Forest Folks

Introducing Elliana Joy

2010-04-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

We are reviving the blog, perhaps temporarily, to introduce you to our newest blessing, Elliana Joy.

Stats:
Elliana was born at 5:17 a.m. on April 17.
She weighed 8 pounds even and was 21.5 inches long.
She shares with Talia the distinction of being called by her doctor, "One of the least jaundiced babies ever." I guess we have pink babies. :)
She had the highest Apgar of the evening, according to the Nurse-Midwife who delivered her.

Appearance:
You will see for yourself, but she most resembles Talia (which means she is adorable)! We are amazed at how similar they look when looking at Talia's baby pictures. Ellie has dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. I think her nose is slightly more Thomasson and her lips are thinner like mine.

Her Name:
After the difficulty of cancer and the great likelihood that we would never be able to have another child, the blessing of Elliana deserved a name that reflected the miracle that she is. Elliana is of Hebrew origin and means, "the Lord has responded" or "God has answered." Two of our biggest prayers were answered last year. First in Jon's healing from cancer. Second, in the conception of Elliana. Jon is credited with the discovery of her name. To clarify, her name is pronounced ElliAWna, with a Hebrew "a" rather than an English "a." We chose to spell her name with two Ls to transition easily to her nickname, Ellie. We used one N to differentiate from the common pronunciation of Anna (such as the Spanish Ana). Her middle name, Joy, probably needs no explanation. The Lord has given us joy!

Her Birth:
Feel free to skip this section if you have no interest in reading about labor and delivery. But I know many are interested so I am happy to share our experience. You could say this was a very long labor, or a very short one. Ellie was due April 15. Early in the morning on the 16th I began having labor type contractions. They were sporadic and spaced between 8 minutes apart and 30 minutes apart. After five hours of contractions, they ceased and I finally got some sleep. The next day brought occasional contractions, strong enough to force me to practice my relaxation techniques, but light and inconsistent enough to continue with my day. The contractions tapered off and stopped at bedtime. At 3:00 a.m. I awoke with a strong "wobble wobble gush" and it was clear my water had broken. We called over Jon's parents and headed to the hospital when they reached the house. By the time we arrived at the hospital at 3:40, I was in serious labor and moving quickly towards transition. I don't think Triage is used to labor progressing this quickly, as they hooked me up to monitors, took vitals, and left. Jon and I realized I was in transition (self doubt reigned and I began asking for medication) and Jon had to leave the room to get someone to finally check for dilation. After the nurse checked me, the room sprung to life. An OB was called to approve my admission and I was quickly taken to a labor delivery room. I don't think I was in that room more than 15 minutes before I had to push. I think I had 6 pushing contractions, two before the team was ready and four working contractions before Ellie was born. My nurse midwife, Marci, was amazing. She was calm, encouraging, and allowed me to work at my own pace. Elliana was born at 5:17 and had a spectacular cry. She was incredible and I couldn't wait to hold her! With the exception of post labor contractions, my recovery has been much quicker. My pre-pregnancy energy has been quickly returning and I have been feeling better than I had felt in many months.

Peronality:
As I write this, Ellie is only 10 days old. With that in mind, our observations are not meant to peg her for life. As she was in the womb, Elliana appears to be fairly easy going. She doesn't cry excessively and is easy to console when she does. Ellie smiles frequently. While the smiles may not yet express pleasure, she has such a look of contentment and joy throughout the day. Ellie even smiles in her sleep. Following in Talia's footsteps, she eats and sleeps well.

Talia, the Big Sister:
Talia is an amazing big sister. She is very helpful, complimentary of Elliana, tender, and very interested in spending time with her little sister. She asks to hold her and loves to watch her sleep. Talia can be very sensitive when I nurse Ellie, asking to be held and sometimes crying. We are just trying to make sure she gets plenty of affection and attention from each of us. Aside from her increased sensitivity, Talia has really been making a smooth transition from only child to big sister.

Second Time Parents:
So far, having a newborn seems easier than last time. I think we have more confidence and are more laid back. I feel like I am enjoying this special time more because I am not stressing about "doing things right." Naturally, we are a bit sleep deprived, but we are thoroughly enjoying every minute as a family of four.

Pictures!

Talia's latest music video

2009-04-11T11:24:00.001-07:00

Talia Is...

2009-03-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

Tender: Talia can be so cuddly, loving, and sweet. She showers us with "uhwuvuhs" (I love you), hugs, and kisses, and she loves to be held. Recently, I was at the store shopping the meat aisle when Talia reached over and gave me a big hug! It was quite out of the blue and so special! Her tender embraces melt our hearts and bring us such joy.

Moody: Everything written above is dependant on mood! Sometimes we ask for or offer said hugs, kisses, and cuddles. Reaction: "NO!" and run away. Sometimes it's a game and she wants us to work for her loving, other times she would rather be doing something else!

A Peek-A-Boo Fanatic: Talia could play Peek-A-Boo all day. She uses her hands, blankets, hats, doors, stuffed animals, and anything else at her disposal. Before long all three of us are busting up! She even plays Peek-A-Boo with our borrowed cat, Tiki.

Goofy: Talia loves to entertain us. She loves to see the world from a different angle (upside down, in a box, through her fingers, etc.). The other day Daddy was resting on the carpet. Talia came along and placed her potties (unused, we are allowing her to become comfortable with them before beginning training) along his back and legs. Talia likes to put things on her head or on ours and declare it a "hatah." Items include boxes, doilies, bags (we put a quick end to that one), headbands, glasses, toys, and even underwear.

Talkative: She loves to talk to us and her stuffed animals. She knows and uses many nouns and verbs. She is learning adjectives (such as colors, other as in "other foot," this, that, yummy, yuck, stinky, good, etc.). She listens to everything. Jon and I will be talking on our walks while Talia "looks" like she is paying no attention. Suddenly she will repeat or react to something we say. For example, we can't say park, Grandma or Grandpa, food, drink, walk, store, and more without a reaction. She has even learned the spelling of a couple words (E-L-M-O and D-R-I-N-K). She loves to have us sing to her and calls singing "La La La." Sometimes she has a sing-songy voice or hums. She calls animals by their sounds rather than their names, "bah", "moo", "neow", "ha ha" (aka hee haw), "whoo whoo", "woof woof", guttural sound (oink), scratchy "ahh ahh" (quack quack), "hee hee hee" (monkey), etc.

A Dancer: One of Talia's favorite activities is dancing in the arms of Mommy or Daddy. She asks us to turn on music then says, "dih dih." She loves waltzes and songs with a strong or fast beat.

Observant: Talia notices everything! She can spot a balloon, animal, or character from far away. She likes clothes. I recently put on a dress Talia had never seen. She looked at it and said, "uhwuvah." Seemingly out of the blue Talia will say "dih dih whoo whoo." Sure enough, we hear the very distant rumble of the train. Talia notices items out of place or on the floor. Sometimes she puts them back or says, "uh oh" to let us know something fell. At home and elsewhere she notices little pieces of dirt or crumbs on the floor and says, "bluah" (yuck).

Part African? Talia loves to smell spices. The odd thing is that her "word" for spices is a clicking sound. We have no idea where she came up with that way of communicating spices. Apparently Jon is related to Booker T. Washington, so maybe Talia has ancestry in a clicking tribe? :)

A Lap Lover: Talia loves to sit on our laps while she plays. She will pat the ground or a chair and say, "sih." If we are sitting on the ground, she will inevitably back her caboose right onto our laps. She often brings books, toys, or stuffed animals with her.

A Little Mommy: Talia loves her stuffed animals and babies. She almost always has at least one in her arms, sometimes as many as four. She feeds them, puts them on the potty, puts them to bed, and even prays with them. Talia makes her "friends" talk and make sounds (like eating or snorring). Her "friends" even know sign language! Talia can spend half an hour playing house, making food in her kitchen, and reading to her stuffed animals. She is generally very gentle with her "friends," rocking, hugging, kissing, and tenderly holding them. One day at the park Talia saw two girls playing roughly with a baby doll. Talia was noticibly upset. She tried to go "rescue" the baby doll now laying discarded on the ground. I stopped her, and it's a good thing since the girls loudly let her know that it was their doll and she couldn't touch it. Watching Talia with her stuffed animals brightens our days and makes us prayerful that she will someday have her own family to love with tender care.

Sensitive: Talia likes to see kids, but can be very shy and nervous around them. Ever since a little boy chewed Talia out for no apparent reason, sending her crying back to me in tears, Talia has been worried about her well being around other children (the boy did this twice, I might add, with his mom sitting there mumbling, "that wasn't nice"). Now she hovers around me watching them until she feels safe enough to approach. She will begin to share or play around them until they make a sudden move or try to touch her. At that point, she runs back to Mommy or Daddy. She has warmed up to Anna and her cousins. We are looking forward to giving her more opportunities to be around other children in the near future. When Talia feels safe, she can be a ham. For example, at the grocery store she was standing on the floor holding my hand. A toddler close to her age was close by confined to a cart. Talia started to perform. She danced, clapped, waved, said "hi" numerous times, and generally showed off her repertoire of talents. The toddler just watched her with little expression.

A Gigantic Blessing! Our lives are so full and we are so thankful. Having Talia has brought an even deeper understanding of God's love for us. He is that perfect father that loves, trains, and guides us.

Months in Review

2008-12-28T13:54:00.000-08:00

The aforementioned avalanche experienced a deep freeze. The cold front, coming from the realms of Facebook, swept accross my laptop. I am forecasting a thaw, as Talia is nestled in her crib, Jon works steadily at his computer, and I sit with a mug of hot water (blame Yael for that idea). Will this impending warm front be sufficient to dislodge the avalanche of experiences from the last several months?

AUGUST

My last detailed post dates back to Talia's birthday. After her big day, Talia learned to stand (without assistance). Notice her concentration as we happened to capture this momentous occasion.

Gas prices soared so Jon wisely created our Summer List. This list of staycations gave us something to look forward to without breaking the bank. He chose several historical and enjoyable outings within a 50 mile (or so) radius. The first spot on the list was Bridgeport.

Bridgeport is one of the largest double span covered bridges in North America. We visited the bridge, picniced, geocached, and hiked. Here are a few highlights.

SEPTEMBER

On September 1st we drove to Empire Mine. This hard rock gold mine opperated until the 1950s and consisted of 367 miles of underground tunnels and mine shafts. In addition to the mines, buildings, museum, and mining machinery, the park boasts admission to the Bourn estate and its surrounding acres of gardens.

One highlight of September was our (Talia and I) trip to Texas. You can read about that trip in a previous post.

Our next adventure took us to Coloma and the James Marshall Discovery Park. We visited the place where gold was first discovered, ushering in the Gold Rush of 1849. In addition to visiting the historic sites and museums, we hiked, picniced, and geocached.

Mike and Evelyn invited us to welcome autumn with a trip to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm.

It was in September that we learned Jon was very sick. This month began a nearly six week series of tests and appointments to determine the cause of his illness. We had weekend trip to Tahoe in October and a week long vacation to Sea Ranch planned for early November. Jon's doctor told us that he needed to stay close to home while they researched his diagnosis and planned treatments. Jon's doctor called the morning of our trip to Bishop's, we got home, packed, and left on an "emergency" trip to Lake Tahoe.

OCTOBER

One of the highlights of October was Talia's first steps. You can see her first steps on video below. Here she is enjoying her new found freedom.

We joined Mike on a trip to Apple Hill. Cold weather and illness kept some of the family home, but the rest of us had a great time.

NOVEMBER

Come November, we did our civic duty, and enjoyed the benefits. Thank God for America (and Starbucks)!

We enjoyed rather temperate weather. Talia spent quite a bit of time outdoors, playing, on walks, and geocaching.

This Thanksgiving was extra special since all 20 Thomassons were finally together again. We had a great time. After Thanksgiving, we went to Fairy Tale Town. Talia also had her first paid babysitter (with nine of her cousins) while the adults enjoyed a quadruple date.

We bought Talia a kitchen for Christmas. The only problem was we couldn't wait for Christmas to give it to her. She loves it and can cook and explore for hours. Here she is playing in her new kitchen.

