Sweet regeneration - a weekend with my girls again...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  19 months and 9 days

Family,

And a good Tuesday evening to you from the Queen City, where the Bull is FINALLY starting to feel

something like his old self.  I'm conscious that last week's blog was a bit heavy, but this week I'm happy to report that I'm feeling much better.  Perhaps its the detox (no football and tailgating this weekend).  Perhaps it's the additional sleep I've managed to get.  Perhaps it's the fact that I've accepted working out 3-4 times a week is still a solid achievement and it's better to be rested than even fitter yet exhausted.  The biggest factor I suspect, however, is that this weekend was a blessed return to normalcy - complete with 2 solid days of home time with my girls.  But I get ahead of myself - let's get amongst it, shall we?

Tuesday was a rough one, as Kaitlyn woke up calling for "Nana."  I mean, make NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT - she did NOT want Daddy.  Mommy was holding the silver medal, but there was no question who K's favorite was as of 10/14.  In fact, any time I've gone in to say good morning or wake her from a nap this week, her response is always the same as soon as she sees me:  "Nana."  Personally, Jenny and I think this is GREAT, as it means several things.  For starters, K recognizes and LOVES her grandparents.  In fact, before they left she was able to point out Nana and Pooh (meaning my
stepdad) on command).  Second, it shows K's becoming more comfortable around others.  We had further proof of this on Wednesday when Jenny went to work out at the Y, as K managed 45 minutes in the daycare room without going into meltdown (apparently it wasn't a rousing success, but hey - we'll take it, right?  Most importantly, however, Jenny and I feel good because these past two weekends and K's reaction to them make us feel like we are keeping the family connected across the miles and that K is really getting to know her grandparents.

Now coming back full circle to Tuesday, it should be noted that K was quite the fusspot most of the day, culminating with one of her usual "I'm angry and so I'm going to pound my head against the floor"
tantrums that she's become quite fond of.  And while normally it's just light tapping, on Tuesday she absolutely SLAMMED her head against the floor...and subsequently started SCREAMING.  Seriously - it was a KNOCK, and my first thought was "please don't have a concussion."  I mean, WHAT CHILD WANTS TO POUND THEIR HEAD INTO HARDWOOD?  But all the same, after 2 minutes of screaming, I do feel a lesson has finally been learned.  I say that because, while she still possesses a penchant for head slamming, the last 5 days have seen it reserved for "Big Bear's" chest and our area rug.  I mean, not EXACTLY how I wanted to convey the message, but you don't hear me complaining.

The good news is that, after Tuesday, she was much better and much more her normal self.  But in a continued moment of cuteness, it should be noted that every time she sees my mom's pocket book (which she accidentally left here), K runs over to it and says "Nana!  Nana!"  - at which point I have explain that Nana isn't here.  K doesn't really seem to appreciate that slight nuance of the story and looks at me as though she wants to rip my throat out - rinse/repeat about 14 times a day.

The rest of the week went by in a blur as per standard,  but this week was MUCH better than the previous week.  For starters, I'm slowing adjusting my routine to give me a better mixture of sleep,

exercise, and family time.  I cut out weights this past week, which gave me 2 days to sleep a bit longer. Also, I went in later one day, which allowed for the highlight of my work week - getting some time with my girls in the morning.  Honestly, that was SUCH a lift for me, and it made such a difference in my attitude that day.  In retrospect, I think it's the commute that's ground on me the hardest, but I'm finding ways through that as well - leaving earlier or later (both in the morning and the afternoon), calling folks on the drive home, and using the drive in to get focused on the tasks at hand or outstanding, unorganized activities at the house.  So on the whole it's moving in the right direction, and as long as I can keep the office time to 2x a week, I think I'll be ok.  Watch this space - more to come. :-)

For the week itself, K was as cute as ever.  She quite enjoyed "the ghost game," for most of the week, which basically consists of either Jenny or myself putting a muslin monkey blanket over our heads and walking around like the couple from Beetlejuice.  K finds it quite funny.  In fact, she's getting into the Halloween spirit, pointing out pumpkins during the daily walks and stopping to wave at the ghosts.  No fear of the dark for this girl!

And the other highlight - I GOT A KISS!!!!  That's right, sports fans - out of NOWHERE on Saturday, she was sitting on my lap while we were reading a book, and suddenly she turned around and planted one on me.  I've actually managed a few kisses and hugs this week - the hugs are just the best.  Basically she walks up and drops her head on your shoulder before putting her tiny little arm around your neck - TOO CUTE!  Oh, and did I mention the back rubs?  K has watched JT scratch my back enough at this point to know that I enjoy it, and so now she has started walking around behind me when I'm sitting down and scratching my back - HILARIOUS!  I must confess - at first it was just cute, but now she's getting quite good at it.  I think she enjoys digging her nails into me, but whatever the case may be - I'll never turn down a free back rub!

