Roots

Taylor,

Someday you might ask me about your great grandparents. They are amazing people. I want you to know how much they love you and how tickled they were to meet you today for the first time. Your Great Grandpa Calderone, who can be an intimidating man, just melted into a pool of butter when he held you in his arms. He and Great Grandma Calderone always have an open door and a home-cooked Italian meal on the table whenever we come to visit. Your Great Grandma&pa Nida love the Lord and invest much time in loving others through their church. They pray for you to grow up into a beautiful girl inside and out and love the Lord too, someday. Your great grandparents are responsible for many family traditions and wonderful family memories that shaped how your mommy grew up. I know someday you will love your grandparents as much as I love mine!

All my love,
Mommy

A glimpse into the future

Today, Tay met a special friend. Alexa Renee is Taylor's second cousin and 6 weeks older than Taylor. Her mommy and I have been swapping stories and comparing notes on these girls since Taylor was born, so it was good to finally meet Alexa. She is a sweetheart! It's hard to believe in 6 weeks Tay could be rolling around the floor, turning over, and coming up on her elbows like Alexa! It's amazing how these girls change from week to week. Taylor and Alexa enjoyed starring at each other and cooing in this video... it's like they were swapping their own stories back and forth!

A night to remember....

...Or rather NOT remember. Friday July 24, 2010 marks the first night Taylor slept straight through for 8 hours!!!!!! I however woke up several times.... just to make sure she was still breathing. She slept for 8 hours again last night, too, so I hope we are turning a corner in the sleep department. Or maybe it's just a special touch from Aunt Amy who has been visiting us this past week.

Post traumatic bath disorder

If pictures could speak, this is what this photo would say: "I'm stripped of my clothing, exposed to the frigid arizona air, lowered into a pool of foamy lukewarm funny smelling substance. Every inch of my body gets scrubbed. I'm doused with water and then my cold, naked body is wrapped tightly in a towel. It's a torture that lasts an agonizing..... 4 minutes, every other day. I never see it coming, until it's happening. Why, oh why, does my mommy put me through this time after time!!?? Sigh."

This is Taylor's post-traumatic bath face. It's a bewildered, "what just happened to me?" look she gives me after every bath. Oh, Taylor, someday you will LOVE your bath!

The Great Cupcake Adventure

We just had a great visit with Auntie Kelly last week. Kelly taught Tay a very important lesson: Watching the food network + certain monthly hormone surges (ladies, you know) = an insatiable urge for sweets that must be satisfied! Thus began the great cupcake adventure! The best thing about sisterhood is that we innately understand each other's needs, no matter how silly they are. So spending the evening looking up local cupcakeries, choosing which flavors to try, mapping out the best routes, and then speeding off the next morning to quench our appetites was just par for the course. Luckily, a few bites of orange mimosa, coconut & white chocolate, and red velvet was all it took to induce a sugar rush that lasted the whole afternoon!

So strong!

Taylor is getting so strong! She is starting to hold herself up on her elbows and she doesn't do the "baby-head" bobble as much anymore. She had her 2 month check up today and is still growing like a weed. We're up to 11 lb 1 oz and 22.5 inches. She has been enjoying a nice visit with Grandma & Grandpa Goodson this week.
We are starting to notice a character trait pretty consistently: Impatience. When Taylor wants something.... she wants it yesterday. Hmmm, does she get this from mom or dad??? She is also a very snuggly girl and with cuddle up to anybody who holds her.... definitely gets that from her mommy!

Dog Days of Summer

I often wonder what goes through Riley's brain since we brought Taylor home. She has been surprisingly patient, calm, and curious with this new baby. Riley attentively goes to Taylor when she cries and licks her feet (we try hard to keep her from licking Tay's face!) as she would if it was her own pup. She gets up from her bed and comes into the nursery with me for Tay's midnight feedings. She quietly snoozes as Taylor gets all the attention and affection, and she doesn't complain when we miss a walk or two. I think Riley feels maternal, as if this is the new puppy in the pack who needs lots of care and comfort. But every once in a while, Riley too needs a break from the stress of motherhood and tries to retreat to a quiet place to get some rest... and if a pillow should happen to be on the floor in the bedroom, well, it must be there for her, right?