You are 4 Months Old Today

Dearest Baby Kirsten,

Perhaps I should stop calling you baby, because you are no longer a baby but a little person. When you were really little we used to always say, "oh one day she will be grabbing onto things, sitting on her own, rolling around the room." All of these things were out of your reach. They seemed like these goals that were years away.

Well my dear, they are so much closer than you think. You love to hold things and immediately shove them into your mouth. Sometimes I think you wished your mouth were bigger, so you could fit sea horse's head right in there. You get so angry when the links on your play mat will not stay in your little grip. You twist and turn on your mat, all red faced and frustrated. However, along with all that anger comes turning over, another milestone we never though you could reach.

You turn your little body and roll right from your back to your belly. Most of the time you get sidetracked by your little hand, preferring to stick it in your mouth and drool all over your fingers to rolling onto your belly. We know that you can do it, we also know that you are simply choosing to do things your own way.

I can see those tiny gears in your head working hard at figuring things out. "Now is this stuffed monkey too large to fit into my mouth? Or maybe if I twist it in such a way, I can get at least most of it in there. More importantly though, what the heck are those things attached to my legs???" You love your feet! While feeding you and watching you play, you rub them together, almost as though it comforts you.

Even though you hate both of your strollers, I know one day you will love going on walks with me. I cannot wait to stroll through parks, just me and you, enjoying a beautiful Pittsburgh afternoon. I also know that you will eventually not need me to do all of these things for you. Soon you will be sitting on your own, able to entertain yourself. Soon you will be able to hold your bottle, thus causing me to be completely useless.

But my darling, this month you reached some amazing new heights. We started solids and you love them. Just like your grandmother, you are in love with sweet potatoes! Your little faced stained orange and most of the food going on the bib, you gobble up as much as I can stuff into that little mouth.

As I always promise, I will try my best not to let you grow up too fast. I will keep a close eye on you as you discover the world around you, and try to see things through your eyes. You make this world appear so amazing and new, I love that you can help me see things in a whole new way. I love that you follow my voice, and every time I catch your eye, it as though you are seeing me for the first time. People always comment that they can tell that you love me so much, just by the way you look at me. And I get choked up every time I see your little face light up because of something that I did. I hope I always light up your world. And I hope we can always be patient with one another. I am learning as I go too kiddo!

I love you so much. And really can't wait to see what this month brings. You grow and change every day, and I love that I am here to see every second of it.

With love, always,
Mommy


The first photo I ever took of you