Julia at 1 1/2

Julia Grace turned 1 1/2 this month. What?!?

Seriously, this girl is growing fast!

I recently made several attempts at trying to teach Julia the answer to the question she gets asked fairly often: "How old are you?"

I kept trying to get her to say one and hold up one finger. She'd humor me for a while, but then, whenever I'd quiz her on it out of the blue and ask her how old she was, she always had the same answer, and it was never "one." It was some word I couldn't quite make out and it sounded like it started with a "T." Finally, I realized what she was saying:

"Teenmonths"

 She was imitating my actual answer to the question people ask, which is never to say "one" and always her age in months. So, I adjusted my strategy for my little Miss Smartypants and encouraged her to say, "Eighteen months," and, ever since, she knows the answer! Until July 12, I guess ;-)

• Umm, Julia's vocabulary is crazy large. We have no idea how many words she knows, and were guessing (probably conservatively) that it's 500-600 words. We recently filled this online test out to try to figure out how many words she knows because we were curious. We only clicked boxes for words we were certain she knows and uses... any we were unsure of we left blank. The result was outrageous: 2,640 words. I'm doubtful that it's that many (probably error involved, since December 2010 was the absolute youngest birth month the test currently allows for), but, let's just put it this way: it's large.
• Julia's also doing well stringing together her words. When she is wondering where someone is, like Daddy when we're playing hide and seek, she'll say, "Where did Daddy go?" Or, for instance, the other day, my mom told me that she called out to Elizabeth, saying, "Lizzy! Swim with Julia!" Or, she'll grab a book and tell me she wants to "sit in Mommy's lap." I especially love hearing prepositions; so sophisticated!
• Julia has become more polite in some ways, and less in others ;-) She has been better about saying please, thank you, you're welcome, excuse me, and other pleasantries unprompted, although she still needs reminders much of the time. But, Julia has also begun to enjoy tell people exactly what she wants them to do and where... "Mommy, dance! Right here!" she'll say, as she points to a precise place near her. Bossy pants.
• Julia can count to 20 now with decent accuracy. She still doesn't quite get the concept of counting, though, so she just points her finger indiscriminately as she counts, rather than pointing at each object one by one.
• Julia learns music lyrics really quickly. She only has to hear a song a couple times before she's singing the words. She knows a ton of songs!
• Julia is quite a climber! She's all over the furniture. I think it is only a matter of a few months before we are forced to switch her from a crib to a bed, because I think she'll likely soon be able to climb out.
• Julia still enjoys bathing, but she is REALLY into showers.
• Speaking of being into things, when we suggest something she loves (like a shower), she gets really excited and breathes in this funny, low-pitched breath and her eyes get wide and she shouts out whatever we suggested (i.e. "SHOWER!") and starts saying things like, "Yes! Okay! Let's do it!" So funny. 
• A recent fav is ice cream ("cream"). If I had to guess, it will be a lifelong fav (read: slight obsession). She is our daughter, after all.
• Julia has the funniest facial expressions. Lately, she's been into doing "Beam lips." If you don't know what they are, Julia and I can show you sometime.
• Julia loves to be imitated. She laughs and laughs. Oh, I love her laugh. Most beautiful sound in the world. Lately, after her bath, we lie together on my bed and read... and tickle a lot. She loves to be tickled and laughs so hard. I love it.
• I posted about Julia's potty a loooonnnng time ago... and it still goes unused. We try to encourage her to use it, but she does not want anything to do with it. Oh well. I guess diapers keep her humble ;-) (And me humble, I guess, since I just realized that I'm being quite a Braggypants tonight... can you imagine how extra obnoxious I'd be if she were already pottytrained? ;-)

We love our Julia!

Squeetoes

Yesterday, I wanted to go on a jog and Julia did, too ("Stroller! Fast!"). However, we were busy having fun, and before I knew it, it was getting dusky outside.

I like running in the evening: it's cooler out and I don't have to bother with sunscreen or hats. I also don't have to worry about having to risk jogging on the streets when it's twilight, since we have plenty of sidewalks near our house to use, and the streets are well-lit, which makes it even safer.

With evening comes mosquitoes, though, or, as Julia calls them, "Squeetoes!" I didn't want my precious daughter to get massacred by the nasty creatures, so I came up with a protective device...

A mesh laundry bag. I know, I know... I really should have completed that engineering degree because I am so terribly talented at problem-solving design.

I'm not sure, though, what people must have thought when they saw me huffing and puffing and pushing Casper the Friendly ghost in a baby stroller. Or maybe they thought I had a pious, Muslim, crippled midget in a white burka in the stroller? Or maybe they just thought I'd put my baby in a laundry bag, and they contemplated calling DHS because I seemed like an unfit mother? (Because who does that??)

But, just for the record, Julia was perfectly content inside and was breathing quite comfortably. She actually fell asleep inside the netting about 1/3 of the way into the jog. And she didn't get a single mosquito bite.

Take that, squeetoes! Victory was mine, if you ask me, even if I did feel like a bit of a weirdo.

Spilt Milk

Aaron is on this rotation currently.

While he enjoys his dinners of scalloped potatoes (just kidding... he was born under a lucky star and is being fed more normal dinners like bratwurst and sauerkraut with a side of scalloped potatoes) and his super posh room, I'm back home in the trenches.

I got up at 6 last Wednesday to get ready for work and get Julia ready to go to my parents' house. We left the house a little after 7, then I made the traffic-ridden drive to the clinic. Work was supposed to be from 8 to 5, but I didn't finish until 5:30 or so.

