No doubt about it (well, we think anyway...) - Kaitlyn has a word!

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  10 months and 18 days

Family,

Jenny portraying "Alphie" and teaching K
that "AD Pi...is the place you want to be."

And a good Wednesday evening to you from the Queen City.  Family, I am so excited about this blog I can barely contain myself - SO MUCH to talk about.  And whilst the title gives away one obvious milestone for which Jenny and I are celebrating, there have been SO MANY big wins for Team Taylor this week that my list of notes to capture events has spilled across multiple sheets of (admittedly garbled and full) paper.  I am dead serious when I say that I wish I could just follow my daughter around non-stop with a camcorder, as it's insane how quickly she's learning, how fast she's growing, and how much fun it is playing with her each day.  But I get ahead of myself, so let's get amongst it, eh?

K "on the edge of glory" - this was the
first time I ever saw her pull up to standing!

The week itself was a whirlwind, as the bull was up in Toronto (where the thermometer touched -25C, taking it's spot as the 3rd coldest I've ever been in my life) Tuesday through Thursday.  It was a bit distressing on Tuesday when Jenny and I both went in to see K and found her clearly sick and pulling on her ear, as I knew that a) another doctor's visit was imminent and b) I had to hope a plane in 2.5 hours.  JT ended up having to take a sick day, and her visit to the doctor confirmed that K did in fact still have an ear infection.  The quote was "I can't believe how terrible her ears look."  And so we went to the third round of antibiotics, some hyperactive version of amoxicillin.  10 days after the fact (we actually just finished the last dose about 45 minutes ago), I am pleased to report that K is acting much better, has her head back straight again (it had tilted quite severely in the days leading up to and just after the visit), and seems to have much more energy.  I am hopeful that she's finally kicked the ear infection this time - fingers crossed she can stay healthy for a bit (tough when in the midst of the "polar vortex!" - honestly who comes up with these naming conventions?).

"Quick, dad - pocket this while she isn't looking."

It should be noted, however, that no medical victory is without its tribulations.  For K, this manifested itself in the form of VOLCANIC, EXPLOSIVE, HOLY-COW-HIDE-THE-WOMEN-AND-CHILDREN DIARRHEA.  I mean, we are talking AMAZING SQUIRTS OF FURY!  Luckily, I was tucked away in the Great White North and missed a lot of it, but wife muffin was inundated with runny feces.  Case in point - K went through FOUR OUTFITS IN ONE DAY at daycare.  And get this - whilst the doctor did mention this was a possibility, he FAILED to mention the fact that diarrhea can actually persist for weeks OR EVEN MONTHS after finishing the medicine.  Luckily hers abated after 4 days, but still - I saw more than one outfit soiled, and I can only imagine what JT went through on her own.

Notice the letters - JT and I play a game where
we alternate saying a word that starts with
whatever letter she's holding.  Yes, I expect
her vocabulary to be AMAZING.

I arrived home on Thursday evening, and Friday morning Team Taylor set out "over the mountain" to Tennessee for my stepbrother Adam's wedding.  He was marrying his third grade sweetheart - they'd reunited recently after basically 20 years apart.  We knew we had to be in TN and at the church by 8 PM for the Rehearsal dinner, so we allowed PLENTY of time.  Good thing, too, as it took us THREE HOURS of packing just to get out the door on Friday morning.

The drive was smooth - we made it to TN in about 5 hours or so (best case given 1 hour to feed/change/burp and 4 hours of driving), arriving at casa de Grand-Nanny.  Mom wasn't there yet, and so we had some great time bonding with Nan and unpacking.  It took K all of .00003 seconds to identify the most dangerous spot in the living room and make straight for it - a brick ledge right on her chin level.  This actually turned out to be a good thing, however, as it was the PERFECT HEIGHT for her to practice pulling up.  That is a good segue way to announcing 3 new milestones that all occurred this week, more or less simultaneously.

