Where Does The Time Go?

I now look at this question "Where does the time go?" in a totally different light! I realize everyday that that day  will never come again. I have to cherish January 15, 2011 at 10:13 a.m. when Taylor sneezes like its my last day on earth!! I recently looked back on videos taken of Taylor as she progressed from smiling to playing on her playmat to now sitting up in the bathtub all by herself and thought where does the time go?!

For me it goes into memories made, laughter, tears, and the warming of my heart everytime I look at my daughter!


Taylor is now 6 months old and healthy as a horse! I'm so very thankful she hasn't even had the slightest sniffle in her short little life yet.

She's already a well traveled baby. She's been to Boston in October to visit Aunt Hal and Uncle Al which included apple picking, walks through Cambridge, riding the "T" to Boston, great food and time spent family that considers to be blessed with Taylor being apart of their lives. It was also her very first plane ride that went very smooth. She ate, slept and enjoyed being held the whole time.

Taylor's first Halloween sure was fun! She was the cutest ladybug ever! Mommy and Daddy took her trick or treating and also to the restaraunt where Daddy works to show off her adorable costume and how adorable she looked wearing it! 

First Thanksgving was a great one, very uneventful which to me is the perfect Thanksgiving. I just like to be lazy eat seconds and thirds and watch tons of football! :) Next year will be even more fun when Taylor can eat the food!!


Mommy and Daddy took their first trip away in November to Los Angeles, CA and saw Uncle Bub and Aunt Misti. What a blast that was! Lakers game, awesome food at STK, amazing day at Universal, all around a wonderful time. I love spending time with my brother...I see him the least so I cherish when I can! Taylor was living it up and her grandparents visting Mimi's horse, hanging out with Papa taking naps and watching football. They also love taking Taylor out to dinner and show her off to everyone they see!  :)  They are so proud!

Baby's First Christmas was wonderful! We had an early Christmas with familly so we got to celebrate all month long! Taylor's favorite thing to do was play with the wrapping paper after her gifts we opened! She's amazed by the little things! It was fun having her first ornaments on the tree, shopping for baby toys, and dressing her up in the prettiest dresses and cutest little Christmas onesies. Next year she will be more aware of gifts/toys/Santa, but this Christmas was still adorable. :)  She had her picture taken with Santa. She was a good sport and never cried but did pull his beard which cause Santa a little pain while Mommy had to release the death grip from her little tiny fingers from his beard! We also took family pictures that we will always treasure. New experiences (fireworks on Christmas?!), new traditions and new memories were experienced by my little family. It was a great one and now looking forward to the New Year!

Taylor recieved her blanket she is now inseperable with this year for Christmas from Aunt Hal and Uncle Al.  Its embroidered with the most precious words: "On your First Christmas, Sweet baby Taylor, may this keep you safe and warm while you dream and remind you that the world is yours. Always, Aunt Hal and Uncle Al"    

So far 2011 has been wonderful! We kicked it off by going to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Ohio State vs. Arkansas.  Go Bucks! And they won! Great game to watch too! Taylor did very well. I called her Dr and made sure he gave me the okay she could withstand the Superdome and all the noise. I got some baby earplugs and off we went! She had a couple bottles and cheered along with Mom and Dad!

Everyday life in our household now consists of toys and more toys, fun filled late nights playing Wii with our friends and enjoying life with our beautiful daughter! Oh the joy Taylor has brought to our lives!

Coming up:  trip to Texas for a visit to see family and some to meet Taylor the first time as well as San Diego in May for my Brother's wedding! These will be the next big adventures Taylor will make.

I promise more current and shorter blogs for 2011!!  :) 

Adjusting to Life as a Stay at Home Mom

I now have a completely different outlook on stay at home moms. Its harder than it looks! Not only is it about taking care of a child 24/7 but its keeping up the home as well. I have had the hardest time with managing my time and organizing to make up a routine that works well for everyday life. Let's just say this takes time! Just to give you an image of what it looks like when you don't quite have your routine down, here it goes! I've had dinner going on the stove, the baby crying in her bouncy seat, the vacuum in the middle of the floor, laundry that needs to be switched over and folded and of course the dog needs to go out! Until the baby gets on her routine, you have no routine. It took me some time to figure this out. Now she is on a routine as far as sleeping through the night getting up, eating, playtime, eating, nap, eating, etc. I delegate days to do laundry and clean so its not all piled up at once! When she is napping I use the time clean up the kitchen, cook, or take some quiet time for myself. It's starting to all come together and it is a relief to look around and see a clean house, happy baby and dinner on the table!

My Labor and Delivery!

Ok so I am going to back-track a bit and share the story of my labor, because I had a story.  I wanted a story and not some induction process with all kinds of medicine and medical equipment. So here's MY story of my labor.

