The Munchkin becomes the "Bionic Baby" - K gets tubes...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  1 year and 3 weeks

Family,

No more cutting bananas for this girl...

And a good Monday evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull has just returned from calming a SCREAMING daughter in her crib.  Not sure what was going on tonight, but all now seems well (insert sigh of relief here).

So last week was a big one, as K took the next step in her evolution to fight off ear infections.  As you no doubt know by now K's had infections for the better part of 5 straight months, and truth be told we think it's just been one long infection.  Well, after the Peds said that she was hesitant to put her on another round of antibiotics and felt that she was definitely a candidate for tubes, we scheduled an appointment with the ENT.  And whilst this was the same building as last time, this was a different doctor - Dr. Lovejoy.  It wasn't completely different, however, as we kept it in the SEC (he is a Gamecock, whereas the fella who clipped her tongue tie was a Gator).

I mean seriously, who is EVER this happy
to be in a doctor's office?  LOVE this kid!

The appointment was on Wednesday, and the doctor was GREAT.  He gave K a tongue depressor coated in cherry, and K chewed on it for all it was worth.  She was great throughout his inspection, and he rather quickly gave us the diagnosis we'd been expecting - K's ears were still filled with fluid, and she was basically teetering between the "full of fluid" stage and the "ready to rupture" stage.  That then pushed us into the conversation of options, and the doctor said that he didn't really think the antibiotics by shot would help.  From his perspective, there were 2 options - wait, or go ahead with tubes.

Check out the side pony tail - work it, girl...

He was very personable and talked us through the pros, cons, possible side effects, and the specifics of the procedure (which is the most common procedure performed on children), answering all of our questions.  I will say that, whilst I thought both Jenny and I had already expected and accepted that tubes would be required, Jenny definitely seemed reluctant as we discussed the procedure and potential side effects.  That being said, she asked great questions and certainly helped us to make an informed decision, which was that we should move forward with tubes.  Between the lack of progress, the potential issues it was causing with hearing (and by extension speech), and the fact that it would be cheaper on her insurance (given the change about to take place), it definitely felt like the right move.  The shock, however, was when they scheduled us in for Friday!  Again, I was happy, as I wanted it done with (and the follow-up on JT's insurance as well :-)), but I could tell JT was a bit hesitant.  However, knowing that she's got another 6 weeks of daycare in front of her, we both knew it was the right move.

Friday was quite the whirlwind, as we were up at 5 AM and out the door at 5:35.  We had to have K admitted at 6 AM ahead of a 7:30 surgery, and we showed up at 5:56 (only cars on the road it felt like).  And whilst those 90 minutes were a bit rough for K (she was quite fidgety but never really complained or seemed too hungry), she was a trooper the entire time.  Also, the staff was AMAZING.

When we entered pre-op, they had a CUTE little gown for her and a baby bear.  We then proceeded to speak with SIX different nurses, the anesthesiologist, AND the doctor all before surgery.  As K would receive gas and go under, they explained that she would wake up fussy and need a bottle, but they did say that she would rally quickly.  They also warned us that she would be fussy because she was hearing things that she'd never heard before.  Lastly, they told us the surgery would be quick - they were NOT kidding.

It's Go Time, Mommy!

They came in and scooped her up at 7:35 (the anesthesiologist had her in a blanket), and just like that our daughter was taken down the hall and out of our site.  We then went into the waiting room, but no sooner had I used the bathroom and come back to my seat then the doctor came out and told us he was finished!  AMAZING!  The procedure was literally 5 minutes long.  K woke up shortly thereafter, and as expected she was quite fussy.  Between all the new sounds (there was a constant beeping from the monitor attached to her finger), her being hungry, and the anesthesia still in her system, you could tell that she was very uncomfortable.  We managed to get her settled, and she then proceeded to CRUSH 5 ounces of milk, after which time she was a bit better.  She was still a little off, but we got her home and let her take a nice 2 hour nap, which definitely helped.  We kept her out of daycare that day to ensure she got plenty of rest, and throughout the weekend we did notice that she was still more tired than normal.  However, her balance from the moment she woke up was GREAT, and I really do think she's hearing better.  YAY!

Opening the Easter basket from Granny Alice.

