March Madness

So March is a pretty busy time of year in the Taylor Clan. Within a two week period there is my birthday, Becky's, and my dad's, and that is just the folks living locally. That meant three birthday parties, plus the Relief Society Birthday Celebration (which I had to help with), and St. Patty's Day. So while I WAS good about taking pictures, I have not been so great about posting them. I will try my best to get caught up.

First, there was my birthday. I wasn't planning on doing anything special, but the Sunday before, Michael cleaned the house while Violet was napping, and it seem a shame to let a clean house go to waste, so we invited family over the next day (my birthday) for a casual dinner party. It was a super bonus because my brother Stephen was in town with his family, and so we had a total of 14 people over (including the 4 grand kids). This was probably a better number than the 30-40 people over for Violet's party a couple weeks before.

Grandkids playing around before dinner.

I made my current favorite easy meal (Tastes Like Lasagna Soup) and my signature birthday cake that I make for all the birthdays around here.

The table before dinner. And  yes, that "Happy Birthday" sign on the wall was still up from Violet's birthday a couple weeks before...

Tried to correct orientation, but kept loading wrong. Grrr.But still a cute pic if you're willing to crane your neck around!

Violet's first balloon, and it is love at first sight!

I was glad I snapped this picture (below) when I did, because James "helped himself" to some birthday cake just a minute later. Gotta hand it to the kid for being so proactive.

Birthday cake, pre-James decoration.

Well, Becky's birthday is exactly a week after mine, and she as a bit bummed because Nathan (who works out of town) was going to be gone for most of it, and she didn't really know when they were going to be able to celebrate it. We decided to seize the opportunity of having extra family in town, and since it was her big 3-0, through her a surprise party. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to successfully keep it a secret, but she assured me that she was surprised when they got there.

I was FINALLY able to put up the decorations that I had failed to put up for first Violet's, and then my own, parties. I LOVE these tissue paper pom-poms. My mom and I whipped them up super quick in the week leading up to the party. I also was glad to finally do the "streamers" out of those cheap plastic table cloths you can get a the Dollar Tree. These were all things that I didn't get around to for Violet's party, so this was kind of a "third time's the charm" deal.

Becky's specially-requested birthday tart

The food.

Pom poms!

More pom poms

The oh-so fabulous banner I made that day, below the "creative" balloon arrangement

Cricket, finding the fruit tart HILARIOUS

 

Last-minute preparations, whilst waiting for the Guest of Honor.

Cricket's son, Ryan, loving on Violet!

The party-goers, patiently waiting and playing.

Becky's mom, Lori, and her husband, Chris

The Guest of Honor, arriving with her entourage.

Have you ever seen a cuter face?

 The next day was the Relief Society Birthday Celebration, and so I headed over to the church after Becky's party to get my table set up. I did a St. Patrick's Day theme, since the party was on St. Patty's Day. My mom and Melinda were able to come, so it was extra fun!.

Then came my dad's birthday. Here is a shot of his extra special, 3-tiered cake. Unfortunately, he came down with something that day, so he didn't actually get to enjoy any of his cake on his actual birthday :(. We did all go out later that week to celebrate, though, so it was all good.

Happy Birthday Violet!

I can't believe our little girl is already ONE! While my life before Violet is but a fuzzy, long-distant memory, this big milestone does seem to have come too soon.


Thursday was her Big Day, and that meant a whirlwind of preparations, as Someone in this household decided it would be a good idea to start remodeling the guest bathroom in the weeks leading up to her party. On top of the projects we had already began, our plates were somewhat full. And yes, Mom, you told me so.

Long story short, not everything got finished that we wanted, the planned decorations did not get executed, and my Martha Stuart aspirations came up woefully short. However, big picture realizations: we were able to celebrate this big event with close friends and family, Violet was a champ throughout her party (despite dealing with her very first ear infection), and we got to reconnect with important people in our life. I think the final headcount was somewhere around 36 (which is a LOT, considering our compact home). I also learned a lot of lessons for the next time we decide to host something on this scale (like, having it during warmer months so that we can overflow onto the patio, don't have it in the middle of remodeling, etc.).

Anyway, special thanks to my Mom for ALL her help (including watching Violet for a few hours so we could work on the house, making pizza dough, bringing fruits and veggies, and making her the ADORABLE birthday tutu!) and a big shout-out to Becky for taking pictures for me!

Violet had a wonderful time tasting her birthday cupcake, which was the first time she had had anything sweet like this. It was a chocolate cupcake base (a modified version of Crazy Cake) with whipped chocolate ganache topping.

