Team Taylor starts sleeping...and even makes a road trip...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  3 years, 11 months, and 20 days

Age of Lady Cora:  2 months, 9 days

Family,

Playing Rapunzel outside:  "Best!  Day!  Ever!"

And a good afternoon to you from the Queen City, where the Bull and Team Taylor continue to chug along and find their way as a party of 4.  Plenty to cover (as always!), so let's get amongst it, shall we?

2/1 - So an interesting twist today - when I went in to pick up Cora in the morning (about 6ish), her vomit was very dark - definitely a brown tinge.  Jenny say the same thing 3 hours later when Cora spit up, and she thought it might be blood.  A friend concurred, which prompted us to call the Peds and book an appointment.  They didn't have anything for that day (the nurse's line told us to go to the ER, but we thought that was crazy and didn't take that advice), so we booked an appointment for 10:15 AM on the 2nd.

Um...Vera Bradley much?

The good news is that, after the first two rounds of spit ups, we didn't see any more blood.  However, something was clearly amiss yesterday and this day, as K screamed NON-STOP to the point she gave herself laryngitis.  She was crying so hard that she was running out of air and just silently screaming - it was CRAZY!

But some good news today - JT's friend Megan dropped off SIX BAGS OF CLOTHES!!!!  Now I will confess (as will JT) - that volume of clothes is more than little overwhelming, and it has really stressed JT out (the living room looks like Baghdad outside the green zone).  However, the good news is that JT has done a HERCULEAN job of sorting all of it, and she's already started putting some of it away.

Also, Lindsey dropped by and gave us two carriers for Cora - the "ring sling" and the "moby wrap."  Now granted, we look like African mothers in one and jedi knights in the other, but the results speak for themselves - those things are AWESOME!  We haven't practiced on our own yet, but we did jot down notes as Lindsey demonstrated, so hopefully we can try soon (before we forget 100%)!


We also started placing Cora in the bouncing Baby Bjorn to keep her upright after a feed, and that has been a HUGE help in terms of giving us free hands and keeping her from screaming.  That thing is MONEY - thanks, Aunt Kim!  She's actually sitting in it as I type, and it's been a life saver (even if she's getting a little red faced as I type this :-)).

As for K, she had a GREAT swim lesson today - afterwards she even jumped into the cold pool (dove, actually) and did a 50!  She did a lot of freestyle an backstroke on her own - it was AMAZING to watch!  A lady who was holding a young child said that she was amazed watching it and asked how old she was.  I had to confess I was proud announcing she was only 3. :-)  Way to go, TT!!!

Other notes from today:

1.  As Jt is now using coconut milk on her boobs vs. lanolin, it's now passing into the milk.  And while this is harmless for baby, we have started straining out the chunks (the chunks are only there when it's cold, but still - anything we can remove feels like a good idea).  Also, we are putting coconut oil on Cora's raw little bum, and it's AMAZING how good that stuff works.  It's basically the universal solvent!

2.  K made a paper bag puppy today and named it "Ruff Ruff Lovebone."  Honestly, when I saw "love bone" written on the bag, I just about fell out laughing.  Her teacher said she found that quite funny as well - wonder if it was for the same reason I did. :-)  Too funny!

3.  There was a moment both today and yesterday where we had both children crying at the same time.  In both instances, JT and I have actually laughed, as honestly - what else can you do in that situation? :-)

2/2 - No blood today!  Cora slept good again - only getting up once in the middle of the night.  She was so angry in her car seat that she did claw her face until it bled, however.  But I digress...

The visit to the Peds was good - he wasn't concerned, and the tinge was blood (but that's not an issue unless it's bright red).  Bottom line - there is really nothing we can do for the spit up, but spitting up isn't an issue unless it's projectile (he said, "Like a bullet coming at you", so we're still in the clear).  He was great to answer a lot of questions, and now I think we're feeling good about progress, the steps we're taking, and what is a real issue vs. just something we'll deal with on Cora that we didn't encounter with K.  Bottom line - she's gaining weight and sleeping, so all is well.

2/3 - So a classic moment from last night:  JT and I made eggplant parm for dinner, and we scooped some onto K's plate for her dinner.  She takes one bite, and then looks up (I'm in the kitchen).  The conversation:

K:  "Dada, what is this called?"

StB:  "Eggplant Parmesan."

K:  (without missing a beat) "I do not like eggplant parmesan."

CACKLING!!!!  To her credit, she did at least try it.  And after we gave her a blueberry yogurt instead, all was forgiven.  Too cute. :-)

As for Cora, last night she ate like a champ - two 6 oz feeds!  However, JT and I don't think the Similac Advance is agreeing with her stomach, as she hasn't pooped today and had her first ever HUGE projectile spit up after a 6.5 oz feed (which is CRAZY, because she'd burped plenty and been upright for 90 min!).  Seriously - it was like a fountain coming out of her - I'd never seen anything like it.  But the good news - once it was out, she wasn't fussy, and she slept good.  More to the point, she's downstairs now eating again, so clearly we're in pretty good shape.

Right now we're in a tough time window for the night feed, as Cora is getting up about 3 AM.  That's tough, as you can't really dream feed her given how much gas she has.  That means you end up holding her upright and keeping her awake until almost 5, at which point it's tough to get much more sleep before the day starts.  So today JT and I decided that we're going to start manipulating the schedule a bit more and going with the 1-4-7-10 feed, with a plan to always start feeding her at 7 AM every morning.  That will give us time to feed her and then JT time to set up for pumping at 8.  We've already started, as we woke her at 4 to get her into the rhythm.  Fingers crossed!!!!

2/4 - So this day we woke Cora up at 7:30 for the first feed of the day.  Both books we're reading suggest defining a starting time for that first feed, and so today was Day 1.  I am actually writing this a few days after the fact, and I can already tell that it's been a good thing for ALL of us.  For starters, it's helped to build a schedule.  In addition, it guarantees Cora gets adequate feeds before night time.  She actually gave us 6 hours two nights in a row, and that has made a HUGE difference in my attitude.  Plus I like the 4:45 wake up, as once I put her down about 5:30, I think can have Father time and reading time (like the old days) - that was a HUGE lift for me this weekend, as it allowed me to reset my priorities again.

On the K front, she showed off her ability to write letters today!  That was really, really cool to see, as we hadn't seen how good she has become at it.  Way to go, preschool!  We saw an e, t, and a few others.  Way to go, Munchkin!

Oh, and big news for the Bull - I did my first ponytail for K today!  I woke up thinking I needed to slay 2 dragons - Cora's medicine and K's ponytail.  I am happy to report that I think both dragons are now slain, which feels good.  To quote Troy - RUN AT THE GIANT. :-)

2/5 - Cora rolled over onto her back again today on the playmat!  That's twice, but we missed it again (I was heating the bottle).  She really does seem to be strong as a Bull moose, and I continue to be impressed with how she holds her head up.

K continued improving on the playground pole today!  She can't do it 100% on her own, but she's really good at sliding down once you get her positioned.  Side note - she and I had a much better day today.  I felt much more switched on and present, and we had good time in the morning (Candyland) as well as the playground (plus to and from).  Life felt very in balance.

Funny note on the way to the park.  As we were getting dressed, Jenny and Kaitlyn both asked me "where is Cora?"  You see, she was actually quiet and already in her carrier, and everyone freaked out because her normal homeostasis position is screaming like a banshee in the middle of the room.  The quiet shocked everyone!  Jenny and I had to chuckle.  :-)

One other thing to note - K is getting sharper about asking me to do things for her while I have both my hands full with Cora (blow her nose for example).  This has been a recent phenomenon, and I will continue to monitor it (as it has escalated at bit recently).  Children are clever!

2/6 - HOLY MOLY STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!!  Cora slept 8 hours last night!!!!  I mean, the feed in the evening was a nightmare (she was basically up from 7:30 until 11:45 feeding and screaming), but after that we had EIGHT BLISSFUL HOURS OF SLEEP!!!!  It was incredible - neither of us could believe it!  Now what's been interesting - we woke her at 7:30 today and gave her 5 oz (she was sleepy and it was some work), but then she only slept about 30-45 min before waking up and CRUSHING another 5 oz in 30 min (one of her fastest feeds ever).  She's catching up!  And while she had a small spit up in the crib after the 7:30 feed, she didn't spit up at all during the 10 AM feed.  LOVING THIS SCHEDULE!!!!  Seriously - getting her on a schedule is going to change our lives, and I'm really, really hopefully we can do it.  The 7:30 start the last three days has made all the difference.

