Happy Holidays!

Where did December go? I swear it went by faster this year than ever before. Maybe it was because Thanksgiving was so late in November, or possibly our trip to NYC. I think the stress of removing the hallway wallpaper and repairing it and the kitchen before our visitors arrived played a role too. I just can't believe that Christmas is over already. But what a crazy wonderful holiday! We spent Juliann's first holiday here at home. My side of the family came up on Christmas Eve to celebrate with us so we didn't have to travel with Jules-THANK YOU!!! Mom, Dad, Grandma Sugars, Ryan and Meredith all made it up to Richmond by lunchtime. Heather and her Ryan were here by late afternoon. We had lots of yummy food, wine, and beer and a ton of presents to open. I should have taken a picture of the tree and the mountain of presents underneath and spilling out into our living room. You couldn’t walk within 4 feet of the tree-it was crazy! And let’s just say that Juliann is one lucky kid. She had more gifts than anyone else did! Being the first baby in the family means that everyone spoils her! She’s in for a rude awakening in a few years when everyone is fawning over the next kid. She got a doll house, a stuffed Rompy dog, a neat toy that pops balls into the air, a jack in the box and much more. We spent the rest of the evening opening up gifts from each other and sharing lots of laughs! My big gift from David was a new video camera and he got a brand new camera to replace the one he broke at the UVa-Tech game.

Christmas morning was equally as wonderful. Santa brought Jules even more neat toys-including her Leap Frog table which she LOVES! I swear the child is either going to play a musical instrument or be a dancer. The minute she hears music-doesn’t matter where we are-she starts bobbing her head and bouncing all around. It is hysterical! All of the adults in the room were laughing so hard we were almost crying watching her move to the music of her new table. I’ll try to upload a video from my new video camera tomorrow.

After a great Christmas Day lunch everyone headed out. Friday afternoon we then headed up to Lexington to see David’s family. We spent all of Saturday walking around and enjoying the beautiful weather. It felt more like early spring than almost January! We also had more wonderful food (David and I are now officially on a diet) and opened presents-more toys for Juliann! We left Lexington Sunday afternoon and headed to Amherst for a quick dinner at Grandma Sugars house because my cousin (and David’s VMI roommate) was in with his family. Finally, around eleven Sunday evening, we made it back home to Richmond. It was a whirlwind of a holiday but we had a great time spending it with our families. We took a ton of pictures so I'll try to post some later this week. Hope everyone had a great holiday and Happy New Year!

NYC

David had an opportunity to go to New York for a conference at the beginning of December and I tagged along-oh how I love working part time! For the first time since February, David and I left Juliann for more than just a few hours. She spent 5 days with my parents, aunt, and grandmother while we were gone. We stayed 2 blocks up from Times Square at the Park Central Hotel. I shopped while David was attending the conference and on his breaks we checked out the sights of New York City. We were able to visit the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, Chinatown, the Empire State Building, Central Park, Carnegie Hall, Carnegie Deli, Macy's, Rockefeller Center, and even saw the Rocketts at Radio City Music Hall-we were busy! It was unbelievably cold on Saturday and Sunday (it even snowed for a bit) making walking around the city a challenge. We also tried the tour bus but only made it half way around because we were freezing. However, it apparently wasn't too cold for the Naked Cowboy (see picture below) who was playing his guitar in his briefs in 20 degree weather. We found the subway to be the fastest and warmest option!Thanks to my parents and their camera we were able to take lots of pictures of our trip!

the city skyline

the naked cowboy from our tour bus-he's the one in the white hat

Ground Zero still under construction

David and I at the top of the Empire State Building

my hair standing up on end because of the strong winds-David says I look like a troll doll

here's a sideways video of the crazy winds at the top of the Empire State Building

Statue of Liberty

The tree at Rockefeller Center

Central Park

Good-Bye Camera

Here are the last pictures that were taken with our camera before it broke at the Tech-UVa game. Thought they were worth sharing because Jules looks adorable all bundled up!

