(By the way, she picked her own outfit here.)
After the dentist, we enjoyed a visit to Costco together.
Showing posts with label Julia: babybook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Julia: babybook. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Julia: First visit to the dentist
Julia did really well at the dentist. She wasn't scared, and she did just as they asked her to do. I think she actually enjoyed her first trip to the dentist. They put her in (princess!) sunglasses to shade their eyes from the bright light.
(By the way, she picked her own outfit here.)
After the dentist, we enjoyed a visit to Costco together.
(By the way, she picked her own outfit here.)
After the dentist, we enjoyed a visit to Costco together.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Julia at 2 1/2
Julia's a bit older than 2 1/2 now, but I thought I'd capture some things going on with her lately.
She's an interesting mix of independent and a touch headstrong with goofy and funny. She is very sweet and loving. She's also a little particular about things, too.
"Follow Me"
Whenever we are walking down the stairs, picking her up from school, or taking a walk in the neighborhood, Julia wants to lead. If I catch up to her and start to walk in front of her, she runs back in front and says, "NO! Follow ME!" She gets especially frustrated with Jake when we're walking down the stairs, because he likes to go in front. I explain that the dog does not understand what she is saying.
A Bit Particular
Julia has a near obsession about holes in socks. She finds it unacceptable to wear socks with even tiny holes and will always check her socks when she gets dressed. She also checks my socks for holes and tells me that I need to change my socks if they have holes. I have recently stocked up on new socks, as I was not aware how many pairs had small holes until Julia's sock checks. She is also particular about strings hanging from her clothes, "Go get scissors and cut this string, Mommy!!" She also likes Mr. Potato Head's nose to go horizontally and not vertically. Just a few examples of how Miss Julia likes things to be just so.
Music & Dancing
Julia is into music, singing, and dancing these days. I put a CD player in her play area when she was a baby so we could listen to music. These days, she selects a CD, opens the case, puts it in the CD player, and hits the play button. Unfortuantely, she is not as adept at putting the CD's away. She also doesn't quite get the rewind feature on the CD player yet. To hear a song again, she will take the CD out of the player, put it back in, and hit the play button again.
She's all about dance parties these days, either with me or one of her friends. There is a great deal of jumping involved, and I find them to be a good form of exercise for both of us. She's also into singing- often at the top of her lungs. She performs "mash-ups" of her favorite songs (a term I learned from Glee). "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" will transition into a Laurie Berkner song, and she'll finsh with "Down in the Jungle." She will even make up her own songs. For instance, after her bath the other night, before we put her pajamas on, Julia started singing, "I've got no clothes on, no clothes on, no clothes on. No pajamas on, no pajamas on, no pajamas on."
Lately, her favorite CD is Rocknoceros, a local kids music band. We listen to the CD in the car, and I like it better than many of the other kid music selections. I find myself singing along. Julia will hear me and pipe up from the backseat, "Mommy, let Rocknoceros sing it by itself." In other words, stop singing!
6 Month Review
At the end of six months at Julia's school (the development center at my workplace), a child's primary teacher sits down with the parent to talk through how the child is doing: areas of development, areas for improvement. Miss Barbara and I had our meeting a bit early, since I was expecting the new baby. When we scheduled the meeting, I joked with R that Julia was having her "6 month review."
It was fun to hear in detail about Julia's day-to-day life at school. Miss Barbara says she keeps all the teachers laughing, even when she doesn't mean to be funny. She often mimics the teachers and pretends to be one of them. She loves the art projects and is often the first at the table when they start a project. (I saw this firsthand when I went to pick her up early one day, but they were starting an art project. Julia did not run to me as she usually does. Instead, she shot me a look of, "What are you doing here?! We're about to do a project!!)
One of the things that warmed my heart the most was hearing that Julia is very welcoming when a new child joins the classroom. She also comforts kids when they are crying or upset. Very sweet.
On the other hand, Barbara said there are a couple of areas for improvement. Julia will get into a "stubborn mood" where she won't want to do what is asked of her. For instance, cleaning up toys once she has played with them. (Luckily for us, Miss Barbara is up for the task of dealing with Julia in her stubborn moods.) Also, Julia knows to say Please, but doesn't always use it. To take it a step further, she even seems put out at times when she is asked to say it!!
I've seen that side of Julia, too. When she wants to do something I find unacceptable, I will tell her No. Many times, she persists to get what she wants. My response is often, "I said 'No,' Julia." She has looked me square in the eye and said, "I said 'YES'!"
Big Sister
Julia loves her baby sister and will often announce, "I love her! I love her!" "I love Annabelle!" She likes to help take care of Annabelle and will unsnap her onesie and untape the diaper when we are changing Annabelle. She sometimes gets too closer for comfort; for example, she will often sing songs loudly into Annabelle's face, often while the baby is try to sleep.
Books
Julia continues to love books, and she has a number of favorites that she can recite by heart. Because she has memorized them, it almost seems that she is reading them herself. She is also quite the negotiator, talking her way to 4 or 5 books instead of the original 2 or 3 we discussed. She likes to make sure we "read the books all gone."
Little Helper
It's remarkable the shift from baby to toddler to a little buddy who is really good company. She likes to help out around the house, and her "help" will often double or triple the time a task takes. She'll help me put clothes in the washer or dryer, and she's a big fan of helping R out with the yardwork. A new ritual around our house is Pancake Sundays, and Julia likes to help R make the pancakes. Then, she really loves eating them!
There's much more to say - for instance, how Julia has become the inquisitive toddler who incessantly asks "Why?" or that she has decided she has a "Mama" foot and a "Papa" foot. She has also named her fingers after loved ones. The other day, she hurt her "Grandma" finger and needed a Band-Aid. Speaking of Band-Aids, they have become a fashion accessory for Julia; no actual wound is needed for a Band-Aid.
I could go on and on (obviously!) about that girl!
She's an interesting mix of independent and a touch headstrong with goofy and funny. She is very sweet and loving. She's also a little particular about things, too.
"Follow Me"
Whenever we are walking down the stairs, picking her up from school, or taking a walk in the neighborhood, Julia wants to lead. If I catch up to her and start to walk in front of her, she runs back in front and says, "NO! Follow ME!" She gets especially frustrated with Jake when we're walking down the stairs, because he likes to go in front. I explain that the dog does not understand what she is saying.
A Bit Particular
Julia has a near obsession about holes in socks. She finds it unacceptable to wear socks with even tiny holes and will always check her socks when she gets dressed. She also checks my socks for holes and tells me that I need to change my socks if they have holes. I have recently stocked up on new socks, as I was not aware how many pairs had small holes until Julia's sock checks. She is also particular about strings hanging from her clothes, "Go get scissors and cut this string, Mommy!!" She also likes Mr. Potato Head's nose to go horizontally and not vertically. Just a few examples of how Miss Julia likes things to be just so.
