Dear A...

11 months old and so full of personality. I can see you will give us beans. Determined. Stubborn. You will be trouble.

Tonight I nursed you for what may be the last time. My chest hurt as I inhaled your baby scent, showering your downy head with gentle kisses.

You are a bundle of joy. Your vocabulary expanding daily... or weekly... that's probably more accurate. Just before you turned 10 months you said "dada" and followed that soon after with "dah" (your brother's name, in your own way. But definitely his name. You repeat it whenever he walks into a room, and call for him when he walks out).


Two weeks ago, you finally came out with "mama" and my heart sang!! You've been saying 'dog' for months - "duh" which is most definitely 'dog'. And today, my angel, you said "nana" while pointing at a banana.

You know where mummy's eyes, teeth, nose and belly button are. You have been doing "hands up" for many months, and will try to turn on or off the lights when we enter or leave a room. You just can't press the switch hard enough. You clap hands and say "duh" for duck (as well as dog, but who can blame you. They are very similar words.) You can pull the lever for the pink elephant and press the button for the green panda to make them pop up, but find it a bit too hard to twist the knobs for the lion and the giraffe.


You have the tiniest little mole on your right forearm, a recently formed delicate dot. You pull yourself up to stand and cruise along the furniture, but you don't manage to balance for very long on your own just yet. But you can crawl at a pace...

You love to bathe with your brother, try to eat the bubbles in the tub, and swimming makes you smile.

You suck your left thumb. You were sucking it in the womb, and you found it on the night you were born. When you are tired, we give you your 'blankie' and you drop your head straight on to it, grasp an edge between your fingers, and stick your thumb in your mouth. We give you a kiss, tell you "night night" and lay you in your crib... and then my love, you go to sleep until the morning!! You sleep all night... and I am still in shock with each passing night that you sleep through. You are a wonder, a joy, an angel.

My baby girl.

Thank you for showing me that my heart can double in size...

Love,

Mum.