And so closes (and begins) a major chapter in the lives of Team Taylor - Jenny's LAST DAY at BAC...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  13 months and 2 weeks

Kaitlyn,

So normally I address the blogs to the entire family, but this one is addressed specifically to you.  Why, you ask?  Well, because today is a VERY special day in your life (and the life of Team Taylor).  Today
is the day where your mommy makes a very big decision for all of us.  Today is the day where she hands in her laptop, keyboard, mouse, and badge, and leaves the company she's worked for across 9 years and 3 continents.  Why is she leaving them?  Because as great as the company has been to her and as much fun as she's had, there is something far more important that she wants to do.  She is going to leave this job to start a new career - one infinitely more exciting, fun, challenging, and rewarding.  What is that new career?  Raising you. :-)

Just a week ago she needed 2 hands to walk - the fact
that she's already down to one is just another reason
why I am SO HAPPY JT's gonna stay at home with Munch.

That's right, Munchkin - when I pick you up from daycare today, it will probably feel like any other day you've had to date.  You've had breakfast with Ms. Oliva.  You've played outside with Ms. Gutierrez.  You've read books with Ms. Dickson.  You will come home and desperately want to walk around with Scout (but I won't let you since it's pouring).  In fact, everything will appear the same, but something will be VERY different.  As I type this, your mother is in her LAST EVER MEETING with the company.  In 90 minutes, it will be over, and she'll be headed home.  And when I collect you and bring you back to the house, a new chapter will have commenced.  And whilst you'll still have 2 weeks of daycare, there will be no mistaking the new energy, the new excitement, the realization that the family is again going to be back under one roof.

Preparations have been made.  Daddy's office is now in his and mommy's bedroom, and henceforth our room is off-limits.  You have a lot more space in the Bonus room now.  We have outsourced all gardening so that we can spend every moment on the weekends with you.  Your mommy and I have already started discussing weekly schedules, development plans, museum memberships, and Montessori books, and she's about to drop a whopping $6 for an annual membership with the Highland Creek Meet-up.  And while we've got about 10,967,849 things still to do, we are confident that we can make this all happen.

What does it mean for you?  A lot of things.  For starters, it means that Primrose, a place that has been such an integral part of your existence to date, will move from being a daily ritual to a wonderful memory.  And while some of the friends you've made there will continue to be very much in your life (such as Avery), it means that some of the other girls you "ran with" (Grace and Gabby) may fade from your memory before they ever really attached, meaning that, when you read this in 25 years time, you will probably have no idea who I'm talking about.  It means that you'll sleep better (and longer) because you'll be in a quiet, dark room for nap time.  It means (hopefully) that you won't be sick as often, as you won't be around so many foreign germs.  It means that your education (motor skills, learning, and emotional development, among others) will now fall to your parents, at least one of which is nervous about the responsibility but thrilled at the same time to have the opportunity (that would be your father).  But most importantly - it means that you and mommy will have so much more time together.  And that, dear wee one, is the biggest reason for us making this move.

We have such precious little time with you at this stage - watching you discover the world, watching you smiling and excited when you wake in the morning, having you actually chasing us around for attention - and we want to ensure we make EVERY SECOND of it count.  I have no lie to tell - I am a little scared about my ability to "optimize your development."  If anything, I go into this knowing I will make a basquillion mistakes.  Perhaps I won't be firm enough on some points.  Perhaps I won't teach you things in the right order.  Perhaps I won't always read the cues when you need help.  But there is one thing I can absolutely GUARANTEE - you will KNOW you are loved by your parents and family.  I figure that's got to count for something.  The rest we can all learn as we go along.

K - no matter what you think of this photo,
TRUST US - it's better than the first one.

You are perched on the edge of an AMAZING journey, little one.  Just yesterday you stood for the briefest of moments, and I know the time where you can literally "stand on your own two feet"is almost at hand.  You've gone from having us drag you along while you try to walk to walking with good posture, holding onto only 1 of daddy's hands.  You are moving so fast with your little walker now, adjusting when you see uneven terrain.  You are even a passport holder, less than 3 months from getting your first passport stamp (and in Jamaica, no less!).  Soon you'll be at the Y with mommy, practicing swimming or playing in the Kiddie pool area.  Soon you'l be at libraries listening to child reading time.  Soon you'll be with us at the local Aquarium, learning about sea horses and starfish.  A world of possibilities stands before you, and your mommy and I are THRILLED to be the gatekeepers and key masters of this voyage, anxious to open so many new doors for you.  

