Well, a lot has happened since my last letter. You were 6 months old, and then you were almost 10 months old. Not sure how that happened...but happen, it did.
On 11/4/11, your cousin Bella Rae Warner was born. This was our first time to leave your for more than just a night, and I think it was probably good for both of us! Although I missed you terribly, you stayed with Mimi and had a wonderful time while Daddy and I went to be with your Uncle Nathan and Aunt Amy for the birth of their beautiful baby girl. Here she is:
And then we left you with Sher Bear while we went on a cruise before Christmas with friends. I know you both had a great time and bonded and I know I definitely missed you more than you missed me! Which, for a mom of a baby, is a good thing! :)
You had a great Christmas with family and lots of presents! Many more presents than you need, but you sure do love them all! We enjoyed your first Christmas so much! You have brought the fun of Christmas back to your dad and I! We finally have someone to share the magic with.
Then, in January we took a Trip to New Orleans and surprised your Uncle Nathan. This was your second trip to New Orleans, but your first trip since Bella has been born. We had a great time and got lots of great pictures. Traveling is much more difficult with a baby, though. I won't candy coat that fact one bit! While we were there, we also picked up our new Great Dane puppy, Emery. She is very cute and sweet, even though she drives me to the brink of insanity sometimes, she loves you very much.
Mom has learned lots of things about your personality these passed few months.While I already knew a great deal about you, of course, you are now beginning to come into your own and that has been both wonderful and challenging. Here's the bottom line on Hadley: If you don't like it, everyone is gonna know it. You are going through an "attached to momma" phase right now. You want me in your eyesight at all times. Period. If I'm not, you light it up, and I don't mean maybe. This is a normal and natural baby phase, but sometimes, I wear earplugs if I just have to put get stuff done. ;) You are already so much like me. Your fuse is short and when you don't like something, it doesn't take much of that to really tick you off. For example, we are working on crawling and pulling up right now, and you frankly think that it's for the birds. Why crawl when momma can carry you, right? HA! Well, it has taken me many moons to get you to stay on that tummy for longer than 5 minutes without a stage 5 meltdown. But you are now scooting and pushing up on all fours. You will be all over the place in no time and I will long for these days of staying put. All of that being said, you are so sweet and happy 90% of the time. You smile and laugh and play very well all day. You love to give Dad and me kisses and hugs, and wave "bye bye!" and look in the mirror at yourself and even give yourself kisses in the mirror. Even you know how cute you are! Bath time is always so much fun. You look in the little silver overspill drain at me behind you and turn around and crack up! You just think mirrors are so hilarious. And you know what, to a 9 month old, they are! Everything is new and different. Your little brain is a sponge and you soak it all up with a smile on your face.
I have learned a lot about motherhood these passed few months, as well. Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy," and he's right. There have been many nights that I have gone to bed and told your dad, "Why won't he just crawl already?! There are babies younger than him that are almost walking!" And your sweet dad will say, "Because he's Hadley. He's not those other babies." He is also right, though I hate to admit that. ;) You are your own person. You will do everything in your own time. You are perfect just exactly the way you are, and when you are ready, you will do what comes next. You are smart. You are growing. You are happy. You have 2 parents who adore you and a host of family members who love you, too. What else should I feel but joy? You are Hadley. I'm glad you are not any other baby but YOU.
Everywhere we go we get stopped and told what a precious baby you are. Everyone loves that red hair and those big blue eyes. What's not to love? You are precious, and you will always be precious to me. My sweet little bubby.
Nobody loves you like I do.
Love, Momma
