Over the weekend, Louie and I were talking and the weather was on TV. Check out Josie "warn" us about the coming storms when the "severe weather warning" started. SOO Funny! (I've decided that storm-tracking must've been passed down in her DNA from her grandma.)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Newsflash!
Josie stood by herself purposefully last night! (In comparison to us letting go of her when she's standing in front of us.) She was standing up pushing her alligator toy (video coming soon) and just let go of it and stood there for a few seconds. I honestly think she would've lasted even longer if I wouldn't have started screaming "Louie...Look! Look!" What a big girl! :)
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Josie crawls ("for real")...
So I was talking to my sister on the phone Thursday night chatting away about her new nursery furniture (YAY!) and I looked down to see Josie crawling, full speed ahead, on her hands and knees toward Venus. Yep, that's right, after a month or so of "commando crawling" on her elbows, she finally learned a more efficient (and, um quicker) way to get around. Watch out Venus!
Besides the crawling, in this video you'll also see her new favorite thing which is pointing at things she wants (in this case the cat). But wait...There's more! Also in this video - the skill she discovered last week of moving from her belly or back to a sitting position. Enjoy! (Honestly, I hope you all like it because it has seriously taken me three days and several iterations to get this darn thing uploaded.)
Besides the crawling, in this video you'll also see her new favorite thing which is pointing at things she wants (in this case the cat). But wait...There's more! Also in this video - the skill she discovered last week of moving from her belly or back to a sitting position. Enjoy! (Honestly, I hope you all like it because it has seriously taken me three days and several iterations to get this darn thing uploaded.)
Here are two videos of Josie feeling very daring. Apparently she enjoyed the freedom that her newly-discovered talent for crawling on her hands and knees afforded her so much that later that evening she made these two attempts at letting go of the couch to take a step on her own.
She's definitely thinking about it...
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Another important milestone (for Cincinnatians)
Tonight Josephine had her taste of the sweet, sweet nectar known around these parts as Graeters. Louie & I walked over to the Square after dinner for their new Mango Sorbet and since mangoes are Josie's favorite food and since she's eating almost everything else that we're eating (more on that in a minute)...we decided to give her a tiny bite. After the shock of the icy coldness wore off, she literally smacked her lips and opened her mouth for another spoonful. I obliged. Then that was it (I thought) until she literally cried until we gave her more. (And I swore I'd never be one of "those parents" to give in so easily, but it was Graeters, so you all understand, right?) It's no surprise that she loved it. Who doesn't? Just wait until she tries "black raspberry chip" - which won't be for a loooong while!! ;)
On the topic of food, Josie is pretty much eating whatever we eat now (minus the major seasonings). For example, tonight we made Indian food & Josie sat there in her high chair feeding herself grilled chicken, rice and garlic Naan. The night before last she sat there and ate a crumbled up Veggie Burger. She'll eat any fruit or veggie that we eat. And her favorites so far have been pancakes & bagels with cream cheese. What a big girl!!
On the topic of food, Josie is pretty much eating whatever we eat now (minus the major seasonings). For example, tonight we made Indian food & Josie sat there in her high chair feeding herself grilled chicken, rice and garlic Naan. The night before last she sat there and ate a crumbled up Veggie Burger. She'll eat any fruit or veggie that we eat. And her favorites so far have been pancakes & bagels with cream cheese. What a big girl!!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Josie Claps!
It started off with her first clap when Curious George appeared on the tv, followed by a weekend of clapping back at us if we clapped at her. Now she claps when she's excited about something or if you say "Yaaaay!" So cute. Here are some of her first claps on Saturday:
The next trick we're working on is "Sooo Big!" because that's something my Mimi used to do with us when we were little. :)
Playing Catch-up
First and foremost - HAPPY FIRST FATHER'S DAY TO LOUIE! We definitely had a fantastic time celebrating his first father's day weekend. It actually worked out that I was so busy, because he got a lot of quality daddy/daughter time with Josie - including an exciting trip to the zoo so they could see the new giraffes! As you'll see in the video at the very bottom - they also got in some quality Wii Fit time. As it turns out, Josie loves to hula hoop (see below). All in all, it was a great father's day. I made a shutterfly book for Louie with all the photos of him with Josie over these past 10 months. It's like a storybook that he can read to her since he does storytime every night. It was definitely a chance for us to both look back and reflect on how much our lives have changed now that we are parents. We both feel so grateful and so fortunate.
