Gestational age of Baby T: 34 weeks (HOLY MOLY!!!!!)
Family,
And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull is actually trying to work proactively
and get a little ahead of schedule for a change with the blog. Let's jump into October, shall we?
10/1 - A wake-up call for the ages: So for those of you reading straight through, you'll recall that, on Friday, 9/30, K figured out how to open the childproof locks on the doors. We'll, on 10/1, she did one better. It was 6:32 in the morning, and I happened to hear something that woke me up. I looked down at the foot of the bed, and what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a miniature human (without 8 tiny reindeer, of course :-)). K was climbing into our bed! At first I was in shock, but then I thought, "soon enough you can figure this out. For now, just enjoy this moment." And so I put her under the covers, and she actually snuggled up next to me, where we proceeded to "rest" for the next 30 min or so.
That day was flat out, as we had a birthday party/gender reveal that ran from about 11-3, and then that evening we went to a celebration of Life Party hosted by the Rivera's to commemorate the life of their daughter, Brenleigh Selena. I will give these people all the credit in the world, as their were ROCKS OF FAITH during this party. Freddy said it well when he brought us all together to talk: "This is not a funeral. This is a celebration of life. Brenleigh brought so many of us together, and we want to celebrate these relationships and the friends we've made." And just like that, he'd said all that needed to be said. It was super emotional, but it was a great, humbling, awe-inspiring night. JT and I marvel at their faith and their ability to speak to their storm in this season of tempest, and needless to say we left that night SO THANKFUL for the rainbow baby God has blessed us with and determined to continue praying for healing for the Riveras during this impossible time.
10/2 - K climbed into our bed again this morning (I have 6:32 written down again but I actually think it was earlier than that). I mean, I wanted to fight it, but she just put both arms around me and hugged me. Too sweet!
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| Who says the ENT can't be fun? |
Also - this day marked 7 straight dry diapers for the munchkin. That's great news! I actually think we've been dry pretty much since we returned to pull-ups, so hopefully that blip in the radar will be the last of it.
10/3 - we drove to TN for the week on this day. It was a super smooth ride, the highlight of which was "the lego story." Basically, this just involved me creating this meandering story of how 4 of her stuffed animals stole legos by getting past the cave of Maleficent (which is DEFINITELY K's favorite Disney villain and second favorite character after Sofia), the cooler house of Princess Ivy, and the ocean of Ursula the sea witch so they could build the biggest Pete's Dragon out of legos EVER. What made it stick for K was the fact that, each time the friends bested a villain, they took a broom (which they were carrying for some reason) and always slapped the bad girl on the bummy bummy. I mean, there was no end of laughter. We even had it choreographed and performed it for Vol Nana and Grand Pooh when we arrived.We also started doing the sleep yoga flow this evening, and I ABSOLUTELY want to incorporate this into our standing routine. It was just TOO CUTE!
Some other cute ones from Mom's:
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| Rapunzel hair and Olaf music box = HEAVEN. |
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| Just a pinch of this... |
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| I mean...ADORABLE. |
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| She loves Char Char...even when he swats her in the face. |
Oh, and after some rough patches, K was an ANGEL on this day. Credit to Nick and Tecola for their message on positive encouragement from Life Group - it made a HUGE difference!
10/4 - We went to Russellville and visited dad on this day. It was a stroll down memory lane for me, and K was a celebrity. She even used a stall in the boys by herself 100%! We then went to Panther Creek for a walk. We did my old Cross Country Course, and K actually ran TWO MILES of it! Seriously - this was a trail, and it was NOT level. I couldn't believe how hard she ran, both up and down hills. She was very tired at the end and got in the stroller, but she she far exceeded my expectations (and forced me to get some exercise along the way as well!).
10/5 - we spent the day at Fred Miller Park, which is WAY bigger than it was when I was a kid. There were tons of things for K to play on, and there's even a splash pad now (for next year when it's warmer). JT and I headed onto Knoxville to see Johnny and Rebecca, and K stayed with mom and Steve.
