Saturday, April 26, 2008

Blast from the past


Those of you who have reading this blog from the beginning should remember this photo—taken around my 2-month birthday—because it was the first thing you saw when you logged on to my original baby blog, back when it was housed on the mac.com server. About four months in, a number of technical issues prompted me to switch over here to Blogger, where things have gone much more smoothly.

After I was sure I wanted to stick with Blogger, I kept Dad very busy by making him move all the old postings over here, a project that he's finally completed. So while the blog is going on hiatus for the next week while I'm on vacation, you actually have 40 "new" postings to go through. Just navigate through the blog archives (located in the column to your right), where you can now find all the posts from last summer. And because some of you had problems viewing my photo slideshows (remember those, back in the days before my videos?) via Quicktime, Dad also uploaded all of those onto YouTube for your enjoyment.

But if you don't want to sort through the archives to get to the slideshows, we've included them all below. Between those and the old posts, you should have plenty to keep yourself busy while I'm gone.

Julia's First Week slideshow:


The Many Faces of Julia slideshow:


Julia's First Month slideshow:


Julia's Fashion Show 0-3 slideshow:


Julia's Second Month slideshow:


Baptism slideshow:


Have a good week, and I'll see you after my trip, when I should hopefully have lots of great photos and videos to share with you.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Just like Spinal Tap, I go to 11


Yes, I'm still playing with this box, because Mom and Dad haven't yet shown me what's inside. I was hoping that I'd find out today—considering it's my 11-month birthday and all (that means a month from now I'll be turning 1!)—but nope.

However, I did manage to dig up a bit of information about our trip, which is just two days away. We're going to a family resort in Turks & Caicos. Wow, Turks and Caicos? That's like two trips in one!

I'll check in again tomorrow, because I have a big treat for you guys before I leave!

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Munching on Mom again

I've shared many, many videos with you—more than 90 to date, in fact—and while many of them start to blur together, a few hold a special place in my heart. One of those is the "evening snack" video from back in November, where Mom was blowing on my arm and I responded by chomping on hers. To refresh your memory:



Wow, I was really bald back then, wasn't I? Anyway, Mom and I did a sequel video of sorts, but this time I'm the one blowing on her arm and making the funny noises.



Mom was doing her best to stay still and let me do my thing, but you can see her shaking as she tried to keep from laughing. Or maybe she was crying, because remember, I have teeth now!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Awesome blossoms


One of the best parts about spring's arrival is that I'm spending lots of time outdoors with Babcia and Dido. Last week we traveled to a park very close to the hospital I was born in, and marveled at the cherry blossoms in bloom.


Aren't they beautiful? I'm so lucky to have Babcia and Dido take me around.


The best thing about this photo above is that Dido caught me in the middle of one of my favorite activities: throwing down my sippy cup after I've taken a drink from it. Every once in a while I shock everyone and quietly set it down, but usually I just toss it and make people fetch it for me.


Thanks for the fun outing, Babcia and Dido. I can't wait to see where you take me next.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Playground poses

Remember when I was only a few weeks old, and Dad put together a slideshow called The Many Faces of Julia? If you don't...well, you're in for a treat later this week! But most of you do remember, and we wanted to do another mini-version of that, sharing some of my cute expressions during Saturday's trip to the park (if you look closely at the second photo, you can see one of my teeth on the bottom):





And saving the best for last, here's a look at me crawling around in the playground tunnel:

Monday, April 21, 2008

Ask Julia: 4/21/08


I was cooking up something special for the latest Ask Julia column—pasta!— but instead we have to pause for breaking medical news:

Unable to shake this congestion after two weeks (and now I'm coughing too!), I visited the doctor today for my first non-checkup appointment. The good news is that my lungs and ears are clear, so it's just a matter of letting the congestion run its course (which it had better do before vacation!). I also got weighed...and I'm now up to 26 lbs. 2 oz., which is about three times my birth weight.

Now on to Aunt Paula's questions:

I know that your vacation is coming up soon. Are you taking a little shovel and pail with you so that you can build a castle in the sand? What do your parents have planned for you there?
Yes, we're taking along a shovel and pail, although Mom and Dad said we'll probably be spending more time by the pool, and not as much on the beach (probably for the best, so I won't try to eat sand). I'll also have an innertube-like floatation device to keep me secure in the water. I'm not sure about specific plans, other than lots of pooltime and lots of naptime. Sounds perfect to me!

