viola mary wertz

Aunt Simone Visits!

2008-01-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

I'm super excited because my Aunt Simone came all the way from California to visit me. She has been sending me cool outfits, toys and letters since I was born, but until today I never actually met her. My mom picked her up from the airport late last night, and so this morning when I woke up, she was here! We are going to have lots of adventures together during her trip.

My new easel!

2008-01-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

My absolute favorite Christmas present was made for me by my Uncle Jon. He is a carpenter and he made me a beautiful easel that I can use for chalk, markers, drawing, and painting. So far, I have only used the chalk board side (my mom says it's the least messy), but I just can't stay away from it. I can focus on drawing for a full half-hour--longer than most activities I do. It is so special because my uncle made it all by himself--and he made it just for me!

Get-away with Brooke and Chris

2008-01-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

My Aunt Brooke is a doctor, and she has to work almost all the time. But she had some time off the week after New Years, so she and Uncle Chris came to visit and we decided to take a trip to New Hampshire for a few days. We had so much fun! I was the only little kid around and I got so spoiled (my Aunt Brooke and Uncle Chris love me so much and play with me all the time). We built a fire and went out to dinner and went to the library and played in the snow (there was so much snow--almost as tall as me!) and just had so many adventures!

Aunt Brooke slept a lot because she never gets to sleep much when she's working. Isn't my aunt so pretty?

My mom brought my snowsuit, but forgot gloves so I had to wear adult-sized socks on my hands--they covered my whole arms!

I loved playing in the snow, but my snowsuit was so puffy that once I fell down, I was stuck there until Daddy saved me!

New Baby Arianna

2008-01-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

My cousin Kim had a tiny new baby. She was born one week before Christmas, and was the best Christmas present we could have asked for. We went to meet her in the hospital when she was only two days old, and then saw her again on Christmas, and my mom took some photos of her and her parents (though the light was really low, so the photos are a little dark). Arianna is actually my second cousin because her mom is my Dad's neice (even though she is a few months older than him--pretty funny!). I can't wait to play with her when she gets a little bigger!

My Second Christmas

2008-01-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

I was too little to remember my first Christmas, so I couldn't believe it when I woke up at Bubble and Beepie's and had all those presents to open! In fact, I was a little overwhelmed, and had to stay in Daddy's lap the whole time. We had such a fun couple days visiting with all of our many family units. We had Christmas Eve dinner with the extended Todzia family, Christmas morning with Samuel and Caleb, Christmas lunch at Aunt Kathy's with the extended Barrett Clan. We then drove to Woburn to do Christmas night with all my cousins at Papa and Grammie's, and even after that, we went to Uncle Butch's house to celebrate with him, Aunt Linda, Billy, Kim, Armani, and Baby Adrianna. We saw all our family members (and there are SO MANY) in a matter of twenty-four hours (you can't imagine the number of presents I had to open!).

This is a picture of us in our Christmas eve pajamas--we were SO full of energy and were running wild!

My mom gave me and Samuel little toy cameras. Here you can see Samuel making his Aunt Liz proud by trying his out on little Bubby.

Getting our tree!

2007-12-26T21:54:00.000-08:00

My mom and dad brought me to this really fun farm so we could pick out our Christmas tree. The best thing about the farm was that we got to visit the animals! There were pigs, goats, chickens, and even a peacock! We found the perfect Christmas tree--it's so big, it almost touches the ceiling--I love it so much, and I wish we could have it in our living room always...

Snowday!

2007-12-26T21:49:00.000-08:00

Last year my mom suited me up and brought me out in the snow, but I was just a little baby and I don't remember. So this year was my first time running and playing in the snow as a big girl. Though I have to admit, I really couldn't run--I couldn't really even move much because the snow was up to my waist! But my Dad cleared a path for me, and Ivy and I had such a good time playing while the snow piled up around us!

So Many Shoots!

2007-12-26T21:38:00.000-08:00

My mom spent a lot of time trying to get the perfect photo of me for her Christmas card. The truth is, I've been modeling for her for so long that sitting in front of the camera is getting kind of old, and so I don't really cooperate anymore. Instead of smiling and posing like I did when I was a baby and couldn't get around on my own, I see that big black lens coming my way, and I run! So my mom had to keep trying to get that perfect shot. She took photos outside, in my room, of me dressed as an angel (that was fun), and me in the car secured to my carseat (so I couldn't escape) before she finally got the ones she wanted. Alas, such is the life of photographer's child--so much work!