As for the rest of the week, K's new activity was (finally) learning how to splash in the bath!  Suddenly bath time has become quite fun, and she LOVES pounding the surface of the water for all it's worth.  I think that's a bit of the swimming lessons (which we had to miss) coming out of her - it is SO cute!

Our little lady before her 1 year photo shoot.

Also, K developed first a fear and then a love of my big red exercise ball.  Originally she was mesmerized by it, but when it suddenly started rolling at her one day she FREAKED.  For the next couple of days she wouldn't even go in the formal living room - she'd just stand there and stare at the ball (and point at it on occasion).  However, the other day Jenny pulled it out, sat on it, and started beating it like a drum.  Suddenly it didn't seem quite so intimidating, and K proceeded to crawl over and BASH THAT PUPPY, laughing and smiling all the way.  She still seems a bit timid at first (as she should - it's twice her size), but once mommy or daddy sit on it and bang on it, she starts laughing and instantly chimes in.  We did the Seminole War Chant today, and KJ - you'll be happy to know it was a BIG hit. :-)

The only other item of note was that we told daycare this week.  They were GREAT about it, and so many of them said how happy they were that we had the opportunity for Jenny to stay at home.  K's teachers were particularly wonderful, and the whole staff made a point to say how great K was, how they would miss her, and how she would be welcomed back at any point.  For my part, I am very glad we've got another 6 weeks with them, as they are a simply WONDERFUL group of people.  We have been truly blessed to have had them in our lives and as part of K's first year, and the foundation they've helped us to lay should make K's childhood and Jenny's time with her even better.  I can't WAIT to start that next chapter in our lives.

Parenting essentials.

As for the weekend, we had a blast, as Granddaddy came for a visit!  Aunt Pattie was playing softball down at Winthrop, and so dad and I drove down Saturday to see her and watch Radford in action (they won - I'm 2-0 when watching!).  We had a great visit to 201 Central with K, followed by a delicious lunch at Eastfield Grill, and we even got home from the game in time to watch some hoops.  All in all, a VERY successful Saturday!  K then had her 1 year pics with Faith on Sunday.  She was a bit fussy (we think tired, hungry, and cold), but she was a trooper, and we hope we've got some really good shots in there - fingers crossed!  We will be picking up her 6 month photos soon - can't wait to see those!

Okay, quite a week as you can tell, but we've put another one in the books.  Speak soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

An adjustment for daddy - no more bottles...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  1 year and 2 weeks

Family,

K says Go Cardinal!  Beat the Jayhawks!

And a good Monday evening to you from the Queen City, where the sneetch has just gone down after her bath (she's on a Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday morning bath schedule now due to the swimming lessons).  What a great week!  Lots to report, so let's get amongst it!

Monday was St. Patty's Day, and I am pleased to report that the adult contingent of Team Taylor remembered to don the green apparel for the occasion.  We put her in quite the cute little green dress and headband (if I do say so myself), but alas - the weather didn't cooperate and meant that she couldn't go frolic outside in her emerald.  Truth be told, the weather was quite a bit like the Emerald Isle itself, but hey - no complaints (after all - she is our little pot of gold :-)).

The biggest item to report this week is probably more for me than anyone else, as K has officially moved away from the bottle.  In fact, her schedule changed quite a bit this week, and that has definitely taken some getting used to.  For starters, no more bottle means no more bottle washing.  And whilst it is GREAT to have that 20 minutes back in my day (no more labeling either!), I must confess that it took some getting used to.  It's funny - I never complained about bottle washing.  In fact, I quite enjoyed it and some nights even looked forward to it, as it was a task I knew I could do that would help the family and, by me doing it, ensure it was one less thing Jenny had to worry about when she got home.  But as much as I enjoyed it, washing, assembling, and labeling did get tedious at times, and I said at least a basquillion times to Jenny, "I am not complaining at ALL about doing this, but this is one thing I won't miss."  It's funny, though, as now I do miss that little ritual, with me neck deep in soap suds while the sneetch pulls at my pants leg and pulls herself up on the cabinets.  If nothing else, it's a taste of what's to come - a certainty that the winds of change are blowing, and the move from infant to toddler is well on the way, riding the inexorable wave of time.

Munch in Motion!!!!