Music & Dancing
Julia is into music, singing, and dancing these days. I put a CD player in her play area when she was a baby so we could listen to music. These days, she selects a CD, opens the case, puts it in the CD player, and hits the play button. Unfortuantely, she is not as adept at putting the CD's away. She also doesn't quite get the rewind feature on the CD player yet. To hear a song again, she will take the CD out of the player, put it back in, and hit the play button again.
She's all about dance parties these days, either with me or one of her friends. There is a great deal of jumping involved, and I find them to be a good form of exercise for both of us. She's also into singing- often at the top of her lungs. She performs "mash-ups" of her favorite songs (a term I learned from Glee). "Itsy-Bitsy Spider" will transition into a Laurie Berkner song, and she'll finsh with "Down in the Jungle." She will even make up her own songs. For instance, after her bath the other night, before we put her pajamas on, Julia started singing, "I've got no clothes on, no clothes on, no clothes on. No pajamas on, no pajamas on, no pajamas on."
Lately, her favorite CD is Rocknoceros, a local kids music band. We listen to the CD in the car, and I like it better than many of the other kid music selections. I find myself singing along. Julia will hear me and pipe up from the backseat, "Mommy, let Rocknoceros sing it by itself." In other words, stop singing!
6 Month Review
At the end of six months at Julia's school (the development center at my workplace), a child's primary teacher sits down with the parent to talk through how the child is doing: areas of development, areas for improvement. Miss Barbara and I had our meeting a bit early, since I was expecting the new baby. When we scheduled the meeting, I joked with R that Julia was having her "6 month review."
It was fun to hear in detail about Julia's day-to-day life at school. Miss Barbara says she keeps all the teachers laughing, even when she doesn't mean to be funny. She often mimics the teachers and pretends to be one of them. She loves the art projects and is often the first at the table when they start a project. (I saw this firsthand when I went to pick her up early one day, but they were starting an art project. Julia did not run to me as she usually does. Instead, she shot me a look of, "What are you doing here?! We're about to do a project!!)
One of the things that warmed my heart the most was hearing that Julia is very welcoming when a new child joins the classroom. She also comforts kids when they are crying or upset. Very sweet.
On the other hand, Barbara said there are a couple of areas for improvement. Julia will get into a "stubborn mood" where she won't want to do what is asked of her. For instance, cleaning up toys once she has played with them. (Luckily for us, Miss Barbara is up for the task of dealing with Julia in her stubborn moods.) Also, Julia knows to say Please, but doesn't always use it. To take it a step further, she even seems put out at times when she is asked to say it!!
I've seen that side of Julia, too. When she wants to do something I find unacceptable, I will tell her No. Many times, she persists to get what she wants. My response is often, "I said 'No,' Julia." She has looked me square in the eye and said, "I said 'YES'!"
Big Sister
Julia loves her baby sister and will often announce, "I love her! I love her!" "I love Annabelle!" She likes to help take care of Annabelle and will unsnap her onesie and untape the diaper when we are changing Annabelle. She sometimes gets too closer for comfort; for example, she will often sing songs loudly into Annabelle's face, often while the baby is try to sleep.
Books
Julia continues to love books, and she has a number of favorites that she can recite by heart. Because she has memorized them, it almost seems that she is reading them herself. She is also quite the negotiator, talking her way to 4 or 5 books instead of the original 2 or 3 we discussed. She likes to make sure we "read the books all gone."
Little Helper
It's remarkable the shift from baby to toddler to a little buddy who is really good company. She likes to help out around the house, and her "help" will often double or triple the time a task takes. She'll help me put clothes in the washer or dryer, and she's a big fan of helping R out with the yardwork. A new ritual around our house is Pancake Sundays, and Julia likes to help R make the pancakes. Then, she really loves eating them!
There's much more to say - for instance, how Julia has become the inquisitive toddler who incessantly asks "Why?" or that she has decided she has a "Mama" foot and a "Papa" foot. She has also named her fingers after loved ones. The other day, she hurt her "Grandma" finger and needed a Band-Aid. Speaking of Band-Aids, they have become a fashion accessory for Julia; no actual wound is needed for a Band-Aid.
I could go on and on (obviously!) about that girl!
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Water, Tantrums, Baby Love, Art, & More
Julia is now 20 months old and is learning so many new things lately that I need to capture some in a new (and long) update post.
Drama Queen
A friend in our playgroup said she read in a book that toddlers are "emotionally unstable," and a couple of weeks ago, that was Julia. If she didn't get her way, it really set her off. Her tantrums are usually some high drama crying accompanied by indignant stomping of the feet. I take deep breaths and remind myself that the tantrums are more about the age than the child.
High Chair
We had some high drama moments in the mornings, because Julia did NOT want to sit in her high chair. We converted her high chair to a booster seat and that helped. Then, we borrowed the booster seat from Oma and Opa's house. That has really resolved the problem. The mini-phase of tantrums has mostly passed (yay!), and Julia has returned to her sunny, happy self with only the occasional tantrum.
Talking, Talking
With the two of us as parents, it is no surprise that Julia is a big talker. She has continued to add new words to her vocabulary, but the biggest development is that over the last couple of months, she has started grouping words into phrases: "Mommy Hand,"
"Oma Chair," "Jakey Bed," "Papa Glasses," etc. One of her favorite phrases lately is "Bye Bye, Airplane," if she hears or sees an airplane overhead.
Just this week, we had an interesting development. Julia seems to know to use the Spanish word when speaking to Karina (Julia's beloved babysitter, "Ena") or to use the English word when speaking to me. Julia has a little toy house, and she calls it a "house" when talking to me. Karina says that Julia says "casa" when they play with the same toy. I heard another example firsthand. Lately, Julia has been pointing to the lights and saying, "light." Yesterday, while Karina was playing with her, I saw her point to the light and say, "luz." I asked Karina, "What did she say?" Karina said, "Luz....it's light in Spanish." Very cool. I can't wait until I hear her say something in Dutch to her Papa.
We're working on the names of the colors with Julia and will try to teach her in English, Spanish, and Dutch. We're also working on saying 1...2...3 in all three languages. Consequently, *I* am learning the basic colors and numbers in Spanish and Dutch.
Baby Love
Julia's baby love continues both for real babies and her dolls (the dolls haven't been her main focus in the last couple of weeks, as she is interested in other toys). She loves to see babies and pictures of babies. If we're out in public, she points out any baby she sees. We recently received a catalog of invitations and baby announcements which had many pictures of babies. Julia flipped through the catalog, page-by-page, and pointed to each one: "Baby!" "Baby!" "Baby Feet!" "Baby" "Baby!" "Baby Nose!" "Baby!"
Blowing Her Nose
It may not seem like a huge milestone, but Julia learned to blow her nose a month or two ago. It is a big deal, especially since she had a runny nose for most of March and April. She can also walk to the box of tissues, pull one out, and announce, "Nose!" The problem is, she usually doesn't stop with just one tissue. She has become an expert nose-blower - she *really* blows that nose, and you just have to hope you have a tissue in hand and at the ready when she's ready to blow!
