Age of Lady Kaitlyn: 3 years, 5 months, and 20 days
Gestational Age of Baby T: 23 weeks and 6 days
Family,
And a good evening to you from 37,000 feet, where Sammy the Bull is typing aboard flight 861 to Denver
(heading out to visit "Uncle Tait"). Plenty to cover off from the month of August, so let’s get amongst it, shall we?
(heading out to visit "Uncle Tait"). Plenty to cover off from the month of August, so let’s get amongst it, shall we?
8/1 – 3 great quotes from this day:
1. “Daddy, you forgot your lipstick!” This is what Kaitlyn is calling chapstick, and she is LOVING the Sofia lip balm that Vol Nana got her (we are talking putting on oceans of it in a single sitting – pretty cute). In my case, it was my UT balm, and K was great to run it over to me and ensure I didn’t forget it (it is SPF 15, after all J).
2. “Daddy has to be my sister!” This is where we play the “Frozen” game after her bath. Here’s how it goes:
a. We both exit the bathroom in towels, but I got to the window and start singing “Let it Go.” She goes the long way (the hallway).
b. She walks in and asks me to come back to Arendale.
c. I say “I’m never coming back” and throw an ice spell at her.
d. She grabs her chest (as I’ve just frozen her heart) and starts shivering.
e. Jenny comes out and gives her a hug.
f. All is well.
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| "Yippie Kai O, Kai, Yay! Sherriff Callie's Wild West!" |
3. “I’m gonna give you slobber kisses, mommy.” We have no idea where she came up with this, but she PLANTED one on JT’s lips. It was pretty funny.
8/3 – she had a good swim lesson on this day (I wasn’t there, but apparently she was a bit stubborn and resisted Ms. Donna a bit. I think the crux of the issue was a desire to do the stroke herself, coupled with the reality that doggie paddle and freestyle really are much easier than backstroke (especially at her age). Donna is still a big Kaitlyn fan – she calls her “one tough cookie. “ J Side note on this – I’ve looked at a few sites to understand expectations on learning backstroke, and it sounds like 3.5-4 years old is the earliest you can do it. Part of it is just that the muscle control isn’t developed yet, making it difficult to pull water. That being said, she’s still doing great, and the other kids in the class are SO much older! It’s really neat to see her in the water, swimming and hanging with those other kids. In my mind she is ahead, and that’s a great feeling.
8/4 – We had a classic Elsa/Anna moment this evening. We had reversed roles, and she was Elsa. JT wasn’t there for some reason, and so we’d agreed that Kaitlyn would come and hug me to thaw my heart. Well, after she “froze my heart,” she just stood there watching me as I slowly pulled myself into a heap like I was turning to ice. When I asked if she was going to hug me, she said, “No, I’m just gonna let you freeze.” CLASSIC!
The other classic moment was during prayer when she said, “Can you pray for my snot?” She then went on to qualify: “that it leaves?” J
8/5 – Baby T was 20 weeks on this day – the size of a small banana! This day was important for another
reason, as Granddaddy, Granny A, and Aunt Pattie arrived for the weekend. Jenny and I were leaving EARLY in the morning for our 10 year anniversary trip (out to New Mexico), and three sets of grandparents had graciously offered to share the load and give us a FULL WEEK AWAY! We had been preparing K for the fact that we were leaving and other folks would be there, and she seemed TOTALLY fine with it.
reason, as Granddaddy, Granny A, and Aunt Pattie arrived for the weekend. Jenny and I were leaving EARLY in the morning for our 10 year anniversary trip (out to New Mexico), and three sets of grandparents had graciously offered to share the load and give us a FULL WEEK AWAY! We had been preparing K for the fact that we were leaving and other folks would be there, and she seemed TOTALLY fine with it.
8/6 – We were up at 3:30 this morning and at the airport before 5 (6 AM flight), but Dad kept us appraised of the activities throughout the day. Bottom line – K had a BLAST and certainly didn’t miss us! She swam for 3.5 HOURS at Prosperity Park and even learned how to flip! Alice said that she basically flipped non-stop that entire time. They also got a visit to 201 Central AND Carolina Ale House – well done!