The other piece has been tougher for me, and that's no more "daddy time" in the morning for brekkie.  Up until this week, K was still taking at least something out of the bottle, and she was still drinking vs. eating her calories.  But since that changes with the one year appointment, it's important that K think about solid food first vs. drinking her calories.  Consequently, when I wake her up it's a race against time to get her changed, dressed, and out the door so that she can make breakfast at daycare.  It's so cute that she gives me the sign language for "feed," which a) makes me super proud that she's learning to express herself and b) reminds me that I'm on the clock.  Now again, this is GREAT NEWS all around, as it means a) she's learning to express herself, b) she's eating good, and c) is still thriving at daycare.  However, it also means that daddy just became a little more expendable in her life, and it also means I don't get those precious 10-15 every morning with her in my lap, squeezing my finger whilst she finishes her bottle.  I have made peace with it, but the photo I took of "the last bottle" does bring a twinge of sadness, as another chapter in our lives that has existed since she was old enough to recognize me how now closed.

But in much happier news, K is now walking like CRAZY with both us and her little "doggie walker!"

Early days with Scout - 24 hours later
she was basically a sprinter.

 Seriously - this all happened in the space of the last 72-96 hours, but the Munchkin has suddenly started motoring EVERYWHERE in 2 legs.  We moved the doggie walker (which I will henceforth call "Scout") downstairs to the hardwoods on Saturday, and she has been a FORCE OF NATURE ever since.  She absolutely FLIES on that thing!  She's pretty quick when we hold her hands as well, but she is constantly looking over her shoulder to find the other parent (who's chasing her in the "I'm gonna get you" game), which does slow her down a bit.  At first we were worried about her energy levels (between being sick and not drinking enough fluid, we were worried about dehydration), but she's been very active around us.  Now granted she took a 3 hour, 20 minute nap this weekend, but when she's up she's pretty active climbing our stairs (under our supervision, of course), using Scout to walk about, and walking with both of us.  I don't think there's any question that she's not 100% due to the infection, but she's still all smiles, so we aren't arguing!

LOVE PINK, BABY - all shades of it. :-)

As for the week itself, 2 nights were VERY rough in terms of K getting to sleep.  Part of it was certainly congestion, but we can confirm that she was also teething!  That's right, sports fans, 23 March saw K's 7th tooth (lower right cuspid) pop through, which I definitely think was a factor in her inability to sooth herself this past week.  In between those two rough nights was a 13 hour sleep, and she was great this weekend as well.  Hopefully she's back to normal this week - stay tuned. :-)

Friday was the Primrose Bonnet parade, where all the kids make their hats and each classroom has a theme.  The infants are the one exception, as the teachers just ask us to bring in a hat for the kids.  You can see my handiwork in the photo, as it was the only hat I could find day of (sorry Sneetch - but you sure did look cute AND brought good luck to the Vols!).

Saturday saw the Munch tackle the stairs for the first time.  She got almost to the top before giving out, and she was really motoring up those steps!  It was amazing to watch her go, and I definitely think the exercise was good for her.  Her motor skills are really developing (we think), and she's putting more blocks into containers now (oh yeah, baby - another milestone in the books!).  She tackled the stairs again on Sunday, and she burned plenty of calories over at our friends the Wetzel's, whose daughter Avery is in K's daycare class.

So there you have it - another GREAT week in review.  Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

The bomb drops - Wife Muffin is coming home!!!!!

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  1 year, 1 week

Family,

The Sneetch playing with one of her birthday gifts (courtesy)
of the Markham clan.  She is GREAT at pulling the puzzle
pieces out - it's putting them back in that's proving tricky.

And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where the NCAA Tournament has just kicked off and Sammy the Bull is ready to watch some hoops.  But before we devote 100% focus to the epic battle between Mount St. Mary's and Albany, let's turn first to an AMAZING week in the life of Team Taylor - truly one that will change Team Taylor's (Party of Three) for the good forever.

So let's just start with the BIG NEWS.  On Thursday, Jenny dropped the bomb and gave her 6 week notice at work.  That's right, sports fans - WIFE MUFFIN IS GOING TO STAY AT HOME WITH KAITLYN!!!!  We are SO thrilled about it (and consider ourselves so blessed to be able to do it), and it really does feel like a dream come true.

Now before anyone goes thinking that this was a "willy nilly spur of the minute" decision, I can confirm

that this has been something in discussion for 7 months.  Originally, during JT's maternity leave, we considered it.  However, after running the numbers, we just thought it was too tight.  I remember Jenny breaking down and crying on the screened porch thinking about leaving K and going back to work, and it just about killed me.  However, at the time we still had the condo on the books (without renters) and her new car, and the reality is that it would have been a bridge too far to make it happen.

