Dear Seneca

To my sweet girl, I realize that I have not recorded my feelings and observations about you in the last while and as you approach 7 weeks on this earth, you continue to captivate us all with your pleasant nature and perfectly kissable parts.

I have observed that you are a calm and content little baby who easily rolls with whatever is going on around you. You are able to sleep in the midst of a brother still learning how to be quiet and while your pacifier has been a means to help comfort and relax you, you also respond well to your swing, to the vibration of the bouncy chair, or mom or dad holding you close. Your dad believes you enjoy being flat on your back and able to stretch out as opposed to hanging out in any of the multiple baby seating devices that now adorn our family room. You have had a tendency from the beginning to look to your right when laying down. It takes a great deal of action and pursuation to get you to look to the left, although you are becoming more aware of the world around you.

When you get excited or impatient, you flap your little arms up and down at remarkable speed and look like a tiny bird trying to take off. You also are kicking your legs much more lately and make it quite difficult to keep a blanket on you, although we still wrap you up like a little burrito at night and it helps you sleep peacefully. You have been waking up once a night since you came to live with us and I just can't tell you how much I appreciate that. Your dad will feed you, wrap you up and put you to bed, I'll spend about 20 minutes with you 4 hours later and then we'll both sleep for another good while before beginning our day.

My favorite look of yours lately is when you are awake, holding your head up and we can see that you actually have a little square chin under there. Your eyes are wide taking in the world around you. You have a small dimple on your left cheek and beautiful skin that asks to be kissed. Your dark hair is thick and is very much a part of your image right now.

Seneca, we can tell you are growing up a bit as you are more alert and stay awake with us for longer periods of time. You have starting making such wonderful babbling sounds and we like to think you're talking to us. Your brother especially enjoys this interaction he thinks he has with you, commenting to me, "mom, what my sister saying to me?" or "my sister talking to me!"

Speaking of your brother, I'd like to thank you for making this transition so smooth for him. He has been the one and only for more than two years and you joining our family happened seamlessly without any upset or disturbance. Thank you for being content to let him have the spotlight so often. He loves you and is very sweet and soft with you. He won't let me leave the house without reminding me to bring his sister. He kisses you very gently and knows to be careful around you. He will be a wonderful example to you and I know the two of you will be close friends. He loves to teach you all the things he's learning, he recently informed you that he is a boy and you are a girl. He annunciates your name very clearly and tells people you are his baby.

You have brought an incredible amount of peace and joy to our home during a time that could very well be over-the-top stressful for your mom. Your perfect little legs, feet and demeanor are supposed to be with us right now and I can't imagine our family without you. You are a wise soul in there and have a deep spirit that I know I will benefit from as you grow. I know the time will come, probably shortly, that I will have influence over the person you will become, but for now, being straight from our Father in Heaven, you have had much more influence on my life. Thank you for making me smile, inside and out, each day. I love you baby girl.