My dear Miss Ruby,
I have to write you because last night was one of the most joyful times I have ever had with you. I have to document it so that when I am old and gray, and my memory fades, you and I can read this together and share some warm fuzzies.
Yesterday was August 23, 2012, and there was nothing special about the day except you. I picked you up from daycare and you gleefully sunk into my arms and hooked your perfectly chubby little arm around my shoulder as I spoke to your daycare teachers. You rested your beautiful cheek against my shoulder as we left and fell asleep in your carseat on the way home. At home, you were still sleeping so I placed you in your crib where you slept just long enough for mama to make some spaghetti. When I heard you wake in your crib, I went to get you and you again greeted me with a huge smile and bright eyes. You danced your little fish dance when I reached for you. We played on the living room floor for the next 2 hours. I tried to coax you to crawl, using my cell phone to lure you. You got on your hands and knees a few times and would scoot backwards, but the combination of moving your arms and legs at the same time still has you a bit puzzled. You talked, coo'd, screeched, drooled, and reached for me. You scooted, sat, tipped over, rolled over, laughed, and played so contentedly. You even screamed in frustration when you realized you were scooting farther from my phone instead of closer to it! It startled me at first, because you so rarely express anger or frustration. After your second scream, I gently scolded you. That's not how we act when we don't get our way. You looked at me shocked because I have never used that tone of voice with you, but you calmed down immediately and everything was fine. At one point, you were sitting and reached for a toy, and nearly tipped over on your face, catching yourself on your hands and knees. You looked up at me - completely stunned. I don't know if you were outraged that I did not catch you or shocked that that movement will enable you to, well, MOVE! But you were stunned and when I laughed, your eyes laughed with me and you wiggled your little fish dance.
When it was time for supper, I mixed you some rice cereal and squash. You chowed down so happily. For dessert, I gave you prunes for the first time and you loved them! You must have been quite full by that point, but you hammered those prunes down like nobody's business! You have never shown that much interest in your food before and it was a delight for me to see you so excited. I had flashbacks to sitting in the NICU with you, holding a tiny bottle containing 25 mL of milk, praying and begging you to drink that milk. Wiggling the bottle in your mouth, holding you at funny angles so you would not choke, pressing on your tongue to teach you the sucking motion... and, last night, there you were: chowing down prunes so excitedly! Bean, look how far we have come!
We skipped a bath last night, and I dressed you in your jammies. At 7 months old, your size 9 month jammies are too short, and the next jump to size 12 month clothes may just bring this mama to tears. My baby girl is getting to be a big girl and it's so hard to believe how big you have gotten to be!
I grabbed your bottle and blanket and sat with you in the rocking chair. I shut the tv off and rocked you in the quiet of our snug little home. As you usually do, you grabbed at my eyebrows, nose, and lips as you chewed and sucked on your bottle. When your eyes became heavy, you gently rested your hand on my cheek. I kissed your pudgy little palm and said the evening prayer with you. I must have rocked you an extra half hour last night... a half hour after you had fallen asleep. The laundry waited, the dirty bottles, dirty floor, the crusty spaghetti dishes all waited. I had my baby in my arms and there was no place else I wanted to be. Nothing I'd rather be doing. There was no one I'd rather be with.
I suppose, having gone over our evening in detail, it may not sound so special to you. But, Ruby, it was. Had we been in a movie, the moonlight would have been shining down on us from the window and a sweet lullaby playing in the background. :) Sharing those learning moments with you, sharing giggles and hugs - they are what life is all about. I couldn't have planned a more perfectly ordinary evening with you. Ordinary on one level, spectacular on every other level. Spectacular because I was able to spend it with you. I love you to the ends of the earth, my little jelly bean.
Love,
Mama
I have to write you because last night was one of the most joyful times I have ever had with you. I have to document it so that when I am old and gray, and my memory fades, you and I can read this together and share some warm fuzzies.
Yesterday was August 23, 2012, and there was nothing special about the day except you. I picked you up from daycare and you gleefully sunk into my arms and hooked your perfectly chubby little arm around my shoulder as I spoke to your daycare teachers. You rested your beautiful cheek against my shoulder as we left and fell asleep in your carseat on the way home. At home, you were still sleeping so I placed you in your crib where you slept just long enough for mama to make some spaghetti. When I heard you wake in your crib, I went to get you and you again greeted me with a huge smile and bright eyes. You danced your little fish dance when I reached for you. We played on the living room floor for the next 2 hours. I tried to coax you to crawl, using my cell phone to lure you. You got on your hands and knees a few times and would scoot backwards, but the combination of moving your arms and legs at the same time still has you a bit puzzled. You talked, coo'd, screeched, drooled, and reached for me. You scooted, sat, tipped over, rolled over, laughed, and played so contentedly. You even screamed in frustration when you realized you were scooting farther from my phone instead of closer to it! It startled me at first, because you so rarely express anger or frustration. After your second scream, I gently scolded you. That's not how we act when we don't get our way. You looked at me shocked because I have never used that tone of voice with you, but you calmed down immediately and everything was fine. At one point, you were sitting and reached for a toy, and nearly tipped over on your face, catching yourself on your hands and knees. You looked up at me - completely stunned. I don't know if you were outraged that I did not catch you or shocked that that movement will enable you to, well, MOVE! But you were stunned and when I laughed, your eyes laughed with me and you wiggled your little fish dance.
When it was time for supper, I mixed you some rice cereal and squash. You chowed down so happily. For dessert, I gave you prunes for the first time and you loved them! You must have been quite full by that point, but you hammered those prunes down like nobody's business! You have never shown that much interest in your food before and it was a delight for me to see you so excited. I had flashbacks to sitting in the NICU with you, holding a tiny bottle containing 25 mL of milk, praying and begging you to drink that milk. Wiggling the bottle in your mouth, holding you at funny angles so you would not choke, pressing on your tongue to teach you the sucking motion... and, last night, there you were: chowing down prunes so excitedly! Bean, look how far we have come!
We skipped a bath last night, and I dressed you in your jammies. At 7 months old, your size 9 month jammies are too short, and the next jump to size 12 month clothes may just bring this mama to tears. My baby girl is getting to be a big girl and it's so hard to believe how big you have gotten to be!
I grabbed your bottle and blanket and sat with you in the rocking chair. I shut the tv off and rocked you in the quiet of our snug little home. As you usually do, you grabbed at my eyebrows, nose, and lips as you chewed and sucked on your bottle. When your eyes became heavy, you gently rested your hand on my cheek. I kissed your pudgy little palm and said the evening prayer with you. I must have rocked you an extra half hour last night... a half hour after you had fallen asleep. The laundry waited, the dirty bottles, dirty floor, the crusty spaghetti dishes all waited. I had my baby in my arms and there was no place else I wanted to be. Nothing I'd rather be doing. There was no one I'd rather be with.
I suppose, having gone over our evening in detail, it may not sound so special to you. But, Ruby, it was. Had we been in a movie, the moonlight would have been shining down on us from the window and a sweet lullaby playing in the background. :) Sharing those learning moments with you, sharing giggles and hugs - they are what life is all about. I couldn't have planned a more perfectly ordinary evening with you. Ordinary on one level, spectacular on every other level. Spectacular because I was able to spend it with you. I love you to the ends of the earth, my little jelly bean.
Love,
Mama