Thanksgiving

Our family had a lot to be thankful for this year. Everyone is happy and healthy, not to mention we've added a family member or two! Juliann's first Thanksgiving was a busy one. We spent part of the time up at Wintergreen with David's family, where Jules enjoyed playing with Peter's dog, Ranger. We then headed to Amherst to see my family and do a little Black Friday Christmas shopping! We finished off our Thanksgiving holiday with the UVa-VT football game in Blacksburg. We all nearly froze while tailgating at 9:30 in the morning and our camera broke, but the Hoos played a great game despite loosing to the Hokies. My mom and I took Jules to a restaurant to watch the game and got an adorable picture of her in UVa clothes with another little girl in a Tech outfit. If I can figure out how to get it off of my cell phone I'll try and post it! Below are some of the photos we were able to upload to the computer before the camera got smooshed in the Expedition's door!

family shot Group shot while hiking to walk off our Thanksgiving meal

Jules and Ranger

'Tis The Season

I guess its that time of year. Jules missed another Monday of Romp-N-Roll because we were at the doctor's office-AGAIN. She started having a gooey eye on Friday and by Saturday evening both eyes were swollen, red, and yucky. It didn't look like pink-eye so we decided to try warm compresses and see if that helped. Things hadn't really improved by Sunday evening so we figured it would be best to bring her in Monday and have the doctor check things out. However, her eyes looked better this morning so I almost called and cancelled the appointment. Glad I didn't! She ended up having pink-eye and an ear infection! I knew her eyes were bothering her, but I had NO CLUE that there was anything wrong with her ear. The doc said she would need some medicine so after I got her dressed I waited around to get the prescription. After waiting for a few minutes I went out in the hall and saw a nurse. She asked if she could help me and I told her I needed to get the prescription for my daughter. She politely smiled at me and said that they faxed it to our pharmacy already. Don't I feel like an idiot! I had no idea they did that since Jules hasn't been sick enough to require medicine until today. I gave her the chalky medicine with a special syringe dropper a while ago and she sucked it down! Hopefully this will be the last sickness for a while-the doctor has seen us 3 times in the last 2 weeks!

9 Month Check-Up and Much More

Juliann had her 9 month check up on the 14th and we were very happy with the doctor's reports. She weighed 16 lbs 5 oz which puts her in the 10%. She's small for her age but we wouldn't trade it-we love our little peanut! She is also getting taller and is now just over 27 inches. We're planning on getting her a new car seat for Christmas, as she is quickly outgrowing the infant carrier. Don't worry-she's getting plenty of toys too!


Friday was our second visit to the doctor's office because she had been pretty sick that Monday. Despite a fever of 102, her lungs and ears were clear so they attributed it to a cold. Monday evening was long and neither Juliann nor I got much sleep that night. Of course, whatever she had was out of her system by her check-up on Friday!


On Sunday the 16th we took Juliann to her first basketball game. We saw UVa play VMI at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. Jules is a very curious little girl and enjoyed watching all the movement and lights. The game was exciting to watch and VMI almost pulled off a victory over the Hoos. Although Jules was supporting David's alma matter on her clothes, I was glad UVa was able to get by with the win. :)

This past week was busy as usual and its hard to believe how quickly the time flies. We get so wrapped up in our lives and jobs that sometimes it seems like we're just going through the motions. Then Jules does something that stops us both in our tracks and makes us smile. Thursday evening was one of those times. Juliann loves to bob her head along to music and even rocks to the beat! But something was missing and Thursday evening she added to her repertoire of tricks-she clapped! Since then she's been doing it nonstop! It's so cute and I wish I had a video but you'll have to settle for a picture!

On Friday we went to visit Mary Kyle and Kate. It's amazing how quickly she has grown! She is as cute as ever and is much more interactive and aware than the last time I came over for a visit. Juliann saw Kate and was ready to play. She is so used to being with babies her age at Romp-N-Roll and didn't quite understand why Kate wasn't crawling around on the floor with her!

Jules and Kate at lunch

This past weekend we were in Charlottesville again. David and a friend went to the game while Jules and I went shopping with Grammy and Grandma Sugars. I didn't want her out in the cold and wasn't thrilled with the idea myself so we let the boys go to the game and the girls went shopping. We all had a good time and I even got some Christmas presents!


We are looking forward to spending the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday with our families. We'll be heading to Wintergreen, Lynchburg and then to Blacksburg for the UVa/VT football game. Be sure to check back for lots of pictures from the holidays!

Visiting With Family and Friends

After a very long week, Juliann and I were really looking forward to the weekend. Jules was feeling better after getting over a cold, David was coming home after a week in Dallas for work, and we also had plans to spend some time with family and friends. We got up early Saturday morning and headed to Lexington to see Grandma Ellington and Uncle Peter.

Jules and Uncle Peter

playing with her new drum from Grandma Ellington

my new favorite picture

Then on Sunday one of my college roommates, Kelly, came down to visit. We hung out, had lunch, and went to Bass Pro to make David happy!