There are so many more pictures of Talia if you go to our Flickr album. It is hard to select a few pictures when there are so many more worthy of posting.

DECEMBER

Talia is waking and it is time for me to get dinner started. I will continue with December soon (no promises :)).

Two Months and Counting...

2008-12-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

Several people have asked if we plan to maintain our blog. Indeed, we do. Procrastination has left me wondering where to begin. Now that I have broken the ice, let the avalanche begin!

A few have commented on the lack of Talia pictures. There is no true lack, you just need know where to look. Try the Flickr album on the right. We update it every week or so.

Until next post, happy perusing...

Erin's Waterskiing Adventure

2008-10-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Jon insisted that he post some of my water skiing adventure in Tahoe last weekend. We had an "emergency" vacation (more on that in a future post) and Jon spoiled me with this fantastic opportunity. The last time I water skied was in high school and I had been eager to try again. In Tahoe, a wet suit is customary attire for the casual skier (lake temperature ranges from 41 to 68 degrees). My wet suit was pretty baggy so the initial gush of water filling the suit was the most challenging aspect of the outing. I had so much fun I stayed on the water for 45 minutes (with a short break after the pictured face plant). The boat driver said that the average newbie skis for about 20 minutes. I understood why after several days of sore muscles. We hope to go again in the future.

Talia's first steps!

2008-10-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

While Talia has occasionally taken a few steps, this was her first true walking experience.

Please excuse Talia's lack of apparel. She decided to start walking right after Mommy had removed her watermelon dribbled shirt.

God Bless Texas

2008-09-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

Talia and I (Erin) just returned from a vacation in Texas to visit Joy and Joel. We had a fantastic time! I made the mistake of taking our camera without the memory card so I was only able to capture a few pictures. Here are a few highlights:

Talia loved being with Joy and Joel. They treated her like a princess, even giving her a crown to prove it! The above picture shows them at the Dallas Home Show.

Talia loved many things about the Marlowe's home, especially the dogs. She loved to pet them...

Relish their wet kisses,

And play with them.

Talia enjoyed a Potbelly sandwich, where we happened to run into Joel's dad and his wife. They helped spoil Talia, too.

Joy and Talia became good friends. Joy taught Talia how to use a fork.

Joy gave Talia plenty of walking practice.

Talia also made friends with Sofia and Brenden. Here she is calling Daddy on the phone (she really said, "Hi Dada").

We casually looked for a Stetson for Talia. Not finding one before the flight home, I bought a rather inexpensive "Made in Mexico" hat at the airport. It may have cost $6, but she makes it look like a million bucks.

We are still working on her "yee ha."

Talia ended the trip with a big kiss for Joy. I think they will miss each other, but you should have seen her smile when she saw Daddy waiting for her at the airport!

Now for my thoughts...

Texas has it's own amazing personality. State pride is evident just walking down the street. Many houses flew the state flag or had the lone star ensignia was everywhere. Even the commercials advertising a Texas beer alleged that if you can't find their beer, you must be in a foreign country.

The Texans I met were warm and friendly. Joy and Joel's neighbors waved as they passed by. The owner of the local Chick A Fila spent probably 20 minutes chatting with Joy initially about an inquiry and eventually about life in general. A Texan couple offered to help me at the airport. I got a kick out of the woman at the drug store asking, "Are y'all kin?" Probably one of the nicest evidences of the town pride was an enormous playground that the community built for their children. It was the biggest playground I have ever seen and was financed solely by community donations.

The best part of the trip (and the primary reason for going) was visiting my good friend. Joy reminded me that we met 16 years ago and have been great friends since. We remenisced about our old antics and adventures and spent many hours discussing our lives since then. As is tradition, we played cards and drank Martinelli's sparkling cider. The three girls went on several walks, and Joy and Joel introduced me to Wii Fit. I am very grateful to Jon for allowing me to fly to Texas. It was a selfless act and I truly appreciate his encouragement in making this trip happen. Perhaps we will make a family trip to Texas in the future.

Why the title? The whole time I was in Texas I had a variety country songs running through my head. Songs about yellow roses, Felina, exes, and the promised land created a fitting backdrop to our trip. While Texas has its faults, as do all earthly homes, there is a charm, warmth, and ruggedness that pulls at the heart. So I say it again,

God bless Texas!

Talia Turns One!

2008-08-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was dedicated to one purpose: Spoiling Talia. On Friday, Talia turned one. To honor her on her special day, she received numerous hugs, kisses, serenades, tickles, and blueberry pancakes.

Making our celebration even more special, Grandma and Grandpa Poole came to visit.

Talia played with Grandma and Grandpa.

Grandma introduced Talia to the joy of shopping. Mommy also benefited from the excursion.

Talia enjoyed Ikeda's for lunch and lasagna for dinner.

Saturday was a busy day as we got ready for Talia's big birthday party. After vacillating for a quite a while, we decided to have just a family party. The guest list included; Grandma and Grandpa T. (also our gracious hosts), Grandma and Grandpa P., Uncle Eric, Uncle Mike and Aunt Evelyn, Sophia, Nathanael, Luke, Timothy, and Sarah, Peter, and Anna (well, they are practically family).

Here is the birthday girl.

Talia ate her first cake...

Very slowly.

She ate so slowly that her cousins had to help...

And Anna gave her a few pointers.

The kids rode (and drove) the tractor.

Most of us enjoyed swimming and Talia had her first hot tub experience.

Not to worry, the temperature was only 97 degrees. We managed to fit 11 people in the hot tub! Talia didn't displace too much water :).

Naturally, we watched the Olympics after the outdoor festivities ended.

The next day Talia was dedicated to God in church. More accurately, we dedicated ourselves to raising her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We appreciate your prayers as we seek to be godly parents.

Our cup runneth over!

One last note, Talia's doctor confirmed that she is still in the 99th percentile on length.

Talia's Thoughts

2008-07-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

Mommy says she is too busy to update the blog so I thought I would fill in for her.

Mommy and I have fun all day. We play a game called laundry. Mommy folds clothes and places them in drawers. I reach into the drawers and pull out the clothes. Mommy refolds the clothes and places them back in the drawers. I pull them out. We play this game until I get bored.

Recently I got sick. Mommy and Daddy felt bad for me so they bought me new toys. I like my giant Legos.

You can see who likes them more.

Daddy and Mommy build towers. I try to keep them entertained by knocking them down.

The doctor gave me an inhaler for my throat.

I decide when to use it. Mommy and Daddy thought they could make me; they were wrong.

I love to look through albums.

I can point to my favorite person.

I like to make messes.

Sometimes Daddy and Mommy even make messes for me!

I like to go to birthday parties. Here I am with Mommy and my friends.

Here is the birthday girl.

Here are all the people who love her.

I can do lots of tricks. I can wave "hi" and "bye." I can even suck on my finger for laughs.

Daddy and Mommy love to watch me clap. See my dairy rash?

Did you know I have a brown spot in my eye? Look closely and you will see (Mommy marked it on my Flickr picture).

I like to keep Mommy and Daddy entertained, even when I sleep. They say I look like a frog.

One of my favorite activities is jumping really fast in my jumper. Anything to humor Mommy and Daddy...

Well, I better stop now; Mommy says its time for a nap! Please, Mommy, can I stay up?

Talia Tales

2008-07-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

Talia is growing and learning so quickly that I cannot procrastinate on a post any longer.

Jon helped me compile a list of Talia's new skills. They are as follows:

* Using her sippy cup by herself
* Giving us high fives
* Giving us kisses (well, she has been doing that for a couple months)
* Blowing rasberries
* Repeating sounds
* Pointing to Mommy and Daddy in pictures
* Signing "milk"
* Turning the pages of books when asked
* Finding the hidden cat in her dog book
* Standing for a few seconds
* Cruising all over the house
* Demonstrating understanding of: Daddy, Mommy, eat, milk, book, come, stop, let go
* And so much more...

Here are some pictures.

Talia enjoys relaxing in the hammock chair from Auntie Angie.

Talia is not enthusiastic about the slide.

She loves to swing!

Talia's first crawl in the grass.

Talia enjoys dinner while Daddy is hard at work.

Daddy prepares Talia for her first run through the sprinklers.

Talia cautiously feels the spray on her feet.

She is always on the go.

But she certainly has time to play with Daddy.

Talia enjoys Daddy's soda bottle...

And his popsicle.

She loves popsicles!

Talia celebrates Grandpa's birthday...

And Daddy's first Father's Day.

She is definitely a water baby!

Talia enjoys the maiden voyage of her new swing.

Tid Bits (Part 1)

2008-06-19T00:15:00.000-07:00

Below are a few recent adventures the forest folks have experienced.

Bears

Nothing makes a converted country girl idolize her city roots like a bear at the front door. My love of nature was tempered with a healthy dose of fear. How could I protect my baby against a hungry bear?

This was the second time this bear had visited in broad daylight. Jon spotted the bear on the previous occasion as we were heading out to our friends' house. The bear was clearly conscious of our presence, and clearly unconcerned. He rummaged through our trash, explored the back yard, then sauntered off into the ravine. Being outside when the bear announced his presence, we only had our cell phone available to document the visit.

The bear is between the tree and the wheel barrow. The mess will be explained at a later date.

Gratefully, Talia and I were inside today when I heard the tell-tale crash. Hoping it was just a neighbor dog searching for a snack, I peeked out the front door. When I saw the bear, I walked around the house locking the doors. I grabbed the phone but was clueless about who to call. My internet search for animal control brought me no promising results. I tried a couple numbers without reaching a live person. When I saw the bear meandering towards the house and finally sniffing the front door, I called the only number that guaranteed a helpful human being. Apologizing for using the emergency number prior to a true emergency, I asked for the best way to reach animal control. The kind operator gave me the statewide Fish and Game line.

Lest any reader believes differently, let me assure you that some government offices are inept and technologically backwards. The telephone hot line gave me seven options to reach Fish and Game in Rancho Cordova, San Diego, Knoxville, Redding, and other marine areas. We live in none of these areas. Replaying these options three times, I finally pressed "1" for Redding. But wait, the machine won't let you make a selection until you are done listening to the whole menu. After listening to the menu the forth time, I was given the phone number to the Redding office. Too bad I was not quick enough to write the whole number before the message ended. The message would not repeat and I was returned to the main menu were I was privileged to listen for the fifth time to the entire menu before pressing "1" for Redding. Gratefully, the message at the Redding office confirmed that the line was intended for Redding AND the northern California areas. Is it too much to ask that this be stated on the statewide hot line? I was so relieved to reach a live operator that I didn't mind a transfer, until I realized I was transferred to an answering machine where I was told to leave a message. They promised to return my call within 48 hours. Perhaps I will invite the bear to stay with us for the weekend to ensure that he is present when they finally give me advice.

I would like to say that this story has reached its conclusion. The critter proof can proved impenetrable, the bear departed, and disaster was averted. But, I am still awaiting a call.

Rescue

God's timing is perfect.

Several weeks ago our family was enjoying our daily walk when we heard barking and whimpering. We continued to the canal and discovered a lab puppy trapped in the water. He was clinging to the side of the canal while an adult lab jumped in and out of the water barking frantically. After debating over whose shoes would best survive a muddy bath, I jumped in to rescue the puppy. I passed the puppy to Jon and was soon pleading for a hand out of the frigid water. Jon and I worked to warm the shivering puppy by rubbing him and holding him in the sunshine. The adult lab grew bored and jumped back into the canal. Soon she began to whimper as she could not find an area shallow enough to climb out. I held the puppy while Jon coaxed the dog to a lower bank. With shivering puppy in hand, wild dog afoot, and Talia getting more doggy attention than Mommy and Daddy prefer, we were wondering what to do. Just then, a biker rode by and saw our predicament. He "happened" to know the dogs' owners and was able to contact them by phone. The man volunteered to watch the dogs while he waited for the owners to arrive. We lent him the emergency strap to our stroller as a leash and returned home.

