auntie jule

Here she is.

And it's no secret she has struggled with her nephews. One's bigger than she is and has a LOT of ideas.

When he was a tiny and super-adorable new baby, she was eighteen months old and she'd cling and cry whenever I held him. It was a bit pathetic.

I even named this photo "Dejected Aunt Julia."

Okay, a few years later, I can see the way I'm looking at t.c. No wonder it was hard for her.

here he is with my sister in law. the best thing jay's brother ever did is marry this girl. i love her.

dannell was just changing his diaper while i kissed his head. look at that little tongue curled up on the edges like a saucer. i've looked at so many little newborn saucer crying tongues, including Julia's, trying to figure out how to help. i do love babies.

When we started watching b.g. last fall, on the days he came, Julia was blue. One night before, she actually asked me if I loved him more than I loved her?


Okay, that would not be possible. I teased her about who she loved more, me or Grandma. She couldn't decide. "I love you and all my grandmas." Yes. It's like that.

But this says it all: "He hogs my moooothhheer."

Good grief.

Anyway, Heidi's having that baby in a few months and we were admiring the belly tonight and speculating about who it is. Heidi asked Julia if it were a girl, how would she like that?

"It's hard enough having a nephews, what would you think if the baby is a girl? Then you won't be the littlest cute girl anymore."

Julia said she hopes it's a girl. She said she needs a niece.

A couple months ago, she gave Heidi and Joe one of her dolls and a diaper so they could practice changing the baby. Heidi laughed, "I changed all you guys' diapers, even when Mom used cloth!" Julia said Joe should practice then.

Kirsten and Heidi greeting Julia in the moments after her birth

Tonight Jule was up in her dresser and brought me a bar of soap with a baby stamped on it, asking why it's always in the drawer. I told her I put it in there before she was born to make her clothes smell nice.

"Why is it still in there?"

No reason, just never took it out. We smelled the soap, but the scent was mostly gone. (Well, yeah. She is six years old.) She came back downstairs again in a little while with another bar of soap that was still sealed up, and opened it so we could check out the smell.

She said she was giving it to Heidi to put in HER baby's drawer.


I think our little auntie is doing fine, doing well. Her heart is in the right place. love, Mom