Dear Hadley,
Today you are thirteen months old. Thirteen sounds like such a bad, unlucky number, but I have high hopes for you. I am certain there are wonderful and amazing things ahead for us this month. And it’s not only because we have so much going on (ok, when don’t we have lots going on?!) but I just love sharing all the amazing things around us and watching as you delight in each and every new discovery.

Once people find out how old you are, the first thing they ask me is if you are walking. And I always tell them, “Nope. But she could if she would just try.” And it is totally true. You are amazing when it comes to standing, a rockstar at cruising around, and even (and it pains me to admit this) awesome at climbing. You are a physical force to be reckoned with. Yet you refuse to walk. As soon as we let go of your hands you drop to the ground and crawl away (with astonishing speed, I might add). I’m not worried, by any means. I know you will walk when you are good and ready. But all this bending over is really killing our backs!

Not walking certainly doesn’t keep you from getting around. You are always ON something. Whether you are driving…

Or riding…

Or rocking…

Or just sitting. You are always content and keeping yourself busy. Over the last month you have finally figured out how to get on and off of the plasma car, trike, and rocker so you are even more inclined to head over and test out your new-found abilities. I am just glad you found things to do that make you so happy!

Your personality has really been coming out lately. And I gotta say, it can be quite mischievous! We will tell you not to do something and you give us this giant smile, bat your eyelashes, and just keep on doing whatever you want. I’m sure some of it is you testing your boundaries, and some of it is you enjoying that you are able to get a reaction out of us (excellent displays of ’cause and effect!’) but I am fairly certain you have a little evil streak that is really going to shine one day!

You still aren’t saying many actual words, but from time to time I feel like I am having full on conversations with you. For example, I swear you and I had this conversation last night:

Me: Hadley where are you going?

Hadley: Down.

Me: But I don’t want you to get down.

Hadley: I do.

Me: YOU do?

Hadley: Yes.

And then you slid off my bed and crawled away! Now I’m pretty sure we didn’t really have that conversation. But just the tone of your “words” and the back and forth of our banter, it feels like you have plenty to say, and it’s just a matter of time before you are chattering away non stop.

You love Ana more than anything. You follow your sister everywhere. To you, there is Ana and then there is the rest of the world. I love the relationship the two of you have. You can get each other giggling in a way that no one else can. I love listening to the two of you play together. Sure, I hear the occasional, “MOM! Hadley is messing up my room again!” But it is almost always followed by, “It’s ok, Hadley. You can play with this.” Or at the very least, “Come on. Let’s go play in YOUR room.” I am so happy that you two enjoy each other as much as you do and I pray it is a relationship that will only strengthen as you get older.

You are such an amazingly happy little girl. You are all smiles (and teeth!) and giggles. You have made such a wonderful addition to our family. It is so hard to imagine a time when you weren’t with us. It seems like it has always been “the four of us.” We have so much fun exploring, going on adventures, and conquering the world around us. It seems like there isn’t anything we can’t do when we are together. We are a family… and you made it complete.

All my love,
Mama