Contemplating the cupcake.

Going in for a taste.

Evaluating her first taste of chocolate.

Deciding she is done being ladylike.

Going in for round 2

Some current catch-up facts about our little Miss V:

• She cut her first two bottom teeth right around 7 months and got a third on the bottom about a month later. Then she cut FOUR teeth in ONE WEEK right around 11 months. She has recently cut her eighth tooth about a week ago, and we are still adjusting to her toothsome smile.
• Violet also started crawling right around 7 months, and she had the cutest, butt-wiggliest crawl EVER! She was cruising around shortly thereafter, and beginning at 11 months started taking her first independent steps. When my oldest brother and his family came to town at the beginning of February, though, she decided she should not be the final crawling cousin holdout and she has been walking like a champ ever since. She was (and is) very cautious, and her first steps were, indeed, baby steps. Or baby shuffles. But as she gains more confidence, she takes bigger and wilder steps, which is super fun for mom and dad. Fortunately, she has amazing balance and self-corrects very well.






• Violet loves to chatter (something she definitely did not get from both her parents) and will say certain words when prompted (FINALLY I can get her to say "Mama"), but her favorite thing to repeat is, I kid you not, Bob Loblaw. It is the funniest thing.
• She LOVES "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" and will make the popcorn popping motions with her hands as soon as we start singing it. So fun! And her no-fail soothing song is "You Are My Sunshine."
• Violet has been enjoying solid foods. She loves to fill up both her hands, and then just dive right in with her face (see the cupcake picture above). Heaven forbid she should eat what is in her hands first. She and Wyatt love patrolling the ground below the high chair when the other is eating and cleaning up the leftovers.
• Violet has recently started giving hugs, and it just warms Mommy and Daddy's hearts every time she toddles over to us and gives us hugs. She received a little teddy bear for Valentine's Day and will give it the sweetest hugs, too. Her baby doll, however, she persists in carrying around by the leg.
  
  
• Violet loves her doggies and will follow them anywhere and everywhere. The dogs are wonderfully patient with her and put up with her pets, hugs, and eye-gouging.
• Violet also has been waving and clapping for a few months now. She will also give high-fives when asked. She will applaud enthusiastically if she hears clapping on TV or if she hears someone cheering ("Yay!" gets lots of smiling claps every time).
• Violet loves music and will often stop what she's doing and start bobbing up and down whenever she hears it. She also loves to toddle over to the piano and start tinkling on the keys. We are positive we have a piano prodigy on our hands.
• Violet LOVES to play peek-a-boo, and will do it ALL THE TIME. She will pull blankets over her head and pop out, or crouch behind the ottoman and pop up. She has even tried to play it will Penelope, but I think the concept was lost on a dog.

Violet has been the best thing in our lives and I am so grateful every day for the opportunity I have to be her mom. It makes me a better person, and makes me try to be the mother that she deserves. She is a joyful soul who has made our lives infinitely better, and it is a privilege to be part of a family with her.

Violet Louise, thank you for coming to our family!

Web album link

Most people already have seen these, but here is a link to some pictures I uploaded in October. Be on the look-out for more pictures sometime this weekend...

The Rat Race

On November 21st, I am returning back to work. Thankfully, it is part-time (MWF), and Michael (and my mom, occasionally) will be watching Violet, and I will get to be home with her while Michael is in school the rest of the week.

This past Tuesday and Wednesday, though, I had to attend training downtown so that I can perform the new work functions that I will have. My mom watched Violet on Tuesday, and Michael had her Wednesday. I was extremely anxious in the weeks leading up to it, as the longest I had ever been away from her before was MAYBE two hours. And in preparation for the Big Day, I have spent the last month staying up way too late every night in order to pump milk so that my little one wouldn't starve while I was away (thank GOODNESS she has always taken a bottle well).

To make a long story (and one that is probably interesting only to myself) short, it went great.

As in, she didn't cry at all, and I am not even entirely sure she even noticed I was gone. When I got home Tuesday, my mom said Violet got excited when she heard my voice, but there was no tearful reunion, reproachful looks, or desperation to nurse. Sure, she was happy, but just about as happy as she gets when I leave the room and return after a two minute absence.

Wednesday was Michael's first solo day with her, and it went off without a hitch as well. Lots of long walks and good ol' fashioned daddy time (and boy does that little girl love her daddy!).

Violet even napped both days (a feat I can never manage with her unless she is attached to me, if you know what I mean).

