Dear Little Fish,

Oh, did I say that six months was an awesome age? I lied. Nine months is even better.

Your personality is really starting to show right now. Let me break it down for you:

• Enthusiastic: You get excited about everything. Your new love is things hanging on the walls—photographs, artwork, whatever. Any time you spot something hanging, you start gesturing wildly, breathing fast and saying “aaaaaaaaa” in this bizarre way that makes you sound like you have a smoker’s cough.

• Talkative: Everything these days is accompanied by a sound. You basically don’t stop vocalizing any time you’re awake. You love practicing your consonants. Most recently you figured out “N.” You love saying “naan, naan, naan.”

• Happy: You pretty much love the whole world right now. You’re generally just stoked to be alive. Your dad and I took you to the park the other weekend and I thought you were going to explode with glee. You loved riding on the swings for the first time and “playing” with the other babies there. If you had your way, you’d be around people all the time. You remind me of Grandma Peggy in this way.

• Sweet: You learned how to snuggle! And give hugs! Sometimes you try to climb onto my lap and then you’ll just sit there for a while, playing with your toys or lounging against me. There are no words for how happy this makes me.

Other things about you at nine months:

• You love looking at books. I’m trying to get your first real word to be “book.” We’ll see.

• You can stand holding onto something.

• You’re starting to point.

• You cry when strangers hold you, even if they’re not really strangers (like your grandparents).

• Whenever you look at me you get this look on your face like seeing me is the best thing that’s ever happened to you. Guess what? That’s how I feel every time I look at you, too.

You and me? We’re having the best time together. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Love,
Mom