Monday, September 22, 2014

Final birthday post!


We visited Virginia to celebrate my Aunt Anita's, Juliet's, my granddad's, and grandma's birthdays, September 16th, September 19th, September 21st, and October 1st respectively.  Gifts were opened, lots and lots of yummy food consumed, and good company enjoyed. Happy birthday, everyone!

Juliet got a new baby doll and a baby doll carrier, and had everyone playing with her at one time or another.  ....she was in heaven!


Friday, September 19, 2014

Juliet's birthday in pictures

To celebrate her special day we opened presents, ate lunch at Chic-fil-a, went shopping, dressed up like pirates with cousins to get free Krispy Kreme donuts on National Talk Like a Pirate Day, and had a cookie decorating birthday party!  So thankful for the friends and family who made her day so special!





Juliet Isabel turns 3!!!!

My sweet Juliet turns three today!  Of course if feels like time has flown by, but at the same time I feel like it's hard to even remember her as  a baby.  I almost feel like she has already been three for a while.  Over the past year Juliet has grown-up so much.  Her speech has truly gone from short phrases to full-blown conversations.  She amazes me by the depth of her vocabulary and how much she really understands.

She weighs an average 30lbs and stands about 36 inches tall.  Her favorite foods are pizza and anything sweet.  She has decided napping is no longer for her (unless you want her to stay up until 11pm) but she does a great time of playing quietly by herself in her room for an hour each day.  I usually catch her playing babies or reading to herself during that time.

And speaking of babies, she is the best little three-year-old mama.  All her babies are regularly diapered, fed, disciplined, and put to bed.  She is a great cook in her little kitchen and also enjoys playing with animals (stuffed or real).  I have no doubt she will be an amazing big sister.  I'm even convinced she is ready to change baby brother's diapers.  She loves to hug baby brother and rub my stomach and she always talks about different things he will be able to do with her or play with in our house.  To say she is excited is an understatement!

Juliet is very opinionated, very inquisitive, and also very sweet.  She likes to understand everything, and I am SO thankful for this special one-on-one season we have had to just get to process life together with no distractions.  She is definitely a mama's girl and follows me around the house just to be with me ALL DAY LONG.  She also just loves me to sit and hold her; she loves to cuddle. She also loves her friends and loves, loves having play dates with them.  When together they mostly play babies or dress-up.  Juliet really is ALL GIRL.

While Juliet is out-going and talkative at home, she is usually pretty shy in public and not daring when it comes to new things.  I was most proud of her for riding her first roller-coaster about a month ago and love watching her become braver and braver.

She is very sensitive both to her own feelings and those of others and while I would consider her a pretty "easy" child she is definitely an emotional one.   It's not hard to make her cry which can sometimes be tricky, but as she is learning to channel her emotions I love seeing her awareness of the emotions of others and how she is learning to be sensitive and tender toward their feelings.

I love my sweet Juliet Isabel so much and I am so thankful for all the things I am learning as I grow as her parent.  I am also thankful that she is forgiving and loving even when I am a very imperfect parent.  She is my sweet girl and life without her would be far from great!

Friday, September 5, 2014

Butterfly birthday party


Juliet wanted a butterfly party this year so that is what we did!

We celebrated rather early here in TX because we are heading to NC soon but I wanted her to get to celebrate with all her friends here.  

The party was sweet and simple.  Each child got to decorate butterfly wings, we played "pin the butterfly on the flower", ate cupcakes, and opened presents.  When I asked Juliet what her favorite part was she said, "the cupcakes" :)  Glad I spent like three hours cutting out butterfly wings for the much enjoyed craft...

Anyway, I consider it a success!


Family visit


Ramesh, Elaine, and three other relatives from Micah's side of the family came down to San Antonio for a quick one night visit.  We soooo enjoyed their company.  Despite the heat, we squeezed in the classic tourist attractions on the river walk and the river boat tour, visited the pearl market,  and ate in yummy restaurants.  Juliet, of course, loved all the special attention and the many gifts they all brought to her.  Wish they could have stayed longer!

We even got to FaceTime with Micah!