Unhappy Halloween!

My very first Halloween was all tricks, no treats. Mom and Dad came home from work early to take me treat-or-treating around the block, but I had other plans. Namely, I unleashed a massive meltdown that lasted all night...until I finally cried myself to sleep. So I missed out on all the Halloween festivities (good thing I was able to go to Dad's Halloween party last Friday!). Mom and Dad are still trying to figure out what happened: Am I sick? Teething? Tired? None of the above?

Better luck next year, I guess...

Learning to fly

As promised, Dad uploaded another one of my movies. In this one, he helps me take to the air like Supergirl. I loved it so much, that Dad is hoping I'll be riding roller coasters with him very soon!



I have a couple more movies to share with you, but you have to earn them. My Ask Julia mailbox has been empty for more than a week now, which is making me cranky! So until you send in a question or two, I'm keeping the other movies to myself. And sorry, but queries from my Aunts Rebecca and Paula won't count, because they are both always so good about sending me such great questions. Those of you who haven't written for awhile, now's your chance!

Rocky (Hill) road

It was a whirlwind weekend for me, as I traveled up to Connecticut with Mom and Dad. It's not a trip I want to take again anytime soon, mostly because the drive up to Rocky Hill, Mom's hometown, took about 3 hours (instead of the usual 2) due to truly insane amounts of traffic. And since my threshold for spending time in my carseat is about 2 hours, well, let's just say that it wasn't a pleasant drive for anyone in that car. And did I mention there was also a torrential downpour outside to match my own torrential downpour of tears inside the car?

Once we got there, however, I was as happy as could be. We visited with all Mom's relatives, and I spent time with my cousins Sophia (left), Ava (right) and Abby (who was camera-shy). Ava, who is about a year and a half, was running around the house happily squealing, and Dad says I'll be doing that myself before too long.

Saturday night, Mom and Dad went to a surprise birthday party, and I hung out at the Rocky Hill Marriott (the very same hotel everyone stayed at for Mom and Dad's wedding) with Babcia and Dido. I'm really growing to like those hotel rooms, especially the king-size beds that I can stretch out in!

Our trip back home Sunday went much quicker, especially because I slept the whole way home. When we got back, Mom and Dad had another surprise for me: they fed me sweet potatoes for the first time. As you can see, I had no idea what I was in for! But I usually adapt quickly to new foods, so I'll probably grow to love it in a couple days.

Dad promised to upload more videos this week, so be sure to check back for more of my movies!

My YouTube debut!

Mom and Dad have been taking videos of me for a few months now, but they never got around to uploading any of them. I was so annoyed by Dad's computer problems that I told him the only way he could make it up to me was by sharing a couple of my cutest videos with everyone. So he uploaded two of my favorites onto YouTube. The first one was recorded just hours ago, as I started on vegetables for the very first time. First up on the menu was sweet potatoes, and well, I think they're going to be an acquired taste...



For our second feature presentation, here's me in action on my favorite plaything of the moment: my Jumperoo. Look at how high I can jump!

Do not adjust your computer...

Yes, the site looks completely different, but don't panic, because the changes are only temporary. My computer has gone all wonky once again, crashing everytime I try to publish a new post. So until we get all the bugs fixed (which quite honestly, might not be until my parents buy a new laptop in a few months), we've temporarily set up shop here at the blogspot site. It won't be quite as snazzy as the other site, but it should do just fine for now.

Don't worry, the original site is still archived, so you can find all my old postings there at http://web.mac.com/jlcyclone. But keep juliamadeline.com bookmarked, and you'll always be forwarded to the correct place!

I republished Friday's post for your viewing pleasure, since my cute Halloween photos were never uploaded to the old site.

One thing won't change: my plea for Ask Julia questions. C'mon, don't be shy!

Gimme five

I celebrated my five-month birthday yesterday, which means the half-year mark is right around the corner!

Halloween isn’t until next Wednesday, but my trick-or-treating started early. I trekked into the city with Babcia and Dido to attend Dad’s big Halloween party at work. They do trick-or-treating for the kiddies, so Mom and Dad dressed me in my butterfly costume and took me around his office. As you can see, I looked so adorable!


