DOWN came the rain

Talia has a new favorite song - and she even sings along!

Head Nods and Silent Talk

Perhaps one of the cutest developments she's had so far.... she nods her head now all the time to indicate "Yes" and most recently has added silent talking to the action. We think she's imitating the way we often talk when we nod our heads. She doesn't quite have the words yet, but she's sure got the lip action down!

Alysia

An Official Yooper

Last week, Talia visited Michigan's Upper Peninsula - the U.P.! Nana and Poppy rented a home in St. Ignace, just north of the Mackinaw Bridge. The home was fantastic - lots of room, a great deck overlooking the bridge, and wall-to-wall carpeting for Miss T to run around on.

Talia had such a great time. She saw several lighthouses (Whitefish Point, Round Island, Mackinaw City, and Manistique to name a few)!

Talia loved pushing the magnetic boats around the lakeshore in one of the museums:

She soaked in more sun on the beach (Lake Michigan, Huron and Superior)...

Visited a zoological park in the woods where Mommy fed a peacock from an ice cream cone...

Enjoyed a full day on Mackinaw Island...

Viewed the 2nd largest waterfall east of the Mississippi River - Tahquamenon Falls...

And just plain enjoyed all the attention and new experiences!

Talia had a wonderful vacation and is now an official Yooper (U.P.-er)!

Alysia

Talia - 14 Months

Unofficial Stats: 20 lbs; 27.5 inches

TALIA FUN FACTS
Favorite Pasttimes: Walking, Chatting, Exploring, Biking, Eating
Favorite Toys: Grocery Cart, Radio, Puzzles, Cell Phone & Remotes

Favorite Food: Mac N Cheese, Fig Newtons, Fruit

New at 14 Months?

WALKING - and even running sometimes

Nodding Yes and No

Telling us exactly what she wants - body gestures and words

Drinking with sippy, straws, big cups

Dancing to music

Tally Talk

Talia has always been very vocal. Just recently, she has started carving out words that are repeatable and understood. She may consider her vocabulary a bit bigger than below, but these are the ones Mommy understands so far:

1. Eh (while nodding) = Yes
2. Neh (while shaking back & forth) = No
3. Dat = That, or get that for me
4. Ma-Ma = Mom
5. Da-da = Dad
6. Na-na = Nana, or if singing, time to clean my hands
7. Bub-ble = Bubble
8. Pe-pol = People
9. Mel = Milk
10. Dat-doo = Thank you
11. Lah = Light
12. Goo-Gol = Good Girl

Talia comprehends nearly everything now. She knows exactly what you're telling her to do and will listen if she's in the mood to do so:) Her attention span is growing all the time and she's able to keep herself busy with a tedious task for quite awhile: puzzles, shape sorter, putting together links, etc. We've found she is pretty creative as she can find an interesting thing to do just about anywhere. For instance? Collecting leaves and pushing them down a hole in a deck; Finding an empty cup and yelling into it to hear the echo; Putting a rattle inside a bag and then shaking it to make even more noise, etc.

Talia is a tease! She LOVES to tease you by trying to give you something and then pulling it back at the last minute. This makes her laugh hysterically. Now that she's walking, she's come right at you when you call for her to do so, and then divert her direction at the last minute and run away giggling. The other day, she told me she was hungry (by walking up to and pointing and yelling at her chair) and then when I'd go to place her in the chair, she'd hug me hard so I couldn't put her down:) Where does she learn this!?!

We're absolutely loving her at this age. She's a joy!

Froggy Chair Shots (4 mos, 9 mos, 14 mos):

Alysia

MILK!

Talia is incredibly independent now when it comes to eating. 1) She tells you exactly when she's hungry by walking up to her highchair and pointing at it until you ask her if she wants to eat. 2) She feeds herself almost entirely - we're starting to use a spoon and bowl - she can do it, but it makes for a very long process. 3) She has absolutely mastered drinking. She LOVES water, lemonade and juice and will drink from any sippy cup or from a cup with a straw.

BUT, Talia still will not accept milk from a sippy. Instead, she grabs her bottle, arches her back, tilts her head back and literally downs her milk. Quite a sight to see. And just when you think she's becoming a big girl, she'll throw a tantrum every once in awhile to remind you she's only 'one' if she doesn't get her bottle fast enough - haha, caught her on film this time:)

Alysia

Already a Professional

Just two weeks since the very first step..... and look at her go!

Alysia

Beach Bum

We spent another fun-filled day at the East Tawas beach yesterday and Talia had a blast! She decided it was best to be fully prepared this time so she napped on the drive up north so she didn't need to on the beach.....

It was a beautiful day (~83 degrees), sunny, with a breeze on the lake.

What were Talia's favorite things to do on the beach?

Go in the water with Daddy

Dig holes, rake sand, and find rocks to put in her bucket!

It was a fantastic day. We spent aboug 6.5 hours on the beach. Talia didn't let the sand stop her from continuing on her walking journey. She loved standing up to run a few steps and then falling back down. She must have done this 20 times in a row at one point during the day. She also found it hilarious when we'd bury her feet and she'd wiggle her toes out from under the sand.

We ended the day with a round of miniature golf after dinner. Talia definitely thought the purpose of the game was to scurry down the green in an attempt to grab Daddy, Mommy, or Uncle Ben's ball before they could hit it. She had a great time (all smiles for 18 holes). For the adults? Just one more obstacle on the course to deal with:)

Alysia

Toddler Room

As of Monday, Talia officially graduated from the Infant Room at daycare and is now a full-time member of the Toddler Room!

What exactly does she do in the Toddler room, you might ask?

1. MOTOR AROUND - there is lots of room to roam and enjoy toys that encourage climbing, jumping, crawling, and running
2. ART ACTIVITIES - crayons, clay, paint, etc
3. MUSIC & DANCE
4. SHAPES & PUZZLES
5. STORY TIME
6. RECESS! Twice per day outside time to play (Tuesdays in summer are water days!)
7. EATING LIKE A BIG GIRL - miniature tables and chairs instead of highchairs
8. SLEEPING LIKE A BIG GIRL - naps after lunch on her very own floor mat

Her first week was great. Perfect timing since she's quickly learned how to "toddle" around!

Alysia