The Munchkin crosses off state #7...and FINALLY gets a tooth!

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  8 months and 1 week

Family,

I wanna go to Pittsburgh, mommy!!!

And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where Team Taylor is back from a FANTASTIC weekend in the Steel City.  But hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves, as it was another terrific (and busy!) week in the life of Team Taylor (party of three).

First time facing OUT in the Bjorn!

In terms of the work week, K had 3 big events worth recording.

The first was that K met her first "international man of mystery" this week - the Reverend (and Y Parchedig) Owain Morgan!  Owain is a buddy of mine who works in our London office (but he's a Welshman - be careful how you label him! :-)), and we have worked together across the Pond since 2006.  He is without a doubt one of the most genuine and flat out best guys I know, and we had a great dinner (even if I did accidentally tell our other buddy Matt the wrong restaurant...details...).

Ychida!  Cymru am byth!!!

The second was that she had her first follow-up appointment with the pediatric physical therapist.  Now JT and I had been working our poor daughter like drill instructors during the Navy SEALs hell week, and so we were curious to see what progress she was making.  We certainly felt that she was exhibiting more strength, and we hoped the expert was going to concur with that assessment.

As fate would have it, the appointment (which we thought we'd planned perfectly) coincided with her nap period (she'd managed to get a bit off that day), which meant that she showed up sweet as can be and with the biggest smile this side of Mercury, but our little girl was a sleepy cutie bootie.  Consequently, it took her a bit of time to rev the engine. :-)

You wanna win the cross-fit games?  You
better start 'em young...just sayin'...

Just like last time, the PT was terrific.  She was very patient, answered all of our questions, and did an amazing job of not only keeping K focused but also smiling and laughing.  For my part, I thought the session was an absolute riot, as there were so many "too cute" moments where K either refused to do what the PT wanted or just flat laid there, taking in the world.  The early prediction for our daughter is type B introvert - which is completely and totally 100% fine by me. :-)

This pose is a familiar one.  It's called "why
would I move when you bring everything to me?

In terms of progress, K's sitting is NOTICEABLY better.  She has definitely elongated her spine, and the PT noted that she's doing a much better job of engaging her hips.  She also did a nice job on the exercise ball, adjusting as she was leaned forward and to both sides.  She didn't like it at first, but she definitely got the hang of it pretty quick (and started engaging the muscles).

So JT is actually doing one of the prescribed
exercises - carry her at an angle so she'll adjust.

In terms of rolling, however, it was HILARIOUS!  The PT said, "let me see you roll," and K looked at her as though she were an alien who'd just landed speaking Mongolian.  It didn't matter what toy the PT brought out - K wanted none of it.  The gal even brought out a sloped surface to encourage her to roll WITH GRAVITY - nada.  Instead, she clung onto the top for dear life, and when the PT took her hand away, she simply "shimmied" down the slope on her butt.  The message was clear - I will roll when I am DAMN GOOD AND READY.  Too cute...

Our next appointment is in 3 weeks, which I think is good, as it will give us time to work with her over Thanksgiving (lots of dedicated time then!).  And we were encouraged, as the therapist a) said that she could see improvement and b) gave us new stretches and exercises to further improve her, which to me is a good thing.

Georgeanne helping out during play time.

Milestone #2 is one that's been MONTHS in the making - K has her first tooth!  We wondered why she'd been a bit fussier than normal over the past week, and now (as of Friday) we know - she's joined the tooth club!  JT and I found this HYSTERICAL, as we've had people tell us she's teething since she was 3 month old.  In fact, every time my mum has seen her, she's said that she was teething.  Well, she's finally in the club - it's such a teeny little nub!

The weekend was just perfect, as we took Friday off and flew to Pittsburgh to watch UNC vs. Pitt and visit with our friends - Team Brothernides!  They have 2 girls as well (Georgeanne and Ivanna), and all week they'd been talking about how excited they were to play with baby Kaitlyn.  Sure enough, they were like two big sisters - they took GREAT care of her!

The weekend was a blast - great food, new beer, a Heels victory (and a babysitter to boot, which allowed for a bit of tailgating - booooooonuuuuuuuus), and plenty of laughs & fellowship.  The only hiccups were:

Pre-gaming outside Heinz Field - GO HEELS!!!!

Cheering on the Heels to a 34-27 victory over the Panthers.  What a beautiful day!

The gang, fresh off a victory (and ready for some cheese at the post-game tailgate).

1.  Friday night when I took my eye off of K for ONE SECOND (not kidding, it was ONE SECOND) and she fell backwards, slamming her little bone head onto the floor.  Yes - father of the year (and now minus one cochlea, as she screamed her lungs out).

