Mommy's Little Girl

Those of you who have known me for a while know that I love overalls. They are comfortable, versatile, full of pockets, and just plain fun. When a friend from church gave me overalls for Talia I was thrilled. A few days ago Talia and I wore our overalls and pink shirts. The weather was nice so Jon took several pictures of his two girls. Here is one.



If you want to see a few more shots (including Talia spitting up on her overalls) you can click on the above picture to enter our Flickr album.

Our Thanksgiving

We enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving with my parents in Southern California. Some of the events of the four days included lots of driving, playing with Talia, eating, talking about Talia, playing games, taking pictures of Talia, spending time with neighbors (Mr. Perry and Elvina), cuddling with Talia, going on walks, taking Talia to Parnell Park, more driving, exploring fast food changing tables along the 99 with Talia, visiting with Mike and Evelyn and their family, and strolling with Talia on the Paseos. Here are a few pictures. You can see more at Whittier Wonders.

Two strollers and two babies



Talia after her first swing ride at Parnell Park



I remember visiting this donkey many years ago in the park zoo. I think it is safe to say that the signs of aging have taken a greater toll on him than on me.



Talia's first sink bath



Talia had lots of fun playing with her grandparents. Here she is on Grandaddy's belly.



Talia enjoys a good flight.

Thanks

Erin's short list of blessings (not in any particular order):

1. My wonderful husband. I am very grateful for such an amazing, intelligent, thoughtful, loving, hard working, fun, and handsome husband.

2. Talia Rose. Our baby is so sweet, cuddly, pleasant, lovable, smart, fun, and beautiful.

3. Being home with my daughter. While I loved teaching, I am thrilled to be able to be a full time mom. Many thanks to Jon for working so hard to make this possible.

4. Wonderful family. Our family is blessed with great parents, siblings, siblings-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

5. Fantastic friends. I am grateful for faithful friends, new and long-time. Their friendships bring joy, laughter, and counsel.

6. A roof over our heads. I am grateful to live in such a beautiful area surrounded by nature. Our home is humble, but it is ours.

7. Food on the table. I have never known hunger. In fact, I feel quite spoiled by the variety of food available to us (and I am not bashful when it comes to eating).

8. Health. It is when I am sick or hurt that I remember what a blessing it is to be in good health.

9. Living in America. While my travels have only taken me to 5 other countries, I feel confident saying that I am truly blessed to live in the United States. We enjoy freedom, opportunity, and a high standard of living.

10. High speed internet. An odd blessing to most, but to us it is fantastic. The internet allows us to stay in contact with friends and family. It also allows Jon to work from home.

11. Last but greatest, my Lord and Savior. He is the reason for all the joy and blessings in my life. His love is unending. His wisdom is unfathomable. His forgiveness is enduring.

The Clothing Conspiracy

Last month Jon wrote about "The Elmo Conspiracy." This month I will write about "The Clothing Conspiracy." Their is no doubt that Talia is a girl, from her gentle features and sweet coos to her flash moods and fashion sense. I have figured out that Talia wears an average of four outfits a day. Every morning I look forward to choosing one of her many adorable outfits (sometimes I even plan days in advance). I will admit that I am living vicariously through her since I have only purchased two pieces of clothing (besides maternity) in more than a year. After her first feed and diaper change one of us dresses her in her outfit for the day. I take that back, for the next couple hours. Inevitably, she begins to spit up. Remembering that I just finished a load of Talia's clothes I try to hold out on changing her, but the poor girl soaks herself and a change is necessary in our stoveless home. Generally, the second change is still fun. I rummage through her three drawers of clothes and find another adorable outfit. Talia smiles and coos as I take off her first outfit and toss it in her dirty clothes box. I explain to her that this is a very cute outfit that I am sure she will want to wear all day. She puts on a placating smile. Clothes in place, the soaking begins. By the third outfit I am less concerned with appearance and more concerned with practicality. Her third change will usually land her in pajamas or a body suit. And yet, Talia seems quite dissatisfied with our selection, as demonstrated by more spitting up. The fourth outfit is a matter of the quickest and easiest clean outfit available. On a good day, the last change is right around bedtime.

