Half Birthday?

My dear, sweet Madeline,

I can't believe it's the eve of your 6 month birthday! Six months?! Where has the time gone? People warn you, when you're pregnant, that the time FLIES by but there's no way to really understand that until you're thrown into parenthood. Mommyhood. Sweet Bean, I'm so lucky to be your Mommy!

You personality is too big for your little 14lb body! You're bursting at the seams, and if I dare to blink I miss something new you're discovering! You've got the most infectious smile and laugh and I spend most of my day trying to get one or the other out of you. Thankfully, when nothing else works, I've found your tickle-spots and they don't let me down very often! Your Daddy's favorite thing to do is to throw you so high into the air and you squeal and laugh until he can't throw you anymore because his arms are too tired!

You're so alert and so curious about the world around you. Within the last month you've really started to notice the dogs. Even though we try to stop him, Rambo constantly wants to smell and lick your face while you roughly yank his ears and pull his hair and laugh when he steals a kiss. Roxanne is afraid of you - you're unpredictable - but you looooove her! On the rare occasion you get to pet her (when she's not paying attention) you laugh and scream and throw your head back in pure joy that you FINALLY got to pet her floofy hair! Once she gives you a chance I know she'll love you too!

We've started going to a story-time at the library across the street, where you bounce up and down and 'dance' to the music and songs we sing. Where you smile and laugh at the other babies and where you look on in amazement while the circle leader plays the flute and makes finger puppets come to life! I hope that some of these babies will become your friends in the future.

Now that you're SIX MONTHS OLD things are about to get crazy fun, and fast! You'll be crawling soon - not like you have ANY trouble getting anywhere you want to be now. You roll so fast across the floor and pull your toys off the shelf, you put everything into your mouth and seem determined to find every piece of lint on the floor that I missed and put it in your mouth before I can jump over the coffee table to stop you! You'll be starting to eat 'real' food and it'll be an adventure to find out which ones you like and which ones you don't.

I'm so so lucky that your Daddy works hard so that I can stay home with you. My heart would break into a million pieces if I had to miss out on all the wonderful things you do in a day. Colorado is my dream. Living here and staying home with you in my dream come true and I can't wait to see you embrace this life that I'm trying so hard to make close-to-perfect for you.

Sweet Bean, you're an amazing, beautiful, independent, brilliant, happy, curious - WONDERFUL baby and I'm so happy that you're mine! (Ours.) Happy Half Birthday, Baby. I can't remember my life before you. ♥