In addition to dressing up as a butterfly, I was also pretending to be Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, because my Dad dressed as Brad Pitt (as he looked the past couple months while living in New York and taking his brood to Central Park). I was a big hit, but all the festivities tired me out, so I slept through some of the Halloween party. Even so, I can’t wait to come back again next year.

Tomorrow we’re driving up to Connecticut, and visiting lots of relatives. Plus I heard that I might be taking another dip in a swimming pool. Hope you all have a good weekend. Meanwhile, my mailbox is still empty...what’s up with that?

Julia takes Manhattan

First off, a special message to my relatives who are Indians fans: thanks for ripping out my heart and shattering my dreams, not once but twice in the same week. First you sent my Yankees—and Joe Torre—packing, and then you let the Red Sox back into the World Series…just as I’m heading up to Connecticut! Thanks guys, you must really love me to give me such a wonderful gift. There’s only one way to make this up to me…buy me lots of presents.


Sunday I went into Manhattan with my parents. I’d been there twice before, but never like this. We ran all over the city, jumping from subway to subway to bus and back again. Mom and Dad thought my head would explode, there was so much for me to look at! We stayed at the W in Union Square, where Mom was running her big training conference. My only complaint was that the hotel was very hip, which means that everything was very dim. And you know me, I like to see as much light as possible. But otherwise, I loved it. I especially liked the comfy king bed, even though I ended up sleeping in a crib. In fact, Mom and Dad were forced to have their wedding anniversary dinner in the bathroom since I was fast sleep. I don’t feel bad, because why are they celebrating events that happened before I came along?

When Mom was at work, Dad took me around Union Square and showed me all these neat fruits and veggies at the Farmers Market. Such pretty colors! Manhattan has everything…well, except for my Jumperoo. Dad could tell that as much as I love New York, I was ready to go home, so we did just that on Monday.


Another big first today with Dad. I sat in my first restaurant high-chair, when we went out to lunch at Raymond’s with Babcia and Dido. I loved it, because since no one was holding me, I had more chances to lunge for everything at the dinner table. Menus, placemats, silverware…nothing was safe!

Mom’s conference ends tomorrow so she’ll be coming home. It’s about time…I’ve really missed her!
As busy as my week as been, there’s so much more still to come: back to the city for a Halloween party, then a trip up to Connecticut. I’ll tell you all about it next week. Until then, why don’t you send me a question or two?

Playing with fire

My parents weren’t kidding when they said there were going to be lots of surprises in store this week. Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Jess stopped by for a visit in the middle of the week. And Dad took off work on Friday and spent the day with me.

Not all of the surprises were good, though. Dad had to bathe me all by himself one night, which was a disaster. And I got a little sick again, spending much of the week with a stuffy nose. Like a few weeks ago, it didn’t get any worse than that, and also didn’t affect my sleep schedule, so we’ll just have to ride it out until it goes away.


The best surprise of all, though, was my trip to the fire station, but before we talk about that, let’s dig into the Ask Julia mailbag. Here are Aunt Rebecca’s Ask Julia questions:

Would you rather see Boston or Cleveland win the ALCS? Since you are a Yankees' fan, I presume you also hate the Boston Red Sox, so are you also hoping that Boston stays home to watch the World Series on television?


You’re absolutely right. I do not want to see the Red Sox win the World Series, so I’ve been rooting for the Indians (from afar, at least, I’m not watching any games).

If Aunt Paula can get tickets to see the Indians play in the World Series, will you travel to Cleveland to see the game? Also, are you interested in wearing some Cleveland Indians baseball gear? Your cousin Kathy used to wear Indians' outfits when she was a baby, but she later switched to Astros' gear right about the time she turned 5.
If it’s not Yankees gear, I don’t want it. And I won’t be traveling to Cleveland, as I have a packed schedule the next couple weeks. I’m going to New York City tomorrow for a couple days. My Mom is running a training program, so Dad and I are keeping her company at the hotel for a bit. Then next weekend, we’re going up to Connecticut to visit friends and family. So I don’t think I’ll be going (plus, it’s not looking too good for those Indians, now that they’ve let the Sox back into the series. Remember, my Dad suffered through this in 2004!).


