Family Time

Before I update you on our recent family reunion, I thought I would let you know that Talia is officially sleeping in her crib. Cruel or clever, I know not, but we decided to make the switch after Talia had her shots. She was so drowsy, she would have slept anywhere. Talia seems to have adjusted well to her new bed. She will often wake up from a nap and look around or "talk" before she lets us know she is ready to get up (crying). Last night Talia slept 11 hours. We put her down at 8:30 and she woke up at 7:30. Wow, what a blessing to have a baby that sleeps well! Here is Talia taking a nap in her crib. I read that babies better adjust to new environments if they are placed on a blanket they have used (without being recently washed). So, we tucked in her blanket above the sheets. Now that she is used to the crib, we took her blanket out.



Last week Talia and I were heading out to Stroller Strides (the group of moms that meet at the park to exercise) when Talia decided to have a major blow out. By the time she was done, cleaned up, and placed back in the car seat, I realized that we would be late. So, being dressed and in the mood for exercise, I decided to take Talia on a walk in the jogging stroller. Feeling adventurous, we headed off to find a new walk along the canyon. We found a walk with an incredible view within a mile of our house. Unfortunately, we decided that I shouldn't walk along this new trail by myself (and Talia). One of our neighbors said mountain lions were recently seen in the area. Our family of three returned this weekend. This time with a camera.



We can't wait to return on cold and clear day when we will see snow on the mountains (and foothills on occasion).



Here is Talia, content to ride with Daddy.



While we are on the subject of interesting views within our vicinity, I thought I would share a fascinating discovery that Jon made by the front door. While all of God's creations are amazing, some species are much more lovely than others. I placed a penny next to this insect for reference. We guessed that it was a potato bug (a.k.a. Jerusalem cricket). I visited www.whatsthatbug.com to confirm. This website has come in handy living here (we first discovered it in researching a glowing insect that we found by our trash can).



Let's move on to the family reunion. Talia's great great aunt (Jon's mom's aunt) recently got married. More than 50 relatives gathered to celebrate the occasion.
Here is a picture of the whole family. If you look VERY closely you can see Talia.



Here is the bride holding Talia.



Here is Talia with Alicia. Alicia is Jon's cousin's daughter. I am not sure what that makes her to Talia, but Talia loved being with her. Unfortunately, this "staged" photo doesn't give you an idea of how much smiling and "talking" Talia enjoyed in Alicia's arms.



We took a large family photo that evening. I hope that one of the relatives sends us a copy so I can post it. They did, so here it is. Can you find Talia? Click on the picture and you can see a larger version in Flickr.

Here is Talia while Mommy plays dress up.