Wow-can you believe that we are entering the last week of October? Time is flying by so fast..seems like yesterday when we were counting down the days until my due date. Now Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are just around the corner!
We headed to Tampa this past weekend and it was quite an adventure. To start off with..we squeezed the whole family into the Honda (sorry, we didn't get a photo otherwise I would post it!). It was a snug fit. J.D. and Amelia took the front seats, while G-Man, Jules and I snuggled close in the back. Luckily, it is only a 2H drive so it wasn't too bad. Julia had an amazing time while we were there; she experienced lots of 'firsts.' At the Pok's, in addition to Jerry and Michel, she met Daisey (the poodle) 
and Gringo (the parrot). Then yesterday, we went to the Barnett's to watch the Bucs game. She hung out in her first tiki hut and met a new friend, baby Ella. Of course, being 2 and 4 months old, they can't play yet, but I'm sure they will be hosting tea parties and playing with dolls soon enough.
In addition to meeting a bunch of new people and pets, Julia got to snuggle with Grandma Yamo, Uncles Chad, Greg and Aunt Nicole. We also lucked out with beautiful weather all weekend so we took a few long walks around the neighborhood and checked out a lot of fun Halloween decorations (some of the homes were really decked out!). We headed back to Gainesville yesterday evening and got stuck in horrible traffic (3 lanes merged to 1 for approx. 1/2 mile of road work which resulted in an extra hour of driving) but both Julia and the dogs did great.
Enjoy your Monday everyone!
Hola everyone. Julia had her 2 month check up this week: she is 10lb 9oz and 22 inches long (50th percentile for both). The doctor was impressed with how well she is sleeping at night and said she is doing great.
In other news, we set up the activity gym a few weeks ago and Jules LOVES it. Although there is a hanging monkey, parrot and misc other animals, her favorite part of the gym is the butterfly mobile at the top (there is a one purple and one yellow butterfly). She is mesmorized looking at them, it is so cute. We also set up a little piano toy that plays popular children songs (traditional music or a dog barking the tune) which she is pretty interested in. 
Now that she is more alert and active, our days are really fun. After eating, we generally play in the activity gym for 10-15min, play with the piano for a few minutes, then I read to her for an hour or so. We attempt a nap (if I'm lucky, she'll sleep 20-30min in between feedings during the day) and then we eat again and repeat. We also take at least 2 long walks a day with the dogs (we're currently up to 5-6 miles a day, Julia loves the fresh air. She is usually awake for most of the walk too). Ah, I almost forgot to mention tummy time. We do tummy time every day too and she HATES it. Hopefully she'll learn to love it...and build strong muscles in the process!
Well-my little hippo is awake and hungry..so time for food and then a walk. I hope everyone is having a great evening!
I'm sure all of you are dying to know if Julia really started sleeping through the night or if earlier this week was just a fluke. The 2 nights following the 'great eight' she woke up once (4 hours stretches though, so not too bad) and she slept 7-8 the next few nights. So, I think she is rounding the corner.
This weekend we are traveling to Cedar Key, FL for a mini-vacation with Greg, Nicole and Chad. Cedar Key is a small fishing town on the coast and there is a seafoodfest this weekend, it should be a lot of fun. Right now, I'm taking a break from packing...it is amazing how such a small person requires so many things!
We were planning on introducing Julia to the pool in Cedar Key but I couldn't find small enough swim diapers so it probably won't happen. However..while packing her stuff I came upon her little bathing suit and had to take a few pictures, she looks so adorable!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Drum roll please....I am thrilled to announce that Julia slept over 8 hours last night. Yes, you read that correctly, EIGHT hours!! Eight hours straight with no interruptions. From 10:30pm-6:45am. I feel 100% rested for the first time in weeks. J.D. and I are so proud of our little hippo. Keep your fingers crossed that she repeats tonight!
Hello everyone! Today is Julia's 7 week old b-day, I can't believe it! She is getting more interactive every day, it is amazing. She has found her hands (and has quite a grip) and is cooing and smiling now. She is also trying really hard to hold her head up on her own. She is amazing strong for such a little person. She is doing great at night, usually sleeping one 6-hour stretch and then two 3-hour stretches. In not so good news, she has been more fussy than usual in the last week during the days. It is funny, everyone told me after week 6 things would get easier. Well, Jules was pretty easy until week 6 and now she is a little more challenging (especially when she is screaming..I need to catch a photo for you guys, we call her 'Angry Tomato Face' when she is going full steam) but overall she is still a great baby. I think she is going through a growth spurt right now. She is hungry ALL the time!! Oh-and her eyebrows 'came in' within the last week. They are so cute!
As for J.D. and I, we are doing great. I was cleared for exercise just over a week ago and I try to make it to the gym 3-4 times a week for some cardio (I tried a BOSU class and that wasn't for me, once I'm in better shape I'll tackle boot camp, the best class ever!). I meet with some girlfriends from work once a week (we all had babies around the same time) and I'm going to start hanging out with a new friend from our neighborhood (the one with a daughter named Julia). 
