YOUR PIC FIX....

Joli's dad, grandpa, and uncle have been busy building a rock wall.jpg for Joli to have lots of all fun and games.jpg . She also made time to play with her Uncle Paul.jpg . But, honestly, nothing beats playing a little rock and roll.jpg with my grandpa!Here's a great picture of the finished product.jpg

Fifteen Months Old!

It seems like just yesterday when Joli was as small as Tigger! Now here are her monthly face and tigger shots. Although, she's getting more and more impatient about posing with her little orange friend! Enjoy!


ps.. new word of the day is "Lolo!!!" She's now up to 54 words that she can actively say and identify! Sorry about the loading and quality of the pics. We haven't had Adobe photoshop on this computer so we can't resize as well as we used to.

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Fall Day At the Park

Joli had a fun fall day at the park today. She went down the slide Joli slide.jpg, climbed the blocks Joli climbing.jpg, played in the leaves Fall day.jpg, and then came home and wrote all about it Joli writing.jpg. Oh what fun!

Eatin' sumthin'

Hey! Who do you think you are sneakin' some vegetables into my dinner???goodcarrots.jpg

Psych..! I actually love them!laughingtable.jpg

Some Joli updates:
-When you say, "Who is mommy's (substitute any name in here) love?" She raises her hand and says "Meee!!".
-Joli can climb up the slide and actually go down it correctly now (before, she couldn't quite figure out how to turn around at the top).
- She can point out your eyes, ears, and mouth!
-Her favorite word continues to be "NOOOO!"
-She can get her shoes when you ask her to do so.
- She says both "Gordon, NO!" and "Gordon, GO!" as well as "Gordon, nice" (that last one is really rare, unfortunately).
-Joli has learned the art of climbing -- she uses just about anything to climb out of her play area! We can no longer keep "table" type toys in there because we caught her hanging off the rim of the play yard having used the table as leverage!
- She asks for an "apple" and can eat it whole, and she can ask for a "banana"

Yay!

HANGING OUT IN THE ROCKAWAYS.. (a-lean back, a-lean back)

Joli had an amazing time with the Vega family out on Rockaway Beach this past week. My job took me to NYC this week, and I brought Joli along to hang with her family. We have some cute pics, and LOTS of cute stories (although Joli will probably be embarassed once she's old enough to read this....).

Some of the funniest moments involved, what else?, POOP. That's right. Poop. Story #1: Joli had just finished her bath and was hanging out (with no diaper) in Uncle Pedro's room. Thankfully, he was at church that night. Ita (Joli's grandmother) and I were talking about toilet training, and she said, "You know Joli's ready to be put on the toilet when she makes 'that special face.' Well, I looked over at Joli and said, "Uhm, you mean like the face she is making right now???" And, sure enough, a big old turd dropped out onto Pedro's floor.... thank god for tile flooring...

Joli then spent a few nights with the Vega fam, and I got a call in the evening that Joli had been splashing around in the tub and, you guessed it, stood up and pooped. Ita had to drain the tub and re-wash all over again!

In terms of fun stuff, Joli had a great time with their little dog, Tuffy! Finally, a dog smaller than her! They were buddies -- Joli would go and get Tuffy's bone and give it to him. She also was fascinated by Ita's fish, and she would watch the bowl and say "fishie!"

During the day (when it wasn't a torrential storm), Joli and family went to the beach and playground by their house. It's really a beautiful place to live! Joli also was busy helping her grandfather go on a fire inspection of the church. And, after a long day, she found time to cuddle with Uncle Pedro in her play pen.. yes.. in her play pen. Mind you, Pedro is like 5'11", and that playpen is tiny! But, he managed to get in there with her (and managed to get yelled at by Ita, too!).

Joli and Jorge are heading back down there in a few weeks, and Joli is counting down the days! (well, she's at least counting to 1-2-3, which is all she can do right now).

Any new words? Let's see... "fish", "dog", "banana". I think that's it.... Oh, and check out the cute pig-tails in Joli's hair! Ita did that for her! Cute!!

Later! Enjoy the photos (courtesy of Grandpa Jorge -- Pops!)

ps Happy Birthday, Grandpa Ed! See you when you and Lola get back!

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MORE NEW WORDS..

In case you are interested, here are some more new words she's learned in the past few days:

ears, bubbles, Jesus (as of today), no, ow, corn, tee hee hee (when she touches your belly), thank you, burp. She has upwards of about 40+ words that she says clearly.

SHE'S 14 MONTHS OLD!

Joli is officially 14 months old. She walks and talks and eats and is so independent. Unfortunately, she also knows how to rip off her own diaper, which led to a rather interesting encounter with ... well.. Joli's "diaperless butt" and the floor. Need I say more?

Here are her face and body pics with Tigger. It's getting harder to take her picture these days because she's more interested in seeing what's on the screen of the digital camera. So, whenever she sees it, and I try to take her picture, she screams, "Baby! Me!". And, that doesn't make for good picture-taking.

She's learned a few more words: "Mimi" for Baby Mia, "There!" for when you say, "Joli, where are your toes?", "cup", "more", wow", "mom", "dada", "Gordon", "corn", "car", "book", "Elmo", "bird" (not sure where she learned that one), and then this random babbling that she does. It's adorable. She also dances and touches her nose when you say "Stinky? Butt butt?". Joli can also throw out her own diaper and pass you an item that you ask for (such as a book or her cup).

Enjoy!

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SHE WALKS..! SHE TALKS..! SHE'S SUPER JOLI!!

That's right! Joli is a walking machine! On Tuesday, Sept 7, 2004, Joli took 3 independent steps. On Wednesday, Sept 8, 2004, Joli took THIRTY-FOUR independent steps (now that's what I call a fast learner!!). She's so amazing!

Go, Joli! Go, Joli! We love ya! We love ya!

Joli walked from the coffee table to the living room doors. Certainly, there was incentive as she has pictures of herself all over the doors. She even went over and kissed all of her own pictures! It was as if she was walking the "red carpet" and kissing all of her adoring fans! Then, yesterday, Joli walked from her play set to her car toy and then to Tita Grace's garden! They spend lots of time in there, so I'm sure that's where she was headed.

Way to go, Joli! She totally loves walking. She's slow and kind of unsteady, but I'm sure by the time I get home from work, she'll be running around.

My mom took her out to lunch today, and she said that Joli was talking to people in the restaurant. She said there were two women who were talking and laughing at the table next to them, and Joli turned and said, "Wowww... ha hah ah... uh-oh.. wowwww." She was right there with them, gossiping along!

Other cool Joli things: She kisses you without being asked. She'll turn her head towards you and just pucker up! When in her high chair, Joli holds a piece of food over her tray (as if to drop it), says "uh-oh", and then drops the food on the ground. We, of course, tell her not to, but it's just too darn cute! (Gordon is getting much fatter because of this, too).

She's also saying "Papa", "thank you", and can COUNT TO 2!! If you say, "one", she'll say "twoooo."

We love her!! We went to the New England Aquarium the other day, and Joli loooooved the penguins (and, for some reason, hated the octopus....).aquarium.jpg

FUN TIMES IN EASTON

The weather has been great here in Massachusetts, and Joli has been really busy. Jorge set up a computer for Joli, and she has already had a few clients as a partner in Flights Travel Easton. Don't worry, though -- she also finds plenty of time to hang out and eat. Unfortunately, she doens't have time to comb her hair....

Enjoy!
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BIG ROLLIN' IN MA ELMO CHAIR

Life is good when you can just hang out and chill in your most comfortable chair.

Joli has been taking a few steps lately. She walks so fast and steady in her Strawberry Shortcake shoes! Some cool words she says: "Gordon", "Quack Quack" (when she sees a rubber duck), "Moooo!" (when she sees the cow), "Wow!" and "Maaa" when she sees pictures of Baby Mia! These are the ones that are most intentional. We've certainly heard her say "Ma" and "Daa", but she doesn't exactly say them to call us. But, with the other five words, she uses them very intentionally.

We're doing well! Tita Grace has been babysitting while Lola and Lolo are visiting Jenny, Jon and Baby Mia. Joli has taken a fondness to grilled cheese on whole wheat toast, green beans, carrots and raisins, in the food category.


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Joli turned 13 months!

Joli's been having an awesome time being 13 months old. She had a great time with Tigger on August 17, and they even played on the slide together! Joli 13 mos face.JPG
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(Sorry..the pictures take a little longer to load because we don't have the program anymore that resizes them.)

We're back!

Hi, everyone! Well, we've finally gotten settled into our new lives. Jorge has started work. Liza has started work. And Joli has started at "Lola's Day Care." So, here is a catch up of some pictures of us. The first is of Joli before her birthday - she wasn't too happy about being stuck in the crib. The second is of Joli and Liza at Joli's first birthday! It was all too exciting for Joli! And, the last one is of Joli and Jorge just taken the other day.

