Precious!

We take pictures of Talia every single day. I had to select a few of the most precious ones to share with you today!

The weather has been wonderful in Michigan and we've taken advantage of it this week with picnics, neighborhood strolls, and watching Daddy play softball. Talia loves her stroller as long as she's moving:)

Alysia

The Streak Continues....

Well... Talia has been alive for 9 days now, and she's recieved new clothes every single day. She's well on her way to being high maintence!

Yesterday's clothing contribution came from our friends Buford and Mindy, who gave us some clothes that their 7 month old daughter, Penelope, wore recently. Today's contribution came from our other friends Doug and Paula, who got Talia a cute pink Penn State onesie and a sleeper with a giraffe on it.

I wonder who will help continue the streak tomorrow...(?)

The image for today comes from our trip to downtown Midland today. We walked around for awhile, then had a picnic lunch alongside the river near the Tridge. The art theme in downtown Midland this year is "frogs", which is appropriate since that is the theme of Talia's bedroom too. So this made for a fun picture.




Until next time....

- Mike

Fun Time

Talia is starting to get into a pattern of being awake and alert three separate times each day for 1 to 2 hours. One of those times is about 6:00 AM, so "sunrise fun time" is becoming a new tradition. This usually involves some reading, some playing, and some quiet time that she spends sitting on her changing table and looking out of the window (she's VERY interested in gazing out of the window). The pictures attached below are from yesterday morning.





Another one of her awake "fun" times is around noon. We captured some good video footage yesterday afternoon of us goofing around. This included some "tummy" time for Talia, which is very entertaining.



Talia just wrapped up a very full week that included visits from both sets of grandparents, her first trip around town, and her first walk in a stroller. Between friends and family, she is being thoroughly spoiled with gifts. (They say that you can't spoil a newborn, but it sure seems that she might be an exception...) We get a kick out of the fact that she's well on her way to becoming a "typical girl" - she's gotten new clothes every day since last Saturday, and she likes to sleep while making cute poses with her hands up by her face.


To conclude this entry, below is a special "good night" message. This video is now almost a week old - we took the video in the hospital - but it's entertaining so I figured we should still post it.




Until next time.....

- Mike

Talia - 1 Week

Talia is already 1 week old! Time has been flying by and yet, it doesn't seem possible that we met her just 1 week ago.

Since arriving home on Tuesday, Talia has been out on the town twice. On Friday morning, both Talia and Mommy had doctor appointments. Mommy had her staples removed and is still on the mend, but definitely feeling better every day. Talia had a clean bill of health, has gained 4 ounces since her hospital discharge, and was a perfect angel while she was weighed, measured, and checked out. She loves her pediatrician, Dr. Juarbe!

1 Week: 5 lb 14 oz, 19.5 inches

This morning, Talia visited the downtown farmer's market for the first time with Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma and Grandpa Diffendal. Mommy wore her in a sling and she didn't make a peep! We've also learned that Talia loves the outdoors. The weather has been perfect and she's spent several hours on the back patio in the past few days.

Alysia

... And Then There Was the Bath...

Last night was the first occassion for Talia to get a bath at home. We knew that this was likely to be an "exciting" experience, and we weren't disappointed. Talia made noises that made our hair stand on end; her new uncle and grandparents were thoroughly entertained. Grandpa Jeff just grinned about the circumstances.

She got cleaned, dried, and diapered... then promptly "produced" a reason to recieve her second bath at home. So off went the onesie and diaper. Luckily, we realized at that point that we should film Bath #2. Ben held the camera while we went back to work at the bath tub. You can see what enfolded in the "Video of the Day".

Until next time....

- Mike

Home Safe and Sound

We were discharged from the hospital on Tuesday afternoon! Talia was ready to come home earlier, but the doctors were waiting to make sure that Mommy's blood levels were on the up-swing and she could walk around the hospital floor before releasing her.

I (Alysia) am feeling better every day. Talia's birthday was crazy and although I believe I experienced all forms of labor and complication, it was worth it. We have a beautiful and amazing little girl who brings a smile to our faces all day long. I will definitely post my version of Talia's "Birth Story" soon, but am still reflecting (unfortunately through some pretty vivid dreams).

Since coming home, we have had some great fun with Talia. Here are some pictures!

Talia loves her Daddy. We have a great routine established for feedings and Mike is the official mid-meal burper and caretaker after the meal. Here are a few shots of Daddy with Talia:

We've learned a few things about Talia in just a few short days. 1) She loves to be SWADDLED - it's a sure way to induce sleeping. 2) She has a VERY STRONG NECK. She's already a bit hard to contain so I suppose we've been warned. 3) She self-soothes by SUCKING and is very fond of HER FINGERS. We've heard her grunting on several occasions for several minutes and find she's worked her arms out of her swaddle just to access her face with her hands. 4) Her digestive system works very well. We'll be going through many outfits in the coming weeks as her EXPLOSIONS simply aren't contained. 5) She makes many animal noises. She's already been called a MOUSE, MONKEY, and VELOCA RAPTOR for her sounds.