What kind of goodies are you allowed to eat to celebrate Halloween? Will you let your mom and dad eat the rest of the goodies you get from trick or treating?
I can eat formula, rice, baby oatmeal and barley, my usual staples. Anything else, my parents are welcome to take for themselves (especially those Goldenberg Peanut Chews that I’ve been told people give away on Halloween. Does anyone actually like those things?).

Will your mom be baking any pumpkin pies, and if she does, will you supervise?
My Mom doesn’t have much time for baking these days, but pumpkin pie sounds delicious!

Which Presidential candidate do you prefer at this stage of the game? Do you consider yourself a liberal or a conservative?
I’m keeping my options open, as I have a whole year to make up my mind. As for my political leanings, well, I’m going to answer like a true politician and not answer the question so as not to upset the portion of my readers that watch Fox News.

My Aunt Paula also had a Halloween-themed question:

I can hardly wait to see you in your Halloween outfit. Do you think that your parents will be taking you over to your neighbors for Halloween? Do you think that you will get your first piece of candy? I sure hope you will get some kind of treat.
Not only will I be going trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, but on Friday my Dad is having a Halloween party at his office, and I’m going there to trick-or-treat around his floor. I’m looking forward to it. As for candy, I don’t expect anything this year. Thankfully, I don’t know what I’m missing!

Now onto my fire station visit. I went on a tour there because Alec – the brother of my best friend Isabella – was having his third birthday party there. We got to meet a fireman and watch him as he put on his gear, slid down the pole and sprayed a fire extinguisher, but I had the most fun looking at the flashing lights on the fire truck. It was pretty cool.


Sometimes lately I’ve been feeling like my feet don’t touch the ground. That’s because they haven’t been: I’ve been spending lots of time in my new Jumperoo (a gift from my cousin Ava and her mom Arita), and I love seeing how high I can bounce. After trying to turn my Exersaucer into a trampoline, it’s been great having a contraption that actually encourages me to jump as high as I can.

And inevitably, as I grow to like a new toy, I fall out of love with another one. So my parents took down the mobile in my crib, which I haven’t been playing with for several weeks now. In its place, they put up a Fisher Price Aquarium, which definitely seems to have some potential.


Now I have to rest up for my big New York City trip, so don’t forget to write and I’ll let you how it goes.

Here’s the sit-uation

My Yankees hangover is over, and it’s on to happier news and happier experiences. Like the fact that I can stay in a sitting position almost entirely by myself. Hopefully Dad won’t need to spot me anymore in another couple weeks. And I love standing too, although I still need a lot of help with that. My latest fun trick has been to start in a sitting position and then stand up as Dad grabs my hands. By next month I’ll be running a marathon!


If I had Ask Julia questions, I’d answer them now. But I guess most of my relatives are—sigh!—watching the Indians-Red Sox series, so my mailbox is empty. Let’s correct that by week’s end, okay?

Instead, why not marvel over how adorable I look in my latest photos?

I’m getting very excited for Halloween! And if you think I’m cute here, just wait until you see my Halloween costume.



My parents keep taking me new places, like Octoberfest at Applegate’s Ice Cream…and I keep falling asleep and not actually seeing anything.



I love spending my weekdays with Babcia and Dido…



…and my weekends with Mom and Dad!


Have a good week. Mom and Dad said they have some surprises in store, so hopefully I will have a lot to write about soon.

Unhappy hour

So the Cleveland Indians won the game, and the series. Congratulations Grandma, Aunt Paula and the rest of you Indians fans. You crushed the hopes and dreams of a four-month-old, not to mention most likely ended the tenure of Yankees manager Joe Torre (whom I now will never get to see manage in person). I hope you’re happy!

I guess from here on in, I’m an Indians fan, because I couldn’t stomach the Red Sox winning the World Series. But honestly, I don’t think I’ll even bother viewing anymore postseason baseball. If the Yankees aren’t playing, I really don’t have any interest in watching. (On the bright side, I’ll be spared anymore commercials that TBS keeps running for that awful-looking Frank TV latenight show. I can do mediocre celebrity impressions as well; where’s my TV show?)

