Happy Holidays! (Long Version)

For those of you with more patience for our Josie imagery (and if you weren't you probably wouldn't be here)... Happy Holidays with the longer version of our Holiday film!

Settling in

Well, we're almost a month into our Paris experience, and everyone seems to be settling in well. Our air shipment arrived - clothes, boom bucket, toys...so we finally have more than 3 outfits... but a sinking feeling about how all our stuff will fit into an apartment with three small closets. Luckily we both have lots of practice at apartment-living and space-making. We're anxious for our sea shipment to arrive so the place will really start to look like home.

We continue to enjoy the perks of our fabulous neighborhood -- the thrice-weekly organic farmers' market two blocks down our street, the beautiful Luxembourg gardens, the gorgeous views from Rue de Seine. Josie and I have fairly busy weeks - we've been on a couple of play dates and play groups with Anglophone moms in our area, and I finally started French lessons this week! They've alternated between wildly discouraging and mildly painful... but I feel like I'm at least engaging and making a real effort to learn the language.

While I'm gone we have a wonderful Swedish babysitter, Josefin, watching Josie. While no one will ever replace either Gertie or Gram, Josefin is warm and fun and Josie is always excited when she arrives which is a good sign. They get along fabulously. We also have a very nice American girl named Nicole as a standing Saturday night babysitter - last weekend we got out to a sushi dinner AND a movie (the new Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which was fabulous).

We had a nice if slightly lonely Thanksgiving, with a chicken instead of turkey but all the trimmings including Jeff's fave Sweet potato and marshmallow dish and cranberries! Thanks to technology we got to spend parts of the day with both our families. Also thanks to technology and Jeff's savvy, our new TV and Jeff's laptop, we've been able to keep up with most of our favorite TV shows! We've got lots of fun plans for the next month, including a Chanukah party at the Anglo-French reform Synagogue here, our traditional dinner-and-store-windows for my birthday... it should be a fun holiday season.

Sadly Josie has been sick for the past week and a half with a playgroup-aquired cold, and I seem to have caught it as well. So cross your fingers I get past that soon!! Love to all (and new photos and movies!) Au revoir!

Josie's new tricks:

BONJOUR a Paris!

So, we landed last Sunday finally, in the City of Lights! Buoyed of course by the election wins - not just Obama but the many EMILY's List candidates who triumphed - we packed up our house in Nyack and flew over Saturday night. Josie was a dream on the plane, slept the whole night through.

Our apartment is gorgeous, and the location really could not be better. We're in the 7th arrondissement right on the border of the 6th. Musee D'orsay? 5 minutes away. The Bon Marche (great food and clothes shopping)? 5 min. The Tuileries and Louvre? 10 minutes. Luxembourg Gardens? 10 minutes. The Opera (close to Jeff's Office)? 25 minutes. It's really incredible. It's a very Parisian apartment - with high ceilings, four fireplaces, a separate W.C. down the hall from the "bath" room, and a very non-Parisian, large kitchen. Jeff had posted great photos on our last blog entry if you want to see.

We spent the first night in Paris taking a long walk along the Seine (which is also a 5-minute walk from our apt) all the way down to the Eiffel Tower. Now every hour on the hour after dark, it sparkles -- really beautiful, we'll try to get some footage -- and Josie's exhausted face when she saw it was priceless!

We spent the whole first week acclimating to our new neighborhood. My priority was of course to find a good grocery store - which I did, finally. Food shopping here, aside from the prices, is a dream, even in the regular grocery store. I have yet to brave a real boucherie (butcher) but I've found a boulangerie (bakery) with incredible baguettes and pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants). We've figured out the metro system (it's quite expansive and clean, wonderful) but with Josie (and her stroller) the bus system is much easier to navigate.

We had our first visitor on Saturday - Jeff's aunt Louise - who is with us until tomorrow. Yesterday she and I had a wonderful visit to the Louvre, seeing a quite impressive Mantegna exhibit as well as a small Picasso exhibition based on his fascination with the Women of Algers by Delacroix. Both were terrific! Jeff and Josie came and met us for lunch at a local boulangerie/cafe, and we walked down the Seine to catch a "Bateaux Mouche," a boat tour that takes you all the way down to the Ile St. Louis on the Seine. It was a little cold coming back into the wind, but it's a great way to get the layout of this gorgeous city. Then she struck out on her own to an exhibition of a private collection of modern art at the Musee Luxembourg while I prepared apertifs of kirs and cheese and a roast chicken dinner with potatoes, onions, and haricots verts, of course! This morning she's out walking with Josie while I wait for our dryer to be delivered (thank god!) and when she returns we'll meet my friend Melissa for some shopping around the Opera area.