Munch Munch in her new bathing suit, ready
for session #2.  I'm sure Missy Franklin sucks
her thumb before each meet as well.

Fast forward to February, however, and you have a sold condo and no car payment.  Now I had been running numbers on possible scenarios for awhile (some more dramatic than others in terms of lifestyle changes), and I knew that it was possible.  However (and she will verify this), Jenny just didn't think we could do it.  There were a lot of factors in the mix, but the more we discussed it, the more we knew it was the right decision.  Key factors:

I can't wait to play at home with you, mommy!

1. Jenny was concerned that she was a "weekend mom."  Whilst this has NEVER been the case (as JT is an AMAZING mom), Jenny felt bad about having to split so much time between her daughter and a job she wasn't passionate about.  Now don't get us wrong - the company has always taken care of us (and certainly did once again with this role), but there was a reality that Jenny was spending the majority of her time somewhere she didn't want to be.  The tipping point on this was a Facebook article titled "They're growing up and I'm missing it."  I want to thank whoever wrote that, as that really set the wheels in motion.

Tell me this isn't a "ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel" moment.

2.  Jenny was concerned about perception, which is fair (especially given some comments that we've heard from not to be named members of family).  We talked about it and continually came to the conclusion that people would always judge us in some form or fashion, but that should NOT rule our decisions - especially when family matters were concerned.

3.  There was also the guilt of walking away from a good job and playing with K whilst I was at work.  I had to assure her that a) there was no job better than the one she would be taking, b) we have enough money, c) I like my job, and d) she will be a rock star "stay at home," whereas I wouldn't be.  This was a pretty easy sell given all the work she'd been tackling later, with mornings getting earlier and evening work creeping into the equation at least once a week.

4.  Financials were obviously a concern, so Jenny and I ran multiple scenarios and tested them out against my income.  The EXCELLENT news was that we came away in the black on all scenarios, which was another factor that set her mind at ease (especially when those scenarios didn't include lifestyle changes and - I hope - factored in all possible expenses).

Somebody is quickly becoming a
MASTER of the sippy cup.

5.  Socialization for K - now it's no surprise that I'm a fan of daycare, as I very much approve of the socialization aspect (as well as outsourcing some childcare to trained professionals).  However, between  Montessori books, mommy groups, and all of our other friends who are at home with the kids, I feel VERY confident we'll be able to raise the Sneetch as good or even better than if we'd left her in a school with a curriculum.  We did toy with the idea of part-time daycare, but then we reverted to our original decision - we gave life to this little miracle, and we intend to raise her.

6.  EXHAUSTION.  Seriously - JT was (and still is) getting up at 5:30 in the morning every day, settling in at her desk by 6:45.  This was wearing us both out, as getting workouts in was tough, we were losing sleep every night, and by the weekend we were zombies.  The reality was that something was going to have to give soon, as neither of us could keep up this pace (and kudos to all those out there who do it - you have my utmost respect).

After a few rough weeks at work and K continuing to be sick at daycare, Team Taylor finally reached the tipping point and called it.  And consequently, here we are with less than 6 weeks to go before JT hands in the laptop and picks up the Sneetch from daycare for a final time!  SO EXCITED!

On the sneetch front, this past week was one that saw her REALLY cruising.  She pops up SO QUICKLY now, and she is definitely working her way down furniture when she sees something she's interested in.  Now granted, crawling is still a bit faster for her, but she is ALL ABOUT pulling up on daddy's pants and standing there.  When she sees me, she will just put her head down and come at me like a rocket, stopping to grab my pants and pull herself up. TOO CUTE!  And there is nothing like picking her up and kissing those sweet little cheeks - man, I love that kid.

In terms of activities, this week was K's 1 year doctor's visit.  The good news - she got a GLOWING report from the doctor.  The Peds was very pleased with all of her motor skill progression and didn't seem concerned that she wasn't yet talking.  Part of her lack of concern was tied to the less than stellar news, which is that K's ears are still infected and look back despite completing a THIRD round of antibiotics.  Consequently, we now have an ENT appointment on 26 March, and the Peds feels that K is a prime candidate for tubes.  We have no problem with tubes, as we are desperate to get her on the mend and get that fluid out of her ears for good.  The doctor said that it could be affecting her balance (which is probably true, but we have noticed that is improving), but the bigger concerns are around hearing and speech, as fluid in the ears continually can affect hearing and can ultimately lead to hearing loss.  We were instructed to continue reading and speaking to K, which is something I think we do very well.