10/6 - Boo at the Zoo - So this was a blast, as Jenny and I met Dad, Alice, Adam, Casie, Brilee, Brynnox, and Kaitlyn (she rode to Knoxville with Dad and Alice after spending the night with Vol Nana and Grand Pooh) at the Knoxville Zoo for their annual Halloween festival. K was dressed as a princess, and she had a BLAST. We were there from the opening bell to the closing bell - 2.5 hours! It was a really neat setup - 22 candy stations (followed by a KRISPY KREME STATION for the kids - enjoy that sugar at 7 PM), a carousel, a mini-train, some of the animals, slides, and all kinds of other stuff. Everyone was dressed up (K saw someone dressed as Maleficent and was MESMERIZED), and it was a real hoot. There was even a dance party toward the end, and K and I broke it down. :-) We didn't get her into bed (sans bath) until about 10 PM, but hey - it's vacation!
10/7 - Baby T rolled 29 weeks on this day: the
size of a butternut squash! Team Taylor rolled to IHOP (second time that week!) for breakfast with Dad and Alice, where we even got a chance to FaceTime a bit with Pattie. Side note here - K is ALL ABOUT daddy taking her to the bathroom right now, and this meal was no exception. For the last 2-3 weeks, she will NOT go with Jenny, which means I've been treated to some MONSTER steamers and LOADS of funny conversations.
We took it easy this day, but in the evening we had a BLAST with a Halloween Party! There was great food, a movie (the Chipmunks Halloween I think), cookies, pumpkin carving, doggies and kitties everywhere, and we had all the family together. Alice even had this HILARIOUS little "air chair" that K sat in to watch her shows - too funny! It was a really, really great night, and I definitely felt relaxed. What's more - sitting on that porch and looking at the hills where I spent so many of my formative years, I really felt at home. I am a Charlotte guy now (and am super proud to raise my kids as Tarheels), but those Tennessee roots will always run deep.
Highlights from dad's:
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| Pumpkin carving! |
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| Got a little Princess Leia thing going on there... |
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| K LOVED the "air bean bag chair." |
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| What visit to dad's is complete without a little sports? |
Oh, and K actually started telling stories that RHYMED today - not kidding. Seriously - some of it was just jumble, but some actually did feature words that rhymed with each other! And regardless of whether it was jumble or not, today she demonstrated an understanding that rhyming is a different type of speaking. Too cool! Also, she was absolutely adorable in her black sweat pants and sweatshirt that Alice bought for her. She's growing up before our eyes!
10/8 - We drove back home on this day, and K was really tough - we are talking SERIOUS meltdowns. It involved a lot of discipline, but then she was great once we got home. We started running all around the house, and K was making up names for all of the races. Needless to say we've now gone way beyond Tread Nightly and Shot in the Dark!
Oh, and side note - awhile back K pooped, but the feces had slipped into the opening and was no longer visible. Quoting an old email I received back in college, I said: "You just had a ghost poopie" (meaning it was no longer visible but you KNEW something was there). Well, sure enough, she now almost always asks: "Is it a ghost poopie, dada?" I mean, pretty cute. And once again - #parentoftheyear.
10/9 - We were going somewhere, and I asked K: "Where are your shoes?" Her response: "I couldn't possibly tell you." LOVE IT!
In looking back on the previous week, it's just amazing how God works. In August, we were a family planning to head to Disney during that week. By September, we were a family that had decided to stay away from Florida due to Zika concerns. Well, not only did that decision pay off in the form of saving probably 3K (which we really needed), but it also kept us away from a Hurricane that actually closed the park for a day and a half! Can you believe that? I mean, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've even HEARD of Disney being closed, so that was just crazy. God is good - all the time. THANK YOU, FATHER!!!!!