Also, I'm now back in my daughter's good graces and reading her books before bedtime.  That being
said, the instant I'm done with the last book and turn off the light, she is now INSTANTLY saying "Night, night."  I am milking it for all it's worth, saying, "Okay, give daddy a hug and he'll carry you to the crib," but all the same, I am getting virtually ZERO time to hold her these days.  The funniest part is that, when you put her in the crib, she goes flat as a pancake and doesn't make a sound.  Given that, you'd think that she's instantly passed out (like her mother).  However, that's not been the case lately, as she's been taking progressively longer and longer to settle - we're talking up to about 45 minutes!  This is happening some during the daytime nap as well - not sure if it's a phase or what's going on, but it's definitely been interesting to watch.  The good news is that she doesn't scream bloody murder while she's laying there.  Instead there's some babbling and rolling around - all of which is very cute, for the record. :-)

In terms of development, I've got 2 milestones to report this week.  The first is in the language

department, where K has developed a new saying in her baby language.  When you say, "Kaitlyn - talk to mommy and daddy!", the response is always the same from our wee one:  "Tuka-tuka-tuka-tuka-tuka."  Now I have NO IDEA what that means, but in K's mind that is her standard response when given that command/request.  "Dap-um-da" is now gone, forever vanished into the ether.  Oh well, long live "tuka-tuka!"  Until we can get her saying a few real words, at least...

The other item is that Jenny's now got K washing her hands!  It's really cute, as K actually LOVES to do it.  She wants to wash her hands anytime she's in the bathroom or kitchen.  I have it on video, and the ritual is adorable.  Basically Jenny holds her up to the faucet while K puts one hand in, then another, and then rubs them together before being set down to dry off using the hand towel.  Now the side note for this is that I tried to get in on the act this weekend, and given that she'd just come back from the park, I introduced a new wrinkle - soap.  BAD IDEA.  Let me give you the play by play of what happens when you introduce liquid soap to a toddler:

Step 1:  You put it on their hand and they instantly smile - this stuff is cold and slimy!

Step 2:  You rub their hands together and they are happier than pigs in muddle puddles.

Step 3:  They instantly grow board of the soap's anti-bacterial properties.

Step 4:  They decide it will work nicely as a foundation layer for make-up.

Step 5:  They decide the best use is consumption in place of the actual meal they were washing up for to begin with.

Step 6:  They realize soap tastes HORRIBLE.

Step 7:  They try to scrape the soap off of their tongues, which is great except for the fact that they are doing this with soapy hands.

Step 8:  They realize they are caught in a never-ending vortex of soap taste - frustration builds.

Step 9:  The look.

Step 10:  MELTDOWN

All the same, it was hilarious, and our daughter still ate like a champ once we'd cleansed her of all the cleansing liquid - good times.

Oh, and 1 other cute point to note - when K sees daddy in his running gear now, she IMMEDIATELY holds her nose and makes the "stinky face" - this is even BEFORE I go running.  Priceless!  And then when I come back and start stretching, she walks up beside me and tries to imitate it - too cute!  LOVE THIS KID!

The weekend itself was great, with the highlight being a surprise trip on Sunday to the local Pumpkin Patch - way to go in finding this, wife muffin!  We spent a good 2 hours there, and K was in HEAVEN.  She saw lots of horses and chicks, as well as a pig; she then spent a solid hour walking along the pumpkin patch, trying to lift every pumpkin in sight (the bigger, the better :-)).  We then pushed her out of her comfort zone and loaded her into the wagon with the pumpkin.  At first she did NOT like this, but once she realized she could travel in style without have to exert any effort, she warmed up to the concept.  Well, that is as long as daddy wasn't pulling.  Seriously - for the first 20 minutes in the wagon, any time I touched it I heard, "No, no - mama, mama."  But eventually I won her over. :-)

I really can't say enough good things about this weekend, as I felt refreshed completely in mind, body, and spirit.  The previous two weekends were both great, but there is nothing like quality family time after a rough week at work.  K was so happy outside at the pumpkin patch, the weather was perfect, my wife was smoking hot, and all was right with the world. :-)

So on the whole Sammy the Bull is feeling better about things - fingers crossed we can continue that trajectory.  Stay tuned for the next report out!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

P.S.  Foot note for posterity when people read this 30 years from now.  Let it be known that the Bull and Striker started trying for #2 this weekend.  LOOK OUT!!!! :-)

“They’re growing up and I’m missing it” – a father’s perspective…

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  19 months and 4 days

Family,

And a good evening you to from the Queen City, where the Bull and Striker are sitting on the couch during a “non-football” evening and trying to get caught up on things.  I mention that because the pace of life recently seems to have found its way into warp drive, and that is largely the focus of this blog.  And no – I don’t intend for this to be a “woe is me” post by

any stretch of the imagination, as I am blessed beyond measure.  However, given the emotions running through me at present, I do feel it appropriate (and necessary) to capture them the best way I know how – via the written word.