1.  K pulled up!  She actually did this at our house last week, and the first location of choice was the 6 inch "half step" between our bonus room and the upstairs hallway.  K had been eyeing it for weeks, and up until this week she'd required our help to clear it.  This week, however, she finally figured out how to position herself and swing her leg.  AMAZING!  Daycare is working on K in the "obstacle course," and we're doing it as well.  We're seeing the benefits of it, as she's becoming much more adept at negotiating uneven surfaces (such as her parents) and figuring out when she can and cannot scale something.  She also pulled up on the brick ledge at Nanny's (this was the first time I'd seen it) - SO EXCITING!

2.  First steps!  Now granted, they aren't on her own, but K is now finally figuring out that, as long as she's holding something, she can take a step to move closer to her target.  Granted, she doesn't always want to do it, but she's getting more comfortable with every passing day.  Sometimes she's willing to take steps with us holding her hand, but more often than not she prefers to take steps when she's in the "down dog" yoga position (which daycare is noticing as well).  That girl gets into plank ALL THE TIME - her arms (and legs) are definitely getting stronger, and we're seeing some additional strengthening in her torso as well.  The goal for me is to now focus more on reading and thinking with her, as I truly feel that physically she's caught up and is starting to really excel at using her muscles.

K opening her first ever Valentine's Day
present (from Grammie, of course).
And YES - I can confirm that the torch of
$14 per annum has officially been passed.

3.  Cruising (Florida-Georgia Line style!)!  That's right, folks - when you add 1 and 2 together, you get some cruising!  Now granted, it's not much at all, and I can't really get her to take more than 1 or 2 steps at a time.  However, there's now question that she IS taking conscious steps to move toward an objective, and we are SO happy about it.  It really has felt like almost instant improvement in her motor skills over the last two weeks, and I'm feeling better and better about having a professional install those gates (especially watching her shake them for all they were worth today).

Friday night was the rehearsal dinner, and it was delicious.  It was also great to see the fam.  We didn't bring K, but given that dinner started after her bedtime and it was freezing outside (9 degrees Fahrenheit!), we thought it best to leave her with Grammie and Grand Nanny.

Saturday was the wedding, and it was BEAUTIFUL!  They did such an amazing job with their vintage theme, and you could truly feel the love in the church.  I cried on more than one occasion, which I always think is a good thing at a wedding.  JT looked SMOKIN' HOT with her straight hair, and the entire experience was just wonderful - good food, good visiting with family, and that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with knowing two people are made for each other, are in love, and are a part of your life.  Yes, yes - I am a sappy soul.  K - I apologize in advance for all the times I'll cry talking about you and watching you in whatever you get into. :-)

The fam, with the newlyweds in the center - congrats, guys!

Check out my exceptionally awesome "faux hawk" - quality.

Sunday was a lazy, wonderful day.  I moved a grand total of 10 feet, basically going back and forth between the kitchen and the living room (Nanny made chicken casserole - OH YEAH, BABY!!!!).  K was an angel baby all day, laughing and playing, and it is always so much fun to watch her with Nanny.  It was also hilarious to watch her with mom's necklace - she was a HUGE fan of Grammie's jewelry!  Steve came over, as did Benny, Kay, and Charlie, and it was wonderful to have so much family so close.  I feel really good about how much time we've been able to spend with TN family since K's birth - it's important for her to know them at an early age, and it's important for us to always keep that connection to my roots strong.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the milestone for which this post is titled - K definitely has a word!  Drumroll please - it's "light!"  But before we go too crazy and pop open the champagne, a few qualifiers:

1.  She actually pronounces it "aight"

2.  Sometimes she points at a fan that had NO LIGHT OF ANY KIND and says "aight" - we give her credit

3.  Sometimes she just looks up at a white ceiling and says "AIGHT"  - I was a little skeptical about this one until I found out that, technically, babies associate their first words to "concepts" vs. actual objects, meaning that she could really just think about any bright area above her head as "light" - again, I'll take it

K posing with Grammie and part of her Valentine's Day
present - the full length version of her favorite book!