Oh, and at her swim lesson, she started breast stroke kicks! I mean, it's just amazing to watch this kid in action. She also did her best dives EVER - we are talking fully extended arms, pushing off with her legs and throwing them back, and entering the water correctly. Her freestyle is looking pretty much spot on at this point as well, complete with good scoops and good breathing. The backstroke is definitely improving as well, as she was really getting both arms up over her head and moving for the first time - that was DEFINITELY great progress and shows how important these individual lessons have been.
10/11 - We had a disgusting moment today, when K put her finger in her tail and actually pulled out poop! I didn't witness this (mercifully) but rather got the play by play from Jenny - disgusting! But on a cuter note, she kissed me on the lips when we said goodnight.
As a general note, it's been incredible to watch her language growth and development. She's talking a ton now, and within that we're seeing a good early command of adjectives and adverbs. Admittedly, she has some challenges with verb conjugation, but she is getting some of them right and definitely understands that different tenses need to be applied depending on the situation. It has been really, really neat to watch this language explosion, and I've redoubled efforts to try and use as many "big words" around her as possible. Fun!
This day was actually super big for a lot of reasons, most notably for JT's last visit to the Maternal and Fetal medicine clinic!!!! We had an ultrasound this day, and Baby T looked GREAT and was tracking right on schedule. The ultrasound put her at 30 weeks and 1 day (so 3 days ahead of schedule), and listed the nugget at 3 pounds, 6 ounces. It was a little tough to get images of him/her since his spine was right against JT's belly, but we still saw him/her kicking around in there (the kicks were muffled because apparently he/she was pounding right into the placenta). They did 3 heartbeats: 135, 164, 150 - an average of 150. Right down the middle - this kid is giving NOTHING away! :-) The doctor said that things looked great and that she had a 1% chance of going before 32 weeks (which would be October 28). That is great news, and he said that we didn't need to visit that clinic again, meaning everything is at Bradford! This was AMAZING news, and just another moment of blessing as part of this rainbow baby experience.
Oh, and K's other cute moment - She asked if she could have something (can't remember what). When I said no and she asked why, I gave my usual "Why do you think?" She responded with: "Because it's not on offer?" Never believe for a SECOND that kids aren't listening to EVERYTHING that you say!Side note - we are currently working through 1 treat from Boo at the Zoo a day with her lunch. I can confirm that K has now discovered Reese's Peanut Butter Cups...and the world may never be the same. :-) What I will say - as I write this on the 25th of October, K is actually no longer asking for the treats and largely seems to have forgotten about them. I expect that will work...until Halloween on Monday. :-)
10/13 - Happy Birthday, Wife Muffin!!!! I love you and you are the best wife and mommy EVER!!!!! K - as you'll no doubt read this much later in life, I can confirm that I did take your mother out for dinner at Fork in Cornelius. You stayed at home with a sitter. :-)
10/14 - So the big announcement for today (which has held true almost without exception since this moment) is that naps are largely done. Here's the bottom line - if she does NOT nap, she goes to sleep instantly like a champion at about 7:30 PM. If she gets a nap of ANY kind (even 45 minutes), then it takes her 1-2 hours to fall asleep even if you put her to bed after 8 PM. It's honestly NUTS, because it doesn't matter a) how tired she is, b) what activities she does that day, or c) any other factors associated with the schedule - she just can't fall asleep quickly on days where she naps. The tricky part is that she's starting to wake up earlier and earlier (in the 5-6 AM window a lot lately), which makes for an exceptionally long day if we're trying to get her to 7-7:30 PM in the evenings - especially if there are things we need to get done during the week/weekend. We've basically tried to work it so that she still gets some quiet time (where she goes into her room and "reads" books), but we always work to catch her before she falls asleep. We've had pretty good results so far (except the 1 day where she passed out INSTANTLY), so we're going to try and keep this going. The bonus for her is that she gets some sleep, and the bonus for us is that we largely have our evenings free.
In terms of the evening bedtime ritual, it now involves the spreading of both Sofia blankets out, tucking in either Big Bear or Baby Bear, and then tucking in the other bear of choice beside her on her pillow. She's still running out once, but now she's just creeping out and pretending to sneak up on us. However, a few times this month she's been so tired that she's not even come out (and told us proactively, "I don't want to come out tonight." Hilarious!
