Julia (3 January (2015)) is our firstling child, the elder sister of Luz. We keep track of all her achievements and important changes in this timeline and a gallery of her drawings here.

She's growing extremely fast and is already 9.9 years old. She seems to be a different person everyday!

Julia's infancy

Parenting Julia and Luz
Lista de cosas últiles para bebé
Cuentos para Julia inventados por Elena.

Co-sleeping with Julia

Quite naturally, we have been drifting towards co-sleeping with Julia, not only room but also bed sharing.

For her first month, Julia would sleep in our baby stroller cradle, which in our case is removable. We started by placing it on the floor, next to my side of the bed, in order to see her from above during her sleep. Soon enough Fabrice suggested to plug her onto our (large, 160cm-) bed, between us, and that worked even better since I could help her to sleep quite easily without getting up. Just stroking her head or putting back her fallen-out pacifier. Still, after a couple of weeks, it felt like that extra barrier was not needed and things could be made even easier. Even being so physically close to us, Julia would wake up the moment she was placed in the cradle if not deeply asleep. This was annoying... Specially at 3am after gently and quite successfully breastfeeding her to sleep. Furthermore, the fact that we had a trip to France soon ahead of us made me wish we did not need the cradle (we have a rather small car).

By the second month we decided to remove it completely. We placed Julia on the bed, between us, on her little mattress (in order to give us a sense of the room she was taking) and barricaded by Fabrice's side with a pillow. They say that breastfeeding mothers are really tuned to their babies and would never roll onto them, also tend to synchronise their sleep patterns. I quickly realised that this was completely true and I sleep happily in close proximity without any fear. However, for fathers, things are not as natural. They typically fall into a much deeper sleep and need time to develop the instinct to keep the baby safe. This is why we have this pillow, that is covered by a sheet so that it is fixed and there is no risk of falling on top of Julia.

We also follow all the usual recommendations not to have extra pillows or toys or blankets in bed, not to leave any space where she could fall into and not take drugs or alcohol.

It feels completely natural. It also facilitates breastfeeding since it allows me and Julia to barely wake up and go back to sleep without any problem most of the nights. When she does wakes up, I know it instantly and can react quickly to her demands so that she is never fully awake, does not get to the point of crying and does not choke. Cry-less nights! Already interesting. But cosleeping goes further than just these convenient and practical reasons. I love to sleep so close to this beautiful baby, wake up in the mornings to her joyful smile. If she is a bit excited at bed time, I simply caress her and hold her hands for a little while and she quietly and smoothly falls asleep. It feels right and both Fabrice and me, enjoy it immensely.

Baby-led weaning

Baby-led weaning lets the weaning process in the hands of the baby. This is the method we have chosen and you can follow our progress in our page on "Julia-led weaning".

Growing up with several languages

Cada uno hablamos a Julia en nuestro idioma materno, Elena en español y Fabrice en francés. Este es el método más practicado en el multilingüismo (One person one language).

Las primeras palabras de Julia fueron papá y mamá en el mismo día, mientras viajábamos en el tren nocturno de Moscú a St Petersburgo. Lo grabamos en vídeo.

Pictures

Gallery

En el Cerro de los Ángeles, 24 August (2018).
Thinking, with pen and paper, on 27 December (2018).
With Newton's apple tree & manor in Woolsthorpe, 26 January (2020).
Working on a drawing (after putting some make-up stolen to her mum), 30 April (2020).
Pensative while hiking the Najarra, on 14 June (2020).
Julia in the Chepstow castle, which had a stonecutter sharing her initials, on 17 April (2022).
In the York Minster, on 20 December (2022).
In party dress and makeup on 17 March (2024).

Fourth trimester

In the mountains of the Tejera Negra, 7 November (2015).

Second trimester

Con el pulpo que le regaló Noe.
En el vestido que le regalaron la prima Marta y la tía Petri.
Echándose la siesta en primer group meeting en la UAM (17.04.2015), discutiendo sobre Mollow spectroscopy.
Descubriendo su libro.
Con el sonajero que le regaló la primita Rocío.
Juge Rouge
Con el gorro que le hizo su abuela
19 abril: Cumpleaños de Julia con la familia!!
Justo cuando puede agarrar su 1!
Visita de Lucía, Rocío y Daniele.
Estornudo.
Polaflow meeting (25 abril), en el VIPs de Gran Vía.
Animando a Daniele
y conociendo la Plaza Mayor por primera vez!
Un bebé alegre
pensativo
y altivo
jugando al Pasemisí con la abuela
y el abuelo
y descubriendo las naranjas con las bisabuelas.
A finales del tercer mes, ya nos tenemos de pie!
El 11 de mayo de 2015 hizo una año que le contamos a los abuelos y tíos que Julia estaba en camino!
Usamos este mismo body que lleva, comprado en la calle Mayor. Nos enteramos el día antes nosotros mismos!
Let's sleep under the stars.
Nuestro café y plaza preferidos.
Estrenando la mantita que lleva un año haciendo la abuela! (24 mayo)
A Julia ya le gusta el baño!!
Su piscina-parque para jugar...
y echar la siesta.
Al principio del cuarto mes Julia descubrió sus pies, que pronto pudo chupar!
Sus primeros días de piscina!!
El 27 de junio, unos días antes de cumplir 6 meses, empezamos el Julia-led weaning con un poco de plátano
y al día siguiente zanahoria!

First trimester

Julia conoce a su bisabuela Conchi,
y a su bisabuela Modesta.
Primer cumple mes de Julia!! 3 de febrero de 2015.
Lo celebramos en casa con el abuelo Julio,
y la abuela Inma.
Con su pijama polaritónico (regalo de Rocío y Daniele) y su vaca Françoise (regalo de Blanca y Carlos).
En su pijama de buhito (regalo de María y Antonio).
Paseo por los montes cerca de casa, en su foulard (regalo de María y Antonio).
Dinrid llorando un poquito a papá, pero muy guapa en el vestido que le regaló Juan Pablo.
Primeras sonrisas...
y carcajadas!!
Segundo cumple mes, con el abuelo! 3 de marzo de 2015.
Practicando un poco el colecho con mamá.
Contenta en el pijama que le trajeron Jenny y Carlos.
Anonadada con el móvil de mariposa que le regaló la abuela.
Descubriendo que puede mover los muñequitos a patadas en el poste... Regalo de Helena, Iosu, Mari Jose y Paco!
Feliz en la ropita que le regalaron sus tía Conchi y primas Alicia y Laura. Los patucos se los hizo Divna!
Jugando con la abuela.
Trop cool!
En el vestidito de Juan Camilo, con motivo de una fiesta en casa.
En pedrezuela
Morritos...

Intrauterine

First one in June 2014, already looking like a little person.
Her face in September 2014, the dark side of Julia.

First costume of Julia for Halloween 2014:

Links

Public announcement of her birth.

Regalos de la abuela

Primer regalito artístico, hechos en el verano 2014. Estuvieron en la mesa de despacho de Elena hasta que nació Julia!
Empezamos a hacer cuadraditos madre (durante las nauseas) y abuela en junio 2014, la abuela la acabó en mayo 2015!
Mayo 2015.
Mayo 2015.
Primeros zapatitos de Julia (de piel), Octubre 2015.
Gorro-bufanda para el invierno, Octubre 2015.