She's also gone consonant crazy, and I believe she's finally starting to associate "mamamamamama" with Jenny and "dadadadadadadadada" with me.  She definitely knows when we're about to pick her up, as she sits up straight and raises her arms (it's soooooooo cute), and I am pretty sure those consonants do directly relate to us.  She's clapping all the time now and even waving some, so as you can see - it's been quite the week of discovery!

Okay, I think that's enough for this session, but a proud papa has to brag. :-)  Speak soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

The art/science/witchcraft that is baby proofing and becoming a better parent...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  10 months and 10 days

Family,

And a good Monday evening to you from the Queen City - what a week!  Actually, I should come clean and tell you that I'm actually writing this on Jan 28th, more than a full week after the post date.  However, considering that the last 10 days have seen me in -25 C weather in Canada and at a wedding in TN, I'm hoping you'll excuse me.  And fret not - the Bull has kept meticulous notes (translation - scribbled highlights in his notebook), and so I should be able to keep the week's separate.

This blog is a bit different, as it's actually less about K and more about her parents.  I have no lie to tell - 10 months in, and I feel like I've been one step behind every second of the way.  Whether it's knowing what milestone comes next, thinking through what solid foods she needs to be starting, or thinking about what sign I need to learn next from the Primrose sign language catalogue, the Bull feels as though, try as he might, he's just not been able to get in front of things coming at him.  This is doubly frustrating for me.  For starters, the project manager in me is NOT used to constantly scrambling without managing against a plan (I mean, I even had a "cutover task list" for our wedding), as I know that being reactive is never the best way to "achieve progress against plan."  More importantly, the father in me knows how essential it is to establish the road map and help shepherd the wee one down the path, and I just feel like I haven't been at that point.  And just when I think I'm getting back to even, we have another Peds appointment, where I usually learn a) we have things we need to work on and b) we're already behind on the next set of activities.  Within the last two weeks, however, I am pleased to admit that I think we've turned a corner.

Parenting is just like anything else - experience is the best teacher, and with repetition comes speed (and by extension more time).  I liken it to basketball in that regard - elementary school moves at one speed, but when you get to middle school everything feels faster.  This is compounded when you get to high school, and then I would expect it's exponential once you get to college (although I can't speak to that one).  However, whilst things feel as though they move at light speed when you're a Freshman, by your upper class years, you do feel much more in control and feel as though the game has slowed down.  Now, in truth, nothing about the game has changed.  Something has changed, however, about you.  You are more comfortable.  You are more relaxed.  And as things move quicker and become rote memory, your mind is finally able to start focusing on tasks ahead.  That's what I'm finally starting to see with Jenny and I, and I gotta say - it's a great feeling.

Now don't get me wrong - we have a LONG way to go.  However, some big steps (that's right - even parents have milestones) have been crossed off recently.  For starters, Team Taylor knocked off 2 big items this week in the world of baby proofing - outlet covers and staircase gates!  I had covered most outlets, but I sealed off the final remaining ones this week (even those above the counters - I mean, you can't be too careful.  Have you seen my wife rock climbing in Thailand?  Those genes are impressive...).  As with so many other "one time" activities, it just felt great to get that off the list and know that you don't have to watch the Munchkin's every move when she's on the ground (which is a good thing, because the increase in speed for her crawling is NUTS lately).

To quote Sean Connery:  "Welcome to the Rock."

As to the gates - I will be honest and say that was NOT my handiwork, but I have NO complaints.  After purchasing two separate sets of gates and finding both of them were a) the wrong size and b) weren't appropriate for our staircase, I was close to the point of desperation, as I knew that the Munch would soon be a motorboat.  Add in the fact that I knew I'd be out of the country soon for work, and I was determined to ensure JT at least had this added bonus layer of security.  As fate would have it, I happened to run into a friend of mine at work who mentioned a baby proofing company that professionally installed her gates.  She couldn't stop raving about this guy, and so I gave him a ring.  All I can say is BEST MONEY I'VE EVER SPENT.

