Between Juliette's First Christmas and New Year 2008

Christmas eve was spent alone and all night, with Grandmother Geraldine and Aunt Romy in Columbia, Maryland. Mommy and Daddy went to dinner with Ken, Kay, Aunt Doris, Aunt Maggie, Uncle Tom and great-grandmother Bammie at La Fermier a French restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland. I spent the night away from you for the first time since the NICU. It was hard. I woke at 2:30 am and stared and stared at your empty crib. I could not sleep. It was hard not hearing you sucking your little fingers on and off all night.

My whittle, whittle.
My wee, wee.
My dear, sweet, Juliette.

Christmas morning Mommy and Daddy were in Columbia, Maryland early to pick you and Aunt Romy up and drive you both to Christmas dinner in Bethesda at Grandmother Kay and Grandfather Ken's house. You fell asleep in the car on the way.

Dressed in your festive Ralph Lauren dress, white infant tights, and black patent leather Mary Janes, and warm wool Ralph Lauren sweater.

You received many, many gifts from all. A Walt Disney Musical Crib Mobile from Bammie, a Teddy Bear from Aunt Maggie, a stuffed Tiger from the Natural History Museum from Kay and assorted small toys from Ken.

The day after Christmas was spent with Uncle Al and Aunt Romy and grandmother Geraldine in Columbia. Uncle Al bought us a digital frame to display all of your pictures (there are now hundreds of them). Uncle Al also gave you $60.00 in cash for toys or clothes. Aunt Romy bought you clothes, your first pair of blue jeans, silk blouse and navy leather loafers.

Yesterday, we (you, me, Grandmother Geraldine, and Aunt Romy) went to White Flint mall in Rockville, Maryland. and spent the $60.00 on clothes Uncle Al gave you for Christmas. We bought several pairs of pants: pink-velour jeans by Guess from Bloomingdales, red-cotton leggings from the Gap, pink-cotton leggings and pink psychodelic patterned courdoroy pants from Lord and Taylor. Tops: three cotton tops from the Gap, two pink-polka-dot tops and one solid red-cotton-top with ruffles around the collar, one black turtle-neck top with an image of a cat in leopard print fabric with a red-velevet bow around its neck(you love fingering the red-velvet bow on the leopard print cat) from Gymboree. Socks: lots of socks with kittens, puppies and flower designs.

You slept through lunch. We played with paper at the Borders, Books and Music cafe.

Today you are trying to walk, crawl, move around, mostly towards me. You laugh, you cry, you are now sleeping peacefully in your crib. I changed the sheets for you. I am washing loads of laundry for you.

I love my sweet, beautiful, delightful Juliette.

The year of your birth 2007 is going, going, almost gone.