Shopgirl

We went shopping for new shoes for Julia (her feet are a half size bigger - 6 1/2), and we walked through Bloomingdales to get back to the car. Julia stopped to do some hat shopping.

Julia shops for hats.

Julia shops for hats.

Julia shops for hats.

She had such a good time that it was difficult to get her out of the store.

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).

Girly-Girl

For her first birthday back in August, Aunt Lulu (aka my sister, Leigh) sent Julia an adorable, uber-girly tutu, ballet slippers, birthday shirt, and tiara. She has worn them on various occasions, but I finally got a picture of her in the tutu and slippers.

Cow!

Julia's fascination (bordering on obsession) with cows continues...

A Place to Play

Winter has been tough, because it's been too cold to let Julia play outside. I've been taking her to an indoor kid's play gym; Julia has a great deal of toddler energy and gets a bit of cabin fever at home. This has been a great way to enable her to run and play. She loves it!

Having fun

Slide!

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.

Fun New Toy

Julia received a great new toy from Aunt Kylelyn and Uncle Charlie. She literally squealed with delight the first few times she played with it. We have played with the Ball Popper at friends' houses, but Julia enjoys having one of her own!

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.

A Winter Trip to the Playground

There was some warm weather over the holiday break. Our friend and neighbor, Elizabeth, joined us for a trip to the playground. Julia was thrilled to be outside playing and had a great time with Elizabeth.

Loving the swings

With Tia

On the playground

Where's Julia?

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."

Julia stats: 15 months

Weight: 22 lbs 3 oz (50th%)
Height: 32 1/2 in (97%)
Head Circumference: 18 1/2 in

See Annabelle's 15 month stats.

Only one shot today - the MMR vaccine. She was also scheduled for both the Chickenpox and HIB vaccinations, but they are out of the Chickenpox vaccine. They are so low on the HIB vaccine that they are only giving it to babies younger than a year. She'll get both the missing vaccinations on her next appointment, assuming they are available.

Julia has lost weight since her last check-up, so we are scheduled to go back in a month for another check of her weight. The doctor is not too concerned now, but if the weight doesn't start going in the right direction, she will be. Julia is getting over an illness, so I assume that is the cause of her weight loss. She didn't lose her appetite during her illness, but perhaps she was eating less. Typically, she has an amazing appetite and eats near adult-sized portions.

Thanksgiving

We did have a good time on Thanksgiving, thanks to Oma's great cooking and Julia's brief reprieve from her illness. Julia got a kick out of playing with a napkin...great for both peek-a-boo and as a blanket for her babies. Jake basked in the glow of Oma and Opa's attention.

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.

No fun.  At all.

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.

Julia Loves Her Babies

Loving her babies

What's Cooking, Julia?

Julia found the best toy in the house: the spice rack!

Julia enjoys the spice rack.

Julia enjoys the spice rack.

Julia enjoys the spices.

Jake was an innocent bystander.

Here!

Ooo, paprika!

Making a mess is fun!

Tired and ready for bed!

A Trip to the Toy Store

Julia's playgroup gathered at a local toystore for a story hour. The story hour was canceled, but the kids had such a good time, they didn't seem to miss it.

Playing Fetch with Jake

Adventures in Self-feeding

I gave Julia a spoon and a bowlful of yogurt and cheerios. She enjoyed herself thoroughly and made quite a mess. The Cheerio stuck to her head was not staged; it was the impetus for me grabbing the camera!

Welcome, Meredith!

I'm thrilled to announce that we have a new niece, Meredith Lynn. She was born at 5:50 am on Sun, Nov 9th. She weighed 6 lbs 8 oz and is 18.5 in. Both mother and baby are doing well.

Congrats to Charlie, Kylelyn, and Big Brother Scott.

Here are some pics from Charlie's cell phone:

Baby Meredith

Baby Meredith