8 Months Old

My sweet Emma Claire,

Nine months of carrying you in my belly is what it took

to prepare your tiny body for the outside world, 

but it took only an instant, that moment I first saw you, 

for my heart to be ready to love you 

more deeply than I ever thought was possible.

Of course I had already fallen in love with you 

the moment your Daddy and me found out you were on your way,

 but at 11:54pm on August 17, 2011 that love grew tremendously. 

Now, eight months later, that love is still growing

and it will continue to grow with each day and month that passes.

Emma Claire, you are so incredible.

I hope, as you get older, you realize how wonderful you are

and use all of your greatness to make a difference in the world.

I was made to be your Momma
and I will do everything I can along the way

to help you do whatever it is you believe you were made to do.

I know it will be something big, because that's how special you are.

Now that you're getting older,
it seems like you're always learning something new.
Just in the past week you have learned to point,
not at anything in particular yet, but point nonetheless,
help get yourself out of your carseat,
play our night night game,
and get yourself out of the sitting position.
I have also noticed that you have become very aware of my nose.
You like to grab a hold of it and try to pull it off.
Hopefully you will soon realize that's not possible
and just decide to leave it alone,
but I get the feeling that's not going to happen.

You have also started to sleep through the night.
As wonderful as this is, I have realized that since you started this
I tend to hold you a little more during the day.
I guess I miss that extra cuddle time we used to get
in the middle of the night, just the two of us rocking in the darkness.
I used to spend that time looking down at you in awe
and we usually held hands as you drifted off to sleep again.
I didn't realize how much I cherished that extra
quality time together until now.
I guess we will just have to find a new way
to have special Momma and Emma quality time.

I love you with all my heart Emma Claire.
Thank you for giving me the most incredible past eight months.
I can only imagine what you have in store for me
for the next eight months and eight years.
I look forward to each and every day.

Love,
Momma