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Dear Isabella,
You are growing up so quickly. There are days where I wish I could bottle up the first year and keep you in it forever. But I know I just can't do that. Like all good things (wine, cheese, babies), they get better with age. You are so different than you were a few months ago, but you are so amazing. Everything you do is exciting, adventurous, always changing. I love to watch you explore new things, discover your abilities, and venture into new activities. It's exciting as a mom to watch my baby grow up before my eyes. Every moment I get to spend with you is just amazing. I'm so thankful for the time I get to spend with you, especially now that summer is here. I get to spend every moment possible with you and I'm just thrilled about the chance to watch all the firsts you still have in store.
Speaking of firsts! You are closer and closer every day to walking on your own. You love to walk around the house, but you just can't do it on your own. You wait for Mommy or Daddy to take your hands so you can guide us where you want to go. It is always so exciting to watch where you guide us. It's only a matter of time before you take your first steps on your own. And then we better all watch out! You're going to be trouble on two feet!
I just look forward to that day and although I want to keep you as my little baby forever, all things grow and change. That's part of what makes life so exciting. I'll be waiting for those changes as you grow!
Love,
Mom
Dear Isabella,
It is true, you are a Mommy's girl (at least for now). I was always a Mommy's girl myself. I loved to spend time with my mom more than anything else. I'm still a Mommy's girl and I'm almost 32 years old. You're never too old to be a Mommy's girl. I'm very smitten with you and I'm so glad you are smitten with me, too. There is nothing quite like your sweet cuddles, your baby kisses, and your smiles and laughs just for me.
With that said, Izzy, it's time we had a chat. You have made yourself a little too in love with Mommy. You don't like to be held by many other people. You have separation anxiety when I leave to use the bathroom or get a shower. You don't like to fall asleep in my arms and then wake up and realize you are no longer in my arms. All these things lead to the royal diva's tantrum. Really, this needs to stop soon. I try to do nothing to encourage it, but it doesn't matter what I do or how many times we have a chat about it. You just don't listen, you just want Mommy! I'm glad to love me so much that only I can make all the tired tears go away and I'm the only one who can comfort you when someone looks at you wrong (yes, you can be very sensitive when you are sleepy!). But it's time to spread the wealth a little, give your Daddy some of this same love.
Okay, my love, all teasing aside, you are such a joy to have. I never expected to be blessed with a baby as sweet, tender, and loving as you. You snuggle with me. You cuddle with me. You share baby kisses with me. You like to just hang on my arms or rest your head on my legs. You are already so loving and so devoted. There are no words to truly express how it feels to be your Mommy, to be needed, wanted, and loved by you. I wouldn't trade in the middle of the night feeding sessions, the rocking you to sleep, the cuddling/snuggling/hugging away the grumpiness. I love every moment. Ten months of those tender moments and yet, it feels like you've always been right here with me. I guess that's because you've always been in my heart.
Love,
Mom
Dear Isabella,
I have discovered (with some help from Mom-Mom) that you love the outdoors. I always knew you would be an outdoor baby. You just get so excited to be in your stroller and go on walks in the evening with Daddy, Angel, and me. Angel doesn't always like a tag-along when she's on a walk to take care of business, but she can get over it. You are just a little adventurer. There's something about the sunshine and spring flowers that catches your attention, gains giggles, and receives smiles.
My darling, I love that you love being outside. I have a love of nature (not quite the same as your Aunt M. does). I just love to sit in the quietness and peacefulness of nature. Mom-Mom's house is perfect for that. You can watch the horses, sit on the swing (once it gets hung) with Mom-Mom and Poppy, go for a walk around the house or to the back field, and play in the dirt. Being outside is something you will love even more when you learn how to walk without my help. But for now, I enjoy watching you sit in the grass, so intrigued by what you see, the feeling of the grass, the flowers that surround you, and the sounds that you hear. I can only imagine how our spring and summer adventures will be for years to come!
Love,
Mom
Dear Isabella,
It's the evening before Mother's Day and I realized I haven't written a letter to you in a while. I must admit that you do keep me quite busy! But I wouldn't trade a moment of that time spent with you for some time to write a letter on a computer. No, my moments with you mean so much more than sitting here typing a letter. As I write you this letter, you are happily playing in your jumperoo watching Sprout. At least it keeps you entertained so I can have some Mommy time.
The past nine months have so quickly vanished and instead of a little baby who fits so snugly into the crook of my arm, you are a growing, budding little girl who calls out "Mama" and laughs at anything that is funny. I have watched you go from being just a mere dream, a thought of things to come, to a child in my arms in a hospital room-meeting for the first time, to a sweet little nine-month-old who has quite a sassy personality. It's been one exciting journey watching you grow so far.
