Dear Cricket,
The past six months have absolutely flown by, and I can’t believe it’s time to say this, but, “Happy half birthday!”
You are far beyond where I thought you’d be by now, little one. You grow faster than I desire, are stronger than I expect and sweeter than I could hope for. This month you truly blossomed; you’re eager to play catch-up with your big sister, and you’re constantly interested in what she’s doing. Whether it’s toys or food or TV, there you are, her little sidekick and nuisance. In fact, you have a total death grip and often grab her hair if she’s ignoring you. (Ha!) We’re trying to teach E.V. not to hit or bite or pinch, so even though I know you’re innocent in your hair pulling, I often have to chastise you for her sake, “Cricket, we don’t pull hair. It’s not nice. Say you’re sorry to your sister.” ;) And, honestly, at the rate you’re developing, I wouldn’t be too surprised if you spit out a “Sorry!” for me one of these days!
This month you went from scooting yourself a few inches here and there to being fully mobile. In the mornings, while I shower, you love to crawl all around the bathroom through the obstacle course (of sorts) that I lay out for you each day. Along the way you gather hairbrushes and toothpaste bottles and washcloths, looking and tasting and giggling as you go. In truth, your crawling abilities have developed so quickly that it’s taken your dad and I by surprise, i.e. you’ve crawled yourself off the couch and bed a few times already. {insert sheepish grin} When you fall, you cry fiercely but are comforted quickly. Those little lamb cries and crocodile tears and quivering lips are just too much to bear!
On the other hand, you rarely cry other than when you’re hurt. You are my funny, sunny baby, full of smiles. We call you Smiles still, and you never disappoint. Being around other people makes you so happy, and you’re always scheming to be held or played with. Your favorite companion, of course, is Emma Vance, and you guys spend hours each day rolling around and playing together. She’s admittedly very rough with you, but every time I tell her to be gentle, you undermine me by popping up from the tussle with a grin on your face. (Silly!) It’s easy to see that you love her and look up to her; she will carry a great weight in life. I pray that she will be a good role model and influence on you, your best friend and closest companion. Of course, secretly I want you to be my best friend, but I figure that you have to have someone to complain about me to once you’re a cranky teenager. ;)
Cricket, besides crawling, the biggest change this month has been your diet. For as long as you could crawl (for about a full month now), you’ve been after real food! There have been so many times I’ve found you with E.V.’s snack in your hand, your guilty, grinning face covered in crumbs. The first time I caught you, you had downed a few bites of banana and were not so pleased with me for taking the rest of it away from you before you were done. (Ha!) We’ve been quick to get you on the solid food track; you’re much happier with tiny bits of egg and avocado than with baby food. In fact, you don’t even really love oatmeal like your sister did. You’d much rather pick up puffs and mum mums than deal with mushy peas! The best part of introducing real food to you has been that it entertains you for loooong periods of time, so now I have something to keep you occupied while I flitter about the house. I just plop you in your high chair with a snack, and you’re happy as can be! (Oh, did I mention you can also sit up like a champ? NBD. Ha!) Plus I love that now during meals you and E.V. can sit together and eat side-by-side. So. Cute.
Oh, little Crickie! You are a such talker! For a while I felt like you weren’t as verbose as your sister, but this month proved me wrong! For the longest time you were a screecher; screaming your hardest when you needed a change of scenery or attention. However, this month you found your voice and now you babble all. the. time! I swear I’ve heard you say “mama” and “E.V.” already, but I’m trying not to be an over-eager mother who thinks that (of course) her kids are advanced. You definitely keep pace with your sister on the conversation front, and the two of you together is a formula for crazy chatter! I can’t wait to hear your real conversations one day. I’m sure they will be entertaining to no end…and utterly ridiculous. :) You guys love each other so much it’s crazy. God definitely gave you one another, and for that I’m so thankful. When E.V. wakes up in the morning, you’re the first person she asks for, and when you sleepily open your eyes and see her face, you grin this happy, lazy grin that makes me smile.
Speaking of sleep, you’re as routined as possible and easy going. Because E.V. has so many activities, we are always on the go. You take a small nap or two in the morning in the car, sleep hard during E.V.’s afternoon nap from noon-ish to 3ish, have one last snoozer in the afternoon (usually at the gym) and then are out between 7 and 8 p.m. Since you can crawl and roll over, you tend to wake yourself up by flopping around at the same time late each night–and I’m sad to let you grow up too fast, so I’m holding on to your dream feed still, nursing you late at night and snuggling you as much as I can while you’re still little! You’ve grown to love sleeping on your belly, too, which is nerve-wracking for me. Could you slow down a bit, mkay?
Crickie, I love you. Seriously. I hate leaving you for even a minute and gain such happiness in watching you grow. I can’t imagine our lives without you, and I know E.V. would be robbed of joy if you weren’t in our family. I want you to stay a baby, but I’m also eager to see the person you’re growing into. I know this: You are smart, strong, happy and beautiful — loved by God and by your family. What else could there be? You are perfect and precious, Smiles.
Happy half birthday, little one.
Love you,
Me (and Dad and E.V.)
