December 30 - Dancing Bean

Wow-12/30, can you believe it? I can honestly say that Jan through April (when the bean was not sleeping through the night) went by slowly for me but once she started snoozing..life has moved along at a quick pace! Look at her in this picture-she is already talking on the phone! (she tries to text too..J.D. jokes she'll have her own i-phone by age 3)

So-what did you all do for the holidays? We went to Tampa and celebrated with J.D.'s family. It was great seeing everyone again! I had a horrible cold/flu the whole time (no voice, bad cough, the whole nine yards) but we all still had a great time. The bean was spoiled rotten with tons of gifts..including books, toys, clothes, a wagon, a table and chair set, and a homemade quilt. She had a fabulous time chasing after the cats and was a dancing machine. There were 2 Santa's that played music (a gorilla Santa that played 'Jingle Bell Rock' and a mariachi Santa that played 'Feliz Navidad') and all she wanted to do was dance, dance, dance! I think we all heard those songs 50 times each..if not more! Her dancing was so infectious though we were all dancing with her!

The grown ups had fun too playing board games and the Nintendo Wii. We don't have a Wii but I am seriously considering getting one. It is so much fun and interactive-by the end of the trip, J.D. was a pro at ping-pong, Greg at archery and Katherine at wakeboarding. I was pretty good at wakeboarding but mostly just had fun playing.

Now we are back in Gainesville and getting ready for the move. The movers are coming today to give us a quote (for mid-January) while J.D. is preparing for his trip this Friday. So far, almost all of our office is packed up, but there is still a lot to do!

Well-hope you are all having a fantastic Wednesday!!

December 23 - Kissing Bean

Happy Holidays! I hope you are all ready for the fun festivities coming up. I did a great job purchasing gifts but haven't mailed them all yet. I also have a few cards that need to go in the mail...so some of you will be getting things late. I'm sorry! Things have been hectic here!

J.D. and I flew to Houston last week for a whirlwind house tour. We saw over 30 homes in 2 days and narrowed the list down to 3 pretty quickly. We felt like we were on househunters. The finalists:

*House 1 "The Picture Perfect House": amazing curb appeal, beautiful neighborhood, small yard, around the corner from a park, most expensive per sq ft, not on a cul-de-sac

*House 2 "Great Layout": great curb appeal, nice neighborhood, small yard, near green space, great layout, toward end of cul-de-sac

*House 3 "Big Yard": good curb appeal, nice neighborhood, huge backyard, within walking distance to elementary school, park and green space, no back neighbors, end of cul-de-sac

So which one did we chose? House #3!! The huge back yard and no back neighbors were the deciding factors. Our closing date is Jan20 so keep your fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly. We are very excited!

J.D.'s graduation (the hooding ceremony) was this past weekend so his "officially" done. I brought Julia and she did pretty well. We went to a graduation party at another graduates river house Saturday which was nice (a tad chilly though as it was really windy).

In other fun news, Julia LOVES to give kisses. It is so cute! We went to the park the other day and she stopped after every step (on her way to the slide) to give me a kiss. She continues to become more and more fun every day!

Hope you are all having a great week!

December 13 - Santa Baby

I patiently waited 45min in line to sit on this stranger's lap at the mall today (in my adorable holiday outfit, complete with matching hair bows). But the fat man with the beard was not my daddy! I wanted down!!

xoxo-Jules

p.s.-the Christmas tree is up at my house and I love the ornaments and lights. Amelia loves the ornaments too..she's already eaten a few! Happy holidays!

December 9 - Lone Star Bound!

As many of you know, J.D. was looking at a few different job opportunities [south FL, Gainesville, Houston, Delaware]. Well, I am thrilled to announce that he has formally accepted a position with in Houston and we are moving back to the lone star state! He'll be working in the aerospace industry [working on a team at NASA; they will be designing a humanoid robot to walk on the moon]. He starts January 4th so things are moving quickly. J.D. and I are flying to Houston next week to look at houses and assuming we find one, I'll move out with the bean and the pooch when we close (mid/end of January). I'm trying to work out a deal with my company so I can work remotely, so keep your fingers crossed!

It goes without saying that we will miss the close friends we've made over the last few years and will miss being close to family. The goods news is that Houston has 2 major airports so we are only a quick plane ride away (direct flights from most cities). I love company!!

