Age of Baby T: 19 weeks and 4 days (the size of a tomato)
Family,
And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull is just trying to get a few key stokes in while the house is quiet. And absolutely fabulous (even if eventful and expensive!) July is in the
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| Little Ledecky, baby!!!! |
7/1 - so July started with a bang, as Team Taylor loaded up the car and drove to the Volunteer State for the long holiday weekend. Let me just say first off that I didn't realize how much I needed this time away, and this time with my family was just PERFECT. K had a blast, I really got quality time with everyone, and I had the most fun I've had in TN in a long time.
We got there in the afternoon and went straight for mom's pool. She'd pulled some trees out, and the new look of the place was basically a posh resort! K went straight into the water, and everyone was amazed at how well she swam (me included - so proud of my little Pisces!). Mom even pulled out a treat for me - my old turtle that was the sprinkler I ran through as a kid. that thing is almost 4 decades old! I was so excited that I couldn't help running through the sprinkler a few times (K followed suit).
Dad, Alice, and Pattie came over that night, and what followed was just an absolute blast. Everyone had a great time and ate like kings. We even broke out the fireworks...which K was NOT a big fan of. We started with the sprinklers (which I thought was a great idea), but K burned herself a bit on one of the sprinklers. She definitely cried for a bit, but then she got back on the horse and played with one more set of them. Mom had gone all out with the food, the fireworks, and the decorations, so rest assured K still had TONS of fun (and food!).
The funniest moment was when we started shooting off the (admittedly super small) fireworks. K thought it was neat at first, but then the report when one of them exploded clearly scared her. After that, she just kept covering her ears and saying either "it's too loud" or "let's get further away." We ended up only using half of the ones we'd planned, but there were still some classic moments, such as when the "very mild" ladybug actually flew up off the ground and crashed into a tree! Luckily we didn't burn the place down. K summed up her feelings on it the next day when she said, "I don't want to do that again EVER." Priceless. She was so tired that night that she didn't even get a bath or want us to read! That's a first!
7/2 - after breakfast, we rolled over to Dad and Alice's house to spend the day with them. I have to give Alice the credit for us even being there, as before she'd called to say "let us be grandparents," I'd never even considered heading home for the 4th. That day was just a blast of terrific food, pool time, hot tub time, and relaxing. We even got K on the slip 'n slide (so what if we had to drag her :-))! We played around all day, and it was just SO relaxing. We even spent the evening watching the fireflies come out before taking K off to bed (LATE once again). The highlight for her was definitely the slip 'n slide. She wasn't sure at first, but by the end she was ALL ABOUT it - too cute! We got some great pics of her playing - she was just so, so happy. My daughter loves Tennessee - I can't complain about that!
Oh, and K's line of the day was walking down the steps with Alice. She said, "Granny A - don't fall like you always do!" Priceless! Such a memory on that little goose.
The highlights from the Dad/Granny A visit:
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| Soul Surfer! |
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| I mean, she LOVED the slip 'n slide. |
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| Even if I was the one who had to pull her down it every time. :-) |
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| Homemade popsicles! |
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| Knoxville Zoo! |
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| In their defense - my only request was "don't let her ride a horse." So I guess they followed my instructions...which will get more explicit from here on out. :-) |
The highlights of the stay with Vol Nana and Grand Pooh:
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| She loves Granddaddy...but she loves cupcakes more. |
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| My room...now filled with Sofia... |
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| Too cute. |
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| I pledge allegiance... |
7/4 - K woke up with a dry diaper this morning (so I'm told), marking 7 of the last 8 days dry! She's definitely close - it's really only the deep sleeps where she's absolutely exhausted that we're seeing her still have full diapers. Exciting! We drove home throughout the day. K was fussy but slept 90 min (her average bedtime in TN had been about 9:30). We actually were able to go both ways without stopping for lunch, which made the experience SO much better (and shorter!). Knowing that we can now do it in 4 hours is great, as it means we can roll out about 3 PM and get there in 4 hours in time for dinner - that's a difference maker.Her cute line of the day: When asked if she wanted a brother or sister, she said a "Bister." Pretty cute.