She weighed in at 21 lbs, 9 oz, putting her in the 70th percentile.  Height-wise she's climbing up the dial a bit, now in the 25th percentile (so yes, still a setter vs. an outside hitter - but hey, that means she can play back row libero as well!), and all other developmental milestones looked good.  Her iron levels were good, and she was AMAZING during her 3 vaccinations (literally 1 big cry - that's it!).  That girl is rough and tumble like her mama. :-)

Our next appointment is in 3 months, at which time K should have 3-5 words (other than mama and dada), be walking, and should still be growing like a weed.  She's certainly been eating like a champ over the last week, and that's been an interesting transition for us, as she's officially moved from Formula to whole milk (can someone say windfall savings?).  I was in Vegas this week, and so JT was on bottle/baby duty.  The interesting thing is that she was able to phase out formula in about 2-3 days, and the bottle vanished by the end of the week.  K is now 100% on the sippy cup!  That has actually been a bigger transition for me than her, but we'll talk about that part next week. :-)

After K's appointment, she was treated to a 1 year birthday cupcake.  Unlike the cake that was apparently too intimidating for her, K LOVED the cupcake.  Seriously - JT took about 600 GREAT shots from the feeding - they'll be great for her wedding someday! :-)  The recap:

Part 1:  Kaitlyn wonders why this particular pastry is so much smaller than the previous installment.

Part 2:  Investigation and Analysis - what exactly is this white thing on top of the good stuff?

Part 3:  Icing.  Is.  AWESOME.

Part 4:  And so is the paper the cupcake comes in.  You guys gotta try this!

And lastly, Part 5:  I mean, the icing was good, but the wax is EPIC!   

Other than that, not a lot to report.  JT and K spent Saturday at her folks' house, and then we had all day Sunday together (although I wasn't good for much considering I'd just come off a red-eye from Sin City!).

That's all the news that's fit to print in this first blog of Year Two.  Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

And so it ends - Year One as a Parent...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn - ONE YEAR!!!!!!!

Family,

And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull cannot believe what he's typing. 365 days, 8 states, 2 weddings, 2 daycares, and 1 exhausted set of parents later, Team Taylor (party of 3) has closed a year as a family.  Don't ask me how it happened.  Don't ask me where the time went.  Don't ask me what happens next.  The only question I want you to ask me is "Is it everything you thought it would be?"  The answer to that question is not just "yes" - it's "more than I could have ever hoped for, dreamed of, or deserve."

Kanga care - look at those peppy cheekies!

Fatherhood.  Parenthood.  Family.  All of these are abstract, ethereal concepts that many of us dream of and, more often than not, realize.  Prepare as we might, none of us are ready for this.  How could anyone be ready for this?  How do you prepare for sleepless nights, endless worry, and going from weekends starting at noon to weekends starting at 6 AM?  The truth is that knowing how hard it is might scare folks away from making this leap, and that would be a shame - because as hard as it is, it is infinitely more rewarding than it is difficult.

For my part, I will say that I didn't truly appreciate the adage "having a baby changes everything" until probably the 4 month mark.  The first 120 days were an absolute blur, but between the newness of everything, the adrenaline from having to learn so much on the job, and the 12 weeks of leave, it was almost more of a "vacation meets implementation"than a "new normal."  Once we started to prepare for Jenny's return to work and put K in daycare, however, a routine did emerge, and with that a sense of what "the new normal" would be.  I think a lot of folks thought Team Taylor might go crazy with the change in pace, but the truth couldn't be farther from that perception.  Having a baby does change EVERYTHING - but in all the right ways.

You priorities change.  You get smarter about money.  You get smarter of the "to-do list."  You take time to enjoy things (cup of coffee, 20 minutes of silence, etc).  You no longer take any "adult time" with you spouse for granted, because its so rare and precious (date nights for the Broadway Lights Series, baby!!!).  You make more of an effort to engage family in your life (not that Jenny and I were bad about that, but given how much we want K's grandparents to be involved in her life, we've definitely stepped up the efforts).  But most importantly - you realize how blessed beyond measure you are.  I think this realization surfaces when you notice that there's even more love in the house.  Mine and Jenny's love and relationship is stronger than ever, and there's no denying that K is a large part of that.  Add in how much we love the sneetch, and the truth is that I am, without a doubt, happier than I have EVER been or thought I could ever be.