I was 38 weeks pregnant and huge! My waist was over 50 inches around and my ankles were very swollen. I couldn't wait to get her out! But I also loved the idea that it could happen at any moment and that she will come when she is ready. I had a birth plan that was an all natural labor. No epidural, pitocin, breakin of the water, or forceps to get the baby out. I went and saw Dr. Wood and I was 3 cm dilated and had been for over a week. He offered to bring me in and break my water to get things going. This is very hard to turn down when you are hot and miserable and fat! I agreed to schedule it just praying that my water would break on its own before this scheduled date would occur.

It is the night before I was scheduled to go to the hospital. I was scheduled to go in at 7am so we decided to have one last hoorah before the baby came. We had friends over with beer and wine and were just going to hang out and enjoy the evening. I was in my bedroom in the process of ordering pizza online when I felt something warm and wet in my shorts! I thought "oh of course! this is my luck! right before we have to go to the hospital! I won't get any sleep now!" I went into the bathroom and thought it wasn't enough to be my water that had broken. So I continued on with the party and realized over a few minutes I was soaking wet again! "Well this is it!" I had a friend over who had just had a baby two months ago and said "get in the shower and go! don't wait!"  I was suprised how calm I felt. I decided to wait on the pizza to get there and then shower and head to the hospital. I had the bags already packed and ready to go. I called my family to let me know I was going in earlier than we thought and that it did indeed happen on its own and my baby was on its way!!  My Mom was already in town staying with me so she could be in  the delivery roomand was just ready to go ASAP!  My stepmother was just giggly and excited and my brother, Barrett, was a little panic stricken and told me "go to the hospital..I'll let you go..bye!" he obviously didn't care to chat!! I was emotional for the first time calling my sister and brother in law (I'm still emotional even typing this) for some reason it got to me really deep and it really hit home when I got to tell my sister,Haley, that my baby was on the way! Maybe its a girl thing I don't know but it still gets me and probably always will.  My sister was relieved that my labor began on its own and not medically induced. I ate the pizza and boy it tasted good since I knew that was my last meal! I took a good hot shower and then was ready to go.

We headed to the hospital and called Dion's family who wished us luck and we very excited for us. I checked into the hospital a little before midnight. Contractions had not come on yet so I was all smiles and annoyed that my mom wouldn't stop taking pictures when we got checked in through the emergency room and the charge nurse brought me to labor and delivery.

I met my nurse Jennifer, who I loved, and got all setup. She checked me and indeed bag of water was ruptured and I was 4 cm dilated. I continued to dilate 1cm every hour. Since it was dark outside my room was nice and dark with the lights off and the tv was on (my forensic files show Dion and I watch to keep me somewhat distracted) I felt pretty calm and relaxed while not being in the middle of a contraction. Mom slept upright in a chair while Dion laid out a blanket and slept on the floor. I was an easy pregnant woman in labor didn't ask anything of my nurse (except to keep checking me in hopes I would dilate more and more) and Mom and Dion fed me ice chips and kept cold towels on my face and neck. I breathed through every contraction with my eyes closed thinking "soon this will all be over and she will be in my arms." I really wanted my own Dr to deliver me and I was sad to hear he was not the overnight Dr and Dr Wood wouldn't there until 7 am. My nurse Jennifer was pretty sure it would be close if Dr Wood was going to deliver me. She was sure it would be right before or right after he would get there that I would need to begin to push. Sure enough as soon Jennifer brought in Pitocin, to help me get the rest of the way completely dilated, I had the urge to push, she checked me and I was 10 cm and complete! I was ready to go, no need to hang the Pitcoin. The only problem was Dr Wood still wasn't in yet, it was only 5am. My nurse literally closed my legs and said "keep them closed!" This was the worst part for me, having to keep my legs closed and not push, which is what your body does on its own in this situation!! 

Finally an hour and a half later my nurse came in with some other women and took me to the operating room where I would deliver. It was around 6:45am. Dr Wood still wasn't there so the nurses were all setup in case they had to take his place! They called him and kept me as comfortable as possible and then before you know it here he was, I pushed a few times, and she was born at 7:17am! Dr Wood had to run back to a C-Section he was in the middle of while I was relieved it was all over. So glad I got my story and glad I did it all on my own!!                             Taylor Lyn 19.5 in  6lbs 11oz

New Life

In the early morning of July 7th at 7:17, my life officially began. I was a Mom. My beautiful daughter Taylor Lyn was brought into the world and laid to my chest where she would find the most comfort now being in the outside world. No words were spoken, no tears were even shed. Her eyes simply stared into mine and I remember thinking I am yours and you are mine. It was the most preicous moment of my life.