The Taylor Family Saga

5x7 Folded Card

2011-06-05T21:25:00.001-05:00

Plaid Camel 5x7 folded card

Shutterfly custom cards for Valentines Day, Easter & Mother's Day.

View the entire collection of cards.

The Oldest Cyclist

2010-02-14T22:26:00.002-06:00

Of what I am not sure, but he is pretty dang old. I was exercising at my YMCA a couple weeks ago when I heard an old man talking about the annual road bike ride from Houston to Austin. He said he didn't like it much which caught my attention. I initiated a conversation with him by asking why... As it turned out the man on the other side of me was a cyclist too and joined the conversation. This other man was probably in his late 50s early 60s. A few minutes passed and the two older men discussed various rides they participate in and the younger said "I was at the La Grange ride and they had the Oldest Competitive Cyclist come up and be introduced. That wouldn't happen to be you would it?"

IT WAS!

He is 96!

If he can do it, I can do it.

The Long Awaited Post

2010-02-14T21:44:00.009-06:00

Or Posts...

Of course its been a while since my last post and yes much has happened. As to whether its super exciting, that can question can only be answered by the eye of the beholder...

First Missed post: Max's Epic Poop Exposion

This party started at the park. He was about 6 or 8 weeks old and was enjoying one of his first trips to the playground with his big brother. There were not enough wipes, clothes or blankets we had...

Second: Grayden's Halloween Costume

Actually his "Dash" costume didn't arrive until two days after Halloween. I was the saddest. Grayden was fine with being the only thing left at target in his remote size; a ninja. Not to worry however, he wears it A LOT, sometimes even in public!

Third: Max Discovers How to use Elbows

This was at least a month ago. Troy managed to get a nice pic of Max propping himself up for the first time.

Fourth: Grayden's GQ Photo Shoot

These were taken in late January with the new DSLR my dad gave me for Christmas. Grayden is not the easiest model to work with. He much prefers to be behind the camera. I had to lure him with an old camera that serves as "Grayden's camera" and take turns shooting pictures. He knows how to wind his camera so his shutter closed when takes a picture.

Side note: He loves wearing his "soup" to church. He wore it three Sundays in a row before he put anything else on and then wore again today.

Fifth: Max's First taste of Food

Grayden insisted he help feed Baby Max.

Sixth: Grayden can Dress Himself!

Well sort of. Some time over the Holiday Break Grayden figured out how to get his shorts on and off. A few weeks ago he decided he need to change his shirt. He went upstairs all by himself took off is shirt and put on his green tractor t-shirt. I didn't actually get to see him do it, but I got this picture afterwards. Its backward, but not bad for a first try. He now can fully dress himself with some assistance with socks and his left shoe. He can get the right one on without any trouble.

Seventh: Grayden MUST sit with Max in the Chair

The picture quality is not so hot, but it was the cutest...

Milestones For Max

2009-12-10T18:25:00.002-06:00

Max just rolled from his back to front for the first time literally 10 minutes ago! Hurray!

Max's Blessing

2009-11-03T11:38:00.002-06:00

It was a beautiful day Sunday. Perfect weather for a baby blessing and family gathering. Everyone made it on time and we had a yummy brunch afterward. Thanks to all family and friends who came from various parts of the state and those who participated in the blessing. What a wonderful gift of the Priesthood. The Spirit was most evident and Troy gave a beautiful blessing that was certainly inspired by the Lord.

Here are a couple pictures of those who attended. (David Johnston took the pictures and Sarah was inside cooking the bacon).

Out of Reach?

2009-10-26T22:43:00.002-05:00

I think not! Ok so the stool didn't provide enough hight to reach on top of the microwave sitting on the counter. His goal: a piece of gum. To solve his predicament he dragged his slide from the living room and pushed the ladder side against the cabinet. Success. Yummy strawberry trident!

Movies Movies Movies

2009-10-07T15:39:00.002-05:00

Ok so Troy has hooked Grayden on movies. In the last two weeks Grayden has decided the TV is entertaining. We got him two disney movies. He already had Cars and we bought him Monsters Inc. and The Incredibles. Now Grayden runs around the house and EVERYwhere else like "Dash".

He has become so savvy has just managed to trade out the Incredibles dvd in the player for Monsters inc all while I was in the bathroom. I am beginning to see a pattern. He uses the precious time I am stuck in the bathroom as license to exercise his mischievous plans!

