A Few More, With The Rebel

Aunt Sue, holding her godchild for the first time:


James, all baptized, all love:



and with his hot dad:


The Vaicius Martin cousins all together for a picture. It isn't great, but it is a start:


La Luz, with Pete and Liam:



and with Edward and Liam:


I know, words escape me...

My Weekend, How Was Yours?

La Luz recovered just in time for an action-packed weekend. Despite all of the foaming at the mouth of the meteorologists earlier in the week, the weather was actually quite beautiful...balmy, sun shining through occasionally gray skies, a small patch of rain here and there, and a lovely breeze.

We celebrated La Luz's 4th Birthday with a party at GG's for La Luz and two of her friends who also share June birthdays. It was a Wizard of Oz theme and I think all of the girls had a great time.

On Sunday James was baptized and it was not a moment too soon because the gown fit perfectly. If we had waited any longer he probably would not have been able to wear it and that would've bummed me out because it was my grandfathers and, obviously, has tremendous sentimental value.

My nephews were in town for the festivities, along with my sister and brother in law and Nana and Papa-T. The house was packed and with so many of us under one roof things were a bit chaotic at times but it was worth it to see La Luz enjoying her time with her cousins. I know she will remember this weekend.

I took a bunch of pictures with Christian's camera this weekend and I wish I hadn't relied on it so much. I am a bit disappointed with the blurriness in pictures (and I know this is my fault) and the red-eye (which I am sure I can figure out how to reduce). I suppose it is a good lesson that I have become completely reliant on the magic of the Rebel and that it is, perhaps, the camera that makes great pictures and not the photographer.

Here is the first batch of pictures from the weekend. These are the ones that were taken with the Cannon Power Shot. I will post the ones that I took with the Rebel later this week.

Little Dorothy on her way to the party via the very cool yellow brick road Molly created:



La Luz playing Dorothy, playing Glenda:



GG, babysitting for James during La Luz's party:


And for some amazing, beautiful reason many of my cousins on both sides of my family were in NOLA this past weekend so, inevitably, there was some drinking going on. Here is one of me and Molls at the Columns:


How we spent Monday:

Big Sexy

Every morning when I drop James off at daycare one of the caregivers always asks how "big sexy" is doing. I didn't really think he was all that big, but I imagined that they have seen quite a few babies, being that they work in a daycare and all, so I started to worry they were right, that he was some sort of monstrosity. Luckily, I didn't have to wait too long to clear it all up because James had his 4 month checkup today. According to the doctor, he weighs 15.8 lbs and is 26.5 inches long. She didn't gasp when she read the numbers and didn't even mention the stats, except to repeat them to me. In order to figure out whether those numbers actually mean he is big and sexy I had to input the numbers and have the computer plot them on a chart. As far as I can tell he is somewhere around the 50th percentile for weight and around the 75th for height...so, not unusual. I suppose it is the way he carries it.

Here he is testing out the Bumbo (a hand-me-down from the Bourgeois family). What a great invention. When La Luz first saw it she said,"where did you get that awesome potty?". I don't think these things existed when La Luz was a baby:


and with La Luz, whose mouth is covered in Spaghettios (she was sent home from school today with fever and immediately changed into her princess nightgown so she could get comfortable for marathon movie watching in her bed). They are watching Dora the Explorer. Riveted, as usual:


For some reason he looks particularly pasty and drooly in the pictures. I guess it looks like I don't bathe or properly care for my kids and, honestly, at 6:30 p.m. this is generally how they look, so I have no great excuse.

Through A Different Lens

Christian requested a "point and shoot" camera ages ago. He wanted one to throw in his bag or carry in his pocket. He wanted one that was less bulky and more dispensable than my precious Rebel. The Rebel is an incredible camera but the thought of carting it around Jazz Fest and on trips to the zoo tends to be somewhat of a deterrent to picture taking.

I love reading and learning about cameras. Photography is a hobby of mine and I wish I had more time to devote to taking pictures, using new cameras and techniques, and just becoming a better photographer overall. I love portraits more than any other subject matter, which is perfect because I have great subjects around here.

When I started researching "point and shoots" I read about and fell in love with this guy:


Sadly, it was a bit out of my price-range and the extravagance would have been completely lost on Christian who has never held on to a pair of sunglasses for more than a few months at a time and misplaces ipods like loose change.