Her not so cute line of the day: So K has been misbehaving a bit lately, and when she's called out for it, she says, "Benny said we could do it" (that's Benny from Dora). It's either been "I didn't do it, Benny did" or "But Benny said we could." Mercifully this hasn't happened in a couple of weeks, so I'm hoping we're past that. 7/5 - K's first day of dance class! She was in there with her friend Emmi (who goes there regularly), and she LOVED it! The funny thing is that you never really get many details from her about the day, but we were able to piece some of it together. :-)
Her classic quotes from today: I asked her to do something (no idea what), and she replied with her usual "Why?" I said, "Why do you think?" Her response: "One, because you said so." CLASSIC! I mean, that's always how I start my response to the "why" question, but to hear it back was just priceless. Second - she and Jenny broke a wishbone, and K got to make a wish (I actually think Jenny had the bigger piece, but details). She asked for 2 things:
1. That mommy would have a big, stinky poopy
2. That daddy would pee pee
I mean....WHAT? But seriously - K is OBSESSED with poopy right now and sings about it all the time. Every song ends with "and I'm eating poopy." I mean - is it just in humanity's DNA to make toilet humor?
7/8 - 10 YEARS OF MARRIAGE!!!!! Holy moly, how is that even possible? JT and I went out for an amazing date night, with Kayla (Dawn's daughter - went to Peru with Jenny) watching the Goose. Jenny and I hit the Melting Pot, where we were treated to quite the culinary adventure - SO FUN!
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| Who is that sexy lady taking a bumpie? |
Jenny - there are a million things I could say and type here, but let me just say that you are THE MOST amazing mom, and I LOVE raising a child and "doing life" with you. You are my best friend, my partner in crime, my soul mate, and the heartbeat of this house that you have made a home. I love you, am so proud of you, am in awe of you, and cannot WAIT to see you chasing around another one in a few month's time. :-) I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!
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| I mean...ADORABLE. |
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| "Dat's me paaaaaaaassed out." |
importantly, she's having fun with us and we're having fun as a family). I just loving being in the water with her - she's so free and happy, and she really seems to be enjoying herself.
This was also the big "recital day" at dance camp, and it was TOO CUTE! First, they executed their
compulsory moves, and the kids were just precious. Seeing K "sashay" and do the little thing with her hands above her head was just too cute - we had such fun! They also did 3 routines, and the girls seemed to really, really enjoy themselves. It was a princess themed week, and they danced, did arts and crafts, and just had a lot of fun. I don't think we'll enroll her in it in the fall (we actually decided on Soccer as well as continuing swimming), but she did enjoy it, and it's likely something we'll do again.
The recital highlights (of which there were many):
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| Getting set for first position! |
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| Ready to "sa-shay, mommy!" |
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| "Suuuuuuummer..." |
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| This little pig is too cute... |
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| I'll huff...and puff...and blow your house down. Notice my daughter was smart enough to build her house out of bricks. Just sayin'...GENIUS. |
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| One for the ages right there. |
Baby T was 15 weeks on this day - the size of an avocado! JT actually had a doctor's appt on this day - heartbeat was 152! That baby's not giving away any secrets. :-) I got that text in the morning, and it really, really lifted my spirits. I'd had a spirit of fear pressing down on me over the days leading up to that appointment, and I think I got teary-eyed when I saw the text (I certainly was relieved!). 7/9 - We had a fun day out on this day, starting with Panera (had a gift card) and then rolling over to Monkey Joe's. K was a little fussy - she actually opened with a MELTDOWN on the first inflatable. However, we did rally. :-) We then rolled over to NOMAD, where K went BEAST MODE in the cold pool again. I mean, this girl is a machine!