"Hold it"

2009-09-24T17:36:00.002-05:00

Grayden always wants to hold Max. To express this he says "hold it". We frequently take Taylor Family naps together which are exceptionally nice since we got our new king size bed! Now that Max is here he is included. Grayden wanted to hold him the other day when we were going to take a snooze. I told him he could not hold him laying in bed, but he could put his arm on his tummy. Now that has become the daily ritual. (Don't tell Grayden Max gets moved after they pass out!)

Trash Cans

2009-09-24T17:32:00.003-05:00

Apparently turning over a small trash can works just like your common stool. Grayden used this technique today to reach a pack of gum sitting on the bar next to the kitchen. He has now chewed 3/4 of a pack of trident in the last two days! Sneaky!

P.S. Here are some pics...

2009-09-13T17:03:00.002-05:00

Can you tell?

2009-09-13T17:02:00.002-05:00

Max finally arrived!

2009-09-13T16:41:00.002-05:00

We made it through the hottest summer I can remember! Hoorah! Max came on 9.08.09, one day before his due date at 9:09 in the morning. He weighed in at 9lbs 9ozs, technically .01 ounce less than his big brother did! Crazy!

Everything started around noon on Labor Day finally escalating to undeniable contractions at about 2:30 am on the 8th. I woke Troy just after 4am. He politely asked "Are you sure?" and "How do you know?". We dropped Grayden off at Kerry and Kevin Keys' house (THANK YOU! We would have been lost without you!) and headed for the hospital.

Around 5:30 they finally checked me and said I could stay because I was at a 4! I was so afraid they were going to send me home. Another HOORAH! My doctor was called around 7:00 and he told the nurse to put me on the pit to make sure my contractions kept going, but she had been monitoring me for the last couple hours and decided I didn't need it. She said "I'll give you one drop per hour that way I did what the doc told me, but it won't do much, your body is working fine on its own." Thank You Nurse! My doctor arrived at 8:00 and checked me. Drum roll please... 9cms! WHAT? Everyone was shocked. In just over an hour Max made his debut.

I am thankful for a short labor and delivery!

Grayden's New Traveling Buddy

2009-08-28T11:56:00.002-05:00

Recently Grayden has discovered the great possibilities a stool can offer. Not only can he reach the grapes in the sink, but he can now get to light switched, food, the dead bolt (Yes the one up high!) and various other off limits things. Here is going for a box mix of blueberry muffins!

2009-04-28T10:03:00.003-05:00

Grayden has just figured out how to use a stool! He took the step stool out of the bathroom took it to the kitchen and used it to reach the bowl of grapes sitting in the sink.lol I was not even sure he knew where I was getting them from each time I got him some. I guess he was paying attention.

Pee!

2009-03-04T09:47:00.002-06:00

Ok so this happened minutes ago and I just had to document it. Grayden stood next to my desk laughing while I typed. I heard a dripping sound, drip, stream, drip. I looked at him again and watched as liquid poured from his lower half. I then looked to his right and saw the absolutely clean and dry diaper had on moments earlier precariously parked within inches of his toosh!

Needless to say he peed on the floor! And of course thought it was funny.

2008-12-30T19:49:00.002-06:00

Hello my friends... I actually got 2 count them 2 replacement phones for Christmas, so I should have them up and going soon. If I forgot to tell you what happened to my latest phone its probably because I don't have one.

My dear sweet gentle Grayden boy decided it was fun to chuck things out of our second story dining room window. After a week or so of not finding it our gracious neighbor brought us a stack of items left on their porch below. Needless to say the phone was dead.

Grayden is a Gentleman

2008-11-25T17:08:00.005-06:00

Ok so we just got back from the grocery store, and I am holding three bags and a bag of dog food. All the while I am trying to coax Grayden along, slowly. We get up the stairs and he wants to linger by a well known pair of bikes locked to the railing on the way home. My arms are dying. He offers his services. I tell him its heavy, not having a light bag to offer, but he insists. After he tries he grunts to lift it and I offer to take it back. "Oh NO!" he says and this is what the little man accomplished!

I am so proud.

p.s. He promptly closed the door just after I barely retrieve the dog food...

First Suit

2008-11-09T21:08:00.002-06:00

Today Grayden wore his first suit to church! He was so handsome. I forgot to get a picture before we left so all we've got is this one which as you can see is not the best. He was not very happy by the time we got home and he woke up from a nap. Although he is screaming in the shot he did manage to make it to the third hour of church before his shirt came untucked and home before the tie was all the way off...

my pic won't load so I will try again later...

Scary Story

2008-10-15T12:14:00.003-05:00

Ok so its been a huge drought in writing on the blog, but we have not had internet at home since the hurricane and we were somewhat MIA for about the entire month of August. That being said here is a heart racing tale about Grayden.