Tunnel Zero

Jon was doing some informal research on our small town when he ran across scraps of evidence of a mysterious train tunnel built in the 1870s. Train tunnels are a dime a dozen here but this tunnel was different. Curiosity led Jon to discover that even government records are sketchy as to the reason this tunnel was constructed. Railroad tunnels were sequentially numbered along the East/West line. This tunnel was never numbered and has been nicknamed "Tunnel Zero." Interest piqued, Jon pulled records from various internet sources (including the online Library of Congress) and began to piece together the mystery of this tunnel. Apparently it was built by the Union Pacific Railroad and abandoned when a second line was constructed. Some records suggest that the tunnel was never used, others claim that the tracks were removed during the construction of the second line. Tunnel Zero is also significant in that it is virtually the last extant unmodified Central Pacific Tunnel. The other Tunnels east of Tunnel zero were later enlarged during the early 1900's. Now keenly interested in our neighborhood mystery, we decided to search for Tunnel Zero.

We began the search with an old black and white photo and a few written descriptions of the tunnel's location. Pinpointing the exact location on Google Earth proved ineffective. This 800+ foot tunnel remained completely hidden. Jon found some documents that provided Tunnel Zero's location using an antiquated navigational notation code. Further research provided a formula allowing him to mathematically change the old notations to the modern hours and minutes coordinates. We were now prepared for the hunt.

We packed up and drove to a railroad access within a mile of the suspected location. We traveled along the tracks, each step bringing us closer to this mysterious landmark. Our handheld device sounded, suggesting that we were within 50 feet of the tunnel's southern entrance. We began our search in earnest. Jon and Talia stayed by the tracks, I ventured into a ravine. Twenty minutes later we were questioning the accuracy of our coordinates. Jon and Talia explored the lines of track while I increased my search radius. Not hearing from Jon for several minutes, I began to call out to him. My calls were met with silence. A sense of panic grew within me as I continued to shout. Relief washed over me when I saw my two loves heading towards me. Jon's look of concern dissipated; his grin revealed that he had met with success. He had wandered down the tracks and happened to notice a slight change in the terrain between the two rail lines. Strangely, our search began within one hundred feet of the southern entrance, but it was the northern entrance that Jon had eventually located. Both entrances were so well camouflaged with overgrowth and ancient oak that one could pass by daily and never discover the tunnel.

The tunnel was simultaneously beautiful and eerie. The outer stones produced a unique horseshoe form. Within 50 feet of the entrance, the walls and ceiling became earth and jagged stone. We entered the tunnel with excitement. Our flashlight soon proved inadequate as the darkness surrounded us. Deep in the tunnel the stale, black air weighed heavily upon us. Though our feet were in motion, it seemed we never moved. Our voices did not travel and the exit continued to loom before us. Darkness had never felt so oppressive. Thankfully, we neared the exit. Though I love adventures, it came none too soon. Grateful to see light and feel a breeze, we exited the tunnel. After passing an enormous oak we turned back. It was as if the tunnel had disappeared. The mystery of Tunnel Zero had been experienced, but left unsolved.

Don't let the photos fool you, this tunnel is quite long.

Tid Bits will be continued at a later date. Those of you who are (understandably) eager to see pictures of talia can find some updated photos in our Flickr page.

Balboa (Finally)

2008-06-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

I hate to just throw together a post on such a wonderful trip, but time is such a precious commodity that I better just settle for a quick and concise recounting. For more pictures and information, check out Groovingrandparents.

Our trip really began with a visit to Jon's office (more on that to come). We spent the following day with my parents. The camera was well packed, but Mom took some pictures of us geocaching and visiting Talia's great great aunt and great great uncle at Whittier Wonders.

Here we are at our house in Balboa (preparing for a walk). For a few days, there were 19 of us in this 4 bedroom house. It was noisy and fun!

Here are some pictures of us at the playground.

How did Talia like her first solo flight?

Quite well!

That night we enjoyed watching Mike graduate (with honors) from seminary. Again, the camera was well packed.

We celebrated Jon's birthday.

Talia even got an early birthday present from Uncle Brian, Aunt Jennifer, and her cousins. She loves her baby!

Why is Talia so excited?

We went to Disneyland!

Talia found Nemo...

And chewed on her socks.

Talia scoffs at fast passes, prefering fast naps.

Talia had fun with her baby cousins...

And her big cousins.

She ate junk food...

And went on Dumbo.

She stayed up late...

And fell asleep in the car.

Back at base we went geocaching...

And bike riding (you'll have to check groovingrandparents to see our bicycle built for three).

I enjoyed boogy boarding with Sophia, Elliot, and Emmae.

Talia went on her first boat ride.

Grandma took the girls to The American Girl Place where we ate...

And shopped!

The trip was wonderful! Of course there are more pictures of Talia and her sweet cousins in our Flickr album.

Like Daddy Like Daughter

2008-05-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

Earning Her Badge

2008-05-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

Because of the busyness of the last few weeks, I am definitely behind on blog updates. Talia achieved an important milestone two weeks ago. I will let her shirt speak for me.

My attempts at photography leave much to be desired. Talia's shirt reads, "crawling along."

We marked the date of her first awkward but successful crawling movements as May 6. Within a few days, she was a confident and happy crawler. Now Talia crawls, moves from sitting to crawling (and the reverse), and is pulling herself up onto her knees.

Two weeks have brought about amazing changes in her life and, consequently, ours. Talia is happier and finds plenty to amuse her. Mommy and Daddy are busy training and monitoring her. Gone are the days of washing the dishes while Talia plays happily in her rainforest. By the time I rinse the first dish, Talia has crawled accross the room and is about to enter the kitchen. It is a joy to watch her move around the room to play and explore. Talia melts my heart every time she turns away from her toys and crawls to my feet. Needless to say, play pen time has become extremely valuable.

Here are a few more pictures of the events of the last month. Check back in the next few days for our trip to Balboa.

The above pictures show Talia and Anna at play. This was the first time the girls showed mutual interest in each other, making their play more fascinating for us to watch.

We planted a cache at the above location.

As mentioned before, there are plenty more pictures to post from our trip. Hopefully I can get them up in the next few days.

Tears of Sadness

2008-05-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

Our hearts are breaking. Please pray for my dear friends Joy and Joel. They lost their precious baby, Jacob, in his sleep yesterday.

Their blog, Marlowe Clan, is on the right.

Three Dollars Worth of God (and an Update on Talia)

2008-04-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please, not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of Him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.

Wilbur Rees

After studying John 6 and considering the reasons men and women followed (and still follow) Jesus, a friend shared this poem with me. I know I am guilty of this cautious reception. I pray that these words and the following will "explode my soul" and transform my mind.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2

Talia Update

Our small family has been hit with illness again. Talia has been running a low-grade fever for several days. Her little nose is constantly running and we discovered that a tooth emerged from her upper gums. Her fever finally broke and an irritating rash appeared. Cold, fever, teething, and itchy rash have put her out of commission and caused cancellations to several plans for this week. A few nights ago she was so tired that she lay down on her belly and started to fall asleep on the carpet in the living room. Poor girl. Mommy got a cold (fairly mild) and Daddy got another miserable cold. Anyone wanna' come over?

Prior to illness Talia was spending a great deal of time on all fours. She has figured out how to pull her knees under her hips and is enjoying rocking back and forth. While at the peek of illness, she was too exhausted to progress towards crawling. She seems to be regaining interest in trying to crawl. Talia also played Peek-A-Boo with us a few days ago. She had soaked her shirt so I took it off her chest. Before we could put on a new shirt, she began imitating Daddy and me by placing the shirt over her face and pulling it down. All three of us were in stitches! She seems to be imitating us with greater frequency so we have begun some baby sign-language. We'll let you know how that goes in the future. Talia has also begun pointing and using her pointer finger to touch. She is also picking up items using her thumb and index finger. Talia loves to eat peas. She excitedly grabs several and shoves them in her mouth. As you will see, half the peas end up in her mouth and the other half end up on her face, or arms, or clothes, or seat, or Mom, or floor, or... Talia is enjoying babbling. She is practicing the following letters: B, D, F, G, M, T, and V. Needless to say, she is so much fun! Enjoy these pictures (most taken prior to illness).

P.S. Happy Birthday to Grandma Poole!!!!

Prepare to Be De-Muggled

2008-04-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

In case you visited our blog in the last few days, you will notice the geocaching video has been removed. It is a great video, but we were annoyed that it started to play commercials every time you opened our page. If you missed it, or would like to see it again, check it out here.

In the last two days we have hiked 12 miles in pursuit of geocaches. We have enjoyed scenery, historic points of interest, and several geocaching firsts.

First #1: Geocaching unencumbered by terrain. We got this backpack to allow us to find geocaches on varying terrains. It is Talia tested and Talia approved.

First #2: Finding a Quarry Fortress! It was interesting to discover this historic landmark. We hope to go back and learn more (we were so intent on First #4 that we didn't stop to read about the area).

First #3: Underground lakes and saber tooth tigers! Hawver Cave was discovered in the early 1900s. Inside was a stash of bones believed to have been the remains of mastodons and saber tooth tigers. The cave, which also contains an underground lake, was open to exploration until a few years ago. Unfortunately, disrespectful visitors left so much litter (such as broken rafts) and tagging that the state park was forced to close the cave to the public. A picture of some of the fossils retrieved from the cave can be found here along with some links to news articles. There's also this video about the cave which shows why they needed to put the steel bars at the entrance.

First #4: Our first FTF! Geocachers enjoy many types of finds, but being the first to find (FTF) a newly hidden cache is an extra special treat. You have to be quick, because some caches are found the day they are posted.

First #5: Amazing rock formations! We have seen beautiful scenery around many of our caches, but this was probably the most impressive sight yet. Check out the pictures in the following section to get an idea of the size of these rocks.

First #6: A locked cache! Apparently this cache was planted by the state park. We had to find the combination at a previous hideout.

First #7: Our first DNF! There is no boasting in this first! We did not find (DNF) this cache after searching for more than 15 minutes. Apparently the previous geocachers did not cover the cache when they left because a rattlesnake was nearby. Being exposed, it is possible that the cache was muggled (stolen). We will watch the online log to see if anyone finds it in the future. If they do, we will give it another try.

First #8: Geonapping! Talia was worn out from hiking so she took a nap.

First #9: De-muggling some friends (family)! The Sanders invited us over for dinner so the least we could do was open up to them the world of geocaching. We found two caches within half a mile of their home.

First #10: Geocaching in the dark! Well, we didn't intend to be hiking in the dark, but this cache took two and a half hours of hiking round trip. It was a two to three mile hike in on a horse trail with some steep and rocky grades. We decided to hike back to the road and take the road back to our cars. While this route was safer as we were able to walk on a smooth road by moonlight, it also probably added another mile to our return trip. Here we are with the sunset in the background.

Here are some more recent pictures.

Yes, she has a cold :(.

The kind of treasure Angie would like!

Jon cleverly calls this, "the state plant of California." It sure is everywhere!

Of course there are more pictures in our Flickr album. I also plan to write about Talia soon. Check back later or cheat and check her out on Flickr:).

I've Been Tagged!

2008-03-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here it is!

1.) One book that changed your life.

The Holy Bible: By God

I pray it will continue to change my life.

2.) One book that you have read more than once.

The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers

I have read many books more than once, but this one comes to mind as I read the series (more than 1000 pages) most recently while waiting for Talia’s arrival.

3.) One book you would want on a desert island.

Two come to mind. The Bible if I suspected I would never make it home. A survival guide if I though rescue was possible.

4.) Two books that made you laugh.

1. Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

2. A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

While this book was written for late elementary or middle school children, I think most adults would find it to be a hoot. It is a nostalgic look at summers spent in the South with a hilarious, spirited grandma.

5.) One book that made you cry.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Sheila McGraw

6.) One book you wish you'd written.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

I would love to have such wit and intelligent conversation.

7.) One book you wish had never been written.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

This highly esteemed novel paints in disgust the treasure of being a wife and mom. The heroine, being both, is so dissatisfied with her life that she ends it. This final scene is so poetically written, that it seems to condone her actions. It has been 10 years since I read this book and I still find it repulsive.

8.) Two books you are currently reading.

Emma by Jane Austin

What to Expect: The First Year by Eisenberg, Murkoff, and Hathaway

9.) One book you've been meaning to read.

The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel
I actually began this book several years ago and never finished it.

***
For the 1-2-3 meme, the directions are:
1) Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2) Open the book to page 123.
3) Find the fifth sentence.
4) Post the next three sentences.
5) Tag five people.

