Look what I got for Christmas!!

(more pictures to come later...)

My reindeer shirt

It's been almost a month since we last made a post, so here's a quick picture. Taylor made this shirt in Mother's Day Out last week. If you can't tell, it's a reindeer whose antlers are a little lopsided.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all! We had a great day today and we hope you did, too! We hosted our first big holiday meal. We were able to do so because we have some newly inherited dining room furniture. It couldn't have come to us at a better time and we are very thankful for it - Thanks Terrie and MeeMee! Robyn's parents and one of her aunts came over and everyone brought yummy dishes, so it was a great group effort. We didn't brave cooking the turkey. Neil took care of that for us. I am very appreciative for everyone pitching in - if I had to do it all myself I would have been a little stressed to say the least. All of the food was delicious and I think everyone enjoyed it! We hope y'alls Thanksgiving meal was just as delicious as ours and that you have taken time to count your blessings and be thankful for all you have.

Thanksgiving Photo Shoot

Tay Tay and I had a little photo shoot this morning on her new swingset while Mama was cooking a feast. I love some of these pics so I had to share.

Deuteronomy 6:5

Here's a sweet video of Taylor saying her Bible verse. It's very neat to hear her say her verses. We didn't even know that she knew the chapter and verse of this passage until she said it for this video.

Go Canes!!

"Fall Harvest Party"

Today Taylor had her very first party at MDO. They were celebrating "Fall Harvest" but we all know it was really a Halloween Party. :) They had a pretty normal day until 12ish when the party started. Basically they just ate lunch and then some of them played. On Tuesday they painted on small pumpkins, so they brought those home today, along with a "treat bag" with little goodies and lots of candy. A few of the other mothers brought stuff to put in all the kids bags...but not me. I mean, it did not even cross my mind to bring gifts or goodies for the teachers much less the kiddos! I'm still kinda new at this whole mom thing. Perhaps I'll have it all together and know what I'm supposed to be doing by the time she's in Kindergarten...one can hope. Anyway, back to the party. It was fun and I'm so glad I was able to go. My mom and step-dad were able to come, too, which was fun. It's almost 2:00 as I type this and Taylor is in her crib just singing away - I wish you could hear her. I'm not sure why she isn't tired. Certainly it couldn't be that she's wired from the juice box (which she's never had) and THREE cookies she had at the party. That's probably not it. Hopefully she'll crash soon. Enjoy the pictures!

Zoo day

We took a family trip to the Audubon Zoo yesterday and had a lot of fun. We've been talking about it for a few weeks so we picked a date on the calendar and hoped for good weather. The weather was great in New Orleans and we were thankful for that. Tay Tay has been very excited about going to the zoo. She loves animals. Her favorite animal lately has been giraffes so that's was she really wanted to see. But she also wanted to see the elephants, monkeys, tigers, gators, and bears. We were able to see all the animals that she wanted to see but the zoo was so big that we couldn't see everything.

Just so you know, there are a good bit of pictures in the slideshow so be prepared.

Let It Be Known...

Taylor said she missed me today!!! You better believe I'm gonna mark the calendar! :)
AND I got my first phone call from MDO this morning saying that she fell in the classroom but was ok. I'm glad they weren't calling to say she was sick, or that she had been bitten by another child, or something like that. As soon as I heard the voice on the other end I knew who it was. After she introduced herself, she said, "Taylor's fine, but she had a little fall in the classroom..." and then went on to tell me that she cried and her mouth bled a little but that she was ok and was now playing in the gym for her "movement" class. I know that will not be the last time she gets hurt when she's away from her Mommy or Daddy, but to my knowledge it's the first. They said she may have hurt her finger a little, too, because she was holding it funny the rest of the day, but was bending it some. I'll be keeping an eye on that. She's now napping, hence my opportunity to blog!
The picture has nothing to do with this post, in case you're wondering. I took it at my Dad's house when Taylor and I stayed there a couple of weekends ago while Nick was out of town. She climbed up to the table, put on T's glasses, and started "reading" the paper as if she does that everyday. Nick and I don't get a newspaper, so she doesn't see us do this. But I guess she had seen Poppy and T do this the previous couple of mornings, and thought she needed to too. Silly girl!

