Taylor’s Dedication

Filed Under Big Sister, Church, Family, Four Months Old- Taylor, Three Years Old | 2 Comments

I have tons of pictures for this one. Taylor was dedicated at our church back in July. Basically what that means is that as parents we committed to raising him in the church, teaching him about Jesus, etc and the church promised to support our family with that. It’s not the same as infant baptism because we don’t believe that it actually “saves” the child. Anyway we did the same thing for Bailey when she was about four months old. So there was a ceremony at church (which we have videos of, but I am not going to post because there are also other families in the video and first/last names are used for everyone).

We did take a few pictures beforehand at church. Taylor was a doll during the service. Bailey had a last minute panic about going on stage- shocking if you know her- and kept her face hidden in Daddy’s neck.

We had a lunch at my parents house. I felt guilty not doing a party for him like we did with Bailey… but then I realized that it would be more for me since he wouldn’t care what was going on, as long as there was milk! We had dessert and ice cream after lunch- Bailey’s favorite part.

And played more hockeyball!

But Taylor just watched…

And then we opened some gifts. Of course Bailey offered to help! She was so sweet with Taylor. She showed him each present and told him about them.

Awwww, one last shot of me with my babies…

Big Boy Tub

Filed Under Big Sister, One Month- Taylor, Two and a half years old | Leave a Comment

Once Taylor no longer needed sponge baths, we started bathing him in his little tub over the kitchen sink, just like we did with Bailey. Only this time, she likes to help. We pull up a chair and she scrubs his legs and feet while I do everything else. She thinks it’s the greatest thing ever!

Taylor’s First Church Service

Filed Under Big Sister, Church, Firsts, One Month- Taylor, Posing for Pictures, Two and a half years old | 1 Comment

We decided to brave it and take both kids to church on Sunday, March 21st. We had some fun family snuggle time before we had to get ready. Taylor LOVES sleeping on this beanbag chair- too funny, considering all the money people spend on swings, bouncy seats etc. And he likes this beanbag chair better than anything else.

They both cooperated with getting ready. Usually Bailey has a fit about putting on tights but she did well. The problem came when we tried to take a family picture. Got a good one of Daddy and Taylor…

But check out what happened when we asked Bailey to join them!

She managed to pull it together (but still refused to take a picture). When we got to church she was so proud to push the stroller around and show off her baby brother. She went to her class and we took Taylor to the service with us. He made it, oh, about fifteen minutes before he decided he was hungry. I went to the nursing room where they have the sermon on a speaker to listen to. Unfortunately this woman came in to nurse her child and could.not.stop.talking to me. I thought I was going to lose my mind, and I didn’t hear a word of the sermon. I think next time if that happens I will actually say something. Or else get up and turn the speaker up to a deafening volume!

Anyway, we survived. We didn’t make it today (because Taylor decided not to sleep AT ALL last night) but now we know we can do it!

Three Weeks Old

Filed Under Being a Mom, Big Sister, NICU, Newborn- Taylor, Sleep, Two and a half years old | 1 Comment

I can’t believe my little guy is three weeks old already. It seems like he has been home forever, but it has only been two weeks. It also seemed like our hospital/NICU stay was a lifetime ago. I will never forget those days, but they are not in the forefront of my mind anymore. I don’t lean close to make sure he’s breathing quite as often as I used to.

Taylor is such a good baby. He just likes to be held ALL THE TIME. Some people say to quit “spoiling” him, but honestly he has no idea what spoiled means. He is not “manipulating” me. He wants to be loved and to feel secure. I am not going to deny my child of that. He has been through a lot. Maybe I appreciate him more because of what we went through. Maybe I am making up for all the snuggles we couldn’t have during the first week. Yes, I do get tired of holding him. But I will not just let him scream as he sits by himself in a bouncy seat. His little chin quivers and he wails and then when he finds me back with his eyes, and he hears my voice, he calms down. It’s nice to be able to make someone so happy with just my presence.

We are having a rough time with sleeping. He does not like to lay flat in his own bed, alone, to sleep. He sleeps in three places: His swing (thanks again Kelli!), his bouncy seat, or in bed next to me. I am not a huge fan of cosleeping, honestly. I would rather not have someone nipping at me and rooting around all night. But if it means that I can actually be somewhat relaxing and somewhat resting, it’s worth it. Unfortunately, Jonathon is sleeping in the living room in the meantime because he is afraid of smushing the baby.

