Letter to my 12 month old

My dear Amelia,

My sweet baby girl...my one year old. I have spent every day of the past month soaking in every little thing that I could, and holding tight to a year's worth of baby memories. I have been very sentimental this month, often thinking of, and fondly remembering the day you were born. It was simply my best day. I loved everything about it; the excitement, the nervousness, the pain, the fear, the love, the moment of becoming a mother. The past year has been my greatest joy. I just do not have the words to properly describe how much I love you and how proud you have made me. I'm pretty sure that words do not exist, and only another mother could possibly know how I feel.

Once again, you have continued to amaze us all with how much you have learned and changed in one short month. This month:

• You learned to sign "more" and "all done". I know you have known what both meant for some time, but you have recently started signing back to me when you would like more or are finished eating.
• You learned to high five. You only like to do it when it is your idea, but when you are really proud of yourself, you give us a big high five and it is adorable.
• You can point out nose, ears and belly.
• You say mama, dada, bye-bye, hi, what's that, duck, dog and mooo.
• You sleep from 8 - 8:30 pm to 6 - 6:30 am.
• You watch everything I do and imitate my actions. You love to pretend cook, pretend paint, carry a purse around, brush your hair and hold the phone up to your ear.
• You love to dance.
• You cut another tooth. The tooth next to your top right center came in at the end of the month, making a total of 6.
• You have been extremely affectionate, giving lots of really tight hugs and slobbery kisses. When I tell you I love you, you nod your head yes.
• You love to be a helper. You are constantly picking things up from around the house and bringing them to me.
• You learned how to turn backwards and get down from the couch by yourself. We spend lots of time getting up on the couch and then getting back down.
• You still love to eat and usually eat what we are eating. You still have 2 or 3 bottles a day but are pretty much weaning yourself off those.

You have given us twelve full months of fun and laughs and sleepless nights and tears and milestones and more love than we could have ever imagined. I have adored every single second since the moment that you were born. I will always, always look back on your first year as one of the best times in my life. I am so excited to see what the next year brings. All my love to you, my sweet baby girl.

Happy Birthday Amelia Gayle!

Letter to my 11 month old

Dear Amelia,

Another month is gone, we are another month closer to your 1st birthday. I can't help but think of your birthday as the end of babyhood, so I have been soaking up every little bit I can during these last couple months. And the little bits of baby-ness are harder to find these days. You are so active and smart. You are constantly on the move, doing things on your own and trying new things. Each day you challenge me with something new you can get into, and surprise me with something new you have learned. This month:

• You gave up baby food. Completely. The pureed food out of a jar and tasteless cereal simply will no longer cut it. You like to feed yourself and will try just about anything. Some of your favorites these days are bananas, peas and carrots, avacados, peaches and vienna sausages (even though they gross me out. You can thank Grams for that one.)
• You run everywhere. Evidently walking was not fast enough for you. Although now you are a bit over confident in your running abilites and tend to fall more than you used to. You have had your fair share of bumps and bruises this month.
• You can say mama, dada, dog, bye-bye, what's that, duck, and your new word is Moooooo. That's what you say when we ask you what a cow says.
• You sleep from 8 pm to 6 am.
• You got another tooth. (bottom left, next to the centers). This makes a total of 5.
• You love to give hugs and kisses. To the dogs, to your toys, to your books, anything that needs a kiss. However you will not kiss on demand, it has to be your idea. But when you run over and give me a hug and kiss at the end of a long day, my heart melts every time.
• You went swimming for the first time. Temperatures have been crazy hot, so the kiddie pool was a perfect way to cool down.
• You love to read. You like to pick out a book from your big stack and bring it to me. You listen and watch me read, but you like to be the one to turn the pages.

The days of rocking to sleep and cuddling are getting fewer. The baby-ness is ending. You are an independent, spirited little girl and love to do things on your own. You are almost officially a toddler. So, for this last month of your first year, I am going to hold you tight, drop everything anytime you want to cuddle and savor every last day of your babyhood. All my love to you, my sweet sweet baby girl, my soon to be toddler.

Letter to my 10 month old

Dear Amelia,

Today you are 10 months old. You are the funniest, smartest, silliest, most independent 10 month old I have ever seen. You love to explore, dance, make us laugh and be the center of attention. Once again, you have amazed us all this month with the new things you have learned.