2.  Saturday night when we returned form the game.  The babysitter had said (and I quote) "she is the happiest, most perfect baby ever.  I want one just like her" just before handing her over to us...at which point K went COMPLETELY MENTAL.  She started screaming and crying - sub-optimal.

K slept in the laundry room - which she LOVED.
A constant hum, pitch black - she actually slept
12.5 hours one night!

All the gals!

3.  Sunday afternoon on the flight home.  K slept on me all the way there and all the way back, but with 10 minutes until landing in CLT, she woke up and decided to tell the world she was hungry.  K has a very unique way of crying in that you get the first salvo (the fore shock), then a deep breath, where silence ensues (the eye of the hurricane), and then the full force scream (the Shuraka winds of the Apocalypse).  Well, in this particular episode, she sucked in so much air that she almost de-pressurized the cabin - WOW.  But hey, we got her fed, and soon enough all was right with the world.

We got back about 6, and it was a power hour of feeding, bathing, and unpacking.  Team Taylor's adult contingent got in bed too late last night, and we're paying for it today.  But I must fight through, as the Panthers are on Monday Night Football!

No one gets out of making K do tummy time!

AC, Jeebs, Georgie, and Ivanna - thank you all SO MUCH for such a PERFECT weekend.  Burgatory is pretty much the greatest place EVER. :-)

To everyone else - have a great week!  We'll chat next Sunday. :-)

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Lady Kaitlyn rolls 8 months

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  8 months today!

Family,

And a Happy Veteran's Day to you all from the Queen City.  The Munchkin officially hits 8 months of life today!  Aunt Pattie turns 19 today as well, so we've got multiple reasons to celebrate!

What a week (and month!) it's been.  The change in K from month 7 to month 8 has been meteoric -

truly incredible to watch how she's growing and changing every single day.  When we hit the 7 month milestone, K couldn't sit up on her own, had just started eating solids, and was just beginning to babble.  Now she can sit up on her own (and her posture has noticeably improved), can roll front to back and back to front (albeit with a bit of gravitational assistance still), has tried LOADS of new foods (we introduced apples and bananas this week), and is babbling (and squealing) all the time.  On the growth front, she's definitely transitioned into the 9 month clothes, as our little girl definitely seems to be lengthening.  And weighing in at 18.5 or so pounds by now, the Bull can confirm he is no longer using the infant carrier to take her into daycare.

The most common nickname at this point is "sneetch" (as in sneetches in my breetches" from Dr. Seuss), but Jenny has aptly also taken to calling her the squealer monkey, as this girl does high pitch squeals constantly.  And here I was thinking she was going to be an alto...

In terms of routines, the munch is still waking up about 6 AM every day, but this weekend has seen the rather unexpected turn of her waking herself up about 5:58 vs. us having to wake her.  JT and I think it's because we've introduced more fruits and veggies (vs. cereal) lately, so today we've added a bit more oatmeal into each meal.  It is amazing to watch the effect on her excretory system - she was unbelievably constipated on Friday and Saturday (poor thing was solid red and straining half of her waking time), but the last 2 days have been nothing shy of COLON CLEANSING.  And we just made the VERY smart decision to order some prunes...good times, they are a comin'...

K's now feeding consistently 7 times daily - 4 with the bottle, and 3 sit-down meals for solids.  She's essentially getting 4 tablespoons of single grain cereal per day, as well as 3.5 oz of 1 fruit and 3.5 oz of 1 veggie.  She's actually become less and less interested in the bottle.  In fact, we're down from 7-8 oz of breast milk/formula per bottle to 5.5 oz per bottle, which she can manage to finish (if you burp her 3 times).  The peds said that we shouldn't be below 24 oz of formula/breast milk, but luckily we're right at it (when you factor in the 2-4 oz required to mix in with the cereal).  However, we're not concerned about K failing to get her nutrients, as that girl LOVES SOLIDS.  Seriously - it doesn't matter how tired she is or when she last took a bottle - you put her in that high chair and she starts pounding her fists against the tray in excitement.  And the sounds she makes whilst eating - hilarious!  She is SO EXCITED for every bite, and you can shovel something watery like carrots into her in a matter of seconds.  Her mouth is CONSTANTLY open - too funny.

