Meet Julia at 6-12 Months, Part II

While James was our Garbage Disposal at mealtime Julia was quite a bit pickier. She went through a few phases early on where she didn't want jarred food, and made hilarious faces when she did not like a food. But a few months later she pretty much ate every jarred food that came her way. Finger foods on the other hand were another story. Everything I gave her to try was a failure, and nearly the only thing she liked were Puffs. In fact when we would pick up the cannister of Puffs her eyes would light up and she'd wiggle back and forth excitedly. Basically Julia was a Puff addict who wanted all her food in Puff form.

Julia tries carrots. (6 1/2 months)

Carrots try Julia.


At first Julia's not so sure about these "Puff" things. (9 1/2 months)


And so begins Julia's Puff addiction...

Julia rocked a mohawk during these months. Her hair grew in long on top and wasn't so fast to grow in on the sides. By 12 months it had mostly evened out. One time Grandpa (Mark's dad) asked Mark why Julia had a mohawk as though we'd been grooming it that way, and Mark responded, "That's how her hair grows!" She also continues to have a small bald spot in the back of her head that her hair grows out away from. Julia also had what appeared to be Popeye-like muscular arms. Between her mohawk, bad ass sculpted arms, and predeliction for saying "I pity the fool!" I considered making her Mr. T for Halloween. Around 11 months she looked less like a baby, and more like a little girl. She was also at her chubbiest around then because she wasn't crawling yet, but things changed a lot a month later when she became more mobile. One interesting body quirk of Julia's was that the soft spot on her head would go in and out to match her pulse.


Poor Julia. Her mohawk-to-be is at an awkward stage. (6 months)

The golden age of the Julia mohawk. (7 months)

When Julia was excited at 10-12 months, her mouth would make an "O." My mom said she was copying me because that's the face I would make at her if something was worth getting excited over. Another interesting quirk of Julia's was her inclination when sitting in her stroller to grab her ankles and kick out at the same time, in a way that could only be described as unladylike. (And only Julia could make it more unladylike by adding the occasional fart.)


Grandma accuses Mommy of teaching Julia to make this face. (10 months)


Julia will need to learn some social graces before she can have tea with the queen. (8 1/2 months)

One Julia's favorite pastimes was standing on Grandma's or my laps, while we held her arms, and we'd move her feet and hands to dance to On the Good Ship Lollipop or In the Mood. Julia's favorite activity was spending time in the Jumperoo. The morning we assembled it we had a great time watching her go crazy jumping in it. We finally gave James a chance and it was funny to watch Julia on someone's lap off to the side, straining to jump along (see video). You could tell she was a little disappointed when she'd get relegated to the Exersaucer, but you wouldn't know it after she was in it because she'd get excited for James in the Jumperoo and try to jump along in the stationary Exersaucer. Whenever Julia or James was in the Exersaucer and activated the music, they'd look up excitedly to see if Mommy was going to dance along.


If Fisher Price just aired a commercial of Julia going nutso in their Jumperoo (see video), Jumperoos would sell like hotcakes. (11 months)