Oh Charlie, my Charlie:
I love you.
Over the past four months, I have written several letters to you. At the end, I always tell you that I love you, but this month I want to put it first. I hope that I never forget to tell you that I love you first. Everything else can wait.
You are four months old today. Just thinking this makes my heart flutter. Four months, Charlotte, really? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!
This month has been a wellspring of development for you. You are sitting up, but only in that baboon-like tripod way that babies sit. It takes every ounce of strength, balance, and concentration that you have to sit like that and if you so much as blink? PLOP! it’s over.
More notably, you have become a rolling champion, always rolling here and rolling there and then rolling some more just for kicks. I can no longer leave you unattended ANYWHERE for fear that you’ll roll off a ledge and crack your noggin.
Besides discovering that you can roll around, you have recently realized that these wonderful things called TOYS exist. You love toys, but last week you found something that you love even more: your toes. And when you did, it was like a light bulb went on above your head. TOES! Where had your glorious toes been all this time?! Why didn’t we show you those toes before? Look, Momma! TOES!
All I can say to that is YES, CHARLOTTE, you have toes. I made sure that I baked up ten just for you. I’m glad you like them. I agree with you: they are delicious.
This month, you have also become ridiculously expressive. Twice you have gone an entire day from sun-up to sun-down without crying AT ALL, not once. You didn’t even fuss. IT WAS SO COOL. I would love to say that this is because I am a baby whispering genius, but the truth is that you’re actually just very easy to read. I appreciate this. Please, please keep it up. It will make your adolescence so much easier on me.
Last, but not least, you are laughing like a madman these days. It is rare for you to go longer than a couple minutes without letting loose with a good giggle. And oh, Charlotte, how I adore those little pint-sized peels of laughter. A few days ago, I overheard someone telling their friend that they did not want to be THAT MOTHER who stayed at home and spent the whole day devoted to making their kid laugh. And I thought er, hm, um, eep, well? I am soooooo that mother. Sorry. I CAN’T RESIST.
This month has been a big month for both of us. We are both growing and learning and we are both loving spending every moment of it together. You have learned all sorts of things like how to push your feet underneath your belly during tummy time and how to stand without wobbling so much. And what I have learned is this: I want you to KNOW that you have always been loved. Loved beyond comprehension. Loved without condition. Loved.
I love you more than bears love honey (and everyone knows that’s an awful lot),
Momma
*** I know that some of you are having trouble clicking through to my site from Google Reader. I’m trying to figure out what the problem is, exactly, so that I can fix it, but I am not very good with RSS stuff. If anybody out there happens to know what’s going on and how I can fix it, please e-mail me at sarah [at] becomingsarah [dot] com. THANK YOU!
*** Also, I will be announcing the contest winner next week. Sorry it’s taken me so long; I just keep forgetting about it.
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I would like to say I read the rest of this entry, but I can’t because I was so mesmerized with the first picture.
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you answered my question before I asked! GENIUS, I TELL YOU!
Do you want to know what my question was?
Why is Google Reader acting so gay and not letting me click properly? -
Those pictures are particularly BEAUTIFUL! What an adorable baby, and great photography. Oh, and a lovely letter.
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Awesome pictures…I especially like the first one!
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cute post! reading about your life with your cute charlotte makes me excited to have my baby!
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Sarah - I just want to tell you I come here everyday for a burst of sunshine. That’s exactly what your site is, your love and joy are so evident and it wonderful.
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She is PRECIOUS. In that first photo she looks JUST like you!
I did have trouble clicking over from bloglines. But I also had trouble with another blog in bloglines today, too, I think. I can’t remember!
Steph
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Awwww…. that’s precious! I, too, will be THAT mother. 100% devoted to her child and making him laugh. What else could you ask for?
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Oh. So. Sweet.
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I think before women have babies they have all kinds of fears about being “that mother” and such because of the way society portrays mothers in mass media. I know before I ever even considered having children seriously, I was all pro-scheduled C-section, formula, and staying at home all day with a baby seemed like the WORST thing I could do, like the fastest way to give up who I am and be someone I don’t want to be.
Now? Obviously things are very different. In my Utopian world, people would have children when they’re emotionally ready to, and would realize that having a child is so much bigger than anything you can imagine. It’s totally, 100% possible to be yourself and also be a mother or father.
I think you do it well.
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I’ll have you know that your site is causing me no small amount of baby-desire. Those photos, those sweet words, it’s all too much for me.
I’ll be back tomorrow for more, though :)
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Photo #2 is the one that gets me. That diapered bottom…the curl of her leg, the rolls and dimples on her knee…and those socks.
I may actually be drooling, she is so delicious.
I can’t help but wonder, though…how long to do socks stay on her feet? My son sheds socks like you wouldn’t believe. His feet are like butterflies popping from their coccoons…as soon as the socks come off, his toes spread out and wiggle and his feet start to dance in the air.
:)
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Mailis - Socks come off ALL,THE.TIME. We have a couple pairs of footsue pants and they are my salvation. Baby socks are the bane of my existence.
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wow - sitting up already? That’s amazing! What a brilliant little girl that Charlotte is! (not to mention photogenic)
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his month has been a big month for both of us. We are both growing and learning and we are both loving spending every moment of it together. You have learned all sorts of things like how to push your feet underneath your belly during tummy time and how to stand without wobbling so much. And what I have learned is this: I want you to KNOW that you have always been loved. Loved beyond comprehension. Loved without condition. Loved.
By Kate (This Place is Now a Home) on November 20, 2009
These pictures are PARTICULARLY gorgeous! What a lucky little girl to have such a devoted, loving and TALENTED mom.