I bet your dad cannot wait to see you. Do you think he will be bringing you something special back? Please let us know what it is.
He did bring me something back from L.A.: clothes from one of my favorite labels, Naartjie. They are on the West Coast, so Mom always has to order clothes online. But Dad was able to go there in person, and bring me back a couple cute summer outfits.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Warm welcome


And finally, the answer to the big question about how I greeted Dad when he came back home Saturday morning: I gave him a big grin, and then turned back to Mom and continued playing. He said it was exactly what he expected I would do. That also meant no kiss from me. Sorry Dad, better luck next trip!

I greeted Dad with something else, though: a new tooth, my third. That makes two on the bottom, and one on top. He also noticed that I've added a few words to my vocabulary: "ball" (which I also use when referring to a balloon), "baby," "pop" (Dad taught me this one when he was blowing bubbles at me with a bubble wand and I was popping them) and Mom swears she heard me say "peek-a-boo" last week, though I haven't uttered it again since.

After Dad caught a couple extra hours of sleep, he and Mom took advantage of the beautiful warm weather on Saturday and took me out to the park. That meant more fun on the slides and especially the swing, my favorite.


I could have stayed on it all day!



You'll have to pardon my being distracted on the swing, but I was looking at all the other kids swinging with their parents.

After the park, we did something even better. We all went to Applegate's for ice cream, and Mom let me taste ice cream for the first time. It was only vanilla, and sugar-free, but I absolutely loved it! I think they created a monster, because I kept wanting more and more, until Dad finally distracted me so I forgot about it. But as soon as I figure out how to say "ice cream," I'm not going to stop saying it until I get some more!

I have more to share from my latest trip to the park, but you'll have to wait until later in the week.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Outside the box


I really enjoy storytime with Dido (but if he skips a page I want to read and he doesn't turn back to it, I turn on the waterworks!). Activities like this have helped the time fly by while Dad has been away. So has playing with the cool big box that showed up on our porch last week:


I stand up against this thing and "play" with it at least once a day. Mom and Dad say I'll be even more thrilled when I find out what's inside.

I hear Dad is wondering what kind of reception I'll give him tomorrow morning when he gets home. He's hoping for his first-ever kiss from me, but I might instead decide to burst into tears, or try something in between. I'll let you know tomorrow what I ended up doing. Have a good weekend!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Octopus encounter


I discovered a new friend waiting for me downstairs last week: a comfy chair shaped like an octopus! It captured my attention for a whole minute, as you can see in this slightly-dark video:



You might have noticed that I spent some time playing with the price tag. I love looking at and playing with price tags! (And wow, look at how much that thing cost!)


Note to Mom and Dad: if you're looking for something to keep me occupied on my upcoming plane ride, you might want to consider bringing along a bunch of price tags!

I have actually been enjoying the octopus for longer than that brief interlude in the video above. And while I'm not coordinated yet to climb up him and sit in the seat, last week Dad showed me other ways to have fun with it.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Follow the bouncing ball


Dad's been away for three days now, and while he probably doesn't want to hear this, I've had zero problems coping in his absence. Babcia and Dido have been logging extra hours watching me, which is always nice, and there are plenty of things for Mom and I to do together. Like play catch!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Ask Julia: 4/15/08


Happy Tax Day! I'm sure that Dad is glad he finished our taxes up before I started destroying all the paper around the house, because I could have had lots of fun with all those forms. I'm feeling a little bit better today, and the faucet that is my nose is down to a slow trickle. I'm also well enough to remember that I neglected to answer Aunt Paula's Ask Julia questions from last weekend.

How many teeth do you have now? I bet you can't wait till you get to eat the different foods that you can chew.
You said it! As you can see from the photo above, I'm teething as much as ever and checking out my future food options. But the tooth count is only at two, so far. Dad confirmed the one on top a week and a half ago. He learned that when he turns me upside down, I open my mouth in delight, giving him an unobstructed view of my gums. Also, I haven't liked many of the newest baby foods I've been introduced to, like spaghetti and cheese. Mom says she thinks I'll change my tune, so we'll see.

You sure look like you have a fun time at bath time. You sure have alot of toys to keep you occupied. Do you like getting your hair washed? You weren't drinking bath water were you?
Well, I don't not like getting my hair washed, let's put it that way. As long as it doesn't interfere with my splashtime, it doesn't bother me. And it's kind of nice getting my head rubbed, which Mom does when she's putting on the shampoo. But sometimes when Mom is rinsing my hair out—even though she's super-careful—some water trickles into my eyes. And no, I wasn't drinking bathwater, don't worry. Though I do enjoy taking a washcloth, submerging it in the bathwater, then taking it out and noisily sucking on it. Mom makes the funniest scrunched-up face when she sees that!

