Blast off!

When Julia was my age, she had amazing posture. And now, so do I. Dad can lift me up by my legs, and I remain stiff as a board.


Did I mention it's incredibly fun? Here I go again: 3...2...1...

Enough with the puffs!

If you zoom in on this photo, you can see my two bottom teeth! You can also see something on my tray: a fruit puff. They are for babies like me and dissolve in your mouth. One other thing: they taste awful!


Can you believe Mom was trying to feed me that poison? Take another look:



Sorry Mom, better luck next time!

Helping Haiti

Everyone has been very concerned by the tragic earthquake in Haiti, and I'm no different. I've been doing my part to help too. Take a look:



And that's not all. I selflessly volunteered to give my toys up to "help Haiti"...that is, on the condition that "we go to the toy store and get me new ones"! (By the way, I would also happily offer up Henry's toys for Haiti.)

As for those of you who would like to help Haiti in a more conventional way, please donate here!

Slowing to a crawl

I did it! Well, kind of. After weeks of being oh-so-close to crawling, I finally pulled it off yesterday. Though to be honest, I did it completely by accident and I'm still not really aware of what I did. Thankfully, Dad had the camcorder going, but as you can see, I only resort to crawling after all other options have been exhausted.



But here's the thing: while I did crawl a few times yesterday, each time I completely forgot what I had just done. It's like I have short-term memory loss and I go back to square one as I try to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B. But give me a few more days, and it will all click, I promise!

Eight is great

It's my eight-month birthday today! I've changed a lot in the last month, but I still love my Jumperoo as much as ever. Check it out:





Here's a video. These are screams of joy, not screams of terror.



Have a great weekend!

Ask Julia: 1/22/10

Henry has his turn, and now I'm answering the rest of the Ask Julia & Henry questions. Up first is Aunt Rebecca (who sent these questions in a couple weeks ago, which is why there are several holiday queries in there):

Were you on Santa's naughty or nice list?
I would say both. Nice because I got so much great stuff, and naughty because, as I explained, he didn't always give me exactly what I wanted—like a butterfly backpack instead of a princess backpack.

Which of your holiday presents do you play with the most?
I play with so many of them, but as for what I play with most, I would have to say the Sleeping Beauty figurines from Ava. I play with them multiple times a day, so thanks again, Ava!

Did you get any baby dolls?
I did get two, complete with a changing table, and also a Barbie doll!

Have you gone sledding? If you did, did you go sledding after that huge snowfall you had before Christmas?
I did go with Daddy, but it hasn't snowed for a couple weeks and I'm getting impatient. I also haven't yet had the chance to pull Henry around on his baby sled, which I've been looking forward to doing.

What did you like most about Christmas? Did you go to Midnight Mass?
No Midnight Mass for me, since I'm usually out by 9. I had so many favorite things about Christmas – the music, the tree, the cookies, the TV specials, the daily chocolate from my advent wreath and of course, the presents — that I can't pick just one thing.

Are you playing with any of Henry's toys? Which ones?
If it's Henry's, then yes it's a safe bet I'm playing with it.

Does Henry try to play with any of your toys? Which ones?
If it's within reaching distance (or lunging distance) of him, then he tries to grab it and make it his own.

Are you enjoying your time off from nursery school?
I liked it because Mom and Dad were home for so much time, and so many people came to visit, many of them bearing gifts!

How are you doing at sharing besides your cold viruses and germs?
Not good. Better luck this year, I guess.

Do you have to get another swine flu shot? I heard that some of the previous vaccinations weren't potent enough.
I had to get a followup shot, right after the holidays, but now I'm all set.

Do you have any pictures of you with any holiday items you made in nursery school?
No. But that's a good idea, I should share some of the stuff I make in nursery school. I'd love for you guys to see it. Let me work on that.

Did you know that Kathy and Diana both got cars for their third Christmas? Did you get one? If not, are you planning to ask for one for your third birthday?
I didn't get a car, but Henry did. He got a remote control car that's a little too advanced for him right now, so I'm sure I can figure out a way to manipulate Mom or Dad into letting me play with it.

And Grandpa had a few questions too:

Have your parents clued you into the new Disney princess, Tiana, like the figurine to go with your set?
The crack Disney marketing team made sure that a brochure with Tiana was sent to the house long before her movie even opened, so I've been well aware of her existence for months now. And I've been asking Dad where her movie is, but he doesn't seem to have a DVD of it yet. Boooo!

