Hehe, I have the POWER!

Where do I start?

I'm just too cute! Check out my pearly whites!

So, how do you feel about nuclear disarmament?

My version of double fisting it!

Tada, now will you lose the camera?

What a difference a few months make!

Talia conquered walking by her first birthday and was fully walking by May. She still crawls a little bit but only if it the situation calls for crawling. She has recently learned to walk really fast (not quite a run but it is truly priceless to watch) and has mastered walking backwards.

She is nearly 20lbs and she is still fitting close to her age in terms of clothes. For now, she is a small kid so we can get lots of wear out of clothes, which is kinda nice, especially for the pocket book.

She can now say several words, I've actually lost track. Dog, ball, mom, daddy and nana are the big ones. We will be out for a walk and she will point to a bird and say "Bird". Its not super clear but its definitely the word bird. She also at times mimics what you say verbatim and very clearly but if you ask her to repeat it, she can't. I think she utter Damn it the other day so I guess Mommy is going to have to watch her potty mouth.

We recently had a big bout with gastroenteritis (severe vomiting/diarrhea). Talia started to get sick at night and that it moved lower down. Within a day or so, I was encompassed in the throws of it and then Sandor got it. I have seriously never felt so sick in my life. I lost count as to how many loads of laundry I did during that time but it was well over 15. To top it off, just before I came down with the illness, Phenix urinated all over our duvet and cover and Gryffin (not to be out done) pooped on my 600 TC sateen sheets. That particular Thursday will go down as one of the worst days I've ever had.

Talia's hair is slowly coming in. I have a suspicion she didn't inherit my thick head of hair but got her dad's. Oh well, she's got my eye lashes so she can use those to get her way. She's already mastered the pout. When her Dad is around, she looks to him for an "appeal" of sorts but he hasn't broken...yet.

She has become quite the reader or should I say, quite the girl who likes to flip the pages while someone tries to read her the story. She has become quite interested in animals. I wish I could get her version of a rooster's crow - Its truly a site. She just loves to flip the board book pages and point with her Peter Pointer finger to the animals. Sandor and her were going thru one of her current favourites (Little Horse's Busy Day) and she could tell you what the cows say, what the sheep says and what the rooster says. I think that's pretty good for a 15 month old. Its all memorization as we have read that book countless times but hey, I'll take what I can get.

She has most of her teeth except for her eye (canines) teeth which are starting to move around again. Unfortunately, this latest round of growth started during her recent bout of illness. Poor kid, thank god there is Infant Tylenol.

Gotta run, her highness is up. I will try to make the distant between posts shorted from now on but Talia has discovered the computer and doesn't like it one bit that Mommy is distracted by it.

take care,
K.

Its been too long....

So Mom has been a little remiss on keeping this blog up to date...that's because I have been keeping her away from the computer with all my developments!

Since she last wrote on here, I have accomplished the following:

* Grown seven teeth (four on the top (two front teeth and two eye teeth, and three on the bottom (all front teeth)

* Learned to crawl (circa. Dec. '07 - Dad used the TV remote to encourage me to take my first crawling steps)

* Learned to pull up on everything I can get my hands on

* Learned to creep between furniture

* Learned to stand unaided for about 30 seconds before I land on my padded behind

I also practice daily my different constant sounds and octaves (Mom's got sore ears). Now that I am crawling, I keep Mom pretty much constantly running after me. She has had to shut every door in the house as I like to investigate the bathroom, Mom and Dad's bedroom (where the kitties like to hide from me) and my own room.

I got to go to the zoo last week with my friends and we went thru all of the exhibits. Honestly, I was more interested in watching everyone run around...if only I could join them but it won't be long now! I am slowly moving towards toddlerhood. I turn 11 months next week and in a month I will be ONE WHOLE YEAR OLD! Just the thought that a whole year has blown by brings Mom to tears but she's a bit of a sap when it comes to me.

Stay tuned for more details coming soon!
T.

Almost there!