Yesterday at playgroup all the little toddlers, seven to be exact, and four mothers enjoyed each other's company staying indoors on a rainy day. Grayden and our hosts daughter Cally apparently made good friends and decided to go on an adventure together. Grayden being the dashing young man that he is with his charm and good looks whisked the lovely Cally on a dangerous journey without the safety of the apartment walls, unbeknown to us.

One second we were laughing and chitchatting the next, Crystal, the other mommy, and I were panicked searching for out little ones. There were only about 1000 square feet to cover looking for the two. The thought to check OUTSIDE didn't cross my mind until several passes over the same places produced no children.

Running out the front door I yelled Grayden's name trying not to get hysterical. Crystal called from above on the next floor up, screaming with relief, "I've got them!" Ohhhhhhh!

Grayden was the obvious culprit being that he was the only one able to reach the door handle and formerly discovering he could open that particular kind. Of course the children were completely unaware and wondering what all the fuss was about.

After several minutes of breathing deeply and commiserating the craziness of the situation Kerry, another mommy (of twins!) took the children to the well protected balcony. But alas not even 3x3 metal gridded bars can prevent out little escape artist from trying. Not two minutes passed before he was scaling the railing trying to climb over the edge.

Seriously... Seriously!

Grayden's First Birthday

2008-08-06T22:56:00.003-05:00

We had a tiny party with our friends here in San Antonio. Here are a few pics. He really dug the cake and the he and his pal Brooke were into the bubbles she gave him!

Here are some pics of the FINAL product.

2008-08-04T16:31:00.003-05:00

He's so handsome!

Grayden's First Hair Cut

2008-08-04T16:25:00.004-05:00

In preparation for his first birthday tomorrow Grayden got his first trim. It turned out pretty well, we think.

Grayden v. The Dog

2008-06-27T13:28:00.002-05:00

Well apparently the battle continues over who should get the dog's food ball.

Fun With Family

2008-06-10T12:46:00.002-05:00

Two Saturdays ago we all loaded up and went to Georgetown TX to visit some of my family. It was great because I got to see one of my cousins who I had not seen in over ten years! Plus I met some other cousins that I hadn't met yet. Crazy.

Grayden had a great time playing with everyone, especially Nanna (my mother). Here is my favorite picture of the day. It was his first time getting muddy.

UPDATES

2008-05-04T18:41:00.007-05:00

Ok so I have been pretty terrible about writing on the blog. I get caught up in things and then side tracked. Much is worth mentioning.

Grayden has recently discovered how to pull himself up and walk along the edge of the couch. He still does the army crawl, although I have seen him on all fours more than once, but I am not so sure he will be belly down for much longer.

Here are some pictures of him doing his new tricks. My favorites are the ones by the window. I wonder if he is contemplating the world outside or just looking at the trees.

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This is from the other day at the park. It was a beautiful afternoon, unusually cool, so we thought we would take advantage and go for a swing.

Finally, Grayden has two new teeth. I tried to get a picture, but that was just not going to happen, so trust me they are there. Since I could not get a picture of his two front teeth, here he is getting stuck in his play gym. This was only the first of many bizarre places he has gotten himself into.

MY SHOP!!!

2008-04-24T16:33:00.000-05:00

I opened my own shop at etsy.com! Check it out...

www.allthingsfelt.etsy.com

Jodene Bond

2008-04-05T22:08:00.002-05:00

My grandmother. One of the greatest influences in my life and someone who helped me become a better me. She died last weekend and its all a little surreal still. She is the closest person to die in my life. It has not totally sunk in.

My sister sang and we were both pall bearers, a job generally meant for men, but my mom wanted to be one so we all participated. Today was the burial. It could not have been more beautiful. The tender mercies of the Lord were all around.

Grayden in Pursuit

2008-03-27T15:27:00.003-05:00

Grayden!!!!

2008-03-23T21:56:00.003-05:00

Ok so we JUST got home from Dallas, about 20 minutes ago. Grayden has figured how to pull himself across the floor using his arms and knees, not quite a crawl, but just as effective. He has already gotten to the dogs food ball three times, a piece of the dog's rawhide twice and my flip flops were almost within grasp. Yep, I'm a gonner!

These were pictures I took at the birthday party.

Cousin Ewan

2008-03-23T21:52:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we attended Ewan Taylor's birthday party. He turned the big 4 and got lots of Thomas the train stuff. Grayden was the youngest, but he had fun watching all the big kids play.