For those of you that know me, you know hanging a picture and changing a light bulb are the extend of my skills around the house.  Between that and wanting to ensure those gates were more impregnable than Helms Deep and less escapable than Alcatraz, I was thrilled when this fella showed up.  He spent 5.5 hours working on these gates, and the end result is peace of mind for Team Taylor.  He also did a sweep of the house to point out potential hazards - I can confirm we failed most rooms, with the nursery being the most epic fail.  Grrrrrrrrreat...

Fashionista in the making - courtesy of Grammie.

Next step for us are the cabinets and the new car seat, and we're hoping to get to the new car seat by the beginning of Feb.  The cabinet locks will have to follow soon enough, as the Munch is already pulling up and LOVES the hardware on our cabinets.

Babyproofing aside, there are other spots where I think we're finally gaining some traction.  For starters, I'm now getting much smarter about what the Munch wears.  Weather this winter has been horrendous, and too often I've just tried to "run her into daycare" with little more than a fleece on.  I'm thinking about it more now, ensuring she's got a beanie on (courtesy of Grammie), that she's got her sweater, and that she's got short sleeves under it all for daycare (which is kept quite warm).  It's just the little bits of planning that ensure K will be warmer when she needs to be and (hopefully) be healthier for longer periods.  We're also starting to raise the temperature in her room on bath nights so that she won't be cold when we're applying lotion (and we're drying her in the bathroom, which is the warmest room in the house).

Seriously - cutest.  Daughter.  EVER.

Lastly, in the foods category, we're finally starting the move in earnest from containers to finger foods.  We are now circling almost the entire menu at daycare (K LOVES Ravioli, but peas are still her favorite - who is this kid?), and K is eating whatever Team Taylor eats when we sit down for a meal.  Most recently she tried pot roast and potatoes at Nanny Tacy's - she LOVED it!  Jenny and I are now starting to think about what types of food are appropriate and how best to prepare them, which is a radical shift from where we were a month ago.  And whilst we still are 100% bottle for the formula, K is getting a sippy cup every day now to prepare her for "toddling out" to the next classroom.

We are also looking at swimming lessons and actively pushing K on her next set of physical milestones (more on that in the next blog).  So far the next batch of "Kipper" swim lessons (9-12 months) hasn't been posted, but if all goes to plan we'll have K in swim lessons just before her first birthday party.

Okay, I realize that post was a bit different than most, but I wanted it recorded for posterity.  K - when you're reading this 30 years from now, remember that mommy and daddy took almost a year to truly figure out that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - we'll check in with you 3 decades from now to see if our planning paved the way for a better childhood. :-)

Speak soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

The Munch rolls 10 months...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  10 months and 3 days

Family,

The Munch at 10 months!  With a sort of
Aunt Jamaima thing going on...

And a good Monday evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull is NOT watching football on a Monday night for the first time since August.  Oh, the horror, the horror!  But no complaints, as now that football is coming to an end, I might actually get to bed at a decent hour and get some more reading done over the next 8 months.  But hey, enough about me.  Let's turn the focus to the reason you're reading this blog - the Munchkin!

So what a week it's been (sense a pattern forming here?)!  For starters, before JT left on Monday, she said "Munch Munch is really stopped up."  As she's had a cold every day for the last 4 months, I honestly didn't think anything about it.  When I went to wake her, however, I was stunned by how labored her breathing sounded.  And when I did actually wake her up, it was clear that something was NOT right.

While it may smell like an open sewer in
Calcutta, don't be fooled - the Munch
LOVES this stuff - sucks it down like candy.

For starters, the munch ALWAYS smiles when she wakes up in the morning.  She is, simply put, the happiest kid I have EVER seen.  So when she looked up at me dazed with puffy eyes, I knew we had a problem.  And then, when I put her on the changing table and listened to her working so hard for air (I will confess that I was genuinely concerned her windpipe was constricted and she was allergic to something), I knew we had to call the doctor.  As with the ER visit, I was definitely in the err on the side of caution camp.  Consequently, 10 minutes and 1 phone call later, I had a 9:30 appointment with the Peds.