As of this past Saturday, the Sneetch rolled 19 months – NINETEEN MONTHS.  I just cannot believe it.  Folks, our daughter, our teeny little angel that was so small when she first arrived on planet Earth that the bassinet seemed to dwarf her, is now clearly toddling and barely fits into her crib (to say nothing of the pack ‘n play, which is now largely used as stuffed animal storage).  In fact, I’ll do one better, as my stepfather Steve rightly pointed out this past weekend – “she’s not toddling any more.  She’s RUNNING.”  It’s so true.  K’s actually now working on walking backwards and has actually taken quite a shine to that.  It seems as though walking backwards (and using the newly discovered muscles it entails) has proven quite fun, and she’s doing it at the expense of her health and safety – occasionally crashing into walls. J

She’s also made the leap to walking down the stairs (assisted of course, but she does NOT want daddy to carry her anymore).  She can’t reach the rail yet, but she’s become quite adept at using the wall to support her.  And whenever there is a rail that she can leverage, she is very capable of motoring down on her own.  She’s even taking the half step now in stride in the bonus room – a certain sign that her height, strength, and confidence are all increasing.

On the word front, it’s CRAZY to see how many words she can now identify.  We borrowed “Rocket’s Mighty Words” from the library a few weeks back, and she can now identify every word in that book.  The same is true with an ABC book from the Hitman clan – very exciting to watch this mental development.  The highlight of the week was when I said, “Where is the red car?” and watched her point at it.  I then said “where is the white car,” at which point she looked at my mom’s car in the driveway and correctly identified that – very exciting!  Apparently Bob has also taught her the number 1, and my stepdad started working on letters this past weekend.  I need to do a better job of some of that stuff, as I think I keep forgetting that it’s essential to start with the building blocks before jumping to more advanced concepts.  It seems my tendency of “accidental parenting” knows no limits… Oh, and K can now say “Shhhhhhh” – Jenny taught her this when she walks into my office and I’m on a call.  It’s pretty darn cute, I must say. 

As for the week itself, it was another great one, even if it was a whirlwind.  K is very much in a “mommy mode” right now, and she really wanted nothing to do with me the entire week.  And while that’s not been too out of the ordinary, this past week she didn’t even want daddy to read to her.  In fact, whenever JT made the move to hand her to me for bedtime stories, K would go CRAZY and start screaming “mama mama mama mama” – real tears streaming down her face the entire time.  Fingers crossed that’s just a phase – which I truly feel to be the case given that I read to her last night.  I know poor Jenny felt sorry for me, but hey – these things happen. J 

That being said, invariably it does make you think about things and how your daughter views you.  This in turn leads to self introspection about how you behave around her and how you’ve established your priorities in life.  Couple that with an increased workload, increased commute time, and two straight weekends away from K, and you have a guy who’s spent quite a bit of time lately thinking about the man he is, wants to be, and wants to be viewed by his daughter.  And while I’m not sure I’ve figured out the answers to any of these questions, they have dominated my thoughts lately – during my drive in (and out), while on the treadmill, and especially as I type these blogs.

Now don’t get me wrong – I do feel like I’m a good father.  I believe that Jenny and Kaitlyn should be the top priority in my life, and I hope and pray that my actions have reflected that (in their eyes at least).  I feel proud that, as a husband and father, I’m able to support the family, as there has been nothing more rewarding than watching Jenny and Kaitlyn grow together and forge such an inseparable bond over these past months.  I feel like we are working hard to keep K safe yet challenged, keep her growing in the right directions, and showing her what a loving home should be.  I also feel like we’ve improved our diets so that we can show her what good eating habits are (as well as stay healthier longer to make sure we’re around for many years to come).  On all of these fronts, I feel good – it’s just that nagging feeling that I could be doing more.

There is a great article that’s passed around “mommy circles” entitled “They’re growing up and I’m missing it,” talking about how difficult it is to balance the demands of work, family, and everything else in this day and age.  And while I’m very blessed to have a job that lets me work from home, offers great vacation, provides a good income, and offers an excellent health plan, there is still the reality that many things pull at my time, and there is that feeling that at times my mind drifts, taking me out of the moment when I’m with my family.  Now I think part of that has been my traveling for fun these last 2 weeks, but some of it centers around my priorities and what I choose to do with my time.

As is true for everyone, free time is limited.  JT and I have been blessed to have evenings free still for dinner and relaxation, but there’s no question that the amount of time (and windows of time) have condensed.  Some things have been easy to drop – TV shows we weren’t super-interested in, reading (because I still get some time on business trips), movies, etc – but there’s been a big one that has left me spinning:  exercise.

