11-Month Letter

Dear C,

11 months old.  One month shy of a year since we met you and became proud parents of a beautiful little girl.  While we have been proud of you since you were minutes old and wrapping your hand around Daddy’s finger and our hearts around your pinkie, it has only been in the last few weeks that I’ve felt like I could bust with joy when you accomplish something new. 

Like walking. 

And talking. 

And feeding yourself. 

And crawling up the steps.  (Actually, I don’t like this one so much.  Let’s stop doing it.)

You’re such an independent little soul.  You want to do things yourself, are constantly on the move and you never, ever sit still.  I guess this is pretty typical behavior for a baby of your age, but it’s still one of the most amazing things to your daddy and me. 

As you toddle across the room, your arms out to keep you steady, we look at each other and grin.  Each silently counting your footsteps.  One. Two. Three.  We make eye contact and our smiles get a little bigger.  Four. Five. Six.  Sometimes you stop to see if we’re looking at you and we hold our breath.  And then you toddle some more.  Off to get whatever has caught your eye.  Sometimes you make it all the way.  Other times you stumble and fall down.  Or, you simply decide you can get there faster by crawling, so you drop to your knees and take off. 

You’ve taken a lot of knocks the past few weeks.  It feels like you’re constantly bumping your head into something, falling down or pulling on something and smacking yourself in the face with it.  When you do and when it hurts, you cry big crocodile tears until someone scoops you up and smothers you with kisses.  We make promises that it will be all better by the time you’re married and show you a different toy and then, like magic, the tears stop and you’re begging to be put down. 

You’re such an inquisitive, happy little girl.  I hope you always find joy in the little things like sitting on the table, playing with a cap from one of your bottles or putting leaves in a plastic cup. 

I love you, sweet child.