Bailey is still doing MOSTLY very well with him. She does have her jealous/mean moments though. For example, she figured out that she can push his bouncy seat down, and it will pop back up and make his head flop around. Lovely. I have been trying to give her extra grace and extra love, but she has also been having a lot of time outs because there are certain lines that we won’t let her cross. Overall, though, she really loves him and wants to constantly hug and kiss on him. The biggest problem is usually that she won’t leave him alone!

NICU Day Six- Going Home!

Filed Under Big Sister, Breastfeeding, Firsts, Home Sweet Home, NICU, Newborn- Taylor, Siblings, Two and a half years old | 2 Comments

On Tuesday morning, I knew that Taylor wouldn’t be going home. I left Jonathon at home with Bailey and went up to the hospital by myself to be there to feed him. After his first feeding, guess what his nurse came over and told me? His bilirubin levels had dropped to 12-point-something overnight and he would be going home! What? She said he needed to continue phototherapy the rest of the day and then he could leave, and be monitored by his own pediatrician for the next two weeks.

I called Jonathon and told him I was coming home to get him. We had my dad come over and watch Bailey, and we went by Target and went to get lunch. When we got back up to the hospital, we changed him into some snuggly fleece NEWBORN size jammies. Which were clearly about eight sizes too big.

I love this picture with me holding him!

And one with Daddy-

I love the “drunk on milk” baby pictures. And this baby sure does like to eat!

We kept telling him that the carseat was a good thing- that it was time to go home. He wasn’t easily convinced.

One last family picture in the NICU. It was bittersweet leaving, honestly. It was the only home my baby had known. The place where I spent hours and held him and watched him get better. And cried thousands of tears. The nurses were so loving, the other moms were so supportive. I can’t quite explain but it was strange to leave.

We were welcome home by one very excited big sister, though!

Here she is holding Taylor for the first time. With help.

Brother and Sister Meet Each Other

Filed Under Big Sister, Birth- Taylor, Newborn- Taylor, Siblings, Two and a half years old | Leave a Comment

After Taylor was born, I was able to get up and walk around within about a half an hour. Not having an epidural was REALLY nice as far as recovery. I was on an IV with fluids basically in case they needed to give me something suddenly. After the delivery I was on Pitocin by IV. I had no idea they did that as a standard practice. Apparently it’s to cause contractions and shrink the uterus back down. I was surprised to hear that they were giving it to me though! Anyway as soon as the IV was out I was up and around, and ordered breakfast, and then they moved us to our regular room.

My parents brought Bailey up to visit soon after we moved to our room. My mom said she was SO excited to meet Baby Taylor. I had been looking forward to this moment for a long time and also stressing out about it. I was afraid it would set them up for sibling love, or hate, or something. It seemed like such a BIG moment. But it was just normal. It was my two kids, just checking each other out. Bailey was excited and wanted to touch his eyes, nose, ears etc. She said, “Hi Baby Taylor Owe-lin, I’m your big sister!” It was so sweet.

She also thought my hospital bed was pretty great and wanted to climb around on it. After crashing against my stomach several times she was removed from the bed.

New Interests

Filed Under Big Sister, Books, Learning, Milestones, Names, Second Pregnancy, Siblings, This Rocks, Two and a half years old | 2 Comments

I know I have mentioned how Bailey is really into dressing up lately- not so much the actual princess dresses, but the tutu, wand, shoes, tiara, wings etc. The other night while I was out, Jonathon went in to check on her and she had taken her socks off and put on a pair of high heeled princess shoes to go to sleep. I scolded him for not getting a picture!

She is also really into “big girl books” with real pages. She looks at board books sometimes but has to be in the right mood. Her current favorite books are anything princess (Especially Cinderella!), Wocket in my Pocket, Where the Wild Things Are (she calls it “Wild Fings ARE”), Sneetches, Dora Visits the Dentist, and Berenstein Bears Big Honey Hunt. She used to like the Little Mermaid but we were at a friends house one day and the movie was on. She saw the part where Ursula turns back into the Sea Witch at the end and now all she says is, “I don’t like the bad lady!” and she won’t have anything to do with it anymore. We have to be really careful what she watches and what parts of the books we “edit” when we read because she has such a big imagination!