As always, our doctor was fantastic.  She gave her a good check-up and then confirmed something we had feared - her ear infection had returned.  No amoxicillin this time, though - we upgraded to Cefdinir (aka - "clean your system out and do a reboot").  Dr. K told us that Kaitlyn would sound better within 72 hours and that we'd hear her cough break up, and she was NOT kidding.  We've still got 2 days to go (this is not one of those medicines where you're supposed to finish it all), but there's no question it's working, as she's definitely more mobile and seems to be happier.  She is still pulling her ears some, but I don't think there's any question that she's feeling better.

Working on standees!  We've seen the
occasional step but nothing consistent.
Almost there, little one!

I wanna play, mommy!  Look at the Munch
pulling herself up to her knees.  SO CLOSE
to figuring out all she needs to do is put
weight on those teeny little feetsies!

The rest of the week passed without incident (and she returned to daycare on Tuesday), and Saturday was a first for Sammy - a night alone in the house with the munch!  The only other time K had been without Jenny for a night was during KJ's bachelorette party, but I'd had mom here to help.  This time, however, I was on my own.  And whilst I wasn't worried, I have to admit I was a bit intimidated.  And, as fate would have it, NOT without good reason. :-)

JT was visiting Cuz and our friend Jen Webb, and the plan was to spend the night there.  Well, I got the sneetch down like a shot at 7:30, but at 8:40 she woke up screaming like a zombie was after her.  I mean, we are talking, NO WARNING JUST START SHOUTING.  I checked the diaper - no poopy. I bounced her for a bit and got 2 burps out - still no luck.  She then passed enough gas on my leg to refill the ozone with depleted methane, but still no joy.  I tried to put her down, and she went BSC.  I then picked her back up and gave her some infant Tylenol followed by a bottle of formula, but she was still going crazy.  Ultimately I put her down, and after another 12 minutes of screaming like she had bamboo under her fingernails, she gave out and passed out, sleeping soundly until 6:48 AM.  Let's just say I was relieved to survive my first night solo.  I now have even more respect for my wife for taking care of K and keeping this place afloat whilst I'm traveling for work.

Ultimately...I caved and just fed her.

The sneetch's first dance with the sippy cup -
.00001 oz in her mouth, 3 oz on the floor.

Saturday was also a big day because it was K's 10 month photo shoot.  10 months!?!?!?!  How is that even possible?  What an amazing voyage of discovery this last month has been.  K has finally gone mobile, and she's so close to pulling herself up.  She's now on stage 3 foods as well as table food, and daycare has gone almost exclusively (certainly 50-75% on a daily basis) to table foods.  She's learned how to play games, is starting to comprehend cause and effect, and (we think) is close to saying her first word.  Now, Grammie will tell you that she's already said it (she thinks K is saying "light" when she barks "aight," but JT and I are not sold.  After all, whilst she does say "aight" when looking at lights, she also says it when looking at sofas, the TV, tables, stuffed animals, and even her parents.  Sooooo...the jury's still out on that). :-)  She's close to stepping as well, but there's definitely a reluctance to do that when she's standing (but it is AMAZING how well she's standing now).

On the development front, she's also started trying the sippy cup.  It's a daily staple at daycare, but we've been a bit slack about it here at the house.  I'm conscious we need to get after that, and it IS something we'll get into this week (and this weekend at the latest).  I just feel we've had to prioritize development items, and for me mobility has had top billing as of late.

I mean, you can buy her all the expensive toys
in the world, but nothing will ever, EVER
fascinate her like a broken door stopper.