Joli's been "talking" up a storm! Her words so far are: bear, "who's that?", "a-lo" (she says this when the phone rings, and she puts her hand to her ear), mama, dada, goo-shh (Gordon), "see", and an assortment of songs. If you start singing, "2 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed", Joli will do the actions to the song!

She's eating all solid foods now. She's not a fan of pureed foods in a jar anymore -- she spits it out. She has added some great foods to her regular diet: meatballs, corn, cheerios (still...), grapes, blueberries, mango, roast beef, turkey, steak, breads, potatoes, green beans (she loves holding and eating them), spaghetti, lots of fruits, melons, and ravioli! She pretty much eats everything (except nuts, honey, and citrus fruits).

Joli's taken 1-2 steps at a time. She stands like a pro, and she's ventured a few steps before falling down. She's getting there! She's getting tons of practice cruising around the house and doing things she did in our apartment -- like taking down all the DVDs and throwing them around the house.

Hmm... anything else? I think that's about it!
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JOLI IS A COUSIN!
 
Congratulations to Jenny and Jonathan! Baby Mia was born today at around 1:30pm (?) Pacific Time. Details to follow, but from what I know, Baby Mia is 9 1/2 pounds and brave Jenny gave birth without any medication. You go, girl!! Also, Jenny hung in there an additional 12 days -- Mia was supposed to be born on Joli's birthday (July 17th.. for all you non-Joli stats people). Happy Birthday, Baby Mia! Congratulations Jenny and Jon -- now try to get some sleep (ha ha ha).....

Quick Joli news: she's standing like crazy! She even stands on the bed! We've stopped timing her as she can pretty much stand for minutes at a time. Joli bug is under the weather -- she's had  high fever these past few days, but Mommy is giving lots of TLC and staying home from work to watch Sesame Street with her. Oh, she's also discovered Blues Clues, the Teletubbies, and the Wiggles. I know .. I know.. but we ran out of books to read and it was the only thing that would keep her still and drinking juice.

Alright.. no blogging for  a while.. the computer is the next thing to get packed up!

 

JOLI'S NEW STATS!
 
Joli had her last doctor's appointment with Dr. Good today. It was so sad to leave him and all the great people in his office. (we had to get a new computer, so pictures are at a stand still for a while). Her stats:  19 1/2 pounds, 29  inches. She's had 12 shots in 1 year and her iron count went up into the normal range.

We're getting ready to move, so we may be off line for a while. Stay tuned! Joli is on the verge of walking! She can walk just holding on to one hand and is super duper fast!

Her favorite activity is to sing and bounce! Joli is hilarious! She had a fun time at the Artists Institute performance where she saw lots of her neighborhood friends dancing and singing. Joli is eagerly waiting her turn to get up there!

Stay tuned!

 

JOLI TURNS ONE!!
 
Today was Joli's 1st birthday! We had a small party with the neighborhood kids and some family friends. We all ate pizza, ice cream and cake and had a pinata! Joli, of course, fell asleep during her party and woke up just as everyone was getting ready to leave. All-in-all though, a great day! The weather was beautiful and the sun was shining! Our other computer crashed, so we're waiting to get the software to upload the pictures again. Until then, it's now countdown to moving day!

COUNTDOWN TO JOLI'S BIRTHDAY!!

Has it really been almost a year??? Joli's birthday is this Saturday! We have tons of fun planned for the kids - arts and crafts, water balloon game, a pinata, pizza and cake!She is getting so big and doing so much stuff! Today, I blew on her belly and she blew back at me! That's the first time she's done that. Jorge also showed me that Joli loves the India Aire CD -- when she hears the first 2 notes of the CD, she claps and bounces up and down. Joli is also getting ready to walk! She is eagerly standing on her own for 5+ seconds and can walk with holding on to just one of our hands.

Look for the upcoming birthday pictures! She turns 1 year old on Saturday!

ps.... Jenny is starting to feel contractions and is due any day now! Congratulations Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Jenny! We can't wait for Baby Mia to arrive!

PEEK-A-BOO!

After months and months and months of playing Peek A Boo with Joli, she has finally decided to play back....

She also has rediscovered the pool, which she takes very seriously.

OUR FIRST (AND HOPEFULLY LAST) CAR ACCIDENT.....


Okay, Uncle Paulie told me to start off this story with "We are fine. No one is hurt." He got really mad when I emailed him what happened and ended with those two sentences (which put him into a freak-out-spiral).

Joli and I were driving to MA for a job interview and to visit Lola and Lolo. At about 4pm, we were struck from behind on the highway and spun to the other side of the road. Turns out a large trailer truck was sailing down the left hand breakdown lane of the highway - probably because he couldn't stop in time in response to traffic. I'm not too sure what happened after that. I mostly just remember saying, "We're going to get hit!" I remember being perpendicular to the on-coming traffic and thinking "Oh, God, Help Us." By the grace of God, Joli and were not hit by any on coming traffic, and we landed safely on the other side of the highway on the grass. Joli was safe in her car seat and our car suffered only a little bit of damange in the back. The officers and EMTs checked us out and then we were allowed to drive home.

Woah.

We made it safely to MA, and Joli was none the wiser. In fact, an hour after the accident she was swinging on her playset and going down the slide!

JOLI TAKES THE BIG APPLE!

Even though we've lived in NY for years, this was Joli's first trip to NYC! Sister Joan (our family visitor from India), Tito Emil (Lola's brother from CA) and Lola visited, and Joli and I played "tour guide" for the day. Joli got to hear a mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral and pose in front of the Armani Exchange -- note, she is eating a cracker in front of the Armani store which was her own personal message that "fashion models need to eat more." Yeah, she told me to write that..... She also wanted to pay her respects at Ground Zero. Of course, Jorge and I had been to these places a few times already, but it was Joli's first time there! And, with our upcoming move, it was even more special for her to go!

LOTS HAS HAPPENED!

It seems so much has happened since Joli's 11th month day! We celebrated Father's Day with the Vega Family, and Jorge celebrated his first father's day! Liza started work with Breakthrough already, and this is a picture of Joli with one of the teachers, Nathalie, just before they met Bugs Bunny at Great Adventure (yes, Joli has now been to THREE amusement parks in the 11 months she's been alive).

We also went to visit Patrick, Joli's new cousin, in Pennsylvania. Joli played with Patrick, Dorica, Jerica, and Roslyn -- her cousins! She also met lots of Talusan family relatives who Joli has never met before. The "aunts and uncles" are technically her "grandparents", but they felt too old to be called grandparents and insisted on being called "Joli's Aunts and Uncles." So, for their sake, she called them that! She met her Aunt Rose, Aunt Socorro, Aunt Grace and cousin Grace. She met her Uncle Rey and Uncle Ben, her Aunt Socorro, Aunt Rose, Uncle Rey and Cousin Grace. She has so much fun! Even though we drove around a lot this weekend, Joli found some time to play in the yard as well.

Joli also went to day care for 1 1/2 days this week and she had a blast! She went down the slide at the playground all by herself, and was so exhausted that she fell asleep in my backpack.

11 MONTHS OLD!! YAY!!

Here are her latest face and body pictures! We're off to Great Adventure!

OUR TRIP TO OREGON AND JORGE'S BIRTHDAY


We just got back from our trip to see Jonathan at his graduation! Congratulations, Jon! We also got the chance to spend time with Jon and Jenny and "see" their beautiful growing baby girl.

June 10th marked Jorge's 29th birthday, which he spent with us and his family. Joli also got to see her Pops and Ita (as well as Uncle Ped,who escaped the pictures somehow!).

Joli turned 11 months today (whaaat??!!??) and we'll post pics soon!

MEMORIAL DAY PICTURES

We spent Memorial Day weekend in MA and Alonso took these cool pictures of Joli and Lola, Joli and Tita Grace, and Joli with Jorge on the new playset.

QUICK FUNNY STORY....

okay, I have officially been inducted into the "Mommy Club..." .. I went for a walk with Joli in her stroller today and gave her a teddy bear to hold. When we got back, I realized she didn't have it with her and must have dropped it. Now, mind you, she really didn't care... she didn't cry or wasn't even looking for it. But, of course, I felt so bad that there was this lost teddy bear somewhere in the streets of Glen Cove.

So, I hopped in my minivan, and drove around and around the neighborhood looking for it. And, thankfully, I found his sad little body on the sidewalk about a 1/2 mile away from our house...

Teddy is safe at home, and Joli is chillin' with her fruit cup, none the wiser. She was very happy!

BRACE YOURSELF FOR TOTAL CUTENESS!

