Avery Mae Krepps

Avery surprised us with an early arrival. The pre eclampsia stuck again and I had to be induced on 6/20. After a few short hours Avery was born on 6/21 at 5:11am. She weighed 7lbs 5oz and was 21 1/4 inches long. Not bad for two and half weeks early!

a little on pregnancy

So Avery has arrived but I will get to that in my next post - first I should mention something about being pregnant since I have neglected to do that over the last 9 months!! Being pregnant and having a 2 year old is tough! There were a few months in the middle there that weren't that bad but between being exhausted in the beginning and being huge and swollen at the end- it was a challenge to say the least although one that was beyond worth it of course!

Throughout the pregnancy we talked with Taylor a lot about having a sister and what it would be like. She gets very jealous when Mike or I show anyone or thing attention so we thought for sure having a baby would be tough on her. We told her how much time Mommy would need to spend holding Avery and most times she responded with an emphatic "NO". I worried constantly about when Avery would arrive and what we would do with Taylor and how she would handle it. Mike just kept telling me to stop worrying because everything would work out but still it kept me up at night. Taylor is my baby and I didn't want anything to upset her life.

Needless to say I was praying for a healthy and early arrive... thankfully Avery agreed.

Soccer

Taylor got her first pair of soccer shoes and pink soccer ball for her second birthday from her Aunt Jen. The following weekend she got to put her new kicks to use! We signed her up for soccer which we thought would be the perfect thing for her to do with her Daddy. Of course we were all hoping that she would love it but I didn't expet her to be such a natural :) She seriously got right out there and starting "dribbling" (not a word I knew/would use but apparently that is what it is called) up and down the field with Mike. She had a blast and I loved watching her... actually I loved watching them together!!

Two Already!?

Woa, woa, woa. Hold on a minute. Wait just there. Back the truck up. This can't be. She's two??? How is that possible. How is it possible that two years - 104 wks - 730 days - have gone by so fast? Just yesterday we were in the delivery room. I blinked and Taylor went from her first birthday to her second.

What a year though. What a great year. The last time I blogged (this is daddy by the way), which of course was exactly a year ago (guess that makes this a tradition now), Taylor had just taken her first steps and just said dadda. Now she's jumping off furniture and talking her face off. At least she gives you warning before she jumps - "two, twee, two, twee." And you better be ready, because as she starts that count, she's committed to taking off.

How did we develop such a crazy monkey? Earlier today Jen noticed that Taylor had walked down to her room and was very quiet. Which anyone who has a two year-old knows is never a good thing. Jen peeked around the corner, and Taylor was standing with one leg on the armrest of the rocking chair (a rocking chair mind you) and the other leg on the railing of her crib as she was finding a way to climb into her crib. Where did she get that sense of daring need to climb and explore? I don't know, but I absolutely love that about her. And that example sums up Taylor to a T.

Forgive me for being cliche, but Taylor really is the light of my life. I love every second I get to spend with her and every single thing that she does. From five o'clock in the morning when she wakes up calling "daddy, daddy" through bedtime when she's saying "'un back, 'un back" so she can fall asleep with me rubbing her back. From the time I leave for work in the morning when she gives me a kiss, a hug, says "I wuv you," makes me give mommy a kiss, a hug, say "I wuv you," and then give the baby in mommy's belly a kiss, a hug, and say "I wuv you;" to the time that I come home and she gets so excited, screams her head off, and then runs in the complete opposite direction thinking she's hysterical. I love reading books with her, getting a ball to play "tetch" with her, and chasing her saying "I'm going to get you, and then I'm going to eat you" while she giggles uncontrollably. I love even when she's being a pain in the butt and we have to explain why you can't hit, why we need to go somewhere, why she needs to put clothes on, etc. No matter what she's doing, I am just overwhelmed by the emotion that she stirs in me.

And the emotion that her mother stirs in me too. I can't wait for the day when Taylor realizes just how lucky she is to have the mom that she does. Jen is awesome with her, and I love to watch her in action. Singing with Taylor, teaching her how to count, explaining how to behave, talking through their day and who she played with, etc., etc. Okay, maybe Taylor doesn't get to enjoy as much "straight juice" as any normal kid, but that's because her mother is always looking out for what's best for her.

