RATTLE AND ROLL....

Taylor has figured out 2 new things...rattles and splashing. Bathtime is our favorite part of the day. Now that Taylor is sitting up, she loves playing with her bath toys and splashing in the water!

As far as rattles go, she loves the little noisemakers. Of course, she isn't satisfied by simply shaking the rattle. Taylor likes to beat it on her hip like a tiny tambourine! I get a kick out of it and I hope you will to. And with that introduction, here is our first video upload on the blog!!

BEACH BUNNY IN TRAINING...

This week is Spring Break for Caddo Parish schools, so my dad took the week off from work. My mom and dad were invited to spend a few days with David and Susan Austin at their condo in Perdido Key, Florida. I am sure they were looking forward to spending a few days on vacation with no kids; however, the Austins, known as LaLa and DaDa (pronounced 'Day-Day') were so kind as to extend an invitation to me, Ray and Taylor for a day at the beach! I was very excited, I LOVE going to the beach and felt that Ray could use a little vaca before his board exams, but I knew Ray might need some convincing. And how could he resist this....
So did it work.....OF COURSE!!! We packed up and headed on to Florida late Friday afternoon. Saturday was beautiful, a little chilly, but wonderful. We couldn't put Taylor in the water, not even the heated pool, but we did play in the sand. And she loved it!!

Thank you LaLa and DaDa for letting us enjoy your company AND your condo! Great memories from Taylor's first trip to the beach! Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

Taylor is 5 Months Old!!!!

Oh my goodness, could it be?! Taylor is already 5 months old? Of course it is such a blessing to watch our baby girl grow bigger and bigger. But Taylor is reaching an age where she observes and attempts new things. Just within the past week, she has become marveled by faces. One evening she was sitting in my lap, her big, beautiful eyes staring into mine, and suddenly, with a very gentle nature, she pressed her little starfish hands to my checks. For a moment she did nothing but study my reaction and then she began exploring the nooks and crannies of my face. My heart just melted. Well, until I got a finger up my nose. Since that evening, Taylor wants to grab our noses and pull our lips every chance she gets. And for her 5 month birthday, Taylor performed a few tricks:

-Taylor now places her paci back in her mouth all on her own. Sometimes its backwards and usually upside down, but hey, she's got the idea, right?

-She is attempting to hold her own bottle...this may take a bit more practice. Apparently, there is a very precise angle at which the bottle must be held. Taylor can't quite get that angle, but we're working n it.

-Taylor is scooting backwards! I am thinking that, at this point, it is not intentional. During tummy time, in an attempt to get on her knees, Taylor pushes herself backwards.

-And, Finally, TAYLOR IS A SITTER!!! That's right, our little 5 month old now enjoys sitting and playing with her toys!You may notice some major drool in these photos. EVERYTHING goes straight to Taylor's mouth...Sophie the Giraffe, stuffed animals, fingers, hair, you name. If Taylor is able to wrap her tiny hands around it, you can bet it will get a good coating of slobber. Could we be teething? Daddy the soon-to-be-dentist says its likely. However, just because we are teething doesn't mean we will be cutting teeth next week. I will definitely let you guys know when the first tooth starts to make an appearance!

HIP CHECK....

We had our follow up appointment with the Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon to check the development of Taylor's hips. As you may remember, Taylor was born breech, and, therefore, with her legs bent up towards her face. The ultrasound performed at 1 month looked OK, but the doctor wanted to check her hips again at 4 months. While waiting for the doctor, Taylor got a bit hungry and decided to nibble on her shoe...The doctor was very pleased with Taylor's hip placement. In fact, she said that Taylor's hip development is beyond what they usually see at 4-5 months of age! So, the doc said we no longer have to watch this. Yay!!

FOOD UPDATE....

So I kind of left you guys hanging on the edge of your seats...what does Taylor like to eat!??!?! Well, the green beans never really grew on her. But peas, she liked.The sweet potatoes gave her a little rash. And as for the carrots and squash...well, as you can see, we couldn't shovel them in fast enough.These past few days, we have attempted to introduce Stage 1 Meats. Don't be fooled, this isn't filet mignon or chicken a la king. It is a mush that resembles in both consistency and scent something that we might choose to feed Fido or Fluffy. Within seconds of the spoon entering her mouth, Taylor furrowed her little red brow with, I am sure, only one thought, "WHY? WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS?" In an attempt to please her parents, Taylor pushed the pureed beef to the back of her throat and attempted to swallow. But the moment the mush touched those tiny little taste buds, she gagged. Taylor has tried so hard these past 3 days to let the flavor grow on her....no luck.

So, tomorrow we start fruits! Yum!!!

PLAYTIME...

For the past couple of months, Taylor has been spending an hour or so a day in the nursery while I work out at Elmwood Fitness. I have LOVED it for several reasons.

A) it has helped me shed the last few pounds of my pregnancy weight

B) it has given be some much needed 'me' time during the day

C) Taylor has begun 'socializing'!

She loves the nursery and those who take care of her in the nursery, Ms. Flor, Kristina, the whole bunch. The ladies are always telling me what a wonderful baby Taylor is, so happy, so easy. She swings, she watches the big kids play, she giggles, she naps, and then one day, she did something brand new. She was put in a exer-saucer/bouncer toy. Apparently, Taylor just went crazy with giggles and smiles. For the past 3 weeks, she has played in the bouncer every day in the nursery. This past week, we made a roadtrip to Shreveport. Taylor's cousin Braylin is now too big for her exer-saucer. With Braylin's Mommy's permission, we brought the giant contraption on back to NOLA with us. For those of you that know how I am with keeping my house in order, you can only imagine the fear I had regarding baby toys being strewn about the house. And this huge, hunk of plastic with bells and whistles of all sorts is now smack dab in the middle of my living room. But does that matter? No, because I am having way too much fun watching Taylor pull, twist, tug, gnaw, and exercise those little hams of hers!

THROW ME SOMETHING MISTER!!!

In true New Orleans fashion, Ray and I toted our little 4 month old to Mardi Gras. Well, we felt it was only fitting, being that she was born in New Orleans, that she experience the craziness and amazement that is New Orleans Mardi Gras!!

So...we bundled up, headed to the heart of Uptown, strolled up St. Charles, and finally settled into a family-friendly spot on Napoleon...

We people-watched (And trust me, even in the family-friendly zones, there is plenty to see!)...

We broke it down with the marching bands (I am definitely considering getting Taylor a pair of boots with tassels!)...

We caught some beads...

And by the end, we were exhausted! Taylor was asleep before we could get the straps buckled.

All in all, is was a wonderful 1st Mardi Gras! And... she is already a natural. We had been at the parade for around 2 hours and we were teetering on that fine line between happy baby and fussy, sleepy, hungry baby. Ray and I had finally decided it was time to pack it up and head on home. As we began gathering our things, another float approached. We had been so careful to protect
Taylor from the flying beads, doubloons, and random throws. But, one got through from this float. And like slow motion, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flashy, red, string of beads hurling toward the baby-bjorn. Before I could react or Ray could jump in the line of fire, Taylor opened her tiny little hand. As if the beads were meant for her only, they landed right in her tiny palm and she quickly clasped her fingers shut. That's right, folks, she caught herself a Mardi Gras bead!!!