Dear Campbell: 11 Months

Tomorrow sweet baby girl, is your 11-month birthday.  And as if you can sense the miraculous milestone looming just one month away, you are turning into a little girl right in front of my eyes.  And I am not sure I am prepared to lose my baby yet.

You are still pudgy and adorable and the final signal of your inevitable independence - mobility - remains limited to scooting.  But you are so inquisitive - so ready to learn about the world around you, ready to conquer all that is out there.  These signs of the next stage in your life make me want to kiss your chubby chipmunk cheeks all the more while I still can - before they thin out into a beautiful little girl face and before it's no longer cool for Mama to kiss on you.

In the span of a one week vacation you learned to drink from a straw and wave better than the Queen of England herself. You figured out that water and sun are two of the most important ingredients to true fun. You love eating real foods whenever we will share bits of fruit or bread or cracker or Cheerios. In the last couple of days you have discovered the joys of petting the dog. 

We took our first family vacation last week. Since Mama and Daddy are still poor, new parents, we had to piggy-back with Grannydots and Grandpa but it was a great deal of fun. I look forward to a lifetime of vacations with you. The vacations my parents worked hard to provide for me growing up are still some of my favorite memories and I hope the same will be true for you one day.

Our first vacation was spent at the beach - your second trip but the first where you were able to swim.  At first you were a little unsure. The fact that a big wave got you in the face almost immediately could have left you averse to surfing forever but Mama, Daddy and Grannydots convinced you salt water up your nose is a load of fun.  From the first day on each time we topped the boardwalk and you spotted the beach you flapped your little hands and made funny little monkey noises to show your excitement.  You loved sitting in the tidal pools and getting wet, gooey sand between your fingers.

After last week you have returned a full-fledged water baby.  This morning's bath brought a great deal more splashing and playing than past ones have. You even cried when it was time to get out.  So, dear girl, we are going to have so much fun swimming at the pool this summer!

It is amazing to watch you grow but sad at the same time.  This has been the fastest year of my life. It has also been the best without question. Every second with you is exciting and so full of love I can't express the warmth I feel looking at you with mere words. Today at lunch your Grannydots asked me if I ever dared dream you would end up so beautiful.  To which I answered that you have exceeded every expectation or dream I ever dared have of you.

All my love -
Mama

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