November 25

You are such a good kisser! Most babies give open mouthed kissed, but not my baby! From the very beginning I would kiss your lips and long after I pulled away I would see you instinctually pucker. Then one day when I came home from running errands Daddy dropped the bombshell—he told me you had kissed him back. It took him a while to convince me that you had in fact kissed him, simultaneously, while his lips were on yours. And when he did I was disappointed. I had so wanted to be the first kiss. I asked Daddy why you would kiss him and not me. And then he showed me. All he did was kiss you and wait until your delayed pucker caught up. Cheater! Brilliant cheater!

So what do you think I did? I kissed you like that dozens of times every day. I kept thinking that if I did it enough you would get the hint that my lips weren’t going anywhere until you kissed me back. Within a week or two you had it down! For the past couple of months Daddy and I kiss you all the time and your response is immediate. What a smart kiddo you are!

But within the last week your kissing has gotten sloppy. Once Daddy came home from work and you wouldn’t kiss him hello. Instead, when you felt his lips, you opened your mouth in a crooked grimace. He and I looked at each other wide eyed and wondered what was going on. We got worried because we didn't have any documentation. I thought maybe you just weren’t in a kissy mood, and sure enough later that night you got your groove back. But the next day you were hit and miss again. Now I think I have figured it out. I used to tickle your mouth to jumpstart a smile—I am pretty sure that I have thoroughly confused you so that you aren’t sure what I want when I touch your mouth. But really, I will take either one—a smile or a kiss will both make my day. In the meantime though, we are taking lots of smoochy pictures while it lasts.