4 Months Old!

Taylor is getting bigger and more amazing every day. She is smiling, laughing, sitting up with assistance, putting her feet to her mouth, turning over and being all around precious. She is on a good schedule, although she is starting to change it up a little bit lately. We get up at five o'clock so that she can eat and have some awake time before I get dressed and leave for school. Although I do not like getting up so early, this is one of my favorite times of the day. Tay is so happy and cuddly during this time. We play, sing songs, read books, kiss and cuddle a lot. Pete is having so much fun with her during the day. He knows her cues, her cries, her likes and dislikes. He is very conscientious and attentive to her every need. Many days he meets me at the car with Taylor because he knows I am looking forward to seeing her and he is ready for a little break. It makes me laugh though, he is ready to hand her over to me when I get home but it is not long before he is back by my side talking to her and kissing her sweet face. He is completely in love!

At her four month doctor check up Taylor got her second round of immunizations (so sad). She weighed 13 pounds 14 ounces (50th-75th%) and was 26 inches long (off the charts). The doctor told us we could start her on cereals whenever we want and we are looking forward to spoon feeding her cereal very soon.

Steven and Jenny's

On Saturday Morning we drove up to Crystal River to spend the weekend with Steven, Jenny and Wyatt. The big fun for the weekend was renting an earth mover and pulling up unwanted plants. Pete and Steven had as much fun driving the machine as Wyatt had watching them. Taylor swinging on an outside swing for the first time...she loved it!

Wyatt was very sweet with Taylor. He kept saying "baby".

Wyatt wanted to help SOOOOOOO badly.

14 Weeks and Tummy Time

Look at all of that long crazy hair!

I adore this little face!

13 Weeks

This was Taylor on my secpnd week back to work. Pete dressed her so cute!

Taylor and the Garden

Pete is doing such a wonderful job with Taylor during the day. He says that one of her favorite things to do is sit in her bumbo in the garden (she is so much like her dad). He took her out and set her right in the middle of the garden while he worked. She looked around and soaked it in for a good long time enjoying the plants and the wind. He said when he finally stood up and looked down at her, she looked so tiny and completely content sitting amongst all of the plants.

Back to Work

On Taylor's 13th week, I went back to school and Pete stayed home with her. I had been dreading my return for twelve months, but the Lord was very gracious and allowed the transition for all of us to go much better than I had anticipated. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" Philippians 4:6. If only I would live by these words as He commands me, I would have such an easy life. I am so very grateful for all of the people who were praying for us and this week, the Lord was listening (of course) and answered our prayers. My First week back was MLK, followed by three half days and then a teacher work day (which I brought Taylor with me). It was such a blessing to have a very gradual return. When I called Pete on Tuesday, the first day, I said "well how is it going". Pete said "it's going good, she took her bottle just fine and she is sleeping, but this is soooo much work! I don't know where I have been for the last 12 weeks but I can't get anything done, and I am exhausted!" This of course made me laugh and praise God again for His infinite wisdom as I know that when I do stay home Pete will never ask me what in the world I have been doing all day with all of my free time. :) So to all you stay-at-home moms, Pete definitely understands where you are coming from and appreciates all that you do!

It really is working out to be a wonderful arrangement. I feed Taylor in the morning and spend an hour with her and then lay her town for her first nap when I leave for school. Pete spends all day with her and then I return at 3:00 to feed her and take care of her the rest of the night. I encourage Pete to go and do something fun or spend some time by himself, which he sometimes takes me up on. The second day that I called him to see how things were going he said that Taylor had a huge poop explosion. He told me that while he was changing her diaper (which was full and running out) she started pooping a volcano poop. He said it was horrible and he dry heaved three times in the process of cleaning her up. I laughed hysterically picturing this in my head. One of the most fun things about coming home (besides getting to be with Pete and Taylor of course) is to see what outfit Pete has her dressed in for the day. He always has her dressed in the most adorable clothes with matching socks/tights and bows.

I am so grateful that the Lord did not give me what I thought was best, and instead gave me what He knew was best. I am grateful that Pete and Taylor are getting to have this very special time together and that God has given me a job that I like, with wonderful co-workers and students. One thing I wanted to do before I went back to work, was to print a bunch of pictures of Pete and Taylor to put up on my bulletin board. I did not manage to get this done before going back and was disappointed that I would not have any pictures for my first day. As always, the Lord was so good! My sweet friend Maria came into my room with a gift of two of my favorite pictures of Taylor in pretty frames. I am so thankful for the people that the Lord has put in our life to encourage and love us. He never ceases to amaze me!

This was the outfit Pete had Taylor in when I got home the first day. I took a picture of the two of them togther on thier first day, but Pete looks worn out and I don't think he would appreciate me posting it. :)

12 Weeks

This week has been filled with lots of bottle practice. The main focus of this week has been getting Taylor comfortable with eating out of a bottle. Before we went to Homestead we tried the bottle and she took it like a champ. We figured she was good to go on the whole bottle thing but when we gave her one on Monday in preparation for my return to work, she wanted nothing to do with it. We tired several different bottles and temperatures and after much practice and crying fits she is now able to eat out of the bottle without much disagreement. This is a very good thing as I am going back to work tomorrow and was beginning to have nightmares of Taylor crying all day and Pete loosing his mind.
Over Christmas Taylor started holding her head up and making all kinds of fun cooing and babbling sounds. Pete and I love to listen to her in the morning when she lays in her crib and talks to herself. She really is the most amazing and beautiful child we have ever seen! :)

Pete feeding Taylor for the first time

Holding her head up like a big girl

Gorgeous Girl!

We keep trying to get a photo of her making her "sad" face. It is so pitiful and sad that it breaks your heart but makes you laugh at the same time. She even has real tears in this picture...so sad!