To Jenny - my queen, my wife, my love (and my Lionheart of course :-)) - I love you SO MUCH.  This year has challenged you so much, and each time you have not only risen to the challenge but smashed through any obstacle in your way.  From all the time spent pumping to making the tough decision to go back to work to all the love you've shown to both me and Kaitlyn to being so wonderful about letting Husband Bear have his "me time," I cannot say thank you enough or tell you how proud I am of you and the mother you are to our daughter.  I know that this year (especially the last 6 months) has been incredibly tough on you, but you have handled all this adversity with the same quiet strength that has pulled you through so many other tough moments.  Rest assured that you are NOT a "weekend mom" but rather an amazing wife, mother, companion, and best friend.  We made it through year one - can you believe it? :-)

The sneetch - exactly 1 minute old.

And lastly, to Kaitlyn - there is SO MUCH I want to say to you in this post.  I want it to be your first birthday card from daddy (but you'll have one of those as well), a love letter to you for being the best, most perfect, most wonderful child ever, a list of how you've changed mine and mommy's life in all the right ways and forever for the better, the record of my promises to you - you name it.  But as is often the case when trying to express emotions of such magnitude, words fall woefully short of capturing the true feeling behind them.  And so instead I will try to sum it up the same way I summed up year one as an expat - with the collection of our best memories from the last year.

1.  Sammy the Bull walking up to the register at the hospital canteen at 2 PM on D-Day and preparing to pay when he received a phone call from Jenny saying "it's time to push"

2.  The first time I held you in the rocker, your eyes barely open and less than 1 hour old

3.  When I broke down crying before my first work trip, afraid you might forget the fleeting memory/concept of "daddy" by the time I returned (you were 4 months old at the time)


4.  When I broke down crying singing "Swept Away" to you at Kim & Matt's wedding (in our hotel room) - sense a pattern forming here?

5.  January 2 - the day you officially went mobile - I have never been prouder of anyone in my life

6.  "Kanga care" - you asleep on my chest while I watched March Madness and the Masters - never been happier than having you right there passed out

7.  Your "special delivery" to me during your newborn photo shoot

8.  Walking you back down the aisle of the flight from Seattle after you had WRECKED your diaper...AND the outfit we'd put you in...

The poor Steelers onesie - which was soiled
on FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS...

9.  My first attempt at a diaper change...which resulted in me ringing the call bell for the nurse

10.  The first night home from the hospital - your first time breathing (cold) air, and the crying that ensued...all to be followed by me ringing "Uncle John and Aunt Beka" to confirm you could sleep in the bassinet (it was slightly slanted)

11.  The first time leaving you with a babysitter and coming home to find you asleep but with your bib still on - I'm sure it was all fine, but I freaked out at the time.

12.  Your smile EVERY MORNING when you wake up - it could melt a glacier

13.  The smile and head shake you started doing around the 8 month mark - simply too cute

14.  The look on my mom's face the first time she saw you (Grammie had gout and had just driven 14 hours from Miami after getting off a cruise through the Panama canal)

K enjoying her first Christmas.

15.  The look on K's face at the end of the Iron Bowl...when I was the only person in the room who knew a blood curdling scream was imminent

16.  The first time K "slept through the night" - and her blatant refusal to eat breast milk the following day (fueling fears that we'd consumed too much wine...which I still don't think was the case, for the record)

17.  "Animal crackers, one two three..."

18.  That first trip to the pediatric physical therapist, just hoping that everything was a-ok

19.  "Headin' down South to the land of the pine..."

20.  "Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Indianapolis, Indiana, and Columbus is the capital of O-HI-O..."

21.  Shaking the "graduate puffs" before feeding time and watching you get so excited you couldn't contain yourself

Year One - talk about an adventure!