Julia "T"'s Thanksgiving 2009

Happy December bean fans! I hope each and every one of you had a happy, safe and delicious Thanksgiving holiday. We went to Miami to celebrate with my family and had a fabulous time. We left Tuesday and luckily avoided the holiday traffic. Grandma Yamo got us a dvd player for the car (thanks Grandma!) and we watched 'Elmopalooza' and 'Elmo and the Bookaneers' as well as a few Sesame Street episodes. Jules doesn't watch tv so we were interested to see how she would react to the dvd's...she was interested but not totally absorbed, which we were happy about. She LOVES Elmo and mostly just pointed to him and said "Elmo!". This was our longest road trip since our trip to Miami last Thanksgiving and she did great in the car.

I've been slack with blog postings in November so I haven't had a chance to comment on the bean's energy level in recent weeks. It has increased substantially! Her nickname over the holiday was 'Julia T. Yamo' because she was trouble with a capital T! She climbed up on Grandpa's kitchen table multiple times, kept getting into his cabinets (she loved his cabinet with aluminum foil, plastic bags, etc), attempted to drink water in planters after it rained (actually-she did accomplish this..one minute she was looking at the planter, next minute she was lapping up water like she was a dog and covered in dirt), kept trying to drink the dog water, trying to pull the cuckoo clock down...I think you get the point! However, as feisty as she is, it was a blast seeing what she would try to do next. On Thanksgiving day, Craig's family came over and she was totally enthralled with their small dog Skeeter. I'm not sure if she liked him because he was her size or what but she followed him around everywhere and could not stop petting, hugging, kissing and feeding him! Of course, once he discovered she was a food source..he didn't leave her side! (the other dogs also realized she loves 'sharing' and loved hanging around her..Grandpa's dog Brownie probably had the best position since we stayed at their house and she was able to lay right next to Jules as she ate most of her meals, while Amelia and Leyna had to settle for Thanksgiving scraps). Jules also bonded with Cindy (Craig's sister) and had a great time playing with Teagan (Craig's niece). Uncle Brian also opened up with piano and the bean got to hit some keys, which she enjoyed.

Of course, being Miami and having J.D. and Craig in the kitchen, Thanksgiving (as well as every other meal we had ate there..steaks on Tuesday night and pork chops on Wednesday night) was AMAZING! We had not one, not two, but three types of turkey (fried, roasted and baked) and the most delicious sides known to man. I'm still full from all the great food! I was also introduced to Ninetendo Wii while we were there (so much fun!) and we went to the Miami zoo which was fabulous! I took the bean on the merry-go-round, she petted a pot-bellied pig, she rode on a monorail for the first time, and saw all sorts of animals (white tiger, bears, elephants, etc). It was an amazing trip and if anyone goes to Miami-I highly recommend going!

I would like to thank Grandpa and Brownie for hosting JD., Julia and I; as well as thanks for Brian, Craig and Leyna for taking care of our furry baby, Amelia. We all had an amazing time! I think the only way it could have been better is if the rest of the family could have been there...hopefully next year!

November 30 - My Daddy's a Doctor!

Congratulations to J.D. for successfully defending his dissertation last week-woo hoo! After 6.5 years of hard work, he is Phinally Done! (I saw that bumper sticker awhile back and just love it). I can't resist a little bragging on my part...he graduates with a 3.95 GPA, he had the highest score on the qualifying exam (exam phD candidates have to pass to continue in the program, he took it a few years ago) and all of the members of his committee gave him the highest praise at the conclusion of the defense. We are all SO PROUD of you babe! Grandma Yamo and I attended the defense and while the subject matter was over our heads, we were both impressed with his professional, calm demeanor (one of the professors asked some really tough questions).

So-if anyone is in Gainesville 12/18, it is graduation time!!

November 16 - Future Heartbreaker

Greetings bean followers! Sorry for the lack of postings lately. Things have been extremely busy here in north central FL (and yes, it is still hot here..we had a few cool days but it was 80 again this weekend, what is going on with this weather? Bring on the fall please!). I'm absolutely swamped at work (usually working weeknights after the bean has gone to bed to catch up), the bean has been sick (she was out almost a full week 2 weeks ago with a fever due to teething, and she was out a few days this past week for a stomach bug that I also caught) and J.D. is working endless hours to prepare for his defense next week (send all good luck wishes his way!). It is craziness in our house right now!

Needless to say, I haven't been taking too many photos or our dimpled cherub, but let me take this opportunity to show off my beyond adorable nephew. I haven't met him yet, but looking at photos, he looks like a cross between Jason and Greg (my brothers...which is odd because they look nothing alike but that is what he looks like to me). I'm already in love with him!

