Josie is 8 Months Old

Dear Josie,

This will be a short letter, because I desperately need to go to sleep, and I suspect that I will have even less time and energy to write this after tonight.

Right now, we are in Tampa, Florida. Your great-grandfather, my Gran’papa, died on Wednesday. Fortunately, you and I got here on Tuesday, and we were able to spend a good chunk of time with him on Wednesday. (From 12:30 – almost 3 am, and again from 10 am til 3:30 pm.) Gran’papa died while we were getting something to eat with Aunt Cendy, but we came back again to say goodbye.

You continue to grow more beautiful and more charming every day. Your hair looks strawberry blonde in the Florida sunlight. You love the hotel, which is filled with mirrors. Almost every time you see one, you bounce up and down with excitement. You also radiate your charm to every new person who walks into your line of vision, confused but undaunted on those rare occasions when the person doesn’t smile at you.

We haven’t done a very good job of teaching you to sleep through the night. In fact, in the last few weeks, you are barely willing to sleep without nursing. I think we are going to see some teeth soon.

Right now, you are smiling in your sleep.

love,

That Mommy