Kaitlyn visits the National Whitewater Center and has a reunion with "old" friends... :-)

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  14 months and 15 days

Family,

And a good Monday afternoon to you from the Queen City - Happy Memorial Day!  I'm taking advantage of a bit of downtime to recount the past week's events.  Plenty to cover, so let's get amongst it!

The week itself was another great one, made doubly wonderful by the fact that I was on US soil the entire time.  Now don't get me wrong - it was a really busy week.  That being said, it is just so great to be able to walk into K's room and be there when she wakes up, give Jenny a 5 minute break when she needs it, and just walk around the house holding our daughter's hand while she practices her mobility.  And speaking of mobility, the sneetch is DEFINITELY ratcheting up toward walking.  She is cruising faster and faster on the furniture, but more importantly she WANTS to walk and be active now.  For really the first time ever, we're seeing her actively reach for mommy and daddy so that she can walk around the house.  She LOVES being outside, and if she sees a set of stairs - LOOK OUT, as she'll want to climb up and down them NON-STEP (with mommy and daddy saying "Big step!" every step of the way - literally...).  For the first time, we are seeing a girl that actually wants to be active and gets fussy when you take her away from her activity.  Also, we're watching K's curiosity explode, as she wants to get into and touch everything (her favorite toy this week is daddy's blood pressure pill box.  Don't worry - it's sealed up tight :-)).  I really can't believe how high she can reach now, especially when she gets on her toes (which she's doing constantly).  She is starting to want to try and climb out of her crib, which feels like a great idea to her until she raises her leg and realizes there's nothing to push off against. :-)

On the walking front, she's at the point now that, while she always wants to start walking with both of us each holding a hand, so soon lets go of one of us to walk with 1 hand free.  This is great, as I really do think she's becoming emboldened.  She's also letting go of our hands (really fingers) more regularly and is controlling her drop to the floor.  And so while she definitely can't stand on her own, we know it's close.  She's still not lunging between furniture while cruising, but we've seen a few moments where  she's done something akin to the "lunge," and so again we know that she's close to getting up the courage.  Watch this space - the milestone is approaching!

JT also bought her a tunnel this week, and she has LOVED it.  It has been SO CUTE to watch her go through it (especially when we play peekaboo from the other end).  We've had it both upstairs and down, and we even took it outside for a bit.  K didn't enjoy it as much in the backyard, but she LOVES the stairs on the deck (and to the back porch), the hammocks, sitting in the grass, and pushing the chairs around on the deck.  Dare I say, I think she's going to be an outdoors kind of girl (exactly as planned :-)).

K shows she's got mommy's rock
climbing genes...

And on that topic, we took K to the National Whitewater Center this weekend.  I had a 5 mile trail run (my first ever trail run - WHEW!), and so we went up there to enjoy the day and visit with our friends Matt and Ray and their families.  It was a great day, and the weather could not have been better.  The plus for me was definitely getting another race under my belt, as I had been wanting something on the calendar.  This race definitely put me back in the racing spirit and has re-energized me on the half marathon path.  The only down side was that, due to not being able to bring food or drink into the facility, I didn't get my normal post race adult beverage (I actually tried to bring something in and got yelled at the SECOND I opened the bag - quality).  Also, I think I was a bit overambitious, as I had dreamed of Team Taylor sitting in a covered picnic area, with K sleeping in her Bob (hammock-style j

Fueling up before her event - stair climbing...

ust like Seattle) post-lunch while JT and I ate our food and drank a few cold beers amidst a nice breeze blowing through the park, all the while with rafters crashing in the waves below our perch.  The reality is that, since a) you couldn't bring food in, b) they couldn't pour beer until 12, c) K was too stimulated to sleep (she just wanted to go up and down the concrete stairs), and d) the place was packed due to the holiday, none of the above happened.  I must confess I was a little frustrated (totally my own fault because I didn't read up on the food and drink policy), but the reality in retrospect is that it was a GREAT day with friends, the race was a blast, JT got to do some laps around the water with K, and we learned how easy it was to get to the center.  We'll definitely go back - next time with a more realistic game plan. :-)  As I sit here typing this wearing the race shirt, I now realize how nice a day it was and how things like that will get easier very soon - I just need to be patient. :-)