As for K, she continues to have a smile that could melt a glacier and is, I think and hope, a very happy, healthy paper.  Mom and dad are getting a bit more relaxed about everything, and for my part I finally feel caught up enough to start planning ahead for the next 12 months (vs. being in survival mode).  We've started looking into swimming lessons, and I'm trying to think about how to make the move to finger foods and sippy cups and further facilitate and encourage the work they are doing at daycare.  We are working on baby proofing the house, and we've even purchased the next size carseat!  So yes, the inexorable march of time continues, with our daughter growing up daily before our eyes and us scrambling to document every single whilst soaking it in.  The reality is that I know I'm going to blink and watch her driving away to college (actually, who am I kidding, I'm driving her there freshman year, damn it!), and so I have to continue and ensure I soak up every moment.  The good news is that I think we are doing that as best we can, as we get a lot of dedicated time with K when she's home from daycare and on weekends.  Work has been great for me lately, as I've had some new exciting challenges which has really helped me compartmentalize and focus during the work day.  That means I feel really good about what I've accomplished by the time I pick K up, and so I can focus all my energy and attention on her.

Okay, that's all for this edition - another great week in the books!  Chat with you next week!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

And the parents couldn't be prouder - THE MUNCH GOES MOBILE!!!!

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  9 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days

Family,

All bundled up and ready for a stroll on the parkway!
Which might have actually led to yet another ear
infection...because I am father of the year...

And a good Tuesday evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull is quite delinquent in getting you this week's post.  I really did have all the best intentions of doing this both Sunday and Monday, but hey - life happens, right?  And besides - better late than never. :-)  Ok, let's get amongst it, as this post is one for the ages!

This week was Grammie and Grand Pooh's week to visit, and boy did we have a blast.  They rolled in on Monday about 5 PM, and we took it easy that night (just 1 game of Spades, or should I say "nil dog"...) because wife muffin had to work on the 31st (brutal, right?  Who works on New Year's Eve?).

"Purple Couch is awesome, mommy!"

The 31st was a pretty quiet one as well, as we'd given Mom and Steve show tickets for their Christmas present (the Book of Mormon, which was HILARIOUS, for the record).  Between Jenny working and Mom & Steve off to downtown, the Bull had a good 6-7 hours of bonding time with the Munchkin, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.  For starters, K is REALLY improving her ability to stand up.  In fact, she's actually trying to pull herself up now from a sitting position.  We made the move from the downstairs back to the bonus room this week, and that has honestly made SUCH a difference on so many fronts.  For starters, the living room no longer looks like a bomb went off, and there is no question that a tidy house is certainly a bit more serene.  The bigger advantage, however, is that it's a much better exploratory environment for K.  There's so much more for her to look at (and at her eye level), it's all carpet (so she's a lot less gun-shy about rolling and moving), and there are shelves and couches at an appropriate height to work on her standing.  Grammie was the first one to point out that she was trying to pull herself up, and that day I did notice that she was engaging her biceps in an effort to reach the toys on the couch.  At this point, she still hadn't crawled, but we could tell the moment was imminent.

Seriously - when is the last time YOU
slept that good?  Too cute...

New Year's Day was next, and Team Taylor a) stayed up until midnight to ring in the New Year, and b) had date night on New Year's, baby!!!!  We went to Strike City to watch the first half of the Rose Bowl (and have some Fat Tire and beer, of course) before rolling over to the Belk Theater to watch The Book of Mormon (as I said - HILARIOUS).  We got home about 10:30, at which point we watched the 2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, where I am THRILLED to report that Jenny's Golden Knights SHOCKED THE FOOTBALL WORLD by defeating #6 Baylor 52-42 in the highest scoring game (and biggest upset) in BCS history.  Munchkin - it was a BIG DAY that capped off a BIG SEASON for your mommy!  But it also meant that we were up past midnight on back to back nights for the first time since probably 2011...ouch.

JT and I were both back at work on the 2nd, but mom stuck around to watch K.  I was downstairs working, but I could hear them upstairs having a blast - reading, singing, and playing.  They have such a great relationship, and K lights up with a HUGE smile when she sees her Grammie.  JT got home about 4ish, and that's where this post takes a turn for the epic. :-)

The moment of truth!  The Munch on her feet, ready to obliterate the plastic Tower of Babel.