Talia clearly enjoys displaying her large repertoire of clothing in as little time possible. Daddy and Mommy have tried to prolong the duration between changes by adding bibs to her ensemble. Talia seems to be catching on to this trick and she is now aiming for her arms and legs (with great success). I remember thinking that Talia had more clothes in this size than she could ever wear. But as Talia reminds me, a girl can never have too many outfits.

Here she is in one of her 25+ dresses (including sizes up to 24 months). This one lasted more than 2 feeds. Auntie Angie picked a winner!



While Talia is able to sleep through some swaddle breaks, this one was a little too thorough for sleep.



What is the big deal with killing two birds with one stone? Talia can soak Daddy, Mommy, and herself with one spit up!

Laughter: Our Medicine of Choice

Talia has accomplished a dreaded, yet inevitable first, illness. She, along with Daddy and Mommy, has a cold. Last week was filled with outings and fun; This week we are spending our days in our camphor scented sick house. But, as our title suggests, we are still enjoying ourselves. Talia is the most pleasant congested baby I have ever seen. She is still smiling, cooing, playing, and laughing, with occasional bouts of frustration demonstrated by pawing at her face and spirited sneezes. Our events of the week have been limited to: Finishing our stove shopping, going to the drug store to buy a steam vaporizer for Talia and cough drops for Daddy, visiting the post office, and a couple walks. Here are a few pictures of our sick, yet fun-filled days. Thanks to Daddy, we also have the video of Talia's laughter.

I know we have posted several pictures of Talia in her stroller, but if you look closely you may notice a difference. We adjusted the seat so Talia is more upright. Her head control is fantastic and she can sit-up with a little help, so we decided to give her an improved view. She stayed awake longer than usual, fascinated by the outside world.



Since Talia is working on strengthening her torso muscles and improving her balance, I have been putting her in her Bumbo seat (given to her by Uncle Mike, Aunt Evelyn, and her cousins). This chair gives her a whole new perspective of her surroundings.



They say that children laugh an average of 300 times a day, while adults only rack up a pathetic 5 instances of laughter. Not only are children joyful, but they bring joy to others. The adult average must include some rather melancholy adults, because parents, teachers, and others that spend time with children will attest that their day is often punctuated with bouts of laughter. Jon and I find frequent occasions to laugh as we watch Talia. As a kindergarten teacher I found myself laughing often, and trying desperately to suppress my laughter when one of my students made a serious but hilarious comment. The Bible says that laughter is good medicine so we are taking every opportunity to do so. Here are a few clips from Talia's second day of true laughter. I hope it brightens your day and strengthens your bones :).

Talia's Busy Week

This week has been quite busy for our family. I will fill you in on some of the highlights. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures at our various events. Some photos from home will follow.

Sunday: Talia makes her nursery debut. We waited for this event for two reasons: We wanted Talia to have her immunizations and she was often sleeping through church so it wasn't necessary. We chose not to wait any longer for two reasons: We wanted her to be comfortable with the nursery before she reaches a clingy stage and it was too tempting for us to interact with her rather than listen attentively.

Talia did well by all accounts. She was pleasant, outgoing, and even fell asleep in the arms of one of the helpers during her usual nap time. We also took Talia to Safeway for one of our longer shopping trips. She has gone to the grocery store before, but it is usually a quick trip.

Monday: Talia and Mommy spend time with friends at the mall. We hung out with my friends Sarah and Kristi and their babies Anna (pictured on previous posts) and Tate.
We window shopped and I believe we spent less than $2 between the 6 of us (minus lunch). It was quite an adventure balancing the routines of three little ones.

Tuesday: Talia goes to kindergarten (and other grades, too). We had a great time visiting my old school. Talia was a big hit. She was passed around during the staff lunches, smiling and talking as she went. We also strolled into a few classes. I was greeted with hugs and squeals from my past students. The kids loved looking at, but not touching, Talia. Later that evening Jon, Talia, and I went to the Sanders' house (Jon's relatives). We enjoyed a great time with them and a fantastic dinner.

Wednesday: Talia and Mommy went to Stroller Strides. That evening we went to Grandma and Grandpa T.'s house for a wonderful dinner and some catching up time.

Thursday: A friend came over in the morning. Our family enjoyed a nice walk along the canal. I got caught up on some housework.

Friday: The plan is: Bible study in the morning and getting together with our fellowship group in the evening.

