That's Our Walkin' Girl!

Somewhere between Sunday morning and late afternoon Taylor has figured out this walking thing. Going from just taking a couple steps then falling down to taking upwards of 15 steps! It's amazing. I took a few videos and these two turned out the best


Don't you love how she looks at the camera thinking, "OK, are you filming? OK, here I go". Then when she is finished she looks at me, "Did you get that on video, Mom?!"



Sweet girl.

The Zoo

On Saturday we took Taylor to the zoo! We all had a great time, and Taylor was very well behaved. These days she is always well behaved if JT or I are in sight and if there are lots of things for her to look at. We are so blessed to have such a happy baby.


We saw the flamingos, lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, gorillas, penguins and a few more that I am sure I am forgetting. Taylor's favorite part was, of course, the waterfalls. She got real excited when we got up close to a waterfall in one of the animal exhibits. She did enjoy looking at the penguins because you could get right up next to the glass and watch them swim by, all the other animals were pretty far away. JT bought her a penguin stuffed animal from the gift shop that she loves!

The big lion we saw high up (this is a zoomed in shot) that looked like Mufasa from The Lion King

Excited Taylor watching the waterfall in the white tiger exhibit

Taylor and I looking at the flamingos


Taylor's latest noise is to 'ooooh' everything. There was lots of 'ooohing' at the zoo, especially at the flamingos! She has never seen anything quit like that before! JT read that they are pink because of the food they eat and if the zookeepers would feed them something else they would turn white, and they stand on one leg so that can fly away faster - who knew?!

It was such a fun afternoon, a great way to spend it with sweet Taylor.

Sara

I don't think I ever told the reason for Taylor's middle name, Sara. Throughout the whole pregnancy I wavered between Elizabeth (my middle name), Grace (just because I liked it), and a few others for her middle name. We knew that we wanted her name to be Taylor as JT thought of it a couple of years ago when we were naming our unborn children and we both really liked it. Thank goodness. I know some people really struggle with naming their children because they can't agree, it's a hard job! JT told me he would be happy with whatever I decided for her middle name- no pressure. I really wanted it to be Taylor Elizabeth, but had major reservations about it being the same, only in reverse, as Elizabeth Taylor. I don't have anything against her, just didn't want people to think I named my child after her. But, towards the end of pregnancy I had sorta just settled on Elizabeth - in the back of my mind it still just didn't sit right with me.

Once I was well into labor and in the hospital, I turned to JT and said, "So, December 12th will be her birthday". He then said, "You know, that was my Grandmother's birthday too." I had no idea. My due date was December 5th, which is also JT's birthday so everyone was focused on that to mention his Grandmother's birthday. Even if they had I would've laughed and hoped I wouldn't go THAT far past my due date...but I did. A very long, full week past due. The wheels began to turn - we should name her after his Grandmother as they were very close when JT was growing up. I only knew her as Cornelia (I never met her, but obviously knew her name) and wasn't too fond of that name - well, it's kind of an old lady name (no offense). JT then told me that her first name was Sara, but that she went by her middle name, Cornelia. Perfect. I thought about it for about an hour or so (keep in mind I was in active labor) and then JT and I both agreed that her name should be Taylor Sara Cope. I loved it. A friend from work said, "So, you called an audible at the line of scrimmage" (thanks Troy!). Well, I guess we did.

For some reason I have heard a lot of songs by the singer Sara Bareilles on the radio lately and it reminds me of my first trimester of pregnancy. I had just bought her CD when I first found out I was pregnant as she was (and still is) an up and coming artist who I really liked. I would listen to her CD in the car almost everyday to and from work for a couple of months. Her songs just had a way of making me think of my unborn child and how happy I was. At that time we had only told a few people that we were expecting, so those rides in the car were times to myself to reflect on the big changes that were about to occur as I listened to her songs. They also, ironically, remind me of feel nauseous. Ahh, the early days of pregnancy.

It dawned on me just the other day, with Taylor in the car, when one of Sara Bareilles' songs came on that her name is Sara. And Taylor's middle name is Sara, it is even spelled the same. And how her songs remind me of Taylor and those early days in the car. I can't help but think about it now and smile. Her name was no accident. It was meant to be.

I really like the whole CD, but here is one of my favorites called, One Sweet Love.

Taylor's First Steps!

Sorry, the camera work isn't the best, but I was too excited!

This is the most steps she has taken at once, and I got it on video! I think it was about 7 or 8 steps. Pardon her being 'naked', but it was right after lunch where she made a mess (she has decided she doesn't want to wear bibs anymore - she rips them off) so I had taken her dirty clothes off. And of course, she was after one of her non-baby toys, the baby moniter. Remote controls, cell phones, water bottles, baby monitor, empty boxes - those are all her favorite 'toys'. I can't believe our baby is walking - at 9 months!

