To Julia

Hey Kiddo!

You've been crazy busy these past few weeks. Mom's been a little bit too tired and sick to really keep up with you. I'm almost past this little joy of pregnancy and was wondering if you could help me out a bit:

1) So proud that you figured out how to pull up approximately 20 seconds after you learned how to crawl (it felt that fast anyway), but do you think you could not practice that skill quite so much until your Daddy has a chance to lower your mattress? Especially the climbing part? I know you really, really, really want to get to Echo way up on the top of the couch, but I'm worried you're going to transfer those skills to your crib and end up taking a nose dive to the floor. I already have nightmares about where we'll find you in a few months. With your abilities, I don't believe even the top of the refrigerator would be out of the question.

2) Maybe hold off on the switching from two naps to one? Or make the one a little longer? Mommy needs her sleep, too. Plus, you get really crabby in the afternoon. And, frankly, that's Mommy's crabby time. I need you to be all cute. I can only keep you in your bathtub for so long. If you could move crabby time back an hour and half, say to around 4:30 pm, you could take a bath until Daddy gets home to take over. That would be great.

3) The sitting up and clapping when you hear "Julia Lynn, NO!" is all cute and hilarious right now and will probably work on your grandparents for a long time, but it's wearing thin for me. It won't keep you out of trouble forever.

4) Let's get a little independence back. What do you say? Instead of whining when I leave the room, just go on playing with whatever piece of trash you've found so much more entertaining than all your toys. It might be the fact that Echo usually follows me out that causes you to whine, but it's getting on my nerves.

I know I haven't been in the greatest of moods for the past few weeks or so. Nausea wears on you a bit when it doesn't go away. You've enjoyed morning cuddles in Mommy's bed, though. Also the long amounts of time you get to spend in front of your mirror while Mama sits in the rocking chair. You love watching your arms wave around. Sadly, you also have discovered a love of watching Clifford, the Big Red Dog and his pal Emily Elizabeth get into all kinds of messes together on TV. Ah, well, it's not the first and it won't be last of the parenting compromises we make.

You really are the best baby your Dad and I have ever met. So thanks for that. Just keep the above points in mind, okay?

Love you