Snow, Sun and Ski

2008-03-21T16:07:00.004-05:00

Last week my Dad took me, Grayden, and his 4 and 6 year old skiing in Park City, UT. We had a lot of fun. Troy did not get to come however so trading Grayden around, so I could ski, was limited. I think by the next time I will be fairly descent. My six year old sister was out-skiing me to give you an idea of how "not good" I am, or how good she is. She did take the blues and skied between trees and did jumps, all without falling, with Breanna.

This is my 6 year old sis, Christina, schooling me on the slopes...

Grayden got to see the snow and mountains, but other than that he was pretty restricted in his activities due to his inability to stand yet. He will get there though and soon he will out ski me too.

Oh and while we were visiting we managed to make it to one of Breanna's rugby games where she immediately busted her lip, causing it to fall our of her skin. She got about 12 stitches, but not cosmetic surgery was necessary. Then the following Saturday my dad got to go to another game in the which she got kicked in the face and broke her nose. At least this time she got to stay in long enough to score.

Here are pics of Breanna's injuries. (As a side note, no one has ever had to go to the emergency room until we got there!)

MORE TO COME

2008-03-16T21:59:00.002-05:00

I have plenty to post about our little adventure in Park City last week, but its late now so I will write detail tomorrow!

(Troy is laughing hysterically upstairs about something...I must investigate.)

One more thing...

2008-03-06T21:34:00.003-06:00

His hair is growing like cazy.

I figured I should mention how Grayden is developing. Lately he has turned into a little Rolie Polie. He has managed to cross vast expanses of carpet and reach for everything from lamp cords to book shelves. Fun times.

Today he showed promising signs of crawling. He knows how to push himself backwards, but has not quite been able to get up on his knees all the way yet. Yep, I know. My days are numbered and I'll be lucky if that number is a double digit!

More Easter Pics

2008-03-06T20:54:00.005-06:00

Of course Breanna was a little princess in her yellow froo froo dress

When I was a kid I watched the original Little Rascals a lot. One episode featured Darla wearing this puffy white dress, loaded with tulle. She was beautiful. This little blue dress made feel like a princess and that I was as pretty as she was.lol So much fun!

Random visit to Mommom's

2008-03-06T20:38:00.003-06:00

Grayden and I made a little trip to grandma's last Friday and spent the afternoon playing. Amongst the fun, Mommom found a gold mine of pictures from the past. Several of which were from the Easter of 89. I must say me and Bre looked pretty darn cute!

Me, Breanna and Dad, oh and Silver (the dog)

The famine is over!

2008-03-06T20:19:00.003-06:00

Its been a while, but the rains have come in...

Last week Grayden and I went to Herman Park to play. We swung on the swing set, talk to a duck and watched some crazy guys feed the squirrels from their hands.

The sun was shining and the sky was blue. It was a beautiful day to say the least. However it was a bit chilly so we had to wear our light jackets. I think Grayden enjoyed the little excursion.

Grayden Update

2008-01-30T21:36:00.000-06:00

Grayden has recently developed a skill for sitting up, at least until he decides he needs to suck his toes or kick his leg knocking himself over. He is still a novice, but I expect he will enter the pros very soon.

Oh Glorious Van

2008-01-30T21:28:00.001-06:00

I just spent the last week in San Marcos trading cars with my dad. Since he recently purchased a new car I inherited the family van. Its great. The best part is the ease getting Grayden in and out not to mention the space, comfort etc...

It was hard being away for so long, but in the end it was worth it. Dad had to get a few things fixed before I took it. Troy missed us and we missed him. The neatest thing was seeing the expression on Grayden's face when he heard daddy's voice on the phone.

Another Picture

2008-01-07T23:43:00.000-06:00

I took this picture of my mother in law Mary Ann. I think she looks quite beautiful. She might kill me for posting it, but it should be seen.

Some Grayden Pics

2008-01-02T10:44:00.000-06:00

Bryce left his camera yesterday after Fynn's birthday party. Its wonderful having the use of an DSLR! These are some of my favs I took yesterday afternoon.

Pic

2007-12-30T20:59:00.000-06:00

Here is a picture of one of the shirts I got...

New Threads

2007-12-30T20:33:00.000-06:00

Among my gifts I got a gift card to Anthropologie. We took a little trip out to the mall yesterday and I found to shirts! Both were on sale so I was able to "afford" them. Under normal circumstances I would not have gotten them, but since most of it was on a gift card I joyously purchased them!.

Christmas

2007-12-29T00:11:00.000-06:00

Grayden and Daddy opening a gift from Santa.

It was fantastic. We had fun making our way from San Marcos north to Dallas. We stopped in Austin to see Grandma Taylor and in Georgetown to see mom.