Everyone is definitely having his or her own adjustment. Josie was definitely unsettled the first couple of days, crying whenever one of us left a room... but now she likes her new room and lOVES how much space she has to toddle around, especially the one long hallway, which she enjoys tearing down at the speed of...Josie. She has also been adjusting to the new food, becoming quite a picky eater and staging several food strikes. But all in all, she seems to be acclimating to la vie francaise. Jeff and I are definitely missing American television - our hopes of keeping up via Hulu.com were dashed when the server rejected our non-U.S. isp address. I can still watch some things on Jeff's American Laptop, which still has its U.S. address, but I'm also just reading more and letting go my obsession with Gossip Girl, the View, Brothers and Sisters (sigh). We both also are eager to learn French -- Jeff started lessons before we left and I hope to start them next week - as soon as I can find a babysitter for Josie! I think once I can communicate better, I'll both appreciate and enjoy everyday life even more!

All in all, we're so happy to be here and enjoying this big adventure-- not feeling too lonely yet, since we're skyping often with family. More - and more photos - soon! a tout a l'heure!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSIE!!

Again, a long overdue post and I apologize. Things get crazier and crazier as the election gets closer - along with our impending move to the City of Lights. Jeff and I traveled to Paris at the end of September to find an apartment. We were not successful while I was there, but after I left (Jeff stayed to start his new job with Dannon in Paris!) Jeff found us a beautiful 3-bedroom in a terrific neighborhood in Paris' 7th arrondissement.

When we returned it was to celebrate Miz Jo's first birthday! We had a small party at home of family and our friends Jen and Jeremy whose daughter Bella is just 10 days younger than Josie. Josie had her first birthday cake, first sloppy joe, and many awesome presents. It was a great time and I am so proud of our beautiful daughter!

Meanwhile, we're missing Daddy, who's doing a great job in his new job in Paris, but luckily Gram stayed to help with Josie - and we are so thankful! We're taking lots of beautiful walks in the fall foliage, eating healthy food and watching the presidential debates with relish (and guacamole, and beer!). I'm frantically packing and organizing as the clock ticks down.

Josie has lots of new faces (see the new video here or on YouTube), lots of new tricks... she walks holding just one of my hands, says "arp" when you ask her "what does a doggie do?" and continues to eat like a champ. She got four stars at her 1 year check-up, wowing the doc and nurses alike. What a year it has been!! As we say Shana Tovah to family and friends we feel very blessed in this bright new year.

A vineyard haven

Sorry, this post is SO overdue! We received the news that the Davidson-Rothmans will indeed be jetting over to Paris for a stint while Jeff takes a terrific new job, so things have been a blur! Josie is ON THE MOVE -- crawling, pulling herself to stand, experimenting with standing unsupported. She eats almost everything: mac and cheese, chicken, bread, even a bit of ice cream in Oak Bluffs which she just found much too cold. She has 7.5 teeth, and a new "Social smile", that indicates not merely that she's happy about something, but that she's smiling at you - it's totally hilarious. She says "Ball," "up," and "Da," but "mama" is still a bit slow/questionable.

We had a wonderful vacation in Martha's Vineyard with Gram and Pops, both Jeff and I unplugged from work and played tennis, swam, went to the beach, ate lobsters, read (a bit) and of course watched the Repub convention news with relish. Jeff turned 36 and we celebrated both with a fancy dinner in Edgartown and a lobster dinner at home with everyone. Josie loved spending so much time with Gram and Pops, and it was just a great time. Now, back to work, I'm working through the election writing, and Jeff will start his new job in Paris Oct. 1! Very exciting stuff. LOTS of photos in 2 new galleries!

The Jo Days of August

Josie talks! (first word: ball) Josie crawls! (sort of - more like a scootch) Josie sits up in the crib! (wreaking havoc with naps) And look out Dara Torres - Josie swims!!