This month:

• You have become a pro at walking. Within just a couple of weeks you went from taking your first steps to full on running. You love to run circles around the living room and squeal with delight while we try to catch you.
• You love to climb and flip off things. I can't turn my back for a second without you trying to climb on top of something. I think gymnastics might be in our future.
• You FINALLY got your two top teeth! After months of them coming through and giving you trouble, they finally popped through. You are so cute with your four little teeth that show when you smile really wide.
• You still love to eat and are expanding your palate. You insist on trying whatever is on our plates, and continually surprise us with your choices. We have yet to find a food that you do not like. Right now you are transitioning from eating baby food at most meals to mostly finger foods.
• You say mama, dada, bye bye, dog, duck and what's that? "What's that" is currently your favorite thing to say and you must point at and identify every new object.
• You have started answering our questions with yes and no by shaking your head. When we say "Are you hungry?" You respond by shaking your head. Every night we settle down for the night and say, "Are you ready to go to bed?" You always shake your head yes and want us to carry you to your room.
• You sleep from about 8:00 pm - 6:30 am. You are currently sleeping on your elephant pillow and your favorite stuffed dog in the crook of your arm.
• You are once again sleeping through the night. Once those pesky teeth came through, you are sleeping through the night again with no problem. Yay!
• You experienced your first serious tornado on May 24 and it was one of the scariest days of my life. We prepared the bathtub with pillows and blankets, stocked the room with bottled water and your supplies, moved the dogs crates in and waited for the storm. Your daddy and I were scared as we watched the news, but you had a great time taking care of the dogs in the bathroom. Oklahoma experienced severe damage that day and lives were lost. That night we all hugged a little bit tighter and went to bed with grateful hearts.

This was such a fun month for me to share with you. Now that you are officially mobile we are always on the move. We have had a great time exploring every room in our house, all the streets of our neighborhood, and all the shops in our little town. I know there are lots of adventures in our future and I look forward to each one. You are such a precious gift and I love you with all of my heart, my sweet sweet baby girl.

Letter to my 9 month old

My dear Amelia,

You are 9 months old today, and growing up so fast! You watch everything we do and love to imitate our actions. You love to read books, pet the dogs, dance to music, and play outside. We go everywhere together and we are starting to have conversations where I can tell that we both really understand what the other is saying. You are turning into a toddler, and I don't know if I am ready for all the grown up things you are doing.

This month:

• You took your first step! At about 8 months and 1 week you took your first step. It was in Ardmore at Grams and Pop's house. Your dad and I were both there to see it and we were so proud of you!
• You are officially walking. At the end of your 8th month you can take 7-8 confident steps. You have no problem standing up and going, but you can't stop yourself yet, so you just have to fall down.
• You love to eat! Anything and everything! You love to sample whatever is on our plate.
• You love to give kisses. Especially to Suki and Sullivan, and all your books. My favorite moment of any day is when you lean over and give me a hug and kiss.
• You say mama, dada, bye bye, dog, and uh oh. You also point at things and say something that we swear sounds like "what's that?" I think you are going to be a serious talker!
• You had your first boo boo. You fell and bumped your chin and lip on the table while you were cruising around the living room. One drop of blood came out of your mouth and I almost cried.
• You are still going to bed around 8 pm and waking about 6:30 am.
• You still only have two teeth, but the top ones have been giving you lots of trouble so I think they will be coming through soon.
• You do not like to get in trouble. It only takes hearing NO one or two times for you to stop doing something you are not suppose to. I'll keep my fingers crossed it stays that way!
• You got to see Uncle Adam for the first time since you were about 6 weeks old. He was home for a month while on his way to Italy. He spent several days with us and you got to spend lots of time together.

Even though everything is changing much faster than I thought it would, I am loving every minute. I have always loved staying at home with you, but lately I have really appreciated all the small moments and big milestones that I have been able to witness because I am a stay-at-home mom. It is simply the best thing I have ever done and I want you to always know that. All my love to you, my sweet baby girl.

Letter to my 8 month old.

My dear Amelia,

I think the older that you get the more quickly time passes. The past month has flown by! You are so busy and active that the days go by quickly and you definitely keep me on my toes. We spend our days playing, and cuddling, and looking at, touching and experiencing as many new things as possible. You are still so curious and I can see your little mind soaking everything in. This month:

• You have totally mastered crawling and are a speed demon. When you are after something we have to run to keep up.
• You can easily pull yourself to a standing position. You love to stand up whenever possible.
• You "cruise" along everything. You walk in circles around the living room holding on to furniture and toys.
• You think you can walk. You often let go of whatever you are holding on to and try to take off, then get really frustrated when you fall down.
• You are getting really good at standing balanced. You can usually do it for a few seconds at a time, so I don't think walking is too far away.
• You spent your first night away from me. Your daddy and I celebrated our 5 Year Anniversary and spent the night in Oklahoma City. You stayed at our house with Grams and played all weekend. It was harder than I thought it would be to say goodbye, but you did a great job and I think it was good for all of us.
• You learned the word no. I told you no about touching something and you sat down, stuck your bottom lip out and cried.
• You went to your first CIRCUS! We went to the Shrine Circus in OKC with Grams and Pop, Paw Paw, Uncle Adam, Uncle Chris and Aunt Jess and Brayden and Austin. You LOVED looking at all the animals and had a great time!
• You are going to bed around 8:00 pm, but for some crazy reason you decided to start waking up between 6:00 - 6:30 am everyday.
• You love to eat and try new foods. You are still on a diet of bottles, cereal, and homemade and store bought baby food fruits and veggies. But you always have to try whatever we are eating. You like to chew food with your two tiny bottom teeth.
• You still love to be outside and we go walking or to the park whenever possible.
• You talk CONSTANTLY. You babble nonstop all day, throwing in a few real words. Vocabulary is still limited to mama, dada and bye-bye, but I am pretty sure you are tying to say dog. You love to talk and have conversations with anyone that will listen.