Long story short – if I’m going to get a workout in, it’s gotta be in the morning.  And if I have to drive into work, there will be no workout on that day.  6-8 months ago, this wasn’t an

issue, as I wasn’t training for anything and really just wanted to stay healthy.  Now, however, I’m finally back in shape, shaving minutes off my half marathon time and even increasing my weights.  And therein lies the rub, as I’m now realizing that some of these workouts will have to drop.  Unless I can fit them in at lunch (becoming increasingly tricky), they won’t make the cut, as NOTHING can interfere with my family time in the evening.  This means that my times will slide a bit, my arms will go back to being a bit flabbier, and I’ll actually get more sleep (so there are benefits!).  What has been a herculean endeavor mentally is to realize that NO ONE CARES about my times and bench stats except me, and I won’t even remember them in a year’s time.  I’m struggling with it still, as this isn’t how I’m wired.  However, I think I have finally come to terms with the fact that I have limits, and that’s ok.  I’m still doing what I want to do – I just may not ever post another PR (which let’s be honest – was NEVER going to happen anyway).

K having a reunion with the Rev.

The other thing I need to do is shoot more video footage.  I had lunch with a buddy this

week, and he told me that, on the night before his daughter went to college, they sat down as a family and watched all the video they had of her growing up.  I thought this was an AMAZING idea, and consequently I’m trying to clear as much space as possible to shoot K’s big moments that I’m realizing I DO NOT want to take for granted:  walking with “big bear” through the house, changing “baby’s” diaper, trying to jump (getting close!), laughing when she plays with mommy – bouncing on her leg, dressing as a ghost, whatever the occasion.  Her smile is SO CUTE now, and there is nothing like walking into her room in the morning when she’s just woken up and is happy as a clam.  These are the moments that I take for granted now but I know will fly, and I MUST commit them to memory and video before the moment escapes.

Rounding out the week was a visit from Grammie and Grand Pooh, which was HEAVEN for Kaitlyn.  She started calling my mom Nana, and I’m not sure if that means she’s got the 2 grandmothers confused or if she knows both are grandparents.  She can point to “Pooh” when asked (that’s my stepdad), and she is definitely comfortable with and LOVES her grandparents.  She was DESPERATE for “Nana” Thursday evening and Friday – didn’t even make a peep when we walked out the door!  She also cried out for “Nana” after she left, a sure sign that she’s now fond of her grandparents.  This THRILLS us, as it will make some future travel decisions much easier.        

So there you have it, a cathartic and long-winded epistle from a father who’s trying to find his place in the new world order and hopefully doing the right things as a husband and father.  It is a balancing act that I expect will continue all my days, and I feel fortunate and privileged to be afforded this opportunity.  Watch this space, as I expect you’ll hear more from Sammy the Bull as he redefines his limits and self-expectations in 2015 and beyond.  The bottom line for me is that they grow up fast – and I intend to have NO REGRETS about how I treated/made memories with my family.  That will take me accepting that I need to be smarter in everything I do, and I intend to make that happen – starting now.

Love,

Sam (just me this time, as the opinions of the author are solely his own and do not reflect those of the parent company J)

---

And the roles reverse - the Bull starts driving in to work...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  18 months and 27 days

Family,

And a good Tuesday evening to you from the Queen City.  Another great (but tough!) week in the books, so let's get amongst it, shall we?

Please obey all traffic signs...

So this week was a tough one for the Bull, as something I'd been dreading for quite some time officially arrived.  For months now I've known that, for a bit at least, my job would necessitate more frequent trips uptown.  Now granted, this doesn't sound like that much of a change from the usual routine - I travel for work about once a month and go uptown about once every week or week and a half anyway, so on paper the change isn't markedly different.  What is different, however, is that the schedule on those days I'm uptown is now a lot more rigid, meaning I'm now in rush hour in both directions.  I must confess - I was NOT prepared for how long it would take to get into work (about an hour or just over), but that wasn't the biggest shock to my system.  Between getting up very early to run (4:53 this week!), working out 5x a week in the morning, having an increased workload due to myriad factors, and losing weekends due to personal travel (no complaints there - just highlighting that recovery time is pretty much nil at the moment), last week was one of those "you have reached your limits" moments of discovery.  Throw in some evening plans as well, and I was left running on empty long before I got in the car Friday evening for a 2.5 hour drive (again, that was for fun - visiting the boys in Chapel Hill for a game - but still, the Bull and Striker were exhausted).

But again, the exhaustion and realization that I might have to scale back some activities (and expectations - such as with my half marathon goals) wasn't the most difficult component of this week.  The toughest part was that, for a period of 2 straight days, I never saw my daughter awake except in photographs from Jenny taken during the day.  I would leave with K asleep and come home with K asleep.  I would sneak into her room morning and night to say goodbye and look down at that angelic little face, and each time I just found myself shaking my head.  Our schedule as a family has been amazing, and the current schedule is the first ripple that has threatened this arrangement.  Hopefully it's not permanent, but there's no question that it's rattled me.

Refueling post tackling all the slides.
Pumpkin and Spinach puree - snack of champions.

