A Daughter's Plea

Dear Mommy,

I am now 9 months old, and I think it is time that we have our first serious mother-daughter heart to heart. I have to tell you something that you are not going to like. You might not even believe me at first, but I think that once I reveal the various pieces of evidence, you will have to accept the truth.

Gosh, this is harder to say than I thought it would be.....okay, here goes. Mommy, I do not feel that I should be labelled or treated as a baby any longer. I am going to show you that I am at least as grown up as my brother, and perhaps even more mature in many ways.

First, I now have my own toothbrush, and unlike my brother I actually love to brush my three teeth. In fact, my toothbrush is my accessory of choice most of the time. I even brush at the grocery store when the option affords it.

This leads to my second point, which is that I am now eating table foods just like everyone else. Sure my ham bits and cheese cubes seem to litter the floor more than make their way into my stomach, but that's not the point! The point is that I don't eat baby food nearly as often any more. So, I must not really be a baby after all. And, I am at least as capable as Robby of making a very good sized mess with a relatively small amount of food.

I also have a sippy cup of my very own that I am learning to use, and when I do use a bottle I finally hold it myself without your assistance.

I am also standing without assistance for good stretches of time and cruising along the furniture very quickly, which allows me to find and procure many items of interest that you seem to feel I am not grown up enough to chew on. Please, mommy, just let me chew on the wipes, the cat hair, the electric cords, Robby's shoe. I know what I am doing, and I consider these exercises crucial to my daily happiness.

I have very sophisticated taste in books. My brother might still like Curious George, but I have moved right into the more complex world of Shel Silverstein (oh the tears I have shed over the cruel fate of the lovelorn Giving Tree!)

Now, I have presented my case. I believe that the evidence speaks for itself. As such, it might be a good time for you and Daddy to discuss an allowance. Just think about it.