"What's that, mama?"

Dear F,
It's a joy to watch you soak up the world like a sponge, watching, listening and studying everything around you. Already your insatiable curiosity is so clearly evident to me. How amazing would it be to be able to see the world through your eyes -- everything is so interesting and so new to you. I can almost see the little wheels spinning inside your head as you work to figure things out.

As a child, I remember asking my dad "what's that?", "how does that work?", "why?" seemingly unendingly. (Actually, I still do it sometimes :-) ) I'm not entirely sure how, but it seemed like he always had the answer. But more importantly, he always seemed to have a few minutes to tell me what that answer was.

I'll make you a promise, kiddo. My dad fostered my sense of curiosity, my love of learning. I promise to try my best to give you these same gifts he gave me. And most importantly, I too want to give you the gift of time, as my dad gave me. I want to always take a moment to answer your questions and feed your curiosity. I may not always have the answers, but we can find them out together. I never want to see that inquisitiveness fade away.

I'll also make a promise to myself. I promise to try my best to take a cue from you and remember to not let go of my own child-like sense of wonderment. It's easy to get caught up in life and not pay attention to the world around me. It's easy to forget to ask "what's that" and "why". You remind me to stop and pay a little more attention to things. It's just one more way you amaze me every day.

I love you, pretty baby,
Your Mama

Moments in time

Dear F,
I can’t believe that you’re only a month old; I can’t believe you’re already a month old. I can’t imagine life with out you and yet it’s hard to believe that I’ve only had you in my life for such a short time. It is amazing to watch you grow and change so quickly. I love watching you assert your own individuality and personality already. There are so many little things every day that I wish I could capture and preserve that moment in time forever. The beautiful blue of your eyes. How your fingernails are miniature duplicates of mine. How you’ve always wanted your hands near your face even before you were born and have wiggled out of a swaddle to get your hands up since the day you were born. The way you scrunch up your face in excited determination right before you latch on when breastfeeding. The squeaky sound you make when you eat. How your cheeks are so chubby when you’re sleeping, but how your face looks longer when you’re content and awake. How strong you are when playing on your tummy. Your serious curiosity and how you get bored easily unless you’re walked around so you can see different things. The way your sad face absolutely breaks my heart. The way your smile makes me melt every single time I see it. You amaze me every day and I feel so blessed to have you in my life.

I love you always, pretty baby,
Your Mama