GO VOTE FOR JOLI!

Hurrah! Joli was selected to be in this week's BabyZone photo contest! Go to www.babyzone.com and click on the photo contest (usually a picture of a baby on the right hand side of the website). She's in the toddler section at the bottom! But, only vote 1x from your computer (per day) otherwise your vote won't be counted! (and, disregard the stupid looking picture of me in the corner). Thanks to Alonso who took the picture last October!

LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF SNOW....

We woke up this morning to already 10 inches of snow, but Lolo and Joli insisted on watching-the-weather report anyways.

Gordon hates the snow. It makes him depressed. But, Joli is quick to cheer him up saying, "at-least-we-have-fruit from the indoor plants."

The snow is piled up so high that it's even bigger than Joli! look-at-all-the-snow !

We are literally trapped.... we can't open any of the doors or the snow will come flooding in. And, even if we could open the doors, we would have to somehow make it over the snow banks!

So, how's the weather in California, Mari? What about you Jon/Jen/Mia ..? How's the weather in Hawai'i?? Bet you are all soooo sad you're not still here visiting!

MORE PICS OF JOLI ON COUSIN MIA'S SITE!


Well, we're stranded under 2 1/2 feet of snow (and still falling).... Blizzard of 2005....

Surf on over to Joli's cousin's site to see some awesome pics of when Mia, Jenny and Jon visited last week. Their site is www.miajewell.blogspot.com.

Stay warm!

I'm 18 months old!

Well, my cousin Mia went home to Oregon the other day. I had lots of fun with her! I'm now 18 months old and a terror on wheels (says my mom!). Actually, I'm a really good kid, and I love running around in my light-up sneakers, talking up a storm, and singing at every chance I get! I can name every single person in my family, tell the dog to "stop it" and hold a decent conversation with adults. I also get along really well with strange children and like to entertain them at restaurants.

Here are some pics! enjoy!

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MY COUSIN MIA IS HERE!! (oh, and so are Jenny and Jon....)

Yay! The grandkids are here! Joli is adjusting to having Mia around because now she has to share the love (there is plenty to go around.. don't worry!). It's awesome having Jenny and Jon here, too! Oh, Tita Mari.... we mittthhh you!!!




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Lola, Liza, Mia and Joli

A FEW MORE FOR THE REAL FANS!


"what-do-monkeys-eat , Joli?" She says, "bananas."

awfully-comfortable right before dinner time

who-has-more-fun on Joli's scooter??

Only a few more days until Jon, Jenny and Cousin Mia arrive! Hurrah!

ps.. we went to see Joli's new friend, Melina Menghi -- we had tons of fun (and great food from Tammy and Ed!) Hopefully pictures of the two girls coming soon!

A FUN FEW WEEKS!

Here are just a few pics to catch you up on all the Joli goodness!

Christmas-scooter.jpg
Dom-Perignon.jpg - we had this at Christmas dinner
our-neighbors-from-New-York.jpg -- we visited them after Christmas
piano-lessons.jpg -- watch out Alicia Keys!
tufts-race.jpg -- taken in Oct after Grace and I ran the Tufts 10K for Women
yoga-class.jpg -- I just couldn't resist....

Joli is awesome! We don't track her words anymore because she's on to sentences and just saying absolutely everything!

CRAZY AMOUNTS OF FUN AT ROCKAWAY!

We're here in Rockaway Beach having Christmas Eve at the Vegas, and Joli is having one heck of a great time. She gets everything here! Elmo toys, baby dolls, little houses, beans and rice, magnetic letters, a dry erase board, and lots and lots and lots of attention. (the Talusan family has called at least 4 times in 2 days saying "We miss Joli!!"). She also gets away with everything here -- including crayons to tag her name as "graffiti Joli". We got here on Christmas Eve, and Joli jumped right into opening presents. It certainly was the "Joli Vega Christmas 2004". We even got a rare opportunity for a family picture (unfortunately without Andy and Marie) at the church. Note the great fireplace .. Pops really wanted the picture there! We even got a picture of Joli at FGT .

Cool stuff: Joli is honestly the smartest 1 1/2 year old I know. She totally talks (especially to Ozzie, the minature Doberman) and is completely understandable. She know shapes, "big vs little", parts of the body, glasses, how to use utensils, how to treat animals "nice", how to hug and kiss, and how to clean up. She is so darn smart.....

Back to MA tomorrow!

17 Months Old!

Joli turned 17 months old on December 17th. She's really active and has been using a few complete sentences these days! Too cute! Mari and JP are here visiting from Los Angeles, and Joli has a fun time confusing "JP" with "Paul!"

Here are a few of her cute pictures! Enjoy! Happy Holidays to everyone!
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When Lolo babysits....

Lolo is very helpful when watching Joli. He makes sure she always stays hydrated with a nutritious drink, helps to answer the phones while taking messages, learns how to use the potty in order to avoid a traditional diaper change , practices for her days as a big sister by taking care of the baby, and helping to prepare dinner. (note that all of these did, in fact, happen in the same day... and in the same few hours).

Trouble.. trouble ... trouble....

A Thanksgiving Trip to California!

