Cooper is 9 months old

Weight: 21lbs Height: 28.75" Head Circumference 45cm

Dear Cooper,

Its hard for me to articulate my mamma-gush and tell you how great you are. but here goes...

You are a tremendous baby and are so loved by all 3 of us. Every single day of your life you are happy. You happily babble and talk all day long. I can count on my hand the number of times you have actually cried. I think back to the earliest days when we brought you home from the hospital and we were banished to the guest bedroom so daddy could sleep. We considered returning you because you were fussy but soon you turned the corner and adjusted to life on the outside and have been an absolute joy ever since.

You had your first "off" day last weekend. You had a high temperature and just wanted to lay around and snuggle with your mommy and daddy. you slept most of the day and the next morning you were happy again. you didn't even cry. you just whimpered and sighed. you're amazing.

You are sleeping really well and, like your bro, you love to take your naps and sleep in your own crib. you're not one for snuggling too long and would rather be in your bed so you can get comfortable on your own. Like the rest of your family, you love a routine - i could set my watch by you. You eat a lot and have definite favorites. You really like yogurt and blue berries. You do not like your veggies but mommy is determined to get these into your belly one way or another. You have given up on baby food. you like to feed your self and will slug down a sippy cup full of milk faster than i can say refill.

A couple months ago, right after you started to crawl, you started pulling yourself up onto the future and standing. i think you were really eager to do this so you could see what your big brother is up to. Now you will stand in between the coffee table and the sofa and i can see your wheels spinning in your head. Thinking, "should i go this way? or that way?" Now you are standing up against the walls or mommy's legs. I was a little concerned because you stand on the outside of your foot. Dr. Gobel says that its probably just that your feet aren't ready to be flat yet and by 12 months we should know what we're dealing with. Nothing slows you down though. Last night we were outside playing in the back yard and you were putting rocks in your mouth. i came over to try to stop you and you crawled away so fast i couldn't keep up. You're getting the drill.

I can see the difference between your personality and the personality of your brother. I can already tell you are going to be my "goes with anything" kid (while Cash will be more sensitive and a little stubborn). You do love to watch your brother playing and have started joining in. one of your favorite things to do is to crawl into the sandbox with Cash. He covers up your toes with sand and you give him a good belly laugh. When you are done patiently waiting for someone to pay attention to you and start to make a little noise, your brother is the first one to come to your rescue. i hope this is always the case. stick with each other and make good choices.

I love you little Cooper. I worry that you've spoiled daddy and I. Daddy mentioned to me the other night that nothing could ever be better than what we've got right now. i'm so glad you are part of our family.

Love,

Your mommy