Hey, CUTE!

Dear Juniper, 

YOU ARE SO CUTE I MIGHT PUKE.

Seriously. 

And, sweet. You're so sweet.

I was talking to my friend Liz the other day about how guilty I feel that I'm altogether so much worse at updating your blog. I asked her if she felt that way about her second child and she said, "Nope. I don't have any guilt. Sure, I can't give Cora everything I gave Gabby, but she has Gabby. And because of it her life is so much more rich." She's right, you know. Part of the reason I can't and don't update this blog as much as I did Zoe's is because of you and Zoe. God, you love Zoe. You let her get away with shocking things. She will yell in your face and you'll giggle. She'll try and hug you HARD when it's clear you're not into it and you'll give in and bury your face in her chest. It kills me. When you wake up in the morning and see her in bed with us, you DIVE for her. 

You were sleeping like a total maniac there for a while and I was about to lose it, so we bought you a crib. I can't say you LOVE it, but you're way more agreeable about it than I expected. You are mostly pissed you can't sleep with a boob in your mouth at all times. Sorry. Not happening. An exhausted mama is NOT something you want, trust me. I have had a bunch of anxiety about you not sleeping right next to me because I love it when you sleep next to me but it really only works if you sleep, dude. 

You're eating a lot - you LOVE beans and fruit (mini-Jessie!) and you're very good at picking things up with your little fingers. You are crawling all over the place and pulling up but I think you're still a few months from walking. You seem to think your feet are made of lead bricks. That is except for when you're going up the stairs. Then you burn rubber. 

You do quite a bit of babbling. You say Mama, Dada and lodolodolodo but I'm not sure you know what they mean. Especially lodolodolodolodo. I'm not even sure I know what that means. 

I love you so much. I want to eat your face. Seriously. You smell so good and your skin is so soft and you're so good natured and delightful. You roll with the nuttiness of this family so well. 

Love, 

Mama

9 months, Junebug!

Dear June,

YOU ARE SO CUTE! IT IS KILLING ME!

You turned 9 months old the other day. When your Grandma Patty was talking to me about her visit at Christmas time she said you have a great energy. It's true; you really do. You're just so HAPPY and mellow and just a little bit sly. You're totally determined but in sort of a sweet way. You're not "I will bowl you over to get what I want!"; more like "I'm going to get that thing I want, if you don't mind. Out of the way, dear. Please and thank you."

You love to play with everything BUT your millions and millions of toys. Cords, computers, appliances - that's the stuff you love. Dishwasher, yep. Pantry, of course. Toilet paper? YEEE HAW.

You are starting to stand a little bit on your own and you've totally mastered the stairs - although not how to go down, so that adds a little bit of a danger element.

It totally cracks me up how on the move you are - it's like you've always got somewhere to go and FAST! When you wake up from your (very short) naps, you don't even make a peep you just start crawling off the bed. You've fallen off a few times; right on your face. We have set up a little video monitor app with my iPhone and the iPad so that we can watch you. It's hilarious - you just BAIL OUT. We can't rely on the audio monitor anymore...because all we'd hear is you screaming when you fall off the bed. Good think we like modern furniture - it's all very low to the ground.

You are doing this awesome little head shake thing that we LOVE. Here's a video:




We had a really great and crazy Christmas with all of my family here - Grandma Patty and Phil; Jess and Michael; and even your Sir Sleeps-A-Lot uncle Colin. It was total mayhem but you loved it and though you seemed kind of weirded out by everyone at first you soon became best buds w/ everyone. Grandma fed you all kinds of things and bathed you in the sink and cut your nails and took you on walks. Jessie used her sleepy vibes to get you to fall asleep on her chest a few times, which was great. Santa came and brought you all kinds of toys that you eschew in favor of computer cords and pieces of paper. All in all a success!

I just can't even convey to you how much I love you, my little bean. It is so insane. Every night when we go to sleep (you pretty much refuse to sleep without me nearby for very long) I just have to drink you in because you are growing so fast and soon you'll be a big girl just like your sister. But right now you're my cute little snuggly bug.

I love you so much, June. So, so, so much I might freak out.

Love,
Mama

8 teeth in 8 months

Dear June,

Guess who just got her 8th tooth?

Seriously, are you trying to break records?

We just got back from a night over at Liz and Ryan's and Liz said, "This kid's going to be an early talker." Why? Because you were completely determined to either make yourself a part of the conversation or drown out everyone else's voices completely.

BAAA BAAAAABBBBAAABBAAAA BBBBAAAAAAABABABABAAAABBAABAAAAH!

It was awesome in every way. YOU are awesome in every way.

You are very into eating right now and there doesn't seem to be anything you won't eat. Paper, of course; the old standby. You eat oatmeal and all kinds of fruit, beans, crackers and tonight you had a sweet potato french fry. You approved.

You're kind of squirrelly, though, in that you pack stuff away in those giant cheeks (for later, I guess). This morning I gave you blueberries and an hour later you were leaving a trail of blueberry skins all over the house.

