Junie B. One-Year-Old

Well, today you turn 1 year old. I really can't believe it.

A year ago I was so happy to have my new little baby in my arms. Today I'm digging rocks out of your mouth (you eat rocks - what gives?) and laughing at your funny little toddler babble. A year makes such a big difference, kid.

We had your birthday party on Sunday (a few days ago) and you had a GREAT time. See?

We had your buddies Cora and Gabby here for your party, as well as your sibs and Grandpa David. Gabby and Cora got you a pot (a bug - you're Junebug!) full of organic dirt because you do some serious damage to their potted plants when we visit them. What a perfect gift.

Grandpa got you a tiny little rider/pusher toy that is the perfect size for you. You love to push it around all over the place. Only trouble is you don't stop, so you've almost toppled down the hill a few times. 

I will admit that I went totally overboard with the cakes. I think I must be trying to make up for past cake failures (there have been many). Still - you only have one first birthday so that seems like a good time to go totally ape. 

You are such a sweet little baby. Sweet and rascally. You are absolutely wild about the prospect of getting into the toilet so you make a beeline for the bathroom any time you see anyone in there. I find it rather disgusting but you don't seem to care what I think. 

You took a few steps a few weeks ago but nothing since. You have a couple of walker type toys that you love to walk behind but you inevitably bail and then just start walking on your knees. I think all this warm  weather is good, though, because both walking on your knees and crawling hurt so that's a good incentive to get up and walk. I'm betting you'll be walking in about a month. That's my guess. Should I put money down? 

You don't have any consistent words but you say Mumma and Dah! so I guess that counts. You love to take the remote and point it at the TV and say, "dah!". You also grab Zoe's headbands and try to put them on (she's on a bit of a headband kick so they're everywhere) so you know what's goin' on. 

I am so happy that you're my kid, bug. You are just the perfect little addition to our family and it feels like you have always been here. I can't believe a year ago you had just popped out. Life is weird. You'll hear me say this a lot. 

I wish I could find a way to explain the way that I love you - it's something akin to bursting into flames or melting into a puddle maybe? I don't know. It's too big and crazy and all-consuming to really explain or describe. You'll know someday, I'm sure. Like when you have your own babies. 

Happy Birthday, sweet little girl. You have made this last year such an incredibly happy one. I love you so much. 

L, 

M

Dear Junie B. Hair Cut

Guess who got her first hair cut? 

You have a lot of hair, pumpkin, and it was getting all NUTS. When I tried to snip just the hair that was always hanging in your face you moved and it turned out badly. And then of course I had nightmares of jamming your eyes with scissors because you're such a squirmy little rascal. So - best to leave these things to professionals is what I always say. Your mother is nothing if not resourceful. 

You would have done really well had it not been for your dreadlocks in the back. I tried as best I could to comb them all out before we went but there were a few I just couldn't get and so when Brandi combed them out you cried. Big, fat tears. 

If you would just stop letting them dread your hair at your Rastafarian gatherings, we wouldn't have to deal with this kind of stuff, you know? 

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!