Also, JT had her post-op today with Dr. Bowles, and everything looks great!  That's wonderful news, as it means JT can start swimming again (among other things, of course).  This was unexpected, as the post-op with K didn't result in an all clear out of the gate.  Yay!

Also, since JT is about to start another pumping session, I feel I simply must describe the pumping process to you.  Let me walk you through it:

1. JT must change out of the bra with the nipple pads (to soak up milk) and into the bra that holds the phalanges

2. JT heats up these little nipple warmers to make her boobies good and warm (for added milk production)

3. JT makes a cup of lactation tea (Mother's Milk)

4. JT knocks back to Fenugreek tablets (does this 3x daily)

5. JT puts all the parts together

6. JT puts coconut oil all over the parts and her nipples

7. JT heats up a different set of beads that warm her boobs

8. JT hooks up to the machine

9. JT squeezes her boobies mercilessly to maximize the output

10. JT then strains the coconut oil (once hardened) out of the milk

Honestly, this whole process is SO much more involved than the last time, and JT is having to work SO much harder (and longer) to produce.  She's keeping up with Cora (barely), and I can't believe how much of a warrior she's been through it all.  So proud of you, wife muffin!!!!  But I will also say - I won't miss the pumping when it's over.  We do think we'll be able to maintain it in some capacity until I go back to work, but after that neither of us really see the feasibility.

Another interesting thing - the 45 minute intruder.  We'd read about this, but I didn't really know if it was a thing or not until Cora.  Granted, some times she's hungry.  Other times, it's gas.  But either way - there definitely is an intruder that finds its way into her crib on a regular basis about 45 minutes into the sleep cycle.  More to come - just wanted to note the interesting observation (another drastic difference from K).

Love this one.  My girls!

2/7 - Cora slept 8.5 hours last night!!!!  Holy Moly!!!!  We got her down at 11, and we still had to wake her at 7:30!  Now I will say, her eyes were starting to flutter, and I don't think she'd have given us much more time before waking up.  But still - AMAZING!!!!  But the funny thing?  JT and I were more tired today than a lot of the previous mornings!  I guess sleep begets sleep, and these good sleeps are helping us realize how deprived we've been and how little sleep we've been running on over the past 6 weeks.

On the Cora front, she's almost found her thumb!  She actually had it in her mouth for a bit and created a latch seal before losing it and resuming sucking her entire hand and fingers.  What's so funny - she sucks it the same way K did:  with all four fingers up in the air and practically gouging her eyes out.  I think she'll find it properly in the next week or so, but she won't get a lot of use out of it until we quit swaddling her, which is likely another 3-4 weeks out (most babies don't like it past 3 months old).

Another cute thing is that she's starting to smile a bit more now.  Granted, I'm not sure if it's in response to something that actually pleases her, but her mouth is finally trending upward on occasion - a sharp departure from how things normally go down with her!

And a side note - I HATE THE MAGNET OUTFITS.  Yes, yes, I know some people live them.  I think they are a TOTAL GIMMICK.  Give me buttons or a zipper any day of the week!  Seriously, let's consider a few points:

1.  It's impossible to line the magnets up with a squirming baby

2.  The magnets stick to the top of the dryer, so the bloody thing is completely soaked every time you pull it out

3. The sleeves are WAY too long - Cora looks like a dementor from Azkaban while wearing it

I could rage on this topic for HOURS, but my fury is sufficiently sated that I can progress to another topic now. :-)

On the K front - so we've been giving her a probiotic for the last month or two, and I can't help but do the Nelly song "Country Grammar" every time I hand it to her.  And now K is doing the rap!  It's awesome to hear your 3 year old say, "Gin, tonic, and chronic, probiotic it's ironic..."  You get the picture.  #Fatheroftheyear.

2/8 - Big day for the Munchkin:  K's first day in a booster seat!  She absolutely LOVED it, and since she's the appropriate height and weight, I think we can say bye bye to the other car seat.  BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE!!!!  Seriously - she was SO CUTE in her booster.  It was on the other seat, and to her it was like being in another country - she was looking out the window, playing with the window, and just happy as a clam.

Also, yesterday Taylie gave her an old trike, and that is now K's favorite thing ON EARTH.  Seriously - she wants to play with it constantly, and today she even rode it all the way to the park!  For me, it's great, as it's terrific exercise, and I think that it - coupled with the balance bike - will make the transition to a real bike smooth (well, smoother, that is).


On the Cora front, she slept NINE HOURS LAST NIGHT!  Her eyes are getting so blue now (lighter blue), and I'll be curious if that sticks.  And Kaitlyn has given Cora her official nickname.  No longer is she Cor or Cor Cor.  She's now Coradactyl.  LOVE IT!!!

And speaking of the 10 lb pterodactyl, she dropped the biggest steamer IN HISTORY today.  Seriously - I had her in the bjorn when she started passing gas.  They were juicy, and I knew magic

I mean, this is pretty much a daily sight
at Casa de Taylor.  The girl can SOIL
SOME CLOTHES, BABY.  

was happening.  But after the seventh or so, I thought I should confirm that the diaper wasn't leaking. HOLY MOLY HIDE THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN.  That child had deuce EVERYWHERE!  It was running down her leg, pooling on the seat, all over her clothes, and even pooling in her belly button!  Personally, I think we should just set the outfit on fire.  However, we might try to save it once...

2/10-11 - So I was actually down in exotic Statesboro, GA, on these two days, but JT and the girls did very well on their own.  Unfortunately Cora woke up at 3 AM (after sleeping through the night 4 nights in a row!), and her schedule was apparently a bit off after that.  She even broke through the swaddle twice!  Seriously - you should see this girl in the morning after her big sleep - she has moved SO FAR down the bed trying to wiggle out of the swaddle!  I have resorted to strapping her in like Houdini - we are talking arms pinned so tight they are practically inside her!

Saturday was the triumphant return to the Famous Toastery, where some of the servers who'd seen us in the weeks leading up to Cora's arrival finally got to see the half pint.  K was apparently an angel the entire time, and Jenny must have had a great catch-up with Katie and Lindsey.  K also had the Charlotte Reading Web, which was a 3 hour event at Prosperity Park.  Talk about packing it in as a single mom.  Way to go, Muffin Puffin!!!!

2/12 - K biked to the park on her trike this day - she LOVES that thing!  I love it, too, as a) it gets her some exercise, b) let's us get outside, and c) let's me walk vs. run to the park.  The last one sounds silly I know, but the way I have to run to the park with K is actually a little uncomfortable for me (not my normal stride or shoes), and so it's much easier to just be able to walk and take my time.  K still always wants me to have a hand on the bike, but she's getting a bit more adventurous.  Exciting to see her learning to steer and control it!

2/13 - So this was a fun day, as K had her Preschool Valentine's Day party!  We had to pack/prepare valentine's cards for each kid, and K was VERY specific that hers and Kate's needed to match exactly (and yes, you did pick up on the fact that Kaitlyn gave herself a Valentine's day packet).  So we packed two pencils, a sharpener, a Valentine's Day card, and some stickers into 16 bags and headed to school.  K had a blast, got plenty of sugar, and got to enjoy another day of playing outside in February given the INCREDIBLE weather.  Oh, and on the hair front - JT had put K's hair in a GREAT braid, but when K walked in and saw Kate's hair down, well...you can imagine what I had to do.  It's nuts, and I don't really know how to fix this one.  However, as it's not MAJOR drama yet, I'm just seeing if the trip to TN and Spring break (as well as age) fix it.

Another thing that's odd - she spends so much time talking about Kate - the outfit she'll have on, how her hair will be, etc, and she will NOT let you disagree with her.  If she says she thinks Kate will be in long sleeves and I say short sleeves, she is adamant that Kate will NOT be in short sleeves.  Also, when she shows up at preschool and Kate's hair doesn't match hers, she either points to her and almost starts crying, points to her and asks me if that's Kate, points to her and says "that's not Kate," or points to her and says that her hair matches however we've put K's (regardless of whether it's accurate or not).  Jenny told me this is how kids try to make reality in their mind fit the situation.  I give her credit for doing research, as I am just well, generally baffled (but hey - I live in a house full of girls, so this will happen a lot :-)).

