On being 9 months old

Dear Little Prince,

How have nine months already passed?

I know it’s not fair to ask you that question.  Though, I do wonder how you grasp, or don’t, the passing of time.  Do you understand the difference between day and night?  Do you understand that each day you are growing and learning?  These are questions you’ll never be able to answer.  Because by the time you understand the concept, and have the ability to speak, you will have forgotten what it was like in these early days.

I digress, though, which seems to happy more and more frequently these days as I get less and less sleep.  And why am I getting less sleep?

It could have something to do with the eight teeth you now have.  Eight.  Technically you had eight teeth a month ago, before you were even eight months old.  They are certainly good for chomping, and you’ve been doing a lot of that.  Carrots, bread, tortillas, peas, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, pasta, fingers, toys, furniture… chomp, chomp, chomp.

It could have something to do with walking.  You’ve taken some steps on your own, strung them together without holding onto anything, one, two, three… four, and fall.  It’s obvious you understand walking and are working on your balance.  You like to walk too as your smile grows with each step, but when you are chasing after something you prefer the scooting crawl you have perfected.  It’s efficient.

It could have something to do with everything you see and hear throughout the day.  You are bombarded with music and sights.  Everything is new.  Everything is exciting.  You study the world intently and intensely, cataloging it all, trying to process it, but there is just too much to figure it all out during the day, so perhaps your mind spins long into the night.  Perhaps.  It’s plausible.

It could just be that you miss us.  You miss our warmth, our smells, our presence.  You stir in your sleep and reach out for us but we aren’t there, so you do what comes naturally to you and then when you reach out again you do find us.  That’s how it should be.  We are your parents, after all, we are supposed to be there for you always.

And, I’m not complaining.  I don’t mind the lost sleep.  It’s all part of this crazy adventure we are embarking on us a family.

I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas.  I just wanted to tell you that I love you and the Queen loves you on your 9 month birthday today, and every single day.

Based on the prior 9 months, the next 3 will come and go faster than we are ready for them to.  But, we will continue to do our best to make sure you are happy and healthy.  That’s our job.  Yours is to continue growing and learning and smiling and giggling and fussing and grabbing and crowing and chomping.

I think you’ve got it under control.

I know you do.

Love,

Matticus