Dear Cricket: Eight Months

Dear Cricket,

It's a weekday night, we have both had long days and bedtime is nearing. Daddy is out with a friend making it an official girls night. As I click click with the camera, you roll and move and remind me in sweet tired tones that bedtime is indeed nearby. With my work clothes still on and you in your onesie we lie down together on the floor of your room. Bonnie tosses the ball back and forth as we kiss and laugh and soak in each other after being apart all day. Bonnie joins in the fun, trying to steal your toys and lick our ears.

It's a quiet night except for the determination in your sweet face to stand up on your own. You aren't quite there, but you love to try. It is your favorite past time these days. You start to huff and puff, purse your lip and bend your knees and then, slowly and surely up you go! I hold your hands so you can stand up and see the world from this new level. Every time you do this your dad and I cheer and cheer and you literally beam with pride. Darling, you are such a delight! I have tried to convince you to slow down in the growing up, but you know exactly what you want. Capture your dreams, little one!

Some months I plan a whole outfit for your pictures. Tonight it's a simple onesie. I've always loved this color on you. I do not know how much longer you will be wearing your six month onesies so I wanted to capture you in one of my favorites while I still had the opportunity. You look so pretty in this shade of purple. I weighed you last week and you were 15 pounds, 12 ounces. Still my little peanut but growing leaps and bounds. In fact, your second tooth just came in yesterday. Perhaps that is why you woke up every hour and a half last night. It's okay. I had been away from you all day and didn't mind the time to reconnect, even at 2am. Although, if you want to sleep longer tonight that would be awesome. I promise extra snuggles in the morning.

I write you these love letters every month and wonder what you will think when you look back at them. What will you want to know? Will you smile at your sweet silly antics? Will you laugh at the clothes I dressed you in?

The memories are vivid now and at times I forget that they will fade away. You are my heart and my life and I can't imagine even one blessed memory fading. I want to capture each moment, each smell and each movement forever. These days have a tangible beauty to them that I long to hold on to for as long as possible. Forever if I can. In these notes I pray they bring us back. I pray they remind us to be grateful for the present as they will soon be memories, as well. Most of all, I pray that they echo the gratefulness of your dad's and my heart that you are here and you are our daughter. What a gift!

You make our lives full in the best way possible. Your smile fills a room and your spirit lifts us up. I thank God that he wove you together in all His special ways. You are one-of-a-kind! Our Cricket, our love, our sweet wonderful daughter.

We love you!

xoxo, Mama

Dear Cricket: Seven Months
Dear Cricket: Six Month
Dear Cricket: Five Months
Dear Cricket: Four Months
Dear Cricket: Three Months
Dear Cricket: Two Months
Dear Cricket: One Month