Kel and Jules

On a hot pink ATV at Bass Pro

The start of this week was a bit rough, Jules was pretty sick on Monday and had a high fever. After a long night with little sleep, I stayed home from work for the second Tuesday in a row to be with my sick little girl. She was much better today and I was able to go to work. Let's hope that whatever she's had for the last two weeks is finally out of her system!

Happy Halloween!

This was Juliann's first Halloween and although we didn't take her trick-or-treating, we decided to still get her a costume to wear while we answered the door and passed out candy. Most of those who know us, know that we are somewhat thrifty...okay, down right frugal! We wanted to find a cute costume for Jules that was cute but wouldn't cost us a fortune. I looked around for a few weeks (I seriously saw a costume at Pottery Barn Kids for $119-for a 6-9 month old!!!) and settled on an adorable puppy dog from Target. I got it at the beginning of October and assumed that it would fit. WRONG! Poor kid was squeezed into the costume for a few minutes-long enough for me to get a few pictures and answer the door a few times. She did look cute though!

ready for bed in a Halloween sleeper from my parents

My parents were in town for the weekend and took Jules to Maymont Park on Saturday. The weather was beautiful and it sounds like they had a great time. :)

Grampy and Jules

Grammy and Jules

Jules also turned 9 months old on Saturday-can you believe it! She's been with us now as long as (well, actually longer than) she was in my tummy! Here are some things she is doing at 9 months:

• Crawling like a pro
• Pulling up on just about everything
• Cruising from one side of the couch to the other
• Walking long distances with support-I honestly don't think it will be long before she is walking on her own though!
• Eating things mashed and cut into small pieces
• Feeding herself small pieces of food
• Clicking with her tongue
• Bobbing and rocking-the girl has rhythm even when there's no music!
• Humming
• Waving hello and bye-bye

Pumpkin Patch

Today we took Juliann to pick out her first pumpkin. Our friends Stephanie and Brad came with us to the Ashland Berry Farm. We enjoyed the gorgeous fall day by taking a hayride out to the pumpkin patch and then walking around looking for just the right pumpkin. Unfortunately, we waited until the weekend before Halloween to go so there weren't many good pumpkins left. After searching for about an hour, we had collected a few decent pumpkins. We found a baby pumpkin for Jules, a nice looking pumpkin for myself and David found, in his words "a butt pumpkin." The Berry Farm had a deal where for $20 you could keep as many pumpkins as you could carry for 3 steps. David loaded up his arms with all the pumpkins we found and we walked out of there with 7 pumpkins! Before we left we walked over to the small petting zoo area where there were a bunch of billy goats and pigs. Jules loved seeing the animals, as you can see from the pictures below. We all had a fun time and it topped off a great weekend-including another win for the Hoos! :)

our little pumpkin

heading out to the pumpkin patch

hayride back with our pumpkins

a little billy goat at the Berry Farm

Football Weekend

This past weekend was the UVa-UNC football game. Since it was a 3:30 game we decided to take Jules with us for her first football game. We tailgated with David's aunt and uncle, as well as his cousin and his cousin's girlfriend. Although it was a little cold, we had a great time and were looking forward to the game. Jules seemed to really enjoy all the people, but did take a little nap during the game! I couldn't believe that she slept through all the cheering and screaming but was grateful she was getting a little sleep since she hadn't slept since our car ride down at 11. We almost left early because Jules was hungry and tired, but UVa tied the game with 2 minutes to go. They ended up winning in overtime and we were very glad we stayed! It was a great weekend, topped off by David's birthday on Monday. We took lots of pictures so enjoy!

Kristen, Patrick and Jules
Jules and Mom

Jules and Dad

Susan and Jules

at the game

final score

Teeth and More

Juliann officially has 4 teeth now! Two on the bottom and two more up top. While most people love her pearly whites, I'm not such a huge fan of them right now. This newest top tooth has been the worst. Jules has been cranky and chewing on EVERYTHING. Especially things that are not meant to be bitten. :( They look cute, but are so deceiving! Isn't there a saying that goes something like "don't bite the hand that feeds you"?!? Apparently Juliann hasn't heard of it!