I'm so Thankful

2007-12-26T21:31:00.000-08:00

My Thanksgiving was really fun because I got to go to CT and visit with my Gram and Beepie. We had our first Thanksgiving dinner at their house with my cousins Samuel and Caleb, and then we drove back to Massachusetts to have our second dinner at Grammy and Papa's with all my other cousins. My mom only took a few photos when we went outside with Samuel and Caleb, so I don't have many to show, but it was such a fun day.

Uncle Chris and Aunt Brooke

2007-12-26T21:12:00.000-08:00

Two weeks after Uncle Sam's wedding, we went to Long Beach Island in New Jersey for another wedding--this time it was my dad's brother getting married--my awsome Uncle Chris. The wedding was so fancy and beautiful, and I got to be a flowergirl and wear this really gorgeous white puffy dress. So many of my family members were in the wedding: Uncle Butch, Uncle Bobby, Uncle Gerry, my dad (he was the Best Man), and my cousins Billy, Armani, Rylan, and Tori. Even though she was really busy being the bride, Aunt Brooke spent lots of time holding me and cuddling me throughout the day. I had so much fun, and I'm so happy for my aunt and uncle!

Uncle Sam and Aunt Kristin

2007-12-26T21:00:00.001-08:00

I'm terribly sorry there have been so few posts lately! My mom has been putting it off, but I think I've finally convinced her to document some of my recent adventures. First, I have to mention my uncles' weddings! My Uncle Sam (mom's brother) got married in New Hampshire in September, and it was such a fun day for me! I got to wear this really pretty and fluffy yellow dress, and I just danced around and enjoyed every moment of the day.

B.Y.O. Costume

2007-10-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post photos after playgroup the other day. In keeping with the season (and my mom's obsession), my friends brought their costumes over and we played together looking as cute as ever in our array of Halloween fashions. Even the babies donned costumes (too cute!). Note: Bert's and the ladybug's costumes were made by their moms--pretty crafty!

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the thing is, my mom really loves Halloween and costumes and stuff (you know this if she's ever made you wear one of the costumes from her collection; she loves antique/vintage clothing, and can dress you in attire from any decade in the last century). So, I never have just one Halloween costume, oh no. (Note last year; I was a flower, a puppy, a leopard, a baby chick, and of course, a fairy). She claims she collects these kids' costumes for her photography business, but I think she's just a little batty. Anyway, we've done some fun Halloween activities: a Halloween celebration at the zoo, a Halloween puppet show, two Halloween parades (one right in my neighborhood and one at the library), and costume playdates with my friends. Today however, is actual Halloween, and my mom took some photos of me in my warm and not-as-warm costumes (gotta be prepared for any weather) before the sun set--so check them out!

Costume Party

2007-10-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

I went to my Storytime playgroup last night, and we wore our Halloween costumes and sat on bales of hay while my Mom took pictures. And one of the best things was that we got to meet tiny new Baby Tom, who was born just a month ago. Something really special about Tom is that he is a vibrant redhead like his Mom! He has a bright red swirl of hair on his tiny head. He wore a little pumpkin costume which is a good look for him. It was such a fun evening. We ate strawberries and delicious apple crisp (thanks, Susan!) and posed for photos. The moms were impressed that they got us to sit in one place for our group photo. Of course we were good--we know how utterly precious and adorable we are in our costumes. I can't wait to wear my butterfly costume again....

Weekend in Connecticut

2007-10-19T19:28:00.001-07:00

Two weekends ago, we went to Connecticut because my Mom had to photograph a wedding. I was really pleased because I got to hang out at Gram and Beepie's house! I also visited Great-Grammie, played at my cousins' house, and spent time with the newlyweds, Uncle Sam and Aunt Kristin. We went to the beach house, and it was warm enough for Samuel, Caleb and I to play at the beach and go in the water one more time before it gets too cold!

My First Race

2007-10-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

As you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and we decided to show our support by running in the Race for the Cure. Well, my parents ran, and I "rode" the 5k in my jogging stroller (Dad pushed me for most of it). It was so exciting; there were so many people, and everyone was so happy and supportive of each other. It was a really powerful experience, and I can't wait until I can run it all by myself....

By the way, National Coming Out Day is also in October (the 11th), and I just want to give a shout out to all of those who observed it! Out and Proud!

