Win or lose we still, oh you know

This weekend we headed down to Auburn for the football game. I have to say it wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be (thankfully). This certainly has not been a good year for my Tigers. But you know it's like they say, win or lose we still booze. (Well not this girl, but you know what I mean!)

We intended to stay the night but at this point it's hard to be too far from the munchkin so we decided to drive back after the game. We didn't get home until after 2 but I was glad we went and got to see so many friends who are scattered across the country and we don't get to see as much as we would like.

This year we added a top notch karaoke system which added to the spectacle that is our tailgate. You know it's time to head home when people start singing Nickleback karaoke.

You win some, you lose some. This time it was a loss but it was all in all a good day.

Dear Bennett Grace (5 months)

Dear Bennett Grace,

This month you have found your voice, baby! You are five months old and you've been jabbering and blowing bubbles for a while now, but now you are taking it to a whole new level. YOU.ARE.SO.LOUD and we LOVE it!

It is unreal how fast you are growing. You are really starting to show your personality too. We think you will be a little fire cracker for sure.

Here's a little glimpse into your world at five months:

-You squeal and shriek ALL the time. It is so loud and we can't believe such a tiny person can make such a loud noise. In fact at this very moment you are supposed to be eating but instead you are squealing.
-When you get tickled at something, you throw back your head and laugh. You laughed at Ella for several minutes the other night at Mimi and Pop's house and we caught it on video.
-You also laugh when we play silly games with you. Some of your favorites are "where's Bennett Grace" peekaboo and "the claw" game.
- When you are being held or sitting, you cross your legs at the ankle. You have really done this most of your life. You are already such a little Southern lady :)
-You are still obsessed with your hands and feet and now you've found your ears! We thought they were bothering you at first but we quickly learned that they are just another one of your discoveries.
- Speaking of discoveries... You are interested in everything around you. You are SO curious. You carefully consider new objects, colors, fabrics and materials. You want to touch or grab anything in your reach.
- You just transitioned to Size 2 diapers and they are still a little big which has caused more than a few diaper situations. One of which involved a blowout on Gigi's Alabama Football t-shirt which mommy and daddy thought was very funny! Hopefully it's a good sign on where your loyalty lies.
- You started cereal this month!! The rice cereal gave you a tummy ache but you LOVE the oat cereal. You only eat a little bit right now and you get mad when it runs out. We also can't hold the bowl or spoon in front of you because you grab them out of our hands. You like eating at Gigi's house because strangely enough you love her old wooden high chair.
- Your crib is still hit or miss. You sleep there each night and immediately flip onto your tummy. You wake up so early in the morning and drive your mama and daddy nuts with your chattering until we come and get you. When you are in the tiny sling or pack n play, you sleep all night, go figure.
- You are eating 4x/day 7 oz of breast milk per feeding at about 6 am, 11 am, 4 pm and 8:30 pm and 1.5-2 tablespoons of oat cereal at about 10 am and 7 pm.
- You have decided that you need less sleep at night, so you get very grumpy when it's time for your naps. You nap twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Sometimes you fall asleep for a few minutes in the evening but we can't let you sleep then because you won't sleep at night.
- You have started spending more time in your walker. You started getting in it last month but your patience for it would only last a few minutes at a time. Now you will sit in it long enough for mommy to cook dinner which is a big help! You love to push all the buttons and watch the lights flash and listen to all the sounds. You have a bouncer seat at your Gigi's with lots of toys which you love too!
- You are starting to really push up with your legs on tummy time. You get a little frustrated because you think you can crawl but you aren't quite there yet missy! You are pretty good at moving on your tummy, though. You turn yourself in a complete circle.
-You smile at almost everyone. You sometimes smile and then bury your head into Mommy's shoulder and pretend to be shy and peek out! You are really scared of your Pop though. We aren't really sure why. Whenever he tries to interact with you, you get the most pitiful upset look on your face and you belt out the most broken dreams cry along with real-life baby tears. You warm up to him after a while but he's getting a little bit of a complex from it!
-You are still a still drool bucket. You soak through bib after bib and require many outfit changes.
-You also have started to choke on your hands. You will put your whole hand or hands in your mouth and choke on it and then you look at us with a pitiful face but you don't seem to listen to us when we tell you to stop putting your hands in your mouth!
-You are quickly growing out of your 0-3 month clothing and are pretty much in all 3-6 and 6 month clothes with a few of the smaller 6-9 or 9 month outfits sprinkled in.
-You love when we sing the ABCs even when you are upset or crying. You will literally stop crying to listen.
-You got tiny pink converse shoes to match daddy's grey ones and he was so excited!
-Gigi has been giving you baths during the week when mommy is at work and she says you still love bath time and you kick your legs and splashes water with your feet. She also says while mommy and daddy are at work you like to watch colorful shows on Disney or Nick, Jr. And read books, especially pop up books.
-You are still a little on the spoiled side and love to be held as much as possible.
- Another one of your favorite things to do is to watch the puppies. They run by and you squeal and laugh. When you are sitting in your walker, if we look away you will stick out your arm and let Jackson lick your hand. Mommy has to watch you constantly!
-You also love to go for walks outside
-You are getting better at holding toys, however you think it's funny to drop them or try to give them to Jackson.
-You are not scared of loud noises. In fact you love the sound of the vacuum and hairdryer.
-We have to keep you buckled in to everything because you are an escape artist. You will wiggle out of anything. After a few close calls, we have learned our lesson and you have lost the privilege to be unbuckled!
-Lastly, you can sit up with minimal assistance. You can't quite pull yourself into a seated position but that doesn't keep you from trying! If we help you sit up, you can sit without any additional support!