I like your new play house. I really like the door bell. What is your favorite part of the house?
That's easy: the radio! I press the buttons to turn it on and hop along to the music. If I ever see Dad again, I'll ask him to take a video of it.

Thanks Aunt Paula. As always, I'm happy to get your questions, so please send me some more!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Beach-y keen


It's time for my monthly congestion, but this has been a little worse than usual. In fact, I had to miss my swimming lesson today, which was sad. While I recuperate (and look for my Dad, who seems to be missing. Where is this L.A. place, anyway?), I'm going to turn today's posting over to our first-ever guest columnist, my best friend Isabella. She wrote to update me on the beach vacation she just took with her family:

Hi. We just got back from vacation and I heard that you were going to a warm beach too. You're going to LOVE IT!!!! There's lots of blue water (a little salty, but tastier than the YMCA pool water) and sand (fun to walk on, but not a great food item, unfortunately.) Definitely bring a pail and shovel. Alec was intent on building something with his sand toys, but it's way more fun to just sit on a tower that someone else has built. I wonder why he didn't see it that way?

I was happy to hear that you have a lot of bathing suits. You definitely need at least 3: one for before your morning nap, one for before your afternoon nap, and one for late in the day. Your parents will probably make you wear a huge hat like mine made me, but (don't tell them) it's not so bad.

And there'll be a fun new hotel room to check out. I bet your room will have a full-length mirror like mine did. One of my best friends lives in it—she's always so happy to see me. And it's good to know that there's another toddler with as little hair as me.

The best part was all the fruit-strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, oh my! All you have to do is smile at the restaurant and someone brings you more. My mom and dad said that doesn't happen to everyone, just the cute short set. Whatever that means...I'm not short!

I hope we'll see you at Tinga tomorrow!


Thanks Isabella! Now I'm even more excited for our trip. I'm going to work on getting better—Babcia and Dido are giving me plenty of fresh air, which is helping—and will check back tomorrow.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

D-a-d in L.A., fyi


The bags are packed and it's time to go...for Dad, that is. He's off to L.A. for a weeklong work trip, leaving Mom and I to fend for ourselves. (Our big family vacation is still two weeks away.) But don't worry, even though my official blog typist is gone, I'll still find a way to share videos and photos with you!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Splish-splash, I was taking a bath


Rub-a-dub-dub! I've come a long way since those early days when Mom and Dad were terrified to give me a bath because I got so hysterical. Now it's one of my favorite activites, and when I see that bathtime is approaching, I can't contain my excitement:



And when I finally get in the tub, it's time to start splashing!



As bathtime winds down, Mom lets me play with, and teeth on, a cherished heirloom that she now uses to get the shampoo out of my hair.


Yes, it's the very same cup she took to parties at Yale! The brainwashing has already begun...

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Abandoned home

Yesterday you watched me play house; today I want to give you a reminder how easily I can get distracted from the task at hand, even when it's something as interesting as my Learning House. Instead, watch as my attention slowly drifts away from the house, until I've completely forgotten that it's there and have moved on to other things.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Playing house

So, do you want to know what I think about my newest toy?


Just kidding. (I'm teething, so give me a break!) I really like the new Learning House that Mom and Dad put together for me over the weekend.



At one point, Dad tried to peek in and see what was going on...



Sorry Dad, get your own Learning House!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Yes I can: 4/7/08


It's been awhile since the debut edition of Yes I Can, and I've accomplished a lot since then. So here's a new rundown of what else I can do:

YES I CAN...outgrow more of my longtime toys, without shedding a tear. I've recently bid farewell to my activity gym, my Jumperoo and my Exersaucer. Dad tried to keep me interested in the Exersaucer, reconfiguring it to the next stage, where I'm able to stand and play with it. But my attitude is been there, done that, so I've been leaving it alone for the most part, except for when my parents pose me there for a photo.


I haven't touched it again since. Buh-bye!

YES I CAN...stand for several seconds at a time. Dad saw me do this multiple times over the weekend, though he never had the camera nearby. I pull myself up, then let go of whatever I'm holding on to and stand for a few seconds, before crashing down on my rump. I hope to win my battle with gravity one of these days.