Congrats on achieving so many of your '09 resolutions and setting some for '10. What resolutions would you set for Mom and Dad?
Hmm, I guess I'd say to stop saying no to me and let me do what I want. Is that so hard?

Thanks, Aunt Rebecca and Grandpa! And now that our inbox is empty again, I hope you send us some more questions so we can do another Ask Julia & Henry column soon.

Ask Henry: 1/20/10

It's been a month since we've done an Ask Julia & Henry column, and we got so many questions (mostly from Aunt Rebecca) that we're splitting the column over two days. I'm up first this time, and Julia will tackle her questions tomorrow. So let's get started. First off, I'll sink my teeth —both of them!—into a long list of questions from Aunt Rebecca:

How are you doing with sitting up?
I'm doing great at that, but these days I much prefer standing up (I can pull myself up to a standing position) or getting on my tummy (I'm oh-so-close to crawling!).

What's your favorite baby food?
Anything except for corn, which I absolutely can't stand. My second least favorite food? Green peas. Yuck!

Which Christmas toy do you play with the most?
That would be my ball popper. And don't tell Julia, but when she's not around I love to munch on the handle of her hoppity ball. It's great for teething!

What do you think of the snow now that you've had a ton of it fall before the holidays?
I actually don't have an opinion on snow yet, but so far everytime it's fallen, I've been too sick to go outside and enjoy it. Now that I'm feeling better, I'm hoping for another snowfall soon. I want to finally go sledding!

Do you need to get another swine flu shot?
I got my second H1N1 shot before the holidays, so I'm all set. Too bad they don't have a congestion shot, because I sure could have used that one!

What do you think about your first Christmas? Did you get a special ornament marking your first Christmas?
I loved Christmas—not as much as my sister of course, but it was still great. And yes, Mom and Dad did put a Baby's First Christmas ornament on the tree.

Did you know that you look just like your daddy? Have you compared your pictures at this age with those of your daddy at this age?
Lots of people tell me that! I'll have to ask Dad to show me some baby photos so we can compare them. While he's at it, he should pull some photos of Aunt Jess as a kid too, because Dad says Julia looks a lot like Aunt Jess used to.

How are you fixed for teeth?
Two on the bottom, so I'm off to a good start. I wonder how many I need to get before I stop drooling every waking moment?

Have you been watching many football games on TV?
J-E-T-S, Jets Jets Jets! Yes, I've been watching the playoff games with Dad, and it's been a blast watching the Jets win! (Julia doesn't like when Dad yells at the TV during the games, though.) Next up: Indy on Sunday.

What new tricks have you been doing? In other words, what is your latest skill that you've mastered?
They've all been chronicled here on the blog: saying "Dada," pulling myself up to a standing position, getting my two bottom teeth. I'm pretty sure that crawling is next on my agenda.

How long do you have to use your nebulizer?
I had to use it for a whole week. Since then things have been good, but we had to buy that nebulizer so if I have a need for it down the line, we're all set. I tolerated it by the end of that week, but I certainly don't miss having to use it!

What is your normal bedtime?
I fall asleep anytime from 6:45 to 9, but more often than not it's around 8. And I'm happy to say that now that I'm healthy again (and my first teeth have come in), I've been sleeping through the night more often than not during these past two weeks.

Tell dad that a little whiskey in your formula should kill a lot of those germs that Julia brings home to you.
Again with the whiskey? Why did all the parents from your generation always try to solve their baby's problems by giving them hard liquor?

Thanks for those, Aunt Rebecca. Grandpa checked in as well with this question

Congrats on cutting your 1st tooth! Did you also achieve one of your Resolutions by doing that earlier than your sister did?
I sure did. While we both started speaking at around the same time, I got my first tooth two whole months before Julia. So not only did I beat her to getting my first tooth, I also beat her to crossing off the first 2010 resolution!

Well, that's it from my inbox. Julia will answer her mail tomorrow, but if you have any other questions to ask me, send them my way!

Carousel of progress

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the long weekend. Henry and I kept busy doing a bunch of fun things, including riding the carousel together! We told Mom and Dad to take a hike, and we hit the carousel by ourselves.

