holy moly, eight months!

Seriously?!!  Seriously....has it really been eight months?  Is that even possible for time to move that quickly?

Sweet Petite, I can barely keep up with how fast you are growing and learning.  It is amazing and exciting and mind-boggling and sweet and sad...all rolled into one.

You are a constant source of joy in our lives.  This month has been a whirlwind of activity.

~You celebrated your first Christmas.  However, you were more interested in wrapping paper and cardboard boxes.  And completely out of character for you, you woke up the whole house at 5:30 Christmas morning.  I sense that you had the faintest idea that Santa had come to visit. 

~Speaking of Christmas, you attended the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.  You behaved beautifully and loved all the music.  I was a nervous wreck when all the candles were lit because you kept trying to reach for the flame.  {Note to self---put away all candles until you are like eighteen}

~You are wearing nine month clothes.  That feels like it happened overnight.  All of a sudden, your six month clothes looked like capris.  It gave us an excuse to go out and buy a few things :)

~You had your first ear infection, first fever and first round of antibiotics.  We had no clue your ears were bothering you.  You didn't fuss or keep us up at night.  But you woke up one morning burning with fever.  I knew right away that something was not right.  Daddy and I took you to the doctor.  You are not a fan of the bubblegum flavored medicine.  You can get pretty fiesty when it's time for a dose.  Mommy breaks a sweat trying to get you to take it all.

~Your eyes are still blue...crystal blue.  And your hair is growing and turning a shade lighter.  I think you are going to have light brown hair.  Just another trait you get from your Daddy because Mommy's hair is naturally blonde.   {wink, wink}

~You still only have two teeth.  On the bottom.  But I have a sneaking suspicion that one of your top teeth is about to pop through.  You are chomping on everything these days and the drool has kicked it up a notch or two.

~You like to clap at your accomplishments.  I'm pretty sure you picked that up from your personal cheerleading squad!

~You L-O-V-E to dance.  You sway back and forth to music with the biggest smile on your face. 

~Your vocabulary consists of ma-ma, da-da, ba-ba {which either means bottle, bye-bye or Bubby}.  And most recently, you busted out with bay-be at school. 

~Possibly one of the sweetest things ever happened just this past Tuesday night.  You now give love.  Every day after school, I get you out of your seat and say, "Harper, can mama have some love?"  I was met with blank stares for a while.  But now, NOW.....you bury your head in my shoulder and wrap your arms around my neck.  My heart melts.  Melts.  We are working on the whole, "Harper, can mama have some sugar?"  Right now, you plant your forehead to my lips.  Still, my heart melts.

~And the biggest accomplishment of all----YOU ARE MOBILE!!  Two weeks ago, you crawled two times.  And then, we stopped by Gigi and Papa's after work one night and you took off.  You tend to crawl to a location and then pull yourself to a standing position.  You think you are big stuff.  So do we!

Harper, words will never be able to describe the way I feel about being your mommy.  You occupy a place in my heart that gets bigger and bigger and bigger with each day.  Every night when I kiss you goodnight, I think to myself, "I could not love her any more than I already do."  And then the morning light breaks through the darkness, I see your face and  realize that I love you more.  You are mommy's dream come true.  I know Daddy feels the same way!

We love you, Sweet Petite!  You are a lifetime of happiness in one small bundle.