We spent the long weekend up in Massachusetts visiting Joli's Lola, Lolo, Uncle Paulie and Tita Grace. Honestly, you may need to go somewhere private to view these pictures -- I'm afraid you'll squeal with joy when you see them, and you might get funny looks from people.

Brace yourself.. I call these the "Joli is THE cutest baby in the world" photo blog!

Oh, by the way, she's such a big girl! This weekend, she learned how to push her little scooter all by herself, hang out with Daddy and see the cows at Sheep Pasture, and even taste a sample of watermelon...... needless to say, she loved it......

(new news...Joli can stand up and take steps sideways!)

IRRESISTABLE AFRO!

I absolutely couldn't resist posting these pictures of Joli's growing afro! Here is the front view and the side view! Also, here is a rare family picture of the three of us taken at a fundraiser last week.

Oh my goshh.... as I'm writing this, Joli just took Gordon's ball and held it out for him to take...!!

Okay, whew! Well, as you can tell, Joli is crawling all over the place now. She is so fast, too! Her favorite things to do are to pull apart our DVD collections, pull herself up on the coffee table, crawl to the piano and hide underneath the bookshelf, crawl over to Gordon's toys and steal them, and pull everything out of her toy box. It's actually quite fun to see her go! I am able to sit at the diningroom and she plays on the floor, then when she wants me, she crawls to me! Of course, that's only some of the time.. the rest of the time, I'm chasing her!

Congratulations to Uncle Paulie and Aunt Kirsten who got engaged this week!

I'M 10 MONTHS OLD!

We're a day late, but Joli turned 10 months old on May 17th! She thought that was the funniest thing ever (ie face shot). We did our usual Tigger shot, but she's getting so big that she decided to hold him instead of sitting still. When I told Joli that it was also Tigger's 10 month birthday, she decided to give him a treat and take him for a ride.

What is she doing? -- yes she can stand when leaning up against something (and she's even stood up for 3 seconds one time!), she can crawl forward with her hands and knees (that was just TODAY!), sits up completely independently, and can sit up after being on her belly. Wow! She's also now eating meats (turkey and chicken) and lots of fruits and vegetables. You go, Joli!

She's also super busy with her Uncle Andy visiting, so we'll write more later!

POOL TIME!

It's been hot and humid here in NY, so Joli's been keeping her cool in the pool! But, don't worry. She's keeping up her energy eating Cheerios (and waiting 30 minutes before swimming, of course....).

Joli is also mobile! That's right! She's moving forward (and rather quickly!). She's not quite on her knees yet -- mostly just using her arms and toes to push/pull herself across the floor, but she's so fast!

THE FIRST MOTHER'S DAY!

Even though we celebrated a "mother's day" when Joli was still in my belly, today was an extra special mother's day made by Jorge and Joli. We went to IHOP (where just about every mother from Long Island was with their babies), took a ride in Joli's new wagon, took our first Mother-Daughter's day picture, and ate some lobsters and steamers!

It's still Mother's Day as I'm writing this and we're getting ready to eat! Oh, and Joli ate meat for the first time, yesterday! (chicken and vegetables).

Oh, NICE DAY OUT!

With all of Joli's friends moving away, we're winding down to our last few play dates with Nathan, Mia, Audrey, and Elyse. See how sad they all are! The good news is that it's getting so nice out, and Joli is now hanging out in the wagon with her buddy, Nathan. It's been so nice out that Joli is wearing SHORTS for the first time today!

PRINCESS PEA AND THE TUB

What do you get when you combine 3 sisters, a baby, and a tiara? You get Princess Pea and an overflowing tub.

I've always thought Jorge was the best person in the whole wide world. After having put up with the three sisters for a few days, I absolutely KNOW that he is. Thanks for letting us be a little crazy, Jorge!

GORDON, NO!

Tita Mari and Tita Grapes are here.... it's chaos. Grace almost burned the house down making popcorn while Joli laughed at her. Then, Tita Mari let her play with a monkey. Even Gordie got in on the action and tried to share her biscuit (note Tita Grace's scream in the background).

Oh, the joy of Aunties....
Tita Mari took the pictures.

A NEW FRIEND

Tita Mari's friend, Julie, came over today to meet Joli. We said, "Julie, this is Joli... Joli, this is Julie.... Joli, Julie, Joli, Julie."
Julie is an amazing singer who is studying to be a music teacher! Tita Mari went to Brooklyn to visit Julie, but she called lots of times because she missed her "JoliJoli." Tita Grace is coming tomorrow to get her Joli fix as well..... poor Jorge.. surrounded by Talusan women.....

TITA MARI IS HERE!

Tita Mari is here visiting for a few days (okay... 10 days...). She's pretty much been through an average "day in the life of Joli Irene", which has included sitting in the bouncy seat, practicing crawling, and taking a bath. Tita Mari caught a break when it was time for Joli to do some work at her desk! Whew!

The funniest part for me (Mommy) is that Tita Mari seems to really be getting a kick out of being with Joli. She keeps saying, "Wow! You could, like, totally do squats and lunges and crunches with the baby -- what a great work out." Uh, yeah, let's see how much energy Tita Mari has after a few more days with Miss Joli Joli..... :)

Congrats to Jorge who got a job in Massachusetts! We're moving! Yay!!

DIRTY LAUNDRY....


We've decided that there were too many dirty diapers, so we just put Joli in the laundry......

LOGGING IN THE MILES

Hi, everyone! I've been away at my Lolo and Lola's house in MA. These are pics my dad took when I turned 9 months old (April 17th). At first, I wanted to show my more serious side, but my dad insisted that I show ya'll some teeth! He also wanted me to get a picture in with Tigger, you know, like I do every single month. I think I'm getting too big for the Tigger pics, so instead, I played the game "Got your nose!" with Tigger! Another game I love is, "doing the hula!" I invited my three friends over and we did the hula in my crib. It's also a good picture of me standing!!

Gotta go play now!

PICS BY ALONSO NICHOLS

Quick blog -- here are three pictures Uncle Alonso took when we visited last week. Joli turned 9 months old yesterday, and spent it traveling back to Easton.. again. We'll post more pics after the trip!


Joli pic 1, Joli pic 2, Joli pic 3

(yes, the pictures lack creative titles, but they far make up for them in beauty!)

ALMOST 9 MONTHS OLD!

Ah, the fans are restless... (hey, Tyra! Great to see a comment from you! We got Tony's letter and pics!)

Joli went to see Dr. Good today for her 9 month check up. She got 2 shots and was very brave. She cried, of course, but was a trooper! I (mommy) was very proud of her! She's 17 pounds, 4 ounces.

Let's see... what's new? Well, Joli has been logging in tons of miles as we've traveled to Easton a lot. We're actually heading back up to MA again (3rd time in 2 weeks!) for more interviews. We spent Easter with the Vega family and Joli looked super duper cute in her Easter dress that Ita bought. Now... before you go crazy... the battery died in our camera before we could take a cute pic of her, but I'll take another one this weekend and post it (relaaaaaax!).

It's been rainy here in NY, so we haven't taken many adventures as of late. But, this weekend is supposed to be nice, and we'll take pics then. Last week, though, Joli did go to Frothingham State Park in Easton, MA and played on the see-saw and different spring animal rides. She saw an elephant at Tufts University (where Tita Grace is a professor). No, the one with the white shawl is NOT the elephant... that's just me still wearing 10 pounds of post-partum baby weight....HA HA HA.

Joli's highlight was "bling-blinging" it in Lolo's fire red porche. We had to teach her not to sit on the car. Being that she's a quick learner, she got into the driver seat, started the engine, and drove herself to Toys R Us.

ps... "Oh, Grandpa Ed..if I post this picture, can I have the Porche?"

I WENT TO THE ZOO!

Hi, everyone! It's me, Joli. I went to the zoo today with my friend, Gail, and her mommy, Rachel. It was kinda far away, so Gail and I had to drive there. Personally, I would have liked to fly in my private airplane, but there was no room for anyone else to go with me. Gail decided she would ride a pony at the zoo... my pony's name is "Graco Stroller." When we finally got there, we all fed the baby goats - they were so cute! At the end of the day, we were all so tired, so mommy and I took the train home. I had so much fun! Thanks for inviting us to the zoo, Rachel and Gail!

ADVENTURES WITH LOLO

Joli took a trip to see Lolo and Lola (and Tita Grace and Uncle Paulie) this weekend. Her daddy missed her terribly!

While Joli spent tons of time with her family, she mostly spent time with her Lolo. She visited the Joli Shrine, got her eyes checked, and even went and shared some chicken with Lolo. (don't worry... no chickens or babies were harmed in the actual picture...)

NO PRACTICAL JOKE! SHE IS STANDING!