8/7 – This was a handover day between Dad and Mom, and K had a blast again. She swam for 2 hours with Dad and Alice, and then she baked cookies and painted with Vol Nana! Vol Nana also rocked up with a 96 piece puzzle, which K figured out on her own! AMAZING! The photos from this day were priceless, as we had shots of K making t-shirt designs, in a baking hat, you name it. I must give my folks credit – they came with some GREAT ideas as to how to keep K busy!
We checked in every day with a phone call, and K would always ask, “How’s New Mexico?” She would then say, “I’m pretending I’m there with you.” I mean, if that doesn’t melt your heart, what will?
The flip side was proof that original sin exists in children. Before bedtime on Sunday night, K told mom: “Vol Nana, I’m allowed to sleep in my clothes.” We have NEVER said that! Stinker!
And the other big news - Team Taylor went FaceBook official today!
8/8 – Big day for Team Taylor – we felt Baby T kick for the first time!!!! It was a big one for mom’s relationship with K as well, as she actually drove her somewhere for the first time ever (over to Harris Teeter for a cookie and to ride the dragon). The cutest quote of the day was K talking to mom: “Vol Nana, you live far away, don’t you? (mom nods) I wish you didn’t.”
8/8 – Big day for Team Taylor – we felt Baby T kick for the first time!!!! It was a big one for mom’s relationship with K as well, as she actually drove her somewhere for the first time ever (over to Harris Teeter for a cookie and to ride the dragon). The cutest quote of the day was K talking to mom: “Vol Nana, you live far away, don’t you? (mom nods) I wish you didn’t.”
8/9 – We received a photo on this day of K standing in front of the “Finding Dory” movie poster – it was K’s first movie! She absolutely LOVED it. And to top it off, Mom bought her popcorn AND gummy fish. I mean, that kid was in heaven! But the funniest part – Mom asked her if she wanted to go to Chik-fil-A and she said, “No, it will be too crowded.”
8/10 – this day was a highlight for mom, as she took K to the pool and swam with her for the first time. Mom LOVED IT. They also hit CFA as well. The night was apparently rough, as K woke up at 1:45 screaming “Vol Nana!” She did always ask if Vol Nana was going to be there in the morning, so perhaps a part of her knew things were about to change…
8/11 – This day was good, but K absolutely BAWLED when Mom left (Jenny’s parents were sitting). I felt so sorry for poor Jan, as K loves her and Bob so much but was I’m sure just so exhausted from all the excitement and so tired of all the handoffs. Apparently K kept screaming “One more hug!” to mom and was holding her leg for dear life. The good news – Jan was a trooper, and shortly after Mom left all was good (and all was great the rest of the time, for the record).
8/12 – Baby T hit 21 weeks on this day. The size of a carrot and ¾ of a pound! Also, we arrived home on this day, and the second we walked in K said, “Let’s play soccer!” I was just too cute, and for us it was a wonderful moment, as it allowed us to just pick up right where we left off. K even remembered the “Jacked Up Grill” song and was able to sing the orthodontist bit – too funny! So yes, we fell right back into the rhythm, and Jan was even able to head out that night vs. having to stay.
One interesting thing to note – she wanted just panties that night (no diapers). We obliged, as we’d learned that Mom let her just wear panties and Jan let her wear them over the top of her nighttime diapers. Well, unlike all their experiences, K wet the bed LIKE A CHAMPION at 2:45 AM.
8/13 – We headed up to Asheville for James’ first birthday, and we had a GREAT time. It was obviously a quick trip, but we got a good 6 hours with family (and even a great farm to fork meal in the process).
Highlights from James' 1st birthday party:
8/14 – Two classic moments from this day:
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| The birthday boy made out like a bandit! |
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| And had a little help unwrapping gifts from a certain cousin... |
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| LOVE this one. |
8/14 – Two classic moments from this day:
1. While we were swimming, K kicked and almost hit my nether region. Her question to me: “Dada, did I almost kick the giggleberries?” CLEARLY I need to watch what I’m saying around that kid. Little ears always listening!
