The O'Neal Wolfpack: October 2011

Mav at 10 Months Old

At 10 Months old, I'm having the time of my life! I love playing with our toy kitchen, bouncing balls, taking things off shelves in the pantry, prying straws off juice boxes, pulling Talley's hair, throwing food and toys on the floor, and flapping my lips to make motorboat sounds. I can also say "dada" and "mama." I'm working on "dog" and I can sort of do a "moo" if you ask me what a cow says. I'm crawling at lightning speed now and I can stand without support for a few seconds. Perhaps my coolest trick, however, is that I can now walk with a push toy! Please click on the link to see a video: Mav Walking with Push Toy

Will I be walking hands free by 11 months??? Stay tuned....

- Maverico Latino

(My new nickname, for obvious reasons)

Me-Ma and Papa Sugar Visit

Me-Ma and Papa Sugar just came out to Reno for a mini family and friend reunion. It was Mav's first time meeting great grandparents! We also got to see Grandma Linda, Andy Pop, Carl, Gordon, and Gretchen. We all had a wonderful visit. Here are some pics from our time together:

Thank you so much for coming out to see us! We love you!

- Talley & Mav

Discovery Museum

We are ecstatic to announce that Reno has opened up a brand new Children's Discovery Museum! It's awesome! The MOMS Club got the run of the place last week and it was so fun checking out all the cool displays. They even have a dam exhibit where you can get wet! I think we're going to become members and start going regularly. Way to go, Reno! You're comin' up!

- Talley & Mav

Welcome Schindlers!

Our cousins, Chris, Kelsay, and Baby Harper, recently moved to town and we are so excited to have them here!

See a pic of adorable Baby Harper below. He's just a couple months younger than Mav.

It's going to be awesome having cousins to play with all the time!

Welcome Shindlers! :)

- Talley & Mav

Mav's 1st Shiner

I got my first shiner! I bumped my eye on a coffee table at Cousin Jenny's house the last day of our Cali trip. It wasn't too bad actually. I cried for less than a minute. It sure made me look cool and tough afterward, though!

- Mav

Cali Trip

Earlier this month, we took a trip to California for a few days to visit friends and family and go to Sea World. It was a whirlwind trip, but so much fun!

Below are some pics from our trip. (Names of new faces are generally in order of appearance from left to right.)

Visiting with Baby Harper, Uncle Danny, Aunt Beth, Jen, and Bobby

Mini AEI reunion (Mommy's old work friends) - Jacob, Joseph, Elaine, and Lyly

Visiting Aunt Jaclyn (and Little Miss Gia in utero)

Hanging out with Eric, Leslie, and Natasha at Sea World:

Loved ring toss!

Mav was an avid clapper at each show.

Visiting Jackson and Oliver

Jackson gave us the world's warmest welcome! He came running outside jumping in the driveway when we pulled up. Thank you for making us feel special, Jackson! You have such a big heart and we love you!

Loved this little chair and the green ball - thanks for letting us play with your toys, Jackson and Oliver!

We also got to visit with Grandma Linda, Andy Pop, Cousin Lily, Cinamon, Yaya, Cousin Jenny, Neal, and Grandpa Talley, but Mommy dropped the ball big time and didn't get pics! :(

It was so good to see you all! Thanks for making time to visit with us! We love you and miss you already!

- Talley & Mav

Circus!

Mommy and I went to see the circus earlier this month when it came to town. It was really loud and really entertaining! I loved watching all the acrobats and animals perform, especially the big elephants and camels. They made me giggle with excitement!

- Talley

Talley at Two and Two Thirds

I'm two and two thirds! At this age, I'm in love with princesses, singing, dancing, fashion shows, animals, and big vehicles (ie tractors, buses, car carriers, etc). I also just love going places. I'm always talking about the fun things I've done and looking forward to our next big adventure. Be it the local park or Belize, I'm game!

I've recently given up my pacifier. The pediatric dentist said it was time to kiss my paci goodbye. I've got lots of teeth now and we don't want them to grow in all warped. The paci fairy came and collected my stash which I left outside my bedroom door. She is going to redistribute them to babies who need them. In place of my pacifiers, the paci fairy left me a gorgeous princess gown! It was a pretty good trade. I still miss having a paci sometimes, though.

I'm potty training too. I've gone pee in the potty many times now, but I'm still skeptical about pooping in there. I'm also working through my tantrum phase. I melt down most when I'm tired or hungry. If you just keep me rested and fed and having fun, though, I'll be your sweet little princess :)

- Talley

September 2011 Pics

Please click on the link to see an album of our pics from September 2011:
September 2011 Pics of Talley & Maverick

- Talley & Maverick

How to be a Diva

Talley's Instructions for How to be a Diva:

1) Whenever someone asks you if you would like something, you should automatically answer "no." If you think about it and decide you actually would like it, then you can change your answer to "yes" later.

2) Wear whatever you want however you want. Socks can be gloves. Shoes can go on either foot. It's your life!

3) Don't dance like no one is watching. Dance like everyone is watching and they're lucky to see such a beautiful princess perform.

4) Sing your heart out and don't be afraid to make up your own words.

5) If you toot, laugh. If someone says it smells, blame the dogs.

6) Always act like you're the boss. Don't allow anyone to say "ew" when you're on the changing table.

7) When someone asks you if you know something great about yourself, always say "yes."

8) Randomly tell people that you're beautiful.

9) When you do something impressive, don't forget to look at your fans to make sure they noticed.

10) Just be like me! :)

- Talley

Mav at 9 Months Old

At my nine month check up, I weighed in at 19 pounds and measured 28 1/2 inches long. The doc said I'm thinning out a bit which is normal for a breastfed baby about my age. I've still got plenty of kissable baby fat, though, and I'm definitely eating well. The doc and Mommy were very pleased that I passed all my developmental/fine motor skills tests (ie passing a toy from one hand to the next, using my pincer grasp, etc).

Nine months seemed an appopriate age to begin really channeling my inner dog. Having Bubba as my role model, I've enjoyed exploring the world of a dog by getting around on all fours, sticking everything I see in my mouth (including dog food), and even licking a kindred canine occasionally. It's an appealing lifestyle. Sampling it out has just further cemented the fact that Bubba is my hero.

Paws Truly,
Mav

O'Neal Family Vacation in Maui

In September, the O'Neal Family went on vacation to Maui. We all stayed together in a beautiful oceanfront home. The weather was wonderful and we had so much fun!

Here are some pics from our trip:

Relaxing in the hammock