

So that you would know what your Mom thought when she was young (ha!) and hadn't even had you yet, but was really, really excited that you were on your way.

And so you would know that when you arrived, you absolutely amazed your Mom and Dad with everything you did.

You would be able to read about the things you liked as a baby. Things that made you unhappy. You could see pictures of the cute faces you made. You would know what your Mom was thinking at the time as she watched you grow up.

(As I type this, you're lying on your playmat, chewing on your hand and kicking your legs in your white cupcake jammies. You look incredibly, incredibly cute. Mommy thinks you're just adorable. But I'm sure you already knew that.)

Sometimes it's hard to remember the little details. I'm already starting to forget how it felt to hold you when you were only 5lbs and 15 oz when you were born. You're already too big to nuzzle into my neck and fall fast asleep after a nighttime feeding. If I didn't have it written down, I might not remember that you smiled for the very first time at me on March 12th. (Now you do it all the time).

It's only human to forget these things. I get caught up in what you're doing right now (smiling and cooing at the panda doll hanging off your playmat) and I tend to forget the little things.

So that's why I have this blog. So you'll know that when you were 3 and a half months old, you absolutely LOVED to stand up in Mommy and Daddy's lap (as long as we held you there, of course) and look around. You'll know that you actually laughed out loud one time when I was giving you a bath.

You'll know that ever since you were about 2 months old, you loved the tree painted on your wall by your "Uncle" Char and that your Dad and I used to call the owl in the tree "Professor SmartFeathers" so you would get a huge grin on your face.

You'll know that your Mom felt silly trotting in Kindermusik class - but I wanted you to be engaged and have some fun. And after only one class, I proudly sung the "Dilly dilly" song to you in front of my friends.

You'll know that I watched your Uncle Chris (the fun, bachelor Uncle who never held babies much) hold you with such tenderness and give you a big kiss on your head at a party in front of all his friends.

You'll know that you scare easily now, you make lots of loud noises when you eat, you love being rocked to sleep on your glider and you hate when I try to clean out the boogies in your nose. (I'm sure you still hate that. I'm sorry, but I can't help it.)

Most of all, you'll know how much you were loved and adored by your Mom and Dad and everyone around you from day one. You'll know that we couldn't imagine our lives without you and that you make us smile and laugh every, single day. You'll know that when Mommy and Daddy hold you and hug you, suddenly all seems right in our lives.

And you'll know that right at this moment, you're letting me know that it's time to wrap up the blog and focus more on you. You're letting out a little cry that seems to say "I want you to give me all your attention, Mommy!"

So that's what it's time for me to do.

All my love now and for the rest of your life,

Mom