Julianna Clay

Preparing for Christmas

This collection captures the spirit as the family gets ready for Christmas.

Papa Pics

When Julianna first learned how to get off the couch, it was backwards on her tummy with feet dangling. When Julianna learned how to walk down stairs it was backwards, feet dangling down to the next step. This week Julianna has started experimenting hopping off the couch on her butt feet first. She has also started going down the stairs (with help of course) feet first. These accompany Julianna's continued confidence in climbing, walking, and yes...running around. Julianna has already learned the grab and dash where she picks something up and proceed's to hightail it, she knows items that will be taken away instantly. Clever girl. Julianna's other big thing this week has been the point and 'HhhhMMMM?" where it sounds like she is saying "I can has?". It's cute until you say no...we are still working on that one. Not everything is Julianna's but I'm not sure she knows that yet. The last thing to comment on is Julianna loves to look at and have books read to her. She likes to point things out, explore, listen, and then rinse and repeat. We have read some books so many times we know them almost by heart at this point but it is all in good fun.

Here are some pictures over the last couple of weeks.

- Papa

Julianna’s New Favorite Thing

...sticking out her tongue at you!  She has also learned to clap her hands and army crawl...she is growing up so fast!

Day 4 Festivities

A couple pictures from the last couple of days. Things having been going pretty smoothly, Julianna has completely recovered and has been in a good mood.

- Papa

Day 3 Shenanigans

Julianna continues to be a little angel this week while she has extended Daddy/Daughter bounding time. Julianna always gets up in the morning in a good mood but with her papa she has to be a little more patient but is such a good girl and lays in her crib until her papa realizes she's up. We get up a little earlier than papa is used to but we make the best of it and have fun in the process getting dressed and doing our morning chores. There's nothing that the right attitude cannot fix. Here are a couple of pictures from yesterday morning...let's pretend they are from today since we didn't get any pictures this morning.

- Papa

Lazy Sunday Picture Post

Julianna is sleeping on her bopper so I pulled out some choice pictures from the stash of iphone pic's, hover over the picture for the descriptions.

Vintage Julianna

Today I dressed Julianna in a vintage bubble romper that was handmade in the 1940's by a lady in Mobile, Alabama named, Rosalina.  I found this beauty on Ebay a few months back and just had to have it.  I love the smocking and embroidery around the neck and I just couldn't wait to see how Julianna would look in this sweet, little number.  The cradle in the pictures was actually my cradle 37 years ago.  Not many things survived the time but I am thrilled to be able to use my cradle for my own daughter.  When my mom was pregnant with me her sisters all pitched in to get her a new cradle.  This is it -- 37 years later.  I found a company in Minnesota that would make me a custom mattress for it since the size is not standard for today.  I also found a lady that created sheets and blankets for it so I could use it with Julianna.  I added a "sepia" filter to the pictures to give them a vintage feel.  Enjoy!

Tiny Toes

Today I took a few shots of Julianna's cute little feet.  During my pregnancy she constantly pressed those little feet against my tummy and up into my ribs.  It's so surreal to see them and know that once upon a time they were inside me - growing daily.

Our Baby Girl is Here!

They say nothing changes your life more than having a baby.  I would like to add that nothing changes your life "instantly" like having a baby.  At 11:54PM on Sunday, June 10 our baby girl "Julianna Nicole Clay" took her first breath and joined papa and I in the real world.  We had been waiting for this day for so long and after an epic labor and delivery it was finally here.  As the doctor brought her to me as requested to be placed skin-on-skin with mom for breastfeeding I felt the most amazing feeling ever.  It was love at first sight.  She knew my voice and I all I wanted to do was love her.  She was perfect.  Perfect in every way.  She still had to be weighed and measured and thoroughly checked out but I knew looking into those blue eyes that she was perfect.  Our dream was complete.  Eric, Chandra and baby Julianna were finally a reality.  Dad had been such a rock star throughout my pregnancy supporting me anyway that he could and that continued through labor and up until this very moment.  I could see it in his eyes.  He was the proudest "papa" ever and I undeniably knew at that very moment in time that I had married the perfect person to love and have a family with -- our journey was long but we had arrived.  And now, it's time to let go and enjoy!