Month 9

Dear Lia,

You turned 9 months today! I have to tell you, this last month was the most difficult in getting pictures of you to put in your monthly letter. You move SO MUCH! Half the pictures I took were blurred. So I didn't take as many pictures this month because it's much more fun to just play with you and focus on that, rather than try pointing the camera at you all the time. You get distracted when there's a camera out and tend to lunge at it instead of continuing on what you're doing.



Lately we've noticed you are becoming more aware of your status as official center of the universe. The living room is your domain and when someone passes you by without saying hello to you, or picking you up, even if you're busy doing something else, like nursing or playing with some toy, you immediately scream and call their attention until they come back and greet you. Daddy can't get past you in the morning without saying good bye before going to work, and none of the help can go use our washing machine without first asking your permission to pass through the living room. It's all about you, Lia, and you know it.



Also, you've become more determined as a baby. I don't quite know how to put it but you seem to have developed a sense of knowing what you want, going after what you want, and once you get what you want, you refuse to let go. If someone takes it from you, you get mad. You used to not care, if you can't get something or if we take something away from you. But one night, you got hold of Daddy's bamboo back scratcher and just loved waving it around. You didn't seem in danger of hitting yourself but you hit me at least a couple of times. When I finally took it away from you, you screamed and cried. It was only when I nursed you to sleep that you calmed down. I'd like to believe you've forgotten about the back scratcher, but sometimes, when you're staring at the things on Daddy's table I think it's what you're looking for. But I'm not going to make the mistake of letting you have it again.



You've also become more active and adventureous. Yesterday we were playing on the living room rug and you grew tired of your toy, you spotted my slippers. You then decided to go get them and crawled to them at the edge of the rug. So i went after you and picked up the slippers and moved them to the other side of the living room. Of course you followed. I moved it again, and you followed some more. I moved the slippers around the living room that you crawled around it two times when you reallized what was happening and finally gave an angry shout. I'm sorry baby, but Yaya and I got a big laugh out of that one. You're a very determined baby but you're smart too. You know when people are trying to fool you.



Now that you're nine months, you are much less shy, and have turned out to be a bit of a performer. When you were younger, you didn't like how noisy it was in St. Ignatius with all the many relatives that surround and dote on you. Now you revel in the attention. When you clap, everyone claps, and so you clap even more. You smile at them, and talk to them, and last Sunday, when Tito Diego arrived, you hugged and kissed him. You really like each other a lot. You don't cry when people you've only just met want to hold you, you stare at the person and just let them hold you. Or you tolerate it for a few minutes before leaning back towards Mommy when you realize you don't want to be held by a stranger.



On the whole we couldn't ask for a better baby. You're good natured and nice. Smart and entertaining and everyone enjoys taking care of you. Other than your absolute and irrevocable refusal to sleep in your crib, I have no complaints. I must admit, I was once determined to make you sleep in your crib so that Daddy and I can have our bed back. But when I think about that someday in the future, you won't want to have anything to do with your embarassing mother, I just have to cherish this time in your life when you insist on sleeping with me and clinging on to me as you dream, as if you have to make sure I'm still there when you wake up.

I want you to know that even if you sleep in another bed, or another room, or another house, or another country, or if within your lifetime you can sleep in another planet, I will always be here for you. Loving you always, no matter what.

Love, Mommy