The decision was ultimately an easy one. I opted for the Cannon PowerShot Digitial Elph (the SD 750 model). The tiny little thing shoots pictures in 10 mega pixels, way more than are necessary for a decent picture, especially pictures that will primarily be viewed on the computer. This camera is, by far, the best of the best of user-friendly, "point and shoot" digital cameras. Yeah, if you have the shakes your pictures will blur and, sure, you might capture the mouth agape instead of in the smile that melted your heart, but, with a little practice, you can get some great pictures. I recommend this camera to everyone looking for a good digital camera and no desire to fork out the ducats for an slr:


Although it is Christian's camera, it spent most of the weekend in my purse. I can't resist taking pictures of these guys:



And giving La Luz her first shot with the new camera, very avante-garde:

Happy Birthday Christian

With all that has been going on it was a bit tough to focus on your birthday, but don't think for second that I am not psyched about it...you are, after all, finally my age.
To commemorate the special day I decided to waste time digging through old photographs to see if, by chance, I had one of you on the first birthday we celebrated together. Wouldn't you know, I had one. I suppose that is the upshot to (or horror of) sharing your life with someone who attempts to chronicle almost every event. Without your IT assistance the cropping is sub par. Regardless, it is a sweet picture and it takes me right back to that day when we were just falling in love and probably couldn't even fathom what our lives would be like in 14 years.


Happy Birthday, with love, Jules

Four Months

I am a little late but things have been busy around here...
After just four short months I feel comfortable saying that James is possibly the most awesome baby ever. Thanks for smiling at everyone, even people that have somewhat scary faces. Thanks for never minding who is holding you. Thanks for sleeping through the night. Thanks for enjoying both your play mat and the vibrating, bouncy chair. Thanks for enjoying most of the many hours you spend in daycare each week. Thanks for making me feel like I would absolutely adore another baby and, most importantly, thanks for sinking deep into my arms and falling asleep so peacefully at the end of each day.


I have a sneaking suspicion that I might have just hexed myself. I guess I should prepare to be awake at 3 a.m., just in case...

A Little Sleep, A Little Running & A Lot Of Love

All things considered, it was a lovely mother's day weekend. Notwithstanding the usual (and not so usual) business of ballet, errands, laundry, grocery, and everything else, the weekend was peaceful. Christian and I took advantage of Molly's presence in NOLA and cashed in on some free babysitting for a late-night dinner at Patois and it was incredible...more about that later. On Sunday I slept late (of course, it was mother's day after all), opened a lovely gift, took La Luz for a run in the stroller (yes, in the stroller - she hasn't wanted to go with me for about a year now), and celebrated mother's day with a small portion of the Banos family at Aunt Margot's. We also celebrated the newest arrival to the Banos family, Jack Porter. 3 beautiful, healthy babies in just 4 months. We are blessed indeed.

GG, Molly, Mom-Mom, La Luz & Me:


GG talking to James:


Jane and James:


La Luz, petite fours in hand:


Mom-Mom and Jamesy:

What Was Old...

Remember these:

I had tons of them in the mid-80's. I LOVED them and, because they were cheap, I don't think mom and pop thought twice about purchasing a variety of colors to satisfy my wardrobe needs. At some point we realized that they were hideous or uncomfortable or a combination of the two and stopped wearing them. Forever. Until...enter Tory Burch's summer line:


I saw these and at first I gagged a little and thought, "jellies, why I..." but then I started to warm up to the idea and then ultimately fell in love and decided it would be the perfect shoe for summertime. They are sort of outrageously priced, considering that they are nothing more than the contemporary version of jellies, but I sort of think they might be my answer to the croc craze. I don't know how they feel on but if they are the slightest bit comfortable I think I am sold.

Sigh...

To get to this incredible, peaceful, beautiful point in my day, the part that I want to stick out when my brain is racing through past events to pull out the stuff that is important, is a long journey.

Today it started at 3 a.m. and involved a bleary-eyed morning, baby barf on my freshly dry-cleaned suit pants with no time to change, riding the elevator up to the 40th floor with the other mommys all running late with messy hair and sippy cups creeping out of the tops of their bags, a long day at work, and then the bustling evening hours rotating from arms to swing to play mat to lots of tears because La Luz doesn't want to be bathed first and instead wants to play and James wants to be bathed first instead of waiting, alone, on the bed begging for someone to entertain him.

It ended like this, with Tumble Bumble as a courtesy to James, because La Luz thinks it is a good book for a baby, and lots of kisses and whispers and sleepy, sleepy heads:

Jazz Fest 2009

Despite really wanting to see Neil Young live, I decided to skip Jazz Fest this year. James seems to be in the middle of a big growth spurt and basically wants to eat all the time. He was also (quite uncharacteristically) up in the middle of the night (to eat) last night so that, on top of three days traveling for work, was enough to deplete any remaining energy and desire I had in me. So, while James and I had a peaceful and only marginally productive day (I managed to make quinoa for the first time and I love it but accomplished very little else), La Luz and Christian headed to Jazz Fest. I can't remember the last time I missed Jazz Fest and La Luz has never missed it. They had a blast despite a deluge in the early evening that brought the adventure to an abrupt end.

