Taylor's First Christmas

Well, we survived Taylor's first Christmas! We started off with dinner at Mi Tierra on Christmas Eve, where we heard "Feliz Navidad" from the roaming mariachis FIVE times before dinner was done. But the food was fantastic as always and our little RSV baby was in a great mood and handled being out and about rather well. After we got home we decided to ho ahead and unwrap presents since we were all "camera ready" and would probably have ridiculous bedhead if we waited til morning! Taylor absolutely loved ripping off the wrapping paper and quickly got the hang of grabbing it and pulling it off the boxes. Christmas day was a nice and laid back day complete with "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," and a juicy ham from Bill Miller. If you haven't had the joy of eating a Bill Miller ham, you are truly missing out. I can't wait to use the bone to make a pot of beans! All in all it was a wonderful and laid back holiday. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Merry Christmas from the Robinsons!

Taylor's first Christmas present - a sock monkey! We are still debating on his name, I kinda think Ernie has a nice ring to it.

She got the hang of this whole present concept pretty quickly.

We got mom and Dan matching Snuggies. I still don't understand the appeal other than it's hilarious to make the ones you love look like monks!

Jody sampling the carrots on christmas day while I dump a load of cholesterol into the mashed potatoes.

Fun Times With RSV

Today was yet another adventure in mommyhood. First of all I am still working off the festivities of last night, so the majority of my day was spent in somewhat of a fog. I think as long as I continue to eat mass quantities of food I'll be ok by tomorrow. We started off our morning with a visit to the ear, nose, and throat doctor for me. I've had the feeling like something is stuck in my throat for about a year now, and being prego was my initial excuse to prolong having it checked out. Now that I no longer have that going for me I decided it was time to suck it up and get it over with. Oh yeah, Taylor went with me because the daycare was closed. Let me just say there is really nothing quite like having a scope threaded through your nose and down your throat all while trying to hold a squirming kid. Fortunately there's nothing wrong with me (I had already chosen Tori Spelling to play me in the Lifetime movie about my battle with the cancer I just knew I had) other than acid reflux. And joy, it will get worse after every pregnancy I have! It's a wonder that Duggar lady even has an esophagus left.

After we got back home I realized that the occasional cough that Taylor has was actually sounding a little phlegmy. Then I noticed that her little chest sounded pretty congested; so I called our pediatrician. Is it bad that the scheduling lady and I are on a first name basis nowadays? I have to give you the play by play of the phone call, because if you really consider it, the whole thing was quite ridiculous on my part.

Me: Hi, this is Jenni Robinson, Taylor is sounding kinda congested and rattly (yes, that's a technical term) in her chest. Do you think I ought to bring her in?

Receptionist: Jenni, I am not allowed to give medical advice. I'm only allowed to schedule the appointments (translation - I'm not a doctor, and I don't even play one on TV. Why in the hell are you asking me?).

Me: Ok, well if it were your kid, would you bring them in?

Receptionist: Probably, but I bring my kid in for anything.

Me: Fine, book us.

Seriously? I feel a little embarrassed now for kinda putting her on the spot like that, but I really do feel like we live at that doctor's office. I guess I was just looking for a little justification. So, we headed to the pediatrician and of course, thirty minutes before we left the house she stops coughing and has absolutely no sign of congestion. Thankfully the nurse practitioner wanted to err on the side of caution and did an RSV swab before we left. Lo and behold it came back positive. We came home with a crazy looking torture device so that we can administer her inhaler that was prescribed and a lovely humidifier for her to sleep with. And as kids always do, the minute we stepped out of the doctors office she was coughing and sounding cruddy all over again. Either way, my point is that sometimes paranoia pays off.

So now we just have to get our little Munkie through the holiday hell all the while being cruddy and congested. She normally goes to bed around 7:30, and tonight we duked it out until 9:00 before she finally went to sleep. The only thing that finally helped her was sitting in the bathroom with the hot water running in the shower. And to think, some people actually pay money to sit in hot steamy rooms!

No, that's not Linda Blair, nor is she posessed (even though she has been acting a little posessed since she got sick). Taylor tried peas the other morning and hated them!

Taylor Meets Santa

Today Taylor had her first picture with Santa at the mall. I won't lie, this was one of the holiday traditions I was least looking forward to (long lines of whiny screaming children), but seeing as how this is her first Christmas I decided to just suck it up and take her. First and foremost, thank you once again Karen for toughing out this torture with us, all the while holding my little sack of taters (super-mom here left the stroller in the car). I must say, the entire thing went very well, Taylor did fall asleep while waiting our turn. I felt really bad having to wake her up in order to take her picture with a complete stranger - but hey, that's the price you pay for memories! As you can see, she's still a little groggy, and she has a handful of poor Santa's beard. Probably as payback for waking her up.

