Dear Simon,

I’m a little late with your letter this month. What’s worse, I don’t remember all that much about this month. You see, it’s all kind of a blur because you started smiling, and that’s pretty much all I can handle. You started off tentatively and unpredictably. I would spend most of my days hovered over you, camera in hand, begging you to smile and shooting hundreds of pictures trying to catch that fleeting grin. Now, though, you smile just about every time you are awake, and that just makes me go all weak in the knees. Oh, and then there’s the cooing. Don’t even get me started. When you talk to me, everything goes all blurry and I just about black out from the cuteness.

You are doing everything a little bigger and and a little better this month. You stay awake for longer stretches. You sleep a little longer and A LOT better. You like your baths better all the time.

You can and do sleep anywhere. And that’s mostly nice, but at the same time, I just can’t wait until you wake up so that can talk to you again.

And did I mention that you’re smiling now?

You still have a bit of drama in you, kid. Either you’re all-out happy or you couldn’t care less. These next two pictures? Same kid.

You’ve also started to interact with objects around you more. You have a musical cow on your bouncy seat that you think is so funny, and when it gets stuck (the same place every time), you cock your head as if you can’t figure out why the music turned into such an annoying sound. And we’ve started working on textures--but I don’t think you really get it yet, because you seem to like your soft, soft teddy bear and your daddy’s scratchy face just the same.

You are a great kid, and I am loving every minute of getting to know you.

Mama loves you, little man.