Dear Baby (11 weeks old)

Dear Nathan,

You are 11 weeks old today.  Every day with you is an adventure!  You are growing so quickly and changing so much, it's hard to keep up with you.  Some of my favorite things about you right now are:

The way you smile.  At first, it was just gas.  But the first time you smiled in response to something is a moment I will never forget.  That was several weeks ago, and now you smile all the time.  It is the cutest little toothless grin in the world.  Your eyes light up when you smile, just like your dad's do.  I could watch you smile all day.

Your laugh.  There will come a day when you will laugh a big, boisterous laugh like a man, but for now, you giggle.  And it's an adorable giggle.  It bubbles up from deep inside you and comes out accompanied by one of those wonderful smiles described above.  It melts my heart every time.

The way you snuggle up to me.  You are still so cuddly, something I know won't last very long.  When I think about the days when you won't want to cuddle with your mom, it makes me a little sad.  So I'm determined to steal as many snuggles as I can.

Your curiosity.  You love to look at new things and examine things you have seen before.  I hope you never lose your curiosity about the world.  It is a gift that many people lose as they grow older.

The way you look at your parents.  Now that you are a little older and can recognize people, you look at your parents differently than you look at other people.  It's like you know that we are the ones who will always be there for you and that will always protect you from everything, no matter what.  And you are right about that.  We are always here for you.

Your voice.  You are "talking" now.  It's all baby language and we can't understand it, but it's beautiful and wonderful.  You talk to everyone and everything.  You talk to us, you talk to the knights and castle on the wall above your changing table, you talk to the sea creatures that are projected on the ceiling above your crib, you talk to stuffed animals, you talk to the dogs, and you talk to other people.  Your voice is so sweet.  I love watching your mouth try to form words.

Who you are.  I love who you are and who you are becoming.  You are a sweet, loving, lovable boy who is learning so much about the world and is developing such a fun personality.  I can't wait to see how you grow and change over the next 11 weeks... and beyond that.