Discovering Visual Art

2007-10-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

I have discovered drawing, and I am hooked. There is nothing more fun than making art, and given a crayon/pen/permanent marker, I will make art on anything. In fact, I did this really neat abstract on the hardwood floor under Mom's computer desk with a fat black permanent marker--I still don't know why Mom and Dad made such a big deal out of it....

Visit to Drumlin Farms

2007-10-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

My Mom and Dad took me to this really fun farm about a month ago, and I got to go on a hay ride and visit with all kinds of cool animals! I learned to say "baaa" and "moo" and "snort" (pig) to them. There was even a red-haired pig--really! We found this cool glen in the woods that was covered in ivy, and my Mom said it was a fairy bower--she was wishing she brought me some wings!

I Love My Papa

2007-10-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

My Papa is eighty-four years old, and I am his littlest grandchild (my oldest first cousin is thirty-five...Papa even has a great-grandchild on the way!). I visit him all the time, and love him so much. He fought in World War II, and tells amazing stories. He has six sons. He is a painter, and creates really pretty landscapes. He is also an amazing cook, and makes me yummy Italian food all the time. I love visiting my Papa!

Out on the Town

2007-10-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

My mom has not had any time to post pictures about all my adventures in the last month...At my insistence, she has finally relented to throw some posts up quickly!

On a warm evening in August, we met up with Theo and Niko and their cousin Drew at a cool park in Cambridge...Mom brought my lime green bikini, and Theo and I ran under this cool water sprinkler while the adults cuddled the two little babies, Niko and Drew. It was a really fun summer evening!

A Visit from Zoe

2007-09-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

I had a visit from my cousin Zoe the other day (actually, Zoe is my dad’s cousin’s granddaughter—my family on my Dad’s side is confusing because my Dad is the youngest of six boys ranging in age from twenty-nine to their late fifties and his dad, my Papa is eighty-four!).
Zoe and I were born two days apart at the same hospital, and their room was only a couple doors down from mine. It was really fun to see Zoe, although I had my third tooth coming in that day (Mom didn’t realize until later), and I was kind of whiny and clingy and not my playful self.
Zoe’s grandmother Nancy (giving Zoe a kiss in the picture) has made me some of the most beautiful gifts: a soft, comfy yellow blanket, a cozy purple blanket, a purple shawl and a pink shawl (me modeling on the left). The detail in her work is amazing, and Mom tells her she should create a website and sell her sweet items online. If you are interested in purchasing one of her lovely shawls, send my Mom an e-mail and she will put you in touch with her.

Redheads Have the Most Fun!

2007-08-31T07:17:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, at my grandparents’ beach house, there was a remarkable observation at one point by my uncle Jon….over fifty percent of the cottage’s visitors/inhabitants were redheads—for two days straight! It was really nice to be in such great, bright, gingery company! The first day, my Mom had a photo shoot, and this whole red-headed family came. Mom’s friend Colin, who is an adorable redhead, wanted a picture for his parents’ 40th anniversary, and he brought along his wife, Erin and his gingery siblings (who were really funny and all very talented in many ways). That day, the redhead contingency at the house totaled NINE (that is counting the “strawberries”) as opposed to the five non-reds. The next day, Uncle Sam’s red-haired friend came to visit, and while we played at the beach, we observed that out of the ten of us there, six of us were red-headed. I think that all the redheads in Connecticut were at our beach house this weekend!

In Support of Mothers

2007-08-28T22:43:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Simone’s other, cooler best friend (besides my Mom ;) is this really smart, fun lass named Shel Lyons. Shel graduated from Harvard Law School, is a world traveler, and according to my Mom, is a very upbeat, adventurous, informative, inquisitive spirit. She became a mother in the last year also, and has devoted much energy to exploring birth, motherhood, mothers’ and babies’ health, working moms, and parents’ rights; in fact, she recently started her own non-profit, Mothers' Rights Network (Trish, you two should meet). She and her little baby Calla (named after a flower like me!) both have blogs (Calla’s blog is the same template as mine in fact) and instead of just posting pictures and more pictures, Shel (and Calla) use their blogs to discuss very important topics concerning motherhood/babyhood.