Another thing she loves is her new colored pencils. She likes to draw with them. She doesn’t like coloring books much anymore- she would rather draw her own pictures and have us draw/color with her on blank paper. I guess that’s a good thing because it gets her to be more creative. She also likes to pretend to wrap presents for us. Anytime she can find a piece of tissue paper or scrap paper she starts folding it around a small object and then brings us the present to open.

She has just started learning the “grownup names” of people in our family. I think it’s good that she knows what our real names are, including last names, in case she ever needs to get help or talk to another adult for some reason. We are also going to start working on a phone number soon. She can say her full name and we are starting to learn how to spell it. She really likes knowing what adults’ names are, and she knows not to use their names but for some reason thinks it’s fun just to know.

She loves talking about her baby brother, and talking to him while he’s inside me. She always tells him, “Hi, Baby _____ ______. I’m your big sister! I love you and I will take care of you.” She puts stickers on my tummy for him, and talks about how she will hold toys for him to look at and read books to him when he is too little to hold the toys by himself. I love to see her excitement about him.

34 Months

Filed Under Being a Mom, Big Sister, Daddy, Diapers/Potty, Gymnastics, Talking, Two and a half years old | 1 Comment

Bailey,

I can’t believe you are 34 months old. Almost three years… plus the nine+ months that you were inside me. I can’t even imagine my life without you. You just seem such a part of me, a part of our family. You are the most beautiful child I have ever seen.

Your creative side is really coming out lately. You have a love for performing and pretending. You still love to play Little People and to play Princesses with your new castle. But you also like to assign me roles to act out (and you tell me exactly what to do so there is no confusion!) You also spin and twirl while talking, and take frequent bows at the end of sentences or announcements. You like to curtsy, which we really need to get on video. You talk about what you are going to be when you grow up- either a doctor or a rock star, depending on the day. You recently told us that you were going to be a firefighter (“fighter-fighter”) and that daddy would be your fire dog! You are often heard saying things like, “Oh my goodness, I’m never gonna finish this!” or “Oh dear, I just can’t believe it.” I laugh at the little phrases you’ve picked up from us and from the television.

You are starting to have an interest in potty training. Some days. On occasion you wear underwear and try to go on the potty. You understand now whether you are wet or dry. It really just depends on your mood, but I have learned there is no sense in pushing you. If I push, you shut down and refuse to cooperate. This morning you told me you wanted to wear diapers just like Baby _____ ____. (Your brother, whose name has not yet been shared with the internet).

Speaking of your brother- you love him and you are so excited to meet him. I am still a little nervous of how it will be once reality sets in. But you like to talk to him, kiss my belly, and put stickers on my belly to share with him. You will tell anyone that you are a big sister, and what his name is, and that he is growing in mommy’s tummy. We have explained that when he is ready to come out, mommy and daddy will go to the Baby Hospital and the Baby Doctor will help take him out. Then you can come see him. You seem really satisfied with that explanation. You’ve been to quite a few doctor appointments with me and heard the heartbeat and gotten lollipops for sitting in the chair. You haven’t tried to touch anything gross (ahem, pap smear wands) in a long time, thank goodness!

Your vocabulary amazes me. You are really easy to understand- we get lots of comments about how clearly you speak. And the things you say! Long sentences that flow together really well, for the most part. Occasionally you mix up a past-tense or a she/her/pronoun. Just last night- “Daddy, today at gymnastics Mr. Mark gave me a medal. He gave it to me because I obeyed in my class.” Gymnastics is your favorite thing to do right now. Just yesterday you did a forward roll on the balance beam WITHOUT mommy holding on to you. I was there spotting you but your balance is SO good. You can also reach out and grab the rings and swing on your own, and hold the bar and walk your feet up the wall before I help you do a pullover. Next week starts the new semester and you will be in the next class up/next age group, and your teacher thinks that will challenge you a little more both with skills and with listening/following the teacher.

We are still trying to get your asthma under control. That has been our biggest struggle this fall and winter. You are now on a daily preventative medication (through your nebulizer) and you take allergy medicine. You have a nasal spray for when you need it, and also an as-needed inhaled medication. It’s a lot, but it seems to be working. I am hoping the days of throwing up from coughing are behind us…

You are such a joy. We have just two months left before your brother arrives. Maybe less. I want to make the absolute most of these two months. I can’t believe it is almost the end of our uninterrupted time together. I know once he’s here, he won’t seem like an interruption. But for now I can’t imagine anyone else being part of our perfect little world. I love you more than you can imagine, Bailey Sophia.

Mommy