Outside
Julia loves to be outside, which has been tough, because it has rained most of the last two weeks. When she wants to go outside, she stands at the door, clinging to the doorknob, "'side! 'side! 'SIDE!! 'SIDE!!" She has started to understand that we don't go outside when it is raining. We look out the front door together, and she says, "Wain.....Wet. Wain."
Water, Water Everywhere
Julia loves to play in water. She loves to take baths and would stay in the bath for hours, if we let her. A new development is that she wants to keep the water running the entire time she is the bath, and if I turn the water off, she will plead to have the water back on, "More! More! More! Pease! More! Pease!" - all while desperately doing the baby sign for "Please." I don't want to waste water, so our compromise is that I turn the water down to a slow trickle and eventually, I turn it off.
Julia is also a big fan of washing her hands. She will often ask to have her hands washed, which is a good habit so I encourage it, but she wants to play in the water for as long as I will let her. She doesn't want the handwashing to stop!
Rock! Rock! Mommy Rock!
In Julia's room, we have the most wonderful, comfortable glider/recliner (a gift from Oma & Opa) where I spent many a night when Julia was a newborn. Now, it is our favorite place to read books. Two new developments here - she has learned to rock the chair by herself, "Rock!" "Rock!" (She does try to rock other chairs that are not rocking chairs by throwing her back against the back of the chair, and when it doesn't work, she tries harder and harder.) Also, she doesn't want to sit in my lap anymore; she prefers me to sit beside her in the chair so we can both rock. "Mommy, Mommy, rock! Mommy, book. Mommy, rock."
Budding Artist
Kate & Kristi introduced us to idea of playing with stickers a few months ago, and I initially thought Julia might be too young - but she loves them. She can peel and stick most of them herself. Noelle & Laura showed that putting stickers on our hands is fun, and Julia extended that to putting them all over our clothes. At home, we're trying to keep them limited to paper or us - not the walls, furniture, or floors. I'll bet stickers will be a great distraction for airplane rides or at restaurants.
Once Julia reached toddlerhood, I got some big, fat crayons for her, but she was mostly interested in putting them in her mouth or throwing them. That has changed in the last month, as she has taken a real interest in "kee-ahhs." She really gets it now and enjoys "daah-ing" (drawing). We have a pad of paper that we decorate with stickers and color with crayons. It's fun getting to the age where we can really do things together.
Miss Independent
I am continually amazed at how independent Julia is; she is very interested in doing things herself. After a dinner with Ian and Dylan in February, she became very interested in using a fork, so I bought some new toddler spoons and forks. She has become very adept with a "poon" or "uhck." She has also learned to clip her buckle in her booster seat, but thankfully, she has not learned to *unbuckle* it.
She has also learned to help out with little things: she likes to put her wet diapers in the Diaper Champ and has learned to use the handle on it. When I undress her, I hand her the dirty clothes, tell her "put them in the hamper," and she will happily say, "Hamp-uh!" Then, she'll walk over to the hamper, lift the cover, put the item in, and most times, replace the cover. The same goes for trash, I can hand her an item and say, "Put it in the trash." She'll say "Twash" and walk over to deposit it in the trash can.
She wants to be able to dress and undress herself, too. She likes to zip her pajamas, but sometimes gets frustrated if she can't keep hold of the zipper tag. She even likes to help change her own diapers - she says, "Push! Push!" because she wants to push one of the diaper tabs down. Once, while I was changing her diaper, she even grabbed a wipe and wiped herself! She sometimes gets frustrated, because she wants to do something - and can't quite get it (for instance, putting on her pants).
As independent as she is, she has recently learned a couple of new expressions, "Mommy Heppa" (Mommy, Help) and "Mommy Hand" (Give me your hand so I can do this without falling.) She usually wants to do things herself, but if she pulls out "Mommy Heppa," or "Mommy Hand," it means she would like my help. On her terms. :-)
Love this kid.
Drama Queen
A friend in our playgroup said she read in a book that toddlers are "emotionally unstable," and a couple of weeks ago, that was Julia. If she didn't get her way, it really set her off. Her tantrums are usually some high drama crying accompanied by indignant stomping of the feet. I take deep breaths and remind myself that the tantrums are more about the age than the child.
High Chair
We had some high drama moments in the mornings, because Julia did NOT want to sit in her high chair. We converted her high chair to a booster seat and that helped. Then, we borrowed the booster seat from Oma and Opa's house. That has really resolved the problem. The mini-phase of tantrums has mostly passed (yay!), and Julia has returned to her sunny, happy self with only the occasional tantrum.
Talking, Talking
With the two of us as parents, it is no surprise that Julia is a big talker. She has continued to add new words to her vocabulary, but the biggest development is that over the last couple of months, she has started grouping words into phrases: "Mommy Hand,"
"Oma Chair," "Jakey Bed," "Papa Glasses," etc. One of her favorite phrases lately is "Bye Bye, Airplane," if she hears or sees an airplane overhead.
Just this week, we had an interesting development. Julia seems to know to use the Spanish word when speaking to Karina (Julia's beloved babysitter, "Ena") or to use the English word when speaking to me. Julia has a little toy house, and she calls it a "house" when talking to me. Karina says that Julia says "casa" when they play with the same toy. I heard another example firsthand. Lately, Julia has been pointing to the lights and saying, "light." Yesterday, while Karina was playing with her, I saw her point to the light and say, "luz." I asked Karina, "What did she say?" Karina said, "Luz....it's light in Spanish." Very cool. I can't wait until I hear her say something in Dutch to her Papa.
We're working on the names of the colors with Julia and will try to teach her in English, Spanish, and Dutch. We're also working on saying 1...2...3 in all three languages. Consequently, *I* am learning the basic colors and numbers in Spanish and Dutch.
Baby Love
Julia's baby love continues both for real babies and her dolls (the dolls haven't been her main focus in the last couple of weeks, as she is interested in other toys). She loves to see babies and pictures of babies. If we're out in public, she points out any baby she sees. We recently received a catalog of invitations and baby announcements which had many pictures of babies. Julia flipped through the catalog, page-by-page, and pointed to each one: "Baby!" "Baby!" "Baby Feet!" "Baby" "Baby!" "Baby Nose!" "Baby!"
Blowing Her Nose
It may not seem like a huge milestone, but Julia learned to blow her nose a month or two ago. It is a big deal, especially since she had a runny nose for most of March and April. She can also walk to the box of tissues, pull one out, and announce, "Nose!" The problem is, she usually doesn't stop with just one tissue. She has become an expert nose-blower - she *really* blows that nose, and you just have to hope you have a tissue in hand and at the ready when she's ready to blow!
Outside
Julia loves to be outside, which has been tough, because it has rained most of the last two weeks. When she wants to go outside, she stands at the door, clinging to the doorknob, "'side! 'side! 'SIDE!! 'SIDE!!" She has started to understand that we don't go outside when it is raining. We look out the front door together, and she says, "Wain.....Wet. Wain."