Jenny - when you read this, just know how excited I am for Kaitlyn, how happy I am for you, and how proud I am of us for making this happen.  I love you SO MUCH.

Kaitlyn - when you read this, I hope you will see once again how much your mommy and daddy love you.  You have forever transformed us, kiddo - all completely for the better.

I love my girls.  I love that they will now be home.  My cup truly runneth over.

Love,

Sam, Daddy, and Husband Bear

Another first for the munchkin - Special K's first church service!

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  13 months and 11 days

Family,

The sneetch in her first Easter dress...

And a good Tuesday evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull has just finished tidying the house post a tiny bomb feeding session.  K finally did the inevitable tonight - even though she'd given me the "all done" food signal, I still put a last batch of peas on her tray, thinking she might want a few
more (she'd devoured the previous two helpings).  Well, she promptly decided to demonstrate an "I'll show you, daddy!" moment, because 4 tenths of a second after those peas hitting the tray, she had a handful of them and had chucked them to the floor.  And while this is nothing new, her actually getting one IN THE AIR VENT was.  The good news - it wedged itself just shy of the actual tubing, and so I managed to pull it out.  The lesson learned - move her seat far enough that Nolan Ryan couldn't hit that air vent.

Rasta baby says, "Passports are no problem, mon!"

But enough of this week's news, let's recap last week, which was yet another great one for the books.  We had 3 big activities, the first of which was getting K's passport!  So here's the deal - we are taking our first "family vacation" in July to Jamaica, and we booked it back in March.  Well, hearing that
passports were taking an insane amount of time to be processed and returned (4-7 weeks AFTER you managed to get the passport acceptance appointment - which took us 3+ weeks), I went ahead and paid for an expediting service (and for the record - the passport should be here in 48 hours, so I am very happy so far - knock on wood).  Now I am a worrier, and I had tied myself in knots making sure every last detail of K's application was accurate.  And so, with hopes high and preparation at its peak, we rolled up to the Kannapolis post office on Tuesday for our 12:55 appointment.

Who needs the play room?

I am happy to report that my fears were unfounded, and the gal who helped us was fantastic.  In fact, she was so sweet that, after seeing K's rather horrific passport photos (K - I'll save one for your wedding  or graduation - they were ROUGH.  But in your defense - a) you were sick, and b) what did I really expect with me just dangling you in front of a white screen while a flash like a supernova went off in your face?), she asked, "Do you want me to see if I can get a slightly better photo for you?"  Jenny's instant answer:  "YES."

"Shhhh...let's go try the laughing gas..."

It was actually trickier than expected, as the Post Office only had a stool to sit on (which K did NOT like).  Also, she really didn't understand why she couldn't have her thumb in the photo.  All the same, we got what we needed, and after one correction on the application, we were good to go!  I will obviously breath MUCH easier once it's in hand and verified accurate, but we're cookin' with gas now. :-)

The next big milestone was on Friday - K's follow-up visit to the ENT.  JT and I had a really good

feeling about this one, and I am SUPER DUPER THRILLED to report that SHE GOT THE ALL CLEAR!!!!  Dr. Lovejoy said that both ears were clear and said we were good to wait another 6 months before the next check-up.  Honestly, I cannot tell you what a BIG relief that is.  And granted, we know that she'll still be sick (especially while still in daycare), but to know that she's now

hearing better and that all the gunk is cleared from her ears makes mommy and daddy very, very happy.

"Change this damn air vent, daddy!"

The weekend was great, as we spent the night with Nanny and Grandpa Tacy.  Kim and Matt drove up from Atlanta, and we spent the weekend hanging out with them and eating an AMAZING meal cooked up by JT's mom.  The sneetch got some of it as well (ham, chicken, strawberries, sweet potatoes, and roles), and by 9:30 PM EVERYBODY was passed out - fat and happy. :-)  Sunday was Easter, and Team Taylor crossed another milestone off the list - K's first church service!

Our little angel (halo and all) PASSED OUT
after church - she goes to sleep INSTANTLY
in the car now - love the Britax!