Need your advice/opinions, please

Taylor is 2...and has been since July 28th. Since I'm a horrible blogger and NEVER posted about her 2nd birthday, you might not know that. And with the age of 2 come some transitions, among other things. Transitions that need addressing are potty training, kicking the thumb-sucking habit, and moving to a big bed. To be honest I really haven't tried very hard at all with the first two and am just now toying with the idea of the third. There is no rush to get her out of her baby bed and she doesn't try to climb out (not that her short legs could reach), so I kinda want to leave her in there for as long as possible. So what do I do first? I don't want to try too many transitions at once or too early. And as far as the thumb-sucking goes, where do I begin? And what are some different methods that some of you have tried and found successful? I might try this little doll called "Thumbbuddy to Love" but not sure. We have everything we need for potty training, I just haven't really put forth much effort. Soooo, this is where I need your advice/opinions - not to be confused with stories of you bragging about how it was sooo easy with your own children...kidding...kinda ;) But really I would like to hear (or read) how you other Mommy's have done it. Ok, go ahead to the comment section and type away...especially those of you with former thumb-suckers. :)

Funny a.m. Conversation

If you know Nick well, you are aware that he is rather particular about some things. A bit of a neat freak, if you will. And a little OCD. This is the conversation that took place this morning as he was putting on his tie. (He does this weird thing before he starts to actually tie it.)

R: As soon as I heard that noise I knew just what you were doing.
N: I don't even know why I do that. It's just something I do.
R: You are so OCD.
N: You think I don't know that? Dude, I'm clinical!

At least he knows. And at least he's not as bad as those people you see on documentaries who have to do things like touch the doorknob 3 times before they leave the house, or weird things like that. Not yet at least. :)

No Love for the Mama

This is the conversation Taylor and I have everytime I pick her up from Mudder's Day Out.

Me: I missed you today!

Tay: I missed Daddy. I want Daddy hold you.

Me: Daddy can't hold you, he's at work. Did you miss Mommy?

Tay: I missed Daddy.

I guess it's true what they say...absence makes the heart grow fonder. And since she's away from Daddy much more than Mommy, her heart clearly is fonder of Daddy. Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful that they love each other so much! It would just be nice to hear her say she misses me, too. :) I kinda think it's a game now, though. One can hope, right?!

Note to Self...

Always, I repeat, ALWAYS have an extra pair of clothes for your child in their diaper bag or at least in the car. Along with that, always have those nice little scented bags or some kind of plastic bag to put nasty diapers in.

I did these things when Taylor was a baby, but have since slacked off...as in, I never have these things with me. Until now. That will change after our little incident in Target. The whole trip was pretty much frustrating, but I'll spare you all the other stuff. Just know that Taylor had a dirty diaper pretty soon right after we got there. I thought it was just a little poop, or maybe even alot of poop, but I had no idea what was to come. So, my stinky daughter and I continued to look around the clothes department and proceeded to the dressing room (where nothing worked, might I add) but I decided that since I didn't have one of those aforementioned bags for stinky diapers that I would continue shopping and just wait to change her in the restroom before we left. Then we continued to leave a trail of stink everywhere we went (Taylor, not me) and got a few toiletries. On the way to the checkout I realized that her diaper had leaked onto her shorts and was very noticeable. I could just feel the stares and read their minds..."Woman, could you please take your stinky child and leave?", or "I wonder if she knows there is diarrhea on her child's shorts or should I tell her?", or "Good grief! Where is that coming from?"

After I checked out, and forgot to use my coupon (dang it!), we walked into the restroom. Thankfully they had one of those changing stations, which I'm sure was covered in germs. But oh well. There was this cute pregnant woman washing her hands who said something like, "Girl, you have a mess to deal with!" We conversed and she tried to help me out by offering to get me a Target bag, but I was Johnny-on-the-spot and had quickly thought to consolidate my bags so I could use one I already had to put her dirty shorts in. I know, I'm so green. Anyway, her diaper was like nothing I've ever seen! I don't know if it was the frosted mini wheats she ate yesterday or what, but it was a mess! I decided to spare the other shoppers and staff and throw the diaper away outside. It would have been just plain cruel had I not.

The whole point in saying that I needed a change of clothes for her was that I needed to run another errand, but didn't want to take my 2 year-old in just a diaper and a shirt. So we headed home instead. Next time hopefully I'll be more prepared!