On Father's Day we met my dad & mom at Dewey's (YUM). As usual, Josie had a fantastic time being entertained by her grandparents. Grandma even gave up her seat next to Josie so Granddaddy could sit with her. Josie was even more amazed by him than usual. She just sat and stared and smiled at him all night. Here they are playing after dinner.
Notice - we've given up on shoes for the summer. Who needs 'em?! (Like mother, like daughter I suppose.)
And I had to include this photo because it cracks me up. Before mom & dad arrived, Josie was entertaining the servers by clapping, waving, squealing, and dropping her toys so they would repeatedly pick them up. This is definitely her "who me?" face.
Okay, on to things that have been going on around the house lately. These days it's all about pulling up, standing, and cruising along the furniture. I really think she'll take off walking in the next month or so.
Although she's not standing completely unsupported just yet, she definitely is a lot more "courageous" when she's busy with something. If she's occupied or really into something, she'll walk or stand with a lot less support.
Oh - and another funny thing (video coming soon) is her alligator push toy. She can totally do it on her own but you have to be touching her. It's a flash forward to learning how to ride a bike. If she thinks you're going to let go, she just sits down. If you just put a pinky finger on her, she goes full steam ahead. Hilarious.
On Father's Day we met my dad & mom at Dewey's (YUM). As usual, Josie had a fantastic time being entertained by her grandparents. Grandma even gave up her seat next to Josie so Granddaddy could sit with her. Josie was even more amazed by him than usual. She just sat and stared and smiled at him all night. Here they are playing after dinner.
Notice - we've given up on shoes for the summer. Who needs 'em?! (Like mother, like daughter I suppose.)
And I had to include this photo because it cracks me up. Before mom & dad arrived, Josie was entertaining the servers by clapping, waving, squealing, and dropping her toys so they would repeatedly pick them up. This is definitely her "who me?" face.
Okay, on to things that have been going on around the house lately. These days it's all about pulling up, standing, and cruising along the furniture. I really think she'll take off walking in the next month or so. 
Although she's not standing completely unsupported just yet, she definitely is a lot more "courageous" when she's busy with something. If she's occupied or really into something, she'll walk or stand with a lot less support.
Oh - and another funny thing (video coming soon) is her alligator push toy. She can totally do it on her own but you have to be touching her. It's a flash forward to learning how to ride a bike. If she thinks you're going to let go, she just sits down. If you just put a pinky finger on her, she goes full steam ahead. Hilarious. Now on to another new toy around the house. Actually it's an old toy. Or at least a replica of an old toy. Meet Mrs. Beasley:
She was my favorite doll ever when I was a little girl. (From the tv show Family Affair.) I loved her and took her everywhere. I can remember my Grandma telling me stories about how much I loved that doll. So, when my mom saw that you could buy replica Mrs. Beasley dolls, she bought one for what, at the time, was "the little girl I was going to have" since it was before Josie was even born. I must admit, when I opened that big pink box and saw Mrs. Beasley and thought about myself carrying her around as a little girl, I totally sat there and cried at the thought of "one day" having a daughter of my own to carry around the doll. I kept Mrs. B in her box until Josie was bigger. A couple of weekends ago, my mom suggested that we get her out because Josie has been into stuffed animals with animated faces (i.e. cookie monster). Plus we knew she'd love the fact that the doll "talks" to her. Mrs. Beasley was an instant hit! Josie adores her. She claps her hands, plays with her hair, gives her kisses, and swings her around. Here she is just before she gave Mrs. Beasley her first clapping lesson.
And, I really do have to mention that, hmmm...how do I say this...there are definitely people out there (who shall remain nameless) that find Mrs. Beasley to be a wee bit scary. Suffice it to say, dolls look a little differently these days than they did 25 years ago. And, Josie loves her so that's all that matters, right?!
Okay - one last random photo from the week before I move on to the video. Only because I think it's funny. Chalk it up as one of those moments where the kind of parents we are hits us right in the face. Check out our "naked" baby wearing nothing but her chlorine-free, unbleached diaper, sitting on the floor reading "Eco Babies Wear Green." Need I say more?