JT had her first life group with Cora this day, heading over to CFA to meet some of the other moms.  They had fun, but Cora was apparently quite fussy (although the other mom's commented on how chill she was - funny how everyone's perceptions are different!).

2/14 - Happy Valentine's Day!  We added the 8,000th stuffed animal to the house - a bear that we've named "Rocky Top" (so you can guess who gave it to her).  Also, we had to wake Cora up after TEN HOURS OF SLEEP!!!!!  Amazing!  We gave her straight formula last night, which metabolizes slower.  Between that and the fact that she had THIRTY OUNCES yesterday without any great naps, she was primed for some SERIOUS sleeping.  Well done, C-dawg!

Another note on Cora is how she is starting to grab things and hold onto them.  Her eyes are starting to move better together (the lazy eyes are going away), and she's definitely getting better motor control and function.  Also, on the playmat today it was AMAZING to see how long she kept her head up - very cool!

What is not quite as cool but hilarious - HER MONSTER DEUCES WHILE SITTING IN THE BJORN.  I mean, we are talking "hide the women and children" kind of explosions.  The noises are nothing shy of spectacular, and the first one (there have been 2 epic ones) was running down her leg!  Last nights was powerful and will only slightly stain her outfit (the first one resulted in us tossing the outfit, as it wasn't salvageable).

Kaitlyn is actually playing with Kate as I type this - their first play date!  I can hear them chatting and getting on like a house on fire, so that is great.  I'm sure I'll be able to provide the report later, but for now I can confirm that it's the first time she's ever not been shy out of the gate and has immediately set to playing (which is really cool to see).  She's been great on the playground as well, bonding with anyone who runs up to her and playing with them immediately.  It makes me happy. :-)

One thing to note on K - she's starting to cheat at Candyland.  I tow a very firm line on this (I don't tolerate it), and we've actually had to tell her we won't play with her several times because she won't play fairly.  I've also had to discipline her, as I told her she couldn't play anymore for the day due to her behavior but she then told JT I gave her the all clear.  Watch this space, but I definitely want to use this as a teaching tool to show her that friends will not appreciate her cheating.  Better she learn it from me than somewhere else.

2/15 - So K woke up sick today - face looked completely wiped when she came downstairs, didn't have a lot of energy, temp above 100, etc.  She watched her show like normal (half of snow white, which she is OBSESSED with right now), and it didn't register to her that we let her go longer than normal because we were having to keep her home.  When she said, "it's time to get dressed!" and we told her that she was going to stay home, her face instantly was the picture of sadness.  Her next statement about broke my heart:  "Will Kate have a braid?"  They had had SO MUCH fun the day before, and she was desperate to see her.  When she realized she wasn't going, she just kept repeating that and BURST into tears - it was heartbreaking!

We had our challenges that day with Cora as well, as she was up at 4:30 for a bit.  JT has been such a ROCK STAR and life saver getting her in those early morning periods so I can sleep - I can't thank her enough for that!

2/16 - K definitely felt much better this day.  We actually took her to the Peds late on 2/15, and they confirmed that it was likely viral (meaning there was nothing we could do).  The good news - there was no additional fluid buildup in her ears, which means (hopefully) there isn't a new infection brewing.  Fingers crossed!

2/17 - Big day today:  Team Taylor - party of 4 - in their first road trip!  Before this moment, we'd never had the 4 of us in the car driving anywhere except Cora's Ped appointment.  We honestly didn't know how this would go, but we knew it was a 2.5 hour drive and didn't like our chances of making it without feeding Cora.  But in a truly SHOCKING turn of events, Cora slept THE ENTIRE WAY!!!  We made the entire drive in a shot - unbelievable!  Seriously - what I am learning is that Cora is more like a "typical" child in terms of likes, dislikes, and behavior.  K NEVER liked the car - her longest sleep ever to date has been 70 minutes.  Cora, on the other hand, is OUT the second we start moving.

Something else - the 45 minute intruder is a REAL THING.  I didn't think it existed (happened maybe once to K), but with Cora it's been pretty much clockwork throughout the day - at 45 minutes, something (usually spit up) wakes her up, and odds are NOT great that she'll go back down (even if you give her the paci, rock her, etc.

Pacifier = HEAVEN.  Full stop.

#3 - that girl really does LOVE her paci, which K never had ANY interest in.  Cora is ALL about it, and the second you put it in her mouth is the second she instantly calms down - it's just nuts that it actually works!

James wasn't sure about this.

Fourth - the period of purple crying is a real thing.  Again, I never had ANY IDEA that children cried uncontrollably without any ability to be soothed.  Well, that is ours.  Now admittedly, she has a lot of trouble with gas and we've also noticed has started to get constipated regularly, but even then - these meltdowns are EPIC.  And speaking of epic, so are the diaper fillers she shoots out after 3 days of nothing from the backside plumbing - WOW!  That will be a question for our doctor, as we can tell C's got a lot of discomfort.

The weekend itself was fantastic.  Kim and Matt have a palatial house, and Cora basically had the 3rd floor to herself.  That was good news, as K's been fighting something and James had a terrible cough as well throughout the weekend (as well as a lot of mucus).  She slept and fed largely upstairs, and she actually slept really well considering it was her first time in the pack 'n play and her first time away from the house.  She was down by 11:15 (and we followed about 1 minute later :-)).

2/18 - K had a blast this entire weekend.  For starters, she was ALL ABOUT Aunt Kim.  For a change, I was not the adult she wanted around!  Poor JT, however, continues to be a 3rd class citizen.

NO FEAR, BABY!  She was a rock star
on this thing.  Easily the youngest up there!

They had a great walk in the morning (the weather was insanely nice), and K was loving playing with all of James' toys - too cute!  We also visited Pullen Park (down by state's campus), where we road the train and the carousel, and K & James also did the kiddie boats (it was cute).

The train was really fun and offered the classic line of the day:

Sammy the Bull:  "Kaitlyn, who do you want to ride with you - mommy or daddy?"

K the Munchkin:  "Aunt Kim."  Mike.  Drop.

What I will say - she was a ROCK STAR climbing on some random apparatus with kids WAY older than her - we are talking 8 year olds on the same rope as her.  She's got the gift!  Next stop - Inner Peaks for my ladies.


2/19 - Today was a chill day, with us rolling over to our friend Tish's house to see them for the first time in probably a decade!  They have three kids now, live in a palace, and are doing well.  K loved their outdoor playset, their toys, and especially 2 cookies for lunch!  A side note here - K has been eating a LOT less lately, which has been interesting for me.  Perhaps the growth spurt is dropping off a bit, but she's also admitted that she's rather have "snacks than meals."  She's been telling us she's hungry a lot, but when we offer only fruit or veg, she refuses.  So watch this space!

Oh, and a general note - Jenny pulled out the old pump vs. the new one this weekend, and the results have been MUCH better.  Not sure if the old engine just pulls harder, but JT is DEFINITELY getting more milk out each session.  YAY!

2/20 - Cora is starting to smile!  It's so cute!  Now granted, it is usually followed by a monster deuce or a huge spit up, but the cooing, smiling, tracking, it's all happening!  Her motor skills have definitely improved, and it's been amazing to watch as she now folds her hands in front of her chest or clutches her little onesie while she feeds.  She's even started clutching my finger while feeding, which is pretty darn cute.  The sudden jerks where the arms fly up has largely ceased, and I think the lazy eye is gone as well.  Thank You, Father!!!

2/21 - Cora was smiling at me when I went in to get her this morning!  So cute!  Of course, that was the last time she's smiled at me, as we've had some SERIOUSLY rough crying spells today.  It's tough because, once she gets worked up, she just starts sucking in air.  This, in turn, makes her gas worse, but she can't burp it out.  So she gets more frustrated and the pain builds, meaning she cries louder and sucks in more air. Yeah, it's pretty awful.

On the Kaitlyn front, she when to Romp n Roll for her first ever gymnastics class!  Now she refused to put her hair up and refused to wear anything other than a dress.  But it was apparently a success all the same.