22.  The little "clacking sound" that has become your "language" with daddy

23.  The way you try to find my finger so you can hold it while you settle before bed on my chest

24.  Your first visit with Santa - priceless

25.  Your first road trip...which saw us make it a whopping 45 minutes to the South Carolina state line before having to stop for a feeding

Honestly, there are countless other memories, funny stories, and moments, but those will just have to live in our hearts and minds (and portable hard drive, of course).  This year saw us take over 10,000 photos of the sneetch, so I feel confident we can string together a fairly accurate recollection of events should we need to. :-)

Ok, that's all the news that's fit to print, and that will officially conclude Volume One.  Stay tuned, however, as we've got a "Season 2 Cliffhanger" in the works...

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Swim Lessons and a First Birthday party!!!!!

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  364 days :-)

Family,

400,000 calories...check.

And a good evening to you from the Queen City, where the weather has been nothing shy of GLORIOUS for the past 3 days.  Talk about an amazing week in review!  Let's start with Sunday, where Sammy the Bull made a BIG decision in his personal life.  That's right, sports fans, the day that


every one says will come finally arrived on Monday night, and Papa bear officially turned off the monitor prior to going to sleep. Now I realize that doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but you have to consider the mental shift involved in that - I am now finally comfortable that, should our daughter need us, I will be able to hear her when she cries out.  Also, I am comfortable now that she will sleep through the night.  But in the spirit of full disclosure, I must confess that the #1 reason I shut that puppy down was that Munch Munch remains one of the noisiest sleepers in the history of sleep.  Granted, the thumb sucking has slowed down and her nasal passage is clearer, but when she adjusts in the middle of the night, it is something out of the Exorcist.  Any noise she makes tends to wake me up, and as I'm then always poised for the eventual cry out, it takes me what feels like an age to fall back to sleep.  But the last week has been GREAT, and everyone in the house has slept well.  Knock on wood that continues...

Another big development milestone for the Sneetch - she's now self feeding her bottle!  I had never seen it before this week, but on Thursday morning she jus snatched the bottle from me, tipped it up, and started drinking!  I was SO excited to tell daycare, at which point Ms. Oliva drops the bomb on me that "oh yeah, she's been doing that for awhile.  We make them do that."  Classic!  But hey - it was new to me, and I was SO proud of her.  She's been a great eater really since day one, but this was a big moment, as it tells us that the transition to the sippy cup is imminent.  Now granted, JT and I need to do a better job of using sippy cups vs. bottles (and we will get there - I promise), but knowing she's comfortable holding the bottles (and knowing that she's been drinking water from a sippy cup at day care regularly) should hopefully make the transition easier.

Team Taylor, intently focused on the directions...

The first highlight of this week, however, was DEFINITELY the weekend, starting at 9:30 AM on Saturday with K's first swim lesson!!!!  Honestly, I know I say this a lot, but it was TOO CUTE!  The lesson was 30 minutes, and since Mom and Steve were in town and came along for the ride, I actually got to get in the pool with both my girls - such fun!  Now obviously it's very beginner - basically just getting the kids used to the water.  However, the tricks they teach you are neat, and it's amazing to watch how quickly the kids a) start kicking and b) start having fun and splashing around.  We started with different movements to "Wheels of the Bus" before dragging K through the water (both on her belly and back) - she really did a good job kicking once she got used to it (and discovered how tasty the rubber ducky was that she chewed on for about 27 minutes).  She definitely took in more than a few mouthfuls of water, and the "Humpty Dumpty" drill (where she was supposed to fall off the side of the pool into the water) was NOT her favorite activity of the day, but she certainly wasn't afraid of the water.  In fact, the most exciting part of us was when we got her home for her bath and she squealed in delight at the prospect of getting back into water.  SCORE!  Our little Pisces is the next Missy Franklin. :-)

Rubber ducky, you're the one...

The side note concern for us on this is her ears, as we still feel that she might have an infection in there. We'll get them checked out tomorrow, and hopefully she'll be clear enough that she won't require a) shots or b) tubes.  Only time will tell, and obviously we'll do whatever must be done.  However, we're hoping that this doesn't keep her out of the water in her youth, as we want her used to the water from a very early age.

The highlight of the weekend was next (after a 90 minute power nap from the sneetch) - K's 1st Birthday Party!!!!  Now I am not going to gush in this post about "how has it been a year," and "I can't believe how much the time has flown," and "this has all been so much more magical and wonderful than I could have ever hoped" - but I'm only holding back because I'll say all that in the next one tomorrow (on her actual 1 year birthday).  So yes - stay tuned for the emotion.  For now:  "Just the facts, ma'am.  Just the facts." :-)

No ear pain here, mommy!