Service was at 10 (right when K needs to feed and then nap), but she was an angel and actually made it 25 minutes before starting to get squirmy.  When the pastor started the big prayer, I quietly stepped out with her and into the nursery. She was the only child that day, and so she and I played with the blocks and walked outside for a bit before she began the "FEED ME NOW, DADDY!" motion.  That gal went through half a pack of puffs, 2 organic pouches, and most of a Nutri-grain bar before she decided she'd had enough.  And since she was in a white Easter dress, my fingers were quite the sticky mess from feeding her.  And while she didn't manage to sit through the entire service, I know JT and her family enjoyed having everyone there (plus I could hear the music through the walls, so that was nice). And K, in case you're curious (because all of your relatives certainly have been) - we did NOT set out Easter eggs for you to hunt this year.  Our logic, whilst perhaps insensitive, was sound - you can't walk, have any idea what the concept of "hunt and seek" is, and wouldn't know what to do with any egg you found.  Don't worry - we'll do it next year - promise. :-)

The only other item to report was that K spent a LOT of time on Sunday (when the weather was beautiful) outside with her doggie walker!  K took scout all around the cul-de-sac - SO CUTE!  Now

she did have a fall (and recorded what I would consider her first scrape on her knee), but it didn't seem to phase her, and she LOVED being outside.  She definitely prefers going downhill vs. up - can't say I blame her there!  We will definitely make a regular ritual out of the outside walking sessions.  I love it because I feel we are slowing expanding "her world," and she loves it because she can go so much further without having to turn around (and she LOVED the wind on her face today!).

Other than that, only one other item to report.  We are starting to notice a bit of separation anxiety whenever one of us puts her down (daycare noticed it as well and said that, for the last 2 weeks, she's kicked up quite the fuss whenever one of the teachers has put her down), and she doesn't really let too much moss grow under her feet before she's crawling (head down like the Juggernaut) toward us, a cry either imminent or sounding like a 9 alarm fire.  Daycare says this is normal (insert sigh of relief here), but I do want to start doing some research to see what I can do to better enable her adventurous spirit and sense of independence.

And in case anyone's scoring - 3 days of work left for wife muffin!!!!  A new chapter is just around the corner!  Speak soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

The poster child of cuteness...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  13 months and 4 days

Family,

And a good Tuesday afternoon to you on this uber-rainy afternoon in the Queen City.  Apologies for not getting to the blog on Sunday or Monday, but trust me - it's been a manic last couple of days.  For starters, I was in Costa Rica all last week with work,which means that I didn't get back until late Thursday night before a weekend road trip with the fam.  But I get ahead of myself - let's get amongst it, shall we?

Ok, so the BIG HIGHLIGHT of the week is that our daughter was QUEEN OF THE SCHOOL PICTURES!  That's right, sports fans - Kaitlyn Elaine Taylor's photo was selected as THE BEST of the entire school and was the featured picture for the "order your prints" poster!  It was crazy - I was in Costa Rica, back at the hotel after a MISERABLE day (we'd just delivered some very bad news, and I'd shed more than a few tears), when I got on wi-fi to check my personal messages.  Well, I get an email from "Heather Gaydeski Photography" telling us that prints are ready, and when I go to the website, lo and behold - K's picture is the cover and what you click to go into the site!  Now granted, I'm more than a little biased, but let's be honest - this child is SOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!  We ended up buying 3 of them, all of which are displayed on this blog for the world to see. :-)

The winner - a cropped version of this was the featured shot on the poster.

The other big milestone is that, as of last Monday, the car seat is now forward!!!!  We flipped both carseats this weekend, and I must say - the difference is AMAZING.  There is SO MUCH more space in the car now, K seems to fit so much better in the seat, it is fastened so much more securely, and we can actually move our seats back enough now that we aren't eating our patellar tendons.  It is a whole new world (especially for K, who now passes out INSTANTLY when you get her in the car), and I am so glad that we did it.  The infant carrier is officially retired until the next installment, as we have a "big" car seat in both of our vehicles (Katie and Ellie).  It should be noted that the Britax car seat (given to us by the Parkhouse clan) definitely fits more securely and seems more comfortable, but the el cheapo that the Bull purchased seems to be a passable seat for the sneetch as well.  We put the Britax in JT's car because a) that will be the car for long trips, b) soon she'll be the chauffeur, and c) we already had el cheapo in my car.  K looks so grown up riding back there!

