growing up gretta

Dearest Gretta Rose,

i cannot believe we are coming up on a year here.

i still treat you completely like a newborn.

might be because you won't eat anything besides a bottle,

or maybe the fact that most nights you wake up for me.

makes me laugh to think about how much older i treated your siblings.

to think at this age, your sissy was having her first playdate! 

crazy mom.

i'm good with keeping you little.

you are still itty bitty.

such a teeny thing.

feeding is quite the frustration around here.

you are too busy to bother with such an annoyance.

you won't stay in your highchair for anything.

you can wiggle out of the tightest strap.

daddy and i usually chase you around the house and sneak bites in on the move.

i am a little beside myself, 

but despite the lack of calories...you sure are full of energy.

we'll see what the doc says in December.

(wondering if it's her esophagus or swollen tonsils?...)

you get your way around here.

if anyone takes a toy or something you're interested in away, an all out tantrum is thrown.

kind of makes us all laugh, so i'm sorry to say that the oldies do it often just for fun.

you're becoming quite the little diva.

daddy and i spoil you just a tad. 

(such  a cutie...who wouldn't?)

i think it's because we are realizing more and more how fast the years go.

you absolutely adore stuffed animals.

you bite and bury your face into anything snuggly.

lex has been letting you sleep with her dumbo she got from disneyland every night.

you love it.

you love playing with your lexi and roscoe.

you think they are the funniest things around.

they love nothing more than making you giggle to hysterics 

(except maybe making you shriek to hysterics)

daddy calls you skunk.

cracks me up.

it might be because you're always a little stinky.

don't worry.

not your fault.

just a case of the 3rd child syndrome...

(meaning you don't get 3 baths a day like the others)

i'll try a little harder, but i'm thinking the name is sticking regardless.

you are into everything!

I pretty much hold you all day long,

partly because you won't let me put you down too often,

and partly because you can rip the house to shreds in minutes.

you love the craft cupboard...taking everything out and dumping on the floor.

and you love climbing the stairs.

you remind me of a little kitty cat.

i dunno...you just make faces.

the kiddos must think so too, 

because whether you like it or not, they make you pretend to be one all day long.

they're the doggies and the three of you crawl around all the time.

you also seem to have 9+lives.

hate to admit it, but between crawling on top of the counter from your highchair, playing with cleaning supplies, little objects found in your mouth 3,000 times, and the rockstar carrying you around the house by your throat...i'm kind of amazed you've survived us.

yikes. poor little thing.

(please tell me some of you mothers of 3 out there have had some close calls too!?...anyone?)

you also met your very first real life kitty the other day at grammy's.

it was love at first sight.

you kept malling the poor little thing.

when we took you away, you threw the biggest fit.

ha. glad i'm not the only cat lover around here.

maybe between the two of us, we can make daddy come around one day.

ha. slim chance.

you really won't let me put any kind of baby headband on you,

but when it comes to my hair accessories...you're all about it.

i can tell you think you're so big

and so fancy. :)

what an absolute doll you are lil gretta.

you have blessed our lives so very much.

there really are no words to describe how very much i love you.

i guess i'll be waiting for that conversation one day when you have your own little 11 month old...

so completely and breathtakingly precious.

Love,

Mommy

xoxoxo

p.s. you really are totally charming.;)