Pictures from first day

 

Too cool for school

 

 

 

 

 

She Did Great!

Today was Taylor's first day at Mother's Day Out, or Mudder's Day Out as she likes to say, and she did great! Sweet Nick went in late to work so we could all go together to her first day and so he could take some pictures (which he'll post later because I don't know how to take them off the new camera). No tears at drop off or throughout the day, I'm happy to say. However, one of her teachers said she did ask to go home once or twice and she also said "I wanna go see Daddy." But she asks to see Daddy even when she's home with me, so that's no big surprise. Sweet, yes...surprising, no. She does looove her Daddy! But they said she had fun and was very good. Yay!

The color of the week is red and the shape they'll be working on is a circle. She colored a picture and helped another little boy color his, too. She also made a necklace today with colored plastic beads and a wooden cross and the teacher said she was the best at stringing the beads. I know it sounds like I'm bragging, but I promise I'm not - I just want to have a record of these things since my memory fails me (this must run in the family - if you've read Shelley's blog lately, you know what I'm talking about). On Tuesdays they do "movement" which I guess is kind of like P.E., and on Thursdays they work on Spanish! I'm super excited about this since she is part Cuban after all. Funny story about Movement today - Taylor was playing with a ball and according to the teacher dropped it intentionally. Before she could pick it up another kid took it (of course I'm wondering which kid this was so I can tell him/her what's up) and Taylor just looked up at the nearest teacher and said, "Ms. Tracy..." - I can just picture her doing this. And I'm impressed that she called her by name!

Now I know that every day probably won't be this great, but I'm glad the first one was and that she didn't get in trouble!

Pictures to come soon!

Mother's Day Out

Today is supposed to be Taylor's first day of Mother's Day Out, but she has the Croup and had to stay home. She is currently still napping...nearing 3 hours, which she never does! I know she needs it though, because she didn't sleep well last night. And neither did I because I slept in her room, too. I just got off the phone with one of the nurses at the pediatrician's office and for now I'll continue to treat her at home, unless of course she gets worse in which case I'm to call the Dr. back. I have a feeling she won't be well enough by Thursday to go to MDO, so it's looking like she'll miss the first week. I hope all the other kiddos haven't already made their new best friends and left out my Tay Tay. Ok, she just woke up - gotta go.

"Go tee-tee, Bear"

Potty training hasn't really started around here yet, but we have some of the things we need when we start. Nick's sister, Val, gave Taylor a generous gift card for her birthday which we used to buy some potty training paraphenalia...Froggy potty, Sesame Street panties, and pull-ups. I've been saying that I don't think that Taylor's ready yet (though I thought a little differently over the past couple of months), but I think it would be a more accurate statement to say that I'm not ready yet. A few reasons include, but are not limited to, the following: I don't love a challenge and I think it might be just that; she's about to start MDO next month and I don't think she (or I, for that matter) need too many transitions at one time; I haven't done ANY research/reading whatsoever to get tips; I think it's a waste of time and energy to start too early; and maybe, just maybe, my baby is growing up too fast!
So in the meantime, we'll talk about it and practice with her dolls and stuffed animals. She does sit on the potty and even asks to, but nothing ever happens. I'm glad she's interested in it, but I'm not pushing it just yet.
The picture below was all Taylor's idea. She sat her bear on there all by herself and said, "Go tee-tee, Bear." I cracked up, as I do often when listening to her funny little self.
On a related note, she really has become quite the nurturer lately, taking care of her babies, changing their diapers, taking her Bear to the potty.

Thumb Sucking

I wish I was writing to say that within the past few hours Taylor has miraculously quit sucking her thumb (see Dentist Appt. post if you don't know what I'm talking about). However, that is not so. She just got up from her nap, which wasn't long enough and therefore she is still tired. So she's laying on the couch right now and I said, "Stop sucking your thumb, Taylor." She promptly obeyed and then burst into tears. Awesome. This is going to be fun!