And finally - a video for your enjoyment. Louie will not be pleased that this is on the blog, but by the time he notices it, it will be too late (plus he doesn't have my password). Check out Josie and Louie getting some exercise in with the new Wii Fit. She loves hula hooping (and apparently her dad does, too). Enjoy!
She was my favorite doll ever when I was a little girl. (From the tv show Family Affair.) I loved her and took her everywhere. I can remember my Grandma telling me stories about how much I loved that doll. So, when my mom saw that you could buy replica Mrs. Beasley dolls, she bought one for what, at the time, was "the little girl I was going to have" since it was before Josie was even born. I must admit, when I opened that big pink box and saw Mrs. Beasley and thought about myself carrying her around as a little girl, I totally sat there and cried at the thought of "one day" having a daughter of my own to carry around the doll. I kept Mrs. B in her box until Josie was bigger. A couple of weekends ago, my mom suggested that we get her out because Josie has been into stuffed animals with animated faces (i.e. cookie monster). Plus we knew she'd love the fact that the doll "talks" to her. Mrs. Beasley was an instant hit! Josie adores her. She claps her hands, plays with her hair, gives her kisses, and swings her around. Here she is just before she gave Mrs. Beasley her first clapping lesson.
And, I really do have to mention that, hmmm...how do I say this...there are definitely people out there (who shall remain nameless) that find Mrs. Beasley to be a wee bit scary. Suffice it to say, dolls look a little differently these days than they did 25 years ago. And, Josie loves her so that's all that matters, right?!Okay - one last random photo from the week before I move on to the video. Only because I think it's funny. Chalk it up as one of those moments where the kind of parents we are hits us right in the face. Check out our "naked" baby wearing nothing but her chlorine-free, unbleached diaper, sitting on the floor reading "Eco Babies Wear Green." Need I say more?
And finally - a video for your enjoyment. Louie will not be pleased that this is on the blog, but by the time he notices it, it will be too late (plus he doesn't have my password). Check out Josie and Louie getting some exercise in with the new Wii Fit. She loves hula hooping (and apparently her dad does, too). Enjoy!Friday, June 13, 2008
Another milestone this morning
Josie learned to clap this morning. It happened right as I turned on the TV. (Coincidence?) Seriously though, it's so cute. And she gets so excited as she does it. (There is likely a clapping video in your future.)
Thursday, June 12, 2008
This just in...
At approximately 12:30am last night, Josephine mastered the skill of moving herself from her belly to sitting on her bottom and moving herself from her back to sitting on her bottom. She's been working on this for quite awhile now and was feeling quite proud of herself when she figured it out in the middle of the night - so proud in fact that she decided to stay up celebrating until about 2am when she finally gave in to sleep. And -as soon as she woke up at 6am it was time to celebrate some more. Goodness gracious! Oh - gotta run - she's destroyed the Nintendo Wii.......
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Fun around the house
This is what happens when you leave your baby alone with her Dad during bathtime: 
And this is what necessitated the bath in the first place. Ladies and gentlemen...I give you Josie's first spaghetti dinner:
You see, Josie has decided that spoons and bowls are for babies and she is a big girl. It's actually a bit of a problem, because she simply does not want to be fed anymore. She wants to feed herself. So - case in point - her delicious jar of Earth's Best Organic Summer Vegetables quickly gave way to a heaping portion of Daddy's spaghetti and meat sauce right on her tray. She loved it! Seriously. Crazy. She sat there and ate hunks of french bread with cream cheese, spaghetti, and pieces of turkey. Unbelievable! So, the pureed food days are numbered (just when I mastered it). Wish us luck as we move into the next phase of food!
And - I should also mention that she drinks out of cups without lids and cups with straws now. In fact, she absolutely cannot get enough of her new Dora sports bottle from Grandma & Granddaddy. I promise to get a picture of that (and Josie with Mrs. Beasley) uploaded very soon!
