Love Letter #1

My dearest Madelyn....
I don't have a baby book for you. I meant to pick one up, but I kept forgetting and I haven't been back to the baby store since you were born.

So this is your baby book....your monthly love letter from your Mommy. You are one month old today. My littlest and dearest baby girl is one month old....and these are the things I love most about my little girl.

I love your cough. You have the cutest and tiniest cough and it just melts my heart. I keep trying to catch it on my camera video, but if I don't, I always want to remember the sound of your tinest cough.

I love your cheeks. You don't have cheeks as chubby as some...but the cheeks you do have I love to nibble. They are so precious to me.

I love your eyes. I think they're going to end up being blue like your daddy's.... and I love the way they cross when they're looking up at me.

I love the way you love your Daddy. You just light up when he has you. You are such a daddy's girl...you burp better for him, you quiet down quicker for him...he's your honey, no doubt about it. And you're his honey too...I knew he's love you, but I wasn't prepared for just how much. He just adores you and loves on you every chance he gets. Sometimes we actually fight over who gets to hold you and love on you. You're his "pumpkin", his "darlin", his "sweetie pie". He calls you beautiful and gorgeous all the time.

You've been growing and growing over the last month. You still don't sleep through the night - and you don't hold your head up yet, but you're starting to smile...and I love that - I love that you're starting to smile at me. That face lights up my heart.

You love to cuddle with us....you sleep the first part of the night (from midnight to 3ish) in your little co-sleeper. But when you wake up for that feeding and then we go back to bed, you don't settle until you're in the middle of Mommy and Daddy. Some people tell us to start training you to go back into your own bed....but Mommy isn't ready for that (and neither is Daddy - this morning I woke up to him holding you in the crook of his arm). I love that you want to sleep in the middle of us - that only lasts for a few years for most kids, and I'm okay with that. Some day, you're going to be just like me and not be as cuddly with your Mom and Dad. I'm okay with letting your cuddle time last as long as possible.

You LOVE your mobile! It fascinates you! It's over your changing table right now - because you're so rarely in your crib. When you do move to your crib, we'll move it. But for now, when we're changing clothes or diapers, it holds your attention like nothing else. It's the first "thing" besides Mommy and Daddy that you just adore.

You like your tummy time. You hold your head up for a minute or two at a time. And you love the sound of things that crinkle....that's what gets your attention most.

You've had a few outings. You and I went for our first Mommy/Maddy shopping trip. We went to Costco and we did just fine! You slept in the Baby Bjorn and I shopped. It worked perfectly.

You've been to Grandma Freda's twice to visit family and friends...and play with your big cousin Sidney. She's quite enamored of you - she tries to get you to play with her toys. She was a little shy at first, but not anymore. She's always trying to convince me she can hold you all by herself. It reminds me of me when my sister Jaime was born. I was about Sidney's age and I was always trying to take care of her on my own.

You've been to Grandpa Jim and Grandma Jody's. They're convinced that you don't cry. Dad and I know better....you do cry, but not much. Your biggest noise is grunting. You grunt all the time. I think it's because you're always trying to work out the gas you swallow when you eat. So...we just tell you to work it on out and grunt all you like.

You've been up to the cabin for the Clark/Smith family weekend. Actually, it was just for dinner. Mom and Dad weren't up for an entire weekend and as you'll learn, someone always comes home from that weekend sick, and we didn't want it to be our little honey. But you did go up and have dinner with everyone - and love on your Aunties and cousins.

Grandma Diane came to visit you. She spoiled you rotten! She let Momma sleep and took the night shift. She rocked you and rocked you...you loved it.

This next four weeks, we're going to work on getting into a routine so Momma and you can get out of the house a little bit more and see the world. There's so much of it to see and I can't wait to show it to you.

I love you my little Madelyn....I love you from your head to your toes. You're just beautiful to me.