CSS: The Missing Manual: David Sawyer McFarland (obviously Jon’s book).

1. Launch your Web browser and open the file chapter_6 - text.html (see figure 6-10).

As usual, you will be working on a Web page from CosmoFarmer.com. In this case there’s already an external style sheet attached to the page, adding some design and layout touches.

Tagged: Angie (double tagged), Melody, Sarah, Joy (when you have a chance; I will give you a few months), Claudia

Hidden Treasure

2008-03-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you search for treasure, other times you stumble upon it, and occasionally you receive it as a gift. Treasure, by all means of acquisition, has been the theme for this week.

Hunted Treasures

Two weeks ago I would have assumed "geocaching" referred to world banking or international ATMs (Okay, I would have known the difference between cache and cash if I had seen it in writing). Today it is a new family hobby. In the past week, Jon and I have embarked on five successful geocaching adventures. Just in case some of you shared my ignorance, I will attempt to enlighten you.

Geocaching is a "sport" whose participants search for caches hidden all over the world. Geocachers find these caches using handheld GPS devices and a little detective work. Some caches require clue decryption and riddle solving. Others are solved in stages, the final stage resulting in the discovery of the cache. Most require a little hiking and patient searching. Inside every cache is a log where all previous geocachers have signed and dated their discovery. Most caches have various (and sometimes comical) items of negligible value. You can bring an item from home (or from a previous cache) and exchange it for a new found item. Geocaching adventures can range from easy (found in a few minutes) to difficult (taking months to solve). Caches can be hidden in bustling cities, popular tourist locations, or remote forests. Some geocachers even treasure hunt in the eerie shadows of moonlight. If you are curious, you can read more at www.geocaching.com.

Combining the challenge and competition of gaming with the exercise and adventure of hiking, geocaching has quickly become a family pastime. We could not enjoy this hobby if it weren't for Jim and Melody. They not only introduced us to geocaching, they are also letting us borrow their GPS unit. Here we are on a few geocaching adventures.

Chance Treasures

Jon and I had a conversation this month about the existence of four-leaf clovers. We know with certainty that they exist as Jon happened upon one today. It is estimated that there is 1 four-leaf clover for every 10,000 three-leaf clovers. Jon is so observant!

Gifted Treasures

Baby Bonnet: Auntie Nikki and Auntie Angie bought Talia a beautifully handmade bonnet, dress, and sweater. Nikki and Daniel drove all the way to South Carolina to commission these adorable pieces that Talia will treasure and possibly pass on to our future granddaughter (should we be blessed with one in the distant future). Talia has tried them on several times, but she finally got to wear the ensemble for Easter Sunday. Mommy took quite a few pictures. Nikki and Mom also posted some beautiful pictures of Talia in her bonnet on their blogs.

Talia: Every day I am reminded of the amazing treasure that God has entrusted to our care. Talia fills our hearts with joy, laughter, and love. Training up Talia is an enormous task that we prayerfully take up daily. She is a pleasure to parent, but we know that God's wisdom will become ever more precious as she grows. We are treasuring every moment.

He will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.

Isaiah 33:6

Our Baby Is Growing Up So Fast!

2008-03-19T11:09:00.001-07:00

I am amazed at how much Talia learns and grows every day. Whether it is pulling off her mittens, righting herself as she starts to tip over, or having "ah ha" moments as she discovers she can knock on the door, we can see her little mind constantly at work.

Talia's second tooth broke through on Monday. While new teeth are a big change, I think I am most amazed at her ability to sit up. It seems that our Talia has gone from dependent baby to independent little girl as she sits and plays. We love to watch her look at an object, pick it up, play with it, put it down, then grab another toy and begin the process again. Sometimes she decides that one toy is not enough. She gets her teething ring around her arm, her book on her lap, and one block in each hand. I call this multitasking. Here are a few pictures of our big baby.

Long Talia!

The disappearing legs trick.

Daddy tells Talia secrets.

Talia won't be pinched this St. Patrick's Day! If you click on the picture and look at a larger size, you should be able to see at least one of her new teeth.

Talia and Daddy show off their tongue talents.

Too cute!

Talia tries some of Daddy's apple.

Apple motivation.

Our friends' son Spencer turned one this week. He had a circus themed birthday party. It was very fun for all ages. Here is Spencer with his mommy.

Spencer's family incorporated some first birthday activities from the Korean culture. Here he is in traditional attire with his daddy.

In true circus theme, Pinky the clown entertained us all. Talia was curious of this lady whose uniqueness rivaled Mommy's. She watched Pinky,

Looked at Mommy for reassurance,

Then watched her some more.

Talia took turns watching the clown and playing with toys.

We both had loads of fun!

Bittersweet

2008-03-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night we returned from a trip to Southern California. The trip was full of tears, reminiscing, reunions, and laughter. We wept for our loss, but celebrated the life and heavenly home-coming of my grandmother. Hours were spent rummaging through old family photos. I saw my Uncle Steve and Aunt Mary for the first time in perhaps 13 years. Talia enjoyed playing with Aunt Mary. It was fun to see my cousin Jacqueline who is becoming kind, smart, and beautiful young lady. Hopefully she will forgive me for calling her "big," but the last time I saw her was when she was 7. It was also nice to see her dad, Uncle Roger. My dad's cousin, Mike, and his wife, Mary, were also present. I have many memories of Christmas Eves spent at Grandmother's house with them and their sons. We also laughed and sang. It was wonderful to be home with Mom, Dad, Nikki, and Angie. Talia was cuddled, entertained, loved, and spoiled by her grandparents and aunties. With all the reunions and activities, I neglected to take many pictures. I did manage a few. Here is Talia dancing with Uncle Beau, Grandma, and Grandpa.

Daddy had fun with Talia. Here is proof.

Because I forgot to post these in our previous trip photos, here are some pictures from the Jelly Belly Factory.

On another note, Talia's first tooth broke through. She began teething while in Southern California. She did such a great job mourning that Daddy had to take her out of the service to help her regain her composure. I will try to capture a picture of her little tooth soon.

Revelation 21:4

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

2008-03-12T09:01:00.001-07:00

Jon and I were playing around on the computer this morning morphing pictures and trying celebrity look-alikes. I wouldn't put much stock in the accuracy of the look-alikes because they change when you try a different photo. This site also has a meter to see which parent your child most resembles. With the photos we tried, Talia looked 4% more like Mommy than Daddy. I imagine this would work better when comparing adult children to parents. This is a pretty fun waste of time :).

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Geneology

My Loving Grandmother

2008-03-04T23:49:00.000-08:00

The news stung. I believed that two years of mourning the loss of her personality would spare me the grief of losing her life. I was wrong. Through God's grace, my sadness is overpowered by the joyful realization that our separation is only temporary. But it still hurts.

Memories of days spent at Grandmother and Granddaddy's house replay in my mind. I see loving faces, I hear laughter and loud talking, I smell basted turkey roasting in the oven, I taste delectable pies and tangy lemon drops, and I feel warm hugs and soft kisses. Whether it was the holidays, making apricot preserves, snapping freshly picked peas, or just my turn to spend the night, I am wrapped up in warm memories of two beautiful people who lavished me with love.

Grandmother encouraged me with words of love and praise. During some of my less secure years, she made me feel beautiful. Her kindness lifted me up. Grandmother told us many times how proud she was of her "chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry" granddaughters. Grandmother made me believe in true love. She told me many times that God had blessed her with two wonderful husbands that she loved deeply. Her deep, intense mourning at the loss of Granddaddy bore witness to this passionate love.

One precious memory of Grandmother involved a curious little girl eyeing a beautiful hot pepper growing in the garden. I asked Daddy what it was and he encouraged me to try a bite (I still remember paying no head to that mischievous smile). I bit into that glossy red fruit and was soon wailing, my mouth on fire. You should have seen Grandmother. She simultaneously let Dad have her fury while whisking me to the bathroom to squelch my burning mouth. Nobody could mess with her grandbabies, not even her loving son! That was Grandmother, loving and gentle, yet equally passionate and strong.

Here are a few pictures of my grandmother:

Mom returned to me a Christmas card that I made for Grandmother when I was a child. I composed a little rhyme for her. While simple and far from literary genius, the words still ring true.

"To my grandma I'd love to say,
I love you much in every way."

I really do.

In Praise of Beach Vacations

2008-03-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

We returned from our cheese vacation on Thursday night, unpacked, did laundry, replenished our dwindling food supply, repacked and left for Bodega Bay on Sunday morning. Jon's parents rented a house on the beach (not technically on the beach, but there were no other houses in front of ours) and invited a couple from church and our family to join them. Here is a picture of some of us. If you look closely, you can see our yellow house above Cheri's head.

Jon's parents and the Lindblooms graciously gave us the bedroom with this view.

Poor Jon had to work for two days while the rest of us enjoyed ourselves. Talia and Mommy went on a four mile hike with Grandma, Grandpa, Dave, and Cheri. Mommy was pretty tired by the end, and so was Talia. Grandpa even helped carry Talia part of the time. It was a beautiful hike and the weather was perfect.

Daddy did get in on some of the fun. Here are Daddy and Daughter.

Daddy showed Talia a new type of chair. Talia loved it!

Grandpa discovered an activity that helped Talia put a cork in it.

We enjoyed the beach. Jon and I played "rock of challenge." I tried to invent a new game called "straight line challenge." The goal is to choose a straight path along the shoreline and walk without veering, regardless of the ebb and flow. It sounded like a good idea, until I was soaked nearly to my hips. Jon was smart enough to not participate, chalking it up to another one of my hare-brained ideas. Here we are in some of my more sane moments.

This one is just for fun! Come on people, the photographer isn't even running!

They obviously would have lost "straight line challenge."

Here are our generous hosts.

We went to the restaurant were Hitchcock's "The Birds" was filmed. You literally sit over the water. We watched seals playing and diving birds fishing. Talia went for a walk with Grandpa and came back with a stuffed sea gull. That girl knows how to charm the men in her life.

We had a wonderful trip! Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa!

In Praise of Cheese Vacations

2008-02-23T17:20:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a nice vacation in wine country this past week. With Talia in tow, wine tasting was highly impractical and hardly desirable. Being dairy fiends, we decided to call our trip a "cheese vacation." While it may not have been as spectacular as Wallace and Gromit's vacation, our cheese sources proved more reliable. Here is a what we did.

Home base was Windsor (located about 10 minutes from Healdsburg. Here we are in our condo.

Talia enjoyed exploring new territory, leaving her mark wherever she rolled.

She also had a new first, a shower! Talia's look of awe was quickly drowned out by her smiles.

Daddy gave Talia lots of piggyback rides.

We enjoyed walking around old town Windsor.

Our favorite stop was Powell's. It is a fun candy store with delicious gelato. Mmmmm! Poor Talia missed out on all the flavors, but the colors and shapes proved to be quite a treat.

We travelled to the Calistoga area for part of a day. The draws included a geyser, a petrified forest, and a functioning water wheel mill. Here are a few pictures of Calistoga's Old Faithful and the surrounding areas:

While we were there we saw fainting goats, four horned sheep, and llamas. One of the goats licked Talia. We captured some of these moments on video.

The petrified forest was interesting, although I think we got more bang for our buck at the geyser.

Here is the Bale Grist Mill. Unfortunately the mill was closed the day we visited, but we enjoyed snooping around for free.

We went on a walking tour of Healdsburg that included goodies from local shops and a bit of town history. The tour included wine tasting, chocolates, doughnuts, coffee, sourdough bread made from a 100 year old mother (aka starter), pastries, chips and salsa, gelato (I tried ginger flavored), olive oil tasting, and more. We also tried Talia cheese. Let me clarify, we tasted cheese made from sheep milk. We didn't take any pictures, but you can see a picture of our group at http://www.healdsburgwalkingtours.com/healdsburggourmetsampler.html.

Our last day included a trip to Sonoma. We did some cheese tasting and purchased some curds. They were gone in less than 24 hours.

We had a wonderful trip! The scenery was exquisite, the tastes were fabulous, and the traveling companions were priceless. We are off to the coast now!