And - while we're on the topic of food - have I mentioned Josie's addiction to peas on here before? My friend Cat recommended the line of "Just Fruit/Just Veggies" dehydrated snacks & we bought several kinds for Josie. But, nothing tops the peas in her book. I'm not kidding - she's addicted to them. She even had them for breakfast today! They were sitting out on the counter & she kept reaching for them instead of eating her apples & yogurt. So, I handed them over and she ate a huge pile. So funny! I mean peas for breakfast?! Yuck! Anyway, the cutest thing in the world is that she feeds them to me now. She feeds herself one, picks one up and puts it in my mouth, then absolutely cracks up. It's SO cute!
In other adorable Josie news...she's obsessed with the computer. I may even have to sign her up for her very own blog soon (haha). Anyway, as I was typing an email to my sister the other day, Josie finished her lunch and I foolishly thought I could hold her in my lap while I finished the email. Luckily I had the camera nearby to capture the fun that followed:
And this is what necessitated the bath in the first place. Ladies and gentlemen...I give you Josie's first spaghetti dinner:
You see, Josie has decided that spoons and bowls are for babies and she is a big girl. It's actually a bit of a problem, because she simply does not want to be fed anymore. She wants to feed herself. So - case in point - her delicious jar of Earth's Best Organic Summer Vegetables quickly gave way to a heaping portion of Daddy's spaghetti and meat sauce right on her tray. She loved it! Seriously. Crazy. She sat there and ate hunks of french bread with cream cheese, spaghetti, and pieces of turkey. Unbelievable! So, the pureed food days are numbered (just when I mastered it). Wish us luck as we move into the next phase of food!And - I should also mention that she drinks out of cups without lids and cups with straws now. In fact, she absolutely cannot get enough of her new Dora sports bottle from Grandma & Granddaddy. I promise to get a picture of that (and Josie with Mrs. Beasley) uploaded very soon!
And - while we're on the topic of food - have I mentioned Josie's addiction to peas on here before? My friend Cat recommended the line of "Just Fruit/Just Veggies" dehydrated snacks & we bought several kinds for Josie. But, nothing tops the peas in her book. I'm not kidding - she's addicted to them. She even had them for breakfast today! They were sitting out on the counter & she kept reaching for them instead of eating her apples & yogurt. So, I handed them over and she ate a huge pile. So funny! I mean peas for breakfast?! Yuck! Anyway, the cutest thing in the world is that she feeds them to me now. She feeds herself one, picks one up and puts it in my mouth, then absolutely cracks up. It's SO cute!
In other adorable Josie news...she's obsessed with the computer. I may even have to sign her up for her very own blog soon (haha). Anyway, as I was typing an email to my sister the other day, Josie finished her lunch and I foolishly thought I could hold her in my lap while I finished the email. Luckily I had the camera nearby to capture the fun that followed:
New Blog Feature
You may notice a new feature in the left column. It's called "Blog Feeds" and it allows everyone (especially us) to see when our family & friends' blogs have been updated. It will readjust itself to keep the most recently updated item on top. :) Cool, huh? We'll keep the original list of blogs posted below it because not all of the baby's sites have feeds. Enjoy!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Our Little Reader
It's funny. My friend and fellow mama Cat asked about Josie's favorite toys in a recent email. And while she enjoys lots of her toys, her favorite thing right now is BOOKS! Seriously, she can't get enough of them. When she's crying, a book makes her smile. Before bed, she wants her dad to read her "Charlie Monkey" and "Peek-a-who!" She knows all the right places to point to and feel in all 6 or 7 of her "Touch and Feel" books. And, she'll just sit with a stack of books and "read" for 15-20 minutes at a time.
Case in point: The other day I was talking to my sister on the phone and Josie was making all of these squealing noises. I looked over and she had taken a stack of books, opened them all up, and placed them in a circle surrounding herself:
She literally had 8 books around her & just sat there thumbing through them babbling, squealing, and "reading" aloud. It was SO funny!
And here's another favorite - magazines! Although - unlike the books - what she likes best about magazines is the sound they make as she's destroying them. (Finally a use for all those old copies of "Dwell" and "Domino.")
And - I just had to share this photo because it makes me laugh (and may be foreshadowing the future). This was just after I took the magazine photo. She realized I was taking pictures and quickly dropped the magazine and crawled over to me. Then, she just looked up at me like this as if to say "enough with the camera already!" And, it's scary, but I also see a little teenager in her eyes. See what I mean?!
