Hup Holland Hup!

The Dutch team is playing really well in Euro 2008, and thanks to Family Wolt and Family Smits, Julia is dressed appropriately to cheer them on.

Thanks to Tom and Irene for the football.

First Father's Day

We celebrated Robert's first Father's Day with Oma and Opa at Coastal Flats. (Yum!) Julia was very happy at dinner, and we all enjoyed our evening out.

9 months

Tasty Little Tootsies

I thought it had been too long since I posted a picture of Julia.

Julia stats: 9 months

Weight: 20 lbs 5 1/2 oz (80th%)
Height: 30 3/8 in (97% +)
Head Circumference: 17 7/8 in (85%)

Whoa...Julia's shots are just getting tougher. Yesterday, she was happily babbling away to the nurse, giggling and waving. I was just cringing knowing that two shots were coming her way. That big, dimpled smile turned into big, fat tears and a red face. Luckily, she got over it quickly.

Later, a lab tech stuck Julia's finger for a CBC to test for anemia. She didn't get enough blood with the first stick so she had to stick another finger. The first time, Julia did not cry, but the second, she lost it. After seeing the tech squeeze and squeeze that little finger to get more blood, I told the woman that they should consider having Valium on hand for the moms. Perhaps that is an idea for the suggestion box I saw on the way out of the office.

She's crawling!

Over the last 4 or 5 days, Julia has gotten this crawling thing down. She is no longer *trying* to crawl. She's figured it out. She can be fast, especially when she is trying to reach one of her favorite things like a cell phone or a mirror.

Time to step up the babyproofing efforts!

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.

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!

Not ALL Roses and Sunshine

I want to make sure I present an accurate picture of life with Julia. Most of the time, she is a funny, happy, smiley, giggly girl. There are the moments (few and far between) where she can be a bit of a....drama queen.

First Mother's Day

This Mother's Day, I reveled in the fact that I am a mother!! Despite some rainy weather, we enjoyed a wonderful brunch in DC with Julia's Oma & Opa.

Julia Updates

Little Miss is really growing up.

Trying to Crawling
She has made some significant progress towards crawling lately. For a while now, she has been getting onto all fours and usually ends up in Downward Dog position. She seems to be trying to both stand up and crawl at the same time.

When I was in Atlanta two weeks ago, Caroline and I were hanging out with the kids down in their playroom. Over the course of our conversation, Julia scooched - backwards- about 3 feet. I called R to share my excitement about her new mobility. Hours later, as she took her first signficant tumble, I called R near tears....about her new mobility.

Getting to Sitting
She has been sitting up for a while now and is much less wobbly. Another big development is that Julia can get to sitting all by herself. The first time I knew she had acquired this skill was also confirmation that we *really* needed to lower the crib mattress.

Last Sunday, Julia was down for a nap, and I heard her wake over the monitor. She didn't cry, but I heard her moving around long enough to be satisfied that the nap was over. She wasn't just stirring in her sleep. I walked in the room to find her sitting up (!!) with what seemed to be spit-up on her face. Upon closer inspection, I could see that her face was covered in white paint, because she had been testing out her new chompers and gnawing on the crib railing. Time to lower the crib mattress AND purchase a crib rail guard. I called my friend, Nicole, and informed her that Ian and Julia have something in common. Perhaps he is the twin for Julia.

8 months

Tooth Watch 2008: There are TWO!

Shortly after the first tooth broke through, a second little tooth popped up on the bottom gum. They aren't all the way in yet, but I can tell you with certainty that those little chompers work. She bit my finger when I was trying to feel her gums. I'm just pleased it didn't happen while I was nursing!

That's MY spoon!

Perhaps it's not great that I am teaching her to play with her food, but who could resist these giggles?

Julia's first doll

Dolly was a Christmas gift from Grandma.

Robert & Roberta

You think they look alike?

Warmer Weather!

Julia was a lovely audience as I played fetch with Jake in the yard. It's great to be outside.

Julia can clap!

New Bathtub

Now that she's sitting well, Julia has graduated from the little infant tub to a new one. It's a soft, inflatable tub that fits in the big bathtub. She loves it!

Julia and Jake

Julia loves Jake. I'll never forget sitting on the front porch in the rocking chair with Julia. Jake ran up on the porch, chomping on a tennis ball. Julia cracked up. She didn't just giggle; she belly-laughed every time he ran onto the porch. It was the first time she laughed just because she found something funny, not because one of us was trying to entertain her.

She laughs at Jake often. She wants to watch whatever he is doing. Apparently, Jake eating or drinking is especially fascinating. She will frequently let out a squeal or giggle when she sees him come into the room. If she's eating, she will stop, and her little head will whip around to see what Jake is doing. She likes to touch his fur and his paws. We have to try to keep her from putting his paws in her mouth or grabbing big handfuls of his skin.

Jake seems to *like* Julia, but he does miss getting all of our attention. He is very, very tolerant, and we're very lucky he's so good with her.

Tooth Watch 2008

The tiniest little bit of Julia's first tooth is starting to poke through her lower gum. I can't see it yet, but I can feel a tiny, little sharp spot!

Gadget Girl

It seems Julia may end up loving gadgets as much her Opa and her Mom. She really likes my cell phone, but she loves our remote controls. So, R found one we aren't using, and it has become her favorite toy. Unless you count Jake as a toy. Then, it is her second-favorite toy.

7 months

This month's picture was a bit tricky to get; Julia was more interested in eating the 7 month sign than smiling for the camera.




(These pictures were taken about a week after she turned 7 months. We're all finally healthy again.)

The pink pants I used for a number of the month-by-month pictures need to be retired. They are officially waaaay too small.

Sick, again.

Julia's got a cold again. Thankfully, this one is not bad. It's mostly just a very runny nose. This time, the cold got me. I started feeling it yesterday evening. If it is quiet here, you'll know why.