One question I am wrestling with at the moment:  am I pressing too hard on K's discipline?  Lately I feel like I've just been dropping the hammer non-stop (without raising my voice, just enforcing boundaries).  I feel like I am policing her more than I am loving her/bonding with her, and that's been tough (I'm definitely harboring some guilt there).  I have asked JT a couple of times about it, and the good news is that so far she's agreed that we have to toe the line - especially on willful disobedience when she fights on every single request.  So more to come, but that's been a journey for me.

But to add a bit of levity, let me walk you through a typical waking session for Cora:

Phase 1:  She is awake and realized that I haven't instantly fed her.

Phase 2:  Perfect frown is created .0000007 seconds later.

Phase 3:  Cora wails as if a banshee is being ripped apart by wolves.

Phase 4:  For added effect, she straightens her legs and amplifies the volume.  Side note:
When she does this on my lap, she typically crushes the giggle berries.  Good times...

2/22 - Cora had her two month appointment today, and it went really, really well!  She's outgrown her dosage on Zantac, so we are going to increase it to 1.3 ml 2x daily.  The good news - if she continues to show improvement (which is definitely looking to be the case), at 4 months we'll be able to take her off it.  Fingers crossed!

On the measurements front, she was 30th in Head Circumference, 25th in height, and 30th in weight. Our doctor said that, while she wished she had gained a bit more, she was still proportional, which could suggest that she's just petite at the moment (which is hilarious when you look at all these rolls!).

She got 4 vaccines that day.  The first was oral (no problem), but then the needles came out.  When the first one got her, she screamed instantly, but then she just started sucking in air and turning red.  It took FOREVER for her to finally bellow out a scream - the longest, most pregnant pause I've ever been part of!  But the good news - she rallied quickly and was totally fine by the time we left.

And for Kaitlyn and the Bull, it was DONUTS FOR DAD at pre-school.  It was super cute, as she walked me around her room, showed me all the different stations, and then chowed down on a donut with me.  No munchkin holes for that girl!

2/24 - So no lie to tell, today was a really, REALLY tough day for me.  K was a terror - pushing boundaries at every corner, saying she was hungry but never eating (doing the same for the potty), not using her words, moving slowly - just basically fighting me at every turn.  This really bothered me, as I was (and am) trying to ensure she has dedicated time with my focused attention, but it's tough when she fights me tooth and nail at every turn.  Also, she didn't give me a moment's peace that day, and eventually I know that wore on my nerves.

This was the start of Jenny's (INCREDIBLY WELL DESERVED) girl's weekend, and I was very excited about the chance to take care of both of them at the same time (and prove to folks I could actually do it!).  And while we survived the day, K definitely made it tough.

2/25 - Today was a much better day, and K had a blast at Avery's 4th birthday party.  It was over at Top Notch gymnastics, and it was SO CUTE!  Give Kelly (Avery's mom) credit - that girl knows how to do birthday parties.  There was pizza, party favors, cupcakes, and this incredible gym to play around in - so much fun!

The future Olympian on the uneven bars.

The coveted sucker.

We got there right as it started, with the kids doing warm ups and then going through several obstacle courses before getting free time.  You could tell that K really enjoyed it, which made me happy (Bob and Jan were watching Cora, so I got the chance to just sit and watch).  When they gave them free time, it was really interesting to watch how all the kids separated.  Every single one of them but K went sprinting like gangbusters, but K just stood and watched first.  It's really fascinating to watch how she weighs things and considers her surroundings first.  I think it's great and will pay dividends for her later in life - it's just fascinating to watch because it's so different than I was.

And the most precious of all - the cupcake.

2/26 - A big moment - Cora's first visit to Freedom House!  That's right, sports fans - I took BOTH GIRLS to church today!  And while I am SO GLAD that I did, I must confess that it wasn't easy.  For starters, everyone (understandably) wanted to see (and often touch) Cora.  I didn't put her in FH kids, but still - there were lots of hands on her and germs around her during our time there.  But hey - we were on Holy Ground, so I knew we were safe. :-)

The other thing that was challenging was that I had to watch her and feed her during service, which meant that I didn't really get to focus on the message (and didn't get to hear the music since I kept her in the lobby given the volume).  So while it was still wonderful just to be among friends and in the presence of God, it was a different experience for me.

The biggest challenge was actually a shocker for me.  I picked K up from her class, and everything looked fine.  But as I needed to feed Cora (I had already started),  I collected K and then started walking back over to the couch I had all our stuff set up at.  Well, I turn around and K is BAWLING! Now keep in mind - she's already had her goldfish, has had a great time in class, and is eating a sucker.  Finally, I am able to discern that the issue is she wants to go to the prize hub.  Well, when we get to the prize hub, she sees a tray of juice that is being offered to folks (part of the Global Missions Expo).  I get her some juice, and then after looking away for one second I look back down to see her BAWLING AGAIN!  She has dropped some, and now it's on the floor.  Luckily Kayla grabbed me some paper towels, but picture the scene:  K is crying and wants me to hold her juice and her sucker.  I have Cora over my shoulder, who's ready to spit up at any moment.  There is juice on the floor I am trying to wipe up.  Then Cora starts getting fussy.

Luckily a nice lady then walked over and said, "I think you are doing enough" and wiped up the mess for me.  SO SWEET!  We eventually got to the prize hub, got K a sucker, and got back to the couch, where I finished feeding and then got everyone home.  Well, let's not forget the ABSOLUTE SCREAMING MELTDOWN ON THE GOLF CART WHEN I DIDN'T SIT BESIDE K ON THE RIDE TO THE CAR.  You could tell the poor driver was clueless as to what to do.  But hey - that's how we roll, baby!

2/28 - Looking back over the month, we have definitely progressed on many fronts.  Cora is now sleeping through the night, we are finding a decent "interim routine," and we are continuing to adjust to life as a family of 4.  Once thing I've not yet adjusted to - Cora's explosive deuces!  Holy Moly, Batman!  Hide the women and children!!!!  Seriously, whenever you put this kid in the Bjorn seat that Kim loaned us, LOOK OUT.  Truly, I am amazed how one little "toot" suddenly leads to a brown river flowing out of her diaper and down her leg.  I mean, this poor little seat - we need to just set the canvas cloth on fire and buy KJ a replacement because, well, WOW - it has been soiled.    We are big on onesies for Cora (which makes sense given that it's been 75 degrees out), but the flip side of that is that any explosive deuce that exits the diaper is going to get ALL OVER HER.  #instantneedforbath.  We just try to keep the poop out of her hair...with moderate success to date.

One other item to note - JT seems really anxious about pumping and keeping up her milk supply.  She is working and trying SO hard, and I know that it has to be frustrating for her.  I am telling her to not worry about it and that we can move to formula, but I know she wants to give Cora as much milk as she can for as long as she can.  I need to figure out how I can help her be at peace and support her in whatever path she takes.  Cora, when you read this just know that you mother was a WARRIOR in terms of ensuring you were drinking breast milk.  Side note (as I write this on 13 March) - some of the anxiety we have figure out:  it comes from knowing that we won't pass this way again and Jenny not being quite ready to exit this chapter of her life.  I completely understand that, and that has helped me to realize that I need to back off the "push for formula" and just support her in whatever she chooses.  I just want her at peace, as there is enough pressure on her (and all of us) without her
adding more to it.  I'll just pray for peace and wisdom as we continue down this path.

Okay, that's February in the books (WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?).  One more full month of paternity leave before I'm back to Corporate America, so let's make it count!  Coming up next - the last post in volume 4 - how have we been parents for almost half a decade?

Speak soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny

Recapping one really, really long (exhilarating, exhausting) day - January for Team Taylor...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  3 years, 10 months, and 20 days

Age of Lady Cora:  1 month, 9 days

Family,

And a good afternoon to you from the Queen City, where the Bull is frantically trying to record all this for posterity amidst a sea of tears, bottle washing, medicine, coffee, and laughter.  I am barely coherent at this point, so please bare with me for any misspellings or grammatical errors.  But enough of that - let's get amongst it, shall we?