So its been a very busy little month. I have started eating "real" food, if you consider baby food from a jar, real food. I am still holding out hope that it will start tasting better. Mom started with wallpaper paste, sorry, make that rice and barley cereal, which I don't mind but I think she can do better. I've tried bananas, carrots, sweet potatoes, peaches, and applesauce. Its a veritable rainbow every time Mom changes my diaper. Life's full of surprises and so is my diaper!

My hair is really starting to come in a lot fuller now. So far its dirty blonde with strong blond highlights. Mom is still holding out hope that it goes darker or redder. We will just have to see what happens. On a similar note, Dad can no longer call the 'blonde' whiskers on his chin blonde, they are certifiably white! Me thinks its Just for Men time! Apparently, its the extra "stress" I've caused that is turning him gray....what is he going to do when I start dating when I'm 35?

I've started the march towards crawling. I spend most of my day sitting up now and I am starting to test out my crawling position. I roll onto my tummy and practice the rocking position on my hands and knees. My balance still isn't great but its coming along and Mom figures I will be crawling by Christmas, which means that Dad better get started baby proofing the house!

No teeth yet but I am chewing on everything I can find! Stay tuned!
T.

Happy Turkey Day from Kansas!

Happy Turkey Day everyone! We really haven't celebrated Turkey Day yet but maybe we will tomorrow (Monday). Its hard to be in the turkey and stuffing mood when its like 30C outside! Mom and Dad are busy trying to get their to-do lists done now that I am a little more portable.

In terms of my overall development, I have now progressed into rolling both directions (back to tummy and tummy to back), creeping backwards, doing 360 turns on my tummy, and sitting up a LOT more unassisted. Today I got my first taste of whole grain rice (yuck-OH!), give my formula, please! No teeth yet but I am knawing on anything I can find and I LOVE to grab at people's faces and hair. I might just be an beautician when I'm big.

Its been a busy couple of weeks! In addition to my development strives, I got to meet my aunt from Whitehorse and I have been checking out larger car seats as my current "baby" carrier seat is getting a might too small. Because of my new found rolling skills, I have ended up sleeping a lot more on my tummy but when I wake up there, I start a screaming for help! I am still sleeping fairly decently at night and taking short naps during the day.

I attended my first birthday party yesterday for my little Canadian friend, Sophie, who turned two recently. There were so many other little people and a new little baby, named Rebecca. Mom kept saying that she couldn't believe that I was once smaller than Rebecca who is about 8lbs already! Rebecca spent most of the party sleeping quietly. Everyone else enjoyed doing the Dora the Explorer and Diego themed crafts and cake that Ms. Stephanie did up for the event. Sophie is a huge Diego fan! So far, I'm not too enthralled with Diego or Dora but I have developed an affinity for Dr. Who (I blame Dad for this)!

Everyone got little Diego cloth gift bags and the two babies (moi et Rebecca) got baby rattles. I got a new little frog friend whom Mom has named Bob Gratton, la grenouille. He will be my new stroller friend. I have many little friends, with whom I hang out with the most, Rosie the Pink Elephant, Alastair B. Cronkite the bee, Ducky McQuackers (or Quackers for short), Inuk Chinook the Polar Bear, Lamb Chop the Lamb, Jorge Lopez the Dog, Dahlia the teddy bear, Ms. Rae the Rabbit and Buttercup the Giraffe. Mom gets a kick out of naming my little friends. I let her name them for now.

Take care and I will write more soon!
T.

March of the Teeth...

Mom sends her apologies for not posting sooner but she's been busy with guests past and future and of course, yours truly. I haven't got any teeth yet but I am drooling up a storm (maybe a tropical depression is more like it) and I have nice rosy cheeks. I am also knawing on anything that comes within an inch of my mouth.

I haven't fully rolled by myself but I have taken to rolling to one side when I sleep. I'm also learning to sit on my own and when I do occasionally fall over (most of the time), I land rather gracefully on my side and roll to my tummy. I LOVE to stand on my feet with Mom's help. I have also started squealling so that Mom still knows I'm alive! We are working on our tummy time but I still hate it.

Gotta run and get some beauty rest! Tomorrow is another day of adventure! Mom has updated my pictures so check 'em out! We will post another update likely next month! I think posting weekly was a bit of a stretch for Mom. Live and learn!

take care,
T.