Category Archives: A Letter

A Letter: Three Months

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Dear Ana,
Oh my little monkey, can you believe we made it three whole months? Time sure does go by faster now that you are in my life. I love spending my days with you, watching you grow and develop new skills. If I were planning to go back to work, I would have to do that this month as most maternity leave only lasts for three months. I cannot even imagine leaving you with someone else at this point in your life. I am so thankful each and every day that I am able to stay home and raise you.



In the past couple weeks you have expanded your bag of baby tricks to include blowing bubbles. I love the way you purse your lips together to create the tiniest little bubbles. Sure, this now requires that I keep a cloth handy to wipe up the excess drool, but it is just too cute to discourage. That and I totally do it too and it’s good to know you got something from your mama.



You have also started making a wider variety of sounds. Your current favorite is what I can only explain as the sound someone makes when “rolling your r’s” in Spanish. You make the sound, pause to allow me to make it back and then smile and laugh like it is the funniest thing in the whole world. And I just can’t help but smile and laugh back with the same enthusiasm. See? You just make every little thing so much better.



Another silly thing you have really perfected this last week is your fake cough. I admit I must take the blame for this one. A couple weeks ago I had a cold and whenever I would cough it would scare you (sometimes so badly that you would instantly burst into tears) so I would try to show you that coughs were not scary by adding a little fake cough to the end and smiling at you. Apparently this made the cough not only non-threatening, but also highly entertaining.



Oh and have I mentioned how much you love your reflection? You just love making faces and staring at yourself in the mirror. We first noticed this with the mirror in the car that allows me to see you in my rear-view mirror. You would just stare and coo at yourself while we were driving. So we decided to put one in your crib as well and it has made you very happy. Hopefully we are not encouraging narcissism or vanity. Your father is already worried about focusing too much on looks and makes sure that each time he tells you that you are beautiful or adorable, he also compliments you on your intelligence or talents. He just wants you to know that we love you just the way you are. And, I have to say, I totally agree.


All my love,
Mama

A Letter: Two Months

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Dear Ana,
My goodness, where does the time go? Already it has been two months since you were born, and what an amazing two months it has been. You have changed and grown so much in such a short period of time. Every day I just stare at you and cannot believe what a little person you are becoming before my very eyes.



Your father and I are finding little tricks to maintain a sense of calm in our household. For example, we have to swaddle you to keep you sleeping at night. You love the security and warmth it provides. A swaddle strong enough to keep your tiny, but oh so strong, arms in will guarantee me at least six or seven (occasionally eight!) hours of uninterrupted sleep. And that my dear is priceless.



Sometimes you fall asleep while I am feeding you at night and when you open your eyes you give me this look that someone who was abducted by aliens might make. To me it clearly says, “Ok, where the hell am I…and just who the hell are you?” Then you close your eyes again real slow and when you reopen them a second later the comprehension dawns across your face and I know you are thinking, “Oh that’s right. NOW I remember.“



In the last week or two you have discovered your hands. It is so amazing to watch you focus all your energy on bringing your tiny fists toward your face and, of course, straight into your mouth. Your father and I are torn on whether to stop you from sucking on your hands. We really don’t want you to become a thumb-sucker mostly because of the horror stories associated with them. On the other hand (pun intended) I understand that it is a developmental milestone and a sign that you are learning motor skills as well as how to self-soothe. Plus, it is just about the cutest thing to watch! I guess, as with most parental issues, we will just deal with it as it comes and see what works best for our family. But I am sure we will get plenty of unsolicited advice on the matter regardless.



There is no longer any doubt whether your smiles are gas related; they are real! At first you would only smile while you were dreaming or falling asleep, but now you smile as a result of things that are going on around you. I am guaranteed a smile whenever I lean over your crib to pick you up first thing in the morning, whenever I feed you (I just love when you stop nursing, lean back to look at me, and give me a huge milky smile!) and when I place you on your changing table.



Speaking of your changing table, it is currently your favorite place to be. It has been a fabulous discovery actually. If you are ever fussy or we can’t seem to get you to stop crying after making sure you are clean, fed, and rested, we simply take you into your bedroom, set you on your changing table and you are instantly calm and happy. It works like a charm. Please don’t ever stop having a place I can always rely on to calm you down. If you could do that, it would be great, thanks.

All my love,
Mama

A Letter: One Month

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Dear Ana,
Today you are officially one month old. It is so strange, because it seems like you have always been with us. I can hardly remember what life was like before you were born, and quite frankly, I don’t want to. You have changed my life in the most amazing way possible. Your father and I were talking the other day about how when we announced we were pregnant with you other parents would look at each other, smile knowingly, and tell us we had no idea what we were in for. But I have to tell you, Ana, you are exactly what we were hoping for.



I wanted to thank you for being such an amazingly well behaved baby. You sleep, eat, and poop like a champ and we wouldn’t have it any other way. You eat every three hours during the day and only wake up once during the night for your feeding. When I was pregnant with you I would have little bouts of insomnia where I would wake up each night around 3am and lay awake for an hour or two. I now know that was just your little way of letting me know in advance what your schedule was going to be. So thank you for forewarning me and allowing me to adapt to your schedule. You are just so considerate of your mama.



Have I mentioned how happy I am that you are such a great sleeper? Because it is one of my favorite things about you. When you were less than a week old your Uncle Greg asked me how we got you to sleep in your crib, to which I replied, “that’s where we put her.” I was adamant about you sleeping in your own crib, in your own room. (When you are older you can thank me for teaching you about being independent.) But I have to admit the majority of the credit should go to you, because you are simply wonderful that way.



The question we get asked most, after “does she let you sleep at night,” is how you get along with the cats and dogs. My resounding answer is that you all get along great. The cats mostly like you because you brought fabulous places for them to sleep into the house: the swing, the bassinet, the changing table. And the dogs truly love you. Ellie likes to smell your little head and curl up at my feet when I hold you. But Molly loves you most of all. She cannot stand for you to cry and instantly runs over to check that you are ok and to make sure your daddy and I are taking care of you. She loves to lick your little hands and feet and rests her head alongside your tiny body when I nurse you. I always knew the dogs would love you, but the shocking thing is that you also love them. You coo when they lick you, stare into their big brown eyes, and don’t even flinch when their excited tails whack you in the head.



Already you have changed so much since we brought you home from the hospital. You have recently started making the most adorable little coos and squeaks. I hear you in the car seat or in your crib, just cooing away, absorbing everything and enjoying your surroundings. And you smile all the time. I don’t know how many of them are real smiles or just gas, but they are smiles just the same and I will take them any way I can get them.



Little Miss, I simply cannot wait for all the things I get to share with you and teach you. I can’t wait to see your face when you feel sand between your toes for the first time, to cheer for you when you take your first step, and to help you back up when you fall down moments later. I promise to teach you how to read, how to braid your hair, and how to make amazing chocolate chip cookies. I promise to do all that and so much more, but only if you promise to help me learn to relax, to remember to be silly, and to enjoy each and every moment to the very fullest.

All my love,
Mama