Life's a Beach!

So it's been a fun July so far! Started off with a great quick trip to Fire Island - Josie and I solo'd over on the ferry, and spent a great two days with Roger, Jaxi, Manny and Jake. Then it was off to the Berkshires for a fun 4th weekend with Anne, Lew, Hilary and Delila. The weather didn't cooperate much, but we still had a great time.

We held our third annual Summer BBQ (I guess officially Josie's second!) with lots of friends old and new. Josie was quite a trooper and Jeff was as always a terrific grill-master.

Josie has lots of new tricks... repeating sounds, finally boosting up on her knees and scootching backwards, and bouncing thanks to a new jumpy-exersaucer from Jen and Bella. She continues to love Music class, big-girl baths and "swimming" in her little baby pool. She also has a hilarious trick where she pretends to feed us and fakes us out (see video!)

Lots of new pics in the gallery... hope everyone is staying cool!

June boom!

Lots to report this month! Sorry it's been awhile, but it's been a busy June here in the Davidson-Rothman household. We kicked off the month with a great visit with the Roger Rothmans in Lewisburg PA. Sadly, we forgot to take a single photo - but Josie took her first "swim" in the Lewisburg Swim Club baby pool, and less thrilling, her first doody in a swim diaper. Ick. But we had a great time.

The next week Beth (do I always talk about myself in the third person? That's annoying) was off to Washington, on her first work trip for EMILY's List's Conference. She got to see Madeleine Albright speak, say hello to Sen. Stabby and Gov. Jenny G, and meet lots of the great new candidates. Also got to reune with old friends like Britt, Jeanne, Martha, Karen P., Jen Maranzano, etc. Josie did great with Daddy and her new friend Cynthia. Mommy returned tired but very fired up about the election and excited to see Josie's 2nd tooth right next to the first!

Daddy had his first father's day, with a cool new Ipod player and a BBQ with Anne, Lew, Hilary, Todd, Grandma and the girls. We also got out to dinner with Rosemary and Doug and their friends Sally and Steve at the River Club in Nyack. The following weekend it was off to the Berkshires where Anne and Lew graciously lent us their house for the annual Cornell Boys Reunion. The kids all got along fabulously, Josie took a swim in the big kids pool and learned to CLAP, which was very exciting.

What's new with Josie the Posie? She loves music and while she can't crawl, the girl already has dance moves, including an Elvis Pelvis maneuver, swinging arms, and clapping. She loves Music class and often "sings" loudly and imitates the teacher, especially during her favorite song, "Jumping Josie." She is talking up a storm (no words yet, stay tuned) and is generally a pretty funny kid. Lots of new photos both in Josie 6.23 and The Berks!

Tooth or Dare!

It's been a busy May around the Davidson-Rothman house! We had a wonderful Mother's Day - brunch at the River Cafe in Piermont with Jen, Jeremy and Bella, during which Josie proudly sank right into my hand... her first tooth! While I love her gummy smile, this monu-dental occasion was welcomed... as also the end of the Screamy Phase!! My wonderful gift was a massage and facial at a spa in Nyack.

Josie and I were then off to Michigan for a week - she did fabulously on the plane, though she showed NO interest in napping and only wanted to crawl all over me and the person next to us. Thankfully it was a short and uneventful flight. We had a wonderful week, which included a party at my parents' house to introduce Josie to everyone, a fun birthday dinner with Eugenie, and a great get-together with Annie and Amy and all the kids. Isabella has already grown into such a little lady, and Elizabeth, who amazingly was born on the same day as Josie, is adorable. Amy's children, Lindsey and Luke, are also growing fast. And great at sharing toys and snack puffs! On the way home we stopped at the outlet mall for some much-needed shopping. We took Josie to meet Great-Gramma Harriet and her Great Aunt Peggy, and topped off the visit with some Cottage Inn Pizza! Of course. Josie is already missing her Gram, but we had a wonderful visit.

Memorial Day weekend was busy as well! We spent much of the weekend working in the yard, planting and raking and trimming. We went to a great BBQ at Jen and Jeremy's. Sunday we had a delicious dinner at Travis and Neil's, and Monday we had a fun day in the park with Anne and Lew, Hilary and Todd and the girls, ending with a night of grilling with our new next door neighbors. Lots of new photos in the gallery!