Sweet Story

I got a special call from Charlie and Kylelyn last night :-). Kylelyn told me that she and Scott were in the car, and they passed a pond. It reminded them of the pond on The Farm, and that must've reminded Scott of his cousin. Out of the blue, he asked, "Where'd Baby Julia go?" Very cute!

It is my hope that Julia will be good friends with all of her cousins despite distance and any differences in age. It seems we are off to a good start!

First Easter

Julia and I headed to Georgia to celebrate Easter. Julia had a great time with the family, especially cousin Scott. Scott liked Julia, too - except when his Mom or Dad held her. Then, he let everyone know that it was "MY Mommy" or "MY Daddy." The weather was beautiful, and we had a great time visiting with aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Julia went to church for the first time and made quite an impression. She spent her time in church loudly blowing raspberries, laughing at people, and creating a poopy diaper. When she started to voice her frustration about the diaper situation, I decided it was time to go.

At the airport

In her Easter dress

With her cousin Scott

With Mom

First Cold

It's not a fun milestone, but Julia came down with her first cold on Sunday. This morning was the worst of it. She was so congested that it was very difficult to breathe through her nose. That made it difficult for her to eat, so we had to get out the bulb, and no one enjoys that. She hasn't been sleeping well either. Poor, sweet baby.

If you don't hear from me for a bit, you'll know why. I'll be doting on the little one and catching up on things around here.

Wildlife Sighting

A rare, pink bear was sighted in Northern Virginia earlier this week...

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 stats: 6 months....off the charts

Weight: 18 lbs (85th%)
Height: 29 in (literally off the charts)
Head Circumference: 17 in

She's such a tall girl! Today, she had three shots, and for me, it seemed even harder than the first two sets. She's so much more aware of her surroundings and so happily curious. It just broke my heart when she realized what was happening. Her face turned bright red, and tears started to fall. I explained to the nurse that I would be happy to take all of Julia's shots, but she told me that it doesn't work that way. :-(

Who needs a Bumbo?

If the Bumbo seat isn't handy, she'll just use Jake to help her sit up. It's the....Dogbo!

6 months

Big Apple Baby

Julia and I took the train to New York to meet up with R who was there on business. Little Miss loved it! I assumed she would sleep on the train, but she had too much fun. She loved NYC - so much to see!!









Phew....she was tired after the big trip!

Bumbo Fun

Julia has started enjoying the Bumbo seat more! (Thanks, Nicole C!) She also loves the ball. It's easy for her to hold. (Thanks, Nicole A!)

Fashionista File: Far East Flair

I love this little outfit. It was a gift from Uncle Charlie & Aunt Kylelyn.

Far East Flair
Fashionista Files

A gift from Uncle Roger

Something tells me Robert did not appreciate the gift from his brother:

I'm *not* a Little Hokie.

10 Years Ago Today: El Fuego

Ten years ago, I was living and working in Atlanta. I was at the office on a Friday afternoon, and I got a call from a friend who said a building in the complex where I lived was on fire. She had seen it on the news.

I called the apartment office and found out it was MY apartment building. It was the end of the day, and I had to endure Friday rush hour traffic before I could get there. All I could really think about was my two kitties, Marianne and Sophie.

When I got to the apartment, it was a bit worse than the worst case. I lost everything I owned. The most devastating part, by far, was the loss of my cats.

I often think about them: Sophie, beautiful and fluffy, who rolled over to have her fat belly rubbed and always want to be in the room with me...at a slight distance. She would occasionally sit in my lap, but if I moved too much -she would be gone. Marianne demanded attention. She would travel under the covers to my feet and curl up there. She was not a particularly pretty cat (with a tail as skinny as a pencil), but she thought she was a show cat.

The loss of the "stuff" wasn't as hard. (Photos and artwork were the only things I truly missed.) It helped that I had renter's insurance. If memory serves, I may have been the only person in the building who did. It was overwhelming to start re-assembling a household. I can remember walking into a mall and thinking, "Where do I start? I need EVERYTHING." For once in my life, I did not enjoy shopping.

What sticks out in my mind was how kind and giving people were to me after the fire. My then boyfriend, his family, my family, my friends, co-workers, my employer, neighbors, strangers, the Red Cross... There was an incredible outpouring of generosity and support, and on this anniversary, I most remember that kindness.

Did I mention Julia loves her feet?

A Wonderful Day

On a Saturday with better than average February weather, Oma, Opa, R, and I headed to the park with Julia and Jake. It was a simple outing, but it was such fun.


The athlete in action.


Hurling the ball for Jake.


The happy spectators.


Jake will fetch until he drops.


The end.

First Solid Food

Little Miss tried her first rice cereal today. She didn't dislike it; she was mostly just a bit confused by it. I don't know how much actually ended up going down the pipes, because she had most of it on her chin.

I was going to wait until she was 6 months old, but she's got some of the signs that it is time to start solids - she's seemed interested in our food and she seems very hungry lately.

We'll start out slowly, as recommended by the doctor. One tablespoon of rice cereal today and two tablespoons tomorrow. On Friday, we'll try for three tablespoons. If all goes well, then we can introduce some other grains.

Fashionista File: Funky Pants

I bought these pants for Julia for the warm weather of the Spring. I had no idea she'd wear them in February.



She likes the pattern:

Hold on tight to your feet.

Just when Julia thought her feet couldn't be more fun, she found out she could put them in her mouth. Over the weekend, Robert exclaimed that she had all five toes in her mouth at once. Lately, if she needs something with which to play, I'll just take off her socks. What fun!

She will often fall asleep holding a toy. Today, that toy happened to be a foot:

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.

Julia helps Dad with work.

He's so much more productive with Julia's help!