Yup, that's right! Our little "once preemie" baby is standing! Not on her own, of course, but in the picture, she is honestly standing by herself. I even let her fall on her bum one time (don't worry.. she had plenty of padding). Maybe she'll be an early walker! She looks like she's going to crawl any day now, and I have a feeling she'll be walking soon after!

Also, Joli's top teeth are coming in! She's got two little pointy white things coming down from the top! Actually, I realized her teeth were coming in when I heard a strange "grinding" noise - and sure enough, it was Joli rubbing her teeth together!

Thanks to everyone who wished us "get well soon!" I think we're almost back to normal!

ITA VISITS!

Joli's Ita came to visit for a few days and hung out! The weather was beautiful and Joli seemed to have kick the little bug she had for 3 weeks.

We all had a great time (and yummy food! Ita is an awwweeesome cook!!)!

SICK BABY UPDATE

Yup, still sick. We went to see Dr. Good and he gave her some antibiotics because she developed her first ear infection. He says it's no big deal and that she should feel better in the next 3 or 4 days.

Stats update:
16 pounds, 4 ounces
27 inches long

No shots this visit because she was still sick, though. Okay, hopefully we'll do an "I'm Not Sick Anymore" post soon!

PICS BY REQUEST...

At the request of Tita "Grapes", here are some Joli pics. Joli's been in isolation because of being sick. She's actually developed a cough now, too. We're going to the doctor's office on Tuesday.

Anyways, here's her 8 month version of "Kung Fu Kickin'". Feel free to make a comparison between this one and her one in the left hand column! Also, her fine motor skills are getting so much better, and this is her picking up her sippy cup by herself for the first time! Usually, we have to hand it to her, but she found it on her "desk" today and just picked it up and started drinking it! The pic is a little "grainy" because I took it from far away and didn't want her to see me!

Hopefully we'll feel better soon!

I GOT CURLY HAIR

check out my curly hair!

I'm feeling much better today, everyone! Hopefully I can see visitors again soon!

EIGHT MONTHS OLD!

Here's the much anticipated "Joli at 8 months old" pics! Location: the crib... she's still sick.
I'll call these:

"Mom, can I show everyone my teeth?"

"Yes, Joli, but I need you to lay still!"

"Okay, but then can you stop taking my picture?"

"Yes, baby girl! How about one more happy picture? Then, we can play!"

WE'RE ALL SICK

Okay, before you all get riled up that we haven't posted with pictures, we are all sick. Even Joli Joli. We think it was day care. Joli was the first to show symptoms -- not able to breathe, runny nose, cough. The other night, she was up all night and just couldn't be consoled. I honestly haven't seen her smile or giggle in about 3 days. Then, Jorge got sick and had to get his wisdom teeth out, too. So, he's been up at night coughing. Then, despite thinking I was some sort of superwoman, I woke up sick this morning. In the words of Tita Grace - "Oh, Great."

We'll post more as soon as we're all better.....

A BUSY DAY.. A VERY BUSY DAY...

Hi, everyone! My mom and dad are too busy to write, so I'm gonna write this entry!

Today was a very busy day! Usually, as you know, I stay home with my mommy and doggy. But, today, my mom was asked to do a few workshops at the school. I went to day care for the first time today! (my mom said she wasn't allowed to take pictures, so no pics today!). I saw all my friends from the neighborhood and we did lots of playing. I was a little grumpy, though, because I wasn't used to taking a nap with all those babies. But, I did okay in the end. My parents kept visiting me and interrupting my play time -- those two are crazy about me! They couldn't go an hour without seeing me! I guess that's the good thing about having my parents work in the same building as where I would go to day care.

So, as some of you know, my parents sent out modeling pictures for me. We got 1 rejection letter and, today, we got an agency who was interested in my pictures. My parents are going to do more research about the agency, and we might set up an appointment. It's in New York City...oooohhh!

Alright, I had a long day and I'm going to bed. Good night!

LONG DAY....

I had such a long day today. I was so tired from eating my Cheerios that I had to lay down and take a nap. But, after recharging my batteries, I went back for more! See if you can spot Gordon in this picture!

Bye bye!
love, Joli Irene

MOVING OUT

Aaaaaaaah... they grow up so fast. Seems like only yesterday I was holding in her my arms.

Well, my little girl's all grown up now. She bought a car about a week ago and, as of this morning, she moved out of the nursery and into her own home.

What's a father to do?

A LETTER FROM JOLI....


Dear fans and board members of the Queens chapter, Los Angeles Chapter, and the Retirement Chapter of Easton:

I love you all, but you seriously have too much time on your hands.... I'm busy playing in my high chair, pinching my dog, pooping my pants, farting, eating cheerios, eating at East Wok, and making deh-deh. My mommy and daddy are busy, too. They are changing my diapers, cleaning up after my brother Gordon, doing my laundry, giving me massages, and oh, yeah, working. Maybe if you guys tried some of my activities, you would have less free time (particulary the farting activity -- that tends to take up most of my day, too).

I will write more later. My mom thinks I'm taking a nap, but I snuck down here to respond to your demands. If you love me, you'll chill out.

Love,Joli Irene Talusan Vega

JOLI EATS CHEERIOS! (sort of...)

Joli has discovered the art of Cheerio eating today! I tried feeding her some a few weeks ago, and she really didn't like it too much. So, I figured I'd give it another try today. I put some Cheerios on her tray, and she was able to scoop them into her hand. She couldn't quite figure out how to put them into her mouth, but she at least knew they belonged there! It was so cute! Jorge and I didn't want to do it for her because she needs to learn how to do it herself (although, of course, we caved in a few times and fed her). Overall, Gordon ate more Cheerios than Joli did (ie.. they fell on the floor), but it was still so adorable! She just keeps them in her mouth and mashes them with her tongue. She did try chewing a few of them, too! Way to go!!

THANKS FOR VISITING!

Well, Joli has added to her toy collection, thanks to her over-indulgent Lola and Lolo. She now has a LeapPad, play telephone, Pooh and Piglet singing bedtime thing-a-ma-jig, and other noisy toys to drive her mom crazy during the day! She also went to church for the first time in a loooong time, and she was really good!

Thanks for visting, Lola and Lolo!

Joli's new favorite things to do are ride in her jogging stroller (we went for a 60 minute walk today and she fell asleep in it!) and ride on her dad's shoulders! She loves banging on his head and giggling! See... she already calls all the shots around here.....

ps... we're taking up a collection... to buy Jorge a "new" sweatshirt.... as you can see, he wears this one all.. the...time....

IT'S GETTING WARMER OUT!

Joli went out for a walk today in her jogging stroller. It was windy out, but the stroller comes with this great plastic wind-shield that goes over the stroller. Joli was out for 45 minutes, and when I brought her back in and took off the plastic shield, she was still toasty warm! Joli was happily joined by her friends, Elyse and Audrey. Elyse is the one sitting up in the stroller, and Audrey is bundled up behind her in her car seat (see the brown handle?) because she's only a few weeks old.

The weather is supposed to get warmer, so maybe Joli will start modeling her poom-poom shorts (just kidding, Jorge). Speaking of modeling, we sent out her pictures to a few agencies at the suggestion of some friends. Will keep you posted!

IT'S OFFICIAL... JOLI HAS A COUSIN

Joli's little girl cousin is on the way! Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Jenny have included a very clear ultrasound of their up and coming baby girl! Baby Girl Matthews is due in July - will she and Joli Irene have the same birthday?? We can't wait to see!

Countdown for Lola and Lolo to visit! They should be here sometime today!

NOT MUCH GOIN' ON HERE....

Okay, even though there hasn't been much going on, i figured i'd write so that i didn't get bombarded with comments! Tita Mari, I thought I had blogged about it at Christmas time, but it's not there. So, here is the "Tita Mari Has the Chi" picture for you.

Joli has been making a new sound! She makes a "clicking" sound with her tongue, and then she waits for you to respond! She'll click back at you if you click at her. How cute! She's also been spending some time in her jogging stroller when it's not so cold and windy here (we've gone out 3 times so far). Yesterday, she proved to be a CEO in training as she attended THREE meetings with me! She was so good at all of them.

Good news! I booked my first flight as a satellite agent for Flights Travel (please contact us for all your travel needs...) thanks to the help of Lola and my friend Tammy who recommended the travellers! Yay! Maybe Joli won't have to go to day care next year, and I can just stay home with her!

So, pretty un-eventful few days so far. Lola and Lolo are coming to visit this weekend, and we'll take more pictures!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, LOLA AND LOLO!

Joli has been so busy riding in her new jogging stroller that she accidently forgot her Lolo and Lola's wedding anniversary. They are celebrating 34 years of blissful, wonderful, problem-free marriage (ha ha ha)! Joli felt really bad about not being able to call, so she said she'll just lay really really still until next year's anniversary comes along.