As for the week and weekend itself, this one was very special for 2 reasons.  For starters, it was a 4 day

Cutest.  Photo.  EVER.

weekend for me and Jenny (we both took off Friday).    But secondly, GRAMMIE WAS HERE!!!  That's right, sports fans - Team Taylor was SPOILED ROTTEN by my mom yet again.  I am pleased to report that our fireplace now looks flat black (no more brass), 4 of the chairs in the dining room have been assembled, the leaves in the front yard have been blown (yes - BOTH my parents have now worked through the leaves in the front yard - K, I hope you're not expecting this kind of treatment :-)), several meals were made (all consumed already), and we were showered with presents (mom took care of our Christmas and birthday presents - oh yeah, baby!!!).  We even had date night on Wednesday (the show - Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty - was HORRIBLE - who knew it was going to be a ballet), and Friday we managed to hit up Fiesta Maya for an early dinner.  It was SO MUCH FUN, and I've decided that I am definitely taking off on Friday's when mom comes to visit going forward.  This time I actually feel like I relaxed and let her help vs. trying to make her take it easy, and I must say - it was SO NICE to have a third set of hands to leverage.  She was great to feed, change, tend to, and love on K, and there is NO QUESTION that K loves her Grammie!

On Saturday we also had a special treat - K's "6 month" photo shoot!  Granted, we're about 2 months late, but Faith had always said it was important that K be able to sit up for this shoot, and so we wanted to ensure that was the case.  We spent a good hour there, running through 4 outfits and poses (including 1 with a tutu and pearls - TOO CUTE!!!!!), and much like the newborn shoot - it was a laugh a minute.   Jenny and I were on both sides of her during the shoot (she was on a different chair or couch each time), and I'm pretty sure her time in the rocking chair shortened my life, as it was SO STRESSFUL to watch her rock back and forth.  However, there are few things in life cuter than K in her dress from Panama, sitting on a pink couch.  The only thing that might be cuter, in fact, is K eating her tutu and pearls whilst the photographer says, "Wow - I've never seen a baby eat tool before.  That's a desperate cry for food."  HILARIOUS!

Physical Therapy Step #1 - engage the shoulders and work the tummy.

Physical Therapy Step #2 - do NOT let her roll over - keep her on her tummy.

Physical Therapy Step #3 - keep objects at eye level to encourage proper posture.

Physical Therapy Step #4 - put objects slightly out of reach so that she feels compelled to crawl.

The only other item to report for the week is that we did visit a pediatric physical therapist this week.  The appointment was on Thursday, and it was a terrific experience.  The staff was incredibly friendly, and as is the case with pretty much all medicine in Charlotte, the facility was amazing.  The trainer took a full hour with K, watching her roll and move around on the floor, as well as interacting with various toys and stimuli.  There was a funny moment when the PT said, "I just want to watch her roll over," and Jenny and I looked at each other before I said, "I hope you have about 6 hours to kill."

To Infinity...and beyond!  Actually, I LOVE
this photo, because K is now actually reaching
for the 2 dangling critters vs. just watching
her daddy bat them into oblivion.  But now
That the jumperoo is on hold for a bit, we'll
have to await the day where she actually
grabs hold of it.

In terms of a diagnosis, we received good news - her spine and bones are fine, and she does NOT have tortichollis.  However, the PT does think she's a bit behind on her gross motor skills (largely identified by her not raising her head when she rolls), and she feels that her trunks/ab muscles are a bit under-developed.  Consequently, we were given a series of exercises and the very explicit instructions to cut back on all Bumbo and Jumperoo usage (apparently both foster poor posture and can delay muscle development).  The good news is that we now know the issue, and the better news is that strengthening muscles is just about the easiest thing you can do on a growing baby.  What hurts is that a) we felt both the jumperoo and the Bumbo were HELPING her posture and development, and b) it is frustrating when you feel you've been so diligent about all the activities you're supposed to do for proper development, only to be told you've missed one.  I must confess - between the exercises, the "discovery time," 7 meals, naps, diaper changes, outside time, reading time, and "block/play time," it's getting tough to keep it all straight and ensure it all happens every day.  And whilst I know the right answer is to draft a daily schedule of activities, I just can't bring myself to further regiment our lives, especially given all of the standing tasks already in place.  Plus I do think we're keeping it together at this point, and so we'll just keep rolling with the flow, with the caveat that we are now a lot more focused on "floor play" (and YES - when the PT told Jenny and I that our daughter needed "as much floor play as possible," I about fell out of my chair laughing).

And so our daughter is now 2/3 of a year old - how is that even possible?  2013 has definitely been a year to remember, and I must confess that I have NEVER been so excited for the holiday season.  I'm not sure what's in the water this go around, but I am definitely, definitely, definitely looking forward to getting the decorations out of the attic, the lights strung up, and ornaments on the tree.

Okay, that's it from the Mountain Fortress - chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

The Munchkin's first Halloween

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  7 months and 24 days

Family,

"I'm picking up a baby bumblebee..."

