Dear Madeleine,

On the long laundry list of mistakes I have already made in my short time as a mother I am going to add the car seat I bought you. Why, you ask. Is it unsafe? No. Is it ugly? No.

It's blue.

Today we took a trip to Target to take advantage of a sale on baby food and to buy a new "Gucky Jar" for your pacifiers. You were dressed in an adorable green, pink, and white pair of pajamas and were smiling like crazy as I steered the cart around the store, carefully avoiding any isle on which I would find something unnecessary that I would be tempted to buy. Your little car seat sits perfectly in the Target carriages and I get to stare at your beautiful little face as I do my errands, a blessing that often distracts me to the point where I wheel you into an unsuspecting display... or person.

Anyway, as we were checking out an old lady came up to you and called you "a handsome little fellow".

Um.

Excuse me?

I gathered myself, pushed the image of my ramming the carriage into her over and over out of my mind, and smiled saying, "She's a girl."

"Oh, well the car seat is blue."

CONTEXT CLUES PEOPLE. Notice the pink blanket, and the pink gucky, and the bow, AND THE PINK PAJAMAS.

I mean really, what if I walked up to her and said, "Happy 100th Birthday." And she said, "I'm not 100." And I said back to her, "Well, you look old so I just thought."

Not to go on a random tangent but this is one of the reasons I want to get your little ears pierced. You would look so adorable with little earings but first I want to make sure you aren't prone to ear infections. But if this winter comes and goes and the doctor gives us the all clear your little lobes are going to be sporting some major bling. And your Houston relatives are just going to have to live with it. I'm sure I'll annoy my side of the fmaily too with some other decision I make in raising you (my OWN daughter) too, so it will all even out in the end.

And if, after your ears are pierced, someone calls you a boy again I will have no more faith in the world.

So I apologize for the blue car seat. I should have gone with green or black or red. I will never make that mistake again.

I also apologize for tummy time. See, during your first four months I spoiled you rotten, never put you down and then when you hadn't rolled over yet I panicked and started doing tummy time all the time. You've rolled over but only once. It's like you were saying, "Look mom, I can do this. Now knock it off and hold me." I swear I put you down and you cry and make this horrible noise that either sounds like a goat in labor or "WHHHHHYYYY?" depending on the day. It's like you know that this will make me pick you up and even though you CAN ROLL OVER you would rather be held. Baby Geniuses doesn't seem like such a stupid movie anymore.

But today was a nice day, we took a long nap together, you still strapped in your car seat me on the couch (there goes that Mother of the Year award) but after the last few days were so rough I think we deserved it.

I love you sweet little girl. Thank you for another beautiful day,

Love,

Mommy