October 31 - Happy Halloween

Our little skeleton had a fabulous Halloween. It started on Friday morning with a party at school. I volunteered to help in the classroom and had a great time with all the little ones. They played with the inside of a fresh pumpkin (the bean tried to eat it and didn't care of it) and wore an awesome custom shirt that her teachers made for her (with a pumpkin and her name on it). The big kids came and did a little parade in their constumes (every little girl was a princess) and we were treated with a visit from Albert the Alligator. Later that day, J.D. picked up the bean and brought her to work where we have a big Halloween bash every year. A lot of departments decorated and she had a great time seeing other kids in costumes (and trying to rip the decorations off the walls..).

On actual Halloween, we went trick or treating for the first time. Jules ran around the neighborhood (pumpkin in hand) with a HUGE smile on her face and even knocked on front doors! We went to a few houses and she was excited with her spoils. Mommy wouldn't let her eat anything but Daddy tried to entice her to try a lollipop. I'm happy to say she didn't care for it too much! But she did seem to love holding onto those snickers bars!

As for me-this was an exciting Halloween because I was able to give out candy for the first time in years. When I was in TX, I always had to work and since I've been in FL, I've either had to work (month end) or last year I was feeding the bean. So it was exciting seeing all the kids dressed up!

Happy Birthday Andrew!!

I am so happy to announce Julia's newest cousin: *Andrew Charles Cook
*6lb 13oz
*20 inches
*10/27/2009 12:07pm

We can't wait to meet you Andrew! You are adorable!!

October 23 - Another May Baby....

Congratulations to Sheela and Ray on baby de Groot, due in May (within a few day of baby Merrill). They are currently in London and we hope they move back to the states soon so all the kiddies can play together. Congrats, I am so happy for you guys!

October 22 - And the May Baby is......

Mine. Just kidding!! I am super excited to announce that baby Merrill will be joining us sometime in May. Congratulations Becky and Scott!! It has been so hard keeping this a secret for the past few months. A word of advice from a relatively new mom...enjoy your full night sleep while you can!

October 20 - Just Like Daddy

Greetings Bean fans! Did you have a nice weekend? Are you enjoying beautiful cool weather like we are experiencing here in north central FL? I am L-O-V-I-N-G this weather and feel invigorated, it is wonderful!

Gator Homecoming was this past weekend and all local schools were closed down on Friday for a parade. J.D. and I were unable to take the day off (we also had to work on Saturday) so Grandma Yamo came in town to watch Jules. They had a fabulous time! The girls went shoe shopping (a favorite of Grandma and the bean), to the book store, grocery store, and TG Maxx. Grandma spoiled Jules with some adorable new outfits, shoes, awesome toys and lots of Halloween books. We are all enjoying the Halloween themed books, they are so cute!

On Sunday, our neighborhood had a block party and I decided to bring the Halloween pumpkin with some treats. Well...Jules was very excited about the candy..she carried the pumpkin en route to the fiesta and kept trying to eat treats-she seems to be developing a sweet tooth just like daddy! She had a great time playing with the 'big' kids and trying to steal food from the food table. Her partner in crime, neighbor Julia, was on the hunt for cookies. All in all-it was a great time!

Earlier in the week, Uncle Brian came in town to visit from Miami. We went out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and there was a mariachi band. Julia was a little wary at first, but ended up loving the band! She was dancing in her little booster seat, it was fab!

October 12 - Just Like Mommy

I couldn't resist snapping this photo of the bean. There is a basket of books next to her crib and she occasionally pulls one out to 'read' when she wakes up in the morning (it is adorable, we go in to get her up and she is usually laying on her back with a book). Well, yesterday, I laid her down for her nap and she immediately passed out (she exerted a lot of energy at the park that morning). About 45min into the nap, I heard her get up, move around, and then fall back asleep. I eventually went in to wake her up and she was snoozing away, surrounded by books! I LOVE it!!

I did a few posts last week but I neglected to mention the bean's fabulous week at school. Her class hosted a juggler, a toe tapping African drum performance, the Dancin' Gators dance troupe, a photographer and a sign language lesson. Her teachers told me she absolutely loved the juggler! They do so many educational/fun things, it makes me wish I were in school again!

And here is a photo of the bean (looking more and more like a little girl every day) standing in her rocking chair-she is quite the climber these days. We have to watch her like a hawk!

October 9 - Nice to Meet You Tad

Uncle Bryan surprised Jules with Tad the Frog this week. He is quite the stuffed animal-he plays songs (If you're happy and you know it clap your hands, etc), music for dancing (salsa, disco among others), and you can squeeze his hands, feet and belly and he tells you 'That is my belly!' He is cute and educational-we love it! Thank you Uncle Bryan!

