Random thoughts...

So there are a thousand other things that I should be doing, but I really just feel like writing to you, my sweet baby. You are upstairs sleeping in your crib, and daddy's sleeping in the recliner in there too. We have your music playing in the nursery- lullaby renditions of current pop music - and I am listening to it right along with you on the monitor downstairs. You have been a back sleeper since your were born; mommy and daddy made sure of that since we were/are so scared of SIDS. However, the last couple of nights we've noticed you've been rolling to your side in your sleep. Guess you'll be a side sleeper like me. :) As soon as we realized this, I took out your pretty crib bumpers that Shannon gave us and put in the plain old white mesh ones. Safety first! You look so cute sleeping on your side, like you're changing from a little baby to a little person. These observations may sound silly, but as you've probably figured out by now, pretty much everything you do fascinates us....so get used to it. :)

I am ashamed to admit that I finally finished my baby shower thank you notes the other day. The shower was back in August! All of my friends and family were so generous and thoughtful, and here I had only sent out about half the notes. I felt so bad, and they had been weighing on my mind for months now, so I just gave you to daddy to watch for a few hours and I got them DONE. I feel a lot better now. I hope that I can teach good manners and etiquette to you like it was taught to me. Mimi always made sure I wrote thank you notes for gifts and stuff when I was a kid, and I'm glad she did. Good manners will take you far in life - you might be surprised at how much just the smallest kindnesses and considerations mean to other people.

I want you to go far in life, to be a social, likable person. I already know that you will, because you already are! You smile so easily and at everyone! I was just watching this movie called "Easy A" with Emma Stone in it - it's a strange, silly little movie - and her character is so funny and smart and quirky. She kind of resembles the way I imagine you might be one day. Me and daddy love to imagine your life and your personality, what your voice will sound like, what you'll end up looking like once you have hair. Haha! I love your sweet little peach fuzz though...! I just know you will be the kind of girl that everyone will want to be around. I bet you'll have as many friends as you want, and that you'll sincerely and deeply care about them. I predict that you'll be a generous person - the kind that will do anything for the ones you love. And maybe I'm a little bit biased because I love you so much, but I just feel it in my soul when I look at you, into your eyes, that you are a beautiful human being on the inside as well as out.

This is probably turning out to be a weird post. I didn't really have a direction when I started typing, I just wanted to talk to you, and the future you. Sometimes it's all I can do not to go and scoop you up out of that crib and either just cuddle with you or wake you up to play. :) You are a very addictive creature, my little Juliette Rain.

Speaking of rain, it has rained a LOT today. I love love love days like these. You took a nap today in my arms while I lay in the recliner in your room - the windows open, cool wind flowing in, listening to the walls of rain hit the buildings and street in waves. It felt like heaven to me. Rainstorms put me into a kind of mood that is hard explain. Nostalgic, peaceful, safe, relaxed, happy - I believe it all stems from my own memories of being rocked in my mother's arms on our screened-in porch with the rain pounding outside on the leaves, on the tin roof. In those early memories I am safe, warm, and loved, and I have formed an extremely sound bond between that feeling and rainy weather. This is why your middle name is Rain. Rain reminds me of a time when life was easy and pure, when I had absolutely nothing to worry about, when my parents were my great protectors and sheltered me from the world, when all I knew of life were the beautiful, happy parts. Now I want to give all that to you, my baby, for as long as I can. You will always have my unconditional love, and daddy's too, no matter what. That you can count on, I promise.

I think I'd better head on to bed. I have a lot to do tomorrow - computer stuff for work, cleaning, playing with and loving on you (the most important!). Plus we are going to go shopping with Auntie Beth and Mimi! And if the weather cooperates, we might go swimming with Aiden and his mommy Chandra! Sleep tight sweetheart, and I'll see you in the morning.

xoxo,
Mommy