Most of you who know my Mom, know that she is a firm proponent of breastfeeding. My Mom says that breast milk is the most precious gift we women can give our babies, and she considers me good proof of this. I have been breastfed for my whole little life, and in my entire fourteen months, I have had only two or three low fevers (two of them attributed to the cutting of my two teeth) and three very short-lived runny noses (which also coincided with teething). Perhaps we have just been very, very lucky, but my Mom feels that the super-teacher antibodies she gave to me through her breast milk really helped fend off much of the sicknesses that came my way.

My Mom feels lucky because her own mother was a strong proponent of breastfeeding. In fact, back in the late seventies, my Gram felt pressured to stop nursing, and regrets stopping when she did—at nine months. At ten months, her baby (my Mom)contracted a very dangerous bacterial infection called Spinal Meningitis, and my Gram always felt that it could have been avoided if she hadn’t stopped nursing. Now, this is a very extreme story, but it is part of the reason my Mom feels so strongly. One thing is certain; the benefits of breastfeeding are abundant—for both babies and their moms.

Of course, I don’t want to make breastfeeding sound easy. It isn’t—it is hard at first, for both mothers and us babies to learn! It hurt my mom a lot at first, but it was very important for her so she got through the hard part. Once that goes away, it is so easy! Instead of getting up to prepare and warm a bottle in the middle of the night, all you have to do is pick up your baby and cuddle close with him/her for a little while. Also, for working moms, breastfeeding can sometimes be out of reach; not all mothers are as lucky as mine, having two careers--one that she could do at home while caring for me. This is another avenue that Shel, a working Mom, explores through her research.

Now, breastfeeding is only one of the multitude of topics of Shel covers; it just happens to be one about which my mom is particularly passionate. Please check out both Calla's and Shel's blogs for a host of other topics on mothers, babies, and their health. Shel is a witty, colorful author, but more importantly, she has strong opinions, positive insight, information, and support to offer other moms. Whether or not you are a Mom (or Dad), and whether or not you agree with all of her beliefs, you will find her work interesting, informative, and hopefully, insightful!

Trip to Vermont, Number Five!

2007-08-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we took another trip to one of our favorite places to visit, the “’cation house” (coined by Theo) in Vermont. My Uncle Howard’s boss owns this huge, beautiful house near Stowe, and he is really awesome to let Howard use it a few times a year (and Uncle Howard is really awesome to take us along—and especially, to let my parents bring me and Ivy!) On this trip, I was the only person under twenty-eight, so I got lots of love and attention from all the adults. We had a fancy dinner at the Von Trapp Family Lodge (Howard and my Mom inevitably performed a medley from “Sound of Music;” they’re all about the showtunes) and I was so well-behaved. Both the pianist and harpist played lullabies for me when I stopped by to listen. Mom took lots of pictures of course. She dressed me up as a purple fairy because she loved the lush green ferns at the edge of the property. She also took photos of Rik and Dee (whose wedding she is going to photograph in the Dominican Republic in January)and Uncle Howard. The adults had a ton of fun on the trip, and stayed up until almost 4 a.m. both nights (I disapproved, but was too sleepy to object). Thanks for another fun weekend up north, Uncle Howard!

Proud to be Red(headed)!

2007-08-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

I know that sometimes people poke fun at redheads, but my parents think it’s pretty special. Mom and Dad both have brown hair and brown eyes, so they were pretty surprised to produce orange-haired, blue-eyed me! Luckily, I am in good company; I look like my awesome Uncle Sam and Uncle Jon! My uncles hated having red hair when they were little because strangers were always coming up to them and touching their hair and saying how cute it was. My Mom, however, didn’t get much attention, so her Dad, my Beepie used to say, “Brownheads are people too.” I do get a lot of attention, but I don’t mind—at least, not yet!

Out of my Mom and Dad’s seven brothers, three of them are red-heads, but I am the first red-headed girl in both families since my Great Grandma Dete--who they say was a fair, auburn-haired beauty! My mom has done a little research on redheads, and she found out some interesting facts. We are very rare; we redheads make up less than one percent of the world population, and not much over two percent of the U.S. population….One study my Mom read said that redheads may have a higher pain threshold than non-reads—weird, but cool! We get sunburns easily (my Mom is crazy about protecting me from the sun!), but we often come with cute freckles….And we glisten really bright in the sun! Unfortunately, we often have a high incidence of teasing (being called “gingers,” “freckle-faces,” “carrot tops,” etc.). My mom says not to worry if I am called those things, and that I should be proud of my orange hair!

More Me!