And Henry was hard at work getting another tooth, so now he has both of his bottom teeth. That's 2 down, 18 to go!

We'll be back tomorrow with another Ask Julia & Henry column, so this is your last chance to get your questions in!

Trouble in paradise

We thought it was time for one of those "state of the siblings" posts about how Henry and I are getting along these days. And, well, it's gotten a little complicated. Because yes, most of the time we're still the best of friends, and he's the first person I ask about when I get up. Recently, I've started shouting nonsense at him to get him to crack up, like this video from a recent meal:



(I hope you enjoyed his gummy smile; it's probably the last time you'll see it now that he has a tooth coming in!) But there's been some tension of late as well, largely because of me. I've been snatching lots of things away from him, usually right out of his hands. Sometimes I do really mean things, like try to hit him, even when Mom and Dad say no (this tends to happen at the end of the day). I do always apologize to Henry afterwards, so that counts for something, right? But Mom and Dad have starting throwing around words like "punishment" and "timeout," so we'll have to see where all this leads.

I just wish I knew what Dad was talking about when he said that Henry will be getting back at me very soon.

The adorable snowman

It's been a chilly winter! We've already had a few snowfalls. I got to go sledding with Dad, and unlike last year when we went down the big hill one time and I said "Done!", this year I was the one who wanted to keep going again and again. But Dad got tired out from carrying me and the sled up the hill.

In addition to sledding, the other thing I wanted to do when it snowed was to make my first snowman. The first snowfall melted before I had a chance, and the second snowfall wasn't the right consistency (I couldn't even make a snowball, much less a snowman!). But the third time was the charm:



He's much better than that scary Abominable Snowman from Rudolph, don't you think?

There's almost no snow on the ground right now, but hopefully they'll be more soon. Now that Henry is feeling better, I want him to come sledding too!

Nothing but the tooth...and a word about Dad

Hey, where did the Christmas tree go? It was a huge weekend for me, and not because Mom and Dad took the Christmas tree away (Julia took the loss pretty well, so don't worry about her). Though I certainly am enjoying all the extra space in the sun room now that the tree is gone.


And no, it wasn't a huge weekend because it was the first weekend in months that Julia and I were both completely healthy. No, it was big because...(drumroll please)...I got my first tooth yesterday! Ever since the doctor mentioned last week that I was rubbing my ears not because of another ear infection but because I was teething something fierce, Dad has been vigilant about checking my mouth everyday, and yesterday - voila! - he spotted a little nub on my bottom front gum.

That alone would be enough for one weekend, but on Saturday I said my first word: "Dada"! And I kept saying it long enough for Dad - sorry, Dada - to get a video of it.



Don't worry, Mom and Julia, your names are up next (and Bobbi and Dido too, of course). And let's see, did I do anything else this weekend, like learn to crawl? Well...


I got close, but no, I didn't pull it off. Hey, I had to save something for later in the month!

UPDATE
Talk about deja vu: guess what date Julia blogged about saying her first word (which also was "Dada")? Jan. 11, 2008. As in, two years ago this very day! For a trip down memory lane, here are the videos she posted that day (this was back before we could edit clips together, which is why they are separate videos). However, I'm not sure that ginormous baby is in fact my big sister. It doesn't look anything like her!

Our (Zhu Zhu) pet hamster

Remember how Julia got so freaked out watching that Elmo Live doll move around by itself, but I couldn't get enough of it? Well, it's happened again. Taryn bought Julia a Zhu Zhu Pet, a motorized hamster that was the hot toy of Christmas '09. Once again, Julia was a bit disturbed by it. I, on the other hand...



I could watch that thing for...well, not hours, so let's say several minutes!

Henry's 10 resolutions for '10

Julia had her turn, so now it's time for me to tackle my first-ever list of New Year's resolutions. Let's get to it...

1) Learn to walk. I'm a bundle of energy, so I need to get mobile!

2) Learn to talk. I have so much to say and I can't wait to start yapping!

3) No more teething...lots more teeth! It's no fun drooling nonstop for four months straight, and struggling with the agony of teething. (The doctor says it's really bad right now...make it stop!) I'm ready to get a few teeth, so Aunt Jess can start checking my teeth too.