I scream, you scream, Josie screams... ALL THE TIME

Click here to see McScreamy! So, this post is a bit overdue but it's been crazy! Gram and Pops visited for Passover. Anne made a wonderful dinner and Lew led a great service on 1st night, and Jeff outdid himself 2nd night with a very thoughtful Seder about freedoms in America, and those which we might take for granted. Josie miraculously napped through the haggadah and woke up to eat! She was a really good sport. Along with the doting grandparents we were joined by Lezlee, Rob and River, Doug, Andres, and Travis and Neil. It was a great time and a tradition that gets better every year.

The day AFTER everyone left, however, Miz Jo started a new habit of shrieking at bloodcurdling decibels when she is happy, mad, tired, hungry, when she sees a dog, when the sun is in her eyes, at everything, nothing, no pattern whatsoever. It's great. I can only guess it is somehow linked to teething... we are waiting for those first little suckers to pop through. She's a chatty little monkey, lots of dadas, blah blahs, ya yas, etc. She sits very well and eats VERY well. She had her first call-the-pediatrician in the night projectile vomiting episode which was a little scary. But she was fine All in all she continues to be funny and great!

Things have gotten even busier since I started working part-time last week. Our new babysitter does great with Josie and Josie seems to do great with her! It's a nice balance.

SO I promise to be back soon with more video. We have to shoot some more! We do have lots of new pics.

Tiny Dancer

Thought you'd enjoy Josie's latest YouTube appearance, her Fancy Dance to her favorite song.
It's been a big week! Josie can sit on her own for up to a minute or so, can grab and play with any size toy, and stand when pulled up! She can drink water from her own cup. Her palate is expanding; she enjoys plums, prunes, avocados, but not pears - she made faces like I was trying to feed her lemons dipped in horseradish. Geez! We took our first trip to the park yesterday, and she loved swinging in the big kid swings!! It's just wonderful to be outside. Josie is also even more into music class, laughing, yelling and playing the instruments. She loves to strum Catherine's (the teacher's) guitar. We believe some teeth are ready to spring forth, as she is gumming and chewing whatever she can get into her mouth.
We're very excited for Josie's first Passover! Jeff is working hard on his Seder program and I am busy shopping and cooking. More after the holidays!

BREAKING NEWS: See Clip

YOUTUBE Forgive the long absence - it's been a crazy month. My thyroid troubles returned, but I am on the mend. And Josie - she is, as always, on the rise!! She is literally more fun by the day. She LOVES her exersaucer - we have to pull her out of it. She is babbling constantly, laughing even more, and playing lots of games with us. She pulls her own blanket over her head for "Peekaboo", eats whatever we put in front of her, and naps like a champ with few complaints, if any. One night last week we accidentally thwarted her 11pm feeding (the nipple was blocked) and she didn't miss it! So we experimented the next night and she slept ALL the way through - 7am to 7pm.... and has continued to do so since.

I would say Josie's fine motor skills are better than her gross ones. She can "read" a cloth book, easily transfer objects from hand to hand, pick things up, throw them, etc. but still can't quite sit up or easily roll from back to front (she can from front to back). She enjoys music, sweet potatoes, and long walks on the beach -er, river. Seriously, I am so excited for nice weather so we can finally spend time outside, which she loves! She has been loving all the attention from Gram, who is here for two weeks, Hannah and Papa, and Aunties Em and Hillary. Lots of new pics in the gallery. Enjoy! xoxo

THE MONKEY EATS!

After weeks of swiping at my cookies, looking thirstily at my drinks, and generally expressing interest in eats, today we fed Josie her first solid food - just a little rice baby cereal. You can catch the hilarity here and, again, better quality on YouTube.

Josie's Small Screen Debut

It's my first IMovie project, so don't expect anything Coppolish! I'll get better, I promise. I really just wanted to play with my new laptop and maybe give you a Friday laugh with Josie's exersaucer antics! You can also see it slightly bigger and more hi-res on YouTube.

And the baby goes to....

OK, I admit, that was my favorite joke in last night's Oscar telecast. I'll also admit I TiVoed through 76% of the ceremony. Where were Brangelina and Mattsica? Where was TomKat? Julia? William Shatner? I even missed Bjork! And you know, just when you feel like you were a beautiful pregnant lady with a healthy glow, along comes Jessica Alba to make you feel like crap!

