Where has the time gone...

Dearest Miss Annie,

I have been threatening to write this update on you for months now. So much time has gone by and you have grown with every week. It's hard to believe that you are not my little 'easy-to-hold-with-one-arm' baby anymore.



However what you have become is much more delightful. You're a sweet little thing. You take moments to let things sink in. You look around a room, suss people out, decide how you feel about it all before you will relax into the moment. The other day we visited the Elsternwick Library Story Time. There's a very talented young lady there who reads stories and sings songs while all the babies (and the Mummas) sing along. There are actions to do, and sounds to make, and all the other children are actively involved. You, however, sit in muted silence just starring. I can't decide what is going on in your tiny little mind, but I'm tossing up between:

'Wow, this is intense' and 'How do all these people know my Mummas songs?'

At the very end of the session when I was sure that you had hated it, you started to clap your hands and bounce on my knee. I was delighted you were finally getting into it, but it was the last song and before you knew it was all over. Your little face nearly broke my heart.

Your current obsessions are taking lids on and off things, pointing at everything in the house and saying 'ta' as if we will just give you the microwave to play with. You are madly in love with Dada at the moment. In the morning, when you wake, we walk out of your bedroom and into the living room. Normally Dada is sitting there having his breakfast and reading the paper. With confidence you holler 'Dadaaaa!'. Some mornings he has already gone to work and you just can't figure out where he is. You have an unhealthy fascination with Maggie our dog. Now that you can crawl, you are gunning it over to her hoping to get a little pat in. Maggie is onto you though, being extra cautious now that your new movement resembles a small dog. She hops up quickly when she senses you coming and hightails it out of there. For you this is bitterly disappointing as it can take you awhile to get anywhere on all fours.

You've started giving Mumma real hugs back. For awhile there I was sure you had some kind of intimacy issue. But no, you show love now. In little hugs and soft kisses. I can't get enough of them. They make my day. It blows me away that we can be this lucky.

To honor the fact that you are officially 14 months old, I wanted to share a little video of the first 6 months of your life. Don't worry, we are currently filming the next installment and have found a good place to hide the tapes until your 21st.

xx

Here's to you my sweet little girl who I love so very much. Thank you for making my heart so light with love.
Mumma