Hello little Julius,

Wow you are sure growing! I’m almost 38 weeks pregnant and it seems like every hour my stomach feels just a tad bigger. I’ve been sleeping a lot which is good, but rolling from side to side is quite a challenging adventure, let me tell you! My dreams, throughout the pregnancy, have been vivid and realistic - and are getting more and more bizarre. Every morning I tell your father about my latest dreams and his response is always, “Wow they felt pretty real, huh?”

We’ve been working on the house for your arrival: painting murals on the walls, hanging up family photos in frames, rearranging furniture,  adding last-minute details to your baby room, and so much more! We’re so excited that you’ll be joining us soon

Sometimes your father and I will watch tv at home and we’ll see an actor who plays “the son” and we can’t help but find ourselves saying aloud to each other, “What will we do when Julius does that?” It’s been an interesting game we play with each other. Most of the time our answers are a little humorous with just a little bit of reality kicked in, cause the truth is - we can never know what the future holds. One thing we’re in agreement on is that we have every intention of making you feel secure at home. I know it sounds simple, but really, as you get older I’m confident you’ll understand. What we mean by “secure” is that when you’re at home, we want you to feel “at home.” I’ve seen first hand how sometimes kids as they grow up complain about going home because their homelives are erratic or they are bored or feel their parents don’t connect with them. We want you to feel secure in knowing this is your safe haven, your secure place where you can be yourself without judgement or fear or fitting in… you are always loved and accepted.

I’m a member of a few mommy forums where new and experienced mothers get together and talk about pregnancy and parenting. One thing that strikes me as interesting is that most of the parents have good intentions with their kids but they end up admitting they have no idea what to do in given situations. I’ve read countless examples of parents who lost their tempers or felt at a loss at how to discipline in a gentle way. Most of the time, I can’t help but wonder what brings parents to their breaking point. I mean, in MY head, all I can think about at this stage in my life is that we’ll always be good to you and there’s nothing we can’t handle. We can think calmly and rationally and respond in mature ways as you grow and learn. It’s very hard for me to understand how parents can lose their cool so easily. For many of them with multiple children, I kind of get it. They’re juggling personalities and different needs, not to mention sibling rivalry lol. But for those with just one kid - wow… seems like parenting should be a piece of cake Guess I won’t know till you’re out in the world!

I love you very much. Sometimes I wonder if you notice all the times I spend rubbing my belly and talking to you during the day… and singing lullabies to you! I’ve been singing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns n Roses to you which I think you like more and more because you give these loving, gentle kicks and arm movements like you’re floating in an ocean.

May you dance in heart and spirit every day of your life.

Love
Mommy