YES I CAN...be quite happy in my Pack 'n Play. As part of the latest shuffle of toys, my Pack 'n Play was moved into the kitchen so Babcia, Dido, Mom and Dad have a place to put me while they eat. And it's worked out well for the most part. By the time they are done eating, I'm about ready to get out and do something else.



YES I CAN...continue teething. My one tooth is growing in (you can see it easily now when I smile), but it's got company. Dad thinks he spots another tooth on top, but I won't keep my mouth open long enough to provide confirmation. One thing's certain: I'm definitely teething, between the chomping and the sudden fits of labored crying.

YES I CAN...stick my tongue out.



While upside down, too!

Baby barfly

My Dad is not great at bar games, which must be why he's starting me off early so I have plenty of time to learn. When we were out to lunch yesterday, he took me over to the bar area so I could try my hand at the touch-screen videogames. It's 100 times better than the air conditioning touchpad at home that I love to press because it lights up and makes a beeping sound. Check this out:



What's next, Dad? Darts? Quarters? Beer pong?

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Ask Julia: 4/6/08


While I continued picking up items for our upcoming vacation, Aunt Paula checked in with her weekly Ask Julia questions:

It sure looked to me that you enjoy your time in the pool. I know that Babcia holds you tight, but do you also wear a life vest?
No, I don't. We spend some time with flotation devices, but otherwise I know that Babcia will keep me safe and sound.

Your bathing suit is so cute. Do you have many? Do you think that you will be getting a new one for each day in the islands?
I have four swimsuits. Mom would love me to get even more for our trip, but I think Dad is resisting. Pretty typical behavior from both of them when it comes to my belongings.

And that was it for the week. I'm sure Aunt Paula would like some company in the Ask Julia mailbox, so please send some questions my way this week.

Friday, April 4, 2008

I spy



I will forever deny saying this, but...who needs toys? Lately, my favorite way to pass the time has been to look at the window in the sun room and watch everything that's going on in the neighborhood: people walking down the street, cars passing by and my favorite, the train stopping to pick up riders. Sometimes I even see Mom or Dad coming home! I also wave at everyone, and everything, I see. Almost as good as...wait a second, I need to watch this car.



Now where was I? Oh yeah, almost as good as the show outside is the one I've discovered online. Dad has been showing me my videos—the same ones that I've been uploading to the blog. I had no idea how great those things are! Here's how I react to the video of me saying "hi" to Dad:



I'd write more, but I hear the train whistle, so it's back to the window for me!

Ga-ga for Galactica

Mom and Dad don't let me watch TV all that much (and even when it's on, I'm not all that interested), but I do want to recommend that you all watch a fantastic series that resumes tonight at 10: Battlestar Galactica on Sci-Fi. It's one of Mom and Dad's favorite shows, and in fact one of the only things they still watch, thanks to all the time taken up by yours truly. And while I've never seen the show, I really respond to the theme song. Hearing it inspired me to attempt a semi-dangerous stunt: mounting an empty cardboard box that may or may not be sturdy enough to support me.



And the show itself is even more entertaining!

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Things are going swimmingly


Last week I told you how much I enjoyed going to my swimming lessons with Babcia, and had wished we had brought along a camera. Dido came to the rescue this week, snapping lots of photos of my second lesson. It's so nice of Babcia to help me get acclimated to swimming and being in the pool. I may not always look like it in these photos, but trust me, I'm having lots of fun. In fact, I was so spent afterwards that I fell asleep while Babcia was changing me out of my swimsuit!




Wednesday, April 2, 2008

There will be blood...er, raspberry juice


If Mom or Dad walked in and saw me looking like this, they'd be dialing 911 and frantically looking to stop the bleeding...but the carnage you're seeing is actually raspberry juice I sucked and squeezed out from my mesh food bag. You might remember that I had a bad reaction to the mesh bag when Mom and Dad first offered it to me a month and a half ago. But Babcia and Dido gave it another try again last week and now I'm a big supporter. I've tried raspberries, blueberries and strawberries—while they all taste delicious, my favorite is raspberries because I can get really messy with them.



And in case you're wondering how I could possibly make such a mess, well, here's how:

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Hip-hop hooray!


Julia's in the hizz-ouse!!! I'm turning over a new leaf, ya feelin' me? Check out my funky fresh moves. That's what I'm talkin' about!



You just got served, yo!



And by the way, happy April Fools' Day!