Talon is 7 months and 2 weeks old, to be exact.  I can't believe how time has flown these past 7 months -- where has it gone?  It seems like just yesterday Talon was a little tiny baby.  He is MUCH bigger these days.  One reason is, because that's nature...babies grow into infants and into toddlers, etc.  Another reason is that Talon is eating real well these days!  He loves his oatmeal (in the morning) and rice cereal (at night).  At each feeding, which is 3x daily, we also give him baby food.  We haven't found one that he doesn't like.  But before the food, we make sure he gets his milk.  Nowadays it's formula instead of breastmilk.  It was a difficult process trying to find a formula Talon "liked" or should I say that we didn't see come back up.  We went through 2 brands and 5 different types.  We finally found two that didn't make him throw up.  And of course, it's the most expensive formula.  (He takes after mommy & daddy with expensive taste, literally!)  But at this point, we don't care what the cost is.  We just want to make sure Talon is getting enough food & nutrients.  It's no fun testing different formulas.  We had to be ready with a burp cloth or towel for when it came shooting back up, which meant a lot of laundry.

Talon has started to crawl, or what the books call "creeping."  Creeping is different because baby is not on hands/knees scootin' along the floor, rather baby looks like a wounded soldier.  Talon will creep along to a particular object pulling himself with his forearms and dragging his feet behind.  He does pretty good!  And if he wants to get to something or somewhere really badly, he will roll then creep.  So you know what that means now....we are into the baby proofing stage.  We have started eliminating objects from the floor that can topple over, like vases.  We have started plugging up the electric outlets.  And we have made the bathtub slip resistant.  Talon loves taking a bath in a "big boys bathtub."  Well, we still have the little bathtub that we place inside the big (normal) bathtub.  He plays with his bath toys and splashes around.

I have also felt teeth coming in.  I could tell he was teething since he drools a lot, as well as grit objects in his mouth.  So far cutting teeth has not bothered Talon too much.  There were a couple nights last week when he woke up in the middle of the night.  But when I went into his room, his eyes were closed and he went back to sleep immediately.  So, it was either a nightmare (I wonder if babies have nightmares?) or his teeth hurt.

Talon is much more active these days!  If he's not creeping or rolling, he is sitting unsupported or trying to pull himself up.  Talon loves to stand, as well as "walk" around.  Talon also loves to "talk."  That trait, I believe he takes after daddy!

Eric and I are still working very hard, and learning how to balance life & work with a baby.  I think we do a pretty darn good job for not having an instructional manual when baby arrived!  I do have to admit though if it weren't for friends and family supporting us, we might have been more stressed as first-time parents.  We have thoroughly enjoyed these past 7 months seeing Talon grow and look forward to many more months and years to come!

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a nice holiday season.  We sure did with Talon's first Christmas & first New Year celebration.  We had such a great time with friends and family over the holiday.

The holiday season kicked off early December with a trip to Dallas to see Aunt Cheryl, Uncle Jason, and cousins Ty and Alyssa.  Nana & Gramps were also visiting.  We celebrated Christmas early since we were altogether.  Despite half the household getting violently ill and taking nearly half a day to get back home, we had a great time.  Talon had so much fun giggling with his cousins and spending time with relatives.  And he did awesome on the plane ride there and back!

Then, on Christmas Eve we went over to Grandma Carol and Papa Dan's house to celebrate, along with Aunt Tracy, Uncle Brad, and cousins Rachel, Owen and Caroline.  We opened presents and ate a late lunch before going over to a relatives house that hosts a Christmas Eve gathering for the entire family.  Now, you might think "entire family" means maybe 10-15 people.  Oh no, it was more like 50-70 people with kids running around.  It is fantastic to see what a big family it has grown into.  (You can only imagine since Carol is 1 of 11!)  We were given a Family Tree calendar that was created with every family member listed including birthdays and anniversaries.  December is the busiest month with 13 birthdays!  (Almost half the month covered!)