4) Fall asleep by myself. I can do this a little bit already, but by the end of the year, I'd like Mom or Dad to be able to put me into my crib, say good night and close the door, without any fuss. Julia took a lot longer to do this, and I'd like to master that faster than she did. Which leads me to the next resolution...

5) Accomplish something faster than Julia did. I know, all kids develop differently, but at the same time, I want to learn to do something (walk, talk, crawl, whatever) sooner than my big sister did. I got a taste of it when I rolled over faster than she did; it got my competitive juices flowing.

6) Travel abroad. Julia got a passport when she was my age, so I want to do the same...and get my first big trip under my belt.

7) Have a healthier year. Easier said than done, I know, but I'm sick of being sick all the time. I'm at least starting off the year on the right note: I visited the doctor yesterday and my double ear infection is all cleared up and my lungs sound better. So let's see if I can have more healthy days than sick days this year.

8) Get even with Julia. For months, Julia has snatched toys and other objects right out of my hands, and I've been powerless to do anything about it. But once I get mobile, I'm going to get back at her: take a few things of hers and see how she likes it!

9) No more big head. I haven't talked about this on the blog before, but a few months ago I was diagnosed with macrocephaly - which basically means I have a big head (water on the brain, I think it's called). It's a genetic thing most of the time (gee, thanks Dad - I'm only 1/8th Irish and apparently it's all in my head!), and in 95 percent of cases it clears itself up by 2 years old. So here's hoping that my big head isn't quite so big by year's end.

10) Go on an amusement park ride with Julia. I'm a bit of a thrill-seeker like my sister, so I have a feeling that I'm going to like rides as much as she does. So this year, I want to go on my first ride...hopefully at Sesame Place!

So that's my first list of resolutions. Wish me luck, and good luck on your resolutions too in 2010!

Happy birthday Dido!

I'll share my first-ever resolutions tomorrow, but first I wanted to wish Dido a very happy birthday. We got him an ice cream cake and sang "Happy Birthday" and "Mnohaya Lita" to him tonight.




I didn't get to eat any cake but it looked so good that I kept lunging for it. Dad promised me that I'll be able to have some cake for Dido's next birthday, but I'm not sure I can wait that long!

Julia's 10 resolutions for '10

Okay, now that Christmas is all done (I'm already talking about next Christmas!), it's time to make some resolutions for 2010. First, let's see how I did with my 2009 resolutions:

1) Become more self-sufficient. Check!
2) Learn to jump. Two-for-two. I'm going to ace this thing!
3) Say goodbye to my diapers. D'oh! I'm not potty-trained yet.
4) Say goodbye to my crib Done. This one was a snap.
5) Say goodbye to my pipa. Darn it! Another no.
6) Get the people at Red Robin to clap-clap-clap for me on my birthday. This one wasn't as fun as I thought, but then again, I think I'd enjoy it a lot more this time around because I wouldn't be so nervous about all those people crowding around me.
7) Continue to be as adorable as I can. Of course!
8) Make the "terrible twos" not-so-terrible. I would say yes, but my frequent tantrums say otherwise. So this is a no.
9) Find out why Mom and Dad keep asking me if I want a brother. We all know the answer to this one now, so that's another yes.
10) Be a good sister, whatever that means. I'm a great sister, so at least we ended on a high note.

Okay, so I did 7 out of 10. As far as resolutions go, that's a pretty good percentage, but let's see if I can do even better this year with my 2010 resolutions:

1) No more diapers! I didn't pull this off last year, but Mom and Dad have been warning me that the potty-training starts soon (maybe even this weekend) so we're going to finally make it happen.

2) No more pipa! Here's another holdover from last year, and as much as I still love my pipas, even I am beginning to realize I'm getting old for them (which is why I always pull them out before I go to school, so my friends and teachers don't see). And Mom and Dad keep saying that when I turn 3, the pipa fairy will come and take all my pipas away. So my pipa days are numbered.

3) Learn to share with Henry. This will probably be the hardest resolution of them all this year. I've gotten great at sharing with my friends and cousins who come to visit and play with my toys, but I go apoplectic whenever Henry touches any of my stuff.

4) Ride a roller coaster with Dad. I cannot wait to do this. This is finally the year!

5) Eat lunch at school. One of the reasons I wanted a backpack for Christmas was so I could take my lunch to school. Some of the kids stay after school for a lunch session, and I'd like to try that myself. It doesn't have to be every single day, but I'd like to see what all the fuss is about.