2007-08-28T14:55:00.001-07:00

My mom’s had a request to have more photos of me on my blog. Can you believe it—my blog, and folks have to request photos of me? I told her she’s better get on top of this at once….So here I am, all twenty-(one, two?) pounds of me, fluffy red hair, chunky thighs and all.

Point O' Woods

2007-08-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

I love my beach house. My Gram and Beepie got it for me, Samuel and Caleb last fall, and we go there a lot in the summer and hang out together. The house is really tiny, but we don’t care because there are so many fun things to do there. When we’re at the beach, we have so much fun; we go swimming and crabbing and out for ice cream and to the Childrens’ Museum and for walks along the boardwalk and bike rides (Uncle Jon has this cool car that attaches to his bike and Samuel and I ride in it) and play in the sand and go out in Beepie’s boat and go out for dinner at Skippers and explore Beepie’s Secret Garden and go to the playground and stay up all through nap time playing and giggling—it’s too fun there to sleep! Mom does a lot of photo shoots while we’re there, but there are always so many people there who love me and take care of me, so I don’t mind. It’s one of my favorite places to be!

Playgroup pool party

2007-08-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

It had been a very long time since my Mom had time to let me have playgroup. But she finally came through and we decided to host a little playgroup pool party--because it was so hot! It was really exciting because everybody was there--even our newest tiny member, Niko! It made me remember the day I attended my very first playgroup when I was only three weeks old and still wearing my preemie clothes. Look how far we've come...Julie and I aren't the babies anymore--we're part of the "big kids!"

Meeting Baby Niko

2007-07-26T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have a tiny new friend named Niko! I went over to visit him and my pal Theo, who is a very good big brother to him. It made me want to have my own real little baby to cuddle and love; I am definitely going to mention this to my parents. Theo and I sat in little chairs at a little table and ate lunch together; I felt like such a big girl! I am so happy to have another tiny friend to play with....

I Love Olivia

2007-07-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

My friends Bella and Baby Olivia came to visit me for a play-date, and it was so awsome because Olivia is a real baby--she's soft and squeezable and smells all powdery like my dolls ("Baby," "White Baby," "Cloth Baby," "Tiny Baby," "Tiny Baby II" and "Huge Baby"), but she squirms and squiggles and makes noises and stuff, which is even better! My mom let me "hold" her. I loved her very much, and cried when I had to let her go.

Playgroup at My House!

2007-06-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

I proudly hosted my storytime playgroup friends a couple weeks ago, and it was a really fun day! Mostly, we played outside with the toys my Mom got for me on Craigslist, or found on the side of the road; she says it's much more inexpensive this way, and much more earth-friendly to recycle these garish plastic monstrosities...So we climbed stuff and "rode" bikes and swung on my makeshift swingset (thanks for building me a swing, Uncle Sam!) and had a jolly time. We sat all in a row in our dining chairs and ate pizza with the Moms. We kids were really bummed to find out that our friend Keira is moving to Connecticut, but since my Gram and Beepie live there, I hope to see her there!

Storytime Playgroup

2007-06-28T12:10:00.001-07:00

Viola has a group of friends she made at Storytime at the Burlington Public library, and we have been getting together regularly for playdates--Viola and I both feel so lucky to have made these new friends! Here are some photos of Viola and her adorable storytime chums: Tessie, Kiera and Ben (Nora had to leave early for her nap). Tessie has a beautiful yard and a really fun swingset, and the kids have a blast playing there.

My First Birthday (written by my Mom)

2007-06-28T12:04:00.001-07:00

Our little Viola turned one on Sunday, and we were amazed, and so touched that over fifty of our friends and family came over to celebrate this first year of her life. The entire Todzia clan came up from CT (and NH--thanks, Kristin) and Uncle Chris and Aunt Brooke came all the way from NYC! I was so excited to watch Viola experience her party that I had a hard time making the rounds, so I apologize if I was a lousy host! The cake was made and decorated by her Grandma Mary, and it was adorned with violas we picked from our daughter's own little garden. Viola devoured every last crumb of her piece (her first official dessert) and by the end, the heavy dose of sugar had her giggling with glee (and making cute scrunched-up nose faces, see photo). Matt and I want to thank you all for taking the time out of this busy season to attend our cook-out. Our lives have been forever changed by this smiling, red-headed little cherub, and it means so much that you all were there to celebrate her first year with us.