Oh, and the funniest item today: So I think I referenced earlier that I wanted to ensure she wasn't playing with her nether region too much and that I've actively been telling her that she shouldn't touch it except when bathing. Well, when I went in to check on her today (she was laying down during quiet time), she realized that she had 1 hand under the covers and said, "Dada, my hand was under the covers but it wasn't on my meningning. It was just there because it was cold." Too funny! But hey, that's progress!
10/15 - So Jenny had the women's conference today, meaning that I was on Daddy Day Care with the goose. She was actually up at 5:30, and so we started the day by curling up on the couch for an hour while I read to her. She was all snuggled up in the crook of my arm, and it was honestly THE BEST hour of my week. We hung out all day, hitting DPK, Primal, and then hanging with Matt & AJ over at the house (their girls were somewhere else as well). All in all, it was a GREAT day, and we had a blast.
10/16 - Today was a great day of church and just hanging out as a family. K has been LOVING books lately - she's definitely back to reading and memorizing them again (which I am just ALL ABOUT right now and am stalking her with the Go Pro to video her sweet little voice and that smile as she realizes she's memorized a page and her daddy's proud). She actually has 11 new books from the library, and we have been reading them non-stop (this includes a 47 page Curious George book that is EXHAUSTING - and I don't think he's a great role model, for the record! Just saying...anyhoo...). Add in all the books that we've received as gifts, books from my childhood that Vol Nana and Granny A have brought, and books she's rediscovered, and we've got a TON of material that she's ingesting!
Baby T was thumping JT a TON this day, and K actually felt him/her for the first time! She smiled so sweetly when she felt it - you could tell she didn't know what to expect. In thinking about that moment, I am realizing now (especially as I'm starting to nest - more on that further down) how soon the whole world is about to change and how exciting that is. For so much of this pregnancy, I really feel that I've been focused on making every second with K count as the clock runs down on our "part of three." The flip side is that I don't think I've been as focused on preparing for "life after baby," but that is very much changing now (as will be evidenced in the post later down). Also, I have absolutely been praying about baby T, attending all the ultrasounds, and planning for the future at the macro level, but I don't think I've stopped often enough, put my hand on Jenny's tummy, and just relaxed and waited to feel Baby T kick. I am thrilled to say that Jenny seems to have really LOVED every second of this pregnancy, and I love watching her look at her bump, rub it, feel for kicks, and just put her hands on her tummy while in prayer. We know that this is our miracle, rainbow baby, and Jenny is making every second count. I believe I have done the same from a distance lately, but I'm now resolved to soak up not just my current family situation, but also this special period in our lives that may not come round again.
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| Future so bright - gotta wear shades. |
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| Dental cleaning - Hollywood style. |
BLASTS spit into the sink. It's pretty cute, and she really is enjoying oral hygiene, so as a parent who can argue with that! I am trying to make a more concerted effort to brush the sides of her teeth, but the good news - we're having to do less and less as she cleans more and more. There is even a rumor that she might want to start flossing at some point!
A general note is that she is SO CUTE when she hugs me now (even more than normal). Every time she hugs me, she scratches my back. Also, we've started running the golf course every night after dinner. It's pretty amazing, as she can actually run all the way (with stops, of course) to the flag on the Par 5! She doesn't always run all the way back, but when she does she asks, "Is this what you do, dada?" She then proceeds to pump her arms vigorously (as I've instructed her to do when running uphill - makes a father/distance runner proud). And on the days where she doesn't want to run she asks me to carry her. And while 40 pounds uphill isn't easy, the way she hugs me and says, "I love you, dada," makes it all worth it. :-)
10/18 - JT had a GREAT appointment at Bradford today! Everything looked good, and the heartbeat was 140! It was also a milestone for K, as she got to meet Dr. Schneider - the man who delivered her. He did remember her name, which was pretty darn cool. He confirmed that JT is tracking right on schedule - exciting! We move to appointments every 2 weeks from this point forward - craziness! #it'shappening. :-)
We felt HUGE movement by Baby T in bed that night - it was nuts! Big kicks, some rolling around - all very, very cool. I hadn't really felt him/her move or kick too much up to this point, as Baby always seemed to calm down when I put my hand on JT's belly. Tonight, however, was not the case.