I am SO excited to celebrate your first Christmas with you. Sometimes if I think too hard about these kinds of things I just start crying. You'll only have ONE first Christmas, you know? This is IT. But then I try and make myself snap out of it. Life is for living and enjoying and too much ruminating can make things seem too heavy.

I love you, my sweetest little sweet pumpkin. I love you every second of every day. Even when you're scratching the hell out of my chest while you're nursing. Even when you scream bloody murder (especially then, in fact) in the car at night (you hate it - why?). You'll never have to wonder if you're loved, Juniper Bean. Isn't that a good feeling?



Smooches and smooches and more smooches until the end of time,

Mama

(Sometimes when I post pictures like that I try and think of you and Zoe all grown up looking at it and thinking, "SHE LOOKS SO YOUNG!" and that is such a weird thought.)

Dear June,

Well, hmmmm. Guess who is waaaay more of a rascal than I thought?

You learned to crawl a few weeks ago and then a few days later you started pulling up. Then a day or so after that you started making a beeline toward things you could pull over on yourself. Your face is covered with scrapes and you fall over all the time. BRUISER!

You're going to give me a run for my money, child. Your Grandpa David totally predicted it, too. Before you were into anything rascally he said, "That girl's gonna give you a run for your money, Chels." I thought, "no...she's mellow and sweet." Well, you are sweet and mellow and RASCALLY! I never would have guessed.

                                       

An update wouldn't be an update without the requisite "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE GROWING UP SO FAST" so here it is: I can't believe you're already 8 months! In 4 months you'll be 1 and that is NUTS. Even though you are rascally (hey, it runs in the family), you are still the sweetest, smiliest, snuggliest baby. I love sleeping with you - you're all snuggly and you coo and smell like sweet milky baby breath. I might die of little baby love. Seriously.

We are all having so much fun with you, love. Zoe likes to get right in your face and make these horrible, loud noises but you just laugh and laugh. When I ask Josie to keep an eye on you so I can do something, Jack is sad I didn't ask him. You're so lucky to have so many people who love you and we're so lucky that we get to have you in our family. It's win-win, I tell you. It's just all love, all the time.

Right now, as I write this, your Grandpa David is downstairs playing with you and you're trying to figure out how to climb up the stairs. Aye yay yay! Or however you spell that. Slow down!

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love you, bean. More than is expressible, for sure. One day you'll probably have your own babies and you'll understand. Maybe.

Love,
Mama

crawling!

A letter from Aunt Jess

Welcome to the life of being the little sister Junie, from one to another. It sucks. But the good news is, you and Zo will probably be best friends like me and your mom. So I guess in addition to sucking it is also awesome. You will have someone bossing you around FOREVER who has your best interest at heart.

I have admittedly not had as much time to fawn all over you in person as I did with your sis because:

1.  I was an insane person planning a wedding for the last 9 months

2. Zoe B is no joke about make sure she gets attention around these parts. 

But don't you worry, I have been fawning at your from afar - all the way from brooklyn. I've been busy looking at how cute your cheeks are and how funny you are with your noises. Baby werewolf and baby pterodactyl make me laugh when I'm stressed out at my high-powered NYC job. I show pictures of you to my co-workers and friends without them asking. I compare photos of me when I was a baby and you now; the resemblance is staggering. You are my mini! You are very chill, agreeable and busy observing the world around you. 

I wish that you lived right next store so I could come over and squeeze your cheeks and make sure you know just who your aunt jess is. I hope that your mom is busy making picture books with me in it so you don't forget my face. But thank goodness for technology because we ichat together and you still smile when I talk to you, so I am taking that as a good sign.

I look forward to knowing you Ms. Junie, you are awesome and amazing in every single way and I just know that Zoe and I will add you to our best friend club, because clearly, that is where you belong. 

I love you so much little baby.

xoxox

Aunt Jess

Dear Juniper Berry

Hey, kid.

I know I can't start out every single letter to you with "my, how time flies!" because, well, everyone knows that's stupid. And obvious. Obviously stupid. 

Still, I'm tempted. I can't believe you're already almost 7 months old. Right now you're at that perfect age where you sit on the floor and don't topple over and you can only really move in about a 2 ft. radius. Soon you'll be crawling - I can just tell by that rascally look in your eye - and then things will be ROWDY up in here. I remember feeling this way with your big sis; I want you to crawl because YOU WILL FREAKIN' LOVE IT and you'll finally be on your way to having all the fun the big kids are always having without you. On the other hand, geez, please just stay sitting there for a while. It's awesome.

You are off the charts cute, bean. I want to freak out sometimes when I look at your sweet little smiley face because GOOD GOD no one is that cute. No one! It's against the law.

 You love love love your big sister. Your face lights up when she walks into the room - it's AWESOME.

You do this growling thing that might just be my favorite baby noise EVER.  Check this out:

We have sort of started table foods with you - you've had banana, avocado, pears and sweet potato. You seem into it but you'd also happily gnaw on my shoe so I'm not so sure how you really feel about it all. 

I love you so much, kiddo. I could spend all day just smoochin' on your fat cheeks. I go to bed every night feeling so excited and lucky that I get to spend all day every day with you. 

Your mama loves you more than you'll ever know, my sweet little love. 

xx

Me