Clara, you are amazing! 9 months has been my favorite age so far. You are learning so much, have developed such a personality, sleep through the night, and are tons of FUN. These last few weeks you have learned to clap, shake your head 'no' when you don't want something, cuddle things sweetly, purse your lips in a silly smile, give and take things away, eat finger foods, walk to and from pieces of furniture without holding on, and turn pages in books. You even chose a book from the shelf and crawled into my lap to read it.. a librarian mom's dream!
On a sappy note, I laid awake the last few night thinking about you and thanking my lucky stars that you are in my life! So, I am sorry if I hold you longer than you like and give you more kisses than you can stand, but I'm just trying to savor every minute of our time together. I hope I can make you feel as loved and as safe and as inspired as my mom makes me feel. I hope I can cultivate curiosity and zest for life like your daddy does. I hope I can empower you to feel fearless in going after what you want and living life with a smile and with heart and compassion for others like my dad. I hope I can give you comforting advice and strength and impart wisdom when you need it like Aunt Mandi. I hope that I can lift your spirits like our friends Sara and Olivia do for me. I hope I can instill strong values and radiate warmth like your dad's family. Most importantly, I hope you feel all the love in your life. You are one special baby!