Christmas morning we woke up at our house, for the first time in 5 years!  We wanted to start our own family tradition.  We opened presents and ate breakfast at our house before heading over to my parents to continue the celebration.  I'm not sure if Talon liked the wrapping paper more or his toys.  When we got to my parents house, Shane, Katie and Vaughn were there.  The two babies had a good time, and I think the grandparents had an even better time.  GiGi and Pops were in heaven.  Later on, my Aunt Pat, Uncle Michael and cousins Leah, with her husband Adam, and Jamie came over.  We had a late lunch and lounged around enjoying the day.

On New Year's Eve, Eric and I continued our tradition of eating dinner at the Yard House but this time with Talon.  Afterwards, we planned on walking around the Spectrum.  However, our plans changed drastically.  As Eric was gathering our stuff to go, I was bouncing Talon around to the music.  Then I swiveled him to face me to bounce up and down and side to side more.  That was a mistake because all of a sudden a waterfall of throw up came my way -- all down the front of me and in my lap!  I should have known better; Talon had just finished eating 1 hour before I started jiggling him around.  We came home and put Talon to bed as Eric and I tried to stay up to watch the ball drop.  I unfortunately didn't make it to 12 midnight.  Gosh do I feel old!  :)  At least I didn't wake up the next morning with a hangover!

Naturally, we had a great first holiday season.

We hope you and your family have a happy, healthy & safe 2009!

Okay so I know Talon is 1 week away from being 7 months and we just had his 6-month check up.  Talon got his 3rd series of shots on Friday, 12/19.  He was given the liquid "shot" for rotovirus and then 4 shots (2 in each thigh).  We decided to add the flu shot to this series since the doctor recommended it.  The first two shots in his thighs didn't really bother him all that much, just a little movement.  But then shot #3 and #4 were worse.  Talon let out a big cry with each injection.  Throughout the day I gave him children's Tylenol to help with the pain in his thighs.  

Talon was fine that evening so we planned a trip to see Santa Claus.  My parents met Eric, Talon and I at Fashion Island.  We first ate dinner at Wahoo's -- a great children's place.  My mom fed Talon his bottle and baby food in a high chair.  That was Talon's first experience in a high chair and he did really good.  Then, we walked over to Santa Claus' house to take a photo.  (See X-mas '08 photo section.)  Afterwards, we walked around the center to look at the large Christmas tree.  Before we left for the night, we stopped for hot cocoa since it was such a cold night.

When we got home I decided to let Talon stretch out and play a bit since he was cooped up in his stroller all night.  Eric then fed him his nightly bottle and put him down to sleep.  However, after 2 hours of tossing and turning Eric and I went into Talon's room to check on him.  Good thing we did...Talon had a temperature of 100 degrees.  We gave him Tylenol again and I tried rocking him back to sleep.  However, his head seemed to get hotter and hotter.  So we took his temperature again and this time it read 103 degrees.  Of course I got worried, so Eric called the on-call nurse over the phone to find out what we should do.  The nurse told us to dress him in loose clothing, put a damp cloth on his face and head to cool down, or give him a luke-warm bath, as well as give him water to stay hydrated and Tylenol.  The nurse didn't think we had to go to the ER.  We tried the water (this was the first time Talon draink water), but Talon spit it all up.  So, then we headed to the bath to give him a luke warm bath.  Before we put him in the water, he threw up again.  Poor lil' guy!  It was heartbreaking to see him in such pain and discomfort!  Talon couldn't seem to settle down to sleep, so I laid down on the floor to cuddle with him.  He finally fell asleep at about 3am.  

On Saturday morning Talon's fever seemed to subside.  I had a luncheon scheduled with Devin & Jack, Nicole and Sasha.  Before lunch, I fed him formula since we are trying to make the switch from breastmilk to formula.  During lunch, Talon was very mellow.  I didn't think much of it and he wasn't fussy so I continued my Christmas shopping after lunch.  I gave him another bottle of formula but he didn't finish it.  I just thought perhaps he didn't like the taste.  While I was leaving the store, Talon threw up all over the place!  I quickly walked to the car to undress him and get him in a clean diaper.  As I'm doing this in the parking lot in the back of the car/trunk area, a lady was waiting for my parking spot!  What a dumb lady, either that, or she was desperate for a parking spot!  As we got home Eric had gotten a warm bath ready for Talon.  But before we put him in the water, he threw up again.  We put him in his PJs but he threw up again, this time vial and a bit of blood.  Eric and I both looked at each other and said we're going to the ER.  We gathered our stuff up to go to the nearest Urgent Care.  The doctor in Urgent Care told us to put Talon on a strict diet of Pedialyte only and to continue with the Tylenol since he had a fever of 100 degrees. 

