Dear Emmylou,

You turned 7 months old yesterday! Sorry I'm a day late with your letter but we went to the drive-in with you last night for a double feature and didn't get home until very late. You slept the entire time we were there and although I had planned to lay you down on the back seat to let you sleep, your daddy and I ended up taking turns holding you for the 4+ hours because it just felt too good snuggling with you in that cold car, watching movies.

This month you've made one big change: you have gotten very, very quick in all that you do. You can grab your food bowl out of my hand and turn it upside-down before I know it, and you can now race from one side of the room to the other in your walker in seconds. My hair is up for grabs (literally) all the time and when you decide you want it (or anything else, for that matter-- the remote control when I'm trying to change the channel or the grocery list when I'm trying to shop), you go after it with admirable persistence. I actually hope you keep that up throughout your entire life!

You're really getting taller and you can now stand by yourself holding onto the coffee table or ottoman. You haven't quite figured out how to jump yet. We got you a Jump-A-Roo a couple of weeks ago but instead of bending your knees to bounce, you keep your legs straight and stiff and just kind of wobble, bouncing back and forth from side to side, looking a little confused and worn-out after several minutes on it. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get it soon! It's fun watching the wheels a-turnin' inside that noggin of yours.

This month you started eating three meals of real food a day but I'm still nursing you 2 or 3 times a day, too. It seems like a lot but you haven't turned down a meal yet! I think it's helping you grow those new teeth and all of that fuzzy hair. You have been working so hard on those two things, you must be exhausted. Speaking of exhausted, after a couple of scary weeks, you are back to sleeping 12 hours a night without waking up. Yay! I don't think of myself as superstitious, but I have to admit that I'm starting to believe that your green fuzzy sleep sack is magic. You get your best nights of sleep whenever I put you in it. We're going out to buy 5 more today.

Your daddy and I keep talking about how fast all of this is going. We see you in every little girl we see playing outside, walking down the street or on TV, and wonder what you'll be like when you're that age. This morning I noticed the faintest little scar on your right cheek and I remembered that it was from when you scratched yourself right as they pulled you out of my belly. I didn't know you still had that mark, but I'm glad I saw it because sometimes it's already hard to believe you are that same little critter who looked up at me that very first time as if to say, "Hi, I'm here. Now what?" Now what? Well, I'm not exactly sure, but I know we're going to have a great time doing it. I think we're doing well so far.

Love you with all of my heart,
Mama

Then (one day old with your scratch)...


Now...