Here's La Luz enjoying a snowball:


and hiding out in the neat sheet just before the deluge:

Monday Night Music

When I arrived home from work tonight (late, as usual) Christian and James were outside on the front porch listening to the sounds of the bands playing outside of Tip's. I love that there is so much wonderful music in this city and that, on a random Monday evening (okay, I know, it is Jazz Fest, but still), La Luz might be compelled to put on her 'dancing' shoes.

Here we are, just a few hours ago:

What Happens When You Have Way Too Many T.V. Channels

On a gray Saturday afternoon you can always find this on the t.v.


and that means everyone will be captivated


and I will go flip the laundry and empty the dishwasher. Because I happen to believe that you actually can see The Empire Strikes Back too many times.

The Result

Well, he woke up at 10:30, ate, played and chilled with me until around midnight. I did the usual nighttime routine and it worked perfectly. He woke up around 7:30. I still swaddle him every night with the aden and anais blanket Sarah sent when he was born. He is really starting to get to be too big and active to be swaddled, but I know it helps him sleep. The breastfeeding has almost completely tapered off since my last bout of mastitis. I am possibly the worst milk producer ever and now it is even more pathetic. I am able to pump about 2.5 ounces a day and breastfeed in the early morning and at night before James falls asleep for about 15 minutes (on a good day). I need to start implementing a new bedtime routine soon because I know that the milk supply is not going to last much longer and I want something in place that is a fool-proof way to get James to fall asleep.

In other interesting news, my new nano arrived yesterday and Christian very kindly stayed up until 2 a.m. to load it up and get it ready. It is about the size of a pack of gum and is 8 gigs, bigger than our first computer. Unreal. It is, I think, the 5th ipod we have owned since 2004 - 5 ipods in 5 years, not a very good track record. Did I mention Christian lost his, the main one, somewhere between NOLA and Detroit. And, yeah, it was newish (purchased within the last year).



I am watching Twilight right now because Christian is chaperoning prom. It is entertaining, but I am not obsessed with Edward like every other 30 something lady who has been exposed to the books and movie. In fact, I don't find him appealing at all, he looks very pasty (which stands to reason since he is a vampire) and very young (which also stands to reason since he is supposed to be 17 years old), but I am enjoying the movie. I am curious though, what is it about the guy that turns old ladies into Mrs. Robinson.

What Would You Do?

This is what James looks like right now:


He has been this way since around 4:30 when Christian picked him up from Mom's house. He apparently did not sleep much all day and finally decided to check out this afternoon. It is after 9 and he is sound asleep. I have made as much noise as possible to wake him up and nothing works. So, here's the question...do I wake him up? Normally he has had another bottle, played, had a bath, been rocked and put to sleep for the night not to be heard from again until 7 or 8. Obviously that is not going to happen tonight. But, will he sleep much longer in his carrier? Do I wake him and try to work the normal routine? Some of the best advice I received as a new mother is not to wake a sleeping baby, and I generally live by that rule, but I am starting to panic about spending the hours between 1 and 4 am with James on my lap!

I will let you know how it goes...

Easter 2009, White Plantation

It was a skeleton crew out at White Plantation to celebrate Easter this past weekend so I found myself feeling incredibly nostalgic and missing Josh and Molly and the cousins. We are usually a big group, but this year we fit neatly at two picnic tables for Good Friday crawfish and at one big table for Easter brunch. Even with so many missing it was still a lovely weekend.
The weather was perfect on Friday and Saturday so we spent as much time as possible outside wandering around and hanging out on the porch. James took a few very long naps on the porch listening to the sounds of the farm that used to sedate La Luz when she was a little baby and we lived out there after the hurricane. La Luz particularly enjoyed testing out the tractor and driving around in the golf cart. She also had fun playing t-ball and trying to figure out how to juggle after watching Richmond. I tried to explain to her that until she can actually throw and catch just one ball at a time, juggling isn't going to happen. We set up an early-morning Easter egg hunt in an attempt to beat some supposedly terrible weather that never really arrived. Other than some pretty intense wind and ominous looking clouds, the weather wasn't really all that bad today - not the sunny kind of Easter Sunday you imagine - but not terrible either.