Yes, the Indians were the better team in the series, but as you can tell by the above photo, I haven’t taken the Yankees loss very well. I’ve traded one bottle for another, and this one is almost as good as my usual formula! But then I made the mistake of downing the whole bottle, just like I do with my regular bottles, and…well…this is what happened:


So I might be out of commission for awhile. But before I started drinking, I had to good sense to tackle one final question from my Aunt Paula, which came in earlier today:

How about if we just split the last two remaining games and call it a day?
Come on, I might only be four months old but even I wouldn’t fall for that!

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go take this loss out on my parents for the next few days (hope they hadn’t planned on getting much sleep!). We’ll talk again later in the week after I’ve finally stopped crying.

Grandma 2, Julia 1

Now that’s more like it! It’s about time the Yankees’ bats woke up! I was worried that things would get out of hand again after I went to bed, but they pulled through to avoid an Indians’ sweep (and also keep Joe Torre employed for at least another day).

Two new questions from my Aunt Paula:

How do you feel about changing your strategy and root for the Indians today and then maybe your Yankees would win one?
Nope, I kept the faith and the Yankees finally came through. Jo-ba! Jo-ba! Jo-ba!


Do you have one of those Yankee flags outside your house?
Good heavens, no! No flags, bumper stickers, lawn ornaments or anything else gaudy with a Yankees logo. Though I hope Mom and Dad get me one of those “Joba Rules” T-shirts for Christmas.

Anyway, now that the Yanks won, let’s get on to more important matters. You know how I’ve been discovering a fun new sound every week or so? Well, over the past few days I’ve become quite the whine connoisseur. Yes, I’ve discovered how to whine, and I’ve quickly become a pro at it. Because how else to inform Mom and Dad that I’ve been bored for a whole two seconds? I know it’s not exactly endearing, but I don’t care. And besides, I’m sure I’ll move on to a new sound before long (though I’ll definitely make sure to keep that one in my arsenal).

My whining has led to another not-so-nice development over the past few nights. After sleeping through the night for a good 2 months, I’m now waking up around midnight or so and staying up for 2-3 hours. I’m not crying or sick, I’m just mostly whining. Sometimes – and this is the worst – I start grinning at my parents when they come in, signaling that I’m wide awake and ready to play. We’ll have to see how the next few nights unfold, but this is shaping up to be my first big showdown with Mom and Dad….


Lest you think I’ve turned into a nightmare overnight, let’s talk a bit about my good side. After a full week of eating a couple teaspoons of rice and oatmeal as part of my second feeding each day, I’ve grown to love the stuff! I eagerly devour it when Mom, Dad, Babcia or Dido put the spoon in my mouth; in fact I’m so excited that I grab the spoon and help guide it in (though I think I do more harm than good, as I usually move the spoon off its target and onto the side of my face instead). It’s too bad they can only give me a teeny more each day – I’m still learning how to digest it – because I wish I could eat a whole lot more of the stuff. I guess I have to learn how to be patient, which is certainly not my forte. Tomorrow I start eating barley…I hope that’s just as yummy as the other two!


I also flipped over for the first time tonight, from my stomach onto my back. It was a complete accident, and I have no idea how I did it, but it still counts, right? It happened while I was playing around a bit after warming up to my latest toy, a Fisher Price Kickin’ Bobbin’ Gym. I know what you’re thinking: What, another big toy? Hey, I’m very fickle these days. Don’t give me any more grief, or I’ll start whining!

We’ll talk again tomorrow night, when hopefully this series will be all tied up! Don’t forget to send along some questions.

Grandma 2, Julia 0

My cradlecap is off to the Indians, but really, for the game to turn because of a gnat infestation on the field doesn’t really seem right (poor Joba, he deserved better). As you can see from the photo above, I was already getting my last feeding, and on my way to bed when the game went into extra innings, so once again, I can’t be held responsible for things that happen when I’m off in dreamland.

My Aunt Paula sent a couple new questions today:

If the Indians take this series and end up playing the Red Sox, who will you be cheering for in those games?
If that happens (and I’m not throwing in the towel yet; the team came back from this same situation in 2001), then I’ll definitely root for your Indians. Because there are no circumstances under which I’d ever root for the Red Sox.

