ketchup.

our nugget will be a whole year old in less than a week & i have yet to document . . . . a lot. after reading this beautiful post, i recognize that the little milestones are trivial in the grand scope of little monroe's life. however, as a first time mother i cannot help but glorify is those tiny, yet ever so monumental & victorious, achievements.

to my baby roe,

month 10 was a rough month for you. i cant say i blame you since you were fighting with all your tiny might to beat the awful ear infection that has plagued you for two whole months thus far. but in true fashion to your cheerful demeanor, you, were quite the champion.

on top of being a champion of sorts, you are the most tender & loving babe. now when i gather you in my arms, either to carry you to bed or to force you into snuggling, you lay your head on my shoulder & gently pat my back with your tiny palm. you & i then take turns patting each other on the back, until you get bored with that game & move onto the next. however, amidst the game playing, booking reading & regular non-sense that consumes our day you find those brief moments to drop what you are doing, climb into my lap & either lay your sweet head on me or plant a big-wide-mouthed kiss on me. you just came out with a sweet disposition & for that i thank my heavenly father each day.

as all mothers do, i wonder if i am doing a good enough job; teaching you the right things, feeding you the best ingredients & raising you in the proper way. & you do a perfect job of confirming that my efforts are not in vain. you have learned how to sort & stack toys. you hand me toys when i ask for them & are willing to share with others. you throw a ball out in front of you & scoot after it. you know what a dog says & what noise a car makes. you flip through books feverishly & then insist that we read them again saying 'boh! boh!'. you shake the maracas & bang on the drum, just like the musician son your papa & i always hoped for.

among other news, you learned how to sip through a straw, prefer to feed yourself, love watching cats, adore baths in the kitchen sink, your first & second teeth poked through, you squeal at the sight of dogs, finally figured out how to crawl, perfected your fake cry.

your ear-to-ear smile is the bright sonshine in my life.

i'll love you forever, i'll like you for always. as long as im living, my baby you'll be, mama