Water, Water Everywhere
Julia loves to play in water. She loves to take baths and would stay in the bath for hours, if we let her. A new development is that she wants to keep the water running the entire time she is the bath, and if I turn the water off, she will plead to have the water back on, "More! More! More! Pease! More! Pease!" - all while desperately doing the baby sign for "Please." I don't want to waste water, so our compromise is that I turn the water down to a slow trickle and eventually, I turn it off.
Julia is also a big fan of washing her hands. She will often ask to have her hands washed, which is a good habit so I encourage it, but she wants to play in the water for as long as I will let her. She doesn't want the handwashing to stop!
Rock! Rock! Mommy Rock!
In Julia's room, we have the most wonderful, comfortable glider/recliner (a gift from Oma & Opa) where I spent many a night when Julia was a newborn. Now, it is our favorite place to read books. Two new developments here - she has learned to rock the chair by herself, "Rock!" "Rock!" (She does try to rock other chairs that are not rocking chairs by throwing her back against the back of the chair, and when it doesn't work, she tries harder and harder.) Also, she doesn't want to sit in my lap anymore; she prefers me to sit beside her in the chair so we can both rock. "Mommy, Mommy, rock! Mommy, book. Mommy, rock."
Budding Artist
Kate & Kristi introduced us to idea of playing with stickers a few months ago, and I initially thought Julia might be too young - but she loves them. She can peel and stick most of them herself. Noelle & Laura showed that putting stickers on our hands is fun, and Julia extended that to putting them all over our clothes. At home, we're trying to keep them limited to paper or us - not the walls, furniture, or floors. I'll bet stickers will be a great distraction for airplane rides or at restaurants.
Once Julia reached toddlerhood, I got some big, fat crayons for her, but she was mostly interested in putting them in her mouth or throwing them. That has changed in the last month, as she has taken a real interest in "kee-ahhs." She really gets it now and enjoys "daah-ing" (drawing). We have a pad of paper that we decorate with stickers and color with crayons. It's fun getting to the age where we can really do things together.
Miss Independent
I am continually amazed at how independent Julia is; she is very interested in doing things herself. After a dinner with Ian and Dylan in February, she became very interested in using a fork, so I bought some new toddler spoons and forks. She has become very adept with a "poon" or "uhck." She has also learned to clip her buckle in her booster seat, but thankfully, she has not learned to *unbuckle* it.
She has also learned to help out with little things: she likes to put her wet diapers in the Diaper Champ and has learned to use the handle on it. When I undress her, I hand her the dirty clothes, tell her "put them in the hamper," and she will happily say, "Hamp-uh!" Then, she'll walk over to the hamper, lift the cover, put the item in, and most times, replace the cover. The same goes for trash, I can hand her an item and say, "Put it in the trash." She'll say "Twash" and walk over to deposit it in the trash can.
She wants to be able to dress and undress herself, too. She likes to zip her pajamas, but sometimes gets frustrated if she can't keep hold of the zipper tag. She even likes to help change her own diapers - she says, "Push! Push!" because she wants to push one of the diaper tabs down. Once, while I was changing her diaper, she even grabbed a wipe and wiped herself! She sometimes gets frustrated, because she wants to do something - and can't quite get it (for instance, putting on her pants).
As independent as she is, she has recently learned a couple of new expressions, "Mommy Heppa" (Mommy, Help) and "Mommy Hand" (Give me your hand so I can do this without falling.) She usually wants to do things herself, but if she pulls out "Mommy Heppa," or "Mommy Hand," it means she would like my help. On her terms. :-)
Love this kid.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Julia at 18 months
I'm writing about life with Julia as an 18 (almost 19) month old so I can remember the details of this time. I also write so that Julia will know what a delight she was as a child. R doesn't favor these text-heavy entries, because he says my blog audience just wants pictures of Julia. I'll be back to pictures soon!
Sleeping Beauty
Speaking of Julia's naps, she dropped from two naps to one in early to mid-January. I remember this, because Oma and Opa kept her the weekend before Inauguration, and the nap situation wasn't clear-cut at that point. She dropped her afternoon nap, but she still wanted to nap fairly early in the morning (~10:30 or so). This made for a grumpy baby in the late afternoon, and gradually over the last two months, we have pushed the single nap back to 11:30 or 12 (occasionally later if we have playgroup). The naps last 2-2.5 hours.
Julia's Entourage
Julia has a number of dolls and stuffed animals and a select few favorites have made it into her inner circle. We have 6 "babies" that she sleeps with every night: Baby, Dolly, Gus, Molly, Tiger, & Bear. When she wakes in the morning, she calls each by name, as she wants them all to come with us when we leave the room. Usually, I ask her to pick a baby or two to take with her. We have been known to carry around 6 babies plus Julia; she's a little Angelina Jolie. She enjoys feeding the babies, covering them with blankets, and kissing and hugging them. As part of our nightly ritual, we kiss each baby and put each in the crib. Julia goes in the crib last.
When we go to other little girls' houses and they have baby dolls, Julia immediately goes straight to the dolls. She assumes they are hers, and it is difficult to convince her otherwise.
Girly Girl
Julia is into necklaces (and all girly accessories.) On the days that I work, I typically wear a necklace. When I get home, Julia begins shouting "Kai-key! kai-key!" (her word for necklace). She searches my neck for the necklace and insists that I put the necklace on her. Then, proudly walks around wearing the necklace with a big grin on her face. In addition to her necklaces, she also loves purses. She likes to load her little purse (a gift from Grandma) with toys, put it in the crook of her arm, and carry it around. She usually goes to the door, opens it, and says "Goodbye!" I guess she is mimicking me when I leave in the mornings. At times, she prances around with sunglasses on the top of her head, the purse on her arm, Baby in the crook of her arm, and a cell phone in her hand. So funny!
Little Daredevil
The girly-girl also has a daredevil side. She enjoys climbing on everything - chairs, tables, our ottoman, and in some cases, jumping off....scaring us to death. She doesn't seem afraid...ever, except for one thing: she does not like it when dogs bark or growl, especially Jake. It upsets her. She's not fearful of new people or places. She also likes the tallest slides on the playground. The short toddler slides don't do it for her.
Little Miss Independent
Julia has a stubborn and independent streak. She is in very much of a "I want to do it MYSELF" stage. She wants to hold her own fork and spoon, brush her own teeth, walk up and down the stairs unassisted, sit in chairs by herself, etc. She currently enjoys opening and closing doors, drawers, and cabinets. She likes exploring the contents of the doors, drawers, and cabinets, usually leaving chaos in her wake.
Temper, Temper
Like most kids her age, Julia is prone to have tantrums when she doesn't get her way; she has a strong will and knows what she wants. It's helpful to me to talk to the other moms in our playgroup and find out that the other kids are doing the same things. When she has a tantrum, I remind myself is the age, not that she is being bad. Her tantrums involve very expressive foot stomping.
Books and Music
Julia continues to love books, and she can request some of her favorites by name ("Gossie," "Ollie," "BooBoo," "Mother," (Are Your My Mother?), "LaLa" (Moo, Baa, LaLaLa). She also loves music, and she loves to make her babies dance to the music. One of her favorite songs is "If You're Happy and You Know It." She requests this song by pointing at the CD and yells "Happy! Happy!"
