Dear BGT

Dear Bennett Grace,

This week you turned two months old. Your Mommy and Daddy can not believe how much you have grown. You are such a joy! Mommy went back to work when you were 8 weeks old and it broke her heart to leave you. During the day she misses you so much and can't wait to get home to see you. During the days you are staying with your Mimi and she loves taking care of you and playing with you all day long. We are going on vacation in a week and can not wait to spend a whole week with you.

Here are a few things you were doing this month.

-You were 11 pounds and 10 ounces and 22 inches long at your doctor's appointment this week.
-You are 30th percentile in height and 60th in weight.
-Your eyes are bright blue and your hair has lightened up to a light brown shade.
-You are currently wearing mostly 0-3 month clothes but you can wear some of your smaller 3-6 month outfits too. You have started to outgrown your newborn clothes which makes Mommy and Daddy both happy and sad. (Happy you are growing but sad that it is going by so quickly!)
-You moved from Newborn to Size One Pampers this month.
-You are still drinking 4 oz of milk but have stretched your feedings out to about 3 hours between feedings.
-At night you usually sleep from 9:30-5
-This month you started crying real tiny baby tears (which breaks Mommy's heart)
-You also started smiling this month! You were doing this a little in the first month but now you smile all the time! Mostly after you have eaten and are laying on your back to have your diaper changed or to relax or when you are sitting in your boppy pillow.
-You are a chatterbox! We aren't quite sure what you are talking about but you sure love it!
-You love your hands. You hold them together when you eat and you suck on them when you are tired or upset.
- You have lots of pacis but you only like them when you are really sleepy and in bed, upset in your car seat or are relaxing in your swing.
-You love to be held, but want someone to walk around carrying you or bouncing you and as soon as we think you are asleep and try to sneak and sit down and wake up and let us know that we are not supposed to be sitting.
-You love to take warm baths.
-You are the spit up queen! You make it a point to leave your mark on everyone who holds you and we have to change your clothes at least 3 or 4 times a day. Good thing you have so many outfits!!
-You went on your first roadtrip to Cincinatti and to your first wedding (Auntie Emily & Tom)
-You took your first dip in the pool on Memorial Day weekend (just your tiny toes!)
-You absolutely love your swing and you love to be swaddled and snuggled.
-Mommy and Daddy got to enjoy their first Mother's and Father's Day with you. We are so happy and proud to be your parents.

We love you more and more each day and we can not wait to watch you continue to grow and develop.

Love Mommy and Daddy

One Month

Two Months

On the Road with the Taylors

June has been a busy month for The Taylors so I have fallen behind with the blog! The first weekend of the month we hit the road and headed to Cincinnati for my friend Emily's wedding! When she originally asked me to be a bridesmaid I was delighted!! Shortly thereafter we found out we would be having a little person just a few short weeks before the big day! This brought up several issues. First, I had to order my bridesmaid dress while I was several months pregnant so I basically had to guess how big I would be post-baby. (not an easy task!) Secondly we had to decide whether or not we would take the baby with us. That one was a big challenge. We went back and forth until my mom mentioned that she and my dad would go with us and help watch the baby while Sean and I attended the weekends events. So this left us with the final task (or so I thought... More on the later). Fly or drive?? Both options were frightening. We didn't know exactly when BGT would make her grand debut and since we had been warned that a c-section might be in our future, I was worried about flying possibly only a few weeks after major surgery! On top of that we didn't know whether BGT would be a calm baby or a screamer so we were a little scared about flying with a baby we didn't yet know. Once we looked at ticket prices for the five of us and compared it to the cost of a rental car with Sean's company discount we decided to make the 9 hour drive.

So remember when I said I thought we had crossed the last hurdle? Boy was I wrong! If you have ever packed for an infant you know exactly where this post is going. As I noted in a prior post, when we had to spend a few nights at my parents house I largely underestimated how much thought would go into packing for BGT and just how long it would take. WOW. So this go round, I planned everything out in advance. Packing the necessities- clothes, diapers, burp cloths, etc. was the easy part. I packed all of the items in zip lock bags to keep everything organized and easy for my mom to keep straight while I was away. Each outfit was stored in a separate bag with it's corresponding socks, hair accessory, and diaper cover if needed. I stored all of the clean sterilized bottles in a large Tupperware container. While I could have easily fit them in her suitcase, I put the rest of the bottle supplies and my extra pump accessories in a separate bag which would be easier for me to access in the car. The biggest challenge proved to be deciding how many bottles to take, where/when to pump and how to properly store milk while away from BGT. We learned shortly before our trip that our hotel room was not equipt with a refrigerator which was a huge hassle. We were told that we could rent one from the hotel for a small daily fee. The refrigerator we were given was tiny and old and froze nearly every bottle we put in it but at least it was something.