In fact, we have lunch plans tomorrow, I'm psyched. So, between new friends and the gym, I try to get out of the house at least once a day so I don't go stir crazy in our little house. I'm also walking a few miles a day with Julia and the pooches. It isn't easy pushing a stroller and walking 2 80lb dogs, but it is great exercise! (and Julia loves walks!)
Today is Julia's one month birthday and our little chunker is 8 lb 10oz!! (50th percentile). She's already outgrown a few newborn outfits and we'll probably be done with the newborn diapers in the next few days. She is growing so fast, it is unbelievable!!
We had our 4w check up yesterday and the doctor said she is doing great and is absolutely perfect. We couldn't agree more!!
So there is a girl in our neighborhood who must walk for a few hours every afternoon (I'm not exaggerating, I see her all the time now that I'm home). She is easy to spot because she is always reading a book while pushing a stroller (I'm quite impressed, there is no way I could do that). Anyhoo, last night we went on our evening family walk with Julia, Amelia and Guinness (a highlight of my day) and who did we see but this girl, her husband and their dog (a cute bulldog). 
J.D. and I talked to them and it turns out their 5-month old daughter is also named Julia! AND they told us there is another neighbor that had a baby girl named Julia. Three Julia's in our neighborhood, I love it! I'm also excited because Jill (that is the girl's name) obviously loves reading, so I'm hoping a friendship will develop. And even more fun-her and her husband own a pizza place in town. Baby girls named Julia, dogs, a love of reading and pizza..we seem to have a lot in common!!
In other news, Julia is doing absolutely fabulous. She is getting more interactive and aware every day. Starting early last week she is able to roll from one side to the other, and 
while she can't hold her head up yet (she's been trying since she was just a few days old) her neck is definitely getting stronger. She seems to be smiling now (not sure if that is on purpose or not, either way, she has adorable dimples when she does) and she grabbed a handful of my hair the other day (once again, this was probably not on purpose, but..who knows!). We are still doing our evening baths and she continues to LOVE LOVE LOVE the water (J.D. and I couldn't be happier with this).
Well-I hope all of you are having a great day and enjoy these recent photos (a few of you requested photos of Julia in her 'nice outfits' so even though she is crying in the green dress and making a 'why are you taking this photo' face in the yellow, I still think she looks adorable!!) And how fabulous are those horse pj's?? (thanks Uncle B!!)
Hello peeps! Julia is really enjoying her evening baths (don't worry-we only use cleanser every 4th time or so, we are trying to get her into a 'soothing' nightly routine). She hates being stripped naked before we place her in the water, but once she is on her bath sling, she absolutely LOVES it. And she makes the cutest faces when she is in the tub, I can't resist posting these photos. Some of these are my absolute favorite photos so far!! She's never looked so adorable! I love the shampoo shot (she LOVES having her head massaged..I predict many spa trips in her future).
Now, we just need to figure out how to keep her relaxed when we take her out of the tub and into her towel and into her pj's (I have to say she looks super cute in all her pj's, they are my favorite outfits!)...for those of you with munchkins of your own, let me know if you have any tricks!
Julia watched her first NFL game today and loved every minute of it. She was all dressed up in her snazzy Bucs onesie, matching red socks and even had the Bucs flag handy. Although she spent most of the game napping on Daddy (or eating, she can't get enough of the milky goodness), she learned all about the Bucs and professional football. Give her a few years and she'll be spouting football stats just like her Dad!
Although she was upset the Bucs didn't win, she thought Garcia looked good and was impressed with Bidwell and the special team performance. She agrees with Dad that Bryant dropped too many balls and Gruden should reconsider his position as starter.
Go Bucs!! Julia can't wait to attend a game in person, probably when she is a little older and can sport a Bucs cheerleader outfit.
Wow-can you believe that we are entering the last week of October? Time is flying by so fast..seems like yesterday when we were counting down the days until my due date. Now Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are just around the corner!
We headed to Tampa this past weekend and it was quite an adventure. To start off with..we squeezed the whole family into the Honda (sorry, we didn't get a photo otherwise I would post it!). It was a snug fit. J.D. and Amelia took the front seats, while G-Man, Jules and I snuggled close in the back. Luckily, it is only a 2H drive so it wasn't too bad. Julia had an amazing time while we were there; she experienced lots of 'firsts.' At the Pok's, in addition to Jerry and Michel, she met Daisey (the poodle) 
and Gringo (the parrot). Then yesterday, we went to the Barnett's to watch the Bucs game. She hung out in her first tiki hut and met a new friend, baby Ella. Of course, being 2 and 4 months old, they can't play yet, but I'm sure they will be hosting tea parties and playing with dolls soon enough.
In addition to meeting a bunch of new people and pets, Julia got to snuggle with Grandma Yamo, Uncles Chad, Greg and Aunt Nicole. We also lucked out with beautiful weather all weekend so we took a few long walks around the neighborhood and checked out a lot of fun Halloween decorations (some of the homes were really decked out!). We headed back to Gainesville yesterday evening and got stuck in horrible traffic (3 lanes merged to 1 for approx. 1/2 mile of road work which resulted in an extra hour of driving) but both Julia and the dogs did great.