This morning Juliann and I didn't get to sleep in. Neither of us were very happy to wake up and start our day at 6:30 for the 4th day in a row. On the days I don't work I usually nurse her and then she goes back to sleep for another hour or two, PLUS takes another morning and then an afternoon nap. But today we had to be in the west end by 9:30 because she had an appointment for her flu shot. For all the time it took us to get ready, drive down there, and wait to be seen, it was a huge time waster. They seriously pricked her, stuck a band-aid on her little leg, and pushed us out the door. Jules was a trooper though! One small little cry when the nurse gave her the shot and that was it! We then stopped by David's office for a quick visit and then ran by the mall to buy her some new socks and a pair of shoes. She's coming with us to the game tomorrow so I don't want her little feet to freeze!

When we got home I did some of her laundry. Juliann decided to help me fold her clean clothes. It was too cute not to share!

I swear she's doing something new every time we turn around. This week alone she started saying dada, which made David VERY happy! And she's also testing the waters with pulling and standing up. Yesterday she was holding on to the couch and let go with one hand to turn and look at me! Once she really figures out the whole pulling up thing on a regular basis we're going to be in trouble. Because it only leads to one thing: walking. And I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet.

Crazy Week

So last week was a busy one. I started my new job as an SOL coach on Tuesday, which meant Jules went to Ms. Jenny's. It was a good first day, but I missed being home with Juliann and I think she felt the same way. She had a really hard time when I left her and apparently cried (screamed liked she was being harmed) for much of the morning. Then David went out of town for work on Wednesday and Thursday, meaning I was pulling single mom duty for the next 2 days. Trying to get Jules and myself ready for work was not so much fun. Going back to work is turning out to be quite a bit different than I expected, and not in a good way. :( By Friday I was exhausted. I should have been relaxing and enjoying my birthday, but not so much! We decided to have some friends over to celebrate the porch and patio being "almost" done and the fact that it was my birthday was another reason to have some fun. This meant that we spent Friday cleaning the house and getting ready for guests. However, we had a great time Friday evening and it was the perfect way to spend my birthday. We had planned to go to the game on Saturday morning but that meant getting up early to head down to C'ville for the 12:00 game. We decided to forgo the game and sleep in. At the time it was a great decision, but the Cavs ended up beating ECU and in retrospect, we both wish we had made it down there to see the game. Jules and I spent the rest of the weekend visiting with my family in Amherst. I'd like to say that this week has gotten off to a smoother start, but I'd be lying! Bring on the craziness!

Fall Happenings

I love the fall! It is my favorite season and I'm excited to share it with Juliann. There are so many things to enjoy during the fall: the leaves changing; the beautiful, crisp weather; football games; apple cider; sitting by a fire-this list could go on and on. A few weekends ago we took Jules apple picking at Carter's Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville. We met up with the ed school girls and their families for a little fun. Although the weather didn't cooperate initially (we're talking pouring rain at one point) the sun did come out and we came home with yummy apples at a great price! I'm planning on using some of them to make Jules applesauce. I wish I had pictures to share, but none of us brought our cameras!

The weather last Thursday morning was beautiful and I decided to take Jules on a walk around the neighborhood. I knew if I was a little chilly that she'd be downright cold, so I put her in the warmest sleeper she has, wrapped her in the bundle me meant for her car seat, put on an adorable hat, and we were ready to go!

She was so content and cozy that half way through our walk, she fell asleep! After her nap, I dressed her and decided to experiment with her hair. We don't have any hair ties yet but did have some clips. This was my attempt at giving her pig tails! Adorable!!!

We went to the UVa game this past weekend. David's parents met us in C'ville and took Jules up to Wintergreen so we could go to the 7pm game. Surprisingly, the Hoos won 31-0 against Maryland! We had a great time and spent Sunday walking around Wintergreen and enjoying the wonderful fall weather!

8 Months Old!

How is it possible that our little girl is already 8 months old?!? She is growing up so fast! She just cut her third tooth (this one is on top) and is going for a weight check on Friday. We think she's about 15 pounds now. It's hard to believe that in just 4 short months she will be a year old. Where has the time gone?!?

Some things she is doing now:
saying "mama"-promise there's no coaching!
drinking from the sippy cup on her own
crying to be held or when mom walks out of the room :(
crawling all over the place
pulling up-and falling down
walking with support

pulling up for the first time on Wednesday, September 24th

Things That Go Bump

Apparently being a baby is a full contact sport! Over the past couple of days Juliann has had a few causalities while crawling. This past weekend she was trying to get her favorite toy, a little yellow ball, that rolled away and face planted onto the hardwood floor. Even the carpet has left its mark. She's also trying to pull up in her crib and repeatedly hits her forehead on the side of the crib in her attempts to stand. The latest bump happened at her sitter's Wednesday. She crawled to a bookshelf filled with toys and when she tried reaching for one...bonk! She now has a purple bruise on her forehead. Although it looks bad, she seems no worse for wear.

Welcome Baby Kate!

My friend, Mary Kyle, had her little girl this past Wednesday after 20 hours of labor. :( She's truly a rock star compared to my 3 hours with Juliann. Jennifer Kate was born on her due date and was a little over 8 pounds. We went to visit the newest addition over the weekend and baby Kate is absolutely precious! It's been over 7 months since I've held a newborn and for a fleeting moment, made me want another one! The moment the words left my mouth, Jules fell over and started crying, causing me to quickly reevaluate my thought. One is enough for now, thanks! Here are some pics of our visit!

Jules and David

baby Kate in mommy's and daddy's arms

Messy Baby!

The other night I was trying to make dinner and put Jules in her high chair while I worked. She played and chewed on her spoon for a bit but started getting restless. I wanted to get dinner in the oven before I fed her and tried talking to her while I worked. Her cute talking turned to whining which turned in to crying and quickly escalated to screaming and beating on her high chair table. Apparently she was hungry and she wanted to eat NOW! I debated about whether I should stop and feed her, but realized if I did, we wouldn't be ready to eat dinner until well after 8pm. I needed 10 more minutes to finish but knew she wouldn't wait. So I compromised! I quickly mixed together some milk and rice cereal, put it in one of her little bowls, and let her have at it! I knew she'd be a mess and that I'd have to give her a bath, but I also knew I'd have time for that once dinner was in the oven! Minutes after giving her the food, she was covered! For a moment I regretted my decision but she was having so much fun that I knew it was worth it. I ran to get the camera to capture her attempt at eating on her own.

As soon as she was finished, I gave her some purred veggies and then it was bath time! She's been showering with us for a while, but now that she's able to sit up on her own, we tried the bath tub for the first time. She had a blast!

And She's Off...

Ignoring the fact that my daughter is dressed in the EXACT same outfit as the last pictures I posted, you need to check out the video from today. Jules has been trying to really crawl for the last few days and I think she's finally getting the hang of it. I know I'm going to be wishing she'd just sit still before too long, but I love (as evident by my cheers in the video) that she's learning something so huge! Go Jules go!

Romp and Roll

We went to a preview class not too far from us on Friday. While the class looked to be fun, Jules and I were the ONLY people there besides the instructor for the first 20 minutes. Imagine singing with a strange man in his mid to late forties to The Wheels on the Bus. I mean, I never minded singing with my kids at school-they all thought I had a great voice. And Jules certainly can't complain about my singing at this point in time. But there is comfort in numbers and I was all alone. Although another mother came midway through the class, I decided it was a no go at this particular location.

A friend had enrolled her daughter at one about 15 minutes away and it was well worth the drive today. Juliann got to interact with 6 other babies all about her age and she was all smiles during this class. It is definitely worth the $ as a fun way for her to explore and work on her motor development (aka crawling) and a chance for me to meet some other mothers. I left there today much happier, with one exception. The songs are addictive. I've been singing (to the tune of Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush) "this is the way the babies bounce, the babies bounce, the babies bounce, this is the way the babies bounce here at romp and roll" all freakin afternoon. The next two verses include mommies and daddies and I swear there are a dozen more songs stuck in my head!!!! And I know its only going to get worse as the weeks go by (its a 12 week class) because they repeat the same songs throughout each class! I'm going to be singing these songs in my sleep...

Mover and Shaker

Juliann doesn't sit still. She's constantly moving, even at night. I put her to sleep in the middle of the crib on her back and when we go in to her room in the morning she's at one end of the crib on her tummy. Yesterday I put her down to play with her toys on a few blankets on the carpet in the living room. I went into the kitchen to refill my water bottle and when I returned, she had squirmed her way to the hardwood floor. Notice I did not use the word crawl. She's not exactly crawling yet, although she would like to be! I'm sure it would be much easier than what she is doing now! It goes something like this: get on all fours, rock back and forth, push up to sitting, then roll to one side, slide (usually backwards), and repeat. It's quite amusing to watch! You can tell that she's becoming increasingly frustrated because it takes her so long to get from point A to point B. It'll come though. I'll probably be wishing for this squirming back in a few months when she's into everything! Here are some pictures of her attempts at crawling.

And this one is just plain cute so I had to share! Notice the letters are finally up above her crib-yay!