This one is actually JT's handiwork - AMAZING!!!!  Way to GO, Muffin!

Other items on the development front - for starters, she's now saying "Uh-oh" at random times.  Granted, I don't think she actually knows what it means, but they are saying it at daycare, and I think she's trying to figure out what it should be associated with.  It is SO CUTE when she says it (notice a pattern forming here?  Not that I'm biased or anything) - much like how she instantly starts with "buh" the second she wakes up (whilst also pointing at the bookcase and the stuffed animals contained therein).  She definitely did a lot of vocalizing in the car this past weekend - she could have some howler monkey in her DNA...

Also, she is now quite the squirmer on the changing table.  I didn't realize this was "a thing," but apparently it's a very normal behavior for kids when they hit 13 months.  Now I'm not sure if that means she's officially "caught up" or just doesn't like being confined, but I can confirm that changing her is now very much a 2 person job.  Add in some exhaustion at the end of the night, and it is QUITE the adventure.

Also, K got her 3rd incident report this week.  On Thursday we got the call from daycare saying that K had fallen whilst standing in her crib.  She must have whacked her head pretty good, as a faint bruise is still there!  The treatment was a "cold pack followed by lots of hugs and cuddles," and she seems none the worse for wear. :-)

As for the weekend, Team Taylor took Friday off and made the 5.5 hour journey (including a stop at

K's first dance with the straw cup.  It went...about as expected...

Wendy's, as we refused to stop at McDonald's yet again) to West Knoxville, where we spent the weekend hanging out with the Rice clan!  My best friend "Uncle Johnny" is the baseball coach at a high school there, and I had never seen him coach.  Knowing how rushed TN weekends always are (and that we normally don't get to see each other since he's got 3 kids), we made some dedicated time to watch his team in a tournament this weekend (we caught 3 games), see his new house (FANTASTIC AND HUGE!), and meet their newest addition - Henry Dean (HD).  It was SO MUCH fun - filled with tons of laughs, lots of great stories, and - as per standard - TONS of great food.  Beka and Johnny are quite the chefs, and so we had ribs, hash brown casserole, ice cream pie, and deviled eggs.  Yes....good...mmmmmmm....

K meets Henry...and immediate wants to
put her fingers in his mouth...

"I wanna watch the Orange & White game, daddy!"

On Sunday we stopped on the drive home and met Grammie and Grand Pooh at Perkins for brekkie.  It was a quick catch-up, but it was great to see them, and very much an added bonus/nice ending to our TN weekend.  I so so so so so SO love getting back home to the Volunteer state, and so it's always great to pack it full of so many friends and family.  The weather was phenomenal as well, which definitely helped the experience (we spent a lot of time on Rice's deck - which is AWESOME).

The Rice clan strolling with K.

"Take...me out to the baaaaaall game..."

Lastly, it should be noted that K has yet another nickname - Tinybomb.  Taken from the hopped pilsner brewed by the Wise Acre Brewing Company in Memphis, this is the nickname I ascribed to K after watching a couple of feeding sessions where ALL THE FOOD IN AN EIGHT BLOCK RADIUS ended up on the floor around her.  It serious looked like a bomb went off in a refrigerator - hence the new name.

Okay, that's all the news for this installment.  Chat with you next (Easter) Sunday!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

"Bubbles, bubbles, all around..."

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  1 year, 26 days

Family,

And a good Saturday afternoon to you from the Queen City, where the Munchkin is at the 2 hour & 15 minute mark of her "post swim, post bath" nap and the Bull is on the screened porch, soaking up this AMAZING weather.  I am very pleased to report that, after a tough winter (for Charlotte anyway),

Hark!  Skiers in danger!  Never fear, UNDERDOG IS HERE!

spring is officially in the air.  Flowers are blooming, leaves are returning to the trees, and the sound of lawn mowers blazing fills the neighborhood air.  And the best news is that it's not scorching yet (although we did hit 88 this week!), so you can really maximize the outside time.

And speaking of maximizing the outside time, the sneetch definitely did that this week.  She was an ANIMAL at daycare, spending almost every waking moment outside (excluding sleeping and eating, of course).  Daycare acquired a new "tunnel" this week (one of those nylon-slinky looking things), and whilst at first she preferred to just slap the outside of it, we got photos later in the week that showed her plowing through that puppy like the drill they used in Ocean's 13 - way to go, sneetch!