In other fun news, Jules decided to raid my dresser this morning and put on one of my shirts. Then she decided to grab J.D.'s wallet and of course, immediately pulled out his debit card! We are going to have to watch out for her when she is older!

October 5 - Hunger Strike

Amelia Peabody: she is our first baby and my first snuggle muffin. She's our lovable lab that loves giving kisses, fetching balls and snuggling. She is currently Julia's best buddy and partner in crime-food crime. She eats whatever Jules gives her...which is a bite if not more of whatever Jules is eating. She is currently on a strict diet since she was 84lb (!!) at her last checkup. Although she lives a wonderful, posh life of dog food, human snacks and sleeps on the love seat all day, the poor thing does suffer from UTI's. We are on our third this year alone. After an expensive trip to the vet last week, she went on antibiotics and HATES them so much she is now on a dry food and medication hunger strike. I couldn't even entice her to take the meds when they were slathered in peanut butter or cheese! I poured beef broth on her food this morning and couldn't trick her into eating it. Luckily she has a little extra fat on her so I know she will be okay! Of course, I'm sure if Julia tosses her some pasta tonight she'll have no problem eating it!

Otherwise...we had a great weekend. We went to the park, an arts festival, spent a few hours at Petsmart on Saturday (Julia loved all the dogs, cats, fish, rodents, etc), and had Jill and Julia over yesterday to play. Here are Jules and I yesterday wearing matching outfits (it wasn't planned, I swear!). How adorable is she? She is really turning into a little girl.(and notice she has a graham cracker in her hand...she loves those things!)

October 2 - Anatomy 1.0

Like most households with children-there is a lot of book reading, singing and dancing going on. Many of the books and songs focus on body parts and our little bean is quickly learning them! She now knows where her eyes, nose, mouth, ears, tummy/belly, hands and feet are. It is adorable! We asked her where stuff was yesterday before school and she was pointing it all out in front of the mirror. Fabulous!

October 1 - She can't get enough aqua!

Hey dad-can I help water the plants?

Do you mind if I stick my hand in the water?

Wow-this water is refreshing, I must get a taste.

Unbelievable. This is absolutely amazing. I think I need to bath myself in this water. (yes, I walked directly into the water stream)

Playing with water is so much fun!

September 25 - Baby Yamo #2?

A few of you have inquired if baby Yamo #2 is on the way due to my reference in an earlier blog post about being done with bottles "for now" and the sidebar comment about baby x due in May 2010. I can assure you 100% that I am NOT pregnant right now. Yes, we would like to have another child in the next few years, but the baby I referenced due in May is not mine! I'll announce the parents after the 12 week mark. Sorry to those of you getting excited about another chubster with dimples...for now, the bean is our one and only (except of course our furry baby, Amelia, whom we still love to pieces).

Happy Friday everyone!

September 24 - Good Morning Kiss

I have to share the sweetest thing with everyone. Yesterday morning, J.D. got up with the bean (changed her, gave her some milk, etc) and then brought her into our bedroom to say hello to me. He put her on the bed and she crawled over to me and kissed me on the cheek! She has never proactively kissed me before! It was so cute!

(here is a photo of her from August, going down the slide by herself for the first time. Our little daredevil loved it)

September 21 - Spooky Doesn't Scare the Bean

Greetings everyone! We had an adventuresome weekend here in hot, humid north central Florida. I have to keep checking the calendar because it feels like mid-July instead of the end of September...where is the cool fall weather? And I hope it arrives soon!

On Saturday, Jill and I took to the girls to a pond at North Florida Regional Medical Center (yes, the placed where our esteemed daughters entered this world) where we fed the ducks and turtles. I'm happy to note that the turtles seemed to love German dark wheat bread while the ducks preferred french bread. After hanging out with the ducks, we headed to a Halloween store at the mall to check out costumes. Although
there was a huge selection, there weren't too many toddler options). Anyhoo-they did have life size "scary" monsters and wouldn't you know that Jules LOVED them. Whenever I put her down she would immediately run over to them and just stare at them with wonder. She definitely was not scared! We finished off the day at Jill's house where the girls played with flashcards and an assortment of toys.

Yesterday, the four of us went to a local park which was fun but extremely hot. We lasted about 45min and then called it a day. The
sun was just too strong. Afterward, Jules and I went to a local discount store to find kid furniture. I found an adorable red armchair and ottoman but it was $80. I'll keep searching for something more affordable. After that, Jules and I went to TCBY yogurt where she sampled chocolate frozen yogurt (she HATED it!) and she had a great time running around the store with crayons and coloring books.

She also had fun coloring with daddy this weekend and got to see Great Uncle Brian for a few minutes Saturday night.