Shuggie, we love you so much it is almost unreal sometimes. Your smile literally lights up the room and your bright blue eyes never get old. Mommy and Daddy literally can not stop talking about. When we got out without you, you are all we think and talk about and we can't wait to get home to you. Our hope is that one day you will be able to look back and read these love letters to you and know exactly how much we have loved you every single minute you have been on this earth and even before we met you the first time. Sweet angel, we are so blessed to have you in our lives and can't wait continue loving you, nurturing you and teaching you so that you can grow up to be a good, kind and loving woman some day.

We love you to pieces sweet girl,

Mommy and Daddy

Siiiiiick

Ok, first off being sick and taking care of a tiny person while taking care to keep said tiny person from getting sick is NOT fun. Naturally I would get sick leading up to the very weekend that Sean is set to work. All I want to do is soak in the bath or hide under the covers. So not fun.

I am hoping BGT will be spared and I am washing my hands like crazy but since I took special care not to catch this cold in the first place, I'm less than convinced it is possible. (Papa D went to Texas and brought back Texas size cooties for the whole family)

On to other sick things, like the picture below of this BLACK WIDOW SPIDER Morgan and I found in my parents basement.

And lastly the illness that is being brought on by the Auburn football team this season. I really think those boys are giving me high BP. But at least BGT looks cute in her Auburn gear, right?

I can't believe she will be 5 month's this week!!! SLOW.DOWN.TIME.

Operation crib

For the past week or so we have been trying to relocate our sweet baby from her pack n' play to her crib. We've had some successes and set backs.

First off she doesn't mind the crib which is great! The rice cereal however did a number on her stomach and poor thing screamed half the night for a few nights in a row. Once we got over the stomach issues and got her to the crib we had to figure out how to get her to sleep without her swaddle. We tried the sleep sack and it would ride up and in her face and so we went back to the swaddle but she would flip over and get stuck. So in the end we compromised and went back to swaddling but with her arms out. We got her in her crib for the first full night and she flipped herself over and ended up face down. She wouldn't even turn her head. My mom (Gigi) stayed the night and spent half of the night flipping her back over. The next night we tried again and same thing. We woke up in the middle of the night and found her face down on the monitor screen. When I went in her room her nose and mouth were literally nose pressed to the sheet. NIGHTMARE. So of course I ran in and flipped her over but by the time I was back to our room she had done it again. We rotated going back and forth to her and eventually we decided to let her stay asleep on her stomach but made sure her head was turned to the side. It freaked Sean out so much he slept in her bedroom floor.