And a good Monday evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull has just finish bottle washing, making, and labeling.  And before tucking into dinner, I thought I'd try to get caught up on what was a GREAT week for team Taylor, highlighted by another first for the rug rat - Kaitlyn's first Halloween!!!

Monday through Wednesday were a blur, as I was down in Santiago with work, abandoning wife muffin and the munchkin here in the QC.  As usual, Jenny was a rock star, and she made it all work by herself (K - you have NO IDEA how lucky you are and how much your mommy loves you!), and by Thursday when I touched down in Miami International at 4:27 AM, all I could think about was getting back to my girls.

Luckily all flights were on time, which was important for 2 reasons.  Not only did I want to make it back for my ladies, but Team Taylor had a BIG activity slated for 12:30 PM - selling our condo!  That's right, sports fans, it's official - as of last week, Team Taylor no longer owns "the Way Station."  Now I have no lie to tell - we are THRILLED to have it off the books - the debt, the hassle of being a landlord, the stress of something happening to the unit - all of it was rapidly taking a toll on me.  That being said, there is a twinge of sadness to know that Jenny and I will never again set foot in the 994 square feet that was our first home and the first place we returned to as a married couple from our honeymoon.  That place helped make our dreams of living abroad a reality, and I will hold nothing but the fondest memories of it in my heart all my days.  Congrats to the buyers, and we wish them all the best - it was a special place for us, and we hope the same will be true for you.

K's first "school picture" - annual portrait from Primrose.  I mean...HOW.  CUTE.  IS.  SHE?

Christmas Card Pic - Sneak Peak #1

And #2 - I mean...ANGELIC.  And in case you're curious - wardrobe courtesy of Alice Taylor!

The closing was SUPER easy (so easy, in fact, that we didn't need to be there, as we'd already signed everything), and there was much to celebrate on Thursday (not the least of which was being reunited with my girls.  Jenny and I had always promised that, once the condo was off the books, we would crack open the bottle of Artesia that Kim and Matt had brought us back from Napa.  However, as the Bull had just had 2 overnight flights in 4 days and the Striker had been full-time with both work and the Munch, the LAST thing either of us wanted was booze.  Consequently, it was an AFD, and the bottle is still awaiting consumption!  Not a bad problem to have, really...

The munch gearing up for her 1st Halloween.

A modern day Addams Family...

The highlight of the day was not just the closing, however, as we also had K's first Halloween Costume  Parade at Primrose.  Family, this was just TOO CUTE.  So awhile back, Mom/Grammie had called us, telling us that, if it was ok, she'd gone ahead and purchased K's first Halloween costume.  As it's all about the Benjamins with us, we said "FINE AND DANDY," and the following week the CUTEST little bumblebee costume landed on our doorstep.  Well, we didn't try it on her beforehand, and so when we showed up at daycare for the parade, we had no idea what to expect.  In a word - HILARITY.

"Wow - all my aunts have yummy hair..."

So picture a little black and yellow diving bell in the arms of a witch walking out into the parking lot.  The diving bell looks quite comfortable and was later described as "a big ball of puffaluffiness."  Everything SWALLOWS her - especially the hood.  It was just TOO FUNNY.  And K looked, well, less than amused.  She didn't cry at all - it was more the look of "what on EARTH have you put me in?"

We put her in it again later in the evening during the annual Halloween cul-de-sac party, and I gotta admit - she could NOT have been cuter!  But we had no idea how tricky that thing was to put on - I'm pretty sure I almost suffocated her 11 times.  And needless to say - she was NOT impressed with my (lack of) skills.

"Um, dad - is that what you're gonna look like at 65?  Ouch."

The weekend itself was terrific.  It was my birthday weekend, and so Pattie, Dad, and Alice all came down for a visit.  Everyone arrived Friday, and we had 36 wonderful hours of hanging out, eating plenty, watching football, and outsourcing yard maintenance (dad was INSISTENT that the yard needed to be mowed a final time and the leaves raked.  As I didn't share his passion, I just let him have at it.  The way I see it - everybody won. :-)).

And one more for good measure...

Sunday rolled around too quickly, leaving me 1 year older (36 now in case anyone's counting) and my family pulling out of the driveway heavy a few bottles of wine from 201 Central.  But hey, this guy wasn't complaining.  And then Jenny's folks rolled over, allowing JT and I to have a date night (we hit 201 C for a pint before having din din at the Eastfield Grill - that place is GREAT!) whilst they bonded with the munchkin.