Sleeping pattern change for K - she's still sleeping with the nightlight, but the bathroom door is now open and the Dohm is off. Also, when she gets up during the week, she'll call out for mommy, but on the weekend she runs into our room like a rabid banshee. Her door is now always open, and I will say that I've enjoyed the chance to walk back into her room and watch her sleep - so sweet. It's funny, as I am finding myself more switched on and focused, with my priorities in line. I am also realizing that I have been exhausted on a few occasions lately and that I need to do a better job of building some rest into my schedule (case in point was today when I slept 2 hours past my planned start of 5:30).
10/20 - the memory that sticks with me on this one was K's exhaustion on this day. Long story short, she always runs out of her room one time before bed to "sneak up" on us. Well, this night, when I asked her if she wanted to run out, she just shook me off. Thumb was already in her mouth, eyes were already closed, head was already on the pillow, and she said, "I'm too sleepy, dada." And within 4 minutes, that kid was OUT. That has happened a few times since then, but it's still rare. If anything (I'm writing this in late November), the transition away from naps has been really tough because K obviously still needs them. If we don't give her a nap, we can get a consistent 11+ hours, with her crashing at 7 and then waking up about 6:15. If we give her even a 20 min nap, however, she will lay away for 1-2 hours and not get nearly the sleep she needs. To that end, we just keep her moving forward all day - even when she's already showing signs of wear and tear by 11 AM. It's been tough for her, I know. But she's been a trooper, and the flexibility it's given with our schedule has been a huge help.
10/21 - POOP IN THE POOL! So, um, today was NOT a great day. K and I went to the pool for a swim, and I noticed that she kept grabbing her crotch before we jumped in. She refused to pee, so I just assumed she'd pee in the pool at some point. However, when she kept holding me really tight and pressing (what I thought was) her meninging against me, I knew something was a little off. And then when I got out to get her diving rings, I came back to her BAWLING in the water. I leaned forward and asked what was wrong, and she yelled, "I POOPIED!!!!" HELLO!!!!!! Persona non grata in 3...2...1...
Luckily the lifeguard wasn't able to translate what she said, and so I grabbed her and yanked her out of the pool. We ran into the bathroom, and when I pulled down her pants, two little rabbit pellets bounced on the floor. K was sobbing, and wiping her was obviously a challenge. She then proceeded to sit on the can and have THE BIGGEST POOPIE IN THE HISTORY OF FECES. I mean, it was HUGE. Wow. After that we recovered and hit the water again for a bit, but all in all it wasn't our best session.
That night she didn't run out again, but the bigger item - I forgot to put her in a pull-up at bedtime and instead put her just in panties! I was a little stressed about it, but the good news - no accidents, and she slept through the night!
Also, Baby T was 31 weeks today!!!! He/she is the size of a coconut. Craziness!!!
10/23 - K was up at 5:30 this morning, where she met a new sitter - Bailey (student at UNC-C). K was great - she was SO EXCITED for her new playmate! :-) I do think we'll use her again, as she was solid, very polite, and had a good way with K.
10/24 - Here's a quote for the ages from my sweet little daughter: "Mama, go and tell dada that you have big nipples." I MEAN....WHERE ON EARTH DID THAT COME FROM?
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| And so it begins...she's really, really growing up. |
10/25 - K did the 50 state puzzle COMPLETELY on her own today! We were in the "office," and she just set to work. I couldn't believe it! She's memorized the shapes and the colors, and it was amazing to watch her mind work as she processed it. She had a little trouble with Kansas and Wyoming, but even then she was really close on both - AMAZING! When I went in to get her after quiet time (she was asleep on the floor if I remember correctly), I asked: "Did you have a good nap?" Her response: "I just tooted softly." Classic!