Six Months and Counting

2008-02-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

Talia turned half a year old last week. To celebrate her birthday, she got her shots and endured an informal photo shoot. A few days before her "birthday," Talia got to try oatmeal for the first time. Here she is trying it.

Talia likes to sit up. She enjoys "kicking back" in the chair watching Mommy and Daddy go about their business. Uncle Eric would be proud.

Talia got 2 valentines this year. She received one from Anna and one from Grandma and Grandpa P. Here she is reading the card from Grandma and Grandpa.

Going on walks is one of Talia's favorite pastimes. She really likes riding in her Baby Bjorn. Mommy begins the walk with Talia. Daddy takes over at the mid-point.

Walking is hard work for a little baby.

Talia continues to enjoy tasting the world around her. She also loves to babble. Occassionally, she gets caught with her foot in her mouth.

Mommy was very impressed with Talia when she got her shots. She cried for less than a minute. Talia did not gain a great deal of weight these last two months, but she grew two inches. She is in the 99th percentile on length and in the 74th percentile on weight. I asked the nurse about her slowed weight gain and she said that Talia is probably growing into her genetic body type (long and lean). She assured me that Talia had plently of baby fat.

Here are a few pictures Mommy took to commemorate Talia's six month birthday.

Talia hopes you enjoyed this post.

Swaddles, Snow, Sales, and Solids

2008-02-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

It's time for more pictures!

We hope to wean Talia off her swaddle. Here she is with one arm out.

We have also enjoyed several days of snow. Here are a few pictures of us in the snow. If you look closely, you can see snow falling.

After one of our snows Sarah and Anna came over to see the snow (and hang out). We went on our canyon view walk. Much of the snow had melted, but it was still pretty. Sarah took this picture of our family.

Talia and Anna got to play. Here they are on our chair.

Talia began eating solids last week. Here she is getting set up for her first solids meal.

She is waiting patiently for us to get the video camera set up.

We video taped her first bites. She got tired from sitting in her booster seat so I finished her last bites on my lap.

The next day we remembered to take pictures with the camera as she ate.

Before you read the next section, you really should watch this video.

Talia is a long girl. She is beginning to grow out of some of her 9 month clothes. We did not have much 12 month and 18 month clothes so we decided to buy some. Rather than spend a fortune we decided to buy clothes for Talia on eBay. Jon helped us buy 65 items of clothes for $31 shipped. The clothes ranged from well used to brand new with tags. Here are some of the clothes she received.

Here is Talia enjoying her box of clothes.

Mommy is enjoying trying some of Talia's clothes on her (they run in size from 12 months to 24 months so most are too big, but that didn't stop Mommy from dressing her little doll).

Talia and Mommy like to goof off. Sometimes Daddy catches us in the act.

Talia has big, strong legs to help her stand.

Talia has been enjoying her rain forest from a new perspective.

Even though she has so many fun toys to explore, she still finds Daddy and Mommy pretty fascinating.

And we find her to be the most fascinating of all!

My Perspective

2008-01-27T17:27:00.000-08:00

Here I am!

I am having so much fun!

I get to watch snow fall.

I get to play in my play pen.

And I can even roll over onto my side.

Mommy and Daddy even take me on walks when it is cold and rainy.

I can arch my back to reach behind me.

I get to wear pretty dresses (but Mommy says I can't wear these anymore because I am too big).

I jump and play on my jumper. I try to walk to Mommy and then I swing back.

Daddy won't let me take my jumper with me.

But that's okay because he takes me to look at pictures.

I like this one the best!

Mommy and Daddy love me so much that they gave me my own room (and they finally moved out of it).

Now I have a play pen in my room.

Mommy and Daddy also gave me a couch of my own.

They moved into their new room.

They say that they see nice sunrises in the morning. I prefer to sleep in.

Mommy and Daddy said that I was waking them up. They are happy to get more sleep. I actually sleep better now, too! They want me to learn to sleep without my swaddle. Now I sleep with one arm out. Mommy, where did you put that picture of me? Oh, here I am in my crib.

Wanna see my toes?

I like to cuddle with Daddy.

Sometimes Mommy holds me by my thighs and I decide to fall face forward. This is fun because I get to taste new things and Mommy and Daddy laugh at me with my bum in the air.

I like to play cribbage with Daddy and Mommy. They call me "baby luck." Here I am helping Daddy. I have a nice poker face.

I show Daddy which cards to play.

Good move, Daddy!

Daddy has to share my expertise with Mommy. Now I help her.

I also like to sit on Mommy's knees. But sometimes sitting up makes me spit-up.

One of my favorite things to do is have my freedom. Daddy helps me walk. I like to walk to Mommy!

That's what I like to do! Bye!

Hello, is anybody there?

2008-01-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

It has been a while, I know. Here is an update on our family.

Weather

This subject is often saved for conversational lulls. Around here it has been front page news. We had several storms including strong winds, snow, hail, and rain (the snows were quickly washed away by the rains). I find storms to be an exhilarating display of frightening and fascinating power. Our tall evergreens sway as though they were bowing in deference to the majestic storm. Heavy branches hurl through the air as the stubborn autumn leaves finally relinquish their grasp. Even Talia, generally oblivious to the world outside, peered with fascination at the motion beyond the window. The storm's fury left damage in its wake. Though we fared amazingly well, this area had downed trees, damaged homes and property, and power outages lasting as long as five days. Winter continues to thrill as the forecast calls for snow this week.

Our little lamb is up to a great many things, including:

Sucking her fingers (and anything else within reach): She will often suck on her thumb, index and middle fingers, or index, middle, ring, and pinkie.

Thumping: She loves to thump her legs on the ground, bed, or changing table while on her back. Being a new mommy I wasn't sure if this was "normal" behavior. I did some online research and discovered that some babies just really enjoy this activity.

Back bends: It looks like Talia is more likely to crab walk than crawl in the near future. Talia loves to tilt her head back and arch her back. Sometimes she will push with her feet to scoot herself backwards.

Toes: Talia loves getting her diaper changed for a number of reasons. They are: undivided attention, watching (and reaching for) her singing bears, thumping on a soft surface, and playing with her toes. Weather and parents do not usually permit her to be barefoot during play so she gets a healthy dose of toe during most changes.

Sitting in the high chair: Last week we experimented with allowing Talia to sit in Grandma and Grandpa's high chair. She was propped with some blankets. She sat in the chair for probably 15 minutes unassisted. She enjoyed watching us eat.

Spoon feeding: We haven't started solids yet, but while at Grandma and Grandpa's she was very interested in the process of eating. In fact, she grabbed a spoon off the table and kept putting it in her mouth. We decided to try an experiment. Grandma pulled out a baby spoon and she "fed" Talia water. Talia really liked it. She seemed to know exactly what to do and probably would have "eaten" until she was waterlogged if we hadn't put an end to her fun. We should be starting solids soon, but I have been in no hurry because of her next activity.

Scratching: Talia has made the unpleasant discovery that eczema itches. She has scratched and rubbed until her skin began to blister. This has been a cause for concern for Daddy and Mommy. She had a bad flare up last week and we decided to become more proactive. We have implemented several lathers of Eucerin daily, new allergen-free detergent, a breathable blanket under her sheet and above her waterproof mattress pad, mittens during sleeping times, light cotton clothes, and Mommy eating a new diet.

Changing Mommy's diet: In an effort to discern the cause of Talia's eczema outbreaks I have been eliminating certain foods from my diet. I have been nut free for three weeks, egg light for three weeks minus one splurge, and dairy light for five days. I say "light" because I will not pass up a cookie due to the tiny amount of egg or butter I may consume. The good news is that Talia's skin has gotten better since I cut my dairy, the bad news is that I cut my dairy :(. You all know how much I love ice cream and cheese. I will also miss my lattes and yogurt. This is a sacrifice I am willing to make for my precious girl (at least for 7 more months). So, I am drinking Rice Dream with my cereal (I have discovered why Starbucks does not offer drinks made with rice milk). I am trying to increase my protein with more meat and vegetarian combos, such as the black beans and rice I am eating as I type. We are not yet certain that dairy, eggs, and nuts are the culprits, but until we discover the cause of her skin problems I am open to ideas for creative protein and/or calcium packed dairy, egg, and nut free recipes.

Enjoying Freedom: Daddy is sympathetic to Talia's lack of mobility and blooming curiosity. He enjoys giving her "freedom." Daddy holds Talia upright and allows her to walk wherever she desires. If she leans, stares, or reaches in a particular direction, Daddy guides her that way. We figure that "freedom" allows her to strengthen her muscles, develop balance, and safely explore her surroundings.

Enduring Confinement: With the move (more on this subject in a later post), we have made the play pen a permanent structure in Talia's room. She has had play pen time a few times now and seems to enjoy her new environment. I am hoping to establish this new activity in anticipation of her crawling months. Play pen time will give her the opportunity to safely play and independently explore.

Laughing: Talia loves to laugh. Sometimes it is a simple giggle, other times it is a hearty laugh. She laughs at sounds, faces, tickles, "horse" rides, swinging, and other people's laughter.

I wrote more about our recent activities but my writing is lost in cyberspace. I better just post this now as this has already taken 5 days to write. I will post more pictures soon. To tide you over:

Welcome 2008

2008-01-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful new year. We celebrated New Year's Eve and New Year's Day with Jon's parents, Mike, Evelyn, Sophia, Nathanael, Luke, and Timothy. Here are a few pictures from our time together.

Aunt Evelyn helped Talia play the piano. Talia enjoyed hearing the music and touching the keys, but it might be a while before she can press the keys herself.

Nathanael worked hard constructing several objects, including this robot mouse.

We enjoyed many hours of Wii. Sophia challenged Uncle Jon to baseball.

On Wednesday Jon and Mike went to Stockton. Evelyn, Sophia, Nathanael, Luke, and Timothy came by our house to visit with the girls. Talia had a great time playing with her cousins and aunt.

She also cuddled with them. Nathanael proved he was an experienced older brother.

Luke spoke and sang so sweetly to Talia.

Sophia demonstrated her many years of baby care as the big sister in her family.

After Talia went down for a nap we played in our yard. Nathanael climbed a few trees.

We all enjoyed the swing.

We had a great time. Our cup runneth over!

We pray that your year will be filled with many blessings!

I'm Dreaming of a White Two Days After Christmas

2007-12-28T09:05:00.000-08:00

This post is about...

It may be a few days late and a few inches short, but it is still the closest I have come to a white Christmas. The light flutter of snow began around 7:00 last night. It continued, off and on, until early this morning. The forecast calls for rain, so we are enjoying it while it lasts. Here is what Talia thinks of her first day in the snow.

Our little angel will demonstrate how to make a snow angel.

First, lie down in the snow.

Second, make wings.

Third, make the angel's robe with your feet.

Finally, enjoy your handiwork and go inside to thaw by the fire.

Talia will now demonstrate how to make ice cream.

We decided to capture a family picture in the snow.

A couple friends came to visit.

Jon captured some of the beauty of the morning.

We're off to play!

Here Wii Are

2007-12-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

This post is bound to be a hodge podge of photos and thoughts. Our days have been so filled that posting opportunities have elluded us. A sense of normalcy has returned, and with it comes my attempt to capture the activities of this last week. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the bumpy ride through our Christmas.

Probably the most popular material gift of the year was the Wii. Melody gave this exciting gift to Jim. Here are seven of the eight of us pictured as miis (Eric's mii was created after the photo). We played several games together and had a blast. Half the fun is watching the players really get into the game. I will admit that I take my playing very seriously, paying little regard to how ridiculous I look bouncing up and down and vigorously swinging at air. Talia was a little frightened by seeing her mommy and daddy shooting wildly at ducks, clay pigeons, and aliens. She cried for a minute or two. After that, she was as hooked the rest of us (although we tried to keep her from watching the screen too much). Another activity that we enjoyed was making miis for many of our faithful readers. That includes: Nikki, Daniel, Angie (aka Cheek), Mike, Evelyn, Brian, and Jen. Sorry, I didn't take your picture yet.

My parents came to visit. They had lots of play time with their grandbaby.

Beau was supposed to be in the previous picture, but he decided that posing for this picture was boring (at least you can see the top of him). Talia had a lot of fun being cuddled and loved for several days. She didn't even miss her solitary playtime.

