Dear Maly,
You turned two months old this week. We stare at you constantly and note how much you’ve grown. Caught up in the bewilderment that is you, I know your mom and I will not take notice of how old we will have become until it’s too late.
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about how you will choose to go about explaining the meaning of your name. Literally it means “small”. You’re in the 75th percentile for your height and you’re built very much like your dad, so you’ll not be small for very long. To render advice right now I would suggest you say that your name is derived from the Czech language and your parents chose a unique name to distinquish their daughter who they plan to have make her mark in this world. Or you can just tell them we were drunk.
This month you started smiling. Your smile is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Your smile lets me know that you’re happy. You might just be farting, but at least I know you’re happy. Don’t ever stop smiling. Or farting, for that matter.
They say to never get caught up in anticipating a child’s milestones as they grow up too fast as is. It’s very hard not to want for you to hurry up and learn to laugh. I will do everything in my power to freeze time at that point.
You also started “talking” this month. You have many points during the day when you want to interact with us. You will say “GAAAAAAEEEEEEEE AYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEE” to which your mom will say, “Hi. hi. hi. Hi. HI. hi. HIIII. Hiiiiiiiii!”
And you will retort, “ayyyyyyyyyyeeee.”
It’s amazing to watch you and listen to you. You are extremely determined. I already know that you will never settle for failure.
Your mom knows this much better than me but you are beginning to settle into a schedule. Part of this schedule, that I was comfortable in pointing out, is that you wake up extremely pissed. This is another trait you inherited from me. Rarely do you wake up and stare into space until one of us finds you awake nor do you coo to gain our attention. Instead you wake up and throw a fit until one of us picks you up. We don’t mind your wake up rage. We find solace in knowing that we can stop your crying. We take great pride in our roles as your parents.
You’ve had the same zit on your left cheek since shortly after you were born. We’re not supposed to do anything to it but I wish it would go away. When your mom isn’t looking, I drag a fingernail across it, hoping that it will pop. It will go away with time but I’m trying to save you from the aweful embarrassment that I know you’re feeling now due to infant acne.
Overall you’ve been an excellent baby throughout your first two months of life. You didn’t suffer from colic. You and mom worked together and figured out how to nurse you. I caught a summertime flu bug that knocked me out for a week and you managed to stay healthy while cohabitating in the same house. You like being outside and you travel well. You’re happy – I can tell.
Everything you do seems like magic — from looking at me when you hear my voice to projectile pooping all over the front of your mom’s thighs while she tries to change your diaper. You are so amazing and perfect and every day with you is a gift that is too great and big to be encompassed by the word love alone.
I love you so much that sometimes I just want to bite your head off.
Love,
Daddy