There was a bit of trouble on this day, however, as we came home to find several water spots on K's ceiling. I will spare you the gory details, but we ended up with an HVAC technician at the house at 11 PM and K sleeping in the in-law suite. We ran the HVAC for a couple of hours to keep it cool but then had to turn it off. And while it was okay on Saturday, Sunday was a whole new ballgame.
7/10 - K had another private lesson today, and Brandon said, "she's the easiest student I've ever had."
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| GERONIMO!!!!! |
The HVAC was out that night, so we tried to run fans all over the house in an effort to keep it cool. However, K's room showed 88 DEGREES! I went in there while she was asleep, and it was like breathing in the Amazon. I was actually a little concerned, especially when the numbers on her monitor when from the normal blue to red - that was a first! Honestly, I knew she was fine, but you never know about suffocation with those little lungs, so I was antsy every time I got up to go to the bathroom and checked the monitor.
7/11 - So this was the first day of "Little Scientists" camp for K, and she LOVED it. I actually think it was her favorite camp of the 4 we signed her up for this summer (which is why it was such a bummer that we had to cut it short). She and Jenny actually slept down at her parent's place this evening, and I slept in the living room on an air mattress since it was 10 thousand degrees upstairs.
7/12 - So a few days prior to this one, we'd received a text that one of the girls at dance camp's sister had Hand, Foot, and Mouth. We actually thought up until this point that K had avoided it, but on this day she started complaining that "her throat was hurting. Then, like clockwork, we saw the bumps in her throat. Not wanting to spread it like wildfire, we a) skipped camp that day and b) booked her in for an appointment with the Peds, who did confirm that a) she had it and b) she'd have to miss the rest of camp. That was a REAL bummer, as she'd LOVED the first two days. Side note - we did at least find out that Tuesday was the "big day" with experiments, and so she at least got to see that.
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| Never fun, but she was a trooper. |
7/15 - the Rice clan actually arrived the night before, but we got into full swing on this Friday. We started off at Primal Brewing, where K was an ANGEL! We had an absolute blast - such fun! We were the first pour of the day (12:17 PM in case anyone's scoring), and K really had fun in there. We then went and sat by the pool, where K swim like a dolphin and had a lot of fun.
This was a big day for another reason as well - K got her last animal out of prison! It was hilarious, as I made her a) go to the jail (my closet), b) take money out of the ATM (the wall), and then c) pay the Bail Bondsman (the door). When I recounted this with some colleagues at work, the response was priceless: "That's a pretty serious life lesson right there." We actually did that for the last 3 animals, so I think it's engrained in her mind at this point. :-)
The weekend was a blast, as we had an amazing time with the Rice's, and K got a chance to hang out with both Sara Beth and Lauren. K had a terrific swim lesson that Sunday - she was diving really deep! She really is loving diving for rings now, and she does a great job getting down there quickly. When she makes up her mind to dive down, she just puts her head down and goes for it!
A few Rice Clan highlights:
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| Chillin' with Uncle John at D-9. |
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| My favorite pic of the weekend - @ Primal. K LOVED the endless popcorn bucket! |
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| Tweede Dee and...well, you know. |
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| Ginger Beer for Muffin Puffin @ Legion! |
7/19 - JT and K went to the Annapolis splash pad on this day, and they had a blast! Also, on this night and the night previous, Team Taylor started praying differently with K. Instead of kneeling by her bed, we started climbing into bed to pray (she pretty much mandates that now). And in an effort to better adhere to our beliefs and cultures, we've started laying hands on each other - especially in areas that are hurting. On this evening, they laid hands on my knee (it was hurting, and I had a race on Friday). And sure enough, I can confirm that it did start to feel better!
