Happy birthday Juliette

Newborn

One month

Two months

Three months

Four months

Five months

Six months

Seven months

Eight months

Nine months

Ten months

Eleven months

One year

One year.  How it has flown by.  Juliette, you have stolen my heart.  There is no doubt a special bond between mother and daughter, a bond forged by childhood memories to recreate and future lessons to share.  In you, I will relive the imaginative days of my own youth, and with you I will share the secrets of womanhood I have learned.

Your bright blue eyes capture everyone who gazes on them.  Your smile is so darling, one that you freely give away.  You babble in so many sounds that we strain to listen, sure that it must be a full language, meaningful sentences and thoughts.  You are so close to walking and yet seem to be holding out to give me one last sense that you are still my baby.

You are a force, no doubt.  Your personality is big and strong and you make yourself known.  While your appearance is delicate, your temperament is bold.  Your attachment to me is strong.  Some have noted that it is unhealthy, but I strongly disagree; it is simply a matter of confidence in your mother's fierce love for you.

You have music in you.  From hearing a musical toy sing the french alphabet a hundred times a day, you have adopted a cute way of singing that is the start of that song: "A, B"over and over again, while wriggling your upper torso in a dancing motion.  You love to sit and hear me play the guitar and sing away, and love even more the second guitar we have that you can pluck away along with me.  I love to sit and strum and sing, while you sing your "A, B" with me.

You love your vegetables.  We have yet to pin down your exact food sensitivity, so you can't have anything with grains it, which is tough on you because you want what everyone else has.  But you love pureed sweet potato more than anything, with frozen peas coming a close second.  Chicken is also right up there.  Fruits you eat under protest, and usually only a couple of spoonfuls.

You are a beautiful light to our family.  You have taught your brothers compassion and your parents how to manage four children all at once.  We can't imagine our family without you, and we can't wait to watch you grow day by day (but not too fast!)