Happy Anniversary!

SEVEN MONTHS OLD!

We forgot to thank Uncle Paulie and Aunt Kirsten for visiting us this weekend and giving Joli's mom and dad a much needed break! Jorge and I actually went to both a dinner and a movie, thanks to the babysitting skills of Paul and Kirsten. They also brought over Valentine's Day presents for not just Joli, but also for the two of us and Gordie! Thanks, you two! We really appreciated you coming and visiting!

Okay, so now to the good stuff! Joli, of course, is 7 months old now. She doesn't go to the doctor for another month, so you'll have to wait on those stats. But, here are the much anticipated tigger pictures. This is one of Joli saying, "Woo hoo! I'm 7 months old!" And, of course the ever changing face picture is here. Enjoy her toothless grin while it's still there -- I think her next month photos will be rockin' the bling-bling teeth! Finally, the picture of Joli and tigger. I think she's getting a little tired of the Tigger pose, what do you think?


Here are some old-school Joli pics I just came across .. might be fun to just compare how little she was then to now. In these pics, she is 3 weeks old. I'll call them, "me and tigger, sittin' in a crib" and "look! i'm almost as big as the orange guy!" As a side note, that was a premie outfit she was wearing in the last pic and it's huge on her!

ALMOST 7 MONTHS OLD!

Tomorrow, Joli Irene turns 7 months old! Can ya believe it? In preparation for all the physical demands 7 months puts on her, Joli has expressed interest in wearing ballet clothes, eating beef, and just being all around adorable.

Happy almost 7 month birthday, Joli!

PIC OF THE WEEK UPDATED!!

To the irrational masses gathered in protest outside our door, I say...

SILENCE!!

Let this cuteness soothe your savage souls...

Pedro... you've won the battle, but the war has only begun.

WE DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH IRATE UNCLES

ha ha! just kidding. here are some pics for all those Joli addicts out there! Oh, we've gotten our webcam hooked up again if you want to yahoo IM us and see her! (of course, being a mom of an infant, I'm rarely on IM these days). So, pics may have to do for now.

Very cute, Uncle Pedro. Very cute. (see comments from last entry if you want to read Uncle Pedro's "anonymous" entries).

Joli has a cute profile, Joli laughing from hours of entertainment by her mommy (notice the very very very bored look of her pal, Gordon, who used to be the sunshine of our lives....we love you, Gordon!)

FOR HER "BEHIND THE MUSIC" FOOTAGE

Joli had her first piano lesson today! Ever since she was a wee embryo, she's been hearing me sing to her -- scales, songs, arpeggios, etc. -- so she's pretty used to hearing music. Both Jorge and I are always surrounded by music, and according to all those fetal specialists, babies can hear music while still in the womb.

Yes, I admit to buying into the Mozart theory, but Jorge made sure Joli also listened to her fair share of Aretha Franklin, R&B, and India Arie. We've noticed how she changes when she hears music. Lately, though, we think she's been "mimicking" scales and doing these pretty accurate intervals! (I know.. I know... we're probably being delusional...). But honestly, when I've been doing scales in front of her, she does them right along with me! I kid you not!! Jorge's also been having these dreams of Joli singing on stage. Hmmm.....

So, here she is..... Joli Irene in her musical debut!

-liza

ps my friend Erika just got back in touch with me after about 10 years! She didn't know I was married or that I was a mommy, so here is a cute picture of hubby Jorge and baby Joli in Florida! Enjoy

pps... i have NO idea how to do the pic of the week....so do not blame shift, Uncle Pedro! Study Hall is for "studying" and not "Joli post revolutions!" (but nice try....!)

SHE ROLLED OVER!... AND I MISSED IT....

She did it! Front to back! Go, Joli!

We were at our "mommy get together" and I had put Joli on her back on the floor next to one of her playmates (Mia Crocco, her little cutie pie friend, is 3 months old). I went into the kitchen for a minute, and when I peeked back into the livingroom, Joli was laying on her belly ... swatting at poor little Mia! I asked the other mommies if they happened to roll Joli over, and they said "Nope." So, little Joli Irene rolled over all by herself! I was bummed that I missed it, so I put her on her back again, and lo and behold, she rolled again! She's sort of done it before, but that was with Jorge or me pulling her or gently pushing her over. Our big girl did it! Way to go!

SOME STUFF

Not too much happening here, but I figured I'd post some pics before Uncle Pedro got the troops rallied up again.

As some of you know, Joli has started on solid foods. She did great with her rice cereal, moved onto sweet potatos (which I now actually make myself, thanks to our friend Lauren who helped me!), and ventured into the peas. Unfortunately, Joli didn't like the peas at all. In fact, she'd rather spend her time watching Baby Mozart with her pal, Gordon. We have to help her sometimes, though, because Gordie likes to sit right in front of the television and blocks Joli's view. But, Mom and Dad are always close by so we can prop her up a bit.

Stay warm!

JOLI'S FIRST TRIP TO FLORIDA!

Joli took her first trip to Orlando this weekend! We met up with her Lola and Lolo, stayed at the Polynesian Resort at Disney, and met lots of Jorge's relatives. We met his grandmother (Eva's mom), Yolanda and Albert (Eva's sister and brother in law), cousins Melinda and Albert, Jr., and Anelle and Eric. She also met cousin Adam and Evalise as well as her aunt Elizabeth and cousin OJ (but we forgot to get pics of them! Sorry!).

Joli was also lucky enough to go to Disney's Animal Kingdom! She hung out there with Lola while Mommy and Daddy rode the rides. Joli met gorillas, hippos, crocodiles, and even dinosaurs! While walking (strolling) around the park, she also met her friends Lilo and Stitch!

Lola and Lolo were nice enough to arrange for Joli to have breakfast with one of her favorite Disney characters, Mickey Mouse! She even tried to kiss him! We all had a Universal good time, even though we all were a bit "goofy!"

Thanks, Lola and Lolo for flying us down to Florida! We had a wonderful time, and we are truly thankful we could spend time with you in the w-a-r-m sun!

As a side note, Joli was great on the airplane! It luckily was only a 2 hour flight. We just kept her entertained (yes, she was awake the whole time!) and made sure to bring lots of toys. I know every parent likes to say this about their kid, but people were actually stopping us in the park and on the bus to tell us how cute she is. One lady even told us to enter her into a "beautiful baby contest." Yeah, she's cute.....

I think Uncle Paulie missed Joli the most. He was having his website withdrawal.

Thanks for everything, Lola and Lolo! That was really generous of you to treat us to a much needed weekend in the sun!

HAVIN' SOME CAKE!

Joli was finally awake enough to eat her cake (no, of course, we didn't give her any)! A Happy Birthday to you, a Happy Birthday to You! Six month birthday, yum!

SIX MONTHS OLD!

Joli turned 6 months old yesterday on January 17, 2004! She was delighted and thrilled. She wore herself out all day and didn't even get to eat her birthday cake before falling asleep. Unfortunately, her mom and dad were not too tired to eat her birthday cake-- but don't worry, we did leave a piece for her! Happy Six Months, Joli Irene!

Check out how big she has gotten! If you get a chance, compare her pics from her other months (each month we've taken a body and face shot of her with her best friend, Tigger!).

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS!! JOLI EATS!! THE PEOPLE REJOICE!!

Once again, proving that this is the ONLY site to get your Joli fix, ilovejoli.com has secured photos of another "Joli First".

Now, Joli is quite the adventurer. We all know about her nudist days. We were all amazaed when she announced that she was moving up North to join the eskimos. But yesterday, she shocked us once again...

Joli started eating solid food!!

SOLID FOOD AND PROGRESS!

Joli update:
As of today, she is 5 3/4 months old (she turns 6 months on Saturday). She had her doctor's appointment today and weighs 15 1/2 pounds and is 25 1/2" long. She also had 2 shots today and was very very sore from them. I had to give her some Infant Tylenol about 2 hours after her appointment because she was very upset!

Jorge and I have been letting Joli join us at the table while we eat dinner to get her used to seeing people eat and taking part in that process. She usually just ignores us, but today she started drooling and staring at our food! She also was getting really irritable. So, we gave her a sippy cup with water, and she was eagerly trying to slurp it up. Then, we figured we'd go and try the cereal. Yes, folks, the first foray into solid foods! Joli took to it like a "fat kid to cake" (where did that saying come from anyways???). She LOVED it! She was swallowing it like crazzzzy! She was screeeaaaming for more! We ended up giving her about a 2 teaspoons total, and then she had some water. This is only her second time with her sippy cup, and she was drinking from it (with our help). Go, Joli! Go, Joli!

Okay, Jorge took video and pics and should be posting them soon!

Enjoy!