This age is so much fun, and she seems to learn things new every day!
Sleeping Beauty
Speaking of Julia's naps, she dropped from two naps to one in early to mid-January. I remember this, because Oma and Opa kept her the weekend before Inauguration, and the nap situation wasn't clear-cut at that point. She dropped her afternoon nap, but she still wanted to nap fairly early in the morning (~10:30 or so). This made for a grumpy baby in the late afternoon, and gradually over the last two months, we have pushed the single nap back to 11:30 or 12 (occasionally later if we have playgroup). The naps last 2-2.5 hours.
Julia's Entourage
Julia has a number of dolls and stuffed animals and a select few favorites have made it into her inner circle. We have 6 "babies" that she sleeps with every night: Baby, Dolly, Gus, Molly, Tiger, & Bear. When she wakes in the morning, she calls each by name, as she wants them all to come with us when we leave the room. Usually, I ask her to pick a baby or two to take with her. We have been known to carry around 6 babies plus Julia; she's a little Angelina Jolie. She enjoys feeding the babies, covering them with blankets, and kissing and hugging them. As part of our nightly ritual, we kiss each baby and put each in the crib. Julia goes in the crib last.
When we go to other little girls' houses and they have baby dolls, Julia immediately goes straight to the dolls. She assumes they are hers, and it is difficult to convince her otherwise.
Girly Girl
Julia is into necklaces (and all girly accessories.) On the days that I work, I typically wear a necklace. When I get home, Julia begins shouting "Kai-key! kai-key!" (her word for necklace). She searches my neck for the necklace and insists that I put the necklace on her. Then, proudly walks around wearing the necklace with a big grin on her face. In addition to her necklaces, she also loves purses. She likes to load her little purse (a gift from Grandma) with toys, put it in the crook of her arm, and carry it around. She usually goes to the door, opens it, and says "Goodbye!" I guess she is mimicking me when I leave in the mornings. At times, she prances around with sunglasses on the top of her head, the purse on her arm, Baby in the crook of her arm, and a cell phone in her hand. So funny!
Little Daredevil
The girly-girl also has a daredevil side. She enjoys climbing on everything - chairs, tables, our ottoman, and in some cases, jumping off....scaring us to death. She doesn't seem afraid...ever, except for one thing: she does not like it when dogs bark or growl, especially Jake. It upsets her. She's not fearful of new people or places. She also likes the tallest slides on the playground. The short toddler slides don't do it for her.
Little Miss Independent
Julia has a stubborn and independent streak. She is in very much of a "I want to do it MYSELF" stage. She wants to hold her own fork and spoon, brush her own teeth, walk up and down the stairs unassisted, sit in chairs by herself, etc. She currently enjoys opening and closing doors, drawers, and cabinets. She likes exploring the contents of the doors, drawers, and cabinets, usually leaving chaos in her wake.
Temper, Temper
Like most kids her age, Julia is prone to have tantrums when she doesn't get her way; she has a strong will and knows what she wants. It's helpful to me to talk to the other moms in our playgroup and find out that the other kids are doing the same things. When she has a tantrum, I remind myself is the age, not that she is being bad. Her tantrums involve very expressive foot stomping.
Books and Music
Julia continues to love books, and she can request some of her favorites by name ("Gossie," "Ollie," "BooBoo," "Mother," (Are Your My Mother?), "LaLa" (Moo, Baa, LaLaLa). She also loves music, and she loves to make her babies dance to the music. One of her favorite songs is "If You're Happy and You Know It." She requests this song by pointing at the CD and yells "Happy! Happy!"
This age is so much fun, and she seems to learn things new every day!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Words
Julia's a chatterbox, and it is a combination of Julia's own language, English and a bit of Spanish. It won't be long before there is some Dutch thrown in there, I'm sure.
Here are the words she uses often these days:
apple
agua
arm
baaaa (sheep)
baby
ball
balloon "ball-oou"
banana "nana"
bath
bear
bed
book
BooBoo
bye-bye
chair
cheese
cookie
cow
diaper
Dolly
ears
elbow
Ena (Karina)
eyes
eyebrows
glasses
good girl
Gossie
Grandma
grapes "gapes"
Gus
hair
happy
hat
hi
house
I dunno
Jakey
Julia "Ju-aah"
Katlyne
kai-key (necklace)
keys
Mama
mas (more)
meow
mess
Mommy
mooo
mouse
mouth
nails (nail clippers)
nice
night-night
neigh
no
nose
numa-numa (food)
Ollie
Oma
Opa
ous (out, off, or down)
pajamas "namas"
Papa
pee-pee
poopy
potty
puppy
purse
Riley "iley"
quack-quack
shoes
sleep "seep"
stickers
tail
te amo (I love you)
teeth (teeth or toothbrush)
Tia
tiger
toes
uh-oh
vamos (let's go)
yummy
Here are the words she uses often these days:
apple
agua
arm
baaaa (sheep)
baby
ball
balloon "ball-oou"
banana "nana"
bath
bear
bed
book
BooBoo
bye-bye
chair
cheese
cookie
cow
diaper
Dolly
ears
elbow
Ena (Karina)
eyes
eyebrows
glasses
good girl
Gossie
Grandma
grapes "gapes"
Gus
hair
happy
hat
hi
house
I dunno
Jakey
Julia "Ju-aah"
Katlyne
kai-key (necklace)
keys
Mama
mas (more)
meow
mess
Mommy
mooo
mouse
mouth
nails (nail clippers)
nice
night-night
neigh
no
nose
numa-numa (food)
Ollie
Oma
Opa
ous (out, off, or down)
pajamas "namas"
Papa
pee-pee
poopy
potty
puppy
purse
Riley "iley"
quack-quack
shoes
sleep "seep"
stickers
tail
te amo (I love you)
teeth (teeth or toothbrush)
Tia
tiger
toes
uh-oh
vamos (let's go)
yummy
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tooth Watch 2009: Three Molars at Once
She has molars coming in! As she and I were playing this morning, I noticed something on Julia's bottom left gum. I felt around, and yep...she has a bottom left, upper left, and upper right molar breaking through. It makes sense: she's had her hands in her mouth frequently, and she likes to chew on a soft rubber spoon. Here's hoping it continues to be pain-free for her (....and her parents).
Friday, January 09, 2009
Updated Stats
Julia and I returned to the pediatrician's office for a check of her weight, as she had lost weight between her 12 and 15 month check-ups. We assumed that the loss was due to a cold right before her 15 month appointment, but it still made me a bit nervous that she was off her growth curve.
Today, we had good news! Julia has gained some weight and is back on her growth curve:
Weight: 23 lbs 10 oz
Height: 34 in
The doctor also measured her height, and since it seemed extra tall, she checked it a second time. It came out 34 in both times. I am still skeptical that she is a full 34 in tall, so R checked it at home with the measuring tape. He got a number closer to 33 in, but it was just a quick measure. So, we don't know what her exact height is. The short answer: she's a tall kid.