Troy got me a beautiful dress. I also got new pots, HURRAY! AND one of my favorite movies, Meet Me in St. Louis. Plus a little shotglass-like measuring cup that measures tablespoons and ounces...its fun.

Grayden got a bunch of fabulous stuff including an exercauser(?) a toybox with wooden toys and a white button up shirt I have been wanting for him.

Troy loved his gifts. A new camera, some leather gloves, a wireless mouse and sonicare toothbrush.

The Mavs

2007-12-19T23:50:00.002-06:00

Well the won it! To be honest I am a bit surprised. The Suns are no picnic all I need to say is Steve Nash and you get the picture. It was a close game, so pretty exciting. Troy and DJ went with friends and saw it live. Fun. At least they say a winner. Oh and truly they whitnessed a miracle in the last second of the game when Nash threw up 3 pointer and missed to tie the game and send it into overtime. Whew...OT is rarely a good thing.

I love my baby boy!

2007-12-18T19:41:00.000-06:00

I just want to express my feelings for my little Grayden. He is an incredible baby and I feel so blessed to be his mommy. I cannot believe he is mine! I am so excited to see what his future holds. Troy and I hope we can be good examples and help him grow into a wonderful man.

I love love love my baby!

Just a Grayden Picture

2007-12-11T19:32:00.000-06:00

I have a Theory

2007-12-11T19:23:00.000-06:00

Well I have two about love and marraige.

First I think the deep love we all want cannot be felt until you have actually gotten married and made the covenant in the Temple. As in, you wont feel that before hand thus there is a bit of faith involved when you do decide to get married.

The other is if you wait toooo long there is too much room for dissapointment. Meaning, if you date someone for several years its likely you will find many reason not to get married and rather than make a commitment you can get out. When you get married its a way of saying you take the other person and all their baggage and you promise not to leave them hangin.

Troy Says

2007-12-11T19:20:00.000-06:00

Its been forever since my last post, not that there is nothing going on, but I just have not gotten to it.

Well Troy wanted me to post something in his name. He says that he hates how people look out the side of there eyes in pictures, particularly when its a profile picture. He thinks they are trying to be cute and artistic, but its really not (he sees them all the time).

I'm Losing my Mind

2007-12-01T17:47:00.001-06:00

Just when I thought I had my life under control. Seriously the house has been upside down today, in the emotional sense. I have been in a distracted, ticked off, stressed out mood, Troy is stressed about exams, Grayden has been crabby for no apparent reason and the dog will not leave anyone alone, particularly Troy!

Recently I have been trying to jumpstart a little business for my editing co. and it has totally distracted me from my other writing project, which I want to do more, but this need to earn money is eating away at my insides. I am about ready to pull my hair out. I think everything started going off track yesterday morning when I missed going to the gym and then missing again this morning. UHG!

My bad mood has been affecting all my personal relationships today, Troy, Grayden and the dog.

Nothing too Exciting

2007-11-29T21:45:00.000-06:00

Grayden and I went to the Galleria yesterday and put flyers out on cars in the garage. I think it was around 200 or so. Grayden was great. If he is in the sling and gets to look around he is as content as can be. Surprisingly someone actually wrote me an email asking about my services. The guy has a HUGE project he wants to do and he wanted to know how much it would cost. I have not heard back from him...

My next plan is to pass out much more impressive flyers to peoples' front doors. I am not sure how I will actually get them out. There is no way I could take Grayden out for that.

Grayden is as cute as ever. Troy snapped this picture on Sunday afternoon.

Thankfully Grayden is still relatively immobile so I was able to take a catnap with him in my lap!

Hurray for Grayden

2007-11-24T08:40:00.000-06:00

I put him down for a nap and instead of whining and falling asleep he got really quite. I was in the other room waiting to hear him, but not a peep came out, so I went to check on him. This is what I found him doing. He discovered that he can use his arms and elbows to prop himself up and see even more! Before this he would just lift his head as high as he could. I guess he was in awe because he did not make sound and sat there like that for about five or so minutes.

I've Been Tagged

2007-11-19T10:28:00.000-06:00

OK, so apparently when one gets tagged they must write six things about themselves that most people don't know. I will do my best to reveal something new.