Later that afternoon we went over to Kelly and Tom's, where Kaitlyn got an unexpected treat - a pool party with Avery and her other friend Grace from daycare!  Grace was one of the 4 "witches of Eastfield,"meaning the 4 girls in the infant room at Primrose who hung together.  Grace also started walking faster than ANY CHILD ON THE PLANET - as she was NO JOKE walking at 7 months.  It was amazing to watch that gal run around, and she was one of the kids that I knew we'd miss when we left Primrose.  Well, as fate would have it, her parents are best friends with Kelly and Tom, and so we have now reconnected!  The day was GREAT - we hung out with 3 other couples (all of whom had kids), and it was an afternoon of good food, good beer, lots of laughs, and everyone sharing some great stories - all the while policing each other's kids.  I had a blast, and it COMPLETELY eliminated my frumpiness from the earlier whitewater debacle (if it can even be called that).  All in all, it was a GREAT day - definitely a fantastic way to end the holiday weekend.

K tries the trampoline for the first time...

The girls reunited - too cute!

In other development news, Kaitlyn is now CRAZY for books.  I am seriously reading 10-20 books a day to her, including 5 every night before bed.  She sometimes still flips through the pages quickly, but more often than not she's now sitting attentively, listening to the story.  It is SO CUTE anytime there's a dog or cat (especially a dog), as she'll smile and reach for it (and try to pet it).  She definitely seems to be more of a dog person than a cat person, which of course makes my wife very happy. :-)

"Roll it, roll it, wheels so fat..."

K's favorite book a few weeks ago was "Dear Zoo," but now she's changed her tune - the winner is now "Easy Street," which is one of the books from Benny, Kay, and Charlie.  The funny part is that
this book - which is all about constructing a street - is EASILY the "manliest" book in her collection.  However, she LOVES it.  The other day I read it 7 times in a row (and have probably read it 50 times this week).  The best line:  "Roll it, roll it, wheels so fat - roll it down to make it flat."  I try to read it in a rhythm, and K will jerk to the beat.  She's starting to dance now - which is pretty darn funny.

Okay, that's the week in a nutshell.  Who knows - next week could be BIG news on the mobility front.  Stay tuned!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Kaitlyn's best weekend EVER - fried chicken and "big" waves in Charleston, SC

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  14 months and 9 days

Family,

And a good Tuesday evening to you from the Queen City, where wife muffin has just cooked up a

bounteous FEAST for the adult portion of Team Taylor - a rubbed pepper turkey roast with squash, carrots, potatoes, and rice.  YUM!  I should start this blog by noting that my wife has become a cooking MACHINE!  Seriously, if I'd known about this perk of her staying at home, I'd have chained her to the house once her mat leave was up - amazing!  JT has really become quite the chef overnight, always experimenting with new dishes and cooking up tasty new treats.  In fact, not only did we have the roast tonight, but she also did a ham bone split pea soup today - most of which we're freezing.  I might weight 700 lbs by the time K turns 2!

So this past week was another good one, but MAN did it go by in a flash.  I was traveling for work (up in Canada, splitting time between Toronto and Niagara on the Lake), and for the third week out of five I watched my daughter grow up from a foreign country.  Now don't get me wrong, I will NEVER complain about international travel.  However, after a decade of going about as hard as one can go (it's actually 8 years, but considering we've lived in 5 cities across 3 continents during that time, I think we

One of the pics that kept me going this
week - look at that face - like an angel.

can round up), I am finding that a) it's harder to recover week over week and b) a lot of what made international travel so wonderful in the beginning - the excitement, the stories, the new meals on expense accounts, seeing new places - has been replaced by a desire to be home with my girls.  And considering that FaceTime hasn't worked for the last two destinations, that's made the time away much tougher.  JT's been great to send me pics and emails throughout the day, but nothing really compares to waking up beside my wife and then walking into the Munchkin's room in the morning when she's all smiles and desperately trying to climb out of her crib because she wants a hug and to start her day.  The good news is that I've only got 1 more trip on the books this year (although I'm sure a few more will surface), and it's a month out - that should give me some great bonding time at home with K and JT.