On Sunday morning, Eric thought we should feed him breastmilk since he hadn't got much nutrients.  That was a mistake because it all came back up again!  We had a follow up doctor visit later in the afternoon.  The doctor looked at Talon and said he was doing better.  All day Sunday, we let Talon sleep and lounge around.  By Sunday night he had gotten much better!  We were able to feed him rice cereal with a little bit of baby food.

Today, Monday morning Talon is now back to himself...thank goodness!  Eric was able to feed him a small amount of breastmilk along with his oatmeal cereal and pears.

We can't decide that if Talon got sick because Eric was violently sick in Dallas the week before, or if Talon caught something from Santa, or if it was from his shots.  Whatever the cause, I felt so bad.  I am just so glad Talon is back to himself!

Since I had to be in Las Vegas for the Wienerschnitzel, Tastee Freez & Hamburger Stand National Operators Seminar for 5 days, Eric was supportive and came out with Talon.  Originally, Eric, Talon and I were going to drive out to Vegas in order to bring all of Talon's toys, bedding, etc.  We thought it would be essentially the same amount of time as flying, but a bit easier.  Eric and Talon would stay in Vegas until Monday afternoon when my convention started, and drive home by themselves.  Besides, Eric had to go back to work on Tuesday.  My parents were going to the convention as well but they were flying...until my mom realized she could spend 4 hours in the car with Talon!  You know like a kid in a candy shop!    So, it was my mom, dad, Eric, Talon and I off to Vegas!  But before we took off, one slight problem...where do we put all of our luggage?  And remember, Talon has a bassinet, bouncer, toys, blankets, clothes, etc.  You think a Tahoe would have plenty of room.  Not exactly, because once you put butts in seats and a baby in car seat, not much is left over.  Eric diligently looked for storage options.  At one point, we were going to rent a U-Haul that we pull behind the car.  Okay, we didn't have THAT much stuff; we were going to pack some of my work stuff too.  Eric put together a storage rack -- the one where you put the luggage on the rooftop of the car and buckle down.  By the time we had everyone's stuff either in the car or on top of the car, we honestly looked like the Beverly Hillbillies!  

We left Saturday late morning and arrived in Vegas about 5 hours later.  Construction side tracked us along with a really bad accident.  Oh ya and not to mention my dad's brilliant idea to skip all the freeway traffic by getting off and taking side streets.  That really made it a longer car ride.  We were so close to the Bellagio Hotel where we were staying that my dad almost got out to walk there!  I think he wanted to actually go to the bar and get a drink -- he was dehydrated and needed a cocktail.

Eric and I both kept commenting that we had never seen Vegas through a sober eye!  It was quite strange not going to clubs, bars, gambling, staying out late, everything you do in sin city and never know what time it is!  In fact, on Saturday night as my parents went out to a show and dinner, Eric and I ordered room service and kicked it with Talon.  We went to bed at 10pm!  Whoa, very strange.  It was really nice though because we had the Presidential Suite and adjoining room to roam around.  Believe it or not, the room was larger than our house (in square footage)!  So Talon, and we were set!

We all had a nice time in Vegas and once again, Talon did a great job!

Although I wasn't on the car ride home with my mom, Eric and Talon, I hear Talon did fantastic.  If Talon wasn't sleeping, GiGi would coo and play with him all the way home.  She was in seventh heaven with her grandson!

At 5 months old, we decided tonight would be the first night to introduce Talon to rice cereal.  The doctor had told us anywhere from 4 to 6 months old is suitable to introducing him solid foods.  I did some research and found that it is good to wait until baby can hold their head up (so baby won't choke on the food), interested in the food mommy/daddy are eating, and makes eating gestures.  So, at 5 months old Talon was ready.

