Hiking Buddies

Max the softest dog in the world is Tatum's newest, favorite hiking buddy.

Max proudly belongs to our LA buddies the Cohens.

And that's Eagle Rock behind these two, how our neighborhood got it's name.

New Tub Fun

During recent baths, Tatum's squirming in the tub led me to purchase a bath mat for the tub. So out with the old blue and in with the sticky pad white.

At first she was a bit confused by the new found space in the tub; but now she enjoys the expanded play area. Splish splash away.....

Slipping into a New Sleep Pattern

With the helpful spring forward of relative time Tatum's new sleep pattern is from 7pm until 7am. For months now Tatum is a ticking time bomb at the five o'clock hour as we swiftly move through the evening routine of dinner, bath, changing, feeding, and down for the night at 6pm. We've adored the evening time Tatum has given us to cook dinner, wash bottles, catch the news and prepare for tomorrow. But nevertheless, how we would love for her to shift one hour in her schedule so we could enjoy a dinner out and sleep in an extra hour. So Andrew and I eagerly awaited the shifting of spring that comes with day light savings. The night magically lost an hour and Tatum magically slept in till 7:00. Today is the third day of the new 7 to 7 schedule, and so far so good.

And for all those mommas out there, no - Tatum does not sleep through the night. As easily as she wakes up for a feeding or two in the night, she easily goes back down. So my nights are peaceful, but do not contain continuous sleep. It works well for me and our family.

Stand Up and Take a Bow

Tatum brought in March with strength and determination as she pulled herself to standing. For a while now we'll prop her against the bed or sofa and let her build leg strength; but a few Sundays ago I went into the bedroom to get Tatum from her nap and she was STANDING waiting and ready for me. The crib has come down to the lowest level as Tatum reaches for new heights.

Pulling herself up and standing opens a new world for her. We dusted off Drew and Ethan's (Tatum's twin cousins) old activity center and brought it into the living room where Tatum can take center stage in her own world of fun. This weekend as she was playing at the table she was cracking up, having a ball.

Now on the Big (Little) Screen: Tatum at the Birthday Cabin

You can watch the video here, but the quality is poor (according to Andrew). It's much better to see (and larger on screen) if you click on the link below - it may take a minute or so before it plays.

www.wayofdale.com/ShearerCabinTrip_Feb09.mov

This amazing short film is 3 1/2 minutes of thrill seeking adventure. Grab a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage and Enjoy!