Rotten

I know it's a bad habit and I know she's starting to imitate now, but I just can't help but call Julianna "Rotten A**" she laughs and smiles as if she knows what I'm saying. She's rotten to the core, although in a sweet way if you can imagine it. She laughs and dances and crawls all over. I never knew how much my life would change by having a daughter. I must say, having her is the greatest thing to ever happen to us.

She's such a bear to put to sleep at night. She fights and fights until all of her fight is gone. I think she actually wears herself to sleep.... if possible. She only lasts about an hour or two in her crib, then it's to bed with mom and dad. I'm the lucky one in the middle, wedged tightly between she and Luke. I must admit - I wouldn't have it any other way. She wakes up every now and then and presses her tiny palms to my cheeks to make sure I'm still there. She'll twist her tiny fingers in my hair, suck on her pacifier, and fall quickly back to sleep. Aw, the blessings and the moments I hear these little breaths.

To be a mommy is to always be needed and to be loved. I enjoy every second with her, even when she pukes up pasta down my shirt and through my bra. That's when we both run to the bathtub and fill it up. She splashes and giggles and thinks it's the greatest thing ever to have mommy swimming along...

And that's what we do - swim, laugh, and keep on swimming. When life gets crazy busy and overwhelming, swimming is about all you can do, right?