My Dearest Juliana,

It seems as though it were yesterday that you graced our world and added to it's beauty by joining us. How unreal then to find that it is actually a whole year.

I can only hope that it has been a year of wonder and happiness for you, although I understand the nature of your circumstance may not entirely endear this world to you. By that I mean all of those elder siblings picking you up and making goo-goo eyes at you and doing that silly blowy thing with their lips on your tummy. How degrading n'est pas? Oh and how could I forget the family and friends - especially the Grandparents - all reverting to their idea of babyhood as they misguidedly try to amuse you and show their love for you. Forgive them dear one; how are they meant to know that you would find it much more enthralling and satisfying to sit with them in an outdoor café on la Rive Gauche in Paris discussing some of the world's greatest literary gems - by which I mean books WITHOUT big purple dinosaurs! For some reason my dear, once humans start procreating they tend to lose all sense of reality - the dinosaur thing being a small example. You know and I know that whatever they may have been, dinosaurs were NOT purple. Why childbirth should change this perception I have no idea but there it is. One of the many strange conundrums of life that I know you enjoy turning over in your mind as you lay trussed and bound in your car seat while Mum and Dad drive you on seemingly interminable trips; trips during which your only visual stimulation is the roof lining of an American built car! (Perhaps in later years you may be able to convince Dad - you know how, the whole Princess eyelash thing will get him EVERY time - that there is a certain elegance and style to world class autos such as Jaguars, BMWs etc (don't ever fall into the trap of including Mercedes or Citroen in such a group, you'll understand why one day soon)

And so a whole year, your first in this world has passed and left it's mark on you - or rather, as I hope will always be the case, has allowed you to leave your mark on it. A year of growth and changes - from the uncertainty and somewhat pleasant anonimity of your initial name (N3w B4bY) to you establishing your space with your own name - Juliana. (I trust you chose that name after reflecting upon the quietly powerful and successful women in this world and came across the gentle Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Perhaps when Mum & Dad are out you could do a Google search on her if you're not already familiar). A year where those around you got to begin knowing you and started to become inspired themselves by your sense of calm self, your aura of peace. These are things that will continue to inspire people all through your life my dear so you best become used to them and used to the knowledge that people will always want to follow your lead. Such is the burden of those blessed with not only beauty and brains but especially with the knowledge of how to use both!

So again, congratulations on your first year. It may have seemed slow, as most of your early years will, but I trust you can look back and enjoy the knowledge and happy memories it brought you, for these are the solid rock on which you will build your Queendom

Happy Birthday Princess Juliana

Talk to you next year

Cheers

Shane