THE FUSSIES AND A SIPPY CUP

Joli has been increasingly fussy this week, but we think it's because she's growing! She's no longer content with me or Jorge just looking and her and making weird faces. She wants to be entertained, and things only hold her attention for so long. I feel bad for her sometimes. It's clear she's trying to communicate something but doesn't know how to say it. So, instead she just makes this weird "whiny grunting" noise until she gets what she wants. I'm sure we'll be able to decode those noises some day soon.

I also tried experimenting with a sippy cup today. Joli drank a small amount of milk from the cup, and she did pretty well. I think she'll be well on her way in the next few weeks!

Jorge and I figured we'd start her on solids on January 17 -- her 6 month birthday.

Later!

A RATHER GENERAL BLOG....

In response to "Tita Mari's" recent comments in the comment section, we've decided to give you a quick update of Joli's vacation!

On Dec 19th -- Lola and Tita Mari came all the way from MA to visit and to babysit while Liza and Jorge spent a romantic adventure in NYC, where they visited Sean (see the Thanksgiving blog) and went to Sue and Jay's wedding (congratulations!).

Joli, Liza and Jorge (and Gordon) opened their stocking presents on Dec 22nd before leaving for Massachusetts. Joli got the best presents, of course -- a Spiderman bobblehead doll and an Ernie crib attachment. She was delighted!

We then left for MA the next day to meet up with Liza's family. There Joli got to spend more time with Tita Grapes, Uncle Paulie, Uncle Jon, Tita Mari and the grandparents. Joli discovered she loved laying in Tita Mari's arms -- limply. We nicknamed it "The Plank Position." (see "Family Pics: Tita Mari"). We stayed until Dec 26th and came back to NY.

On Monday, Joli got to see her Ita, Grandpa Jorge, and Uncle Ped where she, of course, got even more presents!

Okay, sorry for the long update! The next one will be "The Adventures in Solid Food" , I imagine!

Happy New Year!

JOLI'S NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

1. Start eating SOLID FOOD! (yeah!)

2. Start making SOLID POOP! (yuk!)

3. Learn to use my superpowers.

THE CHRISTMAS EQUATION

I know math may not be everyone's strong suit, but I felt it important to share what might be the most important mathematical discovery since Einstein theorized E=mc2!

Here is the "Christmas Equation", as derived by Professor Joli:

Joli(presents)=[Parent(preJoli presents)] - [Parent(postJoli presents)]

A simpler form of the equation might be expressed as: Joli(presents) > Parent(presents)

Professor Joli's equation redefines Einstein's "Theory of Relativity" by demonstrating that a relative's proximity to Joli is in direct proportion to the number of Christmas gifts.

The equation has been validated by scholars such as Tuft's Professor Grace, Dr. Roderic and Mary Talusan (PhD pending).

HOLIDAY ELF

It a little know fact that, while most of Santa's elves are pretty industrious, there are a couple of lazy elves.

They pretty much lie around all day eating, snoozing and telling other elves "Happy Holidays. Can I have a hug?"

HEADLINE: JOLI SPEAKS OUT AGAINST THE RECENT ATTACKS AGAINST HER PARENTS!
The following is an excerpt from a recent interview that 20/20 did with Ms. Joli Irene Talusan Vega. It concerns the recent allegations that her parents have "dropped the ball" in regards to her website.

BARBARA WALTERS: You claim your parents haven't mishandled your website, Joli. Then why is it that your site has gone so long without an update?

JOLI VEGA: It's really very simple, Barbara. I have a very busy schedule and my parents simply aren't able to keep up with me. Of course, this makes it very difficult to keep an up-to-date photojournal of me.

BW: I see. Well, what is it that keeps you so busy these days?

JV: Well, aside from all the charity work I do, I spend a considerable amount of time in meetings with business associates. I also spend a lot of the day at my desk, responding to fan mail. When I'm not doing all of that, I try to catch a little bit of sleep. A girl needs her beauty rest, Barbara!

BW: (laughing) Don't I know it, sister! But seriously, many members of your family have been very vocal about the website's current state. What would you say to them if they were here?

JV: Chill.

BW: Strong words, indeed. And what of the recent boycott threats made by your nefarious Uncle Pedro? What would you say to that?

JV: Threats? THREATS?! You call those threats? Barbara, please, I have a whole diaper full of "threats" for my Uncle Pedro (why is he smelling his finger?). He can stop by and pick them up any time.

BW: Er... I see. Well, since we're on the topic, your fans have begun to wonder exactly when they can expect to hear that you've graduated to a "potty"?

JV: No comment.

BW: Well, what about the rumors that you infrequently soil your bathtub?

JV: This interview is over.

Joli became very emotional at this point and stormed out of the studio.

COMING SOON!

Okay, so before all the aunts and uncles get all riled up ... Jorge will be posting pictures (3 of them!) before the end of the day. Stay tuned (and thanks for being so interested in our little Joli-polie!).
-liza

ANNIVESARY --- TIMES 2!

December 9th -- a date that holds a very special place here at the Talusan and Vega household! Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary, and it's also the 1 year anniversary of finding out we were having a baby! That's right.... we found out we were pregnant on our anniversary!

Okay, for those of you who haven't heard the story, it's pretty cool.

We were trying to get pregnant for a loooooooong time. On our 2nd wedding anniversary (Dec. 9, 2002), Jorge and I were out to dinner at our favorite restaurant -- East Wok. We had a lovely dinner, and we started talking about pregnancy. I told him that I had felt "different" lately. I wasn't sure exactly what "different" was, but I wasn't feeling quite the same. At the beginning of dinner, we decided not to take a pregnancy test for a few more days - we had already experienced the disappointment of having negative tests time and time again. But, by the end of dinner, we had convinced ourselves to at least go and buy the test. So, after dinner, we went to the store and bought one.

We came back to the house, and I was expecting my acappella group to show up in about 10 minutes. Jorge went upstairs, and, although I promised him I wouldn't take it, I took the pregnancy test. I waited anxiously before going upstairs, knowing that the acappella group would show up in a matter of minutes. Then... it happened.... there was a very faint pink line showing up on the test. This sort of thing happened before (where the line looked like it was there, but then it disappeared), so I didn't run upstairs to tell Jorge. Then... the line got darker....and darker.

I ran upstairs with the test and showed Jorge. We both couldn't believe it! The line was getting darker and darker, and there was no denying it now! We were both still in shock, then.... the doorbell rang. The group was here and I had to go downstairs to start rehearsal.

Needless to say I couldn't concentrate at all! Jorge came downstairs a few minutes into the rehearsal and whispered in my ear, "The line is reallllly dark now!" That was the longest rehearsal of my life.....

Once the group was gone, I ran back upstairs and we both started to call our family. Of course.... even in this age of advanced technology with cell phones/pagers/instant messenger ... no one picked up there phones. Go figure.

Eventually we got in touch with everyone and told them. Our families didn't believe us at first because Jorge would often call them and say something like, "Mom. Dad. We have something to tell you....(long pause).... Liza and I......(long pause).....ate chicken for dinner." The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

So, this is why December 9th is a really special day in this house. Marriage. Baby. Love.

Yes, we will post some pictures.

-liza

LET THERE BE... JOLI!! (and the people rejoiced)

Yes, Liza and I have been a little... slow.

And, yes, we missed the Thanksgiving pics.

So... here are two Thanksgiving Day turkeys!

Oh, and Sean thank you for stopping in to visit Joli! Congratulations on graduating and becoming a certified teacher!

YES... WE KNOW.....


Okay, we get it. We've neglected our Joli website duties. We've been... oh.. a little busy!

She had a doctor's appointment yesterday and here are the stats: 14.5 pounds, 25 inches long. Had her second polio shot. She did a great job of course!

On Monday, Nov 30th, we bought her an activity center (which she is too tiny for at this point), and she really seems to like it. Although, she can't really sit up in it yet. It's really cool, though!

Her new favorite thing is to scream at the top of her lungs for 5 minutes while she chews on her hand. She's what we call, pre-teething. Her gums are starting to get a little achy, and she finds relief by chewing on her fingers and drooling all over her cute little outfits. But, the screaming only lasts about 5 minutes, or just long enough for one of us to make her laugh (which we usually do by blowing on her tummy or doing some ridiculous dance).

Joli has started to sleep in her crib, and it wasn't too bad a transition. Actually, I think Jorge and I are having a much tougher time with it. While it's nice to have the bed to ourselves again, we miss her!! I certainly don't sleep as well because I'm so sad she's in the other room. Joli totally doesn't mind, though, and she is sleeping somewhere between 10-10 1/2 hours a night! Go, Joli! Go, Joli!

Okay, pictures to follow. Our neighbors Trista and James came over last night and helped us take our family photo (Jorge wouldn't let Gordon in it, though!!), so that'll be in the mail soon!