6) Dunk my head underwater. I really enjoy swimming, but this is one thing I haven't mastered yet. Let's see if I can pull it off this year.

7) Swap my car seat for a booster seat. I'm ready for a booster seat, so it's time to upgrade!

8) Learn ballet. If Angelina and Belinda (the main character in another line of books that I've recently fallen in love with) can do it, so can I!

9) Learn to ski. Come on, Dido, show me how it's done!

10) See a movie. I've started to watch a couple full-length movies at home (namely, Sleeping Beauty and Beauty & the Beast), plus I sat through The Nutcracker, so I think it's time to go to a movie theater and watch one there.

And that's it! I think it's a pretty good list. Henry will post his resolutions tomorrow, and then the competition will begin to see which of us do a better job completing our list in 2010!

Wrapping up Christmas

At long last, this is our final Christmas post. It's been a long (and gift-filled!) journey, but we're almost at the finish line. Our relatives from Connecticut (and California!) came down to visit shortly after Christmas, and Henry and I really enjoyed spending time with (from left) Abby, Ava and Sophia.


It's been hard to tell from these photos, but our whole family was sick for much of the holiday. We were all sniffling and coughing as we opened our gifts, but Henry had it the worst. The day after Christmas, we found out that he had a double ear infection, and also had bronchiolitis, which required Mom and Dad to make him use a nebulizer four times a day for a full week to help improve his breathing. I don't know what he did to tick off Santa and cause the big guy to leave him such lousy presents under the tree!

And now that the holidays are almost done (Dad says the tree is going down very soon - sniff!), I wanted to share some of my favorite things from this holiday season. After several weeks of listening to Christmas music, watching holiday specials on TV and reading Christmas-themed books before going to bed each night, here are my favorites for Christmas '09:

Favorite Christmas songs: "Jingle Bells," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" (especially the Bruce Springsteen version), "Deck the Halls," "Up on the Housetop"



Favorite Christmas TV specials: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Shrek the Halls, A Sesame Street Christmas, Prep and Landing, NOT Rudolph

Favorite Christmas books: The Sweet Smell of Christmas, Olivia Helps With Christmas, Merry Christmas, Curious George!, Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas, 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, Santa Mouse

And let's close with a video of a game that my family played during the holidays. It started one day when I saw Mom and Dad kissing Henry under the mistletoe, and I whined because I wasn't included. So they picked me up and all four of us danced and kissed under the mistletoe. Since then, I've enjoyed having us all recreate the moment, where I pretend to be upset—and then we all celebrate under the mistletoe. Here's a quick look at that:



Now that we've put a bow on Christmas '09, it's time to get to those 2010 resolutions. Check back tomorrow for those!

Say Uncle!

Henry and I don't get to see Uncle Ryan nearly as much as we'd like, because whenever we do see him, it's a guaranteed good time. For Christmas, he bought us the best gift: our very own wagon! When Henry gets a little older, Mom and Dad will be able to take us both into town in the wagon. It's going to be so great. But until then, I guess it's all mine to enjoy! Since it was too cold to go outside, Uncle Ryan took me (and some of my favorite Christmas presents) on a test drive through the house:





But Uncle Ryan does more than get us great gifts. He gives Dad a break by lifting me up and horsing around with me, like when he "helped" me with my new hoppity ball:




And don't worry, Henry had plenty of fun with him too!


Thanks again for everything, Uncle Ryan! Come back and visit us soon!

Happy 2010!

Happy new year everyone! We're not old enough to stay up until midnight (though Henry tried his best, getting up at 10, 11 and 4:30 in the morning), so we had our New Year's celebration early yesterday. Mom, Dad and I had a champagne toast (okay, it was apple cider), and Dad brought home lots of fun New Year's paraphernalia from Times Square that I had a ball with. Even Henry got a chance to join in the fun! Take a look at these photos and video of our festivities:







Henry and I hope that you all have a happy and healthy 2010 (we hope that we have a healthy 2010 too)! And yes, we will have some resolutions to share with you (and we'll look back on how I did with my 2009 resolutions), but first we have to finish up the rest of the Christmas posts. So you'll have to wait until next week to hear our goals for 2010.