1/1 - Cora's newborn photo shoot!  So this was just TOO fun!  Luanne actually came by the house, and thanks to some of Jenny's friends, we had enough bows, baskets, and props to make this work.  We were afraid that, given Cora's propensity for SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER 23.975 hours a day that this would be a disaster, but she was actually FANTASTIC!  We were able to do almost all of the shoot in one go before feeding her, something that Luanne said was a rarity.  And oh, were the photos wonderful!  K was a great helper as well and quite the poser - it was just so much fun to watch.  Kim was actually here as well, and she got some great pics as well.

The photo shoot highlights:

On that note, I should say that Kim was a HUGE help to us during her visit.  She played with Kaitlyn a ton (including introducing her to "the blocking game"), and that was such a relief for me and JT.  Obviously a concern all along is ensuring K doesn't feel marginalized during this early period when a baby demands so much, and Kim was just so wonderful to play with her.  K absolutely LOVED it, as normally she has to share Aunt Kim with James.  However, as KJ was solo this go around, it worked out great for everyone.

This book is from Kim & Matt - it has
Kaitlyn's name in it!  Cute!

Today was the first day of the year, and I thought it an appropriate revelation to realize just how active you can be all day and not actually DO anything.  Between bottle washing, changing diapers, doing laundry, washing dishes, trying to eat, playing with K, and al the other jazz, the day just flies by!  I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again for the peanut gallery - I have NO IDEA HOW SINGLE MOMS DO IT.  More to the point, I don't really know how anyone who works and doesn't get paternity does it.  Tip of the cap to all you fine people.

The cutest quote of the day came from K as she and JT went to publix.  She looked back as she walked out and said, "Bye, dada!  Take good care of Cora!"  And speaking of Cora - she had a 7 oz feed this day!  She eats a ton but unfortunately is spitting up constantly.  And we're not talking just little hiccups (although she does have those, and they RACK HER ENTIRE BODY) - we are talking get some good, chunky milk on your so that you smell stale kind of spit ups.  We are using Medela bottles, and you can actually see the air bubbles moving as she feeds.  Consequently, we're trying to burp her more frequently and see if that takes care of it.  Also, we are trying to hold her upright as long as we can without having her sleep on us, as we're trying to keep to the mantra of putting her down drowsy but awake (and striving for full feeds and at least 45 min of wake time).  Also, as her little bum is quite red, we've started applying Desitin.  Hopefully that alleviates some of her pain there.

Crushing the rock wall at DPK - looking
strong like mommy on a deep water solo!

1/2 - So we've made the switch to the bottle with the exception of 1 nursing session per day.  Cora is clicking at the breast, which means (apparently) she isn't latching properly.  She does seem to be getting milk, and the good news is that JT is pumping 2x what Cora is eating.  For my part, I love the fact that we are using the bottle, as it means I get to help more.

My side note - Cora does NOT like pooping.  It is hilarious, as her face goes NEON CHERNOBYL RED and she starts grunting.  Then her entire body tenses as you hear this gurgle in her stomach.  Then, like that, her whole body goes slack, at which time a ROCKET SHOOTS OUT OF HER SPHINCTER AND ROCKS YOUR LEG.  I mean, this girl is explosive.

Cora is already getting more alert, which is good.  Today was a good day in the spit up category as well, but my new challenge is keeping her from clawing her face while she feeds.  I mean, the girl has WOLVERINE CLAWS - we have got to do something about those puppies.

1/3 - First bath!  She was great (we have a much better tub than what we had with K) and basically slept the entire time!  We broke out the playmat as well.  Obviously she can't see the shapes at the top yet, but it's just nice to have somewhere to lay her and watch her (especially when your arm needs a break).

The weigh-in is tomorrow, and we are hopeful.  She's gone from stick thin to the saggy, baggy elephant, and her cheeks are WICKED peppy.

Good swim session with K today (she and I swam).  I will say that, early on, I think we've done a good job of balancing time between the two kids.  JT has obviously had Cora more, and I've had K more, but that's been fine, as JT realistically is pretty limited in what she can do given her recovery.  I will say that K seems a bit standoffish or defensive with JT (noticed this really throughout the month), and she's definitely a "daddy's girl" right now.  I am obviously not complaining, but I am going to keep an eye on it and ensure she doesn't start disrespecting JT.

Next up - the Tour de France.

1/4 - Cora's two week appointment!  Apparently this is the most critical appointment within the first year of life, and I'm THRILLED to report that Cora "passed" with flying colors.  All looks great, and she's even slightly above her birth weight!  She's 7 lb, 9.5 oz, so that's terrific news (as it means we don't have to keep slamming food into her every 2.5-3 hours.  She's actually already going 4 hours at night between feeds, which is HUGE.

Today was the first day that I think all of this started to sink in for me.  As I flip back through my notes, it's funny how many times I've said that, and I think each time I've written it, it's been true.  This was the first time that I felt like I was starting to find my feet and get some semblance of peace/appreciation for what has transpired and what it means for us.  It was a day of peace, love, and happiness for me, and I went to bed that night feeling great.

I picked up Cora's birth Cert and get her enrolled in benefits, so that was a big win.

K says "BEAR DOWN!"

On the Kaitlyn front, that girl actually folded clothes today!  She folded wash cloths and towels really, really well!  She's also doing a terrific job of putting away her plate and place mat after meal time.  She's also started cleaning the floor after she eats, and I'm pleased to report that she's doing a good job!  Oh, and she is also really starting to brush her teeth on her own.  She is building up a lather, hitting all the zones, and genuinely scrubbing.  I still do a once over at night to ensure we've got all the food, but she's definitely getting the hang of it!




Oh, and today was K's first day back at preschool, and I dropped her off for the first time ever.  It was HILARIOUS, as I was clueless as to what to do.  Luckily there was a parent there who walked me through everything (but at some point did ask "Your first time?"), and from here on out I'll be good to go.  However, in the moment, I was STRUGGLE BUS.

Lastly, K had a great swim lesson!  She is continuing to make progress - so proud!

1/5 - So I think it's safe to say that Cora still has her days and nights mixed up.  She's quite sleepy during the day and then EYES WIDE OPEN once the sun goes down.  Also, she's continued to be quite fussy and gassy, but mostly during the night feeds (which are largely just one big feed).  Her little face gets SO red, her screams get so loud, the corners of her mouth turn down with anger, and her little tummy is SO tense!  We are trying to get that gas out of there, but each deuce just results in a redder bum, and each burp just results in a big spit up, so it has been a challenge.  In fact, she pretty much spits up any time you lay her down flat, regardless of the amount of time you've been holding her.  And she really doesn't seem to like her bassinet, most likely because it's the flattest thing we have her lay on (she doesn't mind the little bassinet with the pack 'n play that's downstairs).  And on that note, we didn't get a 4 hour stretch this evening, so it was extra coffee the next morning!

What is interesting - Cora LOVES the pacifier - took to it instantly!  It's amazing, because K wanted no part of it EVER.  It's just one of many things that has made this experience COMPLETELY different and showcases how different two children can be, even when the same techniques are employed by the same people.

That's Pattie's old umbrella!

Kaitlyn spelled her name out loud correctly today!  Oh, and she had a great quote.  She ran into the bathroom when I was doing my business, looked at me sitting there, and said, "Dada, when you poop you have to sit down because you can't get poopy out of your little hole (that would be my penis)."  I mean, she was medically accurate - how could I argue?  One other note for K - I think she must be growing, as her coordination has taken a nosedive as of late - she is falling down and running into stuff all the time!  Some of it is deliberate, but most of it isn't.  Oh, and anytime the kid runs into something, she wants a band-aid.  It doesn't matter if there's no scratch - she wants a band-aid.  that's fine as long as it's her princess/Frozen band-aids.  But if she starts messing with my water blockers, she's in trouble. :-)

And another milestone for us - we moved the camera out of K's room today and shifted it to watch the bassinet!  We told Kaitlyn that she was a big girl now and could either call out or open the door, so there was no longer a need for the monitor.  She seemed quite excited!  Honestly, I think it was more emotional for me, just because it means K really is growing up so quickly right before our eyes.