Cruisin'...and requesting food (we see
that particular sign a lot...).

This week has been a normal week so far (2 days in), and there really is nothing like being at home with them.  My work day starts at 7 AM and goes until 4:30-5, with a break somewhere in there to run 3 days a week (and do something else the other two).  I get the chance to be there every time K wakes up, and I get to see her for a bit at lunch (and walk around the house with her whenever she is up and I need a break).  She's becoming quite the little motor boat these days!  She really is getting SO much faster, and we've noticed that, not only is she transferring from different pieces of furniture more, but she's getting much more comfortable walking with only 1 hand attached to mommy or daddy.  Now that being said, she is still just about the sweetest thing EVER and reaches for both of us before she starts walking (and oddly enough we're only too happy to oblige :-)), but you can tell that she's not too far away from going at it on her own.  She's not standing yet, but she is starting to let go from time to time and is lunging at furniture that's not quite within striking distance.  Almost there - and then Heaven help us. :-)

I landed back from Toronto late Thursday to find out that, during the week, the light in K's room had fallen from the ceiling.  Luckily her and JT were in the bath at the time, but K has been playing in her r
oom a LOT lately, and the thought of that heavy light coming down on her head really freaked both of us out.  As fate would have it, we'd been contemplating removing it anyway, so needless to say this will serve as the impetus we need to put a new fixture in.  In fact, since she's got the only room in the house without a fan, we'll probably just go that way (and have Lowe's install it, because you know I can't).

Friday started a WONDERFUL weekend for Team Taylor.  We made the drive down to Charleston to visit Mindy, Craig, and Hayden, and the weather could NOT have been better.  We stopped in Columbia at Chik-fil-a on the way down, where K had another first - chicken nuggets, baby!!!!  The staff was hilarious - when they found out it was her first time, they told EVERY CUSTOMER IN THE PLACE.  The manager even came around to watch (and yes, I did get video) - hilarious!  Munch Munch - I am pleased to report that you LOVED them (shocking, I know) and actually ended up eating FOUR nuggets!  Add in the rest of the lunch we brought for you, and it would have been cheaper to have purchased a kids meal for you!  Oh, you were too cute...

Moment #1:  Anticipation

Moment #2:  Consumption

Moment #3:  Elation (that's K signing "More, mommy!")

We made the drive in 5 hours, and Hayden accosted Kaitlyn the second we walked in the door.  Seriously, it was TOO funny - Hayden is a spark plug of EPIC proportions, screeching and running

"Seriously - get out of my face."

over everything.  K is about the most chill individual in the history of children, and she straight up gave Hayden the stiff arm when Hayden ran up to give her a kiss.  However, from this rather inauspicious beginning, they ended up playing GREAT together all weekend, even sharing "walking time" on Scout (and Violet, who is the female equivalent doggie walker and is purple and pink).

We spent a bit of the afternoon at the park, where K reaffirmed that she HATES the swings and does NOT like to be out of control at any point.  We put her on some other "springy" rides, but no dice.  We did make a little progress with the slide, but K kept wanting to run back up it and would get FURIOUS when she couldn't get traction.  She then fell a whopping 2 inches (not kidding) right on her face, giving her a nice little shiner and sending her into full on meltdown

K's first official shiner - she took it like a champ.

mode - good times.  The rest of the playground was happy as a clam, but our daughter was an air raid siren.  Oh, and in case anyone is scoring, Hayden was happily swinging and laughing THIS ENTIRE TIME.

We got home and tried to put the Munch down for a nap, but she was having none of it.  But give her credit - she stayed up until just after 7 and then went down like a CHAMPION, sleeping 12.5 hours!  We cooked in that night (as we did Saturday), and it was great to just have a relaxing evening in (we
sacked out about 11ish).

