Julia Grace {month 12}
Well, this is it. I’ve kept a little human alive here on Earth for (a little more than) one year. It’s simply amazing how drastically my life has changed in this past year. I feel like I’ve known Julia my entire life; I just can’t fathom my life without her. I look at pictures of my husband and I from before she was born and they just look incomplete. She’s easily the best thing in the entire world and my love for her is more than I can ever describe with words.
As I type this, she’s practically running around me, weaving and army crawling in between my legs while holding her little hand in her Cheerio tub. She’s babbling, smiling, and giggling, and wanting to do so much—like help me type. I’d usually write this during nap time, but I’m feeling inspired by her right now, so I’ll continue attempting to write this now.
I thought I loved pregnancy, but I love being her mom so much more. She recognizes me and gets so excited when she spots me. She clings to me if she’s scared or sees someone she doesn’t know. She even undersants what I’m saying to her, which baffles me. When I tell her “Papa’s home,” she gets the biggest grin and looks to the door he walks in through. If I ask her where her flower is, she goes around the house to find it and then brings it back to me. Simply amazing! She now knows where her head is, and sometimes pats her tummy if I ask her where her belly is. She knows the word “no,” nods her head for “yes,” claps when she wants more, has started waving and saying, “bye bye,” and says, “mama” or “bella” for everything and anything. She has four teeth with another tooth sprouting on the bottom, and is eating everything. The stomach bug she had (which made a sad return a couple weeks later), set her weight back a notch, but for her 12-month appointment she weighed in at 18 pounds and is 29 inches tall. I have no doubt that this little peanut of mine is strong, but mighty.
Holy Baloney. One year. Twelve months. Three hundred and sixty-five days. That’s how long you’ve been a part of our lives. And it has been nothing short of miraculous. When you were born, you were flipping out (I was too at that age, so don’t worry), but once you settled down, you were just kinda…there. Aside from nursing and pooping you didn’t really do a whole lot. Thankfully you were really cute so we didn’t mind. Then, you slowly began picking up what the universe was putting down. You learned to recognize your Mama and your Papa and your Bella, you started to play with things, eat food, and wander around sticking your adorable lil pudgy fingers into things.
At your party you were fully walking, babbling, waving, high-fiving, eating, and chuckling awkwardly at your Papa’s punny jokes. I seriously can’t believe how awesome of a person you’ve become after just one (reallllllllly short) year.
One more thing I want to mention on your birthday. Thanks. Thanks for being cute even when you cry, thanks for making your mama and I love every moment of being parents, thanks for not being sick (except for that one week where you projectile vomited on everything). Lastly, thank you for not pooping on me. I made it a point to tell your mom (several times) to expect your poop to end up on us. Somehow, I avoided the many “random shots” that you put out and survived to gloat. So again, thanks.
It is amazing to literally see you grow and learn every single day and I really can’t wait to see what next year holds.
I love you!
Love,
Your Papa
*linking up with mama and mou
So sweet! Toddlerhood can be so much fun.
It's hard to believe she's already a year old!
This is so darling. What a sweet post for your little one 🙂
So sweet 🙂 Love seeing her grow up 🙂
she is one of the cutest I've ever seen!
SHE IS SO CUTE!!!!!!!! I can't believe she's already a year old, and I'm just a reader. It must be even crazier to realize that as her parents. Love the letters y'all write to her! She will enjoy reading them when she's older. 😀