Case in point: The other day I was talking to my sister on the phone and Josie was making all of these squealing noises. I looked over and she had taken a stack of books, opened them all up, and placed them in a circle surrounding herself:
She literally had 8 books around her & just sat there thumbing through them babbling, squealing, and "reading" aloud. It was SO funny!
And here's another favorite - magazines! Although - unlike the books - what she likes best about magazines is the sound they make as she's destroying them. (Finally a use for all those old copies of "Dwell" and "Domino.")
And - I just had to share this photo because it makes me laugh (and may be foreshadowing the future). This was just after I took the magazine photo. She realized I was taking pictures and quickly dropped the magazine and crawled over to me. Then, she just looked up at me like this as if to say "enough with the camera already!" And, it's scary, but I also see a little teenager in her eyes. See what I mean?!
Friday, June 6, 2008
A Trip to "Hot Doc's" Office
Josie's 9 month appt was yesterday. She had two shots and a finger stick. She was a brave little lady for all three. Her hemoglobin levels were excellent - which made us happy because iron in breastfed babies can be a problem. Lucky for Josie, she loves her leafy greens so she's doing just fine in that dept. And she only cried for a few seconds after her shots. Our doctor continues to be very supportive of our decision to follow Dr. Sears alternate vaccination schedule. He also told us that he has decided to delay MMR until 15 months for all of his patients. I'm glad he is so open-minded.
Here are Josie's 9 month stats:
WEIGHT - 21 pounds (80th percentile)
HEIGHT - 29 inches (80th percentile)
WEIGHT-for-HEIGHT - 50% (which means she's the "right" weight for her height)
Overall - we've all noticed that she is slimming down - probably because she's on the move now. She's definitely gotten taller. Her legs are also crazy-long! (She is wearing 18 month sized pants & 12 month sized tops.)
We feel so fortunate to have such a healthy, happy baby! :)
Here are Josie's 9 month stats:
WEIGHT - 21 pounds (80th percentile)
HEIGHT - 29 inches (80th percentile)
WEIGHT-for-HEIGHT - 50% (which means she's the "right" weight for her height)
Overall - we've all noticed that she is slimming down - probably because she's on the move now. She's definitely gotten taller. Her legs are also crazy-long! (She is wearing 18 month sized pants & 12 month sized tops.)
We feel so fortunate to have such a healthy, happy baby! :)
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
LOL!
Here is your daily dose of quality Josie entertainment. It really needs no explanation except I will say that Venus is in real trouble when Josie can run on her own. Enjoy!
Josie the Explorer
Who needs "Dora the Explorer" when we've got Josie? Anyone who has spent any time with Josie knows just how curious she is. She is always studying things in great detail and trying to figure out how things work. This past weekend, we put her curious nature to the test.
The "exploration weekend" started accidentally when Louie came home from work early on Friday. We decided to walk over to Newport on the Levee for dinner and ended up making an impromptu trip to the Aquarium. We practically had the whole place to ourselves. Josie's favorite spots were of course the tunnels & Louie's favorite spot was the big interactive "Frogger" game in the new "Frog Bog" exhibit.
On Saturday, we decided to head out to Grandma & Grandpa Schneider's house for some quality outdoor time in their yard. We pulled the lawnchairs into the grass, spread out Josie's big blanket, and took a deep breath of non-city summer air. Ahhhh....
Until we heard the unmistakable "chirp,chirp,chirp" of CICADAS!!! Oh NO! I'd heard from the ladies in my mama group that the cicadas were coming, but since we live downtown, I didn't worry too much about them. But, they were EVERYWHERE at Bob & Phyllis' house. So, it wasn't long until we decided to test Josie's curiosity....Louie handed her a stick with a great big cicada hanging from it! She just sat there calmly checking it out:
Then it fell on her leg. And she just let it crawl around on her for about five minutes! Check out this look on her face - hilarious!!!
As it turns out, I was way more grossed out by the cicadas than Josie, so we decided to move indoors for a feast courtesy of LaRosa's. After pizza, Phyllis suggested we head down to "The Schoolhouse Restaurant" to pet the goats. And...leave it to Josie..even when that big 'ole goat came up over the fence, she laughed out loud instead of freaking out.
I'm SOOO glad Josie loves animals!