Julia got two shots today: the Chickenpox Vaccine and the DTaP. We are still waiting on the HIB, as there is a nationwide shortage. Julia did not cry when she got the shots, but she did cry out in indignation: "AHHH!!!" (It sounded like baby talk for: "What in the heck did you just do? That hurt!!")
I am also proud to report that *I* did not cry during Julia's shots; it was touch and go for a minute there.
Today, we had good news! Julia has gained some weight and is back on her growth curve:
Weight: 23 lbs 10 oz
Height: 34 in
The doctor also measured her height, and since it seemed extra tall, she checked it a second time. It came out 34 in both times. I am still skeptical that she is a full 34 in tall, so R checked it at home with the measuring tape. He got a number closer to 33 in, but it was just a quick measure. So, we don't know what her exact height is. The short answer: she's a tall kid.
Julia got two shots today: the Chickenpox Vaccine and the DTaP. We are still waiting on the HIB, as there is a nationwide shortage. Julia did not cry when she got the shots, but she did cry out in indignation: "AHHH!!!" (It sounded like baby talk for: "What in the heck did you just do? That hurt!!")
I am also proud to report that *I* did not cry during Julia's shots; it was touch and go for a minute there.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tooth Watch 2008: The Eighth Tooth, Finally
We haven't seen a new tooth emerge since #7 popped up in September. I am happy to report that #8 is starting to break through. It is lower right incisor.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Chatty Girl
Julia is quite chatty. Many times she will look at me and earnestly explain something to me with not a word in English. She even talks with her hands which is quite cute. She's been saying Daddy, Papa, Mama, and Opa for a long time. At the end of summer, she added Baby. Baby was her favorite word for months, used to refer to her two dolls.
Here's a current list of her words:
Agua (she uses this for both milk and water)
Baby
Book
Daddy
Cow (new word this week)
Jake-y
Mama
Night-Night
Papa
Opa
Uh-oh
A couple of her own words:
Numa-Numa ("I'm hungry" or "This is yummy")
Ca-Ca (I have no idea what she means when she says this.)
I have heard her say the following, but she doesn't say them often:
Bye-Bye
Dog
Cat
She is currently obsessed with books. I tried to get her interested when she was younger, but all she wanted to do was put them in her mouth. Now, she wants to look at books constantly. Even when she was sick last week: it was 3 am, she was feverish and congested. She pointed at the bookshelf and said, "Boo-ah, Boo-ah."
Here's a current list of her words:
Agua (she uses this for both milk and water)
Baby
Book
Daddy
Cow (new word this week)
Jake-y
Mama
Night-Night
Papa
Opa
Uh-oh
A couple of her own words:
Numa-Numa ("I'm hungry" or "This is yummy")
Ca-Ca (I have no idea what she means when she says this.)
I have heard her say the following, but she doesn't say them often:
Bye-Bye
Dog
Cat
She is currently obsessed with books. I tried to get her interested when she was younger, but all she wanted to do was put them in her mouth. Now, she wants to look at books constantly. Even when she was sick last week: it was 3 am, she was feverish and congested. She pointed at the bookshelf and said, "Boo-ah, Boo-ah."
Sunday, November 30, 2008
A Big Price to Pay for a Bit of Fun
Julia is a very active kid. She likes to climb and run....not just likes, she needs to climb and run and play. The problem comes when the weather outside is cold and gray. A little over a week ago, I took her to the play area at the shopping mall. She had a great time playing with the other kids, sliding on the little slides, crawling through the tunnels.
We have been paying for it ever since. Poor little girl.
I've never been a germaphobe, but I'm changing my tune. It started with a runny nose the day after our trip to the play area. A few days later, it escalated to three near sleepless nights with a feverish, congested baby in my arms. No one in the house got much sleep, even Jake.
She wasn't herself most of Thanksgiving Day, but after a suprisingly good nap in the Pack n' Play, she had a good hour or so of playing with and entertaining Oma, Opa, and Uncle Roger.
It can be so deceptive, because kids seem to feel better during the day, and at night, the high fevers and major congestion returns. I wondered what parents did years ago before the modern wonders of Ibuprofen and Actimetiphen to help reduce the fevers. I felt awful for Julia and just wanted to make her feel better. To help her breathe, I had to torture her with the nasal aspirator (aka the infamous Bulb). The pediatrician said they did not prescribe antibiotics until a child had a fever of 102 degrees or higher for 4 full days. 4 FULL DAYS!?!
Luckily, Julia slept through the night last night for the first time since Tuesday. She cried out in the night a couple of times. Formerly a heavy sleeper, I have a special radar for Julia's noises at night. R says I can be dead asleep three rooms away, and I will bolt up in bed if Julia so much as farts in her sleep.
So, last night, we all got some rest last night. It was a little too late for me, as I have caught the bug. R took care of Julia, who is better but still cranky and clingy. Thankfully, I was able to spend the afternoon in bed.
We have been paying for it ever since. Poor little girl.
 |
| No fun. At all. |
She wasn't herself most of Thanksgiving Day, but after a suprisingly good nap in the Pack n' Play, she had a good hour or so of playing with and entertaining Oma, Opa, and Uncle Roger.
It can be so deceptive, because kids seem to feel better during the day, and at night, the high fevers and major congestion returns. I wondered what parents did years ago before the modern wonders of Ibuprofen and Actimetiphen to help reduce the fevers. I felt awful for Julia and just wanted to make her feel better. To help her breathe, I had to torture her with the nasal aspirator (aka the infamous Bulb). The pediatrician said they did not prescribe antibiotics until a child had a fever of 102 degrees or higher for 4 full days. 4 FULL DAYS!?!
Luckily, Julia slept through the night last night for the first time since Tuesday. She cried out in the night a couple of times. Formerly a heavy sleeper, I have a special radar for Julia's noises at night. R says I can be dead asleep three rooms away, and I will bolt up in bed if Julia so much as farts in her sleep.
So, last night, we all got some rest last night. It was a little too late for me, as I have caught the bug. R took care of Julia, who is better but still cranky and clingy. Thankfully, I was able to spend the afternoon in bed.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Social Climber
Julia continues to earn her new nickname, Danger Baby. She is very interested in climbing as high as she can go, and she is pleased with herself when she climbs on top of something or someone. Did I mention she is fast?
Yesterday, as we were preparing for her birthday party with the playgroup, she quickly climbed on top of a play table; as I rushed over, she was standing on top of it, holding onto a barstool and grinning. As I returned her to the safety of the floor, she laughed, but I had to get my heart to start beating again.
At home, she doesn't seem to mind her baby corral, but she still tries to escape it, for sport. She pushes a play table up against the side of the corral and tries to climb over.
I have tried to explain to her that the higher she climbs, the farther she can fall, but she doesn't seem to listen!
Yesterday, as we were preparing for her birthday party with the playgroup, she quickly climbed on top of a play table; as I rushed over, she was standing on top of it, holding onto a barstool and grinning. As I returned her to the safety of the floor, she laughed, but I had to get my heart to start beating again.
At home, she doesn't seem to mind her baby corral, but she still tries to escape it, for sport. She pushes a play table up against the side of the corral and tries to climb over.
I have tried to explain to her that the higher she climbs, the farther she can fall, but she doesn't seem to listen!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Hugging, Biting, & Climbing
Julia has started giving hugs. It melts my heart. She reaches out to me, throws her arms around my neck, and gives me a huge hug. Unfortunately, she also likes to test out her little teeth from time to time. (She has six now. The incisors on the either side of her two front teeth finally came in a couple of weeks ago.) About one hug in ten, I am enjoying her little embrace then suddenly, OUCH! I feel her sharp little teeth on my shoulder, arm, or chest. It's still worth it!
Another dangerous habit of Julia's is climbing. If she is given an opportunity, she will turbo-crawl down the hall and will be halfway up the stairs before I can catch up. She has also branched out and started climbing on more than just stairs. Most recently, she has climbed up our raised hearth and was going to check out the decorative logs when I caught up to her.
In her big baby corral (which we considered a safe zone), Danger Baby proved us wrong by climbing onto and trying to stand on one of her play tables. It happened very fast, but never fear, I was there to make sure she didn't fall. Climbing has turned into quite the hobby for her, and as far as she is concerned, that is the now the sole purpose for the little table.
The video ends abruptly, because I saw she was going to stand. It was clearly time to put the camera down!
Another dangerous habit of Julia's is climbing. If she is given an opportunity, she will turbo-crawl down the hall and will be halfway up the stairs before I can catch up. She has also branched out and started climbing on more than just stairs. Most recently, she has climbed up our raised hearth and was going to check out the decorative logs when I caught up to her.
In her big baby corral (which we considered a safe zone), Danger Baby proved us wrong by climbing onto and trying to stand on one of her play tables. It happened very fast, but never fear, I was there to make sure she didn't fall. Climbing has turned into quite the hobby for her, and as far as she is concerned, that is the now the sole purpose for the little table.
The video ends abruptly, because I saw she was going to stand. It was clearly time to put the camera down!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
A Few of Her Favorite Things
From comparing notes with friends who are mothers of babies Julia's age, I know that some of Julia's current interests are typical for kids her age. I'm sure she has a few of her own unique quirks here!
Likes (in addition to the people in her life)
Jake
Cell phones
Cell phones, again
Dancing
Remote Controls
Mirrors
Baths (She tries to get into the tub before I even get her undressed.)
Paper (She likes both crumpling it and trying to eat it.)
Music
The play table
Men with glasses
Men with glasses & facial hair
Pulling glasses off of people
When Dad sticks out his tongue, especially when he makes the phhhttt noise
Parties
Saying "DAdaDADaDADadadDadadDAda"
(I keep repeating "MaMaMaMaMa to her. So far, it hasn't caught on.)
Being out and about
Talking to strangers (We'll need to work on this.)
Walks
Drinking water out of a real glass
Chewing on her feet
Being outside
Pulling hats off of her head
Dislikes
Diaper changes
Wearing bibs
Lying down, especially for diaper changes
Having anything pulled over head
Having her fingernails or toenails cut
Peas
Having her face wiped, especially her nose
Bonking herself in the head with a hard plastic toy (It happens.)
Being put down in her crib, at least the first 5 minutes. ("I'd really prefer you sit in the rocker and hold me all night.")
Wearing hats
I realize some readers may find that these posts include too much minutiae. That's OK. I'm writing them for me. I know that some day it will be fun to go back and read what was going on in our day-to-day life with baby Julia.
Likes (in addition to the people in her life)
Jake
Cell phones
Cell phones, again
Dancing
Remote Controls
Mirrors
Baths (She tries to get into the tub before I even get her undressed.)
Paper (She likes both crumpling it and trying to eat it.)
Music
The play table
Men with glasses
Men with glasses & facial hair
Pulling glasses off of people
When Dad sticks out his tongue, especially when he makes the phhhttt noise
Parties
Saying "DAdaDADaDADadadDadadDAda"
(I keep repeating "MaMaMaMaMa to her. So far, it hasn't caught on.)
Being out and about
Talking to strangers (We'll need to work on this.)
Walks
Drinking water out of a real glass
Chewing on her feet
Being outside
Pulling hats off of her head
Dislikes
Diaper changes
Wearing bibs
Lying down, especially for diaper changes
Having anything pulled over head
Having her fingernails or toenails cut
Peas
Having her face wiped, especially her nose
Bonking herself in the head with a hard plastic toy (It happens.)
Being put down in her crib, at least the first 5 minutes. ("I'd really prefer you sit in the rocker and hold me all night.")
Wearing hats
I realize some readers may find that these posts include too much minutiae. That's OK. I'm writing them for me. I know that some day it will be fun to go back and read what was going on in our day-to-day life with baby Julia.
Wow!
Julia was a bit slower to sit up (or so it seemed), so I expected that she might take longer to hit subsequent developmental milestones. Well, I was wrong.
Getting to Sitting...2.0
I knew things were going a bit faster when I saw her sitting up, gnawing on the crib railing. On Friday, Julia got the hang of getting to sitting. (She can get around, but she doesn't have crawling quite figured out yet.) She seems so intent upon learning these new skills and so excited when she figures something out. She'd army-crawl a couple of feet then wriggle her body around to the sitting position. Then, she'd grin and clap with delight.
Pulling Up
On Saturday, Julia and I were at a friend's house (yummy brunch), and baby Sophia had a play table. Julia really enjoyed standing (!!) at the playtable. When I got home, I got out Julia's table. (Thanks, Nicole. She loves it.)
Sunday afternoon, Julia was playing near R who was lying on his side. She was climbing all over him and using him as a jungle gym. She grabbed his shirt and pulled her little body up to standing.
Now, she just wants to stand (so far, always holding onto something). Much like when Julia learned to sit; she no longer wanted to lie on her back. "I don't want to lie down. Lying down is for babies." She seems fascinated with standing, dancing, and from time to time, pulling up. She's had a couple of spills, and it's tricky to keep her from bumping her noggin.
Today, after her afternoon nap, Julia was STANDING (!!!!) in her crib. I'm working part-time, and I'm a little nervous she'll start walking Thursday while I'm at work!
Getting to Sitting...2.0
I knew things were going a bit faster when I saw her sitting up, gnawing on the crib railing. On Friday, Julia got the hang of getting to sitting. (She can get around, but she doesn't have crawling quite figured out yet.) She seems so intent upon learning these new skills and so excited when she figures something out. She'd army-crawl a couple of feet then wriggle her body around to the sitting position. Then, she'd grin and clap with delight.
Pulling Up
On Saturday, Julia and I were at a friend's house (yummy brunch), and baby Sophia had a play table. Julia really enjoyed standing (!!) at the playtable. When I got home, I got out Julia's table. (Thanks, Nicole. She loves it.)
Sunday afternoon, Julia was playing near R who was lying on his side. She was climbing all over him and using him as a jungle gym. She grabbed his shirt and pulled her little body up to standing.