I got 4 miles in on Saturday before showering and then heading to the local bakery.  We had a nice walk, put the girls down for a nap, and then rolled over to the featured event of the weekend - K's first beach trip!  The results were, in a word, SHOCKING.

We rolled up to Sullivan's Island beach on a 90 degree day with ZERO breeze.  K hadn't eaten well for lunch (and hadn't slept that long), and we were expecting
her to SCREAM BLOODY MURDER when we tried to put her feet in the water.  She was slathered in sunscreen, had her had on, and was covered for the occasion, but we still felt this would be an epic disaster.  So imagine our surprise when our daughter suddenly took both of our hands and walked the tenth of a mile to the water!  And then, as the first waves lapped over her feet, we poised for a scream.  What did we get?  LAUGHTER!  That's right, sports fans - K LOVED it!  In fact, she kept wanting to go deeper and deeper into the water, and every wave that hit her made her giggle.  A few times she even got creamed full on in the face, but she cackled every time!  It was absolutely amazing - JT and I just couldn't believe it.  She did NOT want to leave the water and must have played in it for at least 30 minutes before walking and crawling around on the beach for a bit.  She then went BACK to the water.  The people were great, as they all knew it was her first time.  One fella was so nice he even took a photo for us - too cute!

Act 1:  The arrival - K discovers that eating sand is AWESOME.

Act 2:  The girls sunning it and trying to get a photo before the kids go into meltdown.

Act 3:  A random stranger discerns it's our first time and takes a family photo.

Act 4:  The Pices breaks free - she LOVES the water (like her mommy)!

Ultimately K face planted on the sand and then did start screaming.  However, once we got her home and got her down for a nap, all was well.  JT had already made up mac 'n cheese, and her dinner that night was nothing short of EPIC.  Seriously - we are talking about 12 pounds of food.  I was well and truly impressed. :-)

We left about 11 on Sunday, arriving home about 3 PM or so.  That gave us time to unwind a bit before  JT made a DELICIOUS dinner of pesto gnocchi (see a pattern forming here?) once we put the sneetch down.

So there you have it - an absolutely PERFECT weekend for Team Taylor:  good food, good friends, new memories, and the most smiles I've ever seen from K at one time.  That in and of itself would have been worth 10 times the drive, as it was a perfect, happy, magical day.

Okay, that's it for this guy - time to call it a night.  Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

The best Mother's Day present EVER - K's first word...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  14 months and 1 day

Family,

And a good Monday morning to you from Charlotte Douglas International airport in Charlotte, where the bull has gone mobile for this latest post.  Apologies for not getting to it last night, but as it was Mother’s Day (Jenny’s

Let's get this party STARTED!

2^nd!) and I had to pack for a work trip (heading to Canada this week), I just ran out of time.  Consequently I’m typing this is in word in the hope that I can copy-paste it once I touch down in Toronto.  At a minimum, I want to make sure I record everything while it’s still fresh in my mind, as it was another BIG week.

First off – the GREAT news.  Today was truly “week 1” of the new world order, with Jenny at home and me working out of the enclave in the bedroom.  While last week was her first week as “Domestic Entrepeneur,” the facts that a) K was sick and had to go to the doctor twice, b) I was out of the country, and c) she had to cancel a planned flight to London made it a less than stellar (to say nothing of normalized) start.  This week, however, I was home all week, K was healthy, and we were set to test out the new arrangement.  I am pleased to report that it was PHENOMENAL.

In all seriousness, we hoped (and expected) it would be wonderful.  The family would be under one roof.  We’d have an extra hour of sleep each morning (if the sneetch cooperated J).  I’d get to see K and Jenny more throughout the day.  K would get the chance to sleep better.  Most importantly, K and Jenny would get dedicated bonding time.  Well, I am thrilled to report that all of the above happened and THEN SOME.  Week 1 was, in a word, perfect.

Another new favorite activity - being hoisted
onto the bed and then running around on it
like a mad woman while mommy and daddy
tickle you senseless - she LOVES it.