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| Before the crime... |
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| But still pretty cute. |
It’s interesting, as K is starting to lie now for the first time ever. There’s a growing trend of it, and so it’s something I think we’re going to have to immediately start policing. In fact, there are really 4 areas that I think we’re going to have to keep an eye on (and build in rules and consequences):
1. Lying
2. Throwing things
3. Sucking her thumb (not rules and consequences on this, but we do need to work on breaking it again)
4. Pulling on her vagina – I’ve actually really been watching this one lately, as I’ve noticed that almost every time she’s watching TV, laying in her bed, playing hide and seek, reading a book, etc – she almost always reaches into her pants. Over the last 3 days in August I made a concerted effort to a) point it out, b) move her hand, or c) both. I think it’s having some effect, as last night when I checked on her while reading she proactively said, “I’m not touching my ninger ninger.” J
8/15 – we had a doctor’s appointment on this day, and everything looked GREAT! The heartbeat was 149, and everything looked on track. The best line was from the doctor when checking to make sure she was still tracking on schedule: “That’s a great looking cervix.” I fell out laughing, and the guy smiled and said: “That’s a cervix you can be proud of. It’s probably why you married her!” Priceless.
Based on the measurements Baby T was 15 oz at this point. And we got some really, REALLY cute pictures.
8/16 – Today was a day of reflection for me, as I realized that I’d been struggling to focus on multiple fronts. I felt it most acutely while parenting, as I really felt like I’d not been a very attentive parents in the week or 10 days since returning from our 10 year. Also, I definitely felt that I hadn’t focused on Baby T tasks at that point, and let’s face it – the countdown is on! Typing this as of 9/5 (from the DIA airport), I can say that I now feel much, much better and more switched on as a parent. And since I had a God encounter and started “What’s Shakin’ Your Ladder?”, I now feel more focused at work as well. J
8/17 – K went off the blocks for the 1st time today at her swim lesson! She LOVED it and kept wanted to do it over and over (and over!). Jenny got some great video of it, and the smile on that girl’s face when she climbed out of the pool could have melted a glacier. Too cute! Ms. Donna said, “She is one tough cookie.” J I never get tired of hearing that! Seriously – I know I’ve said this before, but seeing her hanging with those 6 year old boys is really awesome. I am so proud of her and just hope she continues to a) enjoy it and b) grow as a swimmer. I know she won’t always be the “young one” who’s performing ahead of schedule, so I’m just enjoying watching it happen right now. Love that kid!
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| Vol Nana' idea - too cute. Love the goggles. |
Side note as well on three great quotes I’ve experienced this month:
1. “FREEDOM HOUSE!!!!!” K screams this every time we pull up to church. I LOVE it, and she really is excited to go to church most Sundays. I very much enjoy our ride together, pointing out the Fire Station, where mommy parks, the big field, and the Interstate (which she also screams at the top of her lungs before she says, “That’s what we take to go to Tennessee, Disney World, and Nole Nana and Grandpa’s!” I mean…pretty cute.).
2. Whenever I come downstairs during the work day, K always asks, “How was your work, dada?” Now I’ve started getting, “How was your call, dada?” I’ve also got: “How’s work doin’?” It’s pretty adorable, and it’s cute to see her making those connections.
3. The other day I was on a call, and she knocked on the “office” (aka our bedroom) door. When I didn’t answer, she ran away and yelled to JT, “Daddy’s on a call!” And can I just say that I love it when she asks, “Is your work done, dada?”
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| The is a 96 piece puzzle that girl is doing - ON HER OWN! |
But the one little duck with the Jacked Up Grill, he made best friends with a little horn bill, little horn bill…
To the orthodontist he did go,
Brace and bracket, brace and bracket, to and fro
But the one little duck with the Jacked Up Grill, he went to Chick-Fil-A for a kids meal, a kids meal
To the counter he did go,
Grilled nugget, fried nugget to and fro
But the one little duck with the Jacked Up Grill, he said, you know this is a pretty good deal, pretty good deal…
Yes – that is what I’m teaching my child. PARENT. OF. THE. YEAR.
8/19 – Baby T was the size of a spaghetti squash on this day (whatever that is J). Baby T was also compared to a turnip. This day was also big because it was the TRUE END of ducky potty. And sure enough, he has not made a reappearance.