Last week was that moment when I realized what Jenny felt when she went back to work.  Just like I was last week, I remember her stories about scrambling to shut down and get out of the office so she could have some precious time with K.  I remember her trying to balance work, exercise, family, and friends (which she did an amazing job of), and I remember wishing there was something - anything - I could do to show her how fantastic a mom she was being - even if she wasn't able to pick K up or drop her off each day.  Now, the flip side has happened, and I'm the one who feels as though he's not around like he should be (and wants to be), and that's been tough.  However, it's still a good arrangement, and I need to focus on the fact that I'm still home 3 days a week.  Most folks would kill for that schedule, and I have to keep that top of mind and ensure I don't take a second of my time with K for granted.  It also means that I really do need to take inventory of my activities and either drop some or ratchet down the amount of time spent on them.  I am determined to see the racing schedule through until December (and pick it back up again in Jan or Feb), but I am now making peace with the fact that those mile times might not drop as low as I'd previously hoped.  But let's be honest - 20 seconds a mile isn't gonna put me in the money, so I need to just enjoy it. :-)

Because you're never too young for
Doritos...don't worry - we did NOT give her any.

On the K development front, she's really been babbling more and more.  And while she's not added any words to the vocabulary (although there was a rumor she added "one" over the weekend), I definitely think she's continuing to progress in how she expresses herself.  Also, in an effort to further expand her ability to play and imitate adults, Jenny bought K a stroller this week.  That girl LOVES THAT THING.  Seriously, there is NOTHING cuter than watching her push around Baby, Winnie the pooh, or another one of her stuffed animals - LOVE IT!  She's also really taken a shine to throwing things into the pack 'n play, after which time she wants you to put her in so she can chuck things OUT of the pack 'n play - talk about hours of entertainment at your fingertips. :-)  It has been interesting watching her, as she's definitely starting to entertain herself a bit more.  Looking at my buddy Chuck's daughter (26 months) this weekend, I can already see early signs of that same behavior - just amazing to watch really.



The weekend was another big milestone, as it marked Team Taylors first period of more than 24 hours without seeing K.  That's right, sports fans.  For the first time EVER, Team Taylor woke up and went

"Go Grease Lightnin', you're burnin' up the quarter mile..."

to bed without seeing the Munchkin.  Nanny and Grandpa watched her, and I'm happy to report that it went GREAT!!!!  Jenny had done the very smart thing and taken K to her folks' place last week.  K is really starting to get attached to Nanny (whom she calls "Nana"), and she was even calling for her and reaching for her last week when Jenny left their place.  Well, this past weekend they drove up to see her and stay here, and K was THRILLED to have them here.  In fact, for the first time EVER, she didn't scream when we told her good-bye.  Instead she just went about her business...which involved dragging Nanny to the pack 'n play while she chucked stuffed animals into it.

The new favorite past time - piling EVERYTHING she
owns into the pack 'n play

It was SO GREAT to watch her recognize (and enjoy playing with) her grandparents.  As Jenny mentioned a few weeks back - it's been really good to get into this schedule as of late, as we really do feel that we're getting more time with family and getting more opportunities for K to know each of them.  And I have no lie to tell - the weekend was AMAZING, as JT and I had very little responsibility (and by very little I mean NONE).  The one hiccup was the point about 10 seconds after our friend Dinger said "you guys have no worries this weekend" when the phone rang to learn that Bob had just locked everyone out of the house.  Luckily Karen had a key and got them in, but that was about the most stressful 20 minutes of my life (luckily K was outside and they were en route to the park - WHEW!).

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print - speak soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Welcome to Tantrum Alley, baby!!!!

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  18 months and 19 days

Family,

And a good Tuesday afternoon to you on the last day of the third quarter - where on EARTH has the time gone?  Another wonderful (and entertaining) week is in the books, so let's recap, shall we?


For the sneetch, I can confirm that she has officially LEARNED HOW TO THROW A TANTRUM.  A lot of people talk about the Terrible 2's actually being the Terrible 3's, but I'm thinking K's doing a pretty solid job at the 18 month mark of making it well known when she's not happy.  And granted, she still wakes up super happy and has a smile on her face most of the day.  However, when the switch flips these days, it FLIPS.  WOW.

The good news is that she is definitely babbling more.  She's definitely playing with syllables and trying to sound things out, with her favorite phrase being the ever mysterious "da bum dap."  So far that means about 16,000 things, ranging from "Yes, I would love more cheese" to "could I have a cheese stick" to "I would love a honey wheat pretzel with my cube of cheese" to "when do I get more cheese on toast" to "it sure has been awhile since you've given me mac 'n cheese" - you get the picture (and notice the theme).

A similar turn of phrase is dada, which for most children would mean "daddy" or "father."  However, as K currently thinks of me as a plague wandering the house, terrorizing all who lay in my wake, dada has expanded to mean other things.  So yes, at present, "dada" does mean "father," but it also means:

"Love the new Jungle Jim, daddy!  What do you mean
it has to go outside?"