P.S. In case you're wondering how I reacted, I told her to keep sucking it. Yes, I was a push-over in this situation. No, I am not always. Gotta go Google "tips and tricks to get your kids to stop thumb sucking" - wish me luck! :)

Taylor's 1st Dentist Appointment

Taylor had her first ever dentist appointment today and I am thankful to say that she could not have done better! Yay! What an answer to prayer. The hygienist who called her back tried to talk me into letting Taylor go back by herself but I quickly nipped that in the bud. I mean, really, she's ONLY 2 and it's her first ever appt and she's never seen anyone in that office...EVER. I'm sure she meant well when she said they like for them (the patients) to get used to going back their by themselves, but I think there is plenty of time for that thankyouverymuch!
I packed one of her babydolls, Abby, in her diaper bag in hopes of Abby comforting Taylor. My other thought was that maybe Abby could get her teeth "cleaned" first so Tay could see what it was all about. And that's just what happened. All of the hygienists were very nice, as was her Dentist. I didn't get a picture of the Dentist examining her teeth, but took several of the actual cleaning.
At Taylor's 2 Year Check-up the pediatrician gave me a list of Pediatric Dentists that their group refers to and I'm glad she did. So far I'm happy with my choice. My main reason for taking her was to have the dentist take a look at her frenulum - that's the piece of tissue that connects the inside of your top lip to your gums. Since birth Taylor's has been very thick and connects very low on her gum line, but the pediatrician has never seemed concerned...and believe me I've asked her about it several times. So at her last appt. I asked her to take a look at it again because it hasn't changed any and she suggested going ahead to the dentist. The dentist and pediatrician said the same thing - years ago it was common to perform a frenulectomy (clipping of the frenulum) but since then they've changed their tune and now think it causes more harm than good. Sooo, she said we'll just leave it alone and watch it. She also said that we need to get her to quit sucking her thumb because it's pushing her teeth out. This is no news to me as I see her teeth every day. Thankfully she only sucks it when she's sleeping or tired, not all the time. However, I still don't think it's going to be an easy task, but the dentist said it should be easier than if she sucked it all the time. Looks like it's time for me to look into different ways of stopping thumb sucking. Too bad she doesn't just use a paci...then I could just take it away. Not the case with the ole thumb.
Ok, enough of the details, here are some pictures. Check out the nerve of this child sucking her thumb while laying in the dentist chair! And in the last picture she's showing you her stickers and one of the goodies from her prize bag.

Roooooooollllllllll Tide Roll!

I got a huge bag of hand-me-downs today from my step-sister - thank you, again, Mel! Not only was there one Alabama cheerleader outfit, but there were two! Yay! I thought to myself, "Nick will be thrilled!" Please pick up on the sarcasm here. But I know of several others who will be happy to see her supporting the Crimson Tide. Of course I had to play dress up with her and take some pics. I took one on my phone and sent it to Nick. You know what he said? He said, "I don't even care that it says Alabama on it. She's just too cute!" So I left her in the outfit until he got home and he was even more smitten in person. We hope these pics make you smile!

Laundry Day

We hope your laundry day was as cute as ours! :)

Baby guitar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just took this picture of Taylor playing her "baby guitar" and thought it was too cute not to share.

Shark Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In case you didn’t know, Shark Week starts tonight on the Discovery Channel. I only mention this because I’ve been a fan of Shark Week for years, but last year Robyn got into it to. And I mean really into it. As in, a month or so ago she asked me when it was coming on again. As in, last year she would tell me to change the channel so that we could watch Shark Week.

I’m not complaining, I just think it’s funny that she likes these shark shows so much.

Excuse Me, Bug

This afternoon as Taylor was playing in her baby pool she splashed some water out onto the deck. Then she looked to see where the water landed, and noticed a tiny little ant where she splashed and said, "A bug! Excuse me, bug!" I laughed then asked her if she said that because she splashed water on the bug, to which she replied yes. Then she proceeded to say "Magis (magic) words" which she recently learned from a song about manners on an episode of Barney. I tell you, Barney is a bit annoying, but there are some really good lessons on those shows. And since there are usually only FOUR episodes at a time available "On Demand", she really learns those lessons well! Thank you, Barney.

For Poppy

This picture is for Poppy (Robyn's daddy) because he LOVES when people wear their baseball hat backwards. Just kidding. He can't stand it. So when Taylor took my hat off my head and put it on herself backwards, I immediately thought of him and ran to get the camera. So, Poppy, this one's for you...enjoy! ;)

Silly Girl

Taylor thought it would be a good idea to get as close to the pool as possible without actually getting in it. Silliness ensued and this is how it ended.