Making New Friends

Taylor has become absolutely fascinated with the cats in the last few weeks. I think being able to finally SEE them has something to do with her newfound interest. Unfortunately for Alice & Cleo, she hasn't mastered the art of petting yet. What she has mastered is grabbing a handful of fur and trying to pull it into her mouth. Needless to say, the cats aren't too jazzed with this sort of attention and now run the other way once they see those slimy little fingers reaching in their direction. I know eventually they'll be buddies, but for now it's just way more entertaining watching them run!

Trying to get a handful....

She gets so excited she practically dive bombs Alice.

Can you tell Alice is NOT amused?

Remember what I said about men doing anything to entertain themselves?

Jody decided that Taylor would have a little Macarena time while she was standing on the coffee table.

Yes, our child is on the coffee table, is there something abnormal about that?

Such a BIG Girl!

I know every parent laments at how quickly their kids grow up. And though this is part of the process, and I have expected it all along, I'm still surprised at how big Taylor is getting! I was looking back at her pictures from when she was a newborn, and now she looks like she's big enough to eat that sweet little baby we brought home back in July. She is now sitting up by herself (Look, ma! No hands!). She still gets a little wobbly after a while (usually 30 minutes is when she starts geting tired) and inevitably winds up on her side or face. I'm also amazed at how she watches EVERYTHING around her and reaches for just about anything that strikes her fancy.

She will sometimes hold her bottle all by herself.

Hmm, what does this guy do?

She LOVES this bear. We like him because he's a safe alternative to the cats.

Daddy Days

Saturdays I work at the hospital, and since Jody wings it all on his own, Saturday has become known as "Daddy Day." Inevitably Jody and Taylor have quite an adventure, and usually by the end of the day there is usually some story to tell me when I come home. This Saturday I came home to find my camera out on the coffee table. When I asked Jody if I had missed something cute, he merely replied with a coy, "maybe." So, I turned on my camera and you can see below what I found. Gotta love the things a man will come up with to amuse himself!

He thought it would be funny to see what she would look like as a Russian guard (you know, the guys with the black Q-tip hats).

I think she looks like a garden gnome!

Crimmas!

Taylor hasn't mastered the art of sitting 100% just yet, but she can do it for a couple of seconds at a time, so I wanted to get a picture of her under the tree. As you can see, it took a few tries before we finally got it right, and also a few tries to get some with out "Demon Baby" red eye.

Weebles wobble but they don't fall down.

I think she was distracted by the shiny lights.

I'm trying like hell to make her into a book nerd like me. Today she really enjoyed reading the Grinch!

FINALLY! Two seconds later she was on her back like a turtle again, but we got it!

Cookie Monster

As every parent knows, biter biscuits are a great occupier when your baby is teething, provided that you can get past the slimy mess. Taylor LOVES these nasty things and will usually eat them down to a tiny nub that's just the right size to choke on (yes, that's when it gets thrown away......).

The eerie blue glow is the TV. Taylor likes a little snack while she watches "World News Tonight."

Mmmmmmmm!

Taylor Goes to the Ophthalmologist

You may remember a few posts back that Taylor's pediatrician referred us to a pediatric ophthalmologist to get her droopy eye (that's ptosis, if you want to get all clinical about it) checked out and make sure everything was on the up and up. Lo and behold, the ptosis is mild enough that it should correct itself, but we did find a few other problems that the doctor felt were a cause for concern.

First off, the problem of the runny eyes. We brought this problem to the attention of our pediatrician about a month and a half ago, and he assured us that it was merely a blocked tear duct. These are fairly common among babies, and he felt the best thing to do was just to watch it and most likely Taylor would grow out of it. Well, apparently the eye doc felt a bit differently. I was instructed to "massage" (he demonstrated this technique on me, and let me tell you massage is not the right word - mash the ever-loving hell out of is a more appropriate term) the area between her eye and nose on each side in hopes of popping the membrane that's causing all the trouble.

Next on the list is that Taylor is apparently "extremely farsighted." Now, for those of you who, like me, have always wondered how you determine a thing like this in a small child who won't read an eye chart - they dilate the eye and look inside. Apparently the doctor can tell this way how good or bad your kid's vision is. Taylor's is apparently bad enough that if left untreated, she would go cross-eyed. So, yes, she was fitted for glasses today :( I have to say, this part of the appointment was more traumatic for me than for her. She was a total sport while the lady kept attempting different frames, I on the other hand was on the verge of tears because my child looked like a bald Harry Potter in most of them. There were a couple of pairs that weren't too bad, but alas, Taylor got here mama's giant head and the only pair that would fit were these hideous thick pink plastic frames. I guess she'll just have to channel her inner Sally Jesse Raphael for a while, at least until she grows into a bigger size with more options. They won't be ready for 5-7 business days, but I did manage to find a picture of the frames we bought online, and posted it below.