I took K swimming on this afternoon, and she did 75 METERS OF FLIPS IN THE COLD POOL. It was incredible! Seriously – I’d never seen anything like it. She was understandably exhausted when it was done, as she flipped the length of the pool 3 times (as well as swimming it a few times). She also did her first (and second) dive off the blocks. This was somewhat unprompted, and it ended with K screaming. The first one went very well, but the second one was a total belly flop. K popped up crying, and we didn’t do any more of that. J
Side notes from this day: First off, K is getting SO articulate now. It’s truly incredible the sentences she’s stringing together. Her recap of the day is getting pretty impressive, as she’s actually able to rattle off all the different venues/activities in order. Oh, and her best quote of this day? She picked up a koozie off the floor and said, “Here, dada. This belongs to your beer.”
Also, a new ritual at night – when she is taking her last sip of water, we have to sing “Tomorrow” from Annie…IN SPANISH. It’s pretty funny, and in an effort to keep her from drinking an entire sippy cup we speed through “Manana, manana! Te quiero, manana! Eres siempre un dia lejos.” It should be noted that JT did correct my translation, but that ship has sailed at this point. :-)8/20 – We hit the Sweet Spot for brekkie before rolling over to Lowe’s for Fire Ant Bait. As we were checking out, K grabbed my leg and said, “Don’t let them kill me, dada!” I couldn’t stop laughing and explained that she was going to be fine and dandy. Which reminds me – I’ve still not killed those bloody ants…
This was also a big day of nesting, as we started moving K’s clothes into her closet today! K seemed to enjoy it, but in looking back, part of me wonders if she realized that something was happening with this little activity. Since this moment, K has been much more clingy. It actually started at church that night when we dropped her in FH kids, as she was almost bawling when I started to walk away. She screamed “ONE MORE HUG!” out of nowhere. She was on the verge of tears even as I walked away. Not sure where that came from, and we’ve seen that several times since then. Now don’t get me wrong, I love those big strong hugs. I just hate to see my daughter in distress!
8/22 – I had a proud papa moment on this day. K was swimming in the cold pool with JT, and the life guard just walked over to me. He asked her age, and when I said she was 3, he said, “She can swim! When you got in the pool with her I thought, ‘what is this guy thinking?’” I mean, that made me proud. That’s my girl!
Also, that morning, K cried when JT left to work at church. Again, it was out of nowhere (and had NEVER happened before), and she was ready to wail for a good minute after JT walked downstairs (we were in the bonus room). That little lip was quivering, and tears were just streaming down. Within 10 minutes we were good, but the poor girl was rattled!
We also had lunch with Tait’s parents at Tupelo Honey on this day, and it was a hoot. Jenny (Tait’s mom) had purchased several little items for K, and as a result she was an angel. It was great to see them (had been 6 years!), and K was really good to let us chat (she’s wearing her pink “K” purse all the time now). Seriously – that girl wears her purse EVERYWHERE. She’s got 2 of them, and she is NEVER seen outside of the house without her purse (including NOMAD). Purses, shoes, dresses…I am in trouble. Efforts to make her a tomboy must be doubled. J
8/23 – I saw Alma at NOMAD (one of the ladies who works there – super sweet) today, and she stopped me to ask if we were expecting. When I said yes, she said we were great parents and really enjoyed our daughter. She said, “That will be one lucky baby.” Now that sure made me feel good and was a great way to start the day!
JT volunteered at church on this day, and so K was with the kids team. K loved it! She got Chick-Fil-A, got to watch minions, had snacks – you name it. Matter of fact, when Jenny went to get her, she was sitting on a bean bag and watching a moving – she didn’t want to leave!
And the best news – she pottied in her own stall at church without help!
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| And no...the women in my life did NOT just get arrested. |
Side note – K hasn’t been eating much lately, especially at dinner. She’s still eating a good breakfast and a pretty good lunch, but dinner is pretty much ZIP. However, she’s still not waking up in the middle of the night, so we’re assuming all is well. Also, she still is OBSESSED with playing “soccer,” aka “That Red Ball is mine.” Truth be told, this game has NOTHING to do with soccer, and I think she’s likely going to be extremely confused when she starts soccer camp this fall. Until then, however, I’m happy to do whatever.:-)
8/26 - So K woke up with a cold this morning - we are talking a deep, nasty, throaty cough. The good news is that she felt pretty good through the entire illness (even if she did have a fever), and the cough, while sounding horrible, was fine in the evening (with a little medicine to keep it at bay).