James, having a laugh:


La Luz, Easter Sunday:


Dyed eggs & fingers:


On the John Deere:



I actually feel well-rested going into the work week. I didn't sleep late or even manage any naps but I had tons of help with James and La Luz and the extra sets of hands come in handy. I read about 8 magazines, had time for 2 (somewhat short) runs, dyed Easter eggs, sorted all of the clothes (and put them away), and even got through some work (ok, mostly administrative stuff, but still). I was much more productive than I had anticipated so I am not feeling completely frazzled going into the work week. Christian and La Luz have three more days of holidays so I know when I am up and getting dressed tomorrow morning and they are lounging around on the sofa with James it is going to break my heart to walk out of the door.

Us, Easter Sunday, how long does it take to get a decent family picture:

3 Months

It is hard to believe I have been back at work for a month. Being back at work only makes the time go by faster and I am committed to savoring every tiny bit of James' first year. I was so distracted by Katrina and not knowing what I was doing and waiting to figure it all out during La Luz's first year that I missed out on the moments and wasted my time worrying about what was next. Unfortunately, being back at work makes that a little tricky. I hate to even add up the hours of the day that I am with James. I guess I don't have to because you can imagine, a few hours in the morning if I am lucky and he wakes up early and a few hours in the evening if I am lucky and he is awake. If I am really lucky (or unlucky) he wakes up in the middle of the night and we have a few quiet minutes together rocking in the chair. But the weekends, well, those are different and treasured. It is a huge consolation that he is spending his days in mom-mom's loving care at least for a little while longer.

Being back at work has been extremely challenging not only emotionally but physically. I came down with the flu after a week back and I am sure it is because I was exhausted. Earlier this week I came down with my second round of incredibly painful mastitis. Fortunately, this time around I only had one day of the wretched fever and chills because I started an antibiotic immediately. The pain and inflammation, however, has only just started to subside. I am not dreaming, I know I can't do it all and I have clearly failed at trying to continue breastfeeding while working. The doctor knew it and she flat at told me that unless I would be fully committed to pumping diligently I needed to consider weaning or else I would run the risk of another infection. She is right. I get distracted or stuck on the phone or in a meeting and pumping just gets put off and then 8 hours later I am engorged. Not a good idea. So, once the infection clears I am going to start to fully wean James. I am not thrilled about it but it is the only logical choice at this point.

Notwithstanding the challenges, I am actually hanging in there. I couldn't do it without the flexibility of Christian's schedule, flexibility at work, and a ton of help from my family. I don't know what I would do if not for those things.

Now, on to the important stuff...at three months James is starting to actually look and act more like a baby and less like a newborn. He is chattering away, laughing (only occasionally), starting to be interested in toys, beginning to grab at things and put them in his mouth, learning to hold his own bottle (I hope he masters this skill first), following us around with his eyes, and (finally) focusing better on people and things. Much like his big sister, he enjoys television. I realize this is terrible but, honestly, when we are all trying to get ready in the morning it is miserable to listen to him fuss. A simple solution is to put him on his play mat in front of the tv. It is usually something harmless like Mickey Mouse or Curious George. Please don't judge. I only do it out of necessity.

We are all gearing up for a nice three day weekend. Christian will be coaching all weekend and I am heading to sugar cane country. I don't even care if it rains the entire time. My only goal is to spend lots of time doing things with James and La Luz and maybe fitting in time for a run or a few long walks.

All Talk

We had a great weekend and I promise to let you know what has been going on around here soon. I just need to find about 45 minutes of free time and a little energy. Maybe that will happen some time in 2010. In the meantime, here is a quick video of James babbling to Christian. He has plenty of stories to tell. In addition to the storytelling, James is now laughing these incredible, hearty, from-the-gut laughs. I promise we will capture it eventually for those of you who are far away and miss that lovely sound.


James, Chatterbox from Julie Vaicius on Vimeo.

Well, What Distracts You?

I am a third of the way into this:

and wishing I could pick it up to read about 50 pages or so. I started it before Christmas. At this rate it will be next Christmas by the time I finish it.

Christian picked up the latest issue of this for me a few days ago while at the grocery store:


I haven't even cracked the cover.

I haven't cooked a single meal since December.

There are clusters of Loki hair in the corners of every room, dirty clothes to be washed, clean clothes that need to be folded, folded clothes that should probably be sorted and ultimately put away, letters to write, work to do (real work, job work) and shopping (so much of that - for groceries, Easter basket odds and ends, overdue gifts for people). But it is the weekend, after all, and it is one of those rare, perfect days so instead I am doing nothing but staring at him:


and painting tiny toes that won't be tiny next time I look


and finding warm patches of sunlight



and wondering in awe at how the lantana gets more blooms every year despite my fear that the bi-annual 'trimming' Christian performs destroyed it forever (perhaps he did inherit a green thumb from his father?)


and spending lots of quality time with loved ones


and being thankful and happy and peaceful.