Seth - 9 Months

Dear Seth,

You are nine sweet months old. Every month that ticks off brings us closer to your one-year birthday, and I just cannot bear the thought. I've requested time to stand still, but so far, no response to my request.

You are such a precious little baby. I know, I say the same thing almost verbatim every single month about how wonderful you are, all those gushy things that mommas say about their babies. But no one's come up with any new words for "awesome" since last month, so I'm stuck with the same old English words. You are the sweetest, loveliest, smoochiest, squishiest, kickiest, screamiest little pile of baby that ever was. Your smile, your cheeks(!), your little comb-over, it is all just perfection.

At 9 months, you:

• are 29 and 3/4 inches long (90th percentile).
• are 22 pounds and 14 ounces (75th percentile).
• eat four bottles per day, about 24 ounces of formula.
• sleep 12 hours each night, from 7 to 7. Mostly.
• are beginning to rock yourself back and forth, but not yet crawling or pulling up. Your only method of movement currently is rolling around.
• have 8 teeth. Eight! Four on top, four on bottom.
• say "Da-da!" both when you are prompted, and also when you actually see Dada.
• eat all kinds of food, from baby food to table food and anything in between. You love to eat and snack.
• laughed in my face (literally) when I offered you a sippy cup. You shook your head and said, "huh-uh" - no way, lady.
• still sleep in a cradle in our closet. No point in putting the crib together just yet, although as soon as you master pulling up, or sitting up on your own, we'll be moving you in with the big boys.
• are so enamored with Owen. You enjoy Ari and Eva, too, but there's something about Owen that you just can't get enough of. He is really sweet to you, plays patiently and loves carefully, and I think you sense that.
• are mastering the pincher grasp. It's been very recently that you've figured out how to get small snacks into your mouth.
• will start physical therapy in two days to work on your arm movement. This should help you figure out crawling and pulling up. You are so close, and I think this little bit of help will really get you moving.

Now that the big kids are all in school full-time, our days are spent hanging out together, one-on-one. I love being with you, not to mention how easy it feels! Our days go by so quickly, and before I know it, it's time to head to school to pick everyone up. I'm both afraid and excited that all our days are going to go by so quickly, and before I know it, it'll be YOU that I'm sending off to kindergarten. (I can't even begin to dwell on that thought, or emotional crisis is certainly imminent.) So again, for probably the ninth month in a row, I say to you that I love you, unconditionally, no matter what choices you make in life, or what you become, or who you befriend, or how many times in your life that we may disagree or straight out fight. For right now, we are best friends, and I want you to know some day, when you are a teenager or adult, and read back on these letters, that I loved you from the beginning. That my love for you will never, ever change. That you saved me from myself.

Love,

Mama