So, first off, an ENORMOUS thanks to my mom for watching Violet (and for the other million things she does every day for me and everyone else). And kudos to Michael for doing such a terrific job (not that I had my doubts--he is an amazing dad, which is why I married the man).

And I have to say that, while I am not exactly looking forward to it, I am now no longer dreading returning to work.

And no, no pictures right now. I have to find my camera cord to upload some pictures. So sorry. In all honesty, though, everyone says Violet looks exactly the same as she did four months ago, with the addition of her teeth.

OH! And in other exciting, Violet-centric news: she is on the verge of crawling! When we were in Disneyland a couple weeks ago, she started getting up on all fours for the first time. Since we've returned, she's done a couple crawls before collapsing, but she mostly either scoots along on her face, with her legs pushing, or she pulls herself forward with her hands. As with everything else she does, it is The Most Amazing Thing Ever and Absolutely Adorable. My baby is awesome.

I won!

So, I won that giveaway I posted about! I never win anything and so am SUPER excited. Here is a link to what my new house numbers will look like!

Check out this blog!

My former college roommate has started a DIY blog which I have really been enjoying. Check her out at The Turquoise Piano. She is also doing a great giveaway with awesome handmade plaques (perfect for your front door, house address, or wherever your creative heart desires!).

On a personal note, I will hopefully post some pictures of Violet this week! She has her front two bottom teeth, and she has been using them with gusto.

Six months!

Violet is six months old today! While it seems to have gone by quickly, our childless lives seem an eternity ago.

Violet brings more and more joy to our lives each day. I never new how all-consuming love could be!

Violet has been eating (and LOVING) baby cereal for a month now, and within the last couple weeks we have added bananas and olive oil to her diet (she's got to put some weight on somehow!). She enjoys chewing on anything she can get her hands on, drinking from a cup, babbling VERY coherently, giggling, nursing pretty much constantly, "helping" mom feed herself cereal, sitting in her new Bumbo (best invention EVER), listening to "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree," and looking at books and magazines. She is still sleeping magnificently at night and is now regularly sleeping 2-3 naps during the day (as long as mom is holding her, of course).

Violet, we are so glad to have you in our family! We love you!

Three Years!

Today we celebrated our 3rd anniversary. The time has flown by and yet brought so many changes to our lives: graduation, a move to California, new careers, a new house, two dogs (and countless other livestock), and, of course, our beautiful baby girl.

I have to say that I couldn't have gotten luckier when it comes to marriage. Michael is absolutely wonderful in every way and I couldn't be happier! He is an amazing husband, a hard worker, and the best dad EVER (and an amazing fisherman, as evidenced by the photo below, courtesy of Becky):

We celebrated by eating delicious Indian food al fresco at my parents' house while Grandma Linda watched the little one.

Michael, here's to another three years, and another three years after that, and another three years after that, and another...

Happy Birthday, Camryn!

Today is Camryn Karen Taylor's 3rd birthday! She's the troublemaker on the left. I wish we could be there to celebrate with this little Golden Child, but reunions shall have to wait until October.

Camryn, the humans, canines, and assorted fowl from this household wish you a very happy birthday!

Updates

Violet has had a few "firsts" this past week. On June 7th, she giggled when I tickled her. It is so fun hearing these first real laughs of hers! And the next night she held up a bottle all on her own! She isn't super steady with it yet, but I was just impressed she could hold it.

She is also getting quite adept at grabbing onto things and manipulating them. It's pretty darn cute.

On the 9th, I ventured downtown with her to run some errands. I had to provide my work with a copy of her birth certificate, which meant I had to go to South Sac and get a copy of her birth certificate, in person. Everyone at work just loved her, of course, and it was so great to see everyone again. Even though it has only been 3.5 months, I feel like working full-time was another lifetime. It was pretty surreal going back in.

Afterward, I headed over to a co-worker's house. She is also on maternity leave and had her little boy 6 weeks after Violet was born. They sure had fun together, and immediately grabbed each other's hands when we put them next to each other:

Beau is 6 weeks younger but 3 lbs. heavier. I worry about Violet being too thin and Shannon worries about Beau being too chubby. I guess mothers always worry!

On the 10th, Violet sucked her thumb for the very fist time (as opposed to shoving her whole fist in her mouth). Today she even amazed us all by sucking BOTH thumbs at once!

And for the most amazing feat, Violet ROLLED OVER from her back to her tummy today while at Grandma's house! What a star! I will try to grab pictures of her next time she does it.