On the way up we had a great drive. Bennett Grace was so good in the car and we only had to stop once for gas and a second time to eat. We fed and changed her at both stops to avoid unnecessary stops. We got to got to hotel at about midnight local time and headed to bed.

Friday morning we had the bridesmaids brunch at Chez Nora where we had delicious broccoli and cheese quiche and mimosas! While I was at the luncheon BGT hung out with her daddy, Gigi and Papa D. They were told specifically that I did not like the idea of BGT going out on our tenth floor balcony and they did it anyway! Gigi tried to act innocent, however she took the picture documenting the event! Well, I like to think BGT was on my side because she rewarded them with an epic diaper explosion. After the luncheon I met up with the fam where they ate lunch and had a drink at Geez'l Pete's. It was a tiny hole in the wall place that was a little dingy so I had no idea what to expect but the food was great (or so I was told!)

Friday night after the rehearsal we enjoyed hors d'oeuvres from local eateries, drinks and dinner onboard the Destiny Yacht as we cruised down the Ohio River. The weather was wonderful and warm so we were able to sit out on the upper deck and enjoy the beautiful afternoon and once the sun went down we got to enjoy the beautiful nighttime view of the city. The Reds were playing at home so we got to catch glimpses of the game as we passed by. We had friends at the game who spotted our boat passing by so that was fun! To top it off we stayed out an extra hour courtesy of the groom so we could get to see the fireworks after the baseball game. It was a fun night!

Saturday morning we headed to the lovely Bride's house to get hair and makeup done before heading out for pictures. While we were getting ready Sean headed out to meet friends for a drink or two at  a bar in Newport on the Levee.

The wedding was beautiful and we had tons of fun at the reception. Emily looked fab as expected and naturally I shed a tear or two.  BGT of course was passed around a lot at the reception and got lots of sugar :) We took her out on the dance floor for a bit too! There was a photo booth and we couldn't resist getting BGT in on the action. We went back for round two but the booth was already shut down. We were a little bummed at first but made a quick recovery once we learned it was time for Karaoke! Our friends cant resist a microphone so it was quite entertaining. Sean of course sang several songs including the obvious choices, Regulators and Nuthin' but G Thang, with his friend Trent (who may or may not read our blog in secret.)

After the reception we headed to the hotel bar at the Radisson Hotel Cincinnati Riverfront to regroup. It was super crowded and there were three wedding parties there. We had all intentions of going out on the town but everyone was so worn out from the weekend so we stayed at the hotel.


On the way back BGT started out a little fussy but made a quick recovery and slept most of the way. We stopped once each for a bathroom break and to get gas and then a third time to swap drivers. Not too bad I'd say!

All in all it was a wonderful weekend and great to see so many friends from across the country! (the bridesmaids alone were representing 4 states!) To Emil et Tom, we love you both so much and are so happy you let us be part of your special day! We wish you nothing but many many years of happiness :)

SUYL Living Room Link Up!

Today I’m linking up with Kelly’s Korner Blog for SUYL Living Rooms! I am by no means a decorator but I thought it would be fun to check out some living rooms for a little inspiration. When we moved into our house in September of 2008 I had grand plans for the living room, but life happened as it usually does, and my plans stalled. I am one of those I’ll-know-what-I-want-when-I see-it types so sometimes it takes me a while to find what I want. I have been looking for artwork for several blank walls in my living room for YEARS. I am in process of ordering a large print of my sweet baby girl for one of the walls but I’m having a hard time narrowing it down to my favorite. I am painfully aware my furniture is too big for the room and eats up a lot of the space but I love the big furniture and it works for us!

Here are a few pictures from our space. The lighting is pretty bad because they were taken with my iphone :)

Here is a view of the room from the hallway

And here is a view from the back door

A look at the coffee table... my magazines at left, Sean's on the right... it seems we don't have the same taste in magazines. The balls of twine and grass are from Ikea and I found the platter at Kirklands home.

A few of our wedding pictures and the beautiful vase Sean bought me for Christmas a few years ago.

A view from the couch

I got a little tickled taking pictures when I was looking at all of the books on our shelves. Here is a picture of a few. We seem to have everything from art books to cook books to books on ethics, dog training and child rearing. I think we are covered.

This is my favorite spot. I could literally sleep here every night.

A view looking toward the backyard. Again the lighting is AWFUL.