Talia also got a great deal of attention from her other set of grandparents. We spent Christmas Eve and much of Christmas day at Jon's parents house.

Uncle Eric even got in on the fun.

Needless to say, Talia was very spoiled by family. The following are pictures of Talia opening presents. Here she is looking at some of them:

What you can't see in the following picture is Talia holding the edge of the paper while the gift is being turned. Yes, she helped open her own gifts.

You can see that opening gifts takes a lot of concentration when you are four months old.

Here is a picture of some of what she received from family near and far.

Talia doesn't even know how blessed she is. Mommy and Daddy are thinking that we will either need to buy or build a toy chest for Talia.

One of the joys of this Christmas was all the time Talia had with her daddy. Here they are playing:

Talia has been learning to "walk." Here she is walking on Daddy.

Daddy is teaching Talia concepts about print. She is learning tracking skills, directionality of print, and that the print contains the message. Okay, okay, Daddy and Talia are just trying to enjoy a good book. The kindergarten teacher in me jumps for joy (and so does the wife and mommy)!

Never underestimate the importance of cuddle time.

Mommy even got in on the fun (and, yes, that is spit-up).

Just for fun, here are a few more pictures of Talia from this last week.

Talia's hat helped Talia nap on her walk (she generally stays awake on her walks these days).

Imagine that her jungle is an engine and you could say with conviction that Talia is developing her fine motor skills.

As I mentioned in our previous post, Talia enjoys pushing herself backwards. Here is further proof.

Finally, a picture of our little family as we enjoy the celebration of our Savior's birth.

Totally Talia (and Friends)

2007-12-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the post you have all been waiting for. It is a post, long in coming, about the sweet, talented, and cuddly Talia Rose. Without any further ado, I give you Talia!

Talia's Hobbies

Rolling Over: Talia has been capable of rolling over since around two months. Now she is able to roll over intentionally back to tummy and occasionally tummy to back. If there is something on her side that she wants to get to, she can often turn over onto her side. Sometimes she gets overzealous and ends up on her tummy. On Thursday I had to try several times to change her. She was on the ground and I had managed to take off her old outfit. As I reached down with her new outfit she rolled onto her tummy. I returned her to her back. Again, I reached down with her new clothes and she rolled over. I returned her to her back. By now I was laughing. Third time is the charm, right? Wrong, she rolled over again. I finally decided to hold her down on the approach (which I could have done earlier, but I was enjoying our little game).

Trying to Move: Talia is becoming increasingly interested in moving. As mentioned above, she has learned to roll to her side to face or reach an object on her side. She has also discovered that she can push herself along the slick surface of the changing table to face her singing bears. Talia, on her back, pushes with her legs until her head is touching the bear, or until her head bangs on the wood table and she cries. Her she is trying to see her bears.

Occasionally we take pity on her and let her watch her bears from her tummy.

Tummy Time: Since she was about a month old, Talia has not liked tummy time (unless it was on Mommy or Daddy). She has begun to not mind tummy time for short periods of time. I will admit that I have not been very good about making her have time on her stomach. One major concern was the inevitable spit up, first on the blanket, then all over the face. I am going to make a concerted effort to allow her time to build her arm strength.

Talia's Stats

Her Baby Blues: It appears that Talia's eye color may be changing. The silver center of her eyes seems to be warming to a gold. The majority of her iris is still decidedly blue. Her rims are almost navy. A change would not be a surprise to either of her green eyed parents, but the jury is still out.

Percentiles: Talia went to the doctor on Friday (more on that later). She is in the 97th percentile on length. Her weight puts her at the 92nd percentile. The doctor was also impressed by her strength and sturdiness on her feet.

Skin: Talia has been diagnosed with eczema. Now that we have a diagnosis for her incessant itching, we can be proactive. No more baby body wash for Talia (it is drying). Talia gets the more pricey Aveeno moisturizing body wash with no fragrance. The doctor told me to lather her up. Eucerin is her lotion of choice. For really irritated areas we are to use a topical steroid. During an outbreak her doctor encouraged us to give her Benadryl. Her skin is already looking better.

Clothes: I finally caved. Jon had been encouraging me to do so for a while. We finally broke out her nine month clothes and put away much of her six month clothes. Now she is wearing clothes marked for children more than twice her age. Most of her 12 month outfits are intended for summer. Part of me hopes that she curtails her rapid growth. Here she is in one of her nine month dresses:

Solids: Talia has been given her doctor's permission to begin eating solids. She can try grains from now until 6 months. Her doctor wants her to wait on fruits and vegetables because they could inflame her eczema. We are not in a big hurry to give her solids. We might give it a try after the busy holidays.

Talia's Events

Shots: No more short-lived shriek, Talia was crying for several minutes after her shots. The good news: Her memory is developing. The bad news: There are some things worth forgetting. She was very fussy for the rest of the day. She would not nap for more than 20 minutes and had bouts of crying that were inconsolable. Talia developed a low grade fever so we gave her Tylenol. She settled down enough to go to sleep around 6:15 and did not want to be roused until 7:00 the next morning. On Saturday she seemed fine. We headed to Vacaville to visit friends (more to follow). After a few minutes of being her usually pleasant self, she began to fuss. Her head was warm and moist and the thermometer confirmed that she had developed another fever. Poor girl. She didn't have much fun with her friends after that.

Modeling: Nothing new here. As is the case with most first-time parents, our daughter is frequently memorialized in our memory card (it is not accurate to say "on film" these days). She has three beautiful holiday dresses. One is pictured above. Here is one from Auntie Angie:

Grandma T. made Talia this dress and bonnet:

Visiting Friends: We had the privilege of visiting with some of our college friend; Elizabeth, Ryan and Kristi, and Peter and Sarah. There were three babies (and one on the way). Talia lay around, Anna crawled around, and Tate walked around. Here is Anna, Sarah, and Talia:

Since Talia was feeling ill, she didn't get too much playing time. Here are her friends covering for her:

So, consider yourselves caught up!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2007-12-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

I sat down to begin another post on Friday. Before beginning, as is custom, I checked our Other Folks blogs. Nikki wrote a post entitled "Who Moved My Advent?" This post brought Psalm 46:10 to mind. I have been so busy with many activities, including getting ready for Christmas, that I have forgotten to reflect on the reason we celebrate. Last year's appreciation was so much more poignant. We were newly expecting, but frightened about losing the our tiny baby (three weeks of bleeding does not bode well for a first trimester baby). To a very small degree I imagined feeling like Mary; excited, hopeful, and scared. Nothing brings you humbly before the Lord like fear and pain. To God be the glory, this year Talia will be at our side as we celebrate Christmas. With all that I am striving to do this Christmas, I am praying to remember Nehemiah's words "the joy of the Lord is your [my] strength." And our lives are so full of amazing blessings, my joy should be in abundance.

I will attempt to bring you up to date with our recent activities. My next post will be about Talia (complete with more pictures). So here is what we have been doing:

Christmas Preparations

After buying our tree, Jon and I brought in our Christmas boxes. Jon put the lights on the tree (hence the light poll) and I began to decorate. To be honest, much of our decor is shoddy, either hand-me-down or Dollar Tree specials. Each year I get rid of more decorations in an attempt to decorate sparsely and nicely rather than copiously and cheaply. This year our decorations are limited to a wreath, a garland with poinsettias, Christmas linens in the kitchen and bathroom, a green tablecloth, seasonal candles and candle holders, Christmas CDs, and a two stockings (one more on the way, when we brave the holiday shopping).

I am finally home and able to make plates of Christmas goodies for the neighbors. Only one problem, our oven decided to opt out. Jon estimates that repairing the oven will be costly, based upon the price of the parts we would need to order. We have decided to wait until next year to buy a new oven and range. Sarah heard my plight and was kind enough to invite Talia and I over to bake at her house. We were amazed at how long it took to bake and care for two babies. Here is Sarah holding Talia and Anna.

Anna is fascinated by cameras, lucky for me:

We made chocolate cookies and press cookies. It was a deliciously fun day.

Over the next two days I went to Stroller Strides, had company, and made fudge and English toffee (no baking required). After Bible study on Friday, Jon and I attempted to pass out the six plates of goodies to our neighbors. We were able to pass out two. We tried again on Saturday, with similar success. Much to our disappointment, we concluded that two of our neighbors were on vacation and their goodies would be poor quality when they returned. What a shame, we had to eat them ourselves. And we did. They were consumed by Sunday night.

Another Christmas preparation was gifts. Without going into much detail, we worked on creating quite a few gifts. It was a fun project for Jon and I, but it took much longer than expected and we ran into a few snags.

Nevada City

We went to the Nevada City Victorian Christmas with Jon's parents. It is an event that occurs several Wednesday nights in December. The draw is the historic city lit for Christmas, booths with crafts and foods, carolers dressed in turn of the century attire, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and folks dressed up like Eskimos. It is a popular event, two of our neighbors, friends from church, and one of my past student's mom were all in attendance. Here we are in the restaurant:

Here is Talia and Grandma:

Here we are in front of a famous church:

I say famous because it (and much of Nevada City) is the setting of one of our favorite Christmas movies, The Christmas Card.

Illness

Talia is proof that breastfed babies do get sick. She and I got another cold. This time Daddy was spared. Fortunately this cold seemed to be short-lived and of minor severity.

Teaching

I just couldn't stay away from kindergarten. On Wednesday I was a guest teacher at Truckee Elementary. My friend, with whom I taught last year, invited me to teach a Hanukkah lesson at her new school. I really enjoyed being in Judy's classroom. It was fun to have kids fighting over holding my hands again :). While I had a great time and am happy that I was able to hone my rusty teaching skills, I realized how grateful I am to not have to plan and prep lessons every day. This particular classroom posed an additional challenge: It is a bilingual class. Most of the daily instruction is given in Spanish. I asked Judy if I could give my lesson in English since my Spanish is so sloppy that I would be a poor example to the kids. I tried to increase comprehension with visuals, props, participation, and gestures. Antes de ensenar, tuvia la oportunidad a charlar con los ninos en espanol. After the lesson we danced the Hava Nagila. Just a note, it was 17 degrees in Truckee that morning.

EBay

Another new adventure for us has been selling on EBay. We found several items around the house and granny flat to sell. It was a learning process but we seem to have made a nice profit. It has been a fun venture that we look forward to continuing (it is also a great way to get rid of all the stuff cluttering the granny flat).

Psalm 46:10

2007-12-14T22:43:00.000-08:00

"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Job 40:4 "Behold I am insignificant; what can I reply to you? I lay my hand on my mouth."

An Update on Talia Rose

2007-12-08T10:14:00.001-08:00

What kind of mommy would compose posts without much mention of her sweet baby? Guilty as charged. In an effort to regain some semblance of a responsible and proud mom, I will create a post that is solely about Talia. Besides, she is the primary reason for our loyal readership.

Talia's newest skill is playing with her tongue. She is leaving it out on a regular basis. I think it is both in play and in exploration. Not only does she lick anything available to her, she is now grabbing things and pulling them to herself (including Daddy and Mommy's clothes and Mommy's hair).

Here she is with her tongue out:

And again:

And again:

Grandma and Grandpa T. are giving Talia a jumper seat for Christmas so Talia is trying it out. She seemed to really enjoy her new found freedom. Here she is:

Here she is spinning around:

She is happy to try out her sea legs.

Talia decided that she wants to keep it. She knows that you can't take it back with spit-up so . . .

She discovered that her jumper is very appetizing.

Talia also enjoys flying and being a Talia rocket (Daddy makes some pretty good take-off sound effects). You can see a nice picture of her flying in our Thanksgiving post.

The other morning I put her down in her rain forest. She was very quiet for several minutes so I went over to see what she was doing. Her neck was craned back and to the side in an effort to watch the flames dance in our new stove. She is mesmerized by fire (uh oh).

As you can see, she is our great entertainment.

Patience Pays Off

2007-12-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

Several days ago I wrote about our spontaneous decision making. Today I will write about a more common occurrence, a long discussed and well planned decision. The title includes the word "patience," which in our case is more accurately a euphemism for the word "procrastination."

