Merry Christmas

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. We had the BEST Christmas ever!! Of course Julia didn't understand what was going on but Mommy and Daddy thought everything was great by just having her with us.

Our celebrating started at noon Christmas Eve, with a visit to Grandma and Papa's house where we exchanged gifts with Scott's immediate family. Julia received a couple pairs of pj's, an outfit, a beautiful hand knit sweater, her first purse set, a johnny jumper and a little people plane. After that we went to Nona and Grandpa's house where we exchanged gifts with my immediate family. Julia received 4 dresses, an outfit, a white gold charm bracelet with a heart charm, and a very cool walker. From there we went on to my aunt and uncle's house for our traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner, Feast of the Seven Fishes. Which is AWESOME!!! Julia was so good with socializing with everyone and was sooo good even though it was way past her bedtime.

Christmas morning started at our house with lots of presents from Santa for all of us. Julia was very good so Santa brought her the most. She received a Laugh and Learn computer game, a Laugh and Learn Stage, a sensory ball, a really big stuffed Elmo, a book, and Shrek 3 DVD. After all the presents Julia was able to take a nap before Nona and Grandpa came over for breakfast. I made a breakfast casserole that turned out really good (thanks Diane for the recipe). I put it together the day before and all I had to do was bake it for an hour. It was so easy. We especially love going to our church for Christmas day. The church alone is so beautiful and they decorate it so nice for Christmas. Scott and I have helped decorate in the past but it's so hard now with Julia. Hopefully again we can do it again. Mass was given by our favorite priest, Father Ed. Thank God, he has recovered so well from his hip surgery (it was really hard because there were complications with his first hip surgery where they were not able to do it the first time.) Julia was so good during mass, she looked all around and of course smiled at all the people. After mass Julia was able to take another nap, actually we all took one before we were off to our next destination. Uncle Sammy's house, where we had a wonderful dinner. And of course Julia got another present from Bobby and Jill, a very cute little outfit. Our final stop of the day was to Uncle Fred and Aunt Debbie's. Again it was way past Julia's bed time and she was so good. We finally got home at 11 and Julia went right to bed. I know it was a lot for her but she was such a trooper.

Julia was very spoiled by everyone this Christmas and we are very thankful for all the wonderful gifts from everyone!!!

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8 Months Old

Today Julia is 8 months old. She is such a joy. This week alone she is crawling all over the place, pulling herself up on everything, her favorite thing is to pull herself up and let go (which really scared me the first time she did it) and she also learned to clap her hands. She is so proud when she claps her hands its sooooo cute. She is such a happy baby, she is always smiling!!! It's so funny when she coughs she smiles after. When we are out shopping and passing by people she just smiles at them, such a social butterfly. We had to lower her crib now that she is pulling herself up too. I've also let her try some of the baby finger food treats, like puffs and these pin wheel puff things. They all melt very quickly. She seems to think its really weird having an object in her mouth but she does chew it up. She is just growing up so fast, I just want her to be a baby for as long as I can.


I know she doesn't understand everything I say but I always talk to Julia. Lately I've been explaining that it's Christmas time and we celebrate Christmas because it was the day Jesus was born. I also tell her about Santa and I tell her that Santa says "ho ho ho", and when I tell her this she just cracks up. We took her to the mall today to see Santa. Lots of babies cry when they see Santa, but no not Julia. Scott put her in his lap and she checked him out stared at him for a minute and then looked at the camera and smiled big.

Family Christmas Party

We had one of our Families Christmas Parties on Dec 9. It was loads of fun with all of the kids. Last year alone there were four of us pregnant (two of us had girls and two had boys). Here is a picture of all of us when we were pregnant, from L to R: Kathy had Ben Dec 26, Margie had Faith March 12, me, I had Julia April 18 and Mandy had Aedan June 5. And here is a picture of the babies now!!

Uncle Norb fully dressed up as Santa this year!! He looked great. Uncle Norb and Aunt Vicki go all out for this party. With lots of yummy food, gifts for all the kids, and all the families got a ham too!!!!

Julia is on the move

Julia took 4 crawls to Daddy today. And the other day she took 2 to me. It happened so fast that I was not sure if it even really happened. But with Scott today she definitely was moving. The past week she has been really trying to move. She can be flat on her stomach and put herself in a sitting position. On Thursday (Dec. 6) I went in her room in the morning and she was just sitting there playing with her dolly. Playing she has been moving from her butt to a crawling position, then positioning herself differently then sitting back down. She will go in a complete circle sometimes. Being mobile just in time for the Christmas tree, but the tree might not be a problem this year, she is not to into it. She looks for a bit but then is off to something else. We will also see if she will walk early because she is always wanting to stand, I hope not I want to keep her little as long as I can. She is also trying to talk. She will say "huh" and then when you say something back to her she repeats herself, we go back and forth. I realized that I’m always saying hi, hi. That is what I think she is trying to mimic. She is also blowing air out of her mouth. She thinks it’s so funny. That last thing that she is doing with her mouth is making kinda like a tapping noise (she is taking her tongue and making a noise with it when she presses it to the roof of her mouth (does that make sense)).
So I’m thinking about starting to give her some of those Gerber puffs. They are supposed to just melt in their mouths. We really have not given Julia much of anything besides baby food. So I think this will be a good start.