For Jenny and K, it’s amazing to see how much the bond has already deepened.  K has of course always known who her mommy is, but she calls out for her all the time now.  In fact, we are officially giving her credit for her first word as of yesterday – “MAMA!”  Now granted, sometimes she says “baba,” but she’s already getting better at her “m’s,” and there is no question she equates that pair of syllables to her mother.  It is SO CUTE:  Jenny will say “where’s mama?”, and I will point or look at Jenny and say “baba.”  Jenny will then say, “Mama!”, at which point K will repeat “mama.”  It is just beautiful to see the smile that follows on both of their faces.  Incidentally, K is also saying “more” when eating.  She says it while she signs it, and so while the pronunciation isn’t stellar, there is no question that’s the word she’s saying.  It should be noted that she’s also saying “Boom Boom” when she walks up to the red ball and slaps it, but I don’t think Jenny’s too keen on giving her credit for that word yet. 

The rapid development of language along with her improved cruising (she’s up on couches, beds, and everything else at this point) highlights just how much her blocked ears were a hamper on her development during her first year of life.  True, there are days where she’s not terribly active physically, but there’s no question that she’s cruising and walking better, all of which has to be a direct correlation to having clear ears.  I am not sure when she’s going to take those first steps, but she did stand at the park for a good 2-3 seconds before she fell back on her bum yesterday.

The week itself was just fantastic. Jenny now heads out for a 5K each morning, walking and running with the stroller.  K is eating 5 times and is having 2 naps during the week and 1 nap on the weekend (we’re not sure if she’s transitioning to a single nap yet or not, but I do think it’s close).  I get to see her each time she wakes up, as well as throughout the day when I’m between calls.  On Monday we went out on the deck for a bit, and K fell in love with pushing the plastic chairs around – too cute! 

Tuesday was Jenny’s first time with the “meet up” group.  This group will become something of a staple in the coming months and years (we think anyway), as it’s a group of mother’s within Highland Creek who get together at least once a week.  The kids are spread across all ages, but there was one on Tuesday near K’s age (there were only 4 kids and moms present).  K wasn’t super excited about the “meet up” and apparently spent the lion’s share of her time eating wood chips (which is the same thing she did at the park on Mother’s Day yesterday).  But at least she was outside breathing fresh air, so I still call it a victory. J  Jenny will probably do the meet up tomorrow as well, and during the school year there are also readings at the local library (which I think is the actually UNC-Charlotte library).  On the whole, I think it’s been a good start to the transition, and JT said that she met some really nice parents while there.

Wednesday definitely had a twinge of sadness in it, as it was the day we officially said farewell to Primrose.  As

The amazing front desk staff at Primrose
wonderful people who REALLY care
about children and seeing them succeed.

I said previously, we are SO THRILLED to have the opportunity to raise our daughter at home.  That being said, this facility and its faculty were a very big part of K’s first year and a daily staple in our lives, and it was very tough to just suddenly walk in a final time and wish them farewell.  They have been comic relief when needed, advisors when we’ve needed support, and fantastic motivators/instructors for K’s development.  Truly, I think that so much of K’s progress this first year was due largely in part to their curriculum and (more importantly) the care and love shown by the staff, and we will certainly miss them. 

Ms. Dickson and Ms. Oliva - the afternoon
and morning staples of mine and K's life
for the past 7 months.  They were such an
important part of her first year - hard to believe
she won't have a memory of them.

We said goodbye to the front office folks first before moving into the infant room and saying farewell to her teachers.  One of them (Ms. Gutierrez) was on a mission trip, but the other three were present.  Ms. T was the newest addition to the room (new as of March), and so there wasn’t as much of a parting sadness with her.  For Ms. Oliva (the morning teacher) and Ms. Dickson (the afternoon teacher), however, it was definitely a weird experience.  They are both so wonderful (and were so wonderful to K each and every day), and I had planned on having that last week whilst JT was in London to say my goodbyes at my own pace.  Instead, however, there I was, thrust into a sudden farewell, and for once I was at a loss for words.  After all, how do you sum up a thank you to the folks who looked after your daughter 8-9 hours a day for 7 months?  Jenny and I did give them cards, and I just have to hope that they know how thankful we are for all that they’ve done and wish them all the best.  I think the strangest thing is that, even though they’ve been such an important part of K’s life up until now, she won’t even have a memory of them.  That’s another reason why I think this blog is so important, as I want her to know about all the people who looked after her and helped her (and her parents) along the way.

