Dear Julia,

I am in awe of the angel you are. Every single day I think "I need to put that on the blog", but sometimes life gets busy, and I forget to add it and then forget what happened altogether. I, however, want to make sure I do not forget what you said today, and want to make sure you know how sweet you were from the very beginning when you read this later in life.

Tonight you were diagnosed with a double ear infection. You cried through dinner because you were in so much pain and could not eat. After dinner you layed down with Daddy while he played Poker on his phone. He said he had a hand of 3 10's and won the hand. The phone must have made a winning sound, and you said, "Daddy, did you win?" Daddy said, "Yes." And you said, "Yo are really good at that, but I would tell you that even if you lost." Daddy said it brought him to tears which is exactly what it did to me when he told me the story. He also told me how at dinner Charlotte asked if she could sleep with you (as she does most nights these days), and you replied, "Not tonight, bubba. I don't want you to get sick."

You always think of others first. Even if it hurts YOU like when I have stepped on your tow by accident or my hand hit your face by accident. You are so quick to tell ME it was an accident, and it is ok. I always wonder what I did to deserve such an amazing, sweet child. You are a gift from God-truly. You are a joy to everyone who knows you and hears about you through our story telling.

A funny little story about you from last week. We went furniture shopping for new couches. You could see into another section of the furniture store while we were conversing with the sales lady. You saw bunk beds and said, "Those are awesome! And, I WANT THEM!" Daddy and I looked at each other and laughed because, truly, you NEVER ask us to buy you ANYTHING. We went to Disney for a week last year, and you never once asked us to buy you something. I made you go into a souvenier shop on the last day to pick something out! It just cracks us up how much you really wanted the bunk beds (which we will probably be getting before the baby is born!) because you have never expressed such a true want.

I love you-my oldest baby girl. Thank you for being you. Thank you for showing your sister how to be careful around my belly. Thank you for being an angel in disguise. I love you!



Mommy

Pictureless Post

I have been terrible about taking pictures lately! We have been so busy I have forgotten the camera. I am vowing to get better again!

Julia was home all week with me last week with a cough. She probably could have gone to school halfway through the week, but they go out and play outside, and the cold would have made her cough a million times worse. Needless to say, we had lots of bonding time while I worked, and by Monday, I was very ready for her to go back to school! She is not difficult, but working and trying to entertain is difficult, and I feel guilty as she watches 40+ hours of tv!

Charlotte received a great evaluation from school, and I got a kick out of a certain portion of the written evaluation. They said that she is wonderful to have in class, "and as we can see from her recent notes she is starting to test her boundaries". Hehe-I almost feel vindicated. She is so perfect at school the teachers look at me like I am crazy when I tell them she gives me trouble at home. Now they know, lol!

The reality is she really is not TROUBLE. She is just a little more spirited than Julia and likes to whine and be a little dramatic. Today she woke up with a scratch on her elbow, and the morning was pretty difficult with her complaining of the pain. She could barely bend her arm. I put the obligatory bandaid on it, and when she got to school and saw her friends it was amazing how she moved her arm with ease!

After dinner tonight she asked for her beloved fruit snacks which I let her have. She told me I am such a nice Mommy about 5 times because I let her have fruit snacks. I know the exact way to her heart, lol. She is just like her Mommy. The truth is she is like me in a ton of ways, and Julia is a lot like Chris.

Julia was very concerned about Charlotte's elbow and was her usual mother hen to her. And, tonight when I picked Charlotte up from school she was saying her belly hurt. Julia told her that when they got home Charlotte could lay on the whole couch, and she would sit on the floor. Seriously, I can't make this stuff up. Charlotte also wanted to sleep in Julia's room, and Julia told her she could. She is such an incredible big sister. I am praying they keep that close bond.

Julia is constantly tickling my belly or hugging the baby. She is soooo excited. She told me if it is a boy we should name it Michael. And, she said it to me with a smirk? Why? Because there is a high school boy who works at her school names Michael, and she has a nice little crush on him. He is such a sweet kid and so good with the kids. Julia adores him (along with Charlotte).

The girls have watched Beethoven a million times recently. Tonight they were watching it in the living room, and I told Charlotte to go upstairs and get her Pull-Up to get ready for bed. She was stalling big time. The movie was coming to a small kissing scene between the girl and her boyfriend, and Charlotte wanted to watch. She was saying, "ew, gross", but she was mesmerized, and not moving!

The other day Julia went food shopping with me. She decided that this week she wanted green olives instead of black (Mommy says yuck to both!). So she says, "Do you think Bubbe likes green olives?" I said that I believed she did. She then says to me, "Mommy, I don't really like Bubbe's jello mold." LOL! That is Bubbe's signature dessert, and she seemed to need to get that off her chest. It cracked me up.

I think that was our week in a nutshell! I wish I could capture every single solitary moment and forget nothing, but it just doesn't happen! Until next time....