9 Months old

This was a big month for Taylor... her whole world changed as she became mobile! She loves her new found ability to explore the world that she has been observing for the last 9 months. She is so happy to go after anything that we had not previously handed her to play with... shoes, newspapers, cell phones, tv remotes, the lap top, etc. I have to imagine that she has been sitting back waiting for this day to come!

Taylor also had a very bad cold this month. She was sick for about 10 days which was horrible. We felt so bad for her and sleeping was basically impossible. She coughed most of the night and frequently threw up (gross). I am making a note of this because this led us to pick her up and rock her anytime she cried in the middle of the night. While this seemed like the right thing to do at the time and probably what I will do in the future it completely sent all of our "sleep training" right down the drain. We now have a horrible sleeper on our hands. This coupled with her learning to pull herself up and stand in her crib is sure to be our biggest challenge for the month to come. Yea for us.

On a positive note Taylor has learned to hug this month. I think this is my favorite development so far. One night Mike was playing with her in her bedroom and he handed her her doll, who he named Madeline, and she grabbed her and pulled her close to her. It was the cutest thing in the world and of course we had to do it a hundred more time just to be sure it wasn't a fluke. Now when Mike or I pick her up she grabs our neck and squeezes. It is just the best feeling and probably what will get us through the sleepless nights ahead!

Christmas

Santa (AKA - Maddie and Pop Pop/Grammy and Grandpop) was good to Taylor! We could benefit from a playroom at this point because our living room is no longer very livable! Most of Taylor's new toys light up, make noise, roll, bouncy, spin and do anything that one would think would be very appealing to a 9 month old...which makes it that much funnier when she completely ignores them for the rolled up piece of wrapping paper, cardboard box, or bow. We had a great day and are so thankful for our wonderful families. Here are some pictures...

Dinner out with the Krepps family... Pre Christmas Celebration

The Cousins

Christmas morning...The first of many things that kept Mike and I up until Midnight Christmas night untwisting twist ties.

Christmas morning with Maddie and Pop Pop

Way too excited to sit long enough to have her pants put back on

Loving Mommy

Daddy's prized possession... and Taylor

Christmas dinner at Grammy and Grandpop's

Loving Nolan

What a difference a year makes

Last year at this time we were talking about all of our Christmas's to come and how different it would be to have children to celebrate them with. We were so excited to begin our lives as parents yet we had little idea what we had in store for us... the challenges, excitement, and joy. This Christmas we have out little girl here and we can't wait to celebrate the day with her. There is no doubt that she will have a ball and certainly no doubt that it will be our best Christmas yet!

Merry Chrismas

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Party Hearty

We had a busy weekend with lots of birthday parties... Saturday was Ashlynne's surprise 30th birthday party and today was Tyler's 3rd birthday. Taylor loved being with all the other kids and is now sleeping like a rock as proof of a great time!

Chase is adorable. After meeting Taylor he promptly gave her a giant bear hug, tackling her to the floor! Here he is taking some time to show her how to honk the horn on her bus. He is probably telling her in his own little language just how cool this really is.

Taylor and the boys... which one will she marry? Both wonderful choices in my opinion!

The birthday girl and her baby... who won't be her only baby for much longer!

Getting Tyler away from all of his toys to actually blow out his candles was tough but luckily he noticed that his cake was Thomas!

The making of an equestrian!

Meeting Santa

We subjected Taylor to Santa last night. She was very happy standing in line waiting and watching the other children however things changed drastically when I tried to put her on his lap! I posed for a few pictures with her and then I did it... I left her there alone. Hopefully she won't have nightmares for too long!

It is clearly not the beard or the belly she is afraid of...

All I want for Christmas

All Taylor wants for Christmas is her two front teeth! The poor little girl is miserable. Not only are her little gums swollen and sore she has a runny nose and low fever. Sleeping is tough and the last several days have looked like this...
I know it seems insensitive that I took a picture of the tears but rocking, singing, jumping up and down, and standing on my head didn't work so I thought I would try the camera!

It Fits!

Ashlynne, Matt, and Nolan gave Taylor this adorable sweater and hat when she was born... it took 8 months but the weather and the fit are now perfect! I just think she looks adorable in it.

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving... I think these pictures sum up all that we have to be thankful for this year!

8 months

Again, I am shocked that I am here, writing about another month that has gone by. Taylor has spent the last month amazing us... as usual. Even after 8 months, Mike and I can't get enough of her. Certainly there are times that we beg her to sleep more or hope that she will briefly entertain herself so we can quickly get something done, but most of the time we are chomping and the bit to be with her. Sometimes after I get her to bed and relax on the couch for a few minutes, I am ready to be with her again. Mike and I have even been tempted to wake her up to play and cuddle some more but we realize that would be a little crazy! Ahhh... we feel so lucky!

Taylor is really getting around these days... not quite crawling but working on it. She rolls all over and squirms to get wherever she wants. She loves to stand at her table and is getting pretty good at pulling herself up on to it. Taylor has a toy drum that we have been playing with for a few months and now she thinks that all surfaces are drums and pounds pretty much anything that she can get her hands on. She bangs in delight and in frustration, the differences are the squeals that accompany the banging! She has also started handing things to us. She loves when I take her pacifier out of her mouth, pretend to put it in my mouth, and then give it back to her. After doing this a few times she takes it out of her mouth and tries to put it in my mouth, all with a huge smile!

Still practicing crawling... not quite there but working on it!

Practicing this too...

Getting ready to go swimming

Here's too a busy month of decorating, shopping, and meeting Santa!

a growing friendship

I think I have said before that Emma has been feeling a bit neglected since Taylor entered our world... poor thing. Anyway, she has now figured out that hanging out with Taylor is a sure fire way to get some attention and is basically on top of her all day long. Taylor loves it and thinks that pulling her collar, grabbing her ears, and getting kisses is super fun.

This is just after Emma lands a wet one right across Taylor's face

Determined to get the collar

Taylor thinks rolling on top of Emma is pretty fun these days too.

Soccer Game Sundays

Taylor and I have been going to Mike's soccer games on Sundays for the last several weeks. She is actually quite content sitting and watching the action about the first half and then we have to come up with things to do to pass the time. I can't wait until next year when she is running around kicking the ball with her daddy! The weather so far has been nice but I think we may be running out of days warm enough for her to be outside for an hour and half so I wanted to make sure to get some pictures this week.

Self Feeding

Well Taylor's arms are now long enough to reach her bowl even when placed at the very edge of the highchair tray. It use to be safe there but no longer. I turned my back long enough to get a glass of water and she got in to her breakfast! We let her keep playing with it for awhile to see what she would do and I think she had fun "self feeding".

Bookworm

Thanks to our friend Ashlynne recommending five books (at least!) a day from day one Taylor has become quite the bookworm! We mostly get them in before naps and bedtime because that is generally the only time she is willing to sit still in our laps. She has her favorites and I think I have the majority of them memorized. I sometime find myself walking around the house reciting "Hands Hands Fingers Thumb"... I think it might drive Mike crazy... when I do it out loud!

So many choices

Yes we are standing up!

Taylor and her Buddy

Emma isn't really excited by the same book over and over again

a day in the life of a pumpkin

Halloween was a busy day for our little pumpkin...

posing with her other pumpkin friends

hanging with her cousin Nolan

Tackling her cousin

playing with Dr. Atkiss, Dissectologist (Aunt Jen in Costume)

Finally, scaring all the trick or treaters