For my part, I couldn't possibly have asked for a better birthday - especially knowing that I've got mom coming this week.  I am married to THE MOST wonderful, beautiful person on the planet (both inside and out), I have the absolute CUTEST baby girl, and I am blessed beyond measure.  To say that my cup runneth over doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of how I feel.  But if I had to sum it up in 3 words, I'd just say "Life is good." :-)

Okay, that's it for this guy.  Sorry for the whirlwind tour through the week (oh, and did I mention that K tried peaches for the first time on Saturday?  She ate them, but peas and green beans remain the 2 faves!), but I wanted to get this committed to the server before chaos ensues later in the week (meaning in 48 hours when Grammie arrives!).

Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Good times in the Low Country - Kaitlyn goes to Charleston (and meets Hayden!)...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  7 months and 3 weeks

Family,

Beatiful new mommies!

And a good Saturday morning to you from the Queen City, where it's the Bull's 36th birthday.  I've actually just had the best birthday present ever, as I woke up at 6:30 and crept into the Munchkin's room, where I've just spent the last half hour watching her sleep.  I mean, is the adorable, perfect little bundle in that crib really mine?  Am I really that lucky?  Life is good. :-)

So first off, apologies that there was no blog last week, and I'll apologize in advance that both this blog and the one I do tomorrow (to stay on track for this week) will be a bit of a scramble.  However, as you'll no doubt extrapolate from the posts, life has been a wee bit hectic as of late (with no signs of stopping or slowing, of course), and I want to ensure I commit these memories to server before they start to fade.

Stepping back 14 days, I can say that the last full week of October was a good one for Team Taylor.  On the Kaitlyn front, her big food first was the foray into sweet potatoes.  And whilst she did enjoy them immensely, there is no denying that her favorite food is unquestionably peas.  That's right, you read that correctly:  PEAS.  Who the @#$# likes peas?  This girl pounds her high chair in excitement when she sees us coming over with them - hilarious!

Walking the tiddlywinks on the old Pitt
Street Bridge - once the only land route
to Sullivan's Island, and now one of the
prettiest runs and walks I've ever done.

On the medical front, we did have her doctor's appointment to check out her head posture.  The good news (and huge sigh of relief) is that structurally everything looks good on the spine.  The doctor said that she might have a slight case of tortochollis, but if that was the case it was very minor and could be cleared up in a couple of weeks with the right stretches.  She showed us a few of them to do (which daycare has been VERY diligent to help with - those folks are absolutely tremendous), and to be safe we made an appointment with an infant physical therapist (yes, they actually have these folks) for November 7th.  I'm feeling much better at this point, but we still want to have her checked out and confirm that all's well.  As an update (I'm now actually typing this on 4 November) - K's head posture looks MUCH better than in weeks previous.  She now looks STRAIGHT FORWARD when she's eating, and her head control during sitting and tummy time (both of which are GREAT at this point) are monumentally better than they were a month ago.  If anything, she's now cocking her head slightly to the other side.  But honestly, no complaints on that at all, as a) it's minimal if anything, and b) shows how quickly this can be rectified with the appropriate stretching (and I expect general strengthening of her body, muscles, and spine).

The Munch, rugged up for a chilly
evening at the Post House for din din.  And
NO - she STILL doesn't like beanies.

I love my daddy!

The only other medical item of note was that K received her second and final flu shot on the 24th.  She was a trooper and only cried a bit.  And the best news - no more shots for 5 months!  The 9 month appointment is apparently blissfully free of shots, so that's good news for us.

As for the featured item of the blog, this was Team Taylor's first foray to the coast (well, the East Coast, anyway) with the Munchkin.  That's right - we packed up the car Friday morning (where I counted 4 bags, 1 stroller, and 1 pack n play for the Munchkin - 1 small carry-on for Jenny and I to share :-)) and headed down I-77 to visit our friends Mindy & Craig in Charleston and visit their new bundle of joy - 9 week old Hayden!

I will show Tadbit who's boss!!!

We made great time, stopping just once in Columbia for food and to feed/change the munchkin at McDonald's (Incidentally, to all you fast food chains out there who DO NOT HAVE A BABY CHANGING TABLE - you are losing business left, right, and center!  We have no choice but to stop at McDonald's!  Not that I'm complaining, but still - how much can it possibly cost to have that little addition to your bathroom?).  We rolled in about 12:45 to their GORGEOUS home in Mt. Pleasant, walking distance to the old Pitt Street Bridge (now a walking trail, it was once the old bridge connecting Mt. Pleasant to Sullivan's Island).  From there it was a weekend of GREAT times, AMAZING food, and even a surprisingly good micro-brewery!

Look at those loving, fully involved fathers!

