September 12, 2016

Dear Baby,

Today was a day that was (so far) spent with your nanny. She is awesome and you guys seem to have a lot of fun together plus she sends me a lot of pictures and updates so she quells my paranoid and nervous mind. I like that.

Today I got a video from a play date you went to with another little girl. The video shows the 2 of you sharing some toys and you (in total you style) showing hr how you like to bang your hands on your chest and scream. It’s a goodie. She was not as impressed as I always am. Just saying.

Anyways, it made me smile both because I had tabs on you and could see your little peanut face even though I was across the city and because I LOVE how happy and social you are. Being social and loving people is the day 6 thing that I want to celebrate about you.

I don’t know if it is that we made you some friends from the moment you were all born (ok, fine, I made some friends with babies but by default said babies are your friends now) but you are so happy and confident with little kids. This past weekend we took you to this Gymboree class and where the little boy in your class spent the whole class climbing on structures and playing with toys, you spent the whole class following him. You have this innate desire to interact and it is so cool to watch.

Of course this jives with your Dad and my stance on socializing. We thrive on having a large group of friends and on making new friends when we can. We both love people and really value the relationships we have in our lives.

You seem to really love having people to hang out with too.

Here’s the thing. Friends can be disappointing, annoying, mean and fickle. They will come and go and a person who you feel as close to as a sister can be out of your life completely some years later. That’s life. Friends will hurt you and cheat you and lie to you. Friends will open your heart and then fucking stomp all over it BUT friends are the total spice of life (and dogs, dogs are also the spice of life.) Friends will understand you in ways your parents can’t. They will have completely new perspectives and experiences to bring to your table. They will challenge you and make you a competitor in some aspect of your life. They will have great (and not so great) style tips and clothes to borrow. New homes and lives for you to bear witness to. They will be by your side in some of the most profound times in your life. They will raise you up and if they are exceptional friends, they will always help hold you there.

You won’t know until you are my age now how important your friends are and how great it is that they will move and change as you do. When I was young I thought that friends had to be forever and believed in the idea of one BEST friend. Now I know that my friendships are living relationships and they grow and change- they even fall apart. They can be broken and rebuilt. Each one should and can offer you something new and different from the next and if you choose wisely you will be surrounded by a host of people who are experts in their own “fields.” A friend for fashion tips, a friend for deep conversations and a friend who shares you love of movies. Whatever it is.

Try to make friends wherever you go because nothing is sadder to me than people who are stuck in friendships of days past or in the high school mentality of what a best friend needs to be. Have a thousand best friends and you will be blessed with a thousand people to share your experiences with.

I hope that your adult life finds you as happy in the company of others as today’s video showed you to be. I hope you are always surrounded by love and support and that you never stop wanting to be a social little butterfly creature.

But don’t worry. I’ll always be your best friend- ug MOM. So lame. Right?? Too bad. BFFAEAEAEAE.

xo

Mom