Prior to the impending arrival of Talia, we owned a total of two pieces of new furniture. They were: a $40 file cabinet and a $25 dollar bed frame. The rest of our house (and granny flat) was filled with Salvation Army, estate sale, and hand-me-down pieces from family members including parents, grandparents, my sister, and even a great uncle. Those of you who have been to our house know that we have decorated in "early college style," to quote my mom. We do not particularly like this style (especially me), but it fit the budget.

When we discovered that we were expecting, we felt that we finally had an excuse to spend some of the money we had saved (in addition to diapers, clothes, toys, groceries, doctor bills, etc.). We bought a crib, armour, and changing table. We couldn't have our sweet baby crawling around on carpet that had outlived two previous owners, so we finally purchased the carpet we had talked about since we bought the house. Our old couch was beyond repair (and I had tried to stitch it back together several times). We had talked about replacing it last year and had even selected a set for our living room. In the time it took to finally decide to buy the set, discuss the ways of getting the set home, and eventually going to the store to buy it, they had sold out. The bad news is we had to keep our old furniture, the good news is that we kept the money in the bank earning 5% and now had the money to buy an even better set. So, here is the old couch and carpet:

Here is the new couch:

Here is the new love seat that replaced the old blue chairs:

Here is the new set including the rocker/recliner:

All the pieces recline. We figure that five people could take naps in the living room at the same time (Dad will be pleased).

Here are my two favorite people enjoying our new furniture:

They say that patience is a virtue, so in our case procrastination must be, too.

Oh Tannenbaum

2007-12-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

I chose the name of this post to suit our recent discussions. We have been playing Christmas music daily and talking about lyrics. One such song is, "Oh Tannenbaum." Jon and I don't know the words so we decided to invent them using a short list of the German words that we know. So we get lyrics such as "Oh Tannenbaum, oh tannenbaum, volksvagon vienerschnitzel. Oh Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum, volksvagon vienerschnitzel. Eins drie kindergarten Veimar kampf. Miene Gewurztraminer kinder nacht. Oh tannenbaum, oh tannenbaum, volksvagon vienerschitzel." Go ahead, try it out. We mean no disrespect, of course.

Now to a more serious part of our post. On Sunday we went Christmas tree hunting. We have a 300 hundred acre tree farm in our own town. So Jon, Talia, Grandma T., Grandpa T., and I set off on the short drive to Red Feather. It was the perfect day for tree hunting as the weather had finally turned cold. It was also a popular day to go as we saw two families from church and many other families from all over the region. I think this farm is popular because it is one of the closest authentic and large tree farms for those in the Sacramento area. In addition to a variety of trees, Santa, a blazing fire, a small craft faire, spiced cider, and hot cocoa greet visitors. In years past, reindeer have also welcomed us. Here are a few pictures.

Here we are upon arrival.

We rode in a covered wagon to a more remote area to tree hunt.

We found a tree.

Then the three of us cut it down.

When the wagon came back for us, we put our tiny tree next to several very tall trees. On the way back we noticed that the cows had come home. We even caught one eating a decorative pumpkin off the porch.

Talia enjoyed her first sleigh ride.

Talia felt that it was an exhausting adventure, but well worth it since she now has lots of tiny lights to stare at.

Out with the old, in with the new

2007-12-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

We are a rather indecisive couple. We will discuss for hours, days, months, and even years what to do, where to go, and when to do it. So, we often end up doing nothing in the end. This characteristic can be annoying (as some of you have kindly expressed, and we concur), but it often results in saving money and very calculated decisions. Because of our penchant for putting off decisions, the occasional moments of spontaneity are quite enjoyable. A few such decisions around the house have been . . .

1. Tearing out the green shag carpet in the sunroom

We discovered that the carpet pad was stuck to the floor boards. Jon and I worked on it for days. These pictures were from the night that we finally couldn't take malodorous green shag any longer. Once the pad was gone, we bleached the floors and painted them with a pungent odor killer.

2. Demolishing the built-in press board book shelves. This was the first picture of the bookshelves I could find. It is really a picture of me reaching a point of desperation and trying anything to get that linoleum clean. I hope to write about getting new linoleum as our next spontaneous decision.

And . . .

3. Freeing our home from the hideousness that was the stove (also our primary heat source)

These were not totally undiscussed decisions, but they were not researched and were made and executed in a matter of minutes. And once the decision was made, there was no turning back. We have no picture, but imagine Jon going after the book shelves with a sledge hammer. He really did. I and my pregnant belly had to run and take cover. Once the bookshelves were gone we discovered that there had been two subsequent floorings installed around (and not under) the bookshelves. Carpet covers a multitude of sins. The holes in the wall were not so easy to disguise, but Jon managed to do a nice job with the materials on hand.

Here are the results of our hasty decisions.

1. New carpet and a fresh smelling room

2. A more open living room/kitchen area (sorry, no picture)

3. A new stove. It cost us much more than expected, even though we shopped around and got a great deal. But, this post is about our spontaneous and irreversible decisions.

The important thing is that Talia approves of the results.

Like I said in the beginning, we are generally indecisive and these rash decisions are rare. Jon and I eagerly await the day when Talia can pitch in on that all too common question, "What should we do tonight?" With her help, we might get an answer before bedtime.

Mommy's Little Girl

2007-11-29T13:47:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-20T06:44:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

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

2007-11-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

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)

2007-11-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

**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.

Birthday Fun

2007-10-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

This year I got to spread out my birthday celebration over several days (I even have one more birthday event on Saturday). We got together with our small group on my birthday. The evening was not in my honor, but it was nice to spend that time with friends. Below is a picture of the "Three Amigas." These girls were born this June (Shelby), July (Ashleigh), and August (Talia) to our friends Devin and Lisa, and Jon and Kim (Talia to us, of course). Unfortunately, Shelby and her family recently moved away, but it was fun to have them come back to visit.

On Saturday Jon and I went square dancing at a church event for married couples. This was Jon's gift to me since public dancing is not his first choice activity. In addition to square and line dancing, Jon and I even got to waltz. While Daddy and Mommy were out dancing, Talia enjoyed being with Grandma and Grandpa for the evening.

We had a family birthday party on Sunday. Here is Talia showing Grandma how well she can stand.

Talia loves talking to Grandma.

Uncle Eric and Talia were instant buddies. Talia grabbed his hand and wouldn't let go. Uncle Eric was literally a captive audience.

Just for fun, here is a picture of Talia showing her new habit. She likes to suck on one fist, she LOVES to suck on two.

Talia's Pastimes

2007-10-24T12:27:00.000-07:00

Every day is filled with wonder for Talia. She has been blossoming in so many ways. Her desire and ability to focus on new sights has been quite obvious this last week. She used to be content to just stare into our faces and at lights. Now she is looking at everything. We have been teaching her to stick out her tongue. She will often oblige us. Unfortunately, as soon as we take out the camera she forgets about us (and our exposed tongues) and focuses on the camera. This is nice for capturing her smiles, but I want to show you a picture of Talia with her tongue out :). Here is her "tongueless" smile.

Talia's speech is becoming more advanced (and entertaining). Her pitch and volume varies, as well as her cadence. She is now placing several different sounds together in a "sentence," such as "agaw wa oo." Talia is hilarious when she gets excited. She waves her arms and legs wildly, breathes rapidly, and squeals. One of her favorite sounds is "Ohhh." Her volume and pitch are high initially, then they both taper. It makes for great conversation. We will tell her what we are doing, such as,"Mommy is putting socks on Talia's feet." Talia answers, "Ohhh!" Here is a video of Talia trying out some "ohs." She is only talking for the first 20 seconds or so, but I don't know how to edit video yet.

Standing is a new hobby for Talia. She enjoys supporting her weight on one or both legs. Mommy makes a good jungle gym. Talia stands, crawls on, and is practicing propping herself up on my tummy. I think this lip indicates she is tired of tummy time.

We have discovered a new way to temporarily stop crying. The other day Talia was fussing when she was trying to go potty. I started "crying" and Talia stopped fussing and looked at me with curiosity. Her curiosity became a smile, then excitement (fast breathing, loud talking, and squeals). It lasted a minute or two until Talia remembered that she was in discomfort. We repeated this cycle several times.

Here is Talia ready for Stroller Strides. She can't contain her excitement!

Family Time

2007-10-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

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.

A Pictureless Post

2007-10-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

Can it be that we would compose a post without a picture of Talia? Yes, we must disappoint.

I have a question and I would love to have a response from any of my blogging buddies. I will share the answer shortly. Here it goes:

What do the jungles of Africa and the remote deserts of Mexico have that we don't in our lovely town? Yes, we do have poisonous snakes and insects. Any other guesses?!

The content of this post and an update on our lives depends on one of you coming through with an answer (a bogus answer would suffice).

In the mean time, I will fill you in on some recent events in our family.

In an effort to unify our family, Jon and I decided to become more like Talia. No, we don't spit up more. No, we don't cry when we go potty. No, we aren't trying to become pleasantly plump. No, we aren't trying to become cuter (Jon has already reached the human limit). Yes, we decided to cut our hair. Talia now has the longest hair in the family. Okay, if you believe that I'll make you a deal on a really nice bridge. Let me try again. Talia now has longer hair than Daddy, but still has shorter hair than Mommy. Why cut our hair?

For Jon:

I like it better (hair just covers up his handsome face, in my opinion).

He doesn't have to do anything with it (not even brush it, at this length).

For Me:

Postpartum shed. It reduces the mass of hair that is already falling out of my head.

It has been a year. I had to suffer the embarrassment of revealing to the hairdresser that it had been that long.

Talia. Now I know why so many moms cut their hair shorter. For me it is three large doses of spit up (daily) and the multiple showers that accompany them, in addition to the adorable hands that love to hold Mommy's hair and not let go.

Okay, okay: I'll admit it. I don't want to have to do anything with my hair either! I look forward to less brushing and detangling.

So, now Jon's hair is less than an inch and my hair has lost more than a foot of length.

Enough on hair.

How about health?

We will talk about our ailments (I hear a collective groan, but you don't have to read this). Jon, Talia, and I received vaccines yesterday. We went to Talia's new doctor for her 2 month appointment. We were sad that Talia could not continue with Dr. Dobbins, but Kaiser will save us a few thousand dollars a year (big money now that I am not working). Talia got three shots and an oral vaccine. I think Mommy and Daddy endured more pain watching the ordeal than Talia initially experienced. She had the benefit of not dreading this appointment (ignorance is bliss). Talia was drowsy and has been running a low grade fever (for which we have given her Tylenol, per doctors orders). She is still sweet as can be, talking, smiling, and licking her lips (grape medicine is very much too her liking, once she gets past the initial shock). The doctor offered the flu mist vaccine to Jon and me. She felt it was another way to protect Talia (and it was free, painless, and took only a couple minutes). We accepted. Jon has had no ill effects. I have had a bad headache and a mild throat ache. Like mother, like daughter, I, too, am drugged. That is my excuse for the strange nature of this post.

I would like to update you on another exciting happening in our lives, but I will wait until we have a brave soul answer my question. I hope it is you!

And the brave soul is . . . Nikki!! Yay!

The answer: High speed internet. Apparently, there are wi fi hot spots in some African jungles, remote Mexican deserts (I saw a picture of a sign verifying this information in PC World magazine), and along the Amazon. Yet, we are among the less than 10% of Americans (this stat is more than 3 years old) that do not have access to high speed internet. But, as of a couple weeks ago, we have left the company of citizens in the bayous that still do not have telephone access and communities in the Appalicians whose technological advances make 19th century technology look like futuristic inventions from a science fiction novel. We now have access to high speed internet!!! Naturally, the day Jon discovered this, he signed us up. The technician came out yesterday and we are enjoying the amazing speed with which we can access websites and download/upload pictures and movies.

This brings about another exciting change for us. Jon can now work from home (4 of 5 days a week)! We are both thrilled (Talia should be, too, though she doesn't know it yet). Jon ordered a wireless router and card so that he can work anywhere he wants on the property. He will probably set up his office in the sun room. This may also encourage us to continue working on our granny flat project. Our septic system and water storage tank were finished two days after Talia was born. We have been happily preoccupied since then and have not hired a contractor to actually install the bathroom, etc. Jon could have his own nice office until we decide we want to rent the cottage (if we ever do). Jon is planning to start working from home on Friday. I am also looking forward to blogging with fast internet. I am currently on dial up because this dinosaur needs special rigging to connect to DSL. Jon is planning to hook up this computer in the near future.