1. My 30 year old baby doll I carry around

2. A school bus (and anytime she sees one, she gets SO excited...all the way up to the point where they turn into a subdivision and she says "uh-oh!").

3. Any type of bird - take your pick

4. Plastic pink flamingoes (yep - I am REALLY down the pecking order these days)

Side note on this:  the most classic "I am NOT playing with daddy" happened yesterday when K was running around in the Bonus room.  Jenny said "Go show daddy!," at which point K ran down the hall, came bounding into my room, saw me, continued to run in a circle (rather than turn around or backtrack), and sprint out the door - Jenny could NOT stop laughing (and I have to admit it was pretty damn funny).

K is definitely saying "dipe dipe" for diaper, which is funny because that's what we used to say back when she was an infant.  Now we can't stop saying it, and she asks to change "dada's dipe dipe" all the time (that would be the doll - not me).  She's also saying "ah-ah," which is definitely apple (as evidenced by her stalking me for bites of my apple whenever I'm eating one).  She has some syllables that constitute banana (and she definitely knows what it is), but she's not saying the full word yet (closer to "nana").  Jenny did tell me that the last time she was at her parents' place she called Jan "Nana" vs. Nanny - that's definitely exciting progress!  Oh, and it should also be noted that "dipe dipe" can mean school bus as well.  Yes, yes, I know - I sound like THE TYPICAL PARENT on this one.

Now all this being said, I will say that her learning and memory have astonished me.  Between the Golden Book and "Rocket's Mighty Words" (from the library), it has been crazy to teach K new words and pictures and then have her point them out the next day.  Some of my favorites have been hammer, robot, moose, possum, and prairie dog (seriously - who remembers prairie dog?).  We're working on lemur and meerkat - just give me time. :-)

Also, perhaps the cutest thing this week has been K saying "Awwwww" whenever she sees a deer or a teddy bear.  She is often playing with Jenny's HUGE teddy bear that's basically the same size she is.  Her favorite activity is to set the teddy bear in her rocking chair and rock her, after which time she lays her on the ground, bounces on her for a bit, and then lays on her like she's about to go to sleep - TOO CUTE!  She's also putting baby in the UNC rocker, which is quite adorable.  The "awwwww" in reference to deer came from the book "Baby Loves Winter," which is another K fave (and part of the library collection - no cost, baby!!!!!!).

The girls learning how to share, which, at the moment,
consists of a wrestling match that equates to:  "Bitch,
you better let go of the stroller or the bunny gets it."

The biggest milestone I had the privilege to observe this week was K stacking blocks for the first time!  Normally she just destroys the towers we build, but this time she actually took the over-sized legos and stacked them up.  As this was one of the "do this by 2 years" milestones, I was quite excited.  I haven't been back in the bonus room with her to see if she remembers how to do it (or is even interested), but it's good to know that she is capable (not that I had any doubts :-)).

But back to the title of the blogs - K's tantrums.  So some of it may stem from some illness (things have been going around a bit lately).  Some of it may stem from teething (although I've been hearing that for EIGHT WEEKS NOW WITH NO CANINES IN SIGHT, so I'm not holding my breath).  Some of it could be the age.  Whatever it is, there is no denying that K does NOT want to be without mommy right now - even for a second.  When she runs upstairs while K's eating, K instantly stops eating and says "mama" over and over until Jenny returns.  The same is true if we are upstairs and Jenny goes down, outside and Jenny goes in - you name it.  And let me tell you who is NO comfort to her - THIS GUY.  The thing is, K's tantrum isn't just a scream.  She will literally bang her head against the floor and wail like a banshee, rolling around and swinging her arms like a Bayblade.  She has a nice habit of punching me in the throat and trying to crush my larynx when I attempt to sooth her (yet I continue to do it).

Coming into this week, Jenny had gone to the Y on a few occasions, dropping K at daycare.  In the morning, this had met with measured success, but the evenings had always been a bit touch and go.  Well, it came to a head this week, as we had our first epic fail at daycare.  That's right, sports fans - the staff actually had to come get Jenny out of the pool because K had been screaming uncontrollably for 30 minutes.  The next day Jenny left K with me at the house, and under advice from multiple sources we tried the method of telling K that "mommy was leaving for a bit."  You would have thought we'd just told her "your parents are flesh-eating zombies and you're locked in the house with them."  Seriously - she.  went.  NUTS.

The trend was the same:  Jenny sits down beside her, and K instantly knows something is amiss.  As Jenny starts talking, K's face becomes a complete frown, and then the second Jenny goes to walk away, K sprints to her (it's more of a gallop at this point - which is also really cute) and buries herself between Jenny's knees, holding onto her for dear life.  If I can manage a distraction, it's usually okay within 5-10 minutes, but Munch will proceed to ask for "mama" about every 20 minutes or so until she returns.  And when she does return - THE WORLD STOPS.  Now that, sports fans, is also about the cutest thing ever, as K stops WHATEVER she is doing - eating, reading, playing, bungy-jumping...you name it - gasps for air, and then marches over to mommy.  Moments like that are great, as they remind you how amazing being a parent is.  And while I'm second (or 27th) fiddle at the moment, the important thing is happening - K and her mom are developing that unbreakable bond that forever links mother and child.  For my part, it's been something special to watch.