I didn't realize that your Mom was a Yankees fan. How did that happen?
She was never really a Red Sox fan (she rooted for them a little bit as a kid because her dad did, but her heart wasn’t really in it), so when she met Dad, she started to follow the Yankees because he did. I think she tolerates the team more than actively roots for them, but she can name most of the players on the team, which is pretty impressive.

No game tomorrow, so I’ll be enjoying the weekend with Mom and Dad. Then we’ll see what happens Sunday. So far these playoffs have been about as fun as getting my vaccinations!

Grandma 1, Julia 0

Well, that was ugly. I’m not going to make excuses for the Yanks’ awful pitching tonight, other than to point out that they were on the verge of pulling ahead when I went to bed (down by one run with the bases loaded). After I finally dozed off, the Indians’ onslaught began. So I really can’t be responsible for things that happen when I’m asleep. All I can say is, Grandma and Aunt Paula, enjoy the win, because tomorrow is a new day.

Let’s answer the latest batch of Ask Julia questions that have come in over the past few days. The first ones are from my Aunt Rebecca:

This is an exciting post-game season. If the Indians don't beat up on the Yankees, then Boston will be beating up on the Yankees. A-Rod, of "mine" fame, will choke again. Are you prepared to use the Heimlich maneuver on A-Rod in hopes of resuscitating the Yankees' hopes and dreams? Who is your favorite Yankee?
Well, I’m just going to chalk up your second sentence to a bit of jealousy, since your Houston Astros aren’t playing October baseball this year. Beyond that, I don’t know CPR; you’d have to ask Mom and Dad, who took a CPR course shortly before I came along. My favorite Yankee? I’m sure you’re expecting me to say Jeter, or perhaps Jorge Posada (Mom’s favorite) or Mariano Rivera (Dad’s favorite). But I’m going with our new bullpen phenom, Joba Chamberlain. You didn’t see him pitch in Game 1, but trust me, that guy is electric. Also, I like the fact that he made a splash the same year that I did.

Now that Britney has temporarily lost custody of her sons, are you prepared to invite Sean and Jayden to a party at your house?
I feel sorry for those kids, but really, I don’t want to be anywhere near them. Who knows what bad habits they picked up from their parents?

Please tell me you're not planning to wear a pumpkin costume for Halloween. What kind of costume will you wear, and who will get to eat all the candy you collect?
I do indeed have a Halloween costume. I didn’t want to divulge what I’m going to be yet, but Mom reminded me that I spilled the beans in a previous column. So you can either check the archives, or wait a few weeks until you see what I’m sure will be adorable photos of me in my outfit. But don’t worry, it’s not a pumpkin costume. I haven’t talked to my parents about Halloween candy yet, but they can eat whatever they want as long as I get first dibs on any formula, baby food rice, or baby food oatmeal that is distributed.

Who sings you the best lullabies?
Are you trying to get me in trouble by making me pick a favorite? Sorry, I’m not biting. I will say that Mom, Dad and Babcia all sing me lovely lullabies. Babcia sings me beautiful Ukrainian songs (the translated title of my favorite one is called “Mama was Rocking Her Daughter”). Mom sings me lots of pretty songs, including “All Cried Out,” which I’ve been hearing since I was in the womb. Dad will often sing along to songs he plays when he’s cradling me to get me down for my nap (Sade’s “By Your Side” is one of my favorites). I love hearing them all.


And this last question comes from my Aunt Paula (and again, this was sent before Game 1):

Being that you were born in New Jersey, and they do not have a baseball team, I feel that you should be open-minded when picking a team for the playoffs. Being that your Grandma. Uncle Dan, Aunt Rebecca, and myself are all for the Indians, I feel that you should be for our team most of the time. Do not worry, your Dad will still feed and love you. What do you think?
Sorry, I was born a Yankees fan. Just like you, Grandma and Uncle Dan were born Indians fans. I’m sticking with my team, no matter what happens.

That’s it. If you have any more questions for me, send them along and perhaps I’ll answer them after Game 2. I should be in a better mood, as I’m assuming the series will be tied 1-1 by then.

Let’s go Yanks!