Nine Months Old

Dear Rya D.,

You're nine months old today. You're getting to be such a big girl. You're crawling all over the place and have even made it to the top of the stairs. You're standing and taking assisted steps. You have four top teeth coming in. Your first word was "Dada" despite my drilling to say "Mama" first.

I took you to the doctor this morning for your nine month check up. You weigh 20 pounds 8 ounces and you're 29 inches long. That puts you in the 75th percentile for weight and 95th percentile for height. The doctor said that you are healthy and solid—and you have the prettiest eyes he has ever seen.

Now that you're mobile, Currier has taken a bigger interest in you. He likes to hop in your playpen and play with you and he requests that you sit and snuggle him on the couch and watch television. He's not always so sweet to you though—especially if you go anywhere near his train table. You've taken a few good whacks to the head as a result. I keep promising Currier that one day you will pay him back.

Nine months. You've been in the world now for the same amount of time that I carried you in my belly. You are so much easier to care for on the outside than you were on the inside. Get used to it—I will always remind you of the nine months of hell I went through to bring you into this world. Of course it was all worth it. Now hurry up and say, "Mama".

All my love,
Mama