9 months

Dear Sweetest Wren,  I have missed writing about your last few months because you and your sister have been so sick.  A few days after 7 months you came down with RSV and we spent far too much time in urgent and emergency 'care'. I had to hold you down and give you a neb treatment and it was as close as I've ever come to wrestling an octopus.  After only a minute or two into the treatment you burst alive with energy and fought the entire procedure.  It helped your breathing, but your strength was sapped and you quickly fell asleep afterword, in my arms no less (you never EVER do this... unless you can hardly breath and don't have the strength to hold your head up).  The next month rolled around and your sister took her turn with random illness and we spent several days in urgent care with her while your Honi watched you.  SO, I will have to sum up all the amazing changes we've seen in you in the last 3 months. 

You have exploded with personality and an awareness of everything around you.  People, animals, toys, children,animals, cars, animals, they all capture rapt attention from your blue eyes.  You are a social bug who demands to be a part of every occurrence that could possibly be happening and you HATE being left out of games, books, play or meals.  When we pass people in a store you watch them with a hawk-like expression.  Eyes locked on your prey you wait for them to turn and notice you before you turn on the coy charm, tucking your head and smiling shyly while batting your extra long lashes.  If they persist  in their attentions they are rewarded with a crinkled nose smile and half laugh that has yet to fail at producing at least a hearty chuckle on their part.  When the rarity occurs that a person just isn't interested in babies you feel determined to change their mind and 'BAH!' in their direction until they look at you.  You can be completely, 100% charming in every sense of the word.

In the last three months you have started reaching for people (mostly Mama), dancing, playing peek-a-boo, signing, playing 'pass' with a ball (your favorite game of all time), and have even sprung out two darling little teeth.  You completely by-passed the pureed food stage and demanded pieces of food before you could hardly even pick them up.  It's a challenge to get you to eat fruits but you have found just about every vegetable we've offered to be delicious enough to silence you for several minutes. Although your favorite food seems to be black beans and you are eager to clean your plate when they're available.

You delight in your sister and you two will sit together, eat lunch, and laugh about the antics Lillian puts on for you.  She is one of the few who can silence your verbal demands by simply being in the room.  You two will play side-by-side with the little kitchen for close to 30 minutes as she talks to you and you 'BAH!' in response.  She doesn't quite understand why you must pull out every dish she tries to bake in the oven, but she is eager to provide you with other play materials like Mercy's stuffed giraffe, or a long ended play-spoon.  I don't get a whole lot done when you two are playing so close together, but I don't mind.

 I often joke that you are allergic to me.  You will be completely content until you catch the slightest glimpse of me, or my arm, or a bit of pant leg, and will turn into the raging noise machine that should necessitate the sound blocking headsets that folks use on a tarmac when they stand beneath a plane engine.  Nothing pacifies until you are the center of my attention.  I'm curious to see how crawling might change my ability to complete anything while you are awake.  You are so eager to be able to get the things you want, although only recently you have shown interest in getting them yourself. You have started he process of going from the sitting position to your knees(you opt for your belly)  and it excites you to finally reach whatever it was that intrigued you so. Have I mentioned you are loud?  Yes, my sweet sweets.  You break the allowed decibel for sound pollution in our neighborhood daily.  You could take up politics today and most likely win simply by outwinding the competition, and by silencing all competing sound waves in the district. You might make me crazy if it weren't for all the cuddles. 

You will snuggle in to receive kisses or soft whispers in your ear, wrapping your arm around the whisperer's face like it's a special secret just between the two of you. You are ready for bed when you snuggle your head into my neck and make happy coos as you nom your paci.  When I lay you down into your bed you get a sudden burst of happiness and laugh and kick your feet, then quickly close your eyes and roll your head to the side.  I've never seen anyone so excited to take a nap... except maybe your dad.

Precious Wren, You are delightful, charming, loud, cuddly, lovely, and sugary sweet. We seem to be currently healthy, teething drool and dripping (and LOUDNESS) aside.  You are a blessing, darling girl, in every way.  I'm so eager to see how the Lord will use the unique person we are seeing develop; and yes, the Lord has plans for that voice of yours. You are wonderfully made and I love you so much.