1. When I was a teenager (17 to be exact, sadly) my friend and I attended our first Hanson concert at Sea World. This particular concert involved several hours of waiting to get in. Anyway we went and had fun, oh and we were definitely not the oldest, nor we the minority in age... Well years later as a college freshman this same friend and I heard they would be having a concert in Austin. It was September, which is the month of both our birthdays and we thought it would be a fun celebration for us to reminess. One morning before the concert, after we had purchased tickets, we both were happening to listen to the same radio talk show where they were giving away backstage passes. Oh I forgot to mention a few days before this my friend and I went to a blood drive to try and get them, but Bobby Bones didn't fork them over. SO, I called my friend and we commiserated about how we happened to here this and then she said "call the radio station". Now this was not my territory. She was a pro at this so I was like NO! Then for some reason I said yes. I called. Bobby Bones said he would give us backstage passes IF we came in the following morning to sing a song about him on the radio, otherwise he would broadcast my cell number. Well we went to the concert and met Hanson, believe me we were not the crazy ones, and sang the next morning. We rewrote words to "Baby Got Back" and basically made fun of Bobby Bones.

OK so this was long, but one more thing. We actually met them again the following May at another concert. And for all you Haters, don't judge until you listen to their latest stuff! ALSO, I would like to mention that we were not obsessed, honestly it just looks that way.lol

2. I once was a construction work, thats right, I dug holes, lifted concrete bags, used many saws, screw drivers, and nail guns. It was rough, but an interesting experience.

3. I once was the subject of a Documentary about people who worked in College. It helped that I worked for Amy's Ice Cream as a Pit Boss, which was a cool job, accept that I did not get home until 2:30 or 3:30 am the nights I worked...

4. I got a poem published in High School for something I wrote on my math book cover my junior year. I DO NOT consider myself a poet, but it got me extra credit in my English class senior year. You can look it up at poetry.com under Mariah Campbell. (its not that cool)

5. My favorite music is usually singer song writers or Americana; Patty Griffin, Jewel, Ben Folds, Eastmountainsouth etc...love,love,love them

6. Maybe this should not be one of them, but it was something cool that happened and totally something one would only find in a movie. In High School this guy I dated, my "first love," bleh, made a music video expressing how he felt about me, it was cute, using a David Byrne song. The video entailed socks, cereal and other miscellaneous items spelling out my name. It sounds sort of dorky, but it was totally cool.

7. Since I mentioned the above story, I think I should also mention something else about Troy, which is even cooler. When he was on his six month Bachelor party in Brazil he randomly sent me a vase of flowers at work. It was a much needed gesture, as you can imagine.

Whew!

Ahhhh A Haircut

2007-11-17T20:12:00.000-06:00

I got a cut today. Its refreshing to say the least. The last one I had was March I think. I felt like I looked like a ragamuffin most days because long hair and I dont get along well. Of course the cut is shorter than I wanted. This has happened now the last 3 times I got it cut. The time before these was the greatest cut of my life. I have been trying to get it back ever since. At least this time the cut that is too short looks good. Troy likes it, so thats a plus. By Christmas it should be about the right length.

Dresses Dresses Dresses

2007-11-15T21:16:00.000-06:00

Ok so I want to go shopping super bad, but the clothes I want are pretty expensive, so I have to wait until I am rich... I have a sort of obsession with 1950s dresses. This is probably the first one I will get.

Milestones

2007-11-15T21:09:00.000-06:00

Grayden has been trying to roll over for the last few days. Today he managed to move his legs 90 degrees from trying to turn over so many times. I give him til Thanksgiving, but I will be surprised if its not by Sunday!

Oh and his communication skills are diversifying. No longer are they oohs and goohs, but squeals, grunts, and loud throaty calls. Its getting exciting here in the Taylor home.

Finally something new

2007-11-12T20:03:00.000-06:00

We rented a steam vac this morning. Our two neighbors went in with us, so we only spent about 17 bucks. It was totally worth it. The dog decided to poo on the carpet yesterday while we were at church. It was imparitive to clean the carpet to say the least.

The results are good. It was well worth it and I recommend it. By the end of it though, Grayden was done being patient. He did sit calmly for a good hour and a half watching me, so I must give him a lot of credit. I am grateful.

oh funny note...

Yesterday Grayden pooped during Sunday School, again. This time however it was longer and louder. Lets just say I was not the only one laughing. At least six other people were looking and snickering with me as I left the room to change him.

Some Pictures We Took

2007-11-07T20:34:00.000-06:00

I talk about the pictures in Thump thump thump...

