Dear Beckett, you're 9 months old...

Dear Beckett,

How can another month have passed so quickly? You are barrelling towards your first birthday, whether I like it or not. And barrelling isn't even a joke - you are kind of shaped like a barrel. A 25 lb barrel who's only about 28" tall. That has to mean that you are nearly as wide around as you are tall. Or something like that.

You are still only sporting one tooth. It's really a good look. I mean it - you have the most adorable smile with that lonely little tooth peeking out from your bottom gums. I absolutely love a gummy smile, so I'm in no hurry for you to break any other teeth through, although there are several that are threatening to come through any day now.

Your biggest milestone this month has got to be that you finally mastered crawling. No more rolling, scootching on your butt, or dragging yourself soldier style across the floor. No buddy - you get up on all four and start motoring right along. So much for parenting alone - both kids are now mobile, meaning life just got a little more difficult, as if that was really possible. Or necessary.

I can't really point fingers at you for the difficulty factor, though. You continue to be such a sweet-natured, even-tempered child. You do get upset when Elise pushes you over (I would, too!), and you do get a touch cranky if you are tired and/or hungry (I do, too!), but other than that, you spend 95% of the day laughing and smiling. It's such a delight!

One of the things that makes your smile as big as it can get is Steve from "Blue's Clues." Why? Why oh why? First Elise subjected us to Barney, and now you love Steve. You especially love when he comes closer and closer to the camera, and you instinctively lean towards the tv, waiting to hear what he has to say. With the biggest grin on your face. I'm not sure what this says about you, but I am not so sure it's a good thing. Kiddo, that guy is kinda goofy.

Everyone who meets you is not only smitten by your sweet soul, but they are also impressed by how studious you are. Your attention span is quite incredible for a 9-month old, and you love to inspect new things by turning them over and over again in your chubby little hands. You'll watch a show for 20 min, and I swear, it really seems like you know exactly what's going on. I'm putting down $20 that you end up an engineer like Grandpa Bob and Uncle Ben.

We've had lots of changes in our lives the last few months, and some more are hopefully headed our way. One of the big changes is that your dad has reconnected with his dad. Your dad looks exactly like his dad, and based on how much they look alike, I don't think you are escaping those genes! Most importantly, though, I am thrilled that you will get to know this side of your family, especially since having more family to love and dote on you is a good thing.

Speaking of loving and doting on, I love you more and more every day. Your laugh and smile make my heart burst with joy every day, and I am so blessed to be your mom. I love you, Mommy