Now we just have to go back in a month to see if her prescription was sufficient - he only went at half power with her prescription. We will have to watch, if her eyes start to cross then she'll have to go full blast. At that time he'll also follow up on that tear duct, and if I haven't managed to pop it open, she will have to have them corrected surgically (not a very big deal, just a lot of hassle that i want to avoid if possible). I promise to post pics of Taylor in her new pop-bottles as soon as we get them in next week - until then you can just lament with me over their hideousness through the picture below.

Imagine these in pink. As if they weren't terrible enough on their own, they even have a Tigger decal on the earpiece. Jesus, help me through this!

Fa-LaLa-La-La, La-la la la!

FINALLY got our Christmas stuff out today. For those of you who know me, yes I still hate Christmas with a purple passion, but seeing as how it's a kids' dream holiday I figure I owe it to Taylor to at least half-ass decorate and try to get into the Christmas spirit.

The stockings were hung over the litterbox with care........

No, that is not the original beer can angel from a few years ago. This one is new and improved (also the cans are inside out to hide their true origin).

All lit up!

Like Father Like Daughter......

.......And yet Jody STILL doesn't see the resemblance! I think we need to get his eyes checked!

Taylor

Jody (rockin' that SWEET Olan Mills forest backdrop)

5 Months

Taylor has reached the five month mark, and I must say that Jody and I both are amazed daily on how fast she is growing. She now only takes a pacifier on rare occasions, which would be a blessing if only its replacement weren't her thumb. I have a feeling that we will have a difficult time with that down the road, because at least with a pacifier all you have to do is take it away. I'm pretty sure cutting Taylor's thumbs off would be frowned upon by most, so taking them away is not exactly an option. But for now, at least there's no panic when we go out trying to remember whether or not I packed a binky. She has also started to roll over onto one side; some days she acts like she wants to go all the way onto her belly, but once she starts getting turned that way she freaks out and comes back onto her back. Another tidbit from the develpoment front - little Munkie has finally graced us with her giggles. She still doesn't laugh out loud just a whole lot, but now and then (especially when Jody tickles her) she'll really let loose. So far, we're still toothless, but I have a feeling that could change at any time. The drool continues to keep on coming, and she is still chewing happily on EVERYTHING she can get her mouth around.

Zonked out on her side, with the devil thumb.

Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about sterilizing it!

Thanksgiving 2009!!!!

First, let me preface this VERY LONG post with a notation that it is indeed very long! Be sure and scroll all the way through to the end! Also, my camera was either locked in the car or lost for the majority of this trip, so thank you to everyone who allowed me to share your pictures (some of you did this via Facebook without even knowing, lol!).

Whole lotta driving, that's all I have to say! We started out our voyage on Wednesday, and headed to Dallas to spend time with my mom and the DeWitt clan (really, there are enough of us that we could start a small colony!).

Taylor chills with her uncle Thom.

Look! It's those people that are always hanging around that baby! What are their names again?

Karen and Taylor - these two are going to be thick!

After our big turkey lunch on Thursday, we headed north to Gruver to hang with the Robinsons. Taylor was finally able to meet some of her cousins and her aunts Tracy and Christy.

What are you lookin' at?

Taylor steals a cuddle from Great-Grandma Mary Jo.

Then, on Saturday it was off to Amarillo where we met Granny Flo and Papa Joe, as well as Taylor's predetermined best friend, Braily (Her mom is one of my best friends, and we were prego together - Emily I still think Taylor is a result of you jinxing us!). It was so fun watching the girls interact. Well, ok - Taylor acted like a crazy woman and Braily just kinda watched her as if to say, "what's your deal???"

Granny is SO funny!

Taylor is telling Braily ALL about her road trip.

Braily and Em

Then on Sunday morning we got to hang out with the Stones/Chamberlins and eat tamales and have an early Christmas. Taylor seemed very intrigued by her Big Girl cousin Kadey and watched her every move! Kadey even helped Taylor to unwrap her Christmas toys - such a sweet cousin!

I think these two will get in a lot of hi-jinx together!

I leave her alone with Jered for two seconds........

Papa Val and his girls

Then it was off to the Danners' for a photo shoot. As always, Layci saves my non-crafty ass and makes Taylor look SO cute! Be on the lookout soon for pics from the shoot - here are a few candid ones we took before the real fun got started.

Is it just me or does Taylor look GIANT in this picture? For those of you who don't know the lovely Ms. Alyx, she is nearly five years old!

Then we were back on the road Monday morning, pointed toward home. Whew! All in all, Taylor did really well with the driving (although she does protest if she's in her carseat for much more than a trip to the daycare now!). Thanks to all of our family and friends for making Taylor's first Thanksgiving so much fun - and we hope to see you all again soon!

Rub a Dub Dub

Since boycotting the shower and outgrowing the sink, we have graduated to the big tub.

This has definitely been a fun transition!

Taylor has been practicing making raspberries (a.k.a. - mouth farts)