The Sneetch on Monday - she was ALL ABOUT moving
between the chairs...and pushing them like a walker when
the distance between them proved too great.

"Please, mommy!"

"All done, mommy!"

And perhaps the farewell to Primrose was more than just saying goodbye to daycare, as closing that chapter has, in effect, ushered in a new era for Team Taylor (and by extension for me).  Yes, I will now see K throughout the day and see her every time she wakes up.  Yes, in total time I will probably see her more each day than I did previously.  And yes – most importantly – the family unit is growing stronger than ever and will continue to do so with each passing day.  However, there is one thing that cannot be escaped:  just 2 weeks in, K no longer reaches for Daddy now – she wants her mommy.  Now don’t get me wrong – this is a GREAT thing.  It will just take some adjusting, as I no longer have that dedicated time in the morning and afternoon.  Jenny’s been great about letting me put K down in the evenings, and I still get a lot of quality time with her in the afternoon.  However, it has changed, and I am definitely sliding into the spot where most dads fit in the family unit.  I now very much understand how Jenny felt when working, as you can see how quickly they grow up and therefore want to be present and connected to every moment of it.  The good news is that I still am, as I’ve got both my girls under 1 roof.  I just need to make sure that I am doubly focused on every second I have with the Munchkin.  And again – for me, seeing how much closer the two of them have grown in just this short span of time is nothing short of amazing and fills my heart with happiness.  This is why we made the decision to raise K at home, and I am thrilled that we’re seeing such wonderful results so quickly.

Thug life! 

In other sneetch development news, it is AMAZING how well she signs now.  She has got “please” down cold and does it on command (SO CUTE the way she rubs her belly when you give her the “say please, Kaitlyn” request J).  She’s also got “more” down pat – probably because she uses it ALL THE TIME.  We are so thrilled and lucky that she eats so well – she took down 18 grapes in a sitting yesterday and then an entire garden v

eggie burger for dinner!  I think she still prefers the black bean burgers (there are some oats in the garden burgers, and they are a bit tougher to chew), but we introduced her to chicken jalfrezi yesterday and she ate it without missing a beat.  What is interesting is that, once K’s done eating, she’ll start tossing food onto the floor around her high chair.  However, once you take her out of the chair and stand her beside it, she’ll drop right to the floor and commence with eating everything she’s previously tossed!  Kudos to Jenny to buying this little $8 plastic mat that surrounds the immediate “tiny bomb quarantine zone,” as it’s made clean-up MUCH easier.

The new have toy...a filthy rug.  YES -
we spare no expense on our daughter.

K’s 2 favorite toys at present are an old magnet that was on the fridge when we arrived (dated from 2010 or something like that – it’s a calendar from a realtor) and our dirty rug that sits at the entrance to the screened porch.  For some reason, she is FASCINATED by these 2 things, which has consequently kept Jenny quite busy keeping them clean.  K will push the rug all over the breakfast nook, much like she’s now doing with chairs, Scout the “doggie walker” and anything else for which friction isn’t all that powerful.  Jenny rightly noticed that K is now able to turn and adjust her walker once she collides with a wall or object – definitely moving in the right direction (no pun intended)!

Thumbs UP for being at home with mommy!

Sunday was K’s 14 month birthday as well as JT’s second Mother’s Day, and the day was perfect – great weather, wonderful food, time in the park, and lots of laughs.  K is all about climbing (and drooling) on our couch and the spare bed at present, and it is SO CUTE to watch her sign “please” when asking to be lifted to the bed.  We tickle her, and she laughs constantly – such a happy baby, such a happy family.  In fact, life was so good this week that JT and I sat on the deck more than once after K was down to just have a beer and reflect on how well it was all going.  Life is guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud. J

Okay, this has been a marathon post, and I’m glad that I didn’t try to wedge it into last night’s schedule.  It’s now off to Canada, so we’ll chat with you next week.

