Summer Lovin'

It was a looooong winter here in Reno and we are so excited that summer is finally here!  We love getting to play outdoors more and that we don't have to wear 10 layers to keep warm.  Here are some fun summer pics:

Last week at a popsicle park play date:

Today at Sand Harbor:

So glad summer is here to stay a while longer!

- Talley & Maverick

Mav's First Haircut

A couple days ago, Mommy and Grandma Linda took Talley and me over to Snip Its to get hair cuts. I've had loads of awesome hair since I was born.  It was starting to get in my eyes, though, so it was time for a trim.  Since it was my first-ever haircut, I got a certificate keepsake to take home, along with a lock of my cut hair. 

Before Pic

After Pic

Whaddya know, I'm a blonde!  I feel like a new little meatloaf man.

Talley got a trim too.  Below is a pic of her showing off her do.

 O'Neal siblings are lookin' sharp and ready to party!

- Maverick

Late Breaking News! Mav is Sitting Up!

I sat up straight for the first time last Sunday (7/10/2011)! 

I love my new point of view so much I want to sit up all the time.  I won't even stay lying down long enough for a diaper change anymore!

Also, I'd expect news that I'm crawling to break any day now too!  I'm soooo close.  I've been scooting on my hands and knees just a bit and I've been strength training by standing on my hands and feet in a plank position (see below).

Pretty impressive, heh? :)

- Maverick

Johnanna Visit

Uncle John and Aunt Joanna came to visit us last weekend from Arizona.  We had a good time filled with fun, cuddles, and smiles as always.  Here are a couple pics from their visit:

(In these pics, we were standing right outside our new house which we get to move into at the end of the month!  More to come on that later.)

Thanks for coming, Uncle John and Aunt Joanna!  We love you!

- Talley & Maverick

Fourth of July 2011

This year, we spent 4th of July up at Lake Tahoe.  It was Maverick's first-ever 4th of July celebration and it my first-ever time riding a boat!

The weather was gorgeous, the Famous Dave's catered food was delicious (although Mav only got rice cereal and avocados), and we had so much fun hanging with our O'Neal family. 

Aunt Patti holding me out on the boat:

Modeling our 4th of July outfits: 

(I was going for the patriotic princess look.  Mav was going for the startled cowboy.)

Family shots:

 Feast, Feast, Feast!

 Cool panoramic view of the party:

Please click on the link to see an album with more pics from 4th of July weekend: 4th of July Weekend 2011

- Talley

Talley is Two and a Half!

You may wonder what it's like being Talley Leighton O'Neal; in a word, it's awesome. 

In many words, it's a daily festival of singing, dancing, playing, dress-wearing, and milk-drinking where you may find yourself laughing one minute and tantruming the next.  Each day begins with me singing a medley of merry tunes in my crib.  Then I call Mommy and Daddy for pick up and request to be transported to their room where I may play on their bed with brother or request to "see the horsies one more time."  (I love watching re-runs of the Triple Crown horse races!)  From there, the party moves on to the play room while breakfast is prepared for me.  I love pretending to swim in the river illustrated on my play mat.  I also love playing with dolls, Barbies, stuffed animals, cars, trucks, and the alphabet Elmo game on the iPad.  After my morning play time at home and Maverick's morning nap, the rest of the day is a surprise adventure until my afternoon nap.  I may head up to the lake (love the water, HATE the sand), meet up with some friends for a play date, go to dance class, or just kick it at home and play on the back porch with a bucket of water.  Lunch is prepared for me at some point prior to nap time which is preceded by story time.  After my nap is family fun time (or once a week it's swim time!).  Daddy gets home from work, dinner is served, I get to take a bath, and we read more stories before bed time. 

I'm pretty happy with my routine as is; however, apparently, change is a comin' now that I'm two and a half.  I've heard Daddy and Mommy talking about me "giving up my paci" and "getting potty trained" soon.  I like my paci and my diapers, so I don't think I'm going to like this change stuff.  They're going to have to get creative and find a way to make it worth my while if they want to get me on board with their plans.  It's at least going to take some princess undies and a prettier potty for me to even think about ditching the convenience of diapers.