Friday we went for a walk on the old Pitt Street Bridge, pushing the wee ones and soaking in the PERFECT weather.  Less than a mile from their house, these guys have a pathway that has the low country scenery on one side and Charleston Harbor (complete with Fr. Sumter) on the other - AMAZING!  We then hit dinner at this place called the Post House, and it was perfect, as the little ones could dose in their strollers under the heat lamps while we all caught up (we hadn't seen them since visiting them in New York pack in December).

Saturday I got out for a jog along the bridge and around the neighborhood, and it very well might have been the prettiest jog that I've never paid for. :-)  We spent the day watching football, visiting breweries (Westbrook - I HIGHLY recommend), visiting the local watering holes (Shem Creek) courtesy of Craig's newest toy - the golf cart - and eating like kings (this would include an order of gravy and biscuits that could have fed 12 people but instead just fed yours truly. :-)

No matter how many times you see it, it's
universal - fewer things are more beautiful
than a mother feeding and tending to her little one.

We left at 11 on Sunday, as I had to be back for a flight to Santiago, and as always the trip ended too quickly.  We had SO MUCH FUN - their house is basically like a resort villa!  We DEFINITELY want to wing our way back down there in the not too distant future, as it was so great to see them, and there are few things in life better than visiting/traveling with folks who also have young kids and are on roughly your same schedule.  I even managed to stay awake until 11 PM one night... :-)

The drive home was easy, but just 2 hours after pulling into the neighborhood I was back out the door, heading down I-85 for the airport.  It was too quick, and I wasn't happy about how unceremoniously I had to walk out the door, knowing full well I was leaving JT with an ocean of chores and no support for 4 days.  But, as always, she was a trooper, and as I type this now back home, I'm happy to report that we all survived. :-)

But that's another blog for another time - namely right now (since I'm already 1 day overdue on this past week's post)!  I'll be back soon to recount the past week's activities - plenty of new material to report!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

And the babbler arrives...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  7 months and 11 days

Family,

Look at this girl pulling up into Cobra - Yoga instructor
in training!  Such a cute, happy baby in the morning.

And a good (not so) idle Tuesday to you from the Queen City - another week is in the books!  I realize I'm two days late committing this one to the server, but MAN has it been busy.  Plus, with weekends being so absolutely precious with the Munchkin and Muffin, I am finding it increasingly harder to pull myself away from the girls to make these entries.  That being said, this is an important historical record of this amazing time in our lives, and I do want to ensure I keep it up to date!

So the past week was another great one.  For starters, after 7 weeks of congestion, I think the munch might FINALLY be clearing up a bit.  We haven't had to use the nose-frida in the last couple of days, and bottle feeding has DEFINITELY been easier for her.  And whilst I'm sure it's just temporary, we do think that the temperature in the new day care is a bit warmer, which is (hopefully) contributing to her drying out somewhat.

K has a new obsession - monkeys.  She's quite fond
of looking at them, touching them...and eating
their faces.

And whilst the congestion does seem to be abating somewhat, another problem has resurfaced.  About a month ago, we noticed that K's head was definitely tilting (the crown of her head was pointing to the right, with her chin pointing to the left).  At first we just diagnosed it as "she doesn't have the strength to hold her head up," but the first daycare commented that she could have a stiff muscle in her neck, causing her to favor that one side.  They started her on some stretches, and the difference was almost immediate.  However, now that we've moved, it seems as though her head position has deteriorated yet again.  The technical term is "tortichollis," but we have no idea if it really is an issue.  JT and I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday to confirm (and K gets her second flu shot - lucky girl!), but I think it's safe to say that some stretches are in our future (and I get the sinking feeling that she won't like them...).

And in this corner, weighing in at 18 pounds, the undisputed
cutest kid on earth....KAITLYN TAYLOR!!!!!

Note to self - rolling now means "I will eat
everything."

As far as her disposition, she continues to be the happiest kid on the planet.  She ALWAYS smiles when we get her up from a sleep, and she always smiles at me when I pick her up from daycare.  Whilst at daycare, she apparently smiles all the time and is quite the inquisitive munchkin - two things that do a father's heart good.  I definitely think she's super alert - she's always watching the world around her (with those beautiful, big eyes), reaching for things, and feeling new textures.  And still the cutest thing is when I pick her up from daycare - she basically grabs both veins in my next, twists and squeezes (and rips my skin apart with her Wolverine-style nails), and then plants her open mouth on my cheek - too cute (as is the ensuing smile).  And whilst she's not napping much at daycare (we're talking 3 naps of 10-30 minutes each - NOTHING), she's still very active (and more importantly - crashing HARD in the evening).  She's been a bit fussy at times during feeding, and her appetite definitely bounces from day to day.  Yesterday (Monday) she ate like a champ, but typically she's right at the "Mendoza line" on bottle intake (about 24 oz + the 2 oz for cereal).  When it comes to solids, however - LOOK OUT.  That girl can EAT!  She loves them!  Fruits will start next week - take cover!!!

