Baby Lucy,
 
     Well, it's your favorite time of day....early in the morning before the sun is up! This week we've been trying to get you into a sleep routine. It's hard to let you fuss at bedtime, but I know that it's what's best for all of us in the long run. Going to bed at 8:30 sure does get you up early though! You're an 8 or 9 hours of sleep kind of girl, which means up at 4-6am. Statistics say you should be sleeping 12 hours a night, but you don't even seem a little tired. I'm sure that if I laid you back down and followed our bedtime process you'd fall back asleep, but secretly I like the alone time. It's peaceful this time of day. No one calls or texts me it's just us. We play for about an hour or so, then you usually fall back asleep. Once bedtime gets easier, I know we'll have to cut out our early morning time, but for now I'm keeping it.

     I love hearing your little voice try to mimic the sounds we make. You haven't quite figured out words yet, but it's still very early. I have really been pushing lately to try and teach you "Momma" or "Dadda." It hasn't really been working. Your "m"s sound more like "v"s. You're a very vocal baby. A lot of the time it sounds like you're trying to sing to us.

     The best thing in the world is just watching you grow. I remember the day you started crawling. It was a Sunday during NFL playoffs. We had planned a quiet, family day in watching football. Daddy had just started his new job with Norfolk Southern so the weekends were the only times we really got to spend full days together. You were about 7.5 or 8 months old (I'd have to go check a calendar to be exact or you can check your baby book!) and had been trying to scootch around the house for awhile. That morning I told Daddy that "today is the day." We cleared the living room floor and got out your toys to try and give you something to crawl toward. Instead of crawling, you grabbed the blanket we were laying on and pulled the blanket so that the toys would move closer to you. We learned that lesson and picked up the blanket. You didn't have any interest in crawling for toys, but you sure did scoot right along for a bottle. I was so proud and excited to see you crawling around. Now you're a mobile machine. We had to get a baby gate to keep you out of Tiger's food and water. That kitty is your best friend. I'm convinced your first word will sound a lot like "Tiger."

    People are constantly telling me how happy you are. This is the best compliment I've ever gotten for you. Sure people tell me that you're beautiful (which you are) and smart (also true) and funny (more like hilarious), but I love hearing that you seem so happy. It's reassuring to hear that we must be doing something right when we feel so lost sometimes. Parenting doesn't come with a manual, and the books that are supposed to be helping seem to only make me feel worse. I just keep telling myself that the first time around, everyone feels this lost and confused. You keep smiling and laughing at me and as of late you give big kisses (sloppy and open mouthed but kisses nonetheless). Daddy and I can see how happy  you are and how much you love us and all the fears and doubts melt away.

    You're starting to wind down now so I think it's back to bed time! There are so many things I want to tell you and stories I want to share before I forget them. These first few letters may be pretty frequent to make up for the months of not journaling, but you can't read yet so I guess for you it doesn't matter how much time passes between letters.

All my love forever and always,
Mommy