Anyway, I'm not going to worry about that ominous change stuff right now.  I've got a diaper on my bottom and my paci in my mouth and I'm just going to get back to playing and enjoying today!  Hope you all are having a great day too!

- Talley

P.S.  Like my top?  It's from Cousin Missy's Oh Fiddlesticks shop!  Thank you, Missy, Alan, Paisley, and Magnolia!

June 2011 Pics

Please click on the link to see an extensive collection of our pics from June 2011: June 2011 Pics of Talley & Maverick

- Talley & Maverick

Paging Mommy

Please click on the link to hear me paging Mommy from my crib:
Mommmmmmmmy!! I'm poopy!

- Talley

Little Mommy

Here's a pic of me nursing my baby doll before singing to her and putting her down for a nap.  Aren't I a good little mommy?  Not to mention the youngest member of La Leche League.

- Talley

Maverick and Goose

"That's right! Ice... man. I am dangerous."

I can't promise this is the last homage to Top Gun you'll see on this blog. 

If you can't appreciate it, I'd suspect you've lost that lovin' feeling.

- Maverick

P.S.  Without some, this photo shoot would not have been possible.  I'd like to thank Miss Jaclyn in the wardrobe department for making the "I feel the need...the need for speed" onesie.  I'd also like to thank Grandma Linda for the goose prop. 

Mav's First Solid Meal

Here is a link to a video of my first solid meal, which consisted of soupy textured rice cereal mixed with breast milk: Maverick's First Meal 

As evidenced by my squeals, I thought the act of trying to eat was pretty entertaining.  However, the taste of the food definitely left something to be desired.  I had to endure a full week of just the rice cereal stuff.  The only way I got through was by blowing raspberries to spray blast out each spoonful.  Everyone within a three foot radius needs a bib when it's meal time for me. 

I have also tried avocados and bananas since that first meal.  Avocados don't really do it for me, but bananas are kinda yummy.  I like to eat the latter by myself using a mesh baby feeder.  I've seen Daddy and Mommy eating more appetizing things, though, and I can't wait to try them out!  From here on out, I get to sample one new food a week.  Next up is sweet potatoes.  Wish me luck!

- Maverick

Maverick is 6 Months Old!

Now that I'm half a year old and I've mastered the art of lying down looking cute, I am challenging myself to move.  I can roll around a room with ease and I can get on all fours and rock.  I can even scoot a little using my knees and belly, albeit only backwards.  Sometimes I back myself into a spot where I can't get out and that makes me a little bit grunty and frustrated.  I'm not going to have to put up with that sort of frustration very long, though; I can feel that I'm getting so close to crawling. 

I can also sort of sit up on my side using one arm as a kickstand.  It tickles me to giggles when I'm upright on my own.  It doesn't take much to move me to giggles, actually.  I've got a pretty good sense of humor and I'm ticklish all over my body.  

Please click this link to see a video of Daddy making me giggle: Mav Giggling with Daddy  

Here's one more link to a video of me cracking up during a Peekaboo game with Mommy: Peekaboo Maverick!

Another exciting thing about being six months old is that I get to start solid food now!  Breast milk will still be my main fare for a while, but it will be cool to mix it up a bit.  Please stay tuned for a video of my first meal!

Of course, Daddy and Mommy have their own opinion on what's best about me being six months old.  They love the big open-mouth kisses/love bites that I give and that I'm sleeping through the night now.  They hired the same sleep consultant lady they used with my big sister, Talley, and she delivered the same magic.  I didn't like the idea of giving up my night time milk snacks at first, but I'm cool with it now.  Daddy and Mommy are more fun to play with now that they are better rested and happier.  I'm always so excited to see them and Talley when I wake up. 

My six month check up at the pediatrician's office went well.  The doctor said I look great!  I weigh 16 pounds and 15 ounces and I measure 26 and a half inches long from head to toe.  That puts me in the 50th percentile, making me a perfectly medium baby. 