There are so many cute things that Taylor does, and every day there is something new and different. From new words, to new facial expressions, to new preferences, she always has something that makes Jen and I look at each other and say "oh my god, she's so adorable." And then there are her routines too. How every morning she needs to brush her teeth ten times while mommy and daddy are getting ready. How she needs to go out with daddy to take Emma out in the morning and pick up the paper. Every Monday and Tuesday, when she realizes that she is going to Grammy's, she goes through in rapid succession, over and over again: "Nolly, Nolly? Ty, Ty? Geegee, Geegee? Pop-pop, Pop-pop?" Her need to walk out the door with her "gaggee" and as many other blankets or clothes as she can carry. Her need to take her shoes off as soon as she get buckled into her car seat. How she needs to watch Hi-5 when she wakes up from her nap.

It has been so much fun watching Taylor grow this past year. I am excited to see how she continues to learn and develop this year. I wish it wouldn't go so fast, though. But I do look forward to each new phase she is going to go through, however quick each one may come and go. I am so anxious to see how Taylor is with her little sister. I think she is going to be mesmerized with her, and Avery is going to have a great big sis to take of her and look up to.

Spring has sprung

We had such a great day yesterday because the weather was beautiful! It is so nice to finally get out of the house and play... plus it is less cleaning up of toys I need to do inside!! When Mike got home from work we went to a park to enjoy the spring!!

It is easy to see Taylor's growth on a daily basis because she just changes to quickly these days but yesterday we were amazed at how different she is now versus the last time we got out to play!

This little move gives me a heartattack each time!

Who needs steps when we have ladders?

No more baby swings for this big girl!

We're Back- Promise

I am back to blogging... and there is a new look too! The hiatus had nothing to do with motivation but rather just a lack of time. I have decided that this has to be a priority as it is the primary place that I document Taylor's daily life, milestones, celebrations, and growth. Mike and I don't want to forget a thing and with her rapid growth and daily changes combined with our lives being super busy it will be easy to forget the little things. I think we are both suffering from shock knowing that she will be two in two weeks and the time has flown by. So here's to a new beginning. Oh- and I am hoping to get a new camera for my birthday so there are sure to be lots of wonderful pictures!! Here are a few pictures from our trip to Islamorada in February.

18/19 months

Clearly I am behind on the blog since last time I wrote we were wearing shorts and bathing suits and now we are wearing sweatshirts and jackets... time to catch up. Our lives are moving so fast right now but I don't want to forget any of the little things that amaze us about Taylor everyday!

Taylor's vocabulary is growing everyday. Her words are not always discernable to other people but generally Mike and I know what she is saying! The two cutest words she says are, "trash truck" and "Hi-Five" (the show). We have no idea why she started to say trash truck but when she hears it outside she "talks" about it. As awesome as it is to see her really start to talk, it is almost cuter when she is saying some thing that we don't understand. There is just something about her little face and expression when she is trying to tell us some thing and we just don't get it. Sometimes she goes in to rants, yelling at Emma or her cousins. She knows what they are and are not allowed to do and if they break the rules she tells them about it! It is awesome to know that before too long we will be having full on coversations.

Taylor is in LOVE with her cousin Nolan... and I think the feeling is mutual. Whenever they see each other they are ready for a full on embrace which usually leads to them falling to the floor. On Mondays and Tuesdays when I take Taylor to Grammy's as soon as we pull down her street she claps her hands and starts saying, "Nol Nol." It is so cute to see how excited she becomes just at the mention of his name and even more so when she sees his picture. Awww... too bad they are cousins!

Taylor loves her routines. Every morning she wakes up (earlier then we would like) and lays in bed and watches Sesame Street. After a few minutes she gets up and "helps" Mike get ready for work. She always brings him socks and shoes to put on... sometimes they match, sometimes they don't! Then they go downstairs, take Emma out, Taylor hands Mike his bag, says "bye bye," and shuts the door. It is not suprising that she knows this routine and does the same thing every morning, but what gets us is the little things that she picks up. For instance, this morning Mike started walking downstairs without his glass of water from the night before. Taylor started pointing to it and getting upset when she thought he wasn't going to bring it downstairs because she knows he usually does.

I know I should be encouraging her independance but it has been a tough road! Things that previously took us 1 minute could take us 10. Taylor has to put her own pants back on after the diaper change, she has to (try to) put her own shoes on, climb in to her highchair, put on her bib, feed herself, brush her teeth, and on and on. It seems like overnight she has decided that she just doesn't need us so much anymore. Sad.