Jenny – Happy Mother’s Day to a wonderful mother and the best wife EVER.  I love you so, so much, and I couldn’t possibly be happier with our life together. 

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Talk about a week to remember (or forget) - Kaitlyn's first fever

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  13 months and 3 weeks

Family,

Seriously - when's the last time you slept this well?

And a good Tuesday evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull is now back at home after a work trip to London.  WHAT A WEEK TO REVIEW, made all the more interesting by the fact that I wasn't even on the continent for 85% of it.  But that has never stopped this humble bard previously, eh? :-)

So Saturday night was my flight to the UK.  Team Taylor's day was wonderful, and it was obviously tough to leave.  The toughest part was not just the reality that this would be the longest stretch I had ever been away from my daughter, but also the apprehension of knowing that, for 96 hours, Kaitlyn was going to be away from both parents, as Jenny was planning to fly to the UK.  We had been planning this particular venture for more than 2 months - a celebration of Jenny's major life change before settling into the new routine - and I can honestly say I felt GREAT about our preparations.  But as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men...

Sunday Funday with Presley...24 hours before
the madness kicked off in earnest...

For starters, we had typed up a 7 page document about everything the grandparents would need to know (the plan was that JT's folks would watch her Tues-Fri, and then my mom would watch K Fri-Sun until I returned) - schedule, foods, alarm codes, access codes for daycare - you name it.  Also, Jenny stocked the house on Monday as though we were preparing for the zombie Apocalypse.  Daycare knew about the plan.  The Pediatrician and ENT numbers were on the fridge.  All was set to go.

And so imagine my surprise on Tuesday morning - at 7:08 AM UK TIME - when I got a text from Jenny.  It came through as "please text when you are around," and I just assumed I'd missed it from the night before (we didn't get to chat that night, and I never managed to make FaceTime work while over there).  Two seconds later I got the follow up text "if you can," and I realized JT was writing to me IN REAL TIME (a la 24).  I knew then and there we had a problem.

Now as a bit of back story, K had been coughing for the previous week, and Jenny said that she was concerned she was getting sick.  Now I tend to be a bit like my dad on this one and just assume that "nah, she's never sick," but there is no question that Jenny was right on this one.  And it was confirmed at 2 AM on Tuesday morning when K spiked a fever of 102.6.

So picture the scene:  Jenny is set to fly out in 16 hours.  We have already paid for the flight.  She and I can't even talk on the phone because I can't get my phone to dial internationally.  There is a Tube Strike, so I can't even stay at the hotel for too long because we know we need to fight the crowds for what few trains will come through.  Jenny hasn't left the country since returning home from Singapore. Kaitlyn has NEVER spent a night without both parents present.  And, most inauspiciously, Kaitlyn has NEVER had a fever before.

Tools of the trade

Jenny and I agree to monitor it, but the reality is that, by 8 AM in Charlotte, there's no question the fever is on its way up (103.6).  JT takes K to the doctor, and the Peds tells JT that this is consistent with the virus she's seeing going around (apparently it's a good thing that it's viral vs. bacterial).  She puts K on a regimen of Benadryl and Advil, administered every 8 hours.  JT gives me the news, and we have the conversation.  In the end, there was no decision to make - our daughter was sick, and there was no way we were going to leave her care to anyone other than her mother.  And so, for the first time in history, Team Taylor availed of travel insurance and cancelled the flight.  And it was a good thing, too, as the next day K's temp spiked to 104.4!  That's the highest we'd ever seen, and Jenny and her mum (who stayed over Tuesday, Wednesday, most of Thursday, and some of Friday - THANK YOU, Jan) had to begin alternating Advil with Tylenol every 4 hours whilst giving K a tepid bath to cool her off.  The reports from Jenny were that K was quite lethargic but at least had some energy whilst the meds were in her.  However, she wasn't eating much (just chugging milk).  K also tried Pedia-lite for the first time and HATED it.  Not sure why, but since this illness she has REFUSED to touch water - only milk for her.

