8 months old . . .

Dear Grace,

I have been thinking a lot about the trust children have, especially the trust that you as a baby have for your Dad and I. You trust that we will do what is best for you. You trust that we will nurture you. You trust that we will never put you in harm’s way. You trust that we will love you and give you what you need unconditionally. You trust that we will be there for you when you cry and when you wake up. I pray that you will trust us with anything, big or small, all your life.

I love your Daddy because our spirits connect. We promised to make a beautiful life built on commonalities, shared passions, respect, laughter, and understanding. I love him because he has become a tremendous part of who I am.

I love you, my sweet baby Grace, because you literally are a part of me.

The love I feel for you transcends all boundaries of the heart . . . it flows and runs into every thought I have of you, every dream I wish for you, every breath I take for you.

A few of this month's stats:

Weight: approximately 20 pounds

Your sleep habits: Nothing has changed since last month . . . you have no habits! Seems like every day is something different . . . usually you take a few cat naps in the morning and maybe a longer one in the afternoon (especially if I take one with you!) At night, you fall asleep anywhere between 7:00 and 10:00 and usually stay in your crib until 2:00. Once you cry, you come into bed with us. You wake up around 7:00 a.m.

Your eating habits: You tried lots of new foods this month . . . cheese, string cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, muffin, cookie, spaghetti and meat sauce, and waffles. You are getting better at feeding yourself and can get most things in your mouth, although it takes a few tries. You are still not a fan of the sippy cup, so if you seem thirsty, we just give you a drink of water out of a glass. I nurse you before I drop you off for the morning, while I am gone you eat rice cereal and a half a banana, I nurse you again when we get home, you snack in the afternoon on a baby granola bar, cheerios, cheese, etc. and then eat dinner around 6:00. You nurse anytime you want when we are home!

Your favorite things: You love babies! If Jack, Max or Sean ever get left on the floor . . . watch out! You love to play with paper and be tickled on the inside of your thighs.

Other random info: You got two top teeth on January 5 and January 10, you are now rolling over both ways and can get across the room that way, you maneuver from laying down to sitting up, you clap, you try to roll over while I am changing your diaper and I have to sing you a song to lay still, most days you take a shower with me in the morning instead of a tubbie, and you started CRAWLING on January 22. You are “saying” lots of things . . . one that you repeat over and over is “ee-bo-dee”. Your Daddy and I say it all the time now!

Things to remember about January . . . at the beginning of the month we had lots of flooding and we missed 2 days of school, cousin Max got baptized, you got a flu shot, we started having play dates with cousins Jake, Max, Cash, Brayden and Brityn, and we went to your first basketball game. Since January is a time for reflecting on the year that has past . . . 2008 was a big year for you Gracie girl, being the year you were born and all. You started out 2008 kicking away in my belly and being greatly anticipated by everyone, and ended the year a happy, chubby, baby. Your Daddy said just the other day, in the news 2008 may be remembered for one of the worst financial crises of our time, but in our house 2008 will always be the year of our Gracie girl.

And even though your Daddy makes fun of me, I will ALWAYS come to your rescue when you cry because I plan on savoring every single moment of this small window of time in your life where you want your mommy with you always, and I am painfully aware of how I will miss it when it’s over. For now, the world will have to be patient a while longer while I still have you to myself.

You fill my heart every single day.

Happy eight months, baby girl.
xoxo,
Mom