Happy Birthday, Juli!

My baby girl is three years old today.  This week, we said good-bye to her special friends of the past 2 years, her awesome therapists who have helped Juli begin to catch up.  It's hard to believe that we are done with Early Intervention.  It has consumed our time and schedule, but it has done so much more than that.  Through Early Intervention we have met several wonderful ladies who have shown our little girl so much love as they experienced her stubbornness, her tantrums, & her refusals to work.  I know I couldn't do their job.

This week we also met Juliana's preschool teacher.  Yes, I said preschool.  Monday morning, Juli starts preschool.  A bus will pick her up at Theresa's house in the morning and take her to preschool, where she will go 5 days a week to continue getting the help that she needs.  Mommy and Daddy are still feeling nervous about our little girl getting on the bus like a big girl, but Juli is excited.  During the school day, Juli will be pulled out for speech, physical, and occupational therapy, and she will also be in a class with other kids which should help her catch up as well.  When we met Juli's preschool teacher, her first words were, "She's so little!  Are you sure she's 3?"  I told her that even I am having a hard time with it. 

Honestly, I didn't ever really think this day would arrive.  Juli's first year of life was so hard on all of us, that it was hard to picture her being done with Early Intervention and moving on.  I remember her first few physical therapy meetings, when she screamed the entire session and I swore Miss Meghan was a saint for not killing her.  I thought the same thing of Miss Suzy when she screamed for no reason during OT, both during a recent session and when she first started (Miss Suzy was also the therapist who helped keep Juli breathing when she had that episode on Noah's 4th birthday).

I am so proud of all she has accomplished.  For the longest time she wouldn't let us hug or kiss her, but this last year, she has become more affectionate with her hugs and kisses.  She finally learned to say "Noah", and now she yells his name all the time.  She also just learned to say "Gamma" and boy was grandma excited to hear it.

She is developing her own opinions and thoughts now.  Her favorite color is purple.  She likes to pick out her own clothes- which leads to very interesting outfits sometimes.  Her favorite movie is "Despicable Me", she loves the minions and Gru in the movie.  She loves the pigs in "Angry Birds".  Her favorite person is "Bubba"- her cousin Brendan who is 6 months younger than her.  She loves to play with baby dolls and Little People.  She loves animals, especially dogs and kitties.  She has a kind heart.  When Noah is crying she always gives him a hug and kiss, or if he is in time out, she will sit next to him on the step.

Happy birthday, sweet girl!  You're growing up so quickly!

Juli & her Bubba