I have been a bad momma. I have not been keeping up with my letters to you and I am very sorry. This month has been long, hard and tiring. I am tired from the new pregnancy, I am tired because you run everywhere and I am just tired. I have been feeling a bit down lately and it is hard to pull myself out of this funk. It has nothing to do with you or your daddy it is just one of those things. Feeling down happens to almost everyone every now and then. Most likely it will happen to you and all I can say is push through it. Keep your family and friends close and just push through it.

You are a week and a half away from your First Birthday! Everyone is so excited and it has been very stressful trying to figure out what I am going to do for your first birthday. The handicaps of our family make it particularly stressful trying to find a place where everyone can be comfortable and safe. Right now I think your party will be held at Bono’s Bar BQ. I know not terribly creative but they have good food and a back room that is big enough for everyone to come and say Happy Birthday to the you the Birthday Boy.

So tomorrow starts your third week at Pre-school. You have been doing really well. In such a short time you now clap your hands all the time. It is so cute, you just walk around with the biggest smile on your face clapping your hands. You also do the Indian call. You put your hand to your mouth and call out to the indians. You have started to push your cars and trucks around on the ground, instead of just picking them up and carrying them or dropping them. You actually get down on the floor and push them like you are making the car move. You have started to throw a ball and kick a ball. That is one of your favorite things. Today you even picked up your toy phone and put it to your ear like you were talking to someone. It was so cute! It is amazing how quickly you have learned so much in really just two short weeks and you only go to school currently two days a week. I can only imagine what you will be doing when school lets out this summer.

The one downside to you being in preshcool is you getting sick. Your dad and I both knew it was going to happen just a matter of when. This has been the main reason we did not enroll you any sooner. Being around kids just brings on illness. So far you just have a runny nose. All day today you have been sneezing and have snot running down your nose. You are hating me coming after you with the kleenex. I feel bad but it is for your own good. Hopefully it will only be for a few more days. Get better for me baby boy. I hate seeing you sick.

This week is also going to be one of the hardest weeks for your dad and I. Your dad left today for a conference in New Orleans. He will be done until Sunday. That is a whole six days and he is hating every minute of it. He cried this morning when he put you down for your nap because he knew he was going to miss you so much. He bought a web cam just so he could see you and I while he is gone.  Later on Thursday I am flying out to New Orleans to meet your dad. I really want to visit the city and he and I both need a break. With the new baby coming in September we are not going to get to go anywhere for quite a while. Your Aunt T.C. and Uncle Robert have agreed to watch you. They are going to stay here with you so you don’t have to get used to their house. I know you will do great but I don’t know how I will do. I tear up just thinking about leaving you in a couple of days. I want so badly to take you with me but it would completely throw off your schedule and it just simple is not a good idea in the long run. I will be couting down every minute until I get home to you this Sunday.

For a bit of fun tomorrow before you go to school you and I are going to meet Grumps for breakfast. It was his birthday on the 16th and we weren’t able to see him because he was sick. So we are going to meet up tomorrow. He is excited to see you. Hopefully you will be feeling ok and you can show him all that you have learned.

Well I am going to get ready for bed. I want so badly for your daddy to be home with us. I will see you in the morning.

Love Momma

01/19/2010

Yesterday was your first day of pre-school. You are attending the South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church Pre-School. We found it because your Aunt Laurelle remembered because it was where she went to pre-school. Your dad and I checked it out and liked it so we have decided for you to attend two days a week. At this time you are set to go on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9-1.

Your daddy and I both dropped you off on your first day. You did really well from what your teacher Mrs. Tabitha reported. She stated that you chewed on all the toys and that you did not miss us very much. She said you asked for Dada once while we were gone. From what I understand is you have play time and you had story time, lunch time and even did some art. I don’t know what art you worked on yet but I do know you came home with some blue green fingernails. I can’t wait to ask tomorrow what you worked on. Your daddy and I are so excited for you to bring home your first art work. I can’t wait to frame it.

Your teacher made you a tote bag for you to carry your items to and from school. Your class mascot is duckies so on your bag is a painted ducky with your name. Tomorrow is your second day and I will be taking you since your daddy has to work. I hope you have another great day. I am a little worried you might be upset because you might realize that I am not going to be there. But I know you will adjust and pretty soon you are going to be running around with all the kids in your class.

Love Momma

01/07/2010

Your dad and I went to the doctor this past Tuesday to confirm that we are having a second baby. According to them we are! I hope you are excited as us. I know you have no idea about what is going to happen. We just want you to know we love you very, very much and nobody will ever replace you. We just want to have another baby as enjoyable as you are and for you and them to be great sibilings and friends. It is going to be hard in the beginning but it will get easier. You will get used to them and it will be like they were always here with us. I will keep you posted as my pregnancy progresses.

Love Momma

12/31/09

Your Grammy has a Satsuma tree in her backyard and this year it was loaded with fruit. The day after Christmas your Uncle Danny and your Grumps went out back to start picking some of the fruit. We decided to go help and so you could have your first taste of this yummy fruit!