After the exciting day on Saturday, Josie spent all day Sunday with her Daddy while I went to a yoga workshop with my friend Alicia in Dayton (which was awesome by the way). She & Louie walked over to Covington to have lunch at JeanRo's Greenup Street Cafe and hung out all afternoon together. Apparently, she spent a lot of time crawling because her little knees were bright red when I got home:
So, we just keep exposing Josie to more and more, and she just keeps soaking it all in. One of the best things about being a mom is definitely sharing these explorations with her (although I could definitely do without the cicadas)!
The "exploration weekend" started accidentally when Louie came home from work early on Friday. We decided to walk over to Newport on the Levee for dinner and ended up making an impromptu trip to the Aquarium. We practically had the whole place to ourselves. Josie's favorite spots were of course the tunnels & Louie's favorite spot was the big interactive "Frogger" game in the new "Frog Bog" exhibit.
On Saturday, we decided to head out to Grandma & Grandpa Schneider's house for some quality outdoor time in their yard. We pulled the lawnchairs into the grass, spread out Josie's big blanket, and took a deep breath of non-city summer air. Ahhhh....
Until we heard the unmistakable "chirp,chirp,chirp" of CICADAS!!! Oh NO! I'd heard from the ladies in my mama group that the cicadas were coming, but since we live downtown, I didn't worry too much about them. But, they were EVERYWHERE at Bob & Phyllis' house. So, it wasn't long until we decided to test Josie's curiosity....Louie handed her a stick with a great big cicada hanging from it! She just sat there calmly checking it out:
Then it fell on her leg. And she just let it crawl around on her for about five minutes! Check out this look on her face - hilarious!!!
As it turns out, I was way more grossed out by the cicadas than Josie, so we decided to move indoors for a feast courtesy of LaRosa's. After pizza, Phyllis suggested we head down to "The Schoolhouse Restaurant" to pet the goats. And...leave it to Josie..even when that big 'ole goat came up over the fence, she laughed out loud instead of freaking out.
I'm SOOO glad Josie loves animals!
After the exciting day on Saturday, Josie spent all day Sunday with her Daddy while I went to a yoga workshop with my friend Alicia in Dayton (which was awesome by the way). She & Louie walked over to Covington to have lunch at JeanRo's Greenup Street Cafe and hung out all afternoon together. Apparently, she spent a lot of time crawling because her little knees were bright red when I got home:
So, we just keep exposing Josie to more and more, and she just keeps soaking it all in. One of the best things about being a mom is definitely sharing these explorations with her (although I could definitely do without the cicadas)!Monday, June 2, 2008
I've just added the May 2008 photo album to www.josiemarie.shutterfly.com ! Check it out for more photos from Memorial Day weekend, more photos of the "beets mess," and a whole lot more! Enjoy.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Hiking with our Daddies
Overall Memorial Day weekend, Josie and I got to go hiking with our Daddies. Josie got to see Glen Helen in style - from the backpack we borrowed from the Roundtrees. (Fortunately for my Daddy, I didn't make him carry me on his back.)
It was an absolutley gorgeous day in Yellow Springs!
Josie's Granddaddy picked these flowers for her that she carried around until she fell asleep and dropped them on the ground. At one point, we joked that she was playing "he loves me, he loves me not" as she picked off the petals one by one.
Here are three of my favorite people in the world in one of my favorite spots in the world. It was so surreal for me to have my daughter on the same trails I used to run around as a teenager. The next step will be taking Josie to her first Yellow Springs "Street Fair."
And here's the family photo in front of the actual "yellow spring" itself.
Perfect hike. Perfect day. More perfect memories. :)
It was an absolutley gorgeous day in Yellow Springs!
Josie's Granddaddy picked these flowers for her that she carried around until she fell asleep and dropped them on the ground. At one point, we joked that she was playing "he loves me, he loves me not" as she picked off the petals one by one.
Here are three of my favorite people in the world in one of my favorite spots in the world. It was so surreal for me to have my daughter on the same trails I used to run around as a teenager. The next step will be taking Josie to her first Yellow Springs "Street Fair."
And here's the family photo in front of the actual "yellow spring" itself.
Perfect hike. Perfect day. More perfect memories. :)
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