Hey mommy, please remember that, when you
make this demon face...

...I will rip out every last shred of hair.

We did make another VBGB run this week, and K definitely did NOT enjoy that.  JT ended up taking her home early, but the highlight of the night was the Bull and Striker (the first 2 folks at the bar) sitting in our car whispering to each other and waiting for the rest of the gang (whilst the munchkin slept in the back).  She'd been away basically 5+ hours, and she crashed on the drive to Uptown.  We let her sleep a good hour, but I'm not sure she ever actually woke up before we put her down at 6:45.  She was an ANGEL during the weekend, however, and it was a PERFECT, happy 2 days.  As JT said:  "This feels just like maternity."

Celebrating a BIG Vols win:  23-21 over
the Gamecocks!  And note the head tilt - that
is what we'll be investigating this week.

As for the big accomplishments this week, the first is that she is FINALLY jumping in the Jumperoo!!! What was previously a "sedentary apparatus" has suddenly become quite the active session for the Munchkin, and she seems to really enjoy it!  She's also finally started playing with the "honeycomb sliders" at the front of the jumperoo.  I am proud, as I've been pushing that particular apparatus for some time now.  In fact, she's now playing with everything on there except 2 items in the back (not really her fault since we never point her that way).  And yes - she still LOVES to throw and eat blocks.

The other accomplishment has been the vocabulary - the Munchkin is now saying consonants!  So far we can get a steady stream of "babababababababababababababababa" - especially when she's tired.  What cracks us up is not how long she can go but the face she makes when doing the sound.  She makes this adorable little frown - too cute!

Okay - that's it for now.  chat again soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Kaitlyn rolls seven months...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  7 months and 3 days

Family,

The Munch at 7 months and a day! Thanks
Uncle Ron and Aunt Janet - K loves
her dress!  

And a good Monday afternoon (Columbus Day) to you from the Queen City - WHAT A WEEK!  I would say that I don't know where to begin, but that's rather silly considering that the answer is always the same:  Monday. :-)

This week has been a HUGE one for the munchkin on many different levels, beginning with her starting a new daycare - Primrose School.  We had heard AMAZING things about this place from 2 separate couple friends of ours, and we actually put ourselves on the wait list when Jenny was EIGHT WEEKS PREGNANT (that's right, sports fans - we've been on the list since August of 2012).  Well, we officially got the green light back in September, and considering a) the rave reviews, b) the proximity to the house, and c) the time invested, we decided to go for it.  Now don't get us wrong - we LOVED the other place.  However, the convenience of this spot could not be beaten (3 min from the house vs. 20).

I am happy to say that the experience thus far has been truly incredible.  When we showed up on Day 1, the front office staff was there to greet us and said, "This must be Kaitlyn."  The infant room team has been fantastic so far in terms of working diligently on the motor skills we've requested, and every afternoon I've arrived to find Kaitlyn working on sitting up or motor skills with one of the instructors (we're very lucky in that there are 5 other kids almost her exact same age in the class - new friends!).  But the funniest occurrence was on Monday morning.  I handed them my child - they handed me homework!  This guy was the proud recipient of 100 flash cards for sign language.  And YES, in case anyone's curious - we are working on some of the basic ones with her.

K gearing up for another big day working on sitting.

As for the little munch herself, this week has been EPIC in terms of developmental milestones.  She's now eating 3x per day (1.5 tablespoons of cereal twice daily, followed by a half jar of vegetables) - squash and green beans were the new veggies of the week!  We're now contemplating whether or not to introduce sweet potatoes before going back through "the greens," as we want to ingrain a love for plain veggies before we get too crazy with the cheese whiz.  She definitely prefers the veggies to the cereal, but she's not turning anything down. :-)  Soon I reckon we'll have to increase both the cereal and the veggie, but we actually reduced the cereal from 4 tablespoons to 3 this week to ensure she gets enough milk/formula (baseline minimum is 24 oz, and right now she's hovering between 24-26.  We've also reduced the amount of milk/formula in the bottles, sending only 2 six ounce (vs. 8 previously) bottles to daycare and using just 7 ounces morning and night.  So far she's still sleeping through the night (knock on wood), but we'll monitor it to see if she starts waking up earlier.