We spent 5 days in California to visit the Gamalinda side of the family and to see Jenny, Jon and Mia for the first time! We were able to take a very rare picture of The Talusan Family (missing Alonso Nichols and Kirsten Lebo) as well as see a few Gamalindas. And, of course, we took tons and tons of pictures of the grandparents and grandkids. On Saturday, Mia had her christening, and Jorge was asked to be a godfather. We took great pictures of Mia,Jenny,Jorge and Joli as well as the four beautiful women who took the long long trip from Oregon to California just for a few days (Katie - Mia's Aunt, Laura - Mia's Grandmother, and of course, Jenny and Mia!). The godparents were Katie, Jorge, Mari and Jon's friend, Justin, at Mia's christening. Joli has a tough time sitting still these days, so she had to go outside with Uncle Jon to run the stairs for a while. One of the best pictures we took was of the two generations of grandparents (Lola's parents are in the pictures on the wall).

Joli had a tough time on the airplane ride on the way there because she wasn't quite used to being so confined, but on the way home, Joli was awesome! She had a great time with Baby MiMi and all her cousins! What a reunion! We haven't all been together for about 12 years, so this was a treat! We stayed with Liza's cousins -- Denis, Aileen, Larissa and Mark -- who Joli LOVED!

So, whadda you think ... do I look good with two kids ???

Grandpa Jorge's 50th Birthday!

This past weekend, we took a trip down to Rockaway to see the Vega family and celebrate Grandpa Jorge's (Pops) 50th birthday. When asked to comment on how it feels to be half a century old, Pops simply said, "fifty-is-exhausting." Unfortunately, Uncle Pedro didn't realize he was at Pop's birthday .. he thought he had finally made it to star-search. Joli always seems to enjoy taking pictures by herself, and never seems that pleased when it is a picture of Daddy-and her. Don't feel too bad, Jorge... she didn't exactly get happy when she found out she was sharing-the-spotlight with Mommy, either! But, that's okay, because after the party, someone had to clean up..
coming up next week -- pictures from Lola's birthday, Thanksgiving with the Gamalindas, and meeting Baby Mia Jewell! You can check out Mia Jewell's blog at www.miajewell.blogspot.com. Happy Thanksgiving!

SHE'S BIG! SHE'S TALL! SHE'S 16 MONTHS OLD!

Joli has been having a great time now that Mommy is home and through with her traveling! She's so excited that she even has crazy-hair.jpg! But, when she's not being a peanut-head.jpg (as her Daddy likes to call her), she's busy giving her best serious-face.jpg. As a busy toddler, Joli is often on the run, so this was the best-body-shot that I could get.

New stuff? Well, Joli continues to LOVE Barney! She goes absolutely crazy when it comes on TV, and she loves dancing with her Barney Sing A-Long doll! She knows how to do the whole "If You're Happy and You Know It" song, the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" song, and of course, the Barney song. She can "meow" like a cat, "growl" like a bear, and say "oh, my gosh!" She also knows how to say "please" and "thank you" as well as "sorry." She can ask for her cup, say she is hungry, and even tell you if she has to pee (which she does in her diaper, of course). She can say a few more words, too: papaya, hot, coffee, office, Joli (which she pronounces "joeeee"), fish, doggie, outside, shoes, socks, and blue. She can play hide-and-seek, "read" her book, turn off/on the TV, and eat some of her food with a spoon. She can also draw and color pretty well with a crayon.

Joli also is now at the point where she prefers to be put in her crib. A few months ago, Joli would cry and hug you if you tried to put her in her crib, but now she actually leans into it and tries to go there. She lays down quietly and just waits until she falls asleep. She also has a great time playing in her crib in the morning -- she often stays there for at least 30 minutes before asking to come out.

Happy 16 months, Joli!

PRINCESS DRESS AND CRAYONS

Here's actually a picture designed with Tita Mari in mind. It's the princess dress.JPG you bought Joli when she was just born.

Joli has a molar! You can tell by all the drool in the next picture. She is also a pro with crayons.JPG ! It's so cute how she holds them -- she holds them like a pencil and only colors with the pointy side. At her latest doctor appointment, we found out she weighs 22.7 pounds and is 30 inches long!

ALL DRESSED UP! (THIS TIME SHE'S WALKING ON HER OWN)

At last year's Halloween, Joli was carried in her Superman outfit from door to door collecting candy for her mom and dad. (I believe that blog was called, "SuperJoli!"). Well, this year, Joli is a hoppin' toddler who likes to walk the bridge.jpg. She is no longer "SuperJoli" but she is also a super duper the little duck.jpg who asked people all night to gimme some candy.jpg! (of course, she said PLEASE and THANK YOU). Hope you enjoyed the pictures the new and improved Joli costume.jpg

YOU'D BETTER SIT DOWN FOR THIS ONE....

Oh... my .... goodness...

.... screams of "ahhh!!! she's too cute!!!" were echoing throughout the house as "Pops" (Grandpa Jorge) sent us these pictures of Joli's visit to Rockaway Beach. You should probably sit down because these pics are so cute, they'll make you dizzy...

rockaway beach
solitude on the beach
a girl and her dog

One more... added late... good heavens... this one is ridiculously cute! Thanks to the grandparents in NY for playing with Joli Joli!

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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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Just a close up of my 15 months face.jpg

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!
jolis office.jpg
joli client.jpg
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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!
picture.jpgjoli and mom.jpgjoli and dad.jpg

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!