Some big milestones to record - this day was the official end of Froggy Potty! That's right, sports fans, K is now 100% on the big girl seats! K is now sleeping with the bathroom door open and the nightlight on. BIG DAY! Now we will obviously have to keep an eye on her when Baby T moves into his/her crib, but I really don't think K will go in there. The bigger issue is just getting that child to sleep longer and stay in bed!
10/26 - We got the call today that there's an opening at UCUMC - the new preschool we've been wanting to switch Kaitlyn over to. This was great news, as we weren't expecting anything prior to EOY at the earliest. At the time I took notes for this post, I said that we were going to pull the trigger. I can now confirm that we've since pulled the trigger, and K's first day will be 11/28. And the best news - the other folks were already paid through November, so we weren't out any money other than the application fee!
Dress-up Day Highlights:
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| Nice to meet you, your majesty! |
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| Pin the nose on the pumpkin (that's her teacher, Ms. Cindy). |
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| Her classmates (mimi - second from left - was her favorite. |
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| Finished in utter exhaustion (but elation!) 14 man hrs later... |
The recurring exchange between us has been a cute one lately:
Me: "I love you."
K: "I don't love you. You're mean. You're Maleficent."
10/27 - We were at Freedom House for the FH Kids Bonfire night, and K had a blast. There were games, food, and most importantly - SMORES!!!! Now granted, the fire was 47,000 degrees, and K wasn't happy that she couldn't really get close enough to the fire to melt her own. However, I think she actually had 2 of them, and she sure wasn't complaining while eating them! She also got that energy out, as we ran all OVER the parking lot during the 2ish hours we were there. It was really a lot of fun!
One thing to note (and it will become important in the November post) - K keeps asking if it's the weekend, as she now knows that she can crawl into bed and curl up with daddy on the weekend. She got REALLY angry on 10/25 when I told her it wasn't the weekend, and I fear I've created a problem by letting her curl up with us. It's just so cute! However, we do need to control it, and I'll detail more about why and what we're planning to do in the November edition. What I will say - I am conflicted, as I know I shouldn't let her crawl in, but she's so cute and lovable when she does. Oh, and she read Cinderella BACKWARDS today. Seriously. She started at the end and matched each piece of the story with its corresponding page. I'm telling you - GENIUS. She then did the entire book forwards at bedtime - it was just amazing to listen to.
10/29 - Dad and Alice arrived the night before, and today was flat out EPIC. We started the day at the Famous Toastery - K was in Heaven, trying a bit of everyone's food. We then rolled over to the UNCC Botanical Gardens for family photos, and it was fantastic! The weather was hot - CRAZY hot for the end of October, and I was sweating in my long sleeves! K was pretty good throughout the whole thing, and Jenny got a chance to do some maternity shots. Our photographer (LuAnne) was fantastic, and she's great with Kaitlyn. She has such a terrific eye for candid shots, and some of the ones she got of K are just too cute. This shoot was important for another reason as well. Last year when we did Family Pics with LuAnne (same spot if you remember), Jenny was pregnant as well. It was early, but we still did a few shots with Jenny's belly, photos with a fourth set of shoes, things like that. Obviously that didn't work out the way we expected, which is part of why this shoot was so magical and special.
Photo shoot highlights:
After the shoot, we rolled over to 201 for a bit. And then, in an effort to keep the party going, we went home, changed clothes, and rolled to the featured event of the day - the Riverbend Farm Pumpkin Patch! LuAnne had told us about this place earlier in the day (we had planned to go to a different farm), and it did NOT disappoint. SO MUCH FUN!
