Month 9

Dear Elliott,

Okay, again with the late newsletter, but I've never been great with punctuality. You, however, seem to be one of those early people. You were born early, and crawled early, and are apparently trying to add walking to this list. And I am trying to thwart those efforts.

Okay, not really, but it is equal parts thrilling and TOTAL BUMMER to watch you pull up on the couch next to me, let go for a few seconds, and raise your hands in total victory. "I am big! You are heartbroken! Booyah!"

This month was a big one for our family, because we celebrated your first Christmas and you took your first trip to Arkansas. In fact, it was also your first trip to Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Louisiana, because we decided to tempt fate with a 16 hour car trip with a baby and a dog. You did pretty well, considering you were completely off of anything resembling a schedule and were trying hard to cut your top teeth, but there were a few incidents along the way. You woke approximately 32 times per night, leaving your father and me completely wrecked while I tried to keep you quiet. You managed not to catch the awful, awful stomach virus that Daddy and I caught on our anniversary and then passed around to everyone in Benton, but then we took you Granny's house for New Years Eve so we could recover and you apparently slept for 45 minutes the whole night. This was your Granny's idea- and while she says she did it so you would sleep for us, I know she really just wanted to squeeze every second out of the night that she could. I can't say I blame her.

You met all of your grandparents, Great-Grandparents, and your Great Great Grandmother, who unfortunately passed just after we left town. She was going to turn 109 this month, and she was a really lovely lady. I wish I would have been able to talk to her a little about all the things she's seen in the last century- about how different (or similar) a place the world has become, and how she is directly responsible for the two people I love more than anything in the world.

Now you have spent as much time on the outside as you did on the inside, and in this time have blossomed into this dancing, grinning, attention-magnet little boy with blondish hair and blue eyes and rosy chubby cheeks. I know I am going to turn around soon and you will walk over to me, ask me questions, and develop interests in things other than laptop cords and remote controls. Happy New Year, Ellybelly. You are adored.

Love,

Momma