So we've had a busy Februday (inside joke for any spectators of the 1978 Indian Woods Elementary spelling bee reading this) here in the Rothidson household. We finally formally introduced Josie to our temple, West End Synagogue, and she received her Hebrew name, Yoanna, which means "God answered my prayer." Truer words were never spoken - and she looked beautiful and behaved even more beautifully through the very long service! It was terrific to have Andy and Sarah visit for the weekend, and Gram Jane stayed for a week and a half, which was wonderful. On Saturday cousin Julie Davidson was in town, and while it was too snowy to bring Josie, it was great to see her and our other cousin Katherine!

Josie is babbling away - often instead of crying when she wakes up from her nap, we'll hear her on the monitor chattering away to herself. She can sit easily with minor assistance, and ALMOST roll over. We're also convinced she has said her first word, "burp." I'll credit her Rothman genes with the early obsession with flatulence! Mostly, we're eager for spring so we can be outside admiring the birds and the bees rather than the fluorescent lights of the mall.

Super Tuesday with the Super Duper Baby!

Josie had her 4-month well-baby appointment yesterday. She wasn't completely well, as we are both sick with her first cold. She weighed in at 15 lbs. 8 oz., 25 inches long. She's between 75th and 90th percentile weight, 75th height. Instead of a "chunky monkey" the doc called her a "solid kid." She also got 3 shots which again made her pretty unhappy and mostly zonked out. This morning we had a fun and emotional time voting for our first lady presidential candidate. Lots of new pics in the 2-08 gallery, and when you're done voting in your primary, don't forget to vote in the Josie poll!

NEW POLL: WHO DOES JOSIE LOOK LIKE?

Vote to the right!

Primary Colors

Well, we are well into Josie's first presidential primary season! While her mom is supporting the Hillraiser, we are letting Jo make up her OWN mind. While she likes Huckleberry's banjo-pickin' and Kucinich's flying-saucer stories, she seems to be honing in on HRC and Obama, like her dad. She was so moved by Bill Richardson's story of Saving Bill Berlune, and was saddened by his withdrawal from the race. All kidding aside, whenever we watch George Stephanopoulos she sits bolt upright and starts yammering away as though she were part of the roundtable. This week she gave George Will a smackdown you wouldn't believe!

We are all ready for the writers' strike to be over. What happens when Gabby realizes Carlos is blind? Will Angela ever forgive Dwight? Will the Dillon Panthers win the State Championship again this year? Will Senator McAllister win the Fake Oh-Eight Presidential Race? These are all very important questions when you're not currently working full-time. Thankfully, to tide us over we have Lez Girls at the Planet; B, S, C, D and all the other letters sponsoring "Gossip Girl" on Park Avenue; the Cashmere Mafia (though something tells me they're getting whacked) and Oceanic Flight 158 landing on 1/31.

In the meantime, Josie has been entertaining pals like Awntie Em, Meryl and Becca, and Meredith, even scoring her second date with son Spencer Hanson. We started Music Together (which she strains to keep her eyes open during, as it lands smack in the middle of naptime) and Mommy and Me Yoga! January is definitely much less gray with Miz Jo around!!

Merry merry

Well, it's the coldest day of the year and we are trying to get Josie to nap in her big baby crib in her very own room, to ease the transition (someday!) from our room to hers. So I hover outside her door typing. We had a lovely Christmas week in Port Huron with Mom, Dad and Emily, though we missed Andy and Sarah very much. We saw lots of friends, from Fonts to Brie, Jeff Hannah, Eugenie, Carol Campbell, and a slew of lovely PH ladies at the annual Beck family tea. Josie was a big hit with all.

Josie had a big week... she started "talking" on the 24th, lots of funny chirps and coos, which increase in frequency and hilarity by the day (she had a four-minute conversation with Hillary Clinton yesterday morning on TV). She laughed one real laugh on the 31st. Waiting for more there, which I'm sure we'll get (as funny as we both are!). She's started "sitting" in the wonderful Bumbo seat she received from Elisabeth, and loves holding head up and watching Al Roker, as you'll see. We're all excited for a great 2008! Apologies for the plethora of photos in this installment. XOXO