Claire's face:  "Are you eating my goldfish?"  Priceless.

The weekend was really great, as Team Taylor played host to a pair of parties, as well as managing to wedge 2 park visits in!  On Saturday Jill and Neal (whom I'd never met) came over with their pair of rug rats, and we had a blast chatting about all things Tennessee, beer, and food - hard to complain about that!  Sunday was a long overdue catch-up with the Parkhouse and Wetzel clan, and this place was a CIRCUS of children.  It was all a bit too much for K, and there was a period where she just went behind the table and tried to stay out of the madness.  Call me crazy, but I think it was Maddie squeezing the life out of her while playing with her.  As the only child without a sibling in the crowd (and the youngest of the bunch), I think she was overwhelmed, but she managed to play quite a bit outside.  Space was key. :-)

Well, no better way to test the swing than to load it
with 5 children and then treat it like a Carowinds attraction.

Okay - I'll close it there for this installment.  The last 4 days were crazy, and this week has been full board so far.  Add in trying to keep up with the morning workouts (5 miles tomorrow!), and you've got a guy who can tell he's running on reserves and trying to keep cough, cold, and illness at bay.  Date night tomorrow, so hopefully a bottle of wine will help kill any lingering germs. :-)

Chat soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Learning to play - the munch begins her next set of milestones

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  18 months and 11 days

Family,

And a good Monday evening to you from the Queen City (for the record, I've recently heard the phrase

Pensive - Rodin's next muse, perhaps?
Either way - LOVE THE HAIR!

"Crown Town" as well, and I quite like that), where the Bull is still in recovery from his most recent half-marathon.  Munchkin - I am THRILLED to report that you slept much better this go-around (probably helped that you were in your own crib), but you still woke up at midnight and 4 AM on race day!  Luckily your mom was a saint and took care of you both times - I am a very lucky man.  But I digress - let's get amongst it!

"Let's do this thing, baby!!!!"

So this week was another great one, with the highlight being K's 18 month appointment.  Unfortunately it was the ONE DAY this week I had to go Uptown, and so I missed it.  However, as per standard, JT and I worked on our question set together, and we went in with our usual litany of items to work through.  And while I think it went well, JT definitely seemed a bit upset when I arrived home from work.  In listening to her retelling of events, it sounded as though the Peds spoke to her in a manner that suggested we weren't working hard enough on several developmental milestones for K - something obviously no parent wants to hear.
Jenny and I talked about it, discussing the answers to the questions we had and the milestones listed out for the next 6 months, and after talking I think we both felt (and feel) much better.  Also, I think there are a few realities here.

1. First off, I love, love, LOVE our Pediatrician and the entire facility.  From the greeting to the

K PASSED OUT on one of Jenny's stuff animals.
Just when you thought the "Coke bears" from
Pirate's Cove would never see the sun again,
they receive new life. :-)

checkout, it is a fantastic experience.  However, I also feel that they have hyper-aggressive milestones for kids.  As my mother rightly pointed out - NONE of these "milestone lists" and targets existed when I was growing up, and kids have turned out fine for centuries.  Kids grow, learn, and develop at their own pace, and I do feel there is something to be said for "letting kids be kids" vs. always trying to ensure they fit into a certain box.  Coming to that realization (as I did some months back, with this most recent visit solidifying that position) has certainly eased some of my concern and by extension worry.  Now don't get me wrong - I want K to continue to develop and stay in line with her peers.  However, is she doesn't have 50 words by age 2 but still clearly understands what we're saying and is effective at communicating what she wants, then I believe she's fine.  Others may disagree (certainly their prerogative), but I firmly believe guidelines are just that.

K discovers Nala - 

2.  When we started this journey, Team Taylor was CLUELESS about what we were doing.  I mean, I rang the nurse call button to change our first diaper, for crying out loud!  And while I still admit that a lot of what we do is accidental parenting, there is no question we are much, much more confident (and better) at being parents.  For starters, we know our daughter now - her routines, her likes, her moods, her noises - you name it.  We can anticipate her needs, and the schedule we've built has given us an air of confidence to try and guess what the problem is when she's upset.  It's not perfect, and sure - it's more witchcraft than science, but we are definitely getting there.  Secondly, as babies get sturdier and you get more experience, you start to realize that "you can do this."  Life gets easier, the shock of being a parent starts to subside, and you too develop rituals and routines that work for you.  This is another reason why I'm willing to listen to everything a doctor tells me, knowing full well that some elements are being diagnosed based on a 5 minute evaluation every 3-6 months, whereas JT and I see our child all day, every day.  That HAS to count for something.

