counting my blessings: 9 months

Wed:

I fed her last night and put her down about 7:30, kissing her as much as possible and echoing the prayer that hangs above her bed, that she would sleep soundly all through the night because there would be mountains for her to move when she awoke.  Dad is gone again and for some reason kids sleeping through the night when he's gone is an extra gift.

She started babbling this morning about 7:45, happy as could be, just letting me know she was ready in there when I had a minute to come get her.  I found her with her head down on her soft blanket and her bottom sticking up in the air.  When she heard me, she sat up straight, smiled and squealed.  

She ate her breakfast like she'd been fasting for 40 days and couldn't get enough.  A good eater is preferred over a picky one.  She watched Beckham perform his magic tricks this morning, laughing in all the right places as she worked on getting the food on her tray up to her mouth.  As she moved from her highchair to the floor, I was reminded that even though I swept last night, the dust fairies come in the night and it needs to be done again.  I was also reminded that the days of her sitting there happy with toys and flapping her arms are gone.  She is on the move.  She plows up the two stairs from the family room to the hall without a blink, a girl on a mission.  Twice I had to follow her little sounds to see where she had gone.  She peeks her little round face around the corner and kicks and squeals, so proud to have found something new.  She discovers new things by putting them in her mouth, she expressed her happiness with darling little laughing sounds and she loves her siblings a lot.  

I'm pretty sure when a mama is expecting a baby, they wish first for good health.  Then they wish for a great sleeper and one who will eat well.  The fact that she's so darn pleasant through it all is just a bonus.  We've had a good nine months, baby.  While I'm not normally prone to turning back time and repeating it, I'd do it.  I'd do it for you, to have more time.  To postpone you getting any bigger, losing any chub, beginning to learn that perhaps I'm not the greatest thing on the planet. Because right now you believe I am.  And the feeling is mutual, my dear.