Father's Day and backaches....

Hi my sweet little pumpy-umpy-umpkin! Right now, I am sitting at home and you are at Mimi's house - it feels so weird to be here at home without you! I miss you like crazy, and I just texted Mimi to see how you're doing. She (and Grandma and Auntie Beth) know how much I miss you when we have to be apart, so they always send me pictures of you throughout the day. I really look forward to those texts. So, I'm home from work today because somehow I hurt my back yesterday and I can hardly move without it hurting really bad. I don't know how I hurt myself, but boy did I do a good job of it. The only thing I can possibly think of is that short little walk I took with you in your Bjorn. You LOVE going out in it, so we walked for about 15 minutes or so until Daddy came home, and by the time I took you out, my back was cramping up. You're such a big girl now!! Mommy needs to go to the gym more often and work on her abs! :)

**Mimi just sent me a picture of you in your high chair holding your spoon and the message said "Getting ready to rat peas!" Haha!! And you look sooooo cute. (as usual)

So this weekend was Father's Day, and it was a great one! It was a busy weekend - first we went down to Orlando for cousin Shea's first birthday party! You were so good in the car both down and back - you slept pretty much the whole time (which is sort of a miracle, since lately you and your carseat are not really friends). There were lots of kids and babies there at the party - Shea, Molly (8 months) and Levi (3 years) who are Shea's cousins, Eden (almost 2) and Avery (3 years) who are Aunt Katie's friend Megan's kids (plus Megan had a little baby boy in her belly), and of course, YOU! It was loud and rowdy, but so much fun. You and Shea played some, but it was harder for you since you aren't crawling yet, and Shea was all over the place! Mostly you sat on the floor and played or sat in my lap (which is fine with me 'cause I just snuggled and loved on you). Oh, and it was so cute, Daddy and Avery hit it off and talked a lot - she really liked him. She wanted to know if you still wore diapers (haha!) and told us that she wore panties because she was a big girl. I am very curious about how potty training is going to go with you....hmmm, it will be an adventure I am sure.

So that was Saturday, then on Sunday, we got up really early and went to the football stadium (the Swamp) and went up and down the corkscrew ramp 5 times. It was already so hot, and by the end you were pretty grumpy (and mommy was TIRED!) Then we went to Cracker Barrel to meet Grandma and Grandpa for breakfast. Yum! Once we got home, you and Daddy went to take naps, and I went out to run a few errands (pick up the cookie cake, get a couple of last minute gifts). Then you and Daddy went to Sonny's together for lunch so I could wrap the presents - had to get him out of the house for the big surprise! After lunch, we went out to Mimi's for a little bit because Shea, Aunt Katie and Uncle Billy had stopped by on their way back home. Already it had been a very busy day, and we still hadn't done the best part -- presents!!

We went to Carraba's for dinner with the family - it was delicious! - and then back to our house for dessert and gifts. You and I tricked daddy, we made him think he was getting a bicycle, but instead we got him an iPad!!!!!!!! Everyone chipped in on it - Mimi and Grandaddy, Grandma, Aunt Beth and Uncle JJ. He was SO surprised, and super excited. I told him that since this was his first Father's Day and because he is such an amazing dad, he really deserved something extravagant. He said the best part of the day, however, was knowing he had such a beautiful, sweet baby daughter to love. Happy Father's Day to Daddy, you and I are two lucky girls!

We love you more than words can say, my little Juli-bean. I keep thinking if I blog about how much I love you, or tell you how much I love you, or sing to you about how much I love you enough, I can even begin to scratch the surface....but what you mean to me is too big for words. I hope you feel how loved you are, my sweet girl, every single minute of every single day.

So here is the silly song that I referenced at the beginning of this post....it's been stuck in my head all week, but you seem to like it, so I will keep on singing it to you:

"You're my honey bunch, sugar plum,
Pumpy-umpy-umpkin,
You're my sweetie pie.
You're my cuppy cake, gum drop,
Snoogems, boogems, you're
the apple of my eye.
And I love you so,
And I want you to know,
That I'll always be right here.
And I love to sing sweet songs to you,
because you are so dear!!"

xoxo,

Mommy