You are so much fun and so funny! I can tell you are going to be opinionated, independent and stubborn, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I just love you more and more each day, my sweet baby girl.

Letter to my 7 month old

My dear Amelia,

Crawling, standing, walking, talking, teeth...you have had such a busy month! There have been so many physical changes in you this month that sometimes you seem like a different little girl. You are officially mobile and are always on the move. You want to be in the middle of everything and be involved in every conversation. You watch everything we do and are learning how to mimic our actions. You love to laugh, play with the dogs and be outside. This month:

• You got your first tooth! (bottom right center). You were 6 1/2 months old when the first one poked through and your second tooth followed the week after. (bottome left center).
• You started crawling!  I denied it for a long time, saying you just scooted. But it's official. You are officially a little crawler. You started right at 6 months and now you can get some serious speed.
• You can stand by yourself while holding onto something. Your favorite thing is to stand at your wooden baby mobile and look out the window.
• You love to walk (assisted). I spend literally hours each day holding your hands as you walk around the house. Everytime you stand up you smile and look so proud of yourself. You would much rather walk than crawl and I have a feeling you will be walking in the next couple of months.
• You can pull yourself into a standing postition from seated.
• You LOVE to be outside. The weather has been unseasonably warm the past month, so we have had the chance to get out and go walking. We often walk downtown Stillwater with you in your carrier and walk the park and neighborhood with the stroller.
• You started talking! We aren't really sure an exact date when you said your first word, it just kind of happened. You started saying da-da-da-da when you are really happy and excited and ma-ma-ma-ma when you are tired or fussy or want to go to bed. You also say bye-bye and wave (about 50% of the time).
• You are going to bed a bit earlier than you used to, usually between 8:00 - 8:30 and waking up between 7:00 - 7:30.
• You decided that you love the baby food fruit flavors, but still will not eat the baby food vegetables. You do however like the real thing, sweet potatoes, carrots, avacodos, green beans and sometimes peas.
• You spent lots of quality time with family. We went on an afternoon adventure with Grandma and Grandpa Hodson and spent a weekend in Ardmore with Paw Paw, Grams and Pop.

The past month has been so much fun! I love watching you as you learn something new and seeing you be so proud of yourself. You are so smart and curious and I am excited to see what the next month brings. All my love to you, my sweet baby girl.

Letter to my 6 month old.

Dear Amelia,

I am having a difficult time believing that you are 6 months old. It simply does not seem possible that so much time has already passed since we first brought you home. In these past days you have brightened the lives and filled the hearts of all around you. I remember those last couple months of pregnancy, anxiously waiting for your arrival and constantly daydreaming of who you would be. Now that you are part of our lives and I know your every laugh, every cry and every look that you get in your eyes, you are more than I could have ever imagined.

This month you have definitely come in to your own. Your personality has continued to grow and you have turned into your own independent little person. You are loving and curious and intelligent. You are also ornery and stubborn and mischievous. :) Our days have become much busier and more active lately as we spend our days exploring everything. To say you keep me on my toes is an understatement. This month:

• You have become a pro at sitting up. You no longer need any assistance, and can re-balance yourself if you begin to fall.
• You are teething. None have popped through yet, but they are getting close.
• You decided that I am no longer allowed to leave the room. When I do you immediately shriek like a banshee until I reappear.
• You are SO close to crawling. You get up on all fours and rock, but then flop back to your belly. I think you don't see the point in crawling when you can roll wherever you want to go.
• You have started new foods, although you prefer the real thing instead of baby food. Sweet potatoes, LOVE! Sweet potato baby food, no thanks.
• You go to bed around 9:30 pm and sleep until around 7:30 am.

At you 6 month well baby:

• You weighed 16 lb 4oz (50th percentile)
• You were 25 1/2 in (75th percentile)

I can tell things are starting to change. Your routine is diferent, your opinions are emerging, you are becoming more of a little person than an infant. This makes me slightly sad that the tiny baby days are ending, but I am so excited to see what the next month brings. I'm so proud of you already, my sweet baby girl.

A year in pictures. 2010

It was a very very very good year.

January

Adam's Air Force graduation in San Antonio

Amelia's first ultrasound. 11 weeks

February

Practicing for baby

March

23 weeks

It's a GIRL!

April

David's 27th birthday


25 weeks

May

Ardmore baby shower

4D Ultrasound 28 weeks

June

35 weeks

Maternity shoot

July

Birthday

2 days old

3 days old

August

September

Uncle Adam visits from South Korea

October

1st Halloween

November

1st Thanksgiving

December

1st Christmas

We had a very blessed and happy 2010, and are looking forward to 2011. Happy New Year to everyone!