Sooo.... you happy now?? Probably not. You all won't be happy until we post some of those cutie pie pics, right??
-liza

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POPS!!

Forty-nine years ago (not too long after the death of Christ), on a day much like this (except we have electricity and indoor plumbing) Joli's grandfather, "Pops", was born into the world.

Joli recently had this to say about him:

** Aah-ee aah-ee. Coo-cah aah-ee. [fart] Gurgle. **

Translation: I LOVE YOU, POPS! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

FOUR MONTHS OLD!

Yes, I know... we've been neglecting our Joli website duties! It's been a busy few weeks here. Last week, we took a trip up to Easton to visit my family. The family babysat while Jorge and I went out for our first dinner together at Legal Seafood. We also went shopping and hung out at the mall -- something we haven't done since Joli was born. Again, we didn't have to change any dirty diapers and didn't really have to do much of anything except watch television! Speaking of televisions, we also walked away with some cool stuff! Uncle Paulie graciously let us buy his tv from him - it's a 55 inch television. Woah! We had to attach a trailer to the back of our car to bring it back to NY. Lola and Lolo also bought Joli a digital video camera, and, of course, we taped tons of footage already!

This past weekend, Lola and Grace came to visit because Grace had her NYC premiere at a reading in the NY Public Library. She did a great job and people were asking for her autograph! Joli's auntie is famous!

When Lola and Grace left, I was having what my Uncle Paulie would call a "postpartum emotional experience." I wish they lived closer! It's always nice to have family around. Let's just hope Joli stays close by when she gets older!

So, Joli is 4 months old today! I can't believe it! She's come so far! One of the biggest leaps that we forgot to blog about is that Joli now sleeps soundly through the night! We can usually count on 6-8 hours of continuous sleep from her! Also, she's pretty darn close to sitting up by herself these days! We can usually prop her up on the couch or in her Boppy, and she stays put. She also is more interested in her baby videos and the different toys we have in her crib. I think she was so overwhelmed by the stimulus when she was younger, but now she really loves playing with her crib toys. Yay!

Coming soon: Thanksgiving photos with the Vega family (they come over our house for Thanksgiving).....

BONUS - LIMITED EDITION PIC!!

Okay, we know we've been slacking in the update department. So, we thought we'd give all those diehard Joli fans what they've been asking for... SMILING JOLI!!

SHE DOESN'T FIT!


Last night, I was getting Joli changed and ready for bed. I put her down in her crib and got out her favorite yellow footed pajama. In went one foot.... in went the other. Then, I stopped and was shocked... her body didn't fit in the clothing! SHE WAS TOO LONG FOR THE PAJAMA! It was like it happened overnight. Honestly. I tried to fool myself, so I put her arms in and began to button the front. But, then I noticed that she couldn't fully extend her legs. In this pajama, her legs had to stay bent in order for me to button it up! Oh, no! She's getting bigger :(

Well, I looked at the tag, and it did say "0-3 months", and Joli is well on her way to 4 months. So, I guess this is normal. But, it breaks my heart to see that she's getting bigger. Where did my little baby go??

So, if you're one of the many relatives gettin' ready to buy Joli some clothes, go for the 6-9 months stuff. I don't think she'll be in 3-6 months stuff for long!

SUPER-JOLI: ISSUE #1

"Faster than a speeding stroller, able to leap tall cribs in a single bound... it's a bird, it's a plane, it's SuperJoli!!"

By day, she is the mild mannered, cheerfully gurgling Joli Irene Talusan Vega. But, when danger (or a soiled diaper) calls, she unleashes the power of Super-Joli!

With her trusty sidekick, The Milk Maid, Super-Joli stands (or rolls) as a protector of truth, justice and the American way!

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

Joli's been making some big strides these past 2 days. Jorge witnessed her grabbing a toy with her left hand! (I'm convinced that she can do this because of my daily "close-open-close-open" song that my grandmother taught me,which I sing to her at least 10x a day. )She also just discovered her RIGHT hand and has been staring at it as intensely as the left one. Honestly, staring at her hands have been hours of entertainment for her!

But, the biggest thing happened this morning (well, it was big for me!).... Joli put herself to sleep! She was in her crib this morning and was crying. As I try to do, I let her cry for about 10 minutes and only went in there 1x to just soothe her. No, I wasn't practicing any "child development" theory or anything -- I simply just wanted to check and respond to my emails without having to bounce a baby on my lap. My goal was to respond to at least 3 emails before I'd have to go upstairs and start my "morning cardiovascular workout" of walking all around the house, rocking her to sleep.

So, I came downstairs, got on the laptop, heard her crying through the baby monitor... and then... silence. Silence. Silence. I thought, "This is odd. Something isn't right. It's too quiet." So, in my paranoid-mom-delusional state, I thought maybe my poor child was up there and smothered in her blankets or something. Then I thought, maybe the dog had leaped into her crib and was licking her face. But, I went into the nursery and there she was -- my peaceful little angel sleeping with her arms stretched above her head. And, Gordon was fast asleep on the floor, at the foot of the crib, guarding my precious girl.

Joli had comforted herself to sleep.....

The sound of silence. How beautiful.

-liza

2 FEET OF PURE CUTENESS!

Miss Joli Irene had her doctor's appointment today -- here are the stats:

She weighs 12 pounds, 8 ounces
She is 24 inches long!

That's right -- 2 feet! Wow! Unfortunately, she is also losing all that luxurious hair on her head and is looking a little bald on top. But, luckily her charming personality is making up for the hair loss! Joli also seems to be pre-teething these days and has been gnawing on her little pretty hands to soothe her gums. She doesn't have any teeth, of course, but her gums are getting ready for the big day.

I forgot to mention that on Wednesday, Joli went to the grocery store for the first time!

Well, as I am writing this, Joli and her dad are fast asleep in the rocking chair despite my plea to "keep her awake" so she wouldn't wake up too many times tonight. Guess it's "like father, like daughter."

I know, we've been lax in our photos, but that's because we're waiting for Halloween to use up the space with Joli pictures! Betcha can't wait to see her costume!

till then!
-liza

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.. A BIG HAND FOR.. JOLI!

That's right! Joli "found" her hand three days ago (Saturday, Oct. 17). She can't stop staring at it! Now, she realizes she can open and close it. She's also been chewing on it lately which leads us to believe she's getting her little gums ready for those first few teeth.

-liza

THREE MONTHS

Three months? It's only been three months?!

Liza and I were talking today and we think Joli might be an X-Man. She has the uncanny ability to distort time. Though it seems like Joli's been here forever, we both feel like the last three months have flown by.

Except for those loooooooooooooooooong nights, when the minutes crawl by and it seems that time is suffering from a serious case of constipation.

Three months... three months... three months... yet it only took three seconds to fall in love with her.

AND NOW... BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM

It's been a little while since we've updated the site, so... IT'S JOLI PICTURE MANIA DAY!!

All the Joli you can handle!

There's "Hot Tub Joli". There's "Two-Headed Joli" and brand-new "Red Sox Joli"!

ROCK ON, BABY GIRL!

Joli had a fun day yesterday! She visited her new friends, PJ, Elisabeth, Missy, and Grace, at their house. Then, she went to a "rock concert" where she jammed to the best of high school music while strapped to Daddy in the Baby Bjorn.

She's also been sleeping much better! Last night, she went 4 1/2 hour stretches before waking up. And, she goes right back to sleep after nursing! Jorge and I are feeling so much more rested!

Speaking of Jorge, he really is the greatest dad and husband ever... he is in charge of all diaper changing, and he does so even during the middle of the night (and the wee hours of the morning). He also takes Joli when she wakes up at 6:30am and plays with her until 8am when he leaves for work. When I tell people this, they are all so shocked and usually reply with, "Gosh! My husband never did that!"

yeah, I'm a lucky gal....!

-liza

ps... I know this is an unpopular statement to make in NY, but "GO, RED SOX!" (I'm originally from MA!)

SOME COOL STUFF...

Joli Irene is ELEVEN WEEKS OLD today! Where is all the time going??

She's really smiling a lot these days! In fact, I was having trouble nursing her the other day because she kept laughing so much --- that silly girl!

--liza

EVENTFUL WEEK!

This week was busy for our little Joli Irene! On Sunday, she was Dedicated at Full Gospel Tabernacle in Far Rockaway (Queens), NY by her Grandpa Jorge, who is the Pastor at FGT, and Ita (Grandma Eva). It was Joli's first visit out to Far Rockaway, and she loved every minute of it. She got to meet her Titi Minnie and Tio Felix, as well as many members of the church, including the Hamilton family-- Joli especially loved hanging out with the Hamilton kids, Sarah and Isaac!

