And He's Off to the Races!

Hello, my sweet love,

Your accomplishments in the past month have been impressive! Not only can you sit and play with toys, you can roll over from your tummy to your back whenever you want. And your mommy told me that you even rolled over from your back to your tummy once. But you apparently aren't too keen on that. Maybe it is a scary feeling for you.

But this week when Papa and I came over to see you, you outdid yourself by showing us that you can now crawl! Now, it's one thing to push yourself from here to there like you did last week, and quite another to pick a direction, get on your hands and knees, and get yourself there. We are so proud of you, and our hearts overflow with love whenever we see you. When you smile at us, it is as if the sun has come out from behind the clouds. It makes our hearts so glad, Derek, and it fills us with joy.

Mommies (and nanas and papas and daddies) get very anxious when their babies are crying and they don't know why, so your mommy is starting to teach you something called “baby sign language.” That is so you can communicate with her, even though you don't speak English yet. It's very amazing to see your face light up when she “signs” the motion for “milk.” Yes, indeed! You know what you want, Derek, and pretty soon you'll know exactly how to let everyone else know, too.

Oh! And there's something else you can do, too. Something so wonderful, Nana can still feel it on her cheek and in her heart. As I held you in my arms, your mommy told me you can give kisses. So, naturally, I asked you for one and turned my cheek so you could easily plant one on me. And you did! It wasn't even all wet and sloppy like your mommy said it might be.

Pretty soon, you will not start to cry every time you see me. I hope. I know it is because you think it means your mommy is going somewhere without you, and that makes you sad. Of course it does! You want to be with her all the time, and who can blame you? You are her sweet love, too.

Love and kisses,

Nana