We put a bib on Talon and placed him in the Bumbo seat on the counter with a towel underneath for spillage.  Whenever Talon is in the Bumbo seat he seems to lean forward and starts "eating" the middle piece on the seat.  So it was a bit difficult trying to get the rice cereal in his mouth.  As I took the video, Eric fed Talon and Nana (Eric's mom) watched.  I think we got one successful spoonful into Talon's mouth.  It wasn't that Talon disliked the taste, but rather he was unsure of what to do.  There was more on his cheeks and chin than in his belly!  However, Talon opened his mouth one time as Eric tried feeding him -- that's a good sign.

We will feed Talon 1-2 teaspoons of rice cereal daily at the 6 o'clock feeding so he can get a hang of the process and then we will cut out the 9:30pm feeding.  In addition to the small amounts of rice cereal, we are also giving him breastmilk.  So he is going to be one strong lil' dude, and not to mention he will be growing a lot more!

Even though I have been back to work now for 4 weeks, I am still learning how to balance my life.  I am trying to get into a routine so I can balance work, spend plenty of time with Talon and spend time with friends and family, while not forgetting how to be a mommy.  I wake up during the work week at 5:45am so I can get in my workout.  Since Eric doesn't work on Mondays, I take my long walks.  When Talon wakes up, Eric will feed him as I get ready for work.  The remaining days, I quickly get dressed in my workout clothes so I can get in 30 minutes on the stair stepper we have in-home.  And depending if Talon is stirring, I will either take a quick shower or pump (we are still exclusively giving Talon breastmilk), then get ready for work.  Usually I wake up Talon around 7:30am to feed him.  Sofia, our nanny, shows up Tuesday through Friday at 8:30am.  At that time, I either leave for Pasadena to go to the office or start working from home.  Since my schedule is irregular when coming home, Eric has made a point to come home by 5pm.  That is when Sofia goes home.  Unfortunately the days I work in Pasadena, I don't get home until 8pm, so I try to spend as much time with Talon as possible before we feed him at 9:30pm.  It's a bit tiring because of my long day at work and then my long drive home.  So far, this schedule seems to work. 

Then on Saturdays, I wake up at 6am (wow, I get to sleep in 15 minutes!) to pump, clean up around the house, and prepare myself before Talon wakes up.  After feeding him around 7:30am, Talon and I go for our 5-mile walk.  This is my favorite time because not only do I get to workout, but I get to spend one-on-one time with Talon.  People around me probably think I'm crazy because I'm talking to a baby.  But it's good for Talon as I describe our surroundings.  On Sunday mornings I will either do the same 5-mile walk or Eric will come with us on a 3-mile walk before all the football games start for the day.  The weekends seem to be quite busy; I think because during the week we don't get much done.  We run all of our errands, laundry, you know all those house chores that get put on hold!  And of course we like to try to hang out with friends and family. 

Within my 4 weeks back to work, we have experienced my busy travel schedule.  I had to leave one morning at 5:45am and of course Eric had to be at work even earlier!  So, GiGi was kind enough to come to the house at 5:30am!  Thank goodness for grandparents!  At that same time, Eric experienced being a single daddy because I was out for 2 nights on my business trip.  Eric said he did fine, though I didn't get much detail.

As for our nanny Sofia, she has been great -- we really lucked out!  She makes sure Talon grows and develops by playing games and exercising.  It's amazing how much Talon has taken a liking to Sofia.  He smiles around her and seems to be pretty calm.  Though we all have our "bad" or fussy days.  Sometimes I wish Sofia would be around 7 days a week because she is so helpful.  She also has Talon on a feeding and napping schedule that works wonderfully!  I hate to break her routine as we take over Friday night to Tuesday morning.

I'm sure as the days go on, I will learn the work, life and baby balance.  Just another thing to learn as a new parent!

Well "that day" has finally come.  I will be returning to work tomorrow after spending every day with Talon for the last 15 weeks.  I have dreaded this day even before Talon was born!  And I won't ease back into work; I will start full speed ahead.  As a matter of fact, in about 2 weeks I will have my first overnight work trip.  It will be very strange since I am so used to sleeping with Talon by my side (on the video monitor).  But I will cross that path and not think about it until the time comes.

My first day back to work will be spent in Pasadena at the office.  Meanwhile, Eric will be watching Talon...all by himself!  I am curious to see what Eric feels about taking care of Talon all day long.  Eric will perhaps understand what a "day in the life of Brittany & Talon" was like.  I'm interested to see the male perspective!  Eric will be watching Talon every Monday since his work schedule is Tuesdays through Saturdays.  For the most part, I will be working from home 3 days a week, in the office 2 days a week.  We have hired a nanny, Sofia, to watch Talon Tuesday through Friday.  Sofia will be in the house with me as I work, except for 1 day a week when she has the house to herself.

I was really not looking forward to the process of finding a nanny, but we were very lucky!  Sofia was referred to me by a friend.  We interviewed Sofia and another nanny.  We liked Sofia so I had her come to the house for a trial run a few weeks ago for about 5 hours.  We started out the day with a stroll around the neighborhood.  I showed her the parks and a path to walk when taking Talon outside in the stroller.  I learned a lot about Sofia during this time.  When we came back to the house, I showed her around -- Talon's room, bathroom, habits, supplies, etc.  I then let Sofia feed Talon, put him down for a nap and play while I worked in the office.  The best feeling was when I heard Talon laugh and giggle with Sofia -- a good sign!  

I have spent most of today getting ready for work (I feel like it's the first day of school!), and putting together details of Talon's daily routine for both Eric and the nanny.  But of course I keep going back to play, kiss, hold and hug Talon.  I didn't realize how difficult it would be to go back to work.  Tears have filled my eyes in these last few weeks, and I get sad.  But I keep telling myself, there are a lot of working mommies out there and they can do it!  So I can too!

Shane & Katie are in town for the Labor Day weekend, so Shane planned a night out with some of our friends.  The plan was to go to the movies with drinks and appetizers beforehand, while the grandparents watch the babies at the Tase house.  

Shane flew in from Phoenix on Friday late afternoon and arrived at my parents house with Katie, Vaughn and Marcie.  Eric, Talon and I were already up at my parents house.  As Shane changed his clothes to get ready for the evening, I meticulously explained to my parents Talon's feeding schedule, showed them his toys to play with, any extra clothing that might be needed, his PJs, blankets and again when to feed.  It was as though my parents had never watched our baby before!  And I felt like such the parent telling the babysitter what to do.  However, I had a feeling that just like a babysitter, they weren't listening 100%.  It was Eric and I's first date out since Talon was born!  And what better way to spend our first night out than with 3 other couples.    

Shane and Eric were already in the car as Katie and I gave last minute instructions.  We met Carey and Jason Fizet, and Patricia and Jason Szczuka at an Irish bar called Dubliner at the Tustin District.  Remember, our intentions were to eat some appetizers, have a few drinks then go to the movie.  Well, it was an hour into the eating, drinking and chit-chatting when we decided to forgo the movie.  We were having too much fun talking and catching up with one another!  Eric and I being the rookies (first time away from the baby) broke up the fun at about 10pm.  However, the others stayed out awhile longer to party it up.  As Eric and I drove back to my parents house, we called to check in and tell them we were on our way.  Surprisingly, my mom was giving Talon his bedtime bottle and she told me he was already in his PJs!  So they listened to my instructions after all!

The Lemmons were still at my parents house so we visited for a brief time.  My mom told me Ali & Bob Bartholomew also came over as they watched Talon & Vaughn -- perhaps they were the re-enforcements when both babies started crying .  Apparently Ali held Talon in her lap all night rubbing his belly.  Talon must have loved it because my mom said he did really well.  It was peace of mind hearing that because I was a bit worried as we were out on our quad date.  

We put Talon in his car seat and drove home so he could sleep in his own crib.  Talon slept through the night from 10:30pm to 7:15am.  As I woke up Talon he was all smiles the next day so he must have had a great time with the grandparents and Bartholomews.