You have had a few firsts this month: first steps, first real eating with a spoon, possible more first words (if we could only understand you). The first steps were exciting for us all, but we soon realized that it doesn’t mean that you are ready to be walking on your own. You’ll walk if we hold your hands, but your preferred method of forward locomotion is your knees. We call this “gumming around.” See, it was like this: When you were toothless, we called you Gummy Joe. And then there’s this face you make – kind of like someone who forgot their dentures – which we call your gummy face. And then somehow we ended up turning it into a verb, and now no one understands your father and me when we talk, either. Hooray! (This is where you would raise both arms over your head in triumph, something you also like to do a lot). 
We have realized that you don’t like to touch things like sand or mulch, two items commonly found at playgrounds across the world. You are going to have a bitch of a time next time we go to Florida.
Your favorite thing ever, besides Lilly (which goes without saying), is your doll – Abay. That’s what you call her, anyway. I think you mean baby. You like to carry her around, feed her with a spoon and drag her by her hair. You’ll also lift her up in the air while making a kind of Superman noise. You also make this noise while pretending to slide down your baby slide. Hard to describe, but never fear – we have it on video. And when you’re not playing with Abay, you’re playing with cans of beans in the kitchen. Seriously. You could play with them for hours, making us wonder why we have a room full of toys. We will be much wiser when the next kid comes along. 
But back to the playgrounds: This is our first season as parents, and you really do like to swing at the park. Or gum around. Or just look at the other kids. We were at the snotty park around the corner yesterday, and I’ll admit: Mommy doesn’t know if she can handle hanging out with those kind of women. The kind with big sunglasses, pulled-back hair, tight jeans and knee-high riding boots. The kind who name their kids Gustav and Justus. Yesterday, a little boy pushed you in the face for looking in his Bugaboo stroller. I just told you he was stupid and moved you away, but I have a feeling that mommy is going to be kicking some Gustav-ass in a few months’ time. And then, yesterday, as you were swinging, one of these mothers came along and told her daughter she’d have to wait until the boy was done. When I told her that you are a girl, she first said that people had that problem with her daughter when her hair was so short … then she said, “Well, yellow is a boy’s color.” Harper, if nothing else, I promise you that your mother will make sure that you do not grow up with such bullshit stereotypes. Gah.
All in all, you are a very friendly little girl, grinning at everyone you see. Yesterday at the supermarket you charmed the pants off of a lady who had a bag with dogs on it. You started pointing at it (among the many dogs was a Basset), and she patiently let you look at them. As we started walking away, you turned to wave good bye.
Please: Stay so sweet so your daddy and I can feel like we’re doing a spectacular job as parents.
Love,
Mama
This month's nicknames: Gum Gum, Ms. Bear, Gummy Bear, Mr. Shuffles
This month's song: With My Own Two Hands sung by Ben Harper and Jack Johnson
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