Dear Sugarpie,

Happy birthday! You’re eight months old! What a month it’s been…lots of travel and family time, and so many milestones.

In July, we went to Canyon Lake with Nanna, Pawpaw, Aunt Misty, Uncle Ricky, and your cousins Emi, Brady, and Tobey. I’m not sure that your little bum ever hit the ground because there was always someone there to hold you. You loved the attention and all of the energy of your cousins!

Then we went to California to see your Grandma (Daddy’s mommy). Emi came with us so you again, had a constant companion. La Jolla is so beautiful and you loved sitting with Emi at the big window in Grandma’s condo that looks right out onto the ocean.

Mommy and Emi went to tour Warner Brothers studio while we were in LA (they don’t let little stinkers come), so Daddy took you to have lunch with his friend at the Warner Brothers commissary. Doodlebug, you got to tour the back lot of a major Hollywood studio too! Wow! You and Daddy had so much fun!

My best memory of this trip with you though, was at sunset on the beach toward the end of the week. You, Mommy, and Emi had fancy dinner at the hotel where Daddy had to give a talk. After dinner, we went on the beach to take pictures of you and Emi. You were wearing a sweet little sundress with a cardigan over it and your hair was all flipped out from the humidity.

I twirled you around in my arms. You threw your head back and smiled so big! You giggled and showed Mommy your three teeth! (The three tooth smile is, by far, one of my faves.) We spun around in the ocean breeze and sunset light until we were dizzy and you gave me a memory of pure happiness that I will never ever forget. The image of your smile and the way your little body felt in my arms will stay with me always.

Well, on August 4th, I noticed your fourth tooth coming through…just when I was falling in love with that snaggle-tooth smile! It was the top middle, on the left. And then, all of a sudden, when I was snuggling you and very close, you smiled and I saw that the tiniest little bottom tooth to the right of the middle ones had come through. That’s why you were cranky 🙂 But you weren’t done there because the right side eye tooth will be breaking through any day. Stop it with all of this growing up so fast! What’s the hurry with all of these teeth, Sugarpie?

You also like to grind your tiny teeth. Mommy doesn’t like that so much.

You want to crawl SO badly, Georgia! On August 6th, you and Daddy and I were on the bed letting you play and from your tummy, you just sat right up all by yourself. What a surprise! Daddy and I looked at each other in shock, then we filmed you doing it again. You were so proud of yourself and so were we 🙂 You haven’t crawled yet, but I bet it will happen any day. (I am not in a hurry.)

Now you sit up all of the time, even in your bassinet when you should be sleeping! We had to lower your crib all the way AND your bassinet. You’ll sleep in your big girl crib some day, but only when Mommy’s ready.

It was a big month for food firsts, you had your first sausage (yum!) and eggs (double yum!) when we went to breakfast with Jon, Jayne, and Romy. She just turned a year old and she’s gonna show you the ropes.

You also ate soba noodles and salmon roe–you loved it Sugarpie! You sucked the noodles in just like you had been eating them your whole life. The salmon roe was really cool, you liked how it went “pop” in your mouth.

I think your biggest breakthrough this month was…drumroll…when you SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT. That’s right, on Sunday August the 5th, you slept from about 7:30 until 6:15, with out waking up. Of course Mommy didn’t sleep, she woke up all night to make sure you were ok 😉 We had one more night like that and a couple of nights where you woke up a little, but you decided you don’t need to nurse all night long anymore! My big girl…*sniff*

Next month we’ll go to Italy, Sugarpie!! You’re going to have so much fun eating, just like Mommy and Daddy!

I know this letter was long, but it was such a big month filled with travel adventures, food, adventures, and new mobility adventures. You continue to amaze me with how much fun you make it to be your Mommy. You are SO sweet, Sugarpie! I love you more every single day. You have made our hearts grow so much more than we ever knew they could.

Love you forever, sweet girl!

XOXO, Mommy