Trash to Treasure - Part Deux

Another recent project is this little table that truly was trash. My friend, Elizabeth, got it out of someone's trash hoping to use it at her house, but it wasn't quite right for the space she wanted it for. Soooo, she gave it to me and it is perfect beside my couch. BUT, I thought I'd like it better with a fresh coat of paint. And this is the finished product.

Side note and Lesson of the Day: Do not, I repeat, do not under any circumstance, unless there is no other way to get around it and it is already about to fall off, ever attempt to remove veneer from a piece of furniture. You see, there was a piece of veneer on the top of the table and on one corner was this tiny little spot that was beginning to peel up. Soooo, on a whim (NOTHING I ever do on a whim turns out good in the end) I decided to start to peel it off. BIG mistake. And I knew it immediately, but it was too late. I was already committed. After many attempts - I'll spare you all the details - I finally had all the veneer off.

Trash to Treasure

Here is one of my latest projects. I had been wanting a desk for myself for quite sometime and after much searching, finally found one that met the criteria...a good price and just the right size with a good amount of storage. I saw this

on craigslist, and after going to look at in person with my hidden potential glasses and can-do attitude, we bought it for $50. Then after many hours spent stripping off the old paint, sanding it, and putting on a fresh coat of stain and poly, this is how she turned out...


Its not the best picture of it - the flash kinda washed it out a bit - but you get the idea right? I still have to stain and replace the dowel buttons (the little peices of wood that cover the screw holes) and I'll probably eventually replace the hardware, but for now just repainting the old hardware is what fit the budget. I forgot to take a "before" picture before I took off the hardware, but it was spray painted silver.

Mock-(yeah)-ing-(yeah)-bird-(yeah)

Your welcome for getting that song in your head. This picture has nothing to do with the post, I just didn't want to post again with no picture. How many times can I say post and picture in one sentence?
Taylor, who has been quite verbal for a long time now, is talking in sentences most of the time these days. Very fun! She is constantly repeating things I say - not always right after I say them, mind you. So this means she is really listening...not always obeying, but listening nonetheless. For example, today we were in the kitchen. I was washing dishes with my back to her and she said, "Watch your head." I guess she got close to the bar. You see, on one side of the kitchen there is a bar-like counter along the wall and I tell her to watch her head because she likes to walk under it, but she is getting taller (notice I didn't say tall, just taller) and has come close many times to hitting her head. Then later she heard someone on t.v. say "tattoo" so she started saying tattoo. And the other day in the grocery store a lady said, "She is very cute" and when she walked away Tay said, "I vewy cute." I really need to start writing down everything funny she says, because when I sit down to blog about it (which yes, isn't that often these days) I can't remember all of them. It's definately time to start watching what we say in front of her!

On another note, Nick feels like he's coming down with a cold, too. Boooooo.

Also, stay tuned for some pictures of the newly painted guest room! My sweet husband spent many hours and days painting over the pine paneling. GASP! Some of you may think that's a major no-no, but it just wasn't our style AT ALL. So we changed it. And I LOVE it!

Sick Girls

Taylor and I are sick :( She has a cold with a cough and I just have a bad cold. I even cancelled my clients today. Feel free to pray for a quick recovery so we can be back to our old selves again...and so I don't have to cancel my clients Friday, too. I would post a picture of us, but Taylor doesn't look a bit sick and I look like rough. So in the words of the soup nazi, "No Pic for you!"

Shout Out to Zout

This is by far my most favorite stain remover. I discovered it a few months ago and so far it's removed every stain I've tried it on. It's definately better than Shout, Spray and Wash, and OxyClean in my opinion, though I know some people love those products. Our Wal-Mart doesn't carry it, but Target does. If you've never tried it, I highly recommend it!

Kissin' Cousins

My Future's So Bright...

I gotta wear shades. Taylor LOVES her sunglasses. She likes to wear them on top of her head like Mommy and Daddy, too. And for some reason, she often puts them on upside down. I think that might be a kid thing.

Quick Little Beach Trip

Friday morning Taylor and I took a quick trip to the beach. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Juli, was on vacation with her husband, kids, and husband's family. We hadn't met each others children and I think the last time we saw each other was late summer 2005. So it was great to see her again. On the way home I realized that we didn't really get to catch up that much since we were watching our kids like a hawk and regularly distracted by them. But nonetheless it was a fun trip and a nice little getaway for me.