On 7/18, I slept 11 hours. On 7/19, I slept 9 hours. Those were 2 of the biggest sleeps I'd had in an age, and that was the point I finally realized how tired I was - AND GRUMPY. Before those two sleeps, I'd definitely had a less than pleasant edge, but after that I definitely found myself in a better place mentally and having more fun at home and in everything I did. The rest absolutely helped me to enjoy family time, and I was much more "in the moment" while there.
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| Little Starfish, BABY! |
Out of the water, K's obsession is PUZZLES. And let me tell you - this girl is a SURGEON. Seriously - she can do those things like it's NOTHING. It's amazing to watch her work so fast! At this point, she was only doing 24 piece puzzles, but she's since graduated to 96 piece puzzles! Insane! She loves them, and so I want to continue fostering that aptitude. I need to find the next great Sofia or Frozen puzzle for her to crack. :-) During this stretch, the 10 minute "reading ritual" at bedtime was eclipsed by puzzles. She couldn't have had less interest in books (or even her stickers) - it was all about the Frozen puzzles from Vol Nana (eventually giving way to the Sofia puzzles from Vol Nana :-)).
7/22 - Baby T update - the size of a pepper!
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| One of my new fave pics of us. |
The highlight of the evening was probably church, where they had a big Summer Nights bash. There was a TREMENDOUS storm during service, and afterwards the bounce houses were soaked. That did not stop K from getting on them, however, and she. Was. SOAKED. Lexi (one of the student assistants for FH kids) picked up up and then put her back down saying, "Ew, you're soaked!" It was too funny. K didn't mind - she also got a Kung Fu Panda temporary tattoo and played on pretty much everything.
Side note for this period - if you ever ask K what she wants for her snack, the answer is ALWAYS the same: "Chocolate Bunny Snacks." This is some goodness that you get a BJ's, and there are 4 flavors of "Bunny Snacks." K, however, DRAINS the chocolate ones first. Cheddar, Chocolate Chip, and Honey don't get a lot of love.
7/24: Starting the "nesting" process: So we hit the Famous Toastery over by Concord Mills and ate like KINGS before rolling over to IKEA to start furniture shopping for K's room. It was a really good hour, but the most interesting thing was the discovery of "Smalland" right at the entrance. Um, HELLO? Best thing EVER!
So here's the deal - if your child is 3-5, you can check them into this little self-contained play area for (I think) 60 minutes. There's a bathroom, there are balls to jump in, there are coloring books, there's a TV, there's other stuff - it's pretty much paradise if you're that age. That gave Jenny and I an hour to shop and relax, and it gave K an hour to just play. It was money! And best of all - we think we found her chest of drawers! |
| K at the Kannapolis splash pad. |
We then hit Concord Mills, where K fell in a store (the hot sauce store). I thought she was going to lose it (picture the calm before the storm with the quivering lip), but suddenly, out of nowhere, this lady appears and says, "Don't cry - I think I might have a magic sucker. Would you like one?" She then pulls out a blow-pop and gives it to K, who has COMPLETELY forgotten about the fall. Come to find out, the lady was a teacher, quite adept in dealing with such emotions. I actually didn't think anything about it at the time, but Jenny did point out that we let a total stranger give our child something. Note to self - I must be a little smarter in future about that.
Either way - we rounded out the day with K swimming 600 METERS ON HER OWN AT NOMAD. Incredible! I mean, she would just go SO HARD non-stop. Basically she would swim to the end, pull off her goggles, say "Where's mommy?", realize she was on the other end, and then say, "Let's go!" before tearing back into the water. I caught her a couple of times, and her heart was beating out of her chest. That little Pisces LOVES the water!
Interlude: A few DPK pics to celebrate the return of Team Taylor:
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| Now Public brand! |
7/25 - Summer Olympics (Toddler Edition) - so this was K's last camp of the summer, and it was an absolute blast. She competed in events, made a picture of the Olympic rings, did an obstacle course, made an Olympic torch, made a gold medal - you name it. It was really, really cute. I was just thrilled that she got to go all week. K loved it because she got to ride with Mrs. Lindsey and her "best friend Eli" most days, which was pretty darn cute.