As long as they kept the Munch on a steady diet of
Advil, all was right with the world.  It's amazing how
clockwork the medicine was - the fever really did
begin spiking every 8 hours.

Now don't get me wrong - Jenny UNQUESTIONABLY had it worse.  Her daughter is sick, and nobody in the house is resting.  She's just had to cancel her first international flight in 3 years, and she had all these lunches and dinners with friends (including a 4 day holiday with her friend from Manchester).  I cannot compare to what she was going through.  But I must say, it was MISERABLE being separated from all this by an ocean and knowing there was NOTHING you could do about it.  Also, between FaceTime not working, not having the proper access codes to dial from the office, and just the work that we had to do, I have never been more ready IN MY LIFE to leave London than when I boarded that plane on Saturday (originally I was flying Sunday after spending the weekend in London with Jenny, but I managed to pull it back one day after she cancelled).

I returned home to a beautiful wife who was exhausted but in GREAT spirits considering everything and a little munchkin slowing getting her appetite back.  She was quite lethargic all weekend, but I didn't complain, as her favorite activity was laying on daddy. :-)  It was just so amazing to be back at
home with my girls.  I love London, LOVE international travel - but this time was different.  When I landed at Heathrow this time, the city actually didn't feel like home - a sensation I haven't experienced since 2007.  Don't get me wrong - it was still AMAZING (especially on an expense account), but there was something unmistakably missing - my wife and daughter.  As I went for my run through Regent's Park and Primrose Hill the day I landed, I found myself (for the first time ever) just looking at all the mum's with strollers and all the kids at play.  That's when I knew that what Jenny and I had discussed back in 2012 was well and truly real now - roots, they are a'growin' in Charlotte, and there is no place like home.

"I'm sexy and I know it..."

And so there you have it, an unbelievable week that saw my poor wife worked to the bone during her first week as a stay at home mom and saw her first big trip in quite awhile vanish.  However, I am CERTAIN that we'll get her to the UK and Europe this year, and I just have to say again a) how incredibly proud I am of my wife for working so tirelessly to take care of the sneetch, b) how grateful I am to Jan for being such a wonderful grandparent and partner, and c) how thankful I am that the wee one is now on the mend (appetite is most definitely back!).

And on the development front, I just have to say how CRAZY it is that our daughter is now using SIGN LANGUAGE!  Seriously, you always see parents doing this, and until this past week I was NEVER a believer that any of this worked.  The whole notion of non-verbal communication in infants just seemed incomprehensible to me, but all that changed last week when my daughter gave me the "all done" sign.  Seriously - she waved her hands.  I put another piece of food on her tray.  She picked up the food, looked at me as if to say "I said I was DONE, moron," and then chucked the food to the floor.  She then waved her hands again.  I handed her some milk, at which point she looked at me again to say, "Will you never learn, half-wit?" before slapping the milk out of my hand.  And then she waved her hands again - she was well and truly done.

Dora the Explorer is BACK, Daddy!

It has been amazing.  She now doing the signs for "more," "eat," "milk," and even "please!"  We are working on thank you, and we're pretty sure she's trying to say the word "more" when she makes the sign - INCREDIBLE!

She's also starting to get a bit better with flap books.  Her favorite at present is "Dear Zoo," and I have been quite impressed to watch her memorize where the flaps are and how they are opened.  Genius, I'm tellin' you!!! :-)

Ok - that's enough for this round.  What a week!  Fingers crossed this one will be more relaxed!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

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

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  13 months and 2 weeks

Kaitlyn,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love,

Sam, Daddy, and Husband Bear

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

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  13 months and 11 days

Family,

The sneetch in her first Easter dress...

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

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

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

Who needs the play room?

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Change this damn air vent, daddy!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love,

Sam and Jenny