As for the week, K has just been TOO CUTE.  She is now waving at EVERYTHING.  Animate.  Inanimate.  Made of Carbon.  Made of plastic.  Made in the USA.  Made in China.  Familiar face.  Total stranger. Robin in the yard.  Flag in front of a building.  Swim lane for a pool.  Brick veneer of daycare.  IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE.  But she will NOT, mind you, wave hello or goodbye on command.  The funniest thing for me is that, the SECOND she wakes up and you enter the room, she does the following:

K's first round on the floor of the screened
porch - WOW.  The filth, the dirt, the future
conversations with social services...

1. Smiles a mile wide

2. Points to her book case

3. Waves at her books

4.  Says "ba"

Yes, the ubiquitous "ba" - the one syllable that K has TRULY mastered.  She says "ba" constantly right now, and whilst I was initially tricked by my daughter into thinking that she'd said her first word (I tried EMPHATICALLY to convince Jenny that K had pointed at a robin and said "bird"), I soon realized that "ba" was more a conceptual statement of "oh, that's interesting - please direct my focus that way, oh slightly chubby caretaker that wants to be called father."  (Side note to finish the "robin" story. No sooner had I told Jenny that "K DEFINITELY knows ba is bird - she knows that's a robin," then she pointed to our chandelier and said - you guessed it - "ba."  She then proceeded to rinse-repeat this with the window, door, table, my wife/her mother, a sippy cup, the staircase, the coffee table, all of her books, and her crib.  Needless to say I will NOT try and claim another milestone without Jenny present again...

Lovin' the splash, baby!

K was definitely tired this week (even had 2 one hour naps at daycare on Friday, which NEVER happens), and I think she's still working through a cold (shocking, that).  However, she's been very happy and very active both at daycare and at home, and so I am (sincerely) hoping that the tubes are working.

The sneetch decked out in her first
international t-shirt - courtesy of the Webbster
and her hubby Matt.  Thanks, guys!

Around the house, we've noticed that she's starting to entertain herself a bit more.  Now don't get me wrong, that girl LOVES to be picked up or walked with (two activities which mommy and daddy are still more than HAPPY to condone and oblige), but this week I did notice that she was more content playing with the toys in the living room.  The favorite of which is "bubbles the learning whale," a gift from the Parkhouse clan.  So here's the deal - this thing is
supposed to go in the tub and attach to the tile.  However, because bath time is so quick and K LOVES PLAYING WITH IT, we've just left it in the box and down in the living room.  It's VTech, so there are plenty of lights and sounds anytime you push something.  Her favorite button to push is the orange starfish (who, incidentally, is playing the triangle - HOORAY!), and after any 2-3 minute period of inactivity it begins

Purple Easter grass is AWESOME!!!!!  And so is shredding it - one blade at a time.

singing:  "Bubbles, bubbles, all around, popping bubbles up and down, bubbles popping to and fro, bubbles put on quite a show!"  And whilst the vocals won't win next season's "The Voice," K actual sways every time she hears it!  It is honestly TOO CUTE.  I push the button just to watch it.

Grammie came this week so Jenny and I could have date night (went to see "Ghost the Musical"), and once again my mother was AMAZED at how well K goes down for the night.  Her text to us at intermission was just priceless.  Fingers crossed #2 will be that well behaved!

It was mom/Grammie's birthday, and she got to keep K that afternoon and the following morning before she had to roll back to Tennessee.  It was a whirlwind visit (as was my father's the previous week), but we had a blast, ate some good food, and got to relax a bit - all good things. :-)

The only other news to report was that K had her school pics this week, and rumor has it that she stole the show!  She was apparently all smiles in her "St. Patty's Day" dress, and the photographer said that she got some great photos of her smiling and standing - two things we definitely did NOT get at Faith's for the one year.  I hope to see them next week - can't wait to see and hopefully have a new shot to post here soon!

The weekend has been great, as swim lessons went well again today.  Tonight we'll have dinner with our neighbors, and so if you're reading this and see a photo here, then you'll notice that I wrote ahead for that portion. :-)  Oh, and we also have K's passport photos on the docket for this weekend - that should be QUITE the adventure.

Okay, that's it for this guy, so I'll sign off for now.  Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny