December 8. Susan, you are so special to me. How could I have not been eager to have a daughter. You are a delight to all of us. You smile up at David when he hugs you too hard. Now you're crowing at us all the time, making squeaky noises at the back of your throat. Though sometimes you'll only be "Mama's girl" you are beginning to smile at others when they play with you. And your laughter is no longer silent, but you throw back your head and laugh out loud. You're very big for your age and already wearing 6 & 9 month clothing. You're beginning to sleep through the nights, waking between 5 & 6 a.m. for nursing, and you're quite wakeful through the days, taking shorter morning and afternoon naps.

(Susan's birth story follows and remains unpublished here.)