What was funny about the whole week was that you could NEVER get K to tell you anything about the day. You had to piece it together from talking to teachers or looking at what she brought home. It was funny, as normally she's quite loquacious. For this week, however, mum was the word. :-)
7/27 - Praise be to God: Perfect and Healthy: So this was a BIG day for Team Taylor, as we went uptown for the Anatomy Ultrasound. Obviously we felt good and were very confident that everything would be okay, but of course there's nothing like seeing it. And boy, did we ever see it.
So I didn't quite appreciate it when Jenny told me a few weeks back, but given her "advanced maternal age," she was sent to Maternal Medicine vs. Bradford for her ultrasounds. The difference is
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| You can even see the nose! |
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| Look at those little Tarheels! |
It was just a spiritual, amazing, incredible, perfect moment. The spirit of fear can sneak into you if you allow it, and moments like this are just such comfort and blessed assurance. God is good, and he always keeps his promises. Every good and perfect gift is from above. I could just go on and on, but I think the best way to sum it up is the way I sum up a great workout: "THANK YOU, FATHER!!!" So excited!
7/29 - The End of Ducky Potty...or so we thought: So on this day we hid Ducky Potty in the closet. Our thinking was that, since she could not climb onto all toilets, we no longer needed to continue emptying and cleaning ducky potty. Froggy potty was set to remain, as we knew we needed something during nap and bed time. K didn't miss a bea. She went in to pee in the afternoon, and then there was silence in the bathroom. Then we hear, "Where is Ducky Potty?" We explained that Ducky Potty went away because he was no longer needed. K was a big girl now and needed to use the grown-up potty. She didn't really bat an eye, and so we thought "WOW, that was easy!" Stay tuned for - as Paul Harvey would say - the rest of the story.... |
| The celebratory O'Douls. Thanks, KJ! |
7/30 - The Return of Ducky Potty - so this was a GREAT day, as we had the Miller and Tavares clans over for a cookout at our house. We were super excited about this, as Ray and Lisa had been aware of all our challenges getting pregnant (they went through the exact same thing - 3 miscarriages before their "rainbow baby"), and we couldn't wait to share the good news. Well, the second they walked in, it was pretty much a given that JT was "with child," and they had a sigh of relief on their faces as they said, "We hoped you had news!" It was a treat, especially since Lisa was the one who told Jenny about the "rainbow baby."
The day was great, and EVERYONE had a blast. The kids played SO WELL together - it was just amazing! The weather cooperated as well, and so we just had a grand old time. And K even did her first ever somersault! She'd been close to it on occasion, but she actually pulled it off that evening!
The Miller-Tavares-Taylor Reunion Recap:
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| The future Olympian swimmers of North Charlotte. |
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| One for the ages - amazing how much these kids have already grown. |
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| I mean, if she tells me she's gonna date this kid, I"ll punch someone. :-) |
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| As long as Jackie's not telling her Cabo is a "good spring break vacation spot," we're ok. |
Oh, and for some reason she just decided to open the closet door by the bathroom before anyone arrived for the shin dig. What do you think she found in there? That's right - DUCKY POTTY. It was hilarious. I was just in the kitchen when suddenly I heard "But the one little duck, with the feather on it's back" blasting out of the bathroom. I honestly couldn't stop laughing - too funny. We actually decided to just leave it through mid-August, as we knew we'd be gone and wanted to try and make things as normal and as simply as possible for the grandparents while we were away (more to come on all that in the next post).7/31 - K actually dove down and touched the bottom at FIVE FEET today! She did it over at Clarke Creek pool, where we had a "pool date" with Kelly, Tom, and the girls. We dropped the bomb on them, so once again we'll have kids very close together in age! JT had been wanting to tell them, so this was super exciting.
Ok, that's all the news that's fit to print. Speak soon!
Love,
Sam and Jenny
