Dear Miss Maddie,

You are six months old today. Wow - where has the time gone? It feels like only the other day that you were an itty bitty cuddle bum. Yet, at the same time - it feels like you've been here with us forever. We've come a long way baby...

You are now play play playing all the time when you're awake. You love dancing in your jolly jumper (especially when Mommy dances right along with you - our current favourite album is Feist), you giggle every time I give you kisses up and down your sides, you still enjoy Itsy Bitsy Spider (I hope you never get tired of that), and now really like doing Patty Cake (although you haven't quite gotten the whole 'clap' thing yet).

You've learned so much this month - you can sit up now! We still put a pillow behind you, but it only took a few days for you to really master this skill and you LOVE sitting and playing with your toys. You also love your exersaucer (thanks Rob & Vone - we'll give it back someday I promise!) - you can sit in it for a half hour happy as a clam. You're loving the Baby Einstein videos now - it's like a big long book with moving pages!

This past month you've learned to sleep in your crib on your own (and go to sleep on your own - trust me, when you have your own baby you'll realize how HUGE this is!), you've started eating solid food (and love everything so far!!), and love to talk. You babble all day long - to me, to your 'friends' on your stroller, to Tigger, to the cats - to pretty much anyone who listens.

And you are trying so hard to learn to crawl - you do what we call "the inch-worm" when you're on your tummy - pushing your bum up in the air while you push with your legs. You haven't got the strength to lift your belly up in the air yet, so you are going anywhere just yet. Which is just as well, as I'm not sure I'm ready for you to be mobile - not just yet anyways.

Last but not least - I wish I could tell you that you've popped your bottom teeth out - but not yet monkey... I wish that you would as I hate to see you in so much pain - it breaks my heart when you chew on your fingers and look at me and do the "uh uh uh uh uh" sound that I know means - "Mommy, I'm miserable, my teeth hurt and I don't like it!". I give you cold washclothes, frozen teethers - anything to chew on that seems to give you a bit of relief. But trust me, I want those teeth to get her just as badly as you do! Although I will miss your adorable scrunched-up face that you make when the pain is bothering you.

This month is going to be fun - we're starting baby sign language classes, we started Babyville last week (you love to be around other babies, so you're having a blast), and with the warmer weather we're going to be outside A LOT (Mommy needs the exercise!).

We love you a tonne monkey. And it's been a blast watching you grow into your little personality so far. I can't wait to see what this month brings...

Love Mommy