So long story short, we got a movement monitor and Sean is setting it up. Until that happens she's back to the pack n' play so we can all get some sleep.

Cereal, yum

Today Bennett Grace had her first cereal. We went back and forth on whether or not to give her cereal since the plan was to exclusively breastfeed for at least 6 months, but we talked to the doctor about it and since she still has mega reflux and can hit a running target with her spit up, we decided it was best to add in a little cereal once a day to see if it helps settle her stomach.

My mom (BGT's Gigi) helped me get the cereal ready and showed me how to scoop it in her mouth and catch it when she immediately spit it back out. I'm sure I could have figured it out but the moral support was nice, especially since I had no idea how much to give her. My mama was a lot more generous with her spoonfuls than I was. BGT's little faces were so funny, but she really seemed to like it. She kept stealing the spoon and flinging cereal everywhere.

She is such a big girl. She is starting to stay sitting without being propped up too. Naturally, she can't sit up on her own, but it's weird to think it is just around the corner.

Dear Bennett Grace

Dear Bennett Grace,

This past Saturday you turned four months old! As they say, time flies when you're having fun. Yesterday we had your fourth month check up and man you have grown! You were a whopping 13 lbs and 15 oz (50th percentile) and 25 inches long (70th percentile). No wonder you are growing out of all of your three month outfits.

This month you transitioned from staying with your Mimi to staying with your Gigi full time. Your Mimi was so sad to go back to school and not get to see you everyday, she told us she even got a little teary-eyed thinking about it.

You are having so much fun with your Gigi during the day. She plays with you and does exercises for your neck to help strengthen your neck because you favor one side more than the other. You love it when she sings songs, hums to you and reads you books. She also loves to give you a bath and dress you up cute for when mommy gets home. The best part about when mommy and daddy get home from work is your sweet smile. When you see us walk through the door your little face lights up and it melts mommy and daddy's hearts. As much as we hate being away from you, it makes coming home do much sweeter.

Here is a little bit of what you've been up to this month:

-YOU STARTED ROLLING OVER!!! Mommy was playing with you on your quilt and daddy was in the kitchen and you rolled right on over and then right back. You were exactly 16 weeks old. Mommy started squealing and daddy came in to figure out what was going on. We thought you were the smartest 16 week old on the planet.
-You LOVE toys. Actually you love anything that you think is a toy or anything you can pick up. We were at a restaurant the other day and you picked up a butter knife. We didn't think you were there yet, but from now on silverware of any kind it kept out of your reach. You like to play with burp cloths and mommy thinks its gross but Gigi gets tickled because it looks like you are wiping your own mouth.
-That brings us to your mouth. You put anything you can get ahold of in your mouth. If you are not holding anything your finger, fingers, knuckles, or whole hand is in your mouth.
-You are a drool bucket! It started around a month ago and hasn't let up. You live in a bib. Otherwise your precious outfits are drenched. Everyone says you are teething but the doctor said you aren't, you are just a baby :)
-We are working on transitioning you to your crib and it has not been easy on your mama! You still love to be swaddled and we were worried you would get turned over in your crib and not be able to get back over so we started putting you to sleep in asleep sack. You were not a big fan of the sleep sack vs. the warm swaddle and woke up all night! So for now you are back in the swaddle sleeping soundly in your pack n' play while we work towards getting you to your crib!
- Right now you are still in size one diapers but we plan on moving to size twos after this box because your size ones are starting to get a little snug.
- You are still wearing 0-3 and 3-6 clothing, although you are starting to grow out of the 0-3 and 3 month outfits one-by-one
- You are still pulling out the "spoiled cry" to get your way :)
- You just transitioned from eating 6 oz of breast milk 5 times a day to 7 oz 4 times a day
- You have the most wonderful giggle! It seems to get a little louder each day. You love to "talk" and you get the funniest look on your face when you are getting attention. You love to show off for people by laughing and blowing bubbles.
- Your newest favorite thing to do is to play Peekaboo. We play all the time and it makes you do happy.
- You love it when people steal your sugar and especially when we pretend to nibble your toes.
- you had your first (unplanned) Sleepover with Gigi. Mommy and Daddy were out late unexpectedly and you were already sleeping so we decided it was best to let you get a good night's sleep and stay with your Gigi. It was not easy on your mama and she almost turned the car around to get you more than once. But it all worked out and you did great at Gigi's!
-Tummy time is still hit or miss. You aren't a big fan but we are working on it and you are getting more patience for it.
- You are pushing off with your feet like crazy. We are so surprised at how determined you are and the doctor says this is your fist practice for walking!
- Last month your Gigi got you a play gym and you LOVE IT. It has precious owls hanging from the cross bars. You stare at them forever and laugh and try to put them in your mouth.
-You don't really like to be in your carseat unless you are sleepy.
- Your hair has lightening to a light brown with gold highlights. In some light your hair has a red tint.
- One of your favorite things to do is to be carried around so that you can look at everything. You look around and keep your eyes wide open taking everything in. Sometimes Mommy takes you in her closet to look at all the clothes because you love the bright colors and to run your fingers through the different fabrics. We love how curious you are about the world around you. We crack up when you watch the puppies because you laugh and follow them back and forth as they run by you.
-You still LOVE a warm bath.
- You love looking at other babies. You get a huge smile and bat your long eyelashes. You do the same thing in the mirror. You don't realize it's you. We wonder how long before you realize that the pretty baby you like to look at so much is YOU :)
-You love to watch TV... The flashing of the lights holds your attention. We are going to have to cut that out before you get too much bigger.