The party was at our house, and we were blessed with SIMPLY AMAZING weather.  We had about 40 folks on hand, and it was an absolute BLAST!  Mom, dad, Steve, Alice, Bob, Jan, and a host of our friends came by, and we spent a good 3-4 hours enjoying the sunshine, sitting on the deck, drinking beers, and eating ourselves into oblivion.  K was, of course, the highlight of the show (as she should have been), and she was treated to her first taste of sugar!  Now a bit of back story on this, Jenny was a WARRIOR in the 36 hours leading up to this shin dig.  She actually took Friday off and baked/cooked/prepared the house from 7 AM until 8:35 PM.  And by the time the party kicked off, we had a buffalo wing dip, 48 cupcakes, loads of fresh fruit and veg, an ocean of mac 'n cheese, and the CUTEST electric pink chocolate cake you've ever seen.  Fast forward to the big day, and you've got about 22 pounds of cake sitting in front of 21 pounds of Munchkin.  K didn't know what to make of everyone singing around her, and for the first time EVER she didn't know what to make of the food in front of her.  She actually didn't eat much of it, but she did enjoy playing with the icing.  Her daddy ended up doing the lion's share of the eating (and did some more today, for the record).

And since there's no way I can possibly wedge all of these photos into the paragraphs, let's do a bit of a pictorial essay, shall we?

'Twas the night before birthday, and all through the kitchen,
Wife muffin was churning out cupcakes - a woman on a mission!

And mama with her icing, and sneetch by her side,
Thinking tomorrow I'm taking a mountain of sugar for a ride!

Adorning the candle, a single "One,"
Letting the birthday girl know she was soon in for some fun!

And then D-Day arrives, let the celebration bells ring,
As Team Taylor learns that "No gifts, please" doesn't actually mean anything...

Kaitlyn's best friend Avery showed up to celebrate the day,
And taught Kaitlyn that fingerprints on glass was the best way to play.

The Miller clan was present,
Taking care of K and keeping her in a happy Mood...

Well, except for AJ, who's only thought was
"Out of my way, woman!  I want your food!!!!

Cake's all eaten, and the party's all done,
But it's just the beginning of your adventure - we love you, little one!

"I'm on the edge...of glory...."

It was such a blast, and like so many parties it went by way too fast.  However, thanks to the efforts of our folks, most of the cleanup was done long before the last car left, meaning we could actually relax vs. spend the evening trying to restore the place to a non-Baghdad look.  Wife Muffin - let me take this opportunity to say HOW PROUD I was of you and how great everything turned out thanks to your dedication.  The day could NOT have been better.  Sneetch - your mommy was a warrior for you - even broke out the cake mixer from our wedding registry for the first time in eight years to make your little concoction.  You are a very lucky little girl.  Oh, and side note that you may or may not glean from the pictures - your theme was Sesame Street.  That's fitting, because it was also your daddy's first birthday theme (I had a Big Bird cake).  As they say in Fiddler on the Roof:  "Tradition!!!!!"

Sunday was another perfect day with weather in the 70's.  We made it count, having breakfast on the screened porch and then taking the sneetch for a walk and to the park.  She was quite "Dora the Explorer" this go around, as she wanted to crawl everywhere.  She also wanted to eat every blade of dead grass at Prosperity Park, and when she finally realized the futility of picking something up to eat it (because we kept snatching it away), she just started licking the palm of her hands mid-crawl - mud, dead grass, and all.  Her face looked like something out of a Grimm fairy tale.  It was so much fun, and we had lunch on the main lawn before heading back for her final nap.  We then closed the evening we a good feed and a much needed bath, smiling happy that a perfect weekend had concluded (and with daylight savings time in place, the extra light in the evening is WONDERFUL!).

So there you have it - self-feeding, no more monitor, the sneetch in the pool, and our little girl on the verge of toddling her way to 365 days of life.  Honestly, I said I would hold off, but seriously - does anyone ever think it's going to be this wonderful of an experience when they decide to have children?  Every smile, every laugh, the way you and your wife feel even closer and happier, the schedule and the shocks to the system, the new experiences and the wonderful moments when you can indulge in old ones - it's all just so amazing.  But I get ahead of myself - these thoughts must keep for another night.  Speak soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny