DC Melchers: Letters to Layla

Dear Layla,

Happy 9 month brithday! I can not believe you are 9 months old. Your Daddy keeps saying you seem less like a baby and more like a little kid and I agree. I find myself looking at you wondering where my teeny little baby went.

This month your personality has continued to shine. You have developed a little sense of humor. You find it hilarious when Daddy does a silly dance or I balance your toys on my head. You get a good laugh out of taunting Cashy with your Cheerios. We go on lots of play dates and you are a social butterfly. You love playing with other babies and like to give kisses to any baby you encounter!

You have quite the vocabulary now and can say Mama, Dada, bye-bye, hi, ball, up and pop. You can also wave hello and good-bye and do it to everyone you see at the grocery store. Your favorite toys are anything that makes noise or you can shake. Your favorite book is Pat the Bunny. Your 'soothie' is Eugene the Octopus. He is always in your hand and you bring him everywhere. Sometimes you make him dance, or put him up on tables to see what he looks like up high. You like to have him swim in the tub and feed him your dinner. Your favorite food is still avocado, but you are no longer happy with me feeding you from a spoon. You like to feed yourself everything and it's getting quite messy. You also love cheese and broccoli. You like to drink out of a cup- not a sippy cup, a regular adult cup. It's a mess, but I let you try. You are still crawling and pulling up on everything. You love tackling sets of stairs and will stand on your own for just a few seconds and take a few steps while holding on to something.

This month has been so much fun. You are my best friend and my little side kick. Sometimes when you are in the middle of playing you with crawl into my lap, give me a hug and say "Momma." It's awesome. You are my happy, affectionate, engaging, lovable, laughing little girl!

Love,

Momma