On the Cora front, the love is really starting to take hold.  Last night was really tough (lots of screaming, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't like me), but her great facial expressions, the smell of her head, the way she leans into me and snuggles after eating - it's all just incredible.  Her little quivering chin is just too cute, and I gotta say - I LOVE raising little girls.  Now don't get me wrong, if you'd asked me to type this at 2 AM after hours of shouting, I might have said something differently.  But that's why I take notes and record all this after the fact. :-)

1/6 - Cora is eating like crazy!  I mean, we are talking WAY north of what is normal - perhaps she's just catching up (as apparently we were starving her for the first week of her life).  Her eyes are getting so much bluer - I will be curious to see if it sticks with her.  Also, she currently has strawberry blonde hair, and I will be curious to see if that sticks once she loses it and the next batch starts coming in.  Right now she's starting to lose some on top, but she's still got her monk's cap!

Side note - there is talk of a HUGE snow storm coming.  K is so excited!

For some reason, this makes me think
of a Mat Kearney album cover.

1/7 - Snow day!  This was a lot of fun, as K and I got out in it a couple of times.  We don't really have the right gear for it, but we got a couple of sessions in and even tried to make a snow man.  Cora had her first full 90 minute wake session.  She's taking 4.5-5 oz per feed, which is north of the 3-4 average for kids her age.  She's also sleeping upstairs full-time now, as we want to get her used to that.  One side note - swaddling that child is NOT easy, as she's quite the wiggler (total opposite from K).  However, we are getting better at it, so that's worth something.

1/8 - another rough night, but we did get a 3-4 hour block of sleep.  I am just outrunning a cold I think, but I believe the limited sleep, the exercise, and the grace of God are helping me keep it at bay.

Cora continues to gain weight - her saggy little wrinkled skin is so cute! Some other Cora callouts:

1.  When she takes the Nuuk pacifier, she looks like Hannibal Lecter.  It's hilarious - especially when he eyes are wide open.  Chianti, anyone?

2.  We started the arm down swaddle, and it does seem to be helping.  However, if she's not really, really tired and you try to do that, LOOK OUT.  You have been warned!

3.  Her poops are straight legendary - they are seriously vibrating our legs when she's sitting on us and goes.  What is frustrating is that she usually only deuces AFTER you've changed her diaper, so we've stopped changing her the second we wake her, as that will only result in a wasted diaper. :-)

4.  And if you're trying to time the spit up, FORGET IT - she will get you every time.  Sometimes it's explosive.  Sometimes it's just a trickle.  But what you can count on - it will always hit you somewhere the burp cloth is NOT or she will only pop the one time you don't have the burp cloth on your shoulder.  EMBRACE THE SMELL OF STALE MILK.

"Well, Clarice...have the lambs stopped
screaming yet?"  CREEPY.

A really sweet note - whenever Cora is crying (which is, well, all the time), Kaitlyn will grab her Frozen music box and play it for Cora to soothe her.  What's been interesting is that it really works, and Cora always looks at K/in her direction when it starts playing.  So sweet!

1/9 - So the witching hour continues to be a challenge.  It's basically 6-9 PM, during which time Cora just eats, spits up, and cries non-stop.  The last two nights have been insane, but the good news is that we are at least getting a 4-4.5 hour stretch of sleep - progress!

I love this pic.  It's call the "you can't
seriously be my father, right?" pic.

1/10 - We actually slept decent last night, which is always a bonus and gives my mind and body a chance to come up for air and recalibrate.  Personally, I am struggling with the guilt of splitting my time, and I know that's weighing on me.  It's cliche to say I'm trying to be "all things to all people," but I am trying to maintain the old schedule and commitments with a HUGE new commitment in the mix.  The end result has been some frustration on my part, and I am not pleased with the way I've handled that.  I am desperately trying to find the new normal (and praying about it), and I know the reality is that I've got to start doing things differently.  It's just, of course, easier said than done.

One other tough moment - keeping Cora awake during feedings.  This is really tough, as she's desperate to sleep and sometimes won't even open her eyes during a feeding.  And side note - when she does open them, she won't BLINK.  She just stares at me while she sucks that bottle down - it's crazy!

How Cora looks 23+ hours per day.

Oh, and a lifetime first today - Cora had an explosive poot that shot feces UP AND OUT THE FRONT OF HER DIAPER.  I didn't even know that was possible!  Let's just say I've spent a lot of time scrubbing her little meningning!

Tough moment with K today.  I've been sleeping in the spare, and when K wakes up, she's been running in with her animals and crawling in bed with me.  It's become one of our things, but this morning (6:30 AM), I was just exhausted.  When she came in, I told her I had to stay and sleep, and she started bawling (real tears).  I caved and let her climb in bed with me, as I felt terrible.  She's been a rock star, but there's no question all the crying, shared time, and exhaustion has taken its toll on her as well, and I hate that.  I am resolved to ensure I get quality time with her, and I am also aware that I could just have some late nights and early mornings for awhile.

With little Ian.

1/11 - Last night marked my 5th straight night sleeping in the spare.  I have no choice, as that child is SO NOISY while sleeping.  JT can sleep through it, but not this guy.  Even with the white noise, it's just too much, and I know I have to get precious sleep when I can.

The good news - Cora continues gaining weight.  It's amazing how different she looks already!  Her chin is still her most prominent feature - too cute!  Second would be the rolls on her legs - they are making diaper changing very difficult!

We had a big win with K today - life with board games!  We broke out Candyland, and K LOVED it! It's a princess edition, and she is really enjoying it.  For my part, I enjoy playing it with her, and we've even pulled cards for Cora and JT while pumping. Big win!

Speaking of K, she woke me up 3x last night complaining of ear pain - 1:19, 2:21, and 4:40.  I heard the crying first (I was sleeping with the door open) and thought it was Cora - went and got the bottle and everything!  It was only as I walked past K's door that I realized it was her.  Poor thing - sounds like we'll need to visit the doctor again.  I gave her some Ibuprofen to try and get her through the night (it worked).

1/12 - confirmed :  DOUBLE EAR INFECTION FOR K!!!  She cried again last night, but she's felt ok during the day.  It's likely just the pressure when she lays down.

The exciting bit - she conquered the Rock Wall at the Greenway playground today!  Oh, and we broke out Chutes & Ladders - another big board game hit!

Side note for me - I have CRAZY shoulder pain today from the way I've been holding the bottle.  Consequently, I'm now stacking up the pillows to try and rest that arm more.  Cora feeds for a LONG time, so I"m sure that's part of it.

1/13 - So K is now LOVING wearing a pony tail (which she calls a pig tail because another girl in class calls it a pig tail, so clearly I'm an idiot).  It looks BEAUTIFUL on her - she looks so big!  I can't believe how long her hair is now - insane!  So the bottom line here - Kaitlyn loves this girl in her class named Kate - can't. stop. talking. about. her.  We even pray for her now (the only person/thing K prays for, in fact).  So whatever Kate does, Kaitlyn wants to do.  The night before we'll guess whether or not Kate's hair is going to be down, in a ponytail, or in a braid, and K will select her hairstyle based on a desire to match Kate.  And if it's wrong, well, Kaitlyn GOES INTO MELTDOWN when she sees her at preschool. Seriously - it's the craziest thing I've ever seen.  Luckily if it's as simple as just pulling the ponytail out, then we're good.  But if she needs a braid, well...LOOK OUT.  Luckily Ms. Meg is awesome and has actually been good enough to fix K's hair so that it matches.  However, I am coaching Kaitlyn that this can't be SOP and that she needs to "celebrate her differences!"  More to come on this...

1/14 - Another huge feeing night for Cora, and another tough one.  As for K, she's really starting to get into action figures.  She's using her doll house and other, bigger toy stations now (which is great to see), and her imagination is continuing to expand.  I think preschool is really helpful in that regard, as I think watching other kids her age helps stimulate her mind (vs. just playing with us).

Check out that pony (pig) tail!

JT went to the 5 PM service this night, meaning the I was with both munchkins on my own for the first time!  All in all it went really well, even if Cora was a spit up fountain.  I must confess that I was quite keen on seeing how I'd fare with both of them, and I think I acquitted myself well.  In truth, K is super easy, which makes SUCH a difference.  And she is still being very good about rolling with the punches.  Storytime in K's room with Cora in the rock 'n play was a little tricky - especially when Cora just started screaming like a banshee and wouldn't keep the passy in.  But hey, it all worked!

First bag of frozen milk!

It is getting to be a bit more fun, even if I am covered in milk vomit every single day.  I mean, you can always count on the "reverse C" back pat to knock something loose in Cora - that girl can burp!  Oh, and C (I am calling her C-dawg, which K has quite taken to) rolled over on the playmat today1  Obviously it's early and was accidental (and easier since she doesn't currently weigh much), but the good news is that she seems to be super active and strong as a bull moose!