I drove the traffic-ridden highway back to my parents' house to pick up Julia. (Have I mentioned lately that my parents and sisters are awesome and take such wonderful care of Julia while we're working? Because they are and they do.)

We were about out of milk at our house, so we stopped by Target on the way home. Julia was cranky since she hadn't napped well, and was hungry because it was dinner time.Thus, the tantrum threshold was very low, and I trod lightly. Julia kept asking for milk and carrots, so I grabbed a bag of shredded carrots, ripped it open, and handed her some as I pushed her in the cart through the store. I also grabbed a small bottle of milk as I got the larger gallon. I'd grabbed a straw from the Starbuck's at the front of the store when I'd entered, anticipating that I might need it. The small milk bottle had a plastic cap and a metal film underneath that. I poked the straw through it, and gave it to Julia to drink. Julia kept yelling "out" and trying to stand up in the cart and was on the verge of tears. While near the milk, I had to grab some ice cream because 1) we were out and Isleys need ice cream like bears need honey or horses need hay, and 2) I could already tell it was going to end up being an ice cream kind of night.

I grabbed some Voila! for dinner, because I didn't have time or energy for anything much more involved. I also grabbed a bag of grapes. Julia began whining for the grapes.

I had several other items on the list, but decided to leave before Julia had a meltdown.

I hurriedly paid for the groceries and got the heck out of dodge. I took Julia and the groceries out to the car and buckled her into her seat.

To placate my grape hungry toddler, I got a small bunch of grapes out of the bag and poured the remaining water from my water bottle over the grapes onto the parking lot below to clean them. Then, since she still wanted the milk, I put the milk in my now empty water bottle, and gave it to her and drove home.

When I arrived home, I went to get Julia out of her carseat. She had spilled milk everywhere. My waterbottle is a cheapo Walmart knock-off of a CamelBak... and I'd forgotten that there's nothing antigravity about the build-in straw, she was able to just pour it out. She was rubbing her legs with milk and the carseat was drenched. I got Julia out, put her inside the house, and closed the door. I got the carseat disassembled, then brought the liner in to wash.  I threw the Voila! on the stove and got my car and plastic part of the carseat wiped up.

After Julia ate dinner, I put her in the bath. I was waiting to eat even though it was nearly 8 pm because I wanted to run (aka walk/jog). I had my running shoes on and everything. Then, Julia poured a large cup of water out of the tub into my shoe. I had to change my sock and tried to dry the shoe with a towel. We got Julia' dried up too, and into pajamas, and I got her some milk to drink while I read to her.

We went out to run (aka walk/jog) and Julia enjoyed it until we got to the farthest away point, at which she decided she, of course, unhappily wanted "out."

When we finally got home, I brushed Julia's teeth and attempted putting her to bed. Attempted being the key word. She freaked out and started crying, hard. I left her, sad to hear her crying, but figuring she'd fall asleep very shortly. She didn't. After about twenty minutes of heart rending screaming for "Mommy!" I finally caved and rescued her from her wooden prison. We video chatted with Aaron, which seemed to make her feel better, and I put her back to bed and she finally fell asleep, much more easily this time around.

Several thoughts:

1) I miss my Aaron. I've said it before and I'll say it again: he is such a blessing! He is an awesome husband and father, and I'm so glad we're a team. I wouldn't want to do this alone because...

2) I am SO not cut out to be a single mother. I am in awe of what single mothers do every. single. day. Talk about difficult.

3) I didn't cry over spilt milk. I wish I could say I had a good laugh, but the most I managed was a wan smile, I think, or maybe an abbreviated chortle.

Sarah's Graduation

My baby sister, Sarah, graduated from high school in May. Craziness!

We had a fun graduation weekend. My grandparents Beam were able to make it up to Tulsa, which was great. Sarah was a salutatorian, so she got to sit on the stage at graduation. We were all grateful to her (and Elizabeth a couple years ago) for that, since it made it much easier to see her during the ceremony ;-)

Aaron had to take Julia home at the end of the graduation, since it was getting late, but Julia was really good during the ceremony. She kept yelling out, "Yia Yia!" since we told her that Sarah was on stage.

Sarah did so well in high school, making awesome grades in her challenging classes, volunteering, serving as a leader for clubs and honor societies, making beautiful art, playing the viola in the chamber orchestra, becoming a National Merit finalist, and, ultimately, earning a full ride to TU, where she plans to study English and art. We're all very proud of her. But, we're mainly proud of the young woman she has become - for her solid faith in Christ and His Church, for her kindness and friendliness to everyone she meets, for her originality, for the joy she exudes. She is beautiful, inside and out. Hooray for Sarah! Congratulations, baby sister!

Julia's Gift!

Look at the awesome book Aunt Meghan and Uncle Erik gave Julia...

Yes, that's right... Julia is going to have a cousin!!! Meghan and Erik told all their siblings and parents when we were all together for Meghan's birthday back in April, and they gave Julia this little gift as a fun, sweet touch. Aaron and I are so excited for them! (and for us! :-) It will be our first niece or nephew, and Julia's first cousin! Baby G is due the day after Julia's 2nd birthday!

Now, we just have to convince Julia to not scare her new cousin by wearing a scary purple monster mask.

Keep Meghan and Baby G in your prayers for a safe, healthy pregnancy! And be praying for Meghan and Erik as they prepare for parenthood! So exciting!