And of course we got her pictures professionally taken for Christmas:

Julia's First Thanksgiving

Hope all our family and friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We sure did. Julia's first Thanksgiving was great. We celebrated at my parents house (they always have Thanksgiving at their house) with 25 family members. Julia got a taste of sweet potatoes, gravy, and chicken soup. When she was tasting the gravy she would smack her lips together. So cute!!

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful. I believe everyone should be thankful for what they have and not to dwell on what they don't have. I'm so thankful for my wonderful baby girl!!!! She is my world. My husband. Our family and friends. Every one's health. Our jobs.




















BE THANKFUL
Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary because it means you've made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

It's Been Awhile, so let's catch up.

Julia has been such a little stinker lately. If she's up she is moving. She is almost about to crawl, she tries really hard. She gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth and when she tries to move she just falls on her belly. It's so funny when you tell her "no", she shakes her head back and forth and smiles. It's the cutest thing!! There is just something about this baby that people are so drawn to her. Every time we are out someone has to tell me how cute she is or how good she it.

My cousin Paolo got married to Sherene on the 9th!!!! Sherene looked gorgeous!!! I couldn't help myself but I had tears when she was walking down the aisle. I'm so happy for my cousin that he found such a good person. We brought Julia to the ceremony. I had a reading to do. I went up there and did the reading without Julia making a peep. But as soon as I was finished she let out a big yell. It was perfect timing. It was kinda like she was telling me "yeah good job Mom".

Okay, last time I talked about this I jinxed myself. But I feel confident enough to say it now. JULIA IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!! It only took 6 1/2 months but we have arrived!!! At her 6 month check up our pediatrician told us that by this age she could go 12 hours without having to get up to eat. It was going to be tough but we needed to teach her that. She also stated the longer that we let it go on the harder it was going to be to break. So the first night we "let her cry it out" she cried on and off for 2 hours. The next night it was 1 hour. After that it was maybe 10 minutes. It was very hard, Scott and I supported each other in not going to her (gosh it broke my heart). But we wanted to deal with it now instead of later. I'm just glad it's over.

One other thing is that Julia is completely on formula now. We transitioned gradually to formula. My goal was to breastfeed for 6 months. Which was reached. At times I thought that I wouldn't make it but I did it. Breastfeeding was harder than I thought it would have been. Maybe it was because I pumped all day and feed her from the bottle.

Julia and Alexander

Julia's friend Alexander and his big sister Brianna stopped over today for a play date. Alex is Mike and Lovonna's son, Mike and Scott have been close friends since Junior High, and Mike was the best man in our wedding. The kids have not seen each other for awhile now and they both have gotten so big. It was so fun to see them interact with each other. Alex is 1 month and 1 day older than Julia. So Alex can do a few more things than she can, he just learned to crawl. And he was crawling all over Julia. When Alex first came over they both were checking each other out and grabbing the other one ears. But it was a true classic moment when Alex found Julia's pacifier and put it in his mouth, she noticed that he had her pacifier and took it right out of his mouth and put it in her own. It was hilarious. I'm glad that we were able to get them together and should do it more often!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Julia's 1st Halloween was so much fun for all of us. We went visiting instead of trick-r-treating, Mom doesn't need the extra candy. We first started at Grandma and Papa's house, then we went to see Great Grandma. Then to Nona and Grandpa's house where we handed out candy and seen all the kids in their costumes. Our last stop we went to see our friends Tyler and Halen. The whole day was jam packed of fun!!!!


Here are some pictures from the Halloween Season:

6 Month Pictures

Julia does such a good job when we go to have her pictures taken. This is the second time that we went to My Photographer at Macomb Mall. I requested Linda who also took Julia's 3 month pictures, she does such a good job. Julia may be on the next mailing for My Photographer, they had me sign a release to use her pictures. What a super star!!!

6 Months Old

We can't believe that Julia is already 6 months old. She is getting so big and learning new things everyday. She is laughing so much more and really expressing herself. She loves bouncing up and down. We have a Baby Einstein activity bounce center that she really takes off on and when you hold her she is always bouncing up and down. She tells us when she is mad by grunting. She also knows her name!! When she is full she definitely lets us know by pushing the food/bottle away. Found out that even if she is hungry she does not like green beans. It's so adorable when she wants up, she reaches out for you. She loves playing with Mommy and Daddy. And it's so cute when we are all playing with each other how she cuddles in and kinda hides her face.