We honestly thought that she'd be taking more milk and formula given how active she's been lately - especially at daycare, where she's doing virtually ZERO sleeping.  They are working her hard on sitting and tummy time, and it is DEFINITELY paying off.  Whilst we wouldn't want to leave her unattended, there's no question that she can sit on her own now without support. She's lasted well over 2-3 minutes on her own with no support (albeit a bit slouched), and I definitely think she's on the verge of being able to maintain that posture longer.  We're working with her a lot at home as well (both propped against us and the bumbo), and the results have been quick and AMAZING.  It really is an amazing science - she's 1 month behind when adjusted for gestational age, and she's hitting all of her 6 month milestones almost exactly 1 month later than "the books and experts" predict it happens.  Way to go, munchkin - catching up fast!

Tummy time is now NO problem.  In fact, the
only problem is keeping her ON her tummy!
And this photo was K's first time in jeans - she
looks like a little girl!  Ah, heartbreaker...

I say "catching up fast" because this week she rolled over (no pun intended - ok, very much intended) another milestone - the Munchkin can now roll back and forth from her tummy to back!  She rolled over at daycare on Tuesday, meaning that her crib now has the "green check mark" and the sign that says, "Hi, my name is Kaitlyn and I can roll over and sleep on my tummy."  She'd been sleeping on her side a lot recently (left side), but now she is FULL BOARD ROLLY POLY!!!!!  Seriously - it is NUTS to watch her in her crib now - she will start in the normal position, but by the end of each nap she will have gone ALL OVER that crib - it's not unusual to find her with her feet where her head used to be, perpendicular in the crib to how we laid her, or wedged all the way in the corner (where her face is out of our field of vision - a little uncomfortable for us).  She's also flailing her arms and legs during sleep, and on more than one occasion she's had an arm or leg through the slats of the crib.  Luckily she hasn't woken up and FREAKED OUT yet when this has occurred. :-)

What made all this extra special was the number of folks who got to witness it this weekend.  You see, yesterday (October 13th) was Wife Muffin's birthday - the big 3-5!!! - and her sister (Aunt/Fairy Godmother Kim) and her husband (Uncle Matt) made the drive up from Atlanta to be with us and help celebrate.  Jenny's folks came up as well, as Kim's birthday was September 28 and Jan's birthday (that's Jenny's mom) was 1 October.  Plus Friday marked the 7 month anniversary for the Munchkin, so we had LOADS of important dates for all the Tacy women.  Saturday was a big celebration, complete with lunch out, presents, and of course - a photo shoot for the munchkin!  I mean, I know that I'm a wee bit biased, but still - SERIOUSLY - cutest.  Kid.  EVER.

K checking to see if her fairy godmother's hair
actually does contain pixie dust...

Sunday was Jenny's actual birthday, and we celebrated with a quiet (but perfect) day in - big breakfast, some football, relaxation, and lots of quality time with the munchkin.  Kim's law school roommate even came over with her wee one (Prince Henry - 4 months old and ADORABLE!  I suppose I would be ok with K dating a younger man...), so we got a chance to catch up with her for the first time in 19 months (last time we'd seen her was St. Patty's Day of 2012 - quite a bit's changed since then!).

The last big milestone was perhaps the best birthday present Jenny could have asked for - SHE'S DONE PUMPING!!!!  That's right, sports fans - after 7 months (1 month longer than her goal and with loads of milk still to spare in the freezer) of pumping, the Striker is finally done!  She had scaled it back to twice a day the last couple of weeks, but given how quickly the supply has dwindled this week, we both realized that the "return on investment" was no longer there.  We've still got enough milk to carry us for about a month, especially since 75% of the bottles are formula at this point.  I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, MUFFIN!!!!  TAKE A BOW AND ENJOY THIS NEW FOUND FREEDOM!!!!!!

Socks courtesy of Matt's mom - LOVE THEM!

The munch is now asleep and Jenny's making a "BJ's run" as I type this, so I reckon I'll load the photos and then sign off ahead of her 3rd feed of the day.  Jenny and I chuckled about this weekend, as it marks the first Columbus Day since 2003 that we've not been somewhere on vacation this weekend (and the only reason we didn't go anywhere in 2003 is because we'd only been dating 2 months).  Life is definitely moving at a different speed, but we couldn't be happier.  Kaitlyn's personally is REALLY starting to come out now, and it's a disposition filled with smiles, laughter, curiosity, shyness, and sweetness.  When I look at how blessed I am and the fact that I get so much dedicated time with my soul mate and my daughter, I can't help but think that, as much as I've always loved travel, why on EARTH would I want to be anywhere other than in this house bonding with my girls.  Once again, I have realized that my cup truly runneth over.

Okay, that's it for this edition.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WIFE MUFFIN!!!!!!  I LOVE YOU!!!!!  BEST WIFE AND MOMMY EVER!!!!!!!

Love,

Sam (and Jenny remote from Aisle 16 at BJ's)