Now, she just wants to stand (so far, always holding onto something). Much like when Julia learned to sit; she no longer wanted to lie on her back. "I don't want to lie down. Lying down is for babies." She seems fascinated with standing, dancing, and from time to time, pulling up. She's had a couple of spills, and it's tricky to keep her from bumping her noggin.
Today, after her afternoon nap, Julia was STANDING (!!!!) in her crib. I'm working part-time, and I'm a little nervous she'll start walking Thursday while I'm at work!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Babybook: 6 month update
Sitting
Julia has learned to sit up on her own. It seemed that it happened overnight a couple of weeks ago. She can be a bit wobbly, but she can definitely sit unsupported. Much of her height is in her torso, so I think it was a bit tricky learning to balance. She seems to really enjoy it, especially when you put a toy within arm's reach. The pediatrician said that we need to put her on her belly more than in the sitting position, and Julia does not enjoy THAT.
Solids
Julia's not digging the solids. She seems slightly more interested in the veggies than the cereals. We started her on rice cereal (not really interested), and then we moved to oatmeal (she was not a fan). Following the doctor's advice, we started with yellow vegetables and tried butternut squash first. She would eat it but wasn't that into it. R tried carrots with her yesterday. He said she didn't really like them, but she was willing to eat 10-12 small spoonfuls. Sweet potatoes are next, and I have a feeling she might like them better than squash or carrots. (I hope she comes to like squash a bit more. I have 3 bags of pureed butternut squash cubes in the freezer!)
Sleeping
We've had a few rough nights lately. I don't know if it is teething or sleep regression, but my super sleeper has been waking numerous times during the night. Last Sunday was particulary challenging (we were up about 6 times), and last night was tough because she was wide awake for hours in wee hours of the night. I hope (for her sake and ours) that we'll all start getting some good rest soon. I get misty thinking of those four magical days of sleeping through the night.
I have started putting her in bed with us more often when I'm really needing some sleep (or want to pretend to sleep in). This has backfired a bit, because now, she's not as happy about sleeping by herself in her crib. I'll back off on our little foray into co-sleeping, even though I'll miss snuggling with her.
Carseat
After the 6 month pediatrician appointment with the news that Julia is 29 in tall (!!!!), I checked the booklet for our infant carseat. The carseat (aka "the bucket") fits babies up to 30 in tall. So, we'll be moving to the convertible car seats soon.
Development
Little Miss enjoys the Exercauser very much these days. (Thanks, Nicole!) Now I replaced the batteries, she likes it even more. It says "Triangle!!" instead of "Tri..ii..i.a.n...gle." She really focuses and works on all the toys. She is able to pull the hanging toys and press the buttons. I'm amazed by her developing motor skills.
She is incredibly curious and swings that little head around when she hears an interesting noise. She likes music and likes when I sing (she is the only one who likes when I sing). She also seems to enjoy watching me dance; often, I'll get some good giggles from her if I dance. A favorite game in the last few days is Peek-a-boo. She'll squeal and giggle with delight.
She's a sweet, funny girl!
Julia has learned to sit up on her own. It seemed that it happened overnight a couple of weeks ago. She can be a bit wobbly, but she can definitely sit unsupported. Much of her height is in her torso, so I think it was a bit tricky learning to balance. She seems to really enjoy it, especially when you put a toy within arm's reach. The pediatrician said that we need to put her on her belly more than in the sitting position, and Julia does not enjoy THAT.
Solids
Julia's not digging the solids. She seems slightly more interested in the veggies than the cereals. We started her on rice cereal (not really interested), and then we moved to oatmeal (she was not a fan). Following the doctor's advice, we started with yellow vegetables and tried butternut squash first. She would eat it but wasn't that into it. R tried carrots with her yesterday. He said she didn't really like them, but she was willing to eat 10-12 small spoonfuls. Sweet potatoes are next, and I have a feeling she might like them better than squash or carrots. (I hope she comes to like squash a bit more. I have 3 bags of pureed butternut squash cubes in the freezer!)
Sleeping
We've had a few rough nights lately. I don't know if it is teething or sleep regression, but my super sleeper has been waking numerous times during the night. Last Sunday was particulary challenging (we were up about 6 times), and last night was tough because she was wide awake for hours in wee hours of the night. I hope (for her sake and ours) that we'll all start getting some good rest soon. I get misty thinking of those four magical days of sleeping through the night.
I have started putting her in bed with us more often when I'm really needing some sleep (or want to pretend to sleep in). This has backfired a bit, because now, she's not as happy about sleeping by herself in her crib. I'll back off on our little foray into co-sleeping, even though I'll miss snuggling with her.
Carseat
After the 6 month pediatrician appointment with the news that Julia is 29 in tall (!!!!), I checked the booklet for our infant carseat. The carseat (aka "the bucket") fits babies up to 30 in tall. So, we'll be moving to the convertible car seats soon.
Development
Little Miss enjoys the Exercauser very much these days. (Thanks, Nicole!) Now I replaced the batteries, she likes it even more. It says "Triangle!!" instead of "Tri..ii..i.a.n...gle." She really focuses and works on all the toys. She is able to pull the hanging toys and press the buttons. I'm amazed by her developing motor skills.
She is incredibly curious and swings that little head around when she hears an interesting noise. She likes music and likes when I sing (she is the only one who likes when I sing). She also seems to enjoy watching me dance; often, I'll get some good giggles from her if I dance. A favorite game in the last few days is Peek-a-boo. She'll squeal and giggle with delight.
She's a sweet, funny girl!
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Babybook: Rolling Over
Little Miss is on the move now. She has officially rolled over (from back to tummy.) I didn't see it, but two nights in the last week, I put her to sleep on her back and found her on her tummy in the morning. It's fun to go in every morning and see where in the crib I'll find the baby. We're definitely moving out of the "stays where we put her" stage.
For the last few weeks, she has been extremely "kicky" in the crib. We didn't put bumpers in her crib, based on recommendations regarding SIDS. I have found her with her feet tangled in the slats of the crib enough times to think about reconsidering that decision.
Julia enjoys kicking the slats of the crib and mattress. She doesn't seem to be angry or upset when she's kicking; she seems to find it fun. Her latest move is to kick the mattress with both feet in unison. It is especially amusing when she is wearing a sleep sack, as the whole bottom half of her little body pounds the mattress. It reminds me of a WWF wrestling move.
I'm amused and delighted, as usual.
For the last few weeks, she has been extremely "kicky" in the crib. We didn't put bumpers in her crib, based on recommendations regarding SIDS. I have found her with her feet tangled in the slats of the crib enough times to think about reconsidering that decision.
Julia enjoys kicking the slats of the crib and mattress. She doesn't seem to be angry or upset when she's kicking; she seems to find it fun. Her latest move is to kick the mattress with both feet in unison. It is especially amusing when she is wearing a sleep sack, as the whole bottom half of her little body pounds the mattress. It reminds me of a WWF wrestling move.
I'm amused and delighted, as usual.
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