Love at first sight!

K giving "dada" a bath...while still
wearing a beanie.

3.  I think Jenny (and I'm guessing here) was most rattled by the insinuation that she wasn't working enough with K on a) speech development and b) learning how to play through simulation.  Honestly, I CANNOT SAY enough how amazing a parent Jenny has been.  She has K doing TONS of stuff during the week - the library, Discovery Place, daycare at the Y, the park, play groups with friends, you name it - and that's just the stuff outside of the house.  K is always working on motor skills, learning new things at home in books, and constantly being read to.  And the results are clear - she can identify so many things when asked, can understand lots of commands, and definitely knows what we are talking about.  Case in point was last night when I asked Jenny if we thought K should "have a  frozen yogurt," at which point K started signing please and nodding her head like it was on a swivel.  Note to self - start spelling things more often. :-)  But seriously, we read to K all the time, and you can tell she's following along.  And while she doesn't have a ton of words in her vocabulary yet, there's no question she's building the word bank in her mind.  She'll speak when she's good and ready.  Totally works for me.

On the "play" front, we learned that this is the time when kids need to be given toys that allow them to simulate and imitate what they see their parents doing.  We didn't know this, and so I do feel this was a great takeaway from that session.  They recommended things like cookware, dolls, etc, and we're now on the lookout for some of that stuff.  In the interim, Jenny got into her old box of stuffed animals and pulled out her 30+ year old cabbage patch kid, and let me tell you - WOW, THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.

So this is crazy, but Kaitlyn has become INSTANTLY attached to Jenny's Cabbage Patch Kid.  She calls him "dada," which basically means I'm a second class (or less) citizen these days.  Seriously - if she's screaming for "dada," it is NOT the six foot male in the house.  It's the 2 lb stuffed doll that was in a box until Wednesday morning - AMAZING.

The newest member of Vol Nation.

What's also amazing is how quickly K has taken to her.  K is now SLEEPING WITH THE DOLL.  The first night was HILARIOUS, as she basically PASSED OUT on top of the doll - looked like something out of Monday Night Raw - too funny!  But it's more than just having her in the crib (which she didn't have last night and I would personally like to avoid if possible since she now realizes she can throw baby out of the crib and ask mama and "the dude in the house" to fetch it for her) - she now gives it a bath before her bath (uses her old plastic tub - even uses a wash cloth on her!), changes her diaper, and even puts her in the bassinet before her nap (although she then wants baby back out).  She's fed her at the high chair a few times (although she prefers to feed Harrod the Bear), and she's even learned how to burp her.  For Harrod, she actually tries to CLIP HIM INTO THE HIGH CHAIR - just NUTS how quickly they pick things up.  However, it has been great, as we now realize how much she's learning by watching us and via her own experiences, and we soon plan to further augment that with a few new additions to her toy collection.

One funny note is that "dada" isn't her only attachment.  She also LOVES her rubber duckies in the bath tub (she calls them "baba," which we think is her trying to say quack quack), and sometimes she has to have those with her on the changing table before bed.  A first it was the white polka-dot duck from C-Web and Eagle One, but now she loves the Camo duck (NO IDEA where we got that one).

And wrapping the 18 month appointment, we received good news in that she's now 80% in weight and 75% in height, meaning that a) she's good size for her age and b) she's now much more proportional.  Jenny actually just finished a photo book of K's first 18 months (which is AMAZING, by the way - way to go, Muffin!), and it really is crazy to see how much she's slimmed down in the last 6 months.  All that running is melting the rolls away!

Dinner time!  Best 14 quid I've ever spent.

For the next 6 months, K apparently needs to have 50 words under her belt, master the spoon, learn how to jump, and be able to handle stairs without assistance.  She's pretty much to the stairs figured out, and jumping isn't far off (same with the spoon).  We'll see on the words - I bet she'll be pretty close when the time comes.

The only rough patch this week was early, when the poor thing threw up in the bed.  She was sick and ran a fever a few days last week, including some diarrhea and general discomfort.  She seems back on the go now - is actually in daycare at the Y as I type this.  Also, we did get the change to get to Discovery Place Kids Friday afternoon, and it was a BLAST!  Some of the highlights:

Step 1:  K grabs her favorite toy in the whole place:
a lawnmower!  Where was this energy when I
contracted a lawn service!?!?!

Step 2:  only buy organic.

Step 3:  COVER EVERYONE IN WATER...
except the gal with the plastic cover.

Step 4:  No Carolina girl is truly "Tarheel bred"
until she learns to appreciate NASCAR, baby!

Step 5:  last call for departures from "Huntersville
International Airport," featuring flights to Lima,
Hong Kong, London, Tokyo...and Greensboro.  Nice.

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print this week.  K - your daddy posted a 1:52:08 in his 26th half marathon this weekend.  Remember that there was a time he was in shape! :-)

Love,

Sam and Jenny