Joli then had her third doctor's appointment on Monday, September 29th. She weighed in at 10 pounds, 14 ounces and is 22 1/2 inches long! She had two shots that day, and poor Daddy had to turn the other way because he couldn't bear to watch Dr. Good give her the shots. Like a brave little girl, Joli whimpered and then toughed it out! She did great!

On Wednesday, Joli and Mommy went to the second "Mommy Scrapbooking Party" at Lauren's house (the first was at Jamie's) and hung out with Lauren, Donovan, Jamie, Elyse, Lisa and Nathan.... Jalen made an appearance after Play Group was done.

Whew! She's a busy girl!

--liza

"HELLO, MY NAME IS JORGE AND I'M A DAD"

Okay, so this weekend I learned that being a new dad is like being a crack addict.

Liza and Joli went up to Easton, MA this weekend. They were gone for 4 days.

After 24 hours, the withdrawal pains started.

I craved my baby. I wanted *correction* I needed to hold my baby, sniff my baby, feed my baby... yes, I even needed to change my baby (do you see how low addiction can bring you?)

I can't even begin to explain how happy I was when Liza and Joli came home. What am I going to do when she grows up and leaves home?

I'll probably have to go into rehab.

YA KNOW I CAN'T SMILE WITHOUT YOU....


Joli is a clever girl. She already has her Grandpa Ed (Lolo) wrapped around her little finger. Everytime he talks to her, she lights up in smiles and giggles at him. She won't do it for anyone else -- well, my mom claims that she does it for her, too, but I have yet to witness it! Anyways, Grandpa Ed is always late for work when she visits because he has to keep coming back upstairs to give her tons of kisses... then he goes out to the car.... then he comes back to give her more kisses. This process repeats a few more times.

Funny Grandpa Ed story: So, I went out for ice cream last night and left Grandpa Ed and Joli home together. According to my dad, Joli was upstairs sleeping while he was downstairs mopping the basement floor (cleaning... that's another thing my dad only does now that Joli has been born....). He knew he was alone in the house with her when, all of a sudden, he heard one of the house doors slam shut. At first, he thought, "Oh, maybe it's just the wind" .. but his "Grandpa-Panic-Mode" set in and the thought entered his mind that "Maybe someone is here to kidnap Joli!" (Side note: in our 25 years of living in the same house, we have never ever been robbed or broken into....). SO, my dad sprinted up two flights of stairs to check on the baby. Of course, she was sleeping soundly and my dad could breathe a little easier.

Well, glad to know he's a good babysitter! He charges $5 an hour, if anyone's interested....

--liza

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS, TO GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE WE GO!

Quite literally.... my parents live in this very rural town in Massachusetts.....

Little Joli's had quite an adventure these past few days. We're blogging from the Grandparents Talusan's house, a place we came when Joli was only 2 days old, for a wedding I was in this weekend of my friends, Ligaya and Chuck (congratulations!!). Joli and I had to make the trip by ourselves as her dad was livin' it up at a bachelor party for our friend Sean (congratulations to you, too!!). Little Joli behaved herself on the ride to Boston as we thankfully avoided "Hurricane Isabel"and sailed smoothly during the five hour trip - only stopping once by Connecticut College to grab a bite to eat.

Of course, when we arrived in Boston, everyone was far more excited to see Joli than they were to see me! Joli went to her first wedding rehearsal (which she slept through) and stayed with her grandma overnight. What a break for me! I haven't had to change a single diaper this whole trip!

After battling yet another fever (my third in three weeks), everything has been wonderful! The wedding was beautiful, Joli was babysat by her Uncle Paulie, Tita Grace, the "Golden Girls" (my aunts Minda and Aida), and Sashi (my parents' senile beagle). Grace met up with me at the wedding. The first thing I asked her was "So, how's the baby?" To which her reply was, "Paul and I did some experiments on her." OKAY, WHEN A NEW PARENT ASKS YOU HOW HER BABY IS, DO NOT ANSWER WITH, "We did some experiments on her...!" Turns out, their "experiments" consisted of touching her cheek to spark her rooting reflex, but then feeding her every single time she did it because they thought the act of turning her cheek and opening her mouth = she is hungry (Science Side Note: A baby is born with a reflex called the "rooting reflex" where she will turn her head and open her mouth when you touch one side of her cheek..... it is not necessarily a sign of hunger) .

Well, we're on our way to visit my friends Tammy and Ed in their new house. Then, off to Crescent Ridge!! The best ice cream place ever!!

We've had a great time so far at Chez Talusan .... I'm guessing Jorge had an equally good time at the bachelor party...... will we get all the details, do ya think?? :)

--Liza

SISTA, HOLD THAT HEAD UP HIGH!

Little Joli is holding her head up for a bit longer these days!

"Flex dem neck muscles, baby girl!"

She also has a new affinity for these "potato sack" pajamas! They look like really long pajama dresses but have elastic at the ends.

THAT LAZY GIRL

Have we turned a corner? Are we speaking too soon??

Joli actually out-slept Jorge and me this morning. She woke up in 3 hour increments last night, and at 8:30am she was still asleep!

She's been a good baby these past few weeks. We're slowly starting to figure out what she likes, what she doesn't like, and ways to calm her down. We're realizing that this little girl loves to be held! She hates being put down for any length of time and calms down immediately once we pick her up. Yeah, we're probably getting into a bad pattern or something, but for now, there is nothing more soothing than holding her and having her nestle right into the nape of my neck.

Yesterday, I braved the mall with her after a horrific experience at the crafts store a few days earlier. When I was at the crafts store (preparing to make a scrapbook... which is a whole other story in itself.... I realize I'm a scrapbook idiot....), Joli woke up from her nap and started crying. So, everyone in that store decided to give me their "unsolicited mothering advice" and tell me what to do with my baby. Comments such as "Honey, you need to give that baby a pacifier" and "Your baby is hungry. Feed her." or when a woman said to her baby, "Don't you start crying like that baby!" and the generic dirty looks were the food-of-the-day at that store. At one point, a woman in a walker came up to me and say, "Do you need some help with that baby?" Whatever. I was so mad. We were only in that store for, oh, maybe 6 minutes tops! I honestly was fine with her crying, but we ended up leaving the store because of public pressure. Urgh. Well, I got over it and went to the mall yesterday with Joli, and she was a model baby! She was wide awake but was so quiet. In any case, BABIES CRY, PEOPLE!! Relax!

Unsolicited advice from strangers.... when I shared this story with some of my friends, they all had nice witty comments for me to say next time someone decides to tell me what kind of mother I am/am not.

Now, look in the mirror and say, "I'm smart enough. I'm good enough. And, gosh darn it, my baby likes me...." (my sister Grace would love that one!)

SPLASH-DOWN - THE BAPTISM

This past weekend was HUGE. I mean, big-time family from all corners of the globe huge.

Joli got baptized on Sunday. Of course the princess had her entourage. Extended family and friends were in attendance. Big Momma and Poppa were beaming. The grandparents gloated, the uncles grunted and the sisters oooooooooo'ed and aaaaaaaaah'ed.

Afterwards, there was lunch -- on the grandparents-- at "East Wok" (shout out to Steve the manager), where Tita Aida was surprised with a cake to celebrate her 70th birthday!

What a day...

P.S. -- Oh, remember Michael and Leah Chung (ring bearer and flower girl at our wedding)? Well, they're much older now.

HEY! SHE GETS IT!

Well, today was a really cool moment in Joli-development! See, we have this Kick-n-Play seat that she gets strapped into and these lights blink on and off. There are also little toys hanging from a bar for the baby to kick at (hence, kick-n-play). For the past few weeks, we've put Joli in it, but she really wasn't too fond of it. First of all, she was way to tiny to even reach the hanging toys, and she didn't fit well into the seat and just kept falling over. Well, this morning, I put her in there and she was actually interested! It was the first time she followed the blinking lights, and she even watched herself kicking the toys! Waaaay, cool! Our little girl is growing up!

As a side note, yesterday was my 28th birthday ..... of which I spent totally sick in bed.

--Liza, Joli's mama

THE EXCORCIST

Before I proceed with today's update, I thought I'd acknowledge the recent number of comments and emails we've received concerning the "poop" picture. Some wondered why, given all the cherubic images we could have posted, we chose to share the "poop" pic. Well, here's the scoop on the poop... Joli only has five talents in her repetoire right now: eating, sleeping, crying, regurgitating and messing her diaper. "Smiling" is a possible sixth, but the jury's still out on whether or not the smiles are still related to gas.

Of the five listed talents, there are two that she demonstrates true mastery over... messing and puking.

Liza and I believe in nurturing a child's gift.

So, with all that said, here's Joli's reenactment of the classic horror film "The Excorcist".