Well, I think you've got all the critical 6-month updates now.  I'm off to work on my crawling now!

- Maverick

P.S.  Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma - that's my favorite sound to make right now.

Happy Father's Day!

Hi Daddy!

We couldn't give you the hugs and kisses you deserve on actual Father's Day because we were in Belize. However, we plan on making it up to you ten fold now that we're back.  We love you and we missed you so much!  You're the best!

Love,
Talley & Maverick

P.S.  Happy Father's Day to all the other wonderful and loving daddys and grandpas we know too!  You are important and appreciated!

You Better BELIZE It!

Maverick and I recently took a trip with Mommy, Grandpa Talley, and Godbrother Dylan to visit Aunt Miss Natasha Turner (AMNT) and Grandma and Grandpa Tait in Belize!  We left June 13th and flew overnight with stops in San Francisco and Houston before arriving in Belize City the morning of June 14th.  It was Mav's first plane ride ever! 

Although traveling through the night was a little rough and exhausting, it was so exciting when we finally got to Belize City where we were greeted by AMNT who flew in from London and Grandma and Grandpa Tait who retired in Belize about a year ago.

We drove out to Corozal Town where Grandma and Grandpa Tait live (about 2 hours north of Belize City).  It was a beautiful drive with lush greenery and enticing food stands all along the way.  We had a lovely Belizean tour guide to keep us company and tell us stories all through the car ride too - you guessed it, Grandma Tait!

Corozal is situated right next to Corozal Bay, which has gorgeously clear water.  Upon arriving in Corozal, we went out to a restaurant to eat some Belizean food and then crashed out at Copa Banana Hotel where we had a two-bedroom guest house. 

I was pooped!

During the rest of our stay, we went swimming in the Copa Banana swimming pool, we visited the zoo, we took a small plane out to San Pedro to spend a day at the beach, and we did lots of good visiting with each other.

Pics from hanging out by the Copa Banana pool:

Pics from the Belize Zoo:

Maverick sweaty, but smiley.

Check out the funny signs.  Notice the fences are barely taller than the animals and there is no netting around the monkeys.  It was a legitimate wildlife experience!  Also notice we were always sweating.  That's because it was oppressively hot.

Pics from San Pedro day trip:

Pics from Grandma and Grandpa Tait's house:

We had delcious food throughout our stay.  The best food came from the Tait residence.  Grandma Tait really spoiled us with her excellent home cooking.  Stew chicken, rice and beans, plantains, derudia, fry jack, fish, shrimp, pesto, cinnamon rolls - Mmm!  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

Of all the neat things we experienced, however, my number one trip highlight would have to be just being in Dylan's presence.  I'm a little obsessed with him.  From the second he awoke, I wanted to dance with him and I only wanted him to get me out of my car seat and push me in my stroller.  Another thing topping the awesomeness chart was that I got to wear my Belize dress in Belize.  It was purchased months ago with the Belize trip in mind; however, I insisted on wearing it a lot beforehand in anticipation of our adventure.  I would put it on and get in my play car on the back patio and proclaim, "I'm going to Belize!"

Pic of Talley sublimely happy to be dancing with Dylan and wearing her Belize dress:

Tropical storms kept us locked in with Mommy the last couple days of our trip.  However, AMNT, Grandpa Talley, and Dylan braved the rough weather and visited the Mayan ruins. 

We left Belize on June 19th.  We had an overnight layover in Houston and got home on June 20th.  Here's a pic  of us in front of our hotel in Houston waiting for the airport shuttle with our luggage.  It was a little ridiculous how much we packed, but Mommy wanted to make sure we were prepared for anything.

(And that's missing one stroller that got lost by the airline.) 

All in all, we had a wonderful visit and a fun adventure.  However, it was really great to get home and see Daddy.  I really missed him and my play room.

- Talley

To see a full album of pics from our Belize trip, please click here: Pics from Belize Trip 2011