So, that is our exciting news!

My Thoughts

2007-10-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Daddy say that I am getting to be a big girl. Now that I am so big, I will make my own post (with some help from Mommy). Here is what I am up to these days.

Growing out of my clothes. Mommy has officially put away most of my 0 to 3 month size clothes. Before retiring my first outfits, Mommy forced me to wear many cute outfits (without regard to practicality). She has also been trying my "big girl" clothes on me (3 to 6 month). Here is a sweatshirt jacket from Auntie Angie. Three to 6 month old babies must have really big heads!

I am so big that I even get to go in a jogging stoller! I like going on walks along the canal. Rough terrain puts me to sleep! Here I am on my street with Daddy.

One of my favorite places to visit is the rainforest. I like talking to the monkey and the adorable baby in the shiny glass.

Now that I am big, I get to go shopping with my friend Anna. Anna and I like to look at each other. She smiles and laughs at me. I just stare back. She even lets me take naps while we hang out.

Anna is a nice friend. She lets me borrow her clothes. Here I am in Anna's dress.

I got to play in the crib a few times this week. Daddy and Mommy are going to have me sleep in it soon (they have to take off the bumpers and remove my toys). I really like talking to my cowgirl doll. I talked to her for more than 15 minutes while Mommy sorted through my clothes.

I like to ride in my swing while Mommy takes a shower. Here is one of my cute onesies that I outgrew.

Mommy and Daddy say I am a good sleeper. They say I slept through the night. I went about 10 hours between feeds. Mommy says she wants me to sleep a little bit longer at night, but she got me up anyway after she fed me since I would have slept for 4 more hours if she let me. I think I only need 5 feeds now, but Mommy is watching my weight to make sure I am getting enough. Oh, and I like to suck on my fist.

Well, I am getting tired now. Ahgoo (translated: goodbye)

Talia's Travels Continued

2007-10-09T05:55:00.000-07:00

After visiting Mike and Evelyn and their family we drove to my parents' house where we were met by Talia's Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Angie, and "Uncle" Beau (the short, white, and furry member of the family). Grandma bathed Talia while Jon and I got ready for the wedding. Grandpa and Auntie Angie also took turns watching her. Here is Talia getting ready for the wedding.

I was thrilled to watch my good friend from childhood get married. We did not want to disturb the ceremony so we sat in the back. As it turns out, there were probably 7 or 8 babies under a year old. Here we are ready to make a quick exit (Grandma volunteered for the job).

I forgot my camera so I don't have a picture of the bride and groom :(. Tim, the bride's brother, left a link to some great pictures in the comments section of this post.

After the wedding we went to El Ranchito. Talia enjoyed her first restaurant visit. She slept, played, ate, and messed her diaper. She seemed to have no adverse reactions to Mexican food (although, I think I removed most of the spice for her).

We also got to see another good friend, Joy, and her husband Joel. They live in Texas now so it was a real treat to be in Southern California at the same time!

On Sunday we went to my old church. Talia was a real hit! In fact, Grandma and Grandpa showed her off to all their friends. While Talia was making her debut, I got to chat with my longtime friend Cara (we met when we were maybe 3 or 4!). It was wonderful to see her.

We went home long enough for me to nurse Talia and pack up. We stopped to visit Talia's great grandmother. It was a bittersweet time. There were four generations present, but unfortunately my grandmother was not able to understand the significance. After that, our small family began the journey home.

Here are a couple more pictures. The first is Talia with Auntie Angie. Auntie Angie has kept Talia well stocked with adorable clothes. If you see Talia wearing anything with Eeyore on it, you know it came from Angie. The second is one of our first family photos. Jon said it looks like he is burping me. Well, sometimes I need it, too.

That was our whirlwind trip! I might post more pictures at a later date.

Talia's First Weeks Movie

2007-10-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Jon created this movie of Talia's first weeks. It includes pictures from her first few weeks and video footage beginning at 3 days old. We enjoy watching it; I hope you will, too.

The bookends of this video are from a personalized book that my Aunt Mary and Uncle Steve gave Talia. It is hard to express how grateful we are to all of you for welcoming Talia to our lives. Every gift is a huge blessing!

Created by Jon
Posted by Erin

Talia Travels

2007-10-07T07:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend our family went on Talia's first road trip. We visited Talia's Aunt Evelyn, Uncle Mike, and cousins Sophia, Nathanael, Luke, and Timothy, as well as Grandma and Grandpa P., Auntie Angie, and Great Grandma. On our trip Talia got to attend her first wedding and her first restaurant (El Ranchero). We believe Talia is a fantastic traveler. She sleeps through the driving and stays awake for all the fun (cousins at 11:00 p.m., wedding, restaurant, friends visiting, Grandma and Grandpa time, Aunt Angie spoiling her, and church). I was impressed that she was so pleasant, even though her routine was very disrupted. She still managed to have an 11 to 12 hour night, despite her bedtime beginning 4 hours later than normal. She was even pleasant when she is normally ravenous during the day (after more than 4 hours from her last meal). Talia was also quite popular at the rest stops and eateries. Throughout our trip she was so fascinated by the new faces, surroundings, and sounds. Should I be surprised that she is so easy and sweet? After nearly eight weeks of being so pleasant, I guess not. We just feel so blessed by our amazing little girl, yet we concede she may not do ALL things well :).

Talia is helping Daddy drive. If we tried this while moving (not that we would) she would definitely be asleep at the wheel.

Here is a picture of Talia's cousin Sophia as she opens her birthday cookie. We were grateful to be with Sophia on her birthday. Cousin Luke kept asking if it could be his birthday. He also objected when Jon and I kissed :). He exclaimed, "I hate kisses!" Our nieces and nephews are so sweet and we love them a lot! I hope to post pictures of the rest of the family (and Talia) when I get them.

We better get ready for church. More on our trip will follow.

Thanks to Evelyn, we now have more pictures. Talia's yawn delights Nathanael.

Luke looks on while Sophia holds Talia.

Timothy shows Talia how to be a good baby.

We enjoyed a great breakfast together.

To see more photos, click on any of these photos to enter our Flickr album.

Goodbye Cradle, Hello Pack N Play!

2007-10-04T02:41:00.000-07:00

Talia has now graduated from her cradle to the Pack N Play. In anticipation of our trip to Southern California, we decided to allow Talia several days to get used to sleeping in her Pack N Play. Her first experience with the Pack N Play was quite entertaining (for her and Mom). For the first half hour or so Talia was so enthralled by her new environment that she forgot to sleep. Fascination turned to frustration as she began trying to get at the toys hanging from the bar. This is no easy task for a swaddled baby. Mommy heard Talia crying and came in to find her doing frantic sit-ups in an attempt to reach the toys. As is often the case with Talia's antics, Mommy was both amused and sympathetic. The toys were taken off and have not been replaced.

Talia has begun to understand that the Pack N Play is her new bed. Yet, a strange phenomenon has occurred. Talia is using her relative freedom to move around the Pack N Play. Mommy or Daddy will put her down parallel to the long sides of the Pack N Play. An hour or so later Talia begins to fuss or cry. We come in to check on her and find that she has turned herself 90 degrees with her head jammed against the wall (We took this picture then turned Talia back before she woke up in shock and discomfort). Mommy tried to outsmart Talia by putting her at the 1:30 position (rather than the 12:00). Nevertheless, Talia manages to turn counterclockwise until her head is stuck at 9:00. How does a swaddled baby do that? We need a surveillance camera for Talia!!

A week later I am happy to report that Talia has discovered the merits of not jamming her head into the wall and her fascination with the Pack N Play has waned. We hope to introduce the crib soon, but we will need to remove the bumpers first (it is apparent that she will bump, but with her head's affinity to the wall, safety is paramount).

Stay tuned for more on our trip to Southern California!

The Elmo Conspiracy

2007-09-27T10:57:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by forestfolks

We have noticed that Talia is particularly social during her nappie (diaper) changes. This morning during a change was no exception. She was her normal cute self making cooing and vowel sounds. After I had finished cleaning her and taking off her dirty diaper I let Talia see the picture of Cookie Monster on her new diaper and then proceeded to put it on her. As I was in progress with putting the new diaper on, Talia muttered something that sounded a lot like Elmo, who is the Sesame Street character we've found she likes to play with when over at Grandma and Grandpa T's house. Elmo is also the other character that appears on the front of some of her diapers. Well, shortly after saying Elmo, Talia decided she wasn't done filling her nappie and Daddy had to change her diaper again, this time the picture on the front was of her furry little friend Elmo. Were these events accidental? Did Talia just happen to say Elmo and then wiz all over Cookie Monster in an attempt to get Daddy to give her the Elmo diaper? Well, we really don't know, but we do know that Talia continues to amaze us daily. This picture was taken awhile back, but it was the only one I could find that has her in her Elmo diapers. Also the furry bunny slippers are pretty funny looking.

Posted by Jon

Daddy and Talia

2007-09-26T16:53:00.001-07:00

Daddy and I are having fun while Mommy goes to a women's breakfast.

Daddy really loves me. He picked this rose for me and left me a note before he went to work. He also left Mommy a bouquet of cosmos.

Talia and Anna

2007-09-26T16:48:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by forestfolks

Here I am with my friend Anna. I can't wait till I'm older so I can play with her.

Aging, Sleeping, and Bathing

2007-09-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

Talia must be getting older; she has a toothless grin and she is losing her hair. Interestingly, Talia is losing the hair on top of her head while retaining the thick, soft hair on the sides. This picture caught the tail end of her smile.

Sleep Update: For the third night Talia has slept between 11 and 12 hours between feedings with only one feed in the middle!! Mommy and Daddy are thrilled to be getting more sleep. It seems that we might be down to 6 feedings per day. Note: This picture was taken before we woke up Talia from her nap (NOT during the middle of the night).

Rub-a-dub-dub! Talia appears to be a water baby. We were concerned that Talia would not be too thrilled about her first bath. We were pleasantly surprised that she seemed to enjoy the bath. A friend gave us this tub with a shower head. The gentle spray of the shower feature allows us to rinse Talia while keeping her warm.

Two Week Talia

2007-09-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of Talia. She is around 2 weeks old.Talia is practicing lifting her head. She will oblige us with this task on the carpet, but she much prefers to strengthen her neck muscles perched on our chests.

Mommy was having fun playing dress-up with Talia. She was trying on a few dresses for her first week at church. Talia struck a ballerina pose for this picture.

Ah, the baby scale. It is advertised to help weigh babies, but that is only the beginning. Talia considers the scale to be a snuggly bed, a platform for acrobatics (including kicking over any object precariously placed within the vicinity), and a torture device. Can you see her preference at this moment?

Sleep, Sweet Sleep

2007-09-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Talia sleeping when she was a few days old. This post is about a current event, but we haven't uploaded the other 200 more recent pictures of her. Yes, we are camera happy. But who can blame us?!

I would like to thank Talia for giving Daddy and Mommy a great night of sleep. Last night Talia dropped her second night feeding. She nursed at 7:30 p.m. and went to bed (cradle). At 2:00 a.m. I woke up and realized that Talia was still sleeping! I could not contain my excitement! She nursed around 2:15 a.m. and didn't eat again until 7:30 in the morning. This may be an anomaly, but Daddy and Mommy can live (and sleep) with this kind of schedule!

P.S. Sarah, you were right. She was ready to drop a feeding!

Talia's First Days

2007-09-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

Talia was the impetus for creating a blog. It took nothing less than our beautiful little girl to convince us to endure our painfully slow dial-up to share our lives with you all. So here are a few pictures of Talia's first days.

Here is one of my birthday pictures. Daddy took some rather embarrassing pictures of me in my birthday suit. I prefer this picture because I am clean and warm.

One of the few times I opened my eyes in the first week was when Mommy was burping me. Daddy caught me in a rare, unflattering moment.

I love my Daddy! Mommy said I got his good looks.

One of my favorite things to do is the newborn crawl. I think this is a good end to this post.