dear 9 month old,

as i write this letter, i am farther away from you than i've ever been.  on the one hand it saddens me to be apart from my favorite little person but i am also excited for you to have this opportunity for some special daddy-daughter bonding.  you are 9 months old, Saraya!  you have now been outside of my body for as long as you were inside of me.  (well, give or take a few days)  the intimate relationship we shared while you were in the womb has been replaced with a family relationship that cannot be compared.  your daddy and i think you are just about the best thing ever.  and even though we often focus on teaching you new things, you are teaching us things as well.  you remind us to be patient and to better organized with our time.  you remind us that a nap can make a world of difference when we're feeling grumpy.  and you have also taught us that playing with an old toy that you haven't seen in awhile can be just as exciting as a new one.

although you aren't walking, your backwards army-crawl gets you where you want to be and has the dogs nervous for when you go fully mobile.  speaking of the dogs, you love to pet them and share your cheerios with them.  you also love to clap, wiggle, dance, and make noises with your tongue.  you're a very chatty baby who has no problem being vocal.  and you're starting to explore your musical instruments more.  i really think you're going to be pretty musical.

your appetite has grown as much as you have!  you're eating chicken, fish, oatmeal, yogurt, spinach, cottage cheese, and so much more in addition to all of the fruits and veggies you've been enjoying the past few months.  and though we're waiting for official numbers from your next doctor's appointment, i think it's still safe to say you probably in the 90th-plus percentile for height and weight.

it's still early but the time is flying already so i am starting to plan for your first birthday party now.  it's going to be a great celebration with family and friends and messy baby faces!  we can't wait!  keep smiling and laughing my beautiful daughter...

love you soooooo much!
mama