Simply put - this place had EVERYTHING going on. There were TONS of slides made from old farming equipment. There were animals running around. There were plastic critters for K to climb on. There was a HUGE pumpkin patch, and you had a nice wagon ride to get out there. There were blacklight rooms, a water mill, a country store - you name it! We spent about 2 hours here, and K LOVED IT!. One thing I will say - those slides generated a TON of static electricity. One time I slid down after K and then touched her. A BOLT of lightning came out of me and shocked her HARD. She almost cried, and I didn't blame her - it hurt me! But all in all, it was a blast.
Highlights from the Pumpkin Patch:
We finished the night at OMB before heading home EXHAUSTED. K had started that day up at 6 AM, and we didn't get her down until 9:05! Now that is FLAT OUT.
10/30 - Dad and Alice left on this day, and I had a big nesting moment: I started getting the baby clothes down from the attic. We pulled down only the newborn (0-6 month) stuff, and it was a stroll down memory lane. Jenny had been a washing fiend ever since, and I think we're finally good to go and ready on the clothing front for the little one!
The stroll down memory lane:
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| Soon to have another "Tarheel born, Tarheel bred..." |
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| Who will also be clad in Knightro gear... |
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| And as you can tell, K is THRILLED about it... |
This was a big milestone day for K as well, as today she demonstrated that she now understands the concept of slipping one arm out of shirts and dresses while taking them off over her head. This was big, as now she can dress and undress herself regardless of the outfit. RE-SULT! She's also started making up words now when naming animals or when responding (when we're playing, of course). Her favorite new word is "Pizza Fry," which has since turned into "Freaka-fry." I mean, strange, right? But hey - look at her pedigree. The deck is stacked against that kid. :-) She's also starting to chuckle at jokes now, which is quite cute to hear.
Oh, and she's started asking: "Is it the weekend?" every night now. She does this because on weekends she's allowed to climb in bed with us and "sleep" (translation - FLOP AROUND LIKE A MACKEREL OUT OF WATER) with us for a bit before we kick off the day. What I will say - this is getting tricky, as that night she'd been awake an hour when she called me into her room. I thought she needed something (she doesn't call us often), but when I went in there, she asked if I would sleep with her. When I said no, she looked at the point of tears. I tried to explain how it works - dada doesn't sleep her, it's just a weekend treat, etc - but in this window it felt like she'd started to fixate on it. I am happy to report that the situation has righted itself (didn't take long), and it almost seems silly to write about it now knowing that we've come through it. However, at the time, I was concerned that I was going to have to lay down some serious ground rules. I mean, don't get me wrong - I LOVE IT when she comes in and snuggles. It's just about the best feeling in the world. She comes in, gets under the covers, puts her thumb in her mouth, throws her other arm around me, and says, "I love you, dada." I just don't want her thinking it is an every day thing, as a) I get up early and need that morning time, b) she needs to stay in her bed), and c) we just need her sleeping longer!
10/31 - so straight up: I FINALLY think I'm starting to "nest" again. It's come way later this time, and it's definitely not as strong as last time. However, I can tell that my mind and body are starting to prepare themselves.
Today was a big day for several reasons. First off, we notified our current pre-school that we're leaving. JT and K toured UCUMC today and loved it (Julie gave them the tour). The other reason - HALLOWEEN!!!!! K was GREAT and had a blast. she dressed as a pumpkin, and we hit a TON of houses. People were STUFFING her jack-o-lantern with candy, and she wanted me to chase her between each house. Everyone was super nice, and I was in Heaven running around with her. The funniest part - we were at the next cul-de-sac down and getting candy from the table. A plastic goblin (at K's eye level) was right beside her, and suddenly it came to life. She jumped back a foot!
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| My little Prisma Pumpkin |
By the end of the night she was flat EXHAUSTED, and so I carried her up the hill. We were hanging out with the neighbors, and poor K was curling up and trying to sleep in a tailgate chair!
And so there it is. It's funny, I am typing this on November 29th, and the last line in my notes says "I hope we have one more month as Team Taylor, Party of 3. When we wake up tomorrow, that wish will have been granted. And what an AMAZING month it was. For more on that, however. Tune in to the next edition. :-)
That's all the news that's fit to print. Speak soon!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
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