For Gabriella

Dearest Gabriella,

Today you are 10 months and 2 days old. I cannot believe how big you have gotten and how much you can do already! Simply put, you are an amazing girl in everyway and your Daddy and I love you very, very much. I will never forget the day you were born - the first time I saw you, the first time I held you, the first time I kissed your sweet face. Someday closer to your first birthday I plan on writing about that day so that we can both have the memory to share many years from now. But for today, I want to honor all that you have achieved thus far.



Each and everyday, I am constantly reminded of just how very lucky we are to have you. I am not sure how we did it, but we somehow managed to get the best daughter in all of the world. How did we ever get so lucky? How can we ever ask for or want anything more now that we have you? How do you keep managing to get cuter everyday? How is it that our hearts are filled to capacity with love for you and yet we still manage to love you more each day too?



You are such a beautiful girl. You have gorgeous big brown/hazel eyes that are still trying to decide exactly what color they want to be. Your have rosebud lips and chubby rosy cheeks too. And as your aunt Jodi says, you have perfect eyebrows. I love you all of the time, but I especially love to watch you sleep.



You are just so peaceful and beautiful. Of course, you are most fun to be around when you are awake and on the go! Now that you are mobile I can hardly keep up with you! Let me just list some of the many things you have been up to:

• In your short 10 months, you have learned to crawl in your own way (although you mixed in some normal crawling with your funky crawl last weekend!).
• You have grown 7 teeth - 4 on top and 3 on bottom with the last one barely poking through!
• You have learned to play peek-a-boo and love this game!
• You are quite the babbler. In fact, I swear that you are cussing at me in babytalk each time I change your clothes or diaper! But a lot of your blabber has also developed into words too. So far, you have said Mama, Dada, AUGHFF (off to the dogs), AI-OH to Old MacDonald and a whole lot of Yeah's. You are close to being able to say Hello too. According to your teachers at school, you said "Hola" to them last Thursday (although I am still not sure about this one.
• You have signed the words milk and eat a few times.
• You can stand unassisted like a pro and are practicing walking a lot nowadays. You try taking baby steps on your own here and there, but you mostly use your activity walker to travel all around the place.
• You like to give lots of loves to us and pat us on the back as we hold you. Sometimes, you even sing a sweet little song to us too!
• You still love to nurse, although you are much faster at it now!
• You can hold your own with Carter and Evan - something tells me that your twin cousins will also be wrapped around your little finger too!
• You still love bathtime and splashing water all around.
• You love to feed yourself now and seem to want to eat whatever we are eating. But, you still love sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, squash, applesauce, pears, chicken, toast, waffles, goldfish crackers and cheerios.

You have amazed me in so many ways that I could go on an on.

Unfortunatly, you have also had a few colds, the latest arriving last weekend. I hate it when you get sick, but as your mother I love giving you extra loves and tender hugs until you get to feeling better. In fact, the reason that this isn't being written on your 10 month birthday is because we were both sick and decided it best to have a pajama party all day as we lounged in bed! And, to make matters worse, you got your first shiner last weekend too! Poor Gabs - we have taken to calling you our Black Eyed Pea. You first got hurt at school last week, then took a faceplant on the changing table guard rail and AGAIN on Ashley's coffee table! I felt so guilty about the changing table incident too! I wish I could have anticipated your faceplant and prevented it from happening because that is where the bruising really came from. But, even with a black eye you are still beautiful.

Last Sunday, you spent the afternoon playing with Carter and Evan. I hope you always stay close to your cousins. I love watching the three of you together. Jodi says that they play nicer with you then they do by themselves. Regardless, I cannot begin to tell you what joy the three of you have brought to this family.

You have brought so much joy to my life. I am so proud, humbled, overjoyed, and lucky to be your mother. I cannot believe how much you have opened my heart and taught me what truly matters in life. So my dear, happy 10 months and 2 days birthday. May all of your days be celebrations and all of your moments be filled with love.

Love,

Mommy