Saturday: The plan is: Stove shopping. Some of you know that we got rid of our hideous old propane stove (our main source of heat) when we got new carpet this summer. Now that winter is approaching we figure we better not procrastinate any longer. Besides, Grandma and Grandpa were eager to babysit.

Talia's Landmarks:

This last week has been so fun for us. Talia has really been learning. She is now deliberately reaching for things. It is fun to watch her look at an object and slowly reach for it. She is also able to break out of her swaddle without waking up (some of the time). This is a big break through for Talia and a big relief for Daddy and Mommy. Now she is sleeping an average of 11 hours at night without any interruptions. Talia is feeling and holding things. She will move her open palms over various surfaces and grab onto objects in play. She even had the stability to hold her bottle for short periods of time tonight. The best landmark (in my opinion) is laughing. Talia has been giving occasional simple chuckles, similar to a catch in her throat and a bright smile. But, now, there is no denying her laugh. Yesterday she giggled several times before and during her bath. Today I was nearly in tears as her laugh was loud, long, and very spirited. And, she kept laughing sporadically for several minutes. It is amazing how she went from a quiet giggle to serious laughter in one day! Jon caught both her giggle and her laugh on video. Hopefully we can post it soon. Because Jon is working from home, he didn't miss these milestones. Okay, here is the part you have all been waiting for (or scrolling down to find), pictures!

Here is Talia trying on her new hat. Notice that she is holding herself upright with just a little help from Mommy.


Here is Talia sleeping, clearly out of her swaddle.


And again :)


She is actually supporting her bottle.


Like I said, this has been an amazing week for Talia. I hope to post Talia's laugh sometime in the near future (but I will need Jon's help as I clearly botched my previous attempt).

The Aromas of Autumn (and Other Thoughts)

**I updated Talia's Travels and Family Time with some new pictures of Talia, her cousins, and her extended family. Please scroll down to view them.**

Sitting in the living room, bathed in the warm light of the afternoon sun, I think about the beauty of the creation surrounding me. The autumn foliage slowly drifts from treetops, the scent of burning leaves seasons the air, and the quietness of the fauna preparing for the winter bring a sense of serenity. Inside candles flicker filling the air with the aromas of candied apples, cinnamon vanilla, and autumn leaves. I never had a healthy appreciation for this season until we moved to this area six years ago. Growing up, the dry season seemed to melt into the wet season without flourish. Now the signs of turning abound. Crisp greens transform into warm amber and honey, nights turn cold and transparent, rains begin to fall, the harvest burgeons then dwindles, the deer and squirrel make ready their winter homes, white smoke fills the air with musky spice, and winds swirl leaves and needles through the air in soft whispers. Our family enjoys tranquil walks through our forest. We are reminded not only of God's presence but of His words. Psalm 19 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge."

During Jon's lunch break we took a walk around the property. We discovered that many of our tomatoes were still ripening and the flowers in our garden were in full bloom. While in the mood to harvest, we picked a few apples and grape clusters. I was amazed by our bounty, even into November. Here is some of what we picked. The tomatoes didn't make it in the picture.





Later in the day we took our canal walk. We decided to dress Talia in the sweater and hat Jon had worn as a baby.



While we were on our walk we saw a hare, Jon saved a banana slug from dehydration, and I waved as the train passed overhead (much to Jon's embarrassment). Talia slept. After the walk Talia needed a change and Daddy was up for the task. Talia responded to Daddy's care with a message on her shirt. Please excuse her capitalization error (hey, she is only a baby).



On Halloween Talia dressed up for Stroller Strides. She was a Pooh Bear bee. Talia has Anna to thank for lending this costume to her. Here she is.



Our little bee seeks some nectar.



I dressed up as a graduate to help at the church. I was thinking it was a quick, free costume. Then it dawned on me that it was a lengthy (3 years plus AP courses) and expensive costume. But, the investment was already made so I might as well put it to good use. Jon stayed home with Talia to pass out candy to all of the zero trick or treaters. Two years ago Jon and I dressed up as:



He won a prize for his costume at work. Last year I was a queen and Jon was a computer geek. Jon wore a computer T-shirt that says, "Extreme Indoor Enthusiast," glasses, suspenders, and a flash drive hanging around his neck. I think he had an extra mouse in one of his pockets. Sorry, we didn't take any pictures.