Happy 10 Months!

Dear Kayla,

Oh little miss... you are growing so fast still.  I didn't imagine that I could love anything more than I loved cradling you at 7 pounds and kissing your teeny tiny little nose.  Somehow though, I do.  I love "wrestling" with you on the floor.  I love kissing your tummy and making you giggle.  I love watching you feed yourself and gauging your reaction when you try something new.  And I love cradling you at more than 19 pounds and kissing your still teeny tiny little nose. 

I love this picture I got of you today.  It's not easy to get you to smile while focusing and shooting, but somehow we managed to make it work today.  Not just that, but if you look closely, you can see your itty bitty little teeth on the bottom.  They have finally poked through!  You took your first bout of teething like a champ.  There was hardly any fussing and just a little bit of lost sleep.  I am so lucky to have such a laid back little one. 

This Sunday is Mother's Day, and I am so excited to spend it with you.  Thanks to you I am starting to become who I have always wanted to be.  I owe so much of the happiness in my life now to you, and I relish any opportunity to celebrate you.  Speaking of - I am just about ready to send out the invitations to your first birthday party.  Seriously??  Your first birthday??  It seems impossible.

With each passing day you grow more adventurous, more independent.  More like the toddler you are becoming than the baby you were not so long ago.  I probably say this every month, but it's so wonderful and so sad all at once.  You are now down to just one bottle a day, taking your morning snack from a straw cup rather than the bottle now.  Before long we will be putting the bottles away for good.  I want to continue to nurse you in the morning and at night for as long as you will put up with it, but I can already feel you becoming less patient with that.  It will be bittersweet when it comes time to let it go. 

You are so very loved, little angel.  Your daddy and I look forward to each new day we get to spend with you, and each milestone we get to have together.  We know that the best is yet to come...

Love Always -

~Mommy