Thump thump thump

2007-11-07T20:16:00.000-06:00

Apparently our dog is to loud. Just after an exasperated return from Target, Grayden needed a nap, and he was drifting off when a hurried banging rapt at the door. I was only slightly alarmed. A big, obviously perturbed man stood before me. He said that he keeps hearing thumping and it has been "desturbing his rest" for the past two months. I was taken aback to say the least. It was sort of an out of body experience. I did not know what to say. It ran through my head to blame Troy, but what good would that do. All I could muster was "thanks for letting me know" before he went to the office. I had planned on making him bread as a peace offering and thank you, but dinner turned out poorly (after several hours prep) so I decided to eat it instead. Maybe tomorrow.

I suppose a little drama keeps life interesting.

One fun note: Grayden and I had a short. but productive photo shoot today. I actually got several descent pictures, and two pretty good ones.

CUTE CUTE CUTE!

2007-11-06T17:13:00.000-06:00

I had to post this picture I took today...

My Sleeping Giant Angel Baby is Cutting Teeth

2007-11-05T20:41:00.000-06:00

I know its crazy, but true. Grayden has three maybe four white buds trying to jump out of his gums. All are on top. He has had all these mysterious symptoms and after my discovery of the pearly whites Saturday I decided to do some research. The coughing, runny nose, irregular diarrhea, incessant sucking and biting, AND occassional (not normal for him) crankiness have all been clues. Nobody is going to believe me when I tell them my 17+ pound baby with front teeth is only three months old! (Today marks his calendar 3rd month.)

Bad Day for Pictures

2007-11-03T20:12:00.000-05:00

After several months of waiting, the verdict is in. The once coveted and adored SLR, (camera), circa 1974, we found, stowed in the dark recesses of Mary Ann's hall closet has proven almost useless. The majority of the pictures taken were so dark they were not printed. The others, which are some I took, were fairly dark, but still not even worth framing. Its obviously something to do with exposure, but there's also a grainy look to them. Its been a while since I took any classes on the subject, so I am not sure who the culprit is, camera opperator, film, camera or a combo. Upon refection, I have decided to give it one more tryout before benching it. I think I will try two things, another film speed and take more pictures outside. The darkness could be a combo of film speed and lens angle (not just fstops) so I will also take that into account...

Along the same subject line, of pictures, but this time digital, I experienced another great tragedy. Please excuse the melodrama, but I cannot resist. I spent much time preparing. For the scrapbook/keepsake book I assembling for Grayden, I made three comic strip photo collages. I was very excited to have them printed today, but as it turns out the resolution was not good enough to make an 8x10. Luckily this is not the end of the road. I can hopefully reexport them at the highest resolution. I will promptly go to the store on Monday!

*Update* The more I think about it the more I think it was a camera operator malfunction! The cobwebs are clearing. I vaugely remember something about crystals and film speed which if not properly aligned/calibrated can cause graininess... So much for being disappointed. At least there is SWEET HOPE...

Flattering or Creepy?

2007-11-01T20:58:00.000-05:00

Escapades to the grocery store are always eventful. A three month old, plus a husband obsessed with the meat department is generally a sure fire way to make things interesting. Either I am roping in an extremely carnivorous husband or speaking babyese in the isles. Today Grayden wins most captivating performance for cuteness.

Upon entering the cereal isle and its golden walls of cornpops, captin crunch and cheerios a lady laid eyes on him. She swooned and complimented my little guy and then thanked me for letting her "enjoy him". Later, in another isle, this one lined with silver cans of green beans and tomato sauce, the lady caugt me speaking the famous foreign tongue. She beamed with gushy adoration and I smiled back. Slightly awkward. I am chalking it up to Grayden's enchanting ora, who can resist it? We movied on to look at some produce, including overpriced organic bananas (no we did not buy them).

Testing...

2007-10-31T21:14:00.001-05:00

Again

Monkey See Monkey Do

2007-10-31T20:14:00.000-05:00

Grayden's first halloween was slightly uneventful, probably for lack of teeth, no way to chew candy. However, he did manage to look super cute in his monkey costume that will hopefully fit next year. Although his size is turning him into a living legend, weighing in at 17 pounds 10 ounces today, he is not quite so huge as to fit in a 12 months sized monkey suit, pun intended. Nevertheless he is charming in it!

p.s. I suppose its best there is no candy around... it would be the death of me.

Test

2007-10-31T12:57:00.001-05:00

Did it work?

Thank Goodness for Maintenance

2007-10-29T20:26:00.000-05:00

Hooray! We have a shower again!!!!!!! AND, we might be getting a dishwasher that works! I have never had such strong emotions for a repair man before, I was just beaming.