As Mother's Day approaches tomorrow, I wanted to thank you for loving me the way you do. For all those years that I dreamed of being a mom, and all the years I spent trying to reach that dream, having you, loving you, and cherishing our moments together makes this Mother's Day that much more special. Isabella, I had almost given up hope of us ever being together, of ever being a Mom. I had no idea what God had in store for me. I had no idea that His plan was to bring you into my life. I carried you for nine months and even that couldn't have prepared me for how much I love you, how much I adore you. You make the sun shine even brighter and you make the world that much sweeter. You make me so overjoyed to be a mom.
Being your mom is the most amazing experience. I'll admit that you don't always make it an easy experience. These ear infections and colds have certainly tested my ability to get sleep when I'm worried about my baby. It's tested my willingness to get up all hours of the night to nurse and console my very upset little girl. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've learned a lot about myself as a mom through all of that. I've also learned a lot about your Mom-Mom and what she must have gone through as a young mom. I'll tell you a secret-I was the same as you with the ear infections! I never knew how your Mom-Mom did it, but I'm learning as we go that there is no secret to how to get through it all, you just do it! I'm a mom and my job is loving you, taking care of you, and making you happy!
So, as Mother's Day approaches, I wanted to thank you for being my child, for helping this journey as a Mom seem to amazing. It is a beautiful experience and I'm so blessed to be a Mother. I love you very much and I'm so blessed and thankful to be your mother.
Love,
Mom
Dear Isabella,
This weekend, we moved into a beautiful new house. I can't wait to make new memories with you in this house! This house was chosen with you (and maybe a future sibling in a few years) in mind. I set your room up on move-in day, but we didn't get a chance to paint yet. We'll paint it over Easter break. I'm so excited to see you grow up in your room and really start to enjoy it.
It was a busy weekend with all the moving. Everyone was so excited to see you here and enjoying the hustle and bustle. You got to play in the basement with your Poppy and get some good napping time in. It was fun all around for you!
I'm just so excited to be able to watch you grow in this home, to fill it with your laughter and smiles. It's going to see so many exciting things that you have yet to experience with us. A new house is more than just a building, it's a chance to make new memories, have new experiences, enjoy new adventures, and create many firsts. This is the home where you will have many of your firsts and I'm just so excited and looking forward to watching those firsts and enjoying you as you grow here. God has richly blessed us by giving us you and now we are richly blessed again with this house for you to enjoy.
Love,
Mommy
Dear Isabella,
This is your last week in the apartment you've known as home since before you were born. It's an exciting and a scary time. Packing is going slowly, but you sure do keep us from getting as much done as we could. It's an interesting time around here and you do a great job of keeping us laughing and trying to keep calm with all the nervous excitement.
It's a scary time because everything is all new. Mommy hasn't moved since Daddy and I moved into this apartment almost 7 years ago. It's not an easy thing to pack everything up. It's especially hard when all I want to do is play with you and keep you from getting upset. I'm sure you've noticed the boxes, but I'm thankful that you are so little still. You don't really understand what is going on. And that's a good thing. You just watch us hustle around trying to get things done and sometimes, you laugh at us because you think it's so funny.
This certainly is a very exciting thing, moving into a bigger home. You're almost guaranteed to have your own bedroom. You have your own bedroom now and certainly will at the new home, at least for now. But we'll see if that stays that way when Mommy and Daddy decide it's time for a bigger family. But you've got time to enjoy your new home and your new room without anyone bothering you.
Five more days, Isabella, and then we'll be moving all of our things into our new home. We can start a full life with a REAL home for you, our little princess. We want to give you every little thing we can. This is a big dream we had, to give our baby girl a nice, new, big home where you could dream, play, imagine, and create new things. I'm excited to see you grow up in it!
Love,
Mommy
My Dearest Isabella,
You are quickly approaching seven months. So much has changed and continues to change every single day. I'm just in awe of how God has created such a beautiful child and allowed me to raise her (you). I'm certainly blessed richly because I have you as a part of my life. I watch all the new things that you do, like play with my hair, reach for your Daddy to pick you up, giggle for minutes at a time, and stalk the dog. I am just amazed with all the changes that happen daily. My love for you grows stronger every single day. I never knew I could open my heart to love someone so deeply, so richly, and so unconditionally. You cry yet I never get mad at you for it. You get mad at something we do yet we just let you get mad and try to soothe you.
Right now, you are fast asleep in your swing. You had your six month shots yesterday (yes, Daddy and I are a few weeks behind with your well baby checkups, but because of the shots, we can't make them an earlier than they end up being). You've been so sleepy from your shots. But I could watch you sleep all night. I love the peaceful look on your face and the way you can just lay there in the swing and not be disturbed by all the noises around.
My cuddles and snuggles with you are getting even better than they ever were. I didn't think there could be anything better than holding a newborn. And then you were a month old and I didn't think it could get any better. But very month, all my experiences with you have surpassed any expectations or dreams I had. You are just amazing in every way!
I can't wait to see what is in store in the months and years down the road. But for right now, I'll just watch you sleep, wonder what you're dreaming about, and love you in every way I know how.
Love,
Mom
