The Clothing Conspiracy

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

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

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



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



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

Talia's Busy Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Talia's Landmarks:

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

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


Here is Talia sleeping, clearly out of her swaddle.


And again :)


She is actually supporting her bottle.


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

Family Time

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



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



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



Here is Talia, content to ride with Daddy.



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



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



Here is the bride holding Talia.



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



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

Here is Talia while Mommy plays dress up.

My Thoughts

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)

Goodbye Cradle, Hello Pack N Play!

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!

Aging, Sleeping, and Bathing

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.

Sleep, Sweet Sleep

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!