We're truly blessed to have been given the most precious little girl. Every step of this process was a struggle for us and we appreciate the chance we've been given to be Talia's Mommy and Daddy.

Alysia

Day #2 Recap

Day #2 is now in the books, and Talia is growing up quickly! Well, not quite, but she did have an active day. Here's a quick summary of her "firsts" that occurred yesterday:

• She wore her first dress, which the nurses put on her over-night to take a picture for the hospital's "Web Nursery". Thanks to our friends Lisa and Amy for providing the outfit.
• On that note, Talia also had her first "bad" photograph taken while wearing that same dress. (OK, it's not that bad, but it definitely won't win any awards...) We think the picture looks like a totally different baby. But that's alright - it's still cute!
• For the same occasion, it was the first internet publishing of Talia's name. You can Talia see her picture and birth announcment on the hospital's maternity department web site: http://www.midmichigan.org/consumer/page.asp?OrgID=7A55F23C95904E6E8901520BE6804B49&id=5823D381BA8D432083D6E959B0FD70DC&DocID=6E65ED53421F480891CB3BCECB84AC9C&s=2&sName=ViewBaby
• She opened her eyes for a long periods of time, looking around and trying to process everything that she saw (or didn't see).
• She also showed us that she's prone to getting hiccups after eating. See for yourself in the "video of the day" below.

Until next time...

- Mike

More from the First Day

Due to popular demand, here are a few more highlights from Talia's first day. Her second day is starting off great so far - feeding is going well and her second check-up from the pediatrician was fine.

Mom is also looking and feeling better today. Alysia's probably still only 30% of her "normal self", but she's more alert and vitals are looking good. There are no signs of any continued bleeding, which is the main concern.

Your Nursery is Ready

Baby Diffendal,

Mommy, Daddy, and your Grandma & Grandpa Phillips have worked very hard to get your nursery ready for you. We hope you'll like the room as much as we do!

All we wait for now is you!!!!!

Mommy & Daddy

Penn State Baby Bash!

A few weeks ago, our friends threw us a baby shower with a Penn State tailgate theme! We had a great time and were so excited by the turnout and everyone's generosity. Here are a few great pictures from our party.

I was still on bed rest at the time, so I had my own "throne". Folks would come by and visit with me all afternoon. Here's me with Amy, Caden, and Beck.

Here's are some good shots of friends enjoying the food, beer, and company!

And the goodies: CAKE and PRESENTS! Perhaps one of Mom's favorite gifts is shown below...

Thanks to everyone for the great party. We have some amazing friends!

Alysia

37 Weeks - FULL TERM

Well, we've made it folks! Baby is now full-term and could simply arrive any day. Mommy is certainly ready as her comfort level continues to decline. Here are the weekly pictures of Baby. You never know how many more of these you'll see!

Labor aches and pains have picked up within the last week. Starting last Tuesday, each night has been filled with pretty continuous cramping. Luckily, I'm able to sleep well enough. It's a bit odd, but the cramps make me smile, since I know this is a sign that our little one will arrive soon.

My folks are visiting which means lots of work is getting done around the house in preparation for the arrival. Yay! The past few days have been filled with shopping for last minute items, nursery organization, planting, weeding, plumbing, and cooking pre-made meals for Mommy and Daddy to reheat during the first weeks after Baby arrives.

I'll take my very last dose of medicine tonight and then we wait. When will Baby greet us??

Alysia

36 Weeks

36 Weeks and we're about ready to get this show on the road! I've definitely reached the "uncomfortable" final weeks of pregnancy and am looking forward to holding this little one rather than sustaining its frequent hooks and jabs. Baby is very crammed into my belly at this stage and every movement can be seen from the outside. Although I hadn't started dilating yet at last Thursday's appointment, things are moving toward the big day. Baby has "dropped", and so I no longer have indigestion -- but there are other fun side effects associated with housing a 6-lb moving being in your pelvis:) Here's how Baby has grown this week:

I was alleviated from my bed rest sentence last Thursday and have enjoyed getting back on my feet this weekend. I get incredibly sore from sitting and standing..... but I'm not letting it get me down and it certainly won't keep me from doing things now that I'm able to! I've grown accustomed to nightly soaks in the tub as it seems to help the muscles in my back and neck.

Since I've had some need to wear real clothes in the past few days, I thought I'd share some updated pictures of me in maternity wear. You can really tell that Baby has grown in the past month or so. I think I finally look pregnant:)

Alysia

It's Been 10 Weeks Since...

As of tomorrow, I have endured 10 weeks of bed rest. There is no question that this "sentence" was best for Baby. But, as I approach the day when I will again rejoin the world, I consider what else I have not done for 10 weeks. This list is, of course, not inclusive.

It's been 10 weeks since I:

1. Lifted anything more than 5 pounds
2. Shopped in a retail store
3. Ate out at a restaurant
4. Set foot outside of Midland
5. Did the laundry
6. Set foot in my office at work
7. Walked to a destination other than the bathroom
8. Was clueless about world news (CNN is now a staple)
9. Ate a meal at a table
10. Became a "worried mother"!

Alysia