Trip to Grandma's

2007-10-27T19:54:00.000-05:00

We traveled far north, well 20 some odd miles, to mommom and poppop's house. All would have been great had there not been an accident, completely pointless lane blockages and a forced alternate route on the highway, which added a good ten minutes. Troy was antsy to say the least. By the time we were unknowingly whisked on to I10, after the accident and lane closures, and the baby crying hysterically, not to mention the traffic, Troy was ready to throw in the towel. We had not even made it to the other side of down town.

In the end we made it though and he got to see some of the UT game. Grayden was a hit, of course. Who can resist a cute baby who smiles and coos at you? We were awarded, or is it burdened, with gifts, aka 80% useless stuff, and dinner. Dinner was good. We had Cracker Barrel. Bacon, eggs, a pancake and a half and I was ready to go. We arrived home not a moment too soon as it was nearly Grayden's bed time. Luckily there was not TOO much fuss and he was out, after his bath and dinner.

The moral of the story: Troy says next time they can come to us!lol

My Sleeping Giant Angel Baby

2007-10-25T21:33:00.000-05:00

We are still trying to figure out the whole sleeping thing here in the Taylor home. It seems Grayden cannot make up his mind about whether he wants to go to sleep with or without crying. I personally have been torn about the sleeping baby debate. Originally I was against crying then I second guessed the idea. Here we are several weeks later and Grayden is still having trouble. I think I have decided to throw all "recommendations" in a pot, stir them up, along with mommy intuition, and do what I think is best. I just have to remember not to discuss them with too many people.

Along these same lines...

For the past two days Grayden and I have slept for two hour naps together on our red chair in the livingroom. For some reason he cannot sleep more than 30 to 45 minutes, if that, in his bed or with me in my bed. Whats the deal? When he wakes from those he usually cries and is unhappy. When he wakes up in the morning and from these long naps with me he is happy and ready to play. What am I suppose to do? He needs to sleep so his brain can develop normally, but according to certain sources he will be too dependant on me if I don't make him cry it out and this does not seem to work.

Ugh.

Oh, one more thing of note. He has had SEVERAL baths thus far in his short life, but the past four or five have been terrible. Actually, the bath itself is fine, but as soon as he gets the towel on he starts SCREAMING to the point of spitting up. What the heck? This is a new development that we cannot figure out. The only way to calm him is to nurse.

Ahhh the Cooohs and Gooohs

2007-10-24T18:13:00.000-05:00

Grayden has begun talking to me! I may not understand everything he says word for word, but I can understand his need and desire to express himself. Its actually quite remarkable. When I talk to him he wants to talk back. But, the best is when I sing. He sings with me. Honest. I think his favorite are the ABCs. He has a certain gusto when we sing that one. I suppose thats a good one to learn...

Cold Morning at the Dog Park

2007-10-24T11:14:00.000-05:00

Troy had the morning off so we headed to the Dog Park for an early run with Pooch. The sun was shining, but there was a chill in the air. I think it was in the low fifties. Pooch got some needed energy release and we got a nice breath of fresh air, well as fresh as can be expected from a dog park.

Grayden wore his first big boy outfit. Because it was cold we decided a onsie would not cut it, so I dug for a pair of pants and long sleeved t-shirt. I found his pants in the bottom draw, also known as the big kid draw. So named because all the clothes in it are for six to nine months. The pants are a perfect fit. I did not think my two and a half month old would be wearing these quite yet.

Random Weather

2007-10-22T19:56:00.000-05:00

Today was not only unusual in that the high for the day was at its peak at 7 am this morning, but that I was outside to feel it. I am excited for my new indeavour to work out in the wee hours of the morning, 6:30 am. A few hours after returning from my work out the temperature dropped twenty some odd degrees and put a chill in the air. It was wonderful to say the least considering last Thursday I was complaing about humidity and sweat.

Funny Moment Today: I can't think of anything note worthy...

The Boys

2007-10-22T19:55:00.000-05:00

Me and Grayden

2007-10-22T15:03:00.000-05:00

Sunday Talks

2007-10-21T21:22:00.000-05:00

Although Troy and I have been married for over a year and a half, today was the first time we gave talks together at church. I would say they went rather well. Troy of course was charming and funny, even though he forgot our wedding date and asked me the correct date from the pulpit. The joke, or his real mistake, at least got laughs.

Oh yeah, Troy and I got sustained in our new callings today. Troy gets to teach in primary. I lucked out and got activities committee.

Funny Moment Today: Grayden took a loud poop during Sunday school and I know my neighbors were just pretending they did not hear it.

My First Post

2007-10-21T21:16:00.000-05:00

Well I always thought this was sort of dumb (having a blog), but I have since decided otherwise. The older I get the more scattered my friends and family have become, so in an attempt to feel closer to them I conceed.