Cora was fussy today, but she calmed instantly when K sang to her - too sweet!  I think she definitely recognizes K's voice, and she really seems to associate with her.  K has a very calming effect on her at all times.

As for K, she is all about daddy at the moment, but she's been really good to play on her own when I've had to do something.  Again, I think preschool is sparking that imagination and independence, which has been a big lift for me.  Oh, and K was a TORPEDO in the water at NOMAD today!

Today felt really different for me - in a good way.  I got time with both of my daughters, and both of them really felt like my daughters for the first time.  We are finding a new rhythm and a new normal, and slowly but surely we are managing to get some rest and still make time for ourselves.

1/15 - Just a note to say that K was a HOLY TERROR this evening.  It got to the point we had to put her outside on the screen porch in her PJ's to just let her scream!  I even had to take Twink (now that is serious stuff right there).  She wouldn't use her words - it was either pointing or meowing and, well, you know how I feel about that.

1/16 - The long day continues, but JT and I are now spelling each other with sleep breaks.  Cora is starting to focus on things, which is really neat to see.  She definitely knows where I'm at when feeding her, and I think she's starting to recognize my voice.  Her wake time is better as well - we haven't had to use ice cubes in a week!  That is a blessing, as I did NOT enjoy doing that to keep her up and feeding.    She is still fussy - every diaper change, outfit change, and swaddle feels like hand to hand combat.  It really is almost impossible to swaddle her when she's active and alert, as she does NOT want her hands at her sides!  Luckily the passy will calm her down quickly, but it's always a screaming, spit up filled adventure when she hits the changing table!

But the big news - we moved Cora to the crib today!  She definitely likes it better than the bassinet, so that's a win.  However, I still can't sleep in the bedroom because of all the noise she makes on the monitor.  But hey - baby steps, right? :-)  I mean seriously - the kid's grunting sounds like a 9 lb pterodactyl.

1/18 - So today we learned that K and Kate are actually SUPER TIGHT at preschool.  We weren't sure if it was just a K fascination, but apparently those two do EVERYTHING together.  I mean, K has been talking about her nonstop - especially on the drive to school (does K bring her "friends" in the car, does her mommy leave them in the car, etc).  They must play together all the time, and apparently whenever one goes to the bathroom, the other tries to go to the bathroom as well (Meg said she's heard them talking).  For me, this is really exciting, as I think it represents the first real "friend" that K has made a bond with.  She didn't have that at the other preschool, so this is just one more reason we're really, really happy that we switched.

K with the music box - she really is a GREAT
helper!

The swim lesson was great that night as well, as K seemed to really have fun with Miss Cassidy and do really well.  Also, she was great to play with other kids before and after the lesson, sharing her diving rings with them.

Cora found the fan today - that's one small step for Team Taylor.  One giant leap for the small fry.

1/19 - Today was an afternoon of sidewalk chalk with K, and it was a blast - seriously the most fun I've had doing that in a long time.  We did Rapunzel castles, made cloudette the rain cloud, and made lots of Mickey faces.  This was a marked improvement from last night, when we once again had to put her outside to let her scream (oh, and did I mention she quasi-broke the door to the screen porch? Yeah - the lock doesn't go as easily now - awesome...details...).

that's Rapunzel, in case you're curious. :-)

With Cora, it was another tough night, but we continue to muddle through.  It's not just her screaming that eventually unnerves me every night.  It's also the knowledge that she's likely affecting K's sleep (as well as mine and Jenny's).  I ask K every morning if she heard Cora, and she always says, "No...a little bit."  K always wants her door open when she goes to sleep, but we've been closing it as soon as she's out.

1/20 - this was the first night that K prayed for Kate (too cute).  Also, Team Taylor is departing from the "by the book" Babywise approach.  We are instead letting Cora sleep more and feed less.  Honestly, the change in harmony in the house was INSTANTANEOUS.  Seriously - Cora must have slept 21 hours over the course of this 24 hour period, and everything was just much, much smoother (2.5, 3.5, and 3.5 hours of sleep in a row - INSANE!).  There had been a pull to stop following the books and the talking heads with this one, so I'm glad we finally said geronimo and jumped for it.

Memoirs of a 9 lb geisha - in stores soon.

In terms of feeding, the spit ups have continued with the same frequency, regardless of whether we use medela or Dr. Brown bottles.  Also, despite trying all kinds of holding and placement techniques, Cora is still spitting up every time we put her down.  But either way - this new approach of actually letting Cora wake up on her own, eat less food, etc is definitely bringing more peace into the house.  Lindsey Williams, baby whisperer extraordinaire, to the rescue again (we also call her the boogie whisperer for the way she's managed to help JT with tips on breast feeding).

1/21 - As Cora continues to be fussy and scream every time we put her down, we tried letting her cry it out for the first time this evening.  It actually worked, but it took about 20 minutes.  During the day it took less (sometimes 10 min, sometimes 6 min, etc), but we actually felt like that was a good sign.  Different books say different things about kids crying it out at this age, and we felt like it was worth finding out if that would work.  I was feeling proud about getting through a "cry it out session," but little did I know the truth (skip ahead to the 1/23 entry for more).

Dad and Alice came this day, and we did our last official Christmas with the fam.  Oh, and who knew 201 Central would have My Little Pony plushes?  This guy didn't, but when K saw it, there was no stopping her.  Thanks to Granny A for that pick up. :-)

1/22 - We hit IHOP (as promised) today, and K KILLED her chocolate chip pancake.  Nothing but a vapor trail (with chocolate milk to boot!).  We returned to find the Williams clan here (all 3 kids), and they had a BLAST playing all afternoon.  They all did a really, really good job interacting and playing, and it was so nice to just be able to relax and chat with Lindsey while the kids had a blast and ran wild in the house.  Cora slept like a champion the ENTIRE TIME THEY WERE HERE - including the house she was curled up on Lindsey!

Oh, and I created the song:  "Boobie juice, boobie juice, Cora loves boobie juice" today.  I taught it to Kaitlyn (who of course loves it), and I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before she sings that to her pre-school teachers.  Oh dear, what have I done... :-)

The big news is that Cora hit ONE MONTH this day.  How is that possible?  True to JT's prediction, it has felt like one long day, but now I do feel I'm finally starting to embrace the miracle.

The highlights from our little photo shoot (you'll see a theme):

Finally - capitulation.

1/23 - Cora's 1 month appointment was today, and everything looked GREAT!  She weighed in at 9 lb, 5 oz - 50% in height, 50% in weight, and 30% in head circumference (yet another small headed Taylor!).  Everything looked great, but Cora was inconsolable the entire time she was there.  After talking to Dr. Knutson, she said Cora likely has reflux (GERD), which explains why she's in pain every time we lay her flat.  This was a gut punch for me, as it meant that the night I let her cry it out wasn't letting her work through a normal progression but was instead just leaving her to suffer in pain.  It makes sense now, as 4 times last night I had her asleep until I put her down.  Now I realize it was just the stomach acid washing back through her esophagus.  Poor kid!  Dr. K prescribed some Zantac, and the transformation has been INSTANT.  Seriously - it is nuts how quickly this stuff works, and now we can set her down flat no problem.  She still spits up, but the crying/tears/red face/tight body is all gone, replaced by a kid who is pretty much out as soon as she's done eating and never fights the swaddle anymore.

One of the worst...ugh.

So to recap - we starved her the first week, overfed her the second week, deprived her of sleep the third week, and let her suffer in pain the fourth week.  Yeah, not a great start out of the gate...but the good news.  She's now much, much better (I really can't tell you how much of a difference it's made - just miraculous), and I do think we'll quickly turn a corner.

As for K, the Peds confirmed that she's got fluid in both ears and recommended we have an ENT visit.  Hopefully she won't have to have tubes, but it sounds like it might be going that way.

And at preschool today, K had a MELTDOWN when she showed up and her hair didn't match Kate's - real tears!  Luckily Ms. Meg rescued me, but needless to say I need to continue monitoring this one.