The couch. I wish I had a picture with someone sitting on it so you could see how deep it is. An average sized man can sit on the couch and his feet wouldn't touch if he is sitting all the way back. I LOVE IT. I hated the pillows that came with the couches so I eventually picked up these here and there.

I love throw blankets from Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn, I think there is at least one on every couch and a basket full as well. I made the crochet blanket in the front. It was a labor of love and is HUGE.

Memorial Day Weekend and Some

Whew! This has felt like the fastest week ever and this post is long overdue!

To kick off memorial day weekend BGT hung out with her Mimi (Sean's mom) while I went to the pool with my sisters. It was nice to have a little break and relax for a couple of hours. My sister Lauren's husband was headed to the beach for a deep sea fishing trip so we packed her up and headed to my house for the weekend. My little sister Morgan came too and we made it into a slumber party!!

Friday night we went to my cousin Elenie's gender reveal party. It was so much fun. They put confetti in black balloons and El and her husband Ben along with their parents popped the balloons to reveal the baby's gender. IT'S A BOY!!! Which by the way I have known since the first moment she told me she was pregnant. Had it been a girl I would have been shell-shocked :) We are so excited for Baby C and can't wait for him to get here to play with BGT. We are already plotting matching outfits and coordinating Halloween costumes for them to wear!

Mom and BGT getting ready for the pool

Saturday morning we got up early and went to a Memorial Day cookout at my Aunt Carol's house. (My mom had to work on the actual holiday so we had our party a little early). We had so much fun hanging out with family. We swam in the pool and grilled smoked sausage and my dad's famous ribs. Lauren made the most delish roasted tomato salsa which we devoured in mere minutes! My grandparents came by to visit and love on BGT. She loved all the attention not to mention so many people to hold her.

The best part of the day to me I think was that BGT got to wear her swim suit for the first time. We literally COVERED HER TOP TO TOE in sunscreen (yes, I asked the pediatrician first) and kept her in the shade and in her sun hat the whole day to keep her cool.

BGT chillin in the shade

Zonked

 

 

Pool Day Re-do

We had so much fun Saturday we decided to have a Memorial Day party part 2 the next day. We stopped by Target on the way home and picked up supplies to make more salsa and hummus dip and could not resist buying a girlie movie since the girls were staying the night again. Sean watched sports and the baby so we could all curl up on the couch with blankets and watch the Vow with Channing Tatum. It was super fun, just like when we were kids at our parents house watching movies :)

I picked up a precious Red, White and Blue ruffled swim suit for BGT to wear but sadly we had a diaper explosion of epic proportions so it never made it out of the house. I didn't even get a picture in it... Oh well! There is always the 4th of July!

Sunday night we came home to a broken air conditioner :( It started freezing up last year at the end of the summer but we never got it fixed. We turned it off in hopes that it would thaw but sadly we woke up to an 80 degree house on Memorial Day. Getting a service call on a national holiday is all but impossible so there was not much we could do to fix the problem. There was a nice breeze on the patio and we turned on the fan so that we could hang out outside for most of the day but once the afternoon heat struck we packed up shop and headed to my parents house. You would not believe the truck load of stuff we took to their house. I will say it was helpful to let me know how to pack for our upcoming trips to the beach and Cincinnati which are coming up soon!

It took a couple days to get someone out to fix the problem and we finally returned to an air conditioned home on Thursday. A special thanks to my parents for letting us take over their house for the week and to my aunt Carol for letting us come over and play by the pool on Wednesday!

Tuesday I had a re-eval with my physical therapist which showed I have not made any improvement :( So, Thursday I met with an Orthopedic surgeon and yesterday had an MRI on my neck. (I have been having issues with my neck since the first week in April when I was on bedrest with Bennett Grace- I have been in physical therapy since 1 week after I delivered her with no relief) Hopefully this will get to the bottom of what is wrong with my neck so that I can get back to feeling good again. Taking care of an infant in this much pain is no fun at all!!

BUT even with all of this going on the BEST part of this weekend is that BGT is officially smiling. She has been doing it on and off for a little while but now it is deliberate! She smiles with her eyes and her mouth and lets out a teeny giggle noise it is he cutest thing ever. One of these days I will catch a picture of it, I never seem to have the camera ready :)

So- in short, we have had a busy busy week and we are worn slap out!

Lessons learned this week...

1) air conditioning is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY even in May when you live in Alabama and have an infant
2) If you pick out a holiday outfit for your baby, you might want to pack a spare in the diaper bag.
3) Buy the swing! Even if it is a little expensive- IT IS WORTH IT.
4) Packing for an infant takes 10 times longer than for a grown up.

BGT and Aunt Morgan