Throughout the week the munch had managed to shuffle herself a bit, either rolling, scooting backwards, or quasi-army crawling to whatever tickled her fancy.  The good news is that, whilst not terribly fluid, she was getting to whatever toy/object/item she wanted to touch (and, by extension, eat).  This was big, because a) it hadn't really happened even the week previous, and b) Dr. Knutson said that she was less concerned with her crawling than her being able to reach whatever item she was fixated upon.  However, I have no lie to tell - Team Taylor still wanted to see that first crawl.

And then, suddenly, the moment arrives.  K is sitting up, staring at her new Vtech "laptop" that's about 3 feet away.  Slowly, she moves to her hands, and then, she gets her butt up in the air and in the crawl position.  Now, we'd seen this before, but usually the first move results in her going flat and reaching for the object in question, usually no closer to it than when she started.  This time, however, there was "the lurch," and BAM - the Munch had just moved her hand forward.  There was the "wobble," where she tried to figure out what to do next, and then - MAGIC - the Munchkin brings her leg and arm in motion at the same time.  Rinse-repeat 3 times, and then she's at the laptop.

I am so excited I can barely contain myself, and then Jenny starts stacking blocks about 5 crawl steps away.  K watches this for a second, then puts herself in position, and then slowly she starts covering the distance, so focused it's the absolute picture of concentration.  And then, the hand, the contact with the blocks, and the tower falling into oblivion!!!!!  At which point, the tears start, and I break down.

A pretty good summary of a normal Team Taylor weekend -
a basquillion toys, formula, coffee, sleepy parents,
football on the telly, and a child who CANNOT TAKE
HER EYES OF THE SCREEN.

Now I will admit that I am an emotional guy who "needs a good cry" once in awhile, but this was more than that.  This was, dare I say, one of my absolute PROUDEST MOMENTS, as I was watching the milestone that Jenny and I had waited to see for so long.  All the exercises, the trips to PT, and the worry - it was all worth it and then some as we watched her pound across the bonus room on 2 January.  I'm sure it sounds crazy if you're reading it, and I will probably laugh about it as well in 30 years time, but the relief I had when I watched her crawl was palpable.  As a father, you worry about everything - your child's diet, their development, their mental capabilities, you name it - and to see her catch up and hit such an important milestone was a tidal wave of relief, especially after having just (albeit barely) failed the initial autism review.  I wanted to squeeze Jenny to pieces and share in that moment, as it felt like such a triumph for every member of Team Taylor.

We played for another hour before it was bath time, and I have no lie to tell - it was, without a doubt, among the best, happiest hours of my entire life.  Those who know me know that I am obsessed with lifts, goals, and constant progress, but in that hour all of it fell to the wayside and I just enjoyed being a father, son, and husband with my girls.  As the quote goes:  "We don't remember days - we remember moments."  I will certainly remember that one forever.

Watch, as the cheetah approaches...

In the last several days the pace of change has increased.  Whilst still quiet (my prediction is a type B introvert - you heard it here), the babbling is picking up again.  When she goes to her toys, there is a more deliberate motion to pushing buttons, almost as if a) she remembers they are there and b) knows they will cause a reaction of some sorts.  And most important, she can now cover an entire room!  The cutest thing to date has been the game she plays with Jenny (I can't believe she grasps the concept of a game at this point!).  Jenny will go across the room and cover her face with K's "tag blanket" before saying "good night!"  K then crawls across the room and pulls the blanket off Jenny's face.  She always does this and knows what to expect (Jenny popping up and saying "Peekaboo!") - again, simply amazing to watch learning occur at what feels like the molecular level.

Lastly, it should be noted that I don't feel I've been a great husband lately.  Whilst I do think I've been a good dad, I need to work harder to support Jenny.  I have been tired and haven't worked out lately, but I will make no excuses.  I feel that my responses have been curt too often (not intentionally, but they seem to have come out that way), and she deserves better given all she's going through between the job and balancing that with her responsibilities at home.  Munchkin - when you read this 30 years from now, just remember how much I love your mom.  Daddy's 2014 resolution is to take better care of both of you. :-)

Okay, that's it for this installment - PROUD PAPPA SIGNING OFF! :-)

Love,

Sam and Jenny