Oh, and K kept throwing out 3 or 4 letters and asking, "Is that how you spell Kate?"  As it was always wrong, I corrected her.  This did NOT make her happy, and she went into an absolute tailspin every time I corrected her.  Good times...but something she does enjoy - these water reveal books from Melissa & Doug - she is mesmerized by them!  And I must confess - they are pretty cool.

JT creating her homemade pump bra.

Lastly, while K doesn't like many of my voices, she LOVES my pirate voice (which is really Scottish accent meets pirate - details) and is constantly saying, "Dada - talk like a pirate."  Arghhh, Lassie...

1/24 - So this guy is absolutely SHATTERED - no other way to describe it.  The last 2 nights have crushed me, and today I was worthless.  Luckily my amazing wife let me sleep until 10 (didn't get to bed until about 3), but I was unable to nap during the day.  Between two injuries (shoulder and foot), a sudden rush of sinus pressure, exhaustion, and the feeling of getting sick, I wasn't much fun to be around today.  I didn't really want to play with Kaitlyn, and I was frustrated with Cora from the night before.  I was disappointed with myself, but I just couldn't shake the funk. My hope is that a good night's sleep will rectify much of this, as I am not fit for purpose at the moment.  Luckily my wife is taking the "witching hour shift" (8pm until....who knows) this evening, so I'm going to try and hit the sack at 7:30.

1/25 - STOP THE PRESSES!!!!  STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!  Cora slept 9 hours straight last night!  I, unfortunately, was fighting a cold and had a terrible night's sleep, but the rest of the house slept great (12.5 hrs for K).  The good news - I was actually able to get up early while all my girls were down, sit in my normal perch, and pray first thing.  I then had time for a devo and the Bible - just like I wanted!  Today marks the end of the 5th week of paternity, and to think that we might actually have a child who's sleeping through the night would just be incredible with 11 weeks to go.

Cora is already starting to track with her eyes and follow our faces as we move in front of her.  And since she's now a month old, we've started Tummy Time!  She likes it about as much as could be expected, but she's quite strong and really is moving around pretty good.  However, she did have a 7 chug vomit on me today - it was basically a river running down my shirt, along my pants, and onto the floor.  Special...

1/27 - So I am getting into the habit of sneaking into Cora's room and watching her sleep more.  Just like when we used to "check the sneetch," I'm now "checking the fry (that would be small fry)."  She's starting to get into a routine, and there is NO DOUBT that the medicine is working.  One thing I will say - JT had the idea to start cutting the naps back 15 min per session each day until we get to about 2 hours, and that already seems to be working, as it means Cora is getting more food during the day (so has less reason to wake up at night).

I had a great swimming session with K today - we pretended we were swimming with Ariel and running from Morgana and Ursula.  It was really fun!  It was the most fun I've had in the pool in a long time - good stuff!



Oh, and the BIGGEST NEWS:  Kate and K had their hairs in different styles at preschool ALL DAY TODAY.  No tears.  No changes to the hairstyles.  Just an acceptance of differences.  BOOM GOES THE CANNON!

1/28 - Cora had a 5 hour sleep stretch last night!  that's great news, as the night before was a tough one.  We didn't have K's white noise on, and I think she was awoken several times (as she was quite tired).  I do think she sleeps through most of the crying, but all the same I can tell K is tired every day.  If we could get her to nap at 1, I think she'd still do it.  However, 3 PM is her exhaustion witching hour, and that's just too late.

On the Cora front, that child is losing her baby hair!  JT had noticed the other day some black hair all over Cora and thought it was from her sweater.  Nope - it was from C-dawg's head!  It's coming off fast and furious.  The only question now is what will replace it...

Some other Cora notes:

1. I have officially named her "floppy esophy," as that girl is now spitting up ALL THE TIME.  The good news is that we are getting her acid under control. The bad news is that she's started vomiting rockets/rivers of milk back up.  Typically this happens when she's not had a proper "rock the diaper" blowout, but there really is no rhyme or reason at this point for the occurrence.  We'll continue to monitor it obviously, and I was at the point at the end of the month where I wanted to schedule an appointment with the Peds.  However, as the last 24 hours have been better, we're back to the "wait and see" approach.  JT has been a WARRIOR when it comes to working on "isolating the variable" - she's currently trying lactose free milk, and almond milk is next on the list to see if that impacts it.  We'll also dial back the chili for a bit to see if gassy food makes a difference.

2.  While she hates tummy time, Cora is really, really good at it!  She's doing GREAT lifting her head up and trying to move.  The kid is strong as a bull moose.

3.  Cora has already broken out of her swaddle THREE TIMES!  Seriously - RUTHLESS TENACITY.  When she decides she cannot be contained, you're pretty much hosed and better off letting her just have some down time in the bassinet to mellow out.

On the K front, I took her to Chik-fil-A as our activity to get us out of the house.  I will be honest and say it wasn't my preference, but while I was out and about (can't remember doing what), that was what she told JT she wanted to do.  Well, we rocked up, and it was BEDLAM in that place.  Seriously - I'd never seen anything like it.  However, we did get served quickly and get a seat, but only to have this truly strange kid just walk up to our table and stare at K nonstop while she ate her ice cream.  I said hi to him (twice actually), but he wouldn't go away - he just kept slapping his face with a book and staring at my daughter.  Finally K asked, "Daddy, why is that boy staring at me?"  And unfortunately, I didn't have an answer.  But the cone was good, and we at least got out of the house.  I tried to let her play on the playground, but two older kids were in there screaming "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!!!"  constantly, to the point that K said it hurt her ears (it did mine, too).  Also, twice she started to play with other kids, only to have their moms come in, so that was less than ideal.

1/29 - Emmi's birthday party!  This was over at Bounce U, and it was a princess tea party theme.  Kaitlyn had a BLAST and came back all smiles - SO GLAD she had fun.  It's just wonderful to see her all smiles, especially knowing how much of an adjustment and transition all of this is.  She showed me all of her new jewelry, stickers, etc - great stuff.  And as we are actually (finally) planning to have a proper party for her this year, this helps give us some ideas as to what we need to consider.

Not sure, but I'm hoping this isn't actually
Chris Farley's baby.

1/30 - we signed K up for 5 days at UCUMC next year!!!!  While we'd originally planned to just do 4, our thought was that a) it gives JT a break when she needs it, b) helps us when we can't think of activities, c) will allow JT to focus more on Cora during this developmental period, d) wasn't much more money for a lot more flexibility, e) prepares her for Kindergarten (this is called PRE-K!!!!), and f) her friend Kate is doing the same, so they are hopefully going to be in the same class.

1/31 - Cora slept 6.5 hours last night!!!!!!  Holy moly!!!!  Counting the time I slept as well, I had almost 8.5 hours UNINTERRUPTED!!!!!  I might do 10K pushups and build a space shuttle today - no idea really. :-)

I'm actually upstairs hammering this out while K plays downstairs with Elizabeth (Jenny's friend Megan, due in February, is over).  This will be the first time in AGES that I've actually managed to get the blog done on the month in which it actually ended, and that feels great.  And truth be told, I feel great as well.  Last night's sleep was huge, as I've been burning it at both ends lately.  Cora has been keeping me up until about 11-11:30 given the witching hour feeding shift, and then K has been coming into our room and waking me up around 7 (sometimes 6:40) every morning.  And while I love every bit of it, it has made for some exhaustion, and I can tell lately that I haven't been as sharp as normal.  However, I was able to run a half marathon yesterday, so God is still clearly blessing me with energy, focus, and discipline.  THANK YOU, FATHER!!!!

Cheers!

And on that note - I am wrapping a one month fast (alcohol) today.  It has been amazing, as it has given me the space to survive what has been a grueling month.  As I have said multiple times - this was all tougher than I thought it would be, and I have learned a lot about myself and what it means to be a parent during this stretch.  Now, standing on the end of the survival period and hopefully starting to get more sleep, I have learned quite a bit.  First, the old schedule no longer works - you can't pour new wine into old wineskins.  Second, if it's a priority, then it truly must come first, or it will never get done.  Where your heart is - there is your treasure also.  Third - you can't be perfect, so just be present.  Fourth - you must make time for you.  Fifth - treasure every moment, even when it's tough.  You won't come this way again (likely), so don't run from the pain.

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print.  This guy is gonna add the pics and get this published.  Chat with you in a month!

Love,

Sam and Jenny