{nine months}

  9 months you have been with us, physically with us. you have now been in our home, in all your beautiful baby form, longer than i carried you inside of me. for 9 months now we have watched you grow. your legs have gotten longer and stronger, your hands and fingers went from mere appendages to controlled parts of your body, able to grasp, and grab and pick up anything and everything. most of what you handle goes straight to your mouth. your beautiful mouth that covers your 6 little teeth. teeth that were lurking under your gums. teeth that formed when you were still inside of me, just hidden, tucked away for later.  you are growing. your hair. your fine wispy, slightly red hair is getting longer. measuring time, like a calender on your little head. you lost pretty much all of the hair you grew inside of me. i remember finding tufts of it on your mattress every morning and wondering to myself where all the dog hair was coming from. only after you were almost bald did it finally dawn on me that these tufts were your baby hair. but this new hair. this soft as silk hair, is all yours. hair that you have grown in our home. i can't wait to put it in barrettes and braids and little buns. but what has grown more than anything my little pips is your understanding. your ability to comprehend your world. the other night i was giving you a bath. beatrix was already finished with hers and so i found myself sitting and just watching you. it was the first time you got down on your tummy in the tub and you looked right at me and then you put your face in the water. you quickly jerked your head out and took a gulp of air. then you smiled and did it again. and again. and again. 5 times you put your face in the water. you knew what would happen each time you did it. you are a risk taker. fearless. 

i sense that about you already. things i get to see because you are here. in our home. 

i love watching you grow. 

the days ,and nights especially, still seem to crawl by...drag some days even. 

but the months...well the months are flying. 

shooting by. 

 i loved watching my belly grow, knowing you were inside of me. 

feeling the heaviness and knowing it was because you were getting bigger. 

but this. 

this growing on the outside. 

it is by far the best. 

i am so thankful for you penelope surprise. 

happy 9 months pipi darling