You enjoyed them very much! Your Grumps kept feeding you them and he even gave you one to play with. You bit right through the skin to try and eat the fruit. Can’t wait until next years crop.

Grumps helping you pick the right one

You got one!

Showing you how to peel it

Your first bite of a Satsuma

You bit Grumps

Uncle Danny picking the fruit

Love Momma

12/26/09

Christmas Morning

Dear Julian,

Your first Christmas went well. You woke up all smiles and your daddy and I had fun playing with you until it was time for brunch at Grammy’s house.

Grammy was picked up from Brooks and she arrived around 10:15 and she was thrilled to finally see you walk. She loved seeing how much you grew up in less than a months time. After she got settled in we all sat down for brunch and you enjoyed it very much. Especially the grits Aunt Laurelle made. They had andoue sausage and goat cheese and they were just plain good.

After breakfast we went into the family room to start opening presents. We tried to put a santa hat on you but we were only successful for like a minute. If was so cute but you wanted nothing to do with it. Shortly there after we began to open presents. You only opened a few before you began to get really tired, so your daddy took you home so you could lay down for a nap. We had to let you rest for a little while because in the afternoon we were going to Georgia to see Daddy’s family.

I don't want to wear this hat!

Fine I will wear it

Am I still wearing this stupid thing?

After your nap we loaded you up and headed to Georgia. We had a great meal and over all just a quiet time. You and cousin Kayde played and Cousin Haven followed you around the house. Your daddy and I took you for a walk around the block in your Cousin Kayde’s carrier. You had a great time and did not make a peep the entire time. Shortly there after we packed you up and we headed home.

Playing with Kayde

Cutest Present Ever!

Going for a walk

Overall it was a pretty quiet and simple Christmas. Your daddy and I got you a swing for outside. We did not get you much more than that because money is tight this year. But we also knew everyone else would be getting you a bunch of presents. We hope you don’t mind too much.

Merry Christmas Jules!

Love Momma

12/25/09

We went to the store and you picked up one of our pears. You just didn’t want to wait to eat it at home.

My Pear

Yummy

Love Momma

12/24/09

Today is your first Christmas Eve. We got a great gift first thing this morning. Your Daddy’s work called at 4:00 am to tell us that he was canceled for the day. There were not enough patients so he got the day off. It was a great present. We always love having him home. We really did not do much today. We went to lunch at Mojo’s BBQ with your Aunt T.C. and Uncle Robert. Our Cousins Mark and Stephen also joined us so that was a lot of fun.

After lunch we came home and tried to put you down for a nap. You would not have anything to do with it. So we gave up and you played around while your great Uncle Danny worked on our eclectric panel here at the apt. Later we ran to Walmart for a quick trip and then came home for a dinner at Grammy’s house next door.

You got to meet the Pittman’s for the very first time. They are your Great Uncle Danny’s Mom and Dad and they always come to dinner every year. They had a great time meeting you. You were your charming self as usual. The one down side was you fell in the kitchen and busted your lip open. You were walking and had a block in your hand. When you fell forward to brace yourself you hit the block on your lip and split it open. You cried for just a minute and then you were quite content when your daddy gave you an ice cube to chew on. Plus your Aunt Laurelle gave you a big ole present to open. So all was forgotten pretty soon. Check out the photos below to see your new push car that she got you.

Happy Merry Christmas Eve Jules. I hope it has been a great year for you. It has been a great one for your dad and I. We have loved spending every moment with you. You sure make everything fun and exciting. We love you!

Homemade Oreos that I made your Uncle Danny

Your Daddy Soothing You From Your Fall

Your Big Present From Aunt Laurelle & Uncle Danny

Cool New Car

Checking Out The Gears

Getting Ready For Bed So Santa Can Visit

Love Momma,

12/24/09

Your Aunt Maria called the other day and wanted to know if we wanted to go to the zoo. She had heard on the news that they were only Charging $2.00 dollar admission, normally it is $13.00. I could not pass that up so I bundled you up and off we went. It was a chilly day. The temperature only reached 59 degrees. The real success of the day was that I actually got mittens on you. You did so well with them and you had a great time at the zoo.

Chilly Julian

Waiting For Cousin Haven To Arrive

People Watching Is Fun

Happy Boy!

Love Momma

12/21/2009

Eating as a family this first year of your life has been difficult. When you were a tiny baby all your meals came first and a frequent. Many times I would feed you while your dad ate and then I would eat later. As you got older it just got to the point that you wanted to eat earlier than when we were able to eat. Then your daddy’s work schedule make it really difficult to eat together because he gets home so late. Most times the only time we ate together is when we went out to dinner and even then your dad and I have to trade off sometimes.

Finally, the other day your daddy was off work and we were able to start dinner before you starved. So for the first time we were really able to sit down at home and eat together as a family. It was very nice.

Family Dinner

Love Momma

12/22/09