We have a 6 month well visit coming up this week.

Here are her stats:
Ht: 24 1/2 inches (20th percentile for her age)
Wt: 16 lbs (30th percentile)
Head: 17 inches (70th percentile)

1st Tooth

Julia got her first tooth today!!!! She has been so good too!!! She usually does not let you look in her mouth but now that she has a tooth she lets you. I think she is showing off.

Sleeping Break Through

Whooo Hooo we had a break through last night. Julia ONLY woke up once!!!! I put her down at 8, she woke up at 1:30 for a feeding, which is normal, and then she didn't wake up again until 8 this morning. She would usually wake up a second time around 4 or 5, but she didn't. Of course I woke up, looked at the monitor, seen she was sleeping and snuggled back under my covers and fell right back asleep. Hopefully it will be like that again tonight.

...10/18 This must have been a one time deal because it has not happened again.

Cider Mill

Having a baby just makes everything so much more fun!!! We took Julia to the Cider Mill on Tuesday and had such a good time. It was hard to get a picture of her looking at the camera because she just wants to check everything out. We took a train ride which she seemed to enjoy, she did a lot of laughing. We took a lot of pictures and she really did not seem to mind us putting her in some unusual places; a bin full of pumpkins, on a tractor, and in a bin full of corn stalks. All the pumpkins look so big when she sits next to them.

I'm Sitting All By Myself!!!

Julia is sitting all by herself!!! On Saturday we could see she was getting better at sitting but still falling over. Then Sunday she got even better, and by Monday (10/8) she had mastered the sitting position!!! Sometimes you can see that she could fall over but she uses her muscles and catches herself. It is so cool to just see her sitting there and playing. Now that she is sitting by herself she is really playing with all her toys and going from one toy to the other. She always goes back to her State rattle.

Now that she is sitting bath time is a little different. I've still been putting her little bathtub in the sink. And let's just say last night I gave Julia a bath and washed the floor at the same time. She was having such a good time just splashing away. Her next bath we are going to move to the bathroom.

A Few More Pictures From The Summer

Every year my family cans their own tomato sauce (I know what dagos), well her is a picture of Julia in the tomato grinder:Julia's first dip in the pool was Labor Day weekend at my Aunt Rose's:
The second time was at my friend Dawn's house:

Here is a couple great pics to show how big she has gotten, the first pic was when she was a newborn and the second pic was just the other day at 5 months:

I just love these pics, age 3 months:

The Wave

Julia waved at her Uncle Frankie last week. It was so cute and it was by no means an accident. We tried to get her to wave at us but she only seems to wave at him. Maybe that's because he does the goofy Forrest Gump wave!!! Gena is trying to teach her too high five too!!! She has also learned to stick out her tongue and blow, which makes a funny noise. It is so cute!!!

Eating Baby Food

We have been trying to get Julia to eat baby food (or as books refer to it as solids) since 3 ½ months. We first started with cereal, then sweet potatoes, pears. She didn’t want to take anything in her mouth she would just spit it out. So we would try every couple of weeks and finally a couple of days before she turned 5 months she just took off. Our first clue that she was ready was that we were having problem with her sleeping. For 2 days she would be up and down all night long. I called the pediatrician and they said to give her breakfast, lunch and dinner. So that’s what we did, and for the past two days she has been sleeping well again. For breakfast she gets cereal with a fruit, for lunch she gets a fruit and a vegetable and then for dinner she gets a meat and a vegetable, and she also gets cereal in her night time bottle. She really likes sweet potatoes!!!

Recap of the first 4 months

The first 4 months of Julia’s life sure did go by so fast. She amazes Scott and me everyday. The first couple of weeks after we brought Julia home were the hardest, very sleepless, and it has gotten easier everyday. Her first smile was at 8 weeks, which was awesome. She was baptized on July 8 at 2 ½ months old. She just loves our priest Father Ed. Every time he talks to her she just looks at him with amazement. Her first laugh was August 1, which made her about 3 ½ months old. She got so excited when I came home from work that she just let out a big laugh. And she first rolled over August 2, also at 3 ½ months old. Now she even amazed herself with that one. She is getting stronger everyday and loves to hold things and play. She is very alert and loves to see what is going on around her and really notices her surroundings. At 4 months she started sleeping in her crib and she didn’t have a problem with it (Mommy did she was sad). The day we decided to put her in her crib I ran out and bought a video monitor. Best thing that we have for her (or should I say me). It just made me feel so much more comfortable with her sleeping in her own room. I could see her anytime I wanted!!!! Julia is getting bigger by the day and we love and adore her so.