Baby girl, we absolutely can not get enough of you and your little "voice". We love to sit and listen to you talk and make your tiny baby noises. We have smiled more and learned to love deeper over the past four months by just having you in our lives. We love you to pieces our sweet girl.

We Love You,

Mommy & Daddy

Just a few seconds before you rolled over for the first time

Reading with Gigi

Bad little blogger- anniversary, birthday and milestone edition.

Yes, yes I know. I'm falling behind in the world of blogs. Blogging with a four month old and a full time job is TOUGH!!

So what's up with the Taylors? Lots!

July 28th we celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary. FIVE years!?!? Just five little years ago we were flipping out over a mugged groomsman and laughing over a lost wedding ring :) I have a hard time wrapping my head around how fast time has flown by- even more so when I think about the fact that we have dated for a decade in October. On the actual anniversary, I got a kick thinking about how five years earlier I was waking up early to get ready for the "big day" and now five years later we were up early to feed BGT.

July 29th Sean turned 32! We agreed no gifts but I couldn't help but get him a little something. I found an artist, Agelio Batle, who is based out of San Francisco who makes these fun little graphite sculptures that you can use like a pencil! It doesn't smear or rub off on your hand. It is the coolest little thing. He has tons of designs. I picked the pea pod, naturally since we are like peas in a pod :) If I could figure out how to add a link from the blogger app I would totally give him a plug because they are so detailed and great conversation pieces. (please disregard my unsightly fingernails in the picture- I just took the polish off and noticed it turned my nails a bit yellow eeeep! It shall be fixed pronto!)

Lastly BGT started ROLLING OVER!! I could not believe it. She has been so close and then all the sudden she went over and now you can't keep her from rolling if you wanted to! She is so funny if she is in jammies with the feet in them because her feet slide and she has a hard time flipping. She gets so mad!! I can not believe she is 4 months old tomorrow!!! UNBELIEVABLE. Yesterday I got a canvas enlargement of her newborn picture that I ordered weeks ago and it turned out perfect. I can't believe how much she's grown since it was taken. I can't wait to hang it... I posted a while back about a blank wall I have been trying to fill for YEARS and now I have the perfect picture for the spot!

4 month post to follow!

BYEEEEE