Side note - right now K is LOVING asking, "How many minutes is it?" for everything - the timer, drives to different locations, time until we go somewhere, time until the weekend - you name it. It's pretty cute. Also, she watches one of the old Disney movies every night while we put on her lotion. Right now she is LOVING the Lion King and the Little Mermaid, and it's SO CUTE to see her singing the songs we grew up with. We've done Beauty and the Beast as well as Aladdin a few times, but the first two are definitely the crowd favorites. And she's really started to memorize some of it - truly incredible! The best part is the way she says the word "collection" while singing "Part of that World" - too funny.
We were playing that night, and I was pretending to eat her. Her response? "Daddy, I'm not food." Classic.
Also, Baby T was 23 weeks on this day - the size of a mango. Wha, what?!?!?!?!?!? :-)
8/27 - I was pretending to eat her again, and she ran away saying, "Mommy, daddy's chewing me!"
8/28 - On a more serious note, there are 3 things I want to be more vigilant about that I decided to commit to paper this evening. The first is that we need to start watching how much K scratches and pulls on her vagina, as I fear that's becoming a habit. I have noticed it sporadically, but lately I've noticed it every time she's laying down, whether it's reading, watching a show, or even playing hide and seek. The second one is sucking her thumb, which has also been quite a constant since Jenny's return from Peru (so odd, as she was so close to breaking it prior to JT's departure). The third is a more interesting one, in that K has started lying to us quite blatantly. At first I didn't really think much of it, but I have noticed a rather disturbing trend of it - including continuing to deny something when caught. Some of it could be the fear of punishment, so I do need to think of a way to manage it. An example was on this evening, when I asked her if she took a pouch upstairs. She said it was downstairs, but when I asked her to come downstairs, I saw it behind her back. When I asked her to show me the pouch behind her back, she kept saying, "It's not a pouch. It's a Zebra!" Not sure why that was the mammal, selected, but the sentiment remains - we must focus on curbing/taming this manifestation of original sin.
Also, JT had taken two animals earlier in the week when K climbed over our stair gate (after being told not to). At lunch on this day, she did it again when we weren't around. However, after she did it, she said, "I climbed over the gate . Mommy, you have to take some animals! I mean, I guess that's progress, right?
This weekend was a busy one, especially the Saturday. We were watching Jen's 11 month old Hunter, and that kid was into EVERYTHING! It was SO DIFFERENT than K, but it was certainly great training for what's coming! K was really pretty good about everything and did a pretty good job sharing her toys (certainly better than I would have done at that age). For my part, it's true that boys are different! That kid was pounding pots, eating everything, pulling up on everything, and just generally causing chaos and mayhem. It was amazing! Let's just hope the next one is as chill as K. :-)
The other fun item on this day - Jenny's surprise Baby "Sprinkle!" So I had no idea this was a thing, but apparently the shower for the second child is called the "Sprinkle." Give Jen Webb all the credit in the world, as she planned this (along with Kim and Megan) in the month or so leading up to her visit. 9 girls (largely former work/travel peeps) came, and they had a BLAST! I had K, and we had a terrific time just hanging out. JT was showered with gifts, and the cake was AWESOME! Full marks to the Webbster - I was very impressed.
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| CUCUMBER!!!! JACKPOT!!!!!! |
Last but not least - after much thought, prayer, research, and consideration, Team Taylor has decided NOT to go to Disney this fall. The biggest reason was Zika, as cases have continued to appear in Florida (and are moving Northward in the state). While there is only 1 case in Orange County at time of writing, the reality that a) it is present in the county, b) tons of Brazilian tourists will be there and could assist in spreading the virus, and c) this isn't like Peru where we felt led by God to be there all led us to the decision that we would be better served waiting until 2017 or even 2018 to take this trip. It was truly amazing how much better we INSTANTLY felt once we made that decision (to say nothing of the cost savings, which have also helped me breath much, much easier as of late).
We were afraid how K would take it, but she was actually amazing. We told her there was a bug that could hurt Baby T, and she just said, "Ok, mama." I mean, pretty amazing really. Gotta love that kid. And we are planning to go to TN instead, so it's not as if we are completely cancelling travel and the vacation. And besides, something tells me she'll enjoy her time with Vol Nana and Granny A as much as she would enjoy her time with the Mouse. Plus we think we'll hit Chattanooga for a day or two, so that will be fun.
Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print. Chat next month!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
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