Friday, January 21, 2011

Happy 8 months to my Beautiful Belle

Julianna is 8 months old - well, she will be this Sunday, but since it's not likely that I'll be blogging during the Packers or Jets game, I'm doing it today.

This has been a great month of firsts and new things! Julianna is really becoming such a big girl and she is changing so much. She is doing tons of rasberries lately. And I am talking about serious Razzzzberries where spit flies everywhere (take cover!) and she thinks it's sooo funny! Every day she does something new that we just can't believe. She is getting so strong too, like being able to sit up from an almost laying down position.

And yes, I am already thinking obsessing about Julianna's first Birthday Party. I decided (with Brian's approval) that we are going to do a Hungry Caterpillar theme for her Birthday Party. She seems to love that book when we read it to her, and hey, we like it too! I found so many great ideas on the Internet and I can easily make the Hungry Caterpillar from Cupcakes. I saw that on someone's blog not too long ago - I wish I could remember who it was so I could credit them. I did a google search on the Hungry Caterpillar and there are hundreds of ideas out there. I can't wait!! (I'm a dork, I know!)

I am not what you would call creative at all.
However, if I see something in a photo or online, I can
probably figure it out & copy it. Here are some ideas that I like:


Hungry Caterpillar pizzas! Love it! Easy!

Hungry Caterpillar Party Favors!

One big first that I am particularly tickled about is Julianna's ability to drink out of a sippy cup. We are trying to get her to drink just a little water every day from her sippy cup so it's easier to wean her off the bottle when she hits a year old. She has been doing it for a few weeks now - I hold the bottle for her and she drinks. (She still has not attempted to hold her formula bottle yet- what a diva!) It's pretty cute to see her bird mouth open up for it. She got the hang of it pretty fast- maybe a week. But today we had a very special thing happen!

See the riveting sippy cup adventure unfold below:

This is usually how it goes. We hold the sippy cup and the little princess opens her bird mouth so she can drink from it. If we give the cup to her, she usually plays with it and then loses interest.

Today, when we gave her the cup ... Holy Cow! She put it in her mouth like she wanted to drink from it. She didn't realize she was only getting air at this point (It needs to be turned up Jule!) 

Then ... wonder of all wonders... she leaned back and
figured it out. "Oh, I can get water this way!" 

"Ooooh yeah! This is great! So this is how it works?"
suck suck suck ... Totally getting the hang of it ...

"I'm loving this! Can I have some more?" 

Well... no sooner than she sat up, she barfed water up all over her pants and playmat. Not so fun. Guess her little belly wasn't used to all that water. Guess Mommy & Daddy should have taken it away sooner but we were so overjoyed she figured it out on her own, we got lost in the moment!

And here is a random picture of our dog Pepper. I had to lure her with a treat, and even then she was quite suspicious. It's not often we get a decent picture of Pepper, since she is scared terrified of the camera. The minute she sees us reach for the cam-corder or camera, she slinks into the bedroom and hides. Silly sketchy Jack Russell.



12 comments:

  1. I LOVE the idea of a catepillar party. That is a wonderful book!
    You know, Eric Carle, the illustrator of the catepillar book and many others, has a museum of children's illustration art.

    The food looks yummy! Love the cupcake catepillar. Julianna will love it too. :)

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  2. Happy 'birthday' AND I LOVE the caterpillar idea! By the way, if they have a Kohls store in your area, they are selling "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" book for $5 and the stuffed animal for $5. I just bought them for Chloe. The profits are donated to a children's charity (can't remember which).

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  3. Granthamania- I love Kohls, I will need to go there (tomorrow!) and get the stuffed animal! Thanks for the info! :)

    Yvette Nana - Yeah I think it will be fun - I have some other ideas too!

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  4. The catepillar pizzas are awesome. Have fun planning!

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  5. Oh, the joy of surviving the first year. You know the party isn't really for her it is to show everyone you survived the right of passage of the first year of motherhood. The idea is so cute (the theme). If you need any creative thoughts for a craft for kids at the party let me know - I may be able to help.
    I can't get over how fast Jules' first year went. I don't remember the time flying so fast when my kids were young.
    You are good to be preparing to cut the bottle. As long as she can drink from that sippy cup, you can start weening her right now. I lived in fear, that my kids would be attached to the bottle, my oldest was the only one to use a bottle, but my fear was so great he was on sippy cups (COMPLETELY) before 8 months. The day care will even support your decision.
    To tell you honestly, I don't think it matters what age the bottle is given up at, I do know the longer you wait the more dependent the child is, however, there was a study done - babies whose parents varied the method of nutritional delivery (bottles, cups, straws, sippy cups) showed less dependency on using food as a coping skill when they got older. In plain terms, basically means that babies are taught young to eat when they are upset (babies cry and every parents first thought is the baby is hungry Insert bottle we knew better already following baby wise), however, when a parent varies the method in which food is delivered - the thinking is: babies are up to the challenge of, how/what are they going to give me, that the food isn't soothing and they will eat/drink when they are ready or need to. So, they are saying avoid over weight issues by instinct teaching (baby wise and varying method of food delivery as early as the baby can handle - Jules is ready for this step) - basically you are also allowing her to have a little control too which is a part of growing up. Giving up that holding time will be very difficult on you - it won't phase her in the least. Create a new reason to have that holding / bonding time because it will be you that will long for that alone time in snuggles. You are doing a great job, and for someone who didn't think they were cut out for this; parenting stuff - you are definitely an awesome roll model of great parenting. I am looking forward to another year watching in the sidelines as she grows up - you will be fantastic. Happy 8 months
    Blessings, Diane

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  6. This is so weird. I thought I commented on this very post on Friday, but I must have missed the publish button! Anyways, Julianna is SO WAY CUTE!! Happy 8 months!! I don't know if I've told you yet, or not, but I LOVE your new header. I think it is just darling.

    Harry is starting to fall in love with a sippy cup too--he figured out water came when he sucked and just laughed! He thought it was too great!

    My favorite part of 1st year parties is watching the babies with their cake. I just love it! The caterpillar theme is definitely cute.

    Happy 8 months and good luck on the next few!

    ~Carla

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  7. Happy 8 months Julianna!!! I love this theme SO cute!! The cake idea is adorable!! You will have so much fun planning!

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  8. Jagmom - thanks! I think I'm gettin a handle on things - at least I like to think I am! Haha!

    Carla - Oh wow, Deja-vu all over again :) Yes the cake thing. I am so anal about messy stuff that this ought to be a good test for me!! I need to be held down or sit on my hands and just let julianna go to town with the cake & icing (then rush her to the bath tub afterwards LOL!!). THe sippy cup is awesome isn't it. I love the look on their faces when they drink.

    Ashley - THanks, I hope it will work out. I have some good ideas... let's see how it all works out. You know I'll be taking a zillion pictures!! :)

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  9. AManda- Oops I thought I commented back but it appears I missed it. Yeah aren't those pizzas cute?! I think even I can make those! :)

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  10. Love the catepillar cupcake. Perfection!! So sweet to see photos of your pretty girl and Pepper is the cutest! She does look like Stella, you're right!

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  11. No 7 - Yes we'll see if I can get it that way! I'll have to post some other pics of pepper- or check out the ABOUT ME tab - there are some more there - she does look like yours :)

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  12. WOW - that cupcake cake is AMAZING!! What a brilliant idea.

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