8 Month Old Letter

My Dearest Guppy,

It took me a couple of days to muster up the courage to write this letter. For me, writing this letter meant one thing: I had to come out of denial and admit that you are no longer a newborn infant.

In a mere four months you will be a toddling one year old. While I enjoy with all my heart watching you develop and grow, the fact that soon you will no longer be a baby is a little scary for me.

You now have at least two teeth with more coming in. This month was a challenge for us, as your teething led you to be extremely cranky and clingy. However I am proud to say that I really did not get annoyed or frustrated. You never yelled or screamed, just fussed enough to let me know that you were hurting and wanted to be held. During the worst moments, all it took for me to comfort you was to toss you up on my back in the Mai Tei and go for a walk.

You are definitely getting taller, and thinning out a little. You love to play with your feet while you are nursing and you love to hold onto my hair. You never pull my hair, just simply grasp it in your hand as if it were a treasure. In fact, whenever I am holding you, you are not completely happy unless you have some of my hair in your tiny fist.

This month you attended your first graduation ceremony and your first wedding. I am so glad that I can be confident enough to take you anywhere and have people remark on how you are such a calm and happy baby. It makes me feel good knowing that you are at ease in any situation, confident that I will be there to care for your needs.You haven't started crawling yet and you don't seem to have an interest in it. You hate laying on your back or tummy now, so you don't roll over either. You also don't sit up from a laying position on your own. But I know that when the urge comes, you will be perfectly capable of becoming more mobile when you are ready. I am going to try to encourage more tummy time though, just while we are playing fun games on the floor.

Finally, you are becoming increasingly attached to your father and your sister. You girls get along so well I feel like I am dreaming. And when your father gets home you wiggle your body with excitement and utter happy sounds while you wait to pick him up. It's getting to the point where I think that if we did not have our nursing sessions, in which I cuddle with you and play with your adorable feet and hands and smother you with kisses, I would start to feel left out.

Dear Guppy, we are so blessed to have you in our lives. You make us laugh and giggle, and you work to remind us that it is the small moments that make life worth living for. I can't wait to see what this coming month brings. We love you.

8 Month Old Letter