The Water Gardens

On Saturday we took Taylor to the Fort Worth Water Gardens. I have never been, that I can recall, (which is very sad since I am a native Fort Worthian) but has been on my list of things to do, so off we went! If anyone knows Taylor, you know that she loves running water. For the longest time, it was the only way we could get her to take a nap - bouncing with her in the bathroom with the faucet running. Thankfully, we have moved past that stage. Needless to say, she LOVED The Water Gardens!

There are several water fountains/displays (not sure what to call them). This is us in front of The Aerated Pool. Don't take Taylor's face too seriously, she was having a great time - she was probably not too happy that she can't see the fountains.

The Water Gardens are not 'stroller friendly' as there are lots of stairs and no ramps so we looked down at The Quiet Pool and let Taylor play in the water that cascaded down the walls - very cool

Then there was the Granddaddy of them all, The Active Pool

That is JT way down there. They have steps leading all the way down to the bottom, it reminded me of a place in Hawaii we would go where you would walk down these black rocks to the ocean where waves would crash in, kind of scary but very cool. It looks pretty safe, but once you get about halfway down it's nerve wracking as it gets pretty loud and some of the steps are very small and slippery. I took Taylor only a few steps down, then brought her back to JT and went all the way down.
That is JT and Taylor at the top, center of the picture

Here are a few pictures from the bottom




We all very much enjoyed The Water Gardens and will definitely go back - and why not? It's free and only about 5-10 minutes away! Can't beat that.

One more parting shot of our sweet Taylor

These Shoes Are Made For Walkin'

Since Taylor is on the brink of walking, and the weather will be getting colder I thought we better get this girl some shoes! I actually got these in the little boys shoe section at Target because I did not like any of the girl shoes there - they were all very glittery-pink AND more expensive than the boys - what the heck?! These were just $10, and most of the girls I think were about $14...what a rip off. I bought the 9-12 month size thinking those would be fine. Well, when we got home I couldn't get them on her little sausage feet! They were plenty long enough but I guess she has fat feet - my mom jokingly asked me if they came in wide...uhh no. But once I stretched them out some, they fit just fine.

Isn't she just the cutest?! I might be a little biased though. She isn't too sure what to think of them as she kept playing with the velcro in the car and taking them off - hey, at least it kept her entertained for a few minutes. Everyday she gets a little better at standing on her own and taking a few short steps, won't be long until she is running around outside in her super cool shoes!

9 Months

A few days ago our 'baby' turned 9 months! It's hard to believe how fast she is growing up, we are soaking it all up. At her 9 month doctor's appointment where her doctor is very happy with her growth and development. Here are her stats:

19 lbs 5 oz (60%)
27 3/4 inches (75%)
I didn't get her head circumference, but the nurse said it was the 90% - FAT HEAD!

She has slowed down on her growth (no longer in the 90-95%), which the nurse said at this age is when they tend to slow down. The first thing the nurse said when coming into the room was, 'hey there, crazy hair!'. Yes, yes we all know Taylor has crazy hair. I keep waiting for it to lay down as it gets longer, but it just doesn't! Let's hope she doesn't go to the prom with it still standing on end.

This girl is a-walkin'! Well, sorta. She will stand for a couple seconds, then take 2 or 3 short, quick steps then stumble down. It is very exciting to watch, the look on her face is almost of surprise. Like, 'how did I get up here?! look mom!' Very cute. I will get it on video soon.

She is working on one tooth right now that is just about to come all the way through, that will give her six in all (four on top and two on bottom). She is drooling puddles everywhere and her nose is like a faucet (I have read that a runny nose is sometimes associated with teething). Needless to say, her shirt just stays wet all day - oh well.

I know everyone likes Taylor videos, so here is one that I took today. Enjoy!

Playdates

Last week Taylor and I had 2 different playdates. On Thursday we went to see sweet Eleanor and Kara. Taylor and Eleanor were both very curious about each other, grabbing at one another and babbling. Taylor is cutting a couple of teeth right now so needless to say she chewed on everything over there! Taylor enjoyed all of the new and different toys to play with - sometimes I think she gets bored with the toys she plays with every day. Here is a really cute picture of the girls

Keep in mind they are only 1 month and 2 days apart! Eleanor is such a cute little thing, but then again so is her mama. Thanks Kara for the great playdate!

On Friday we had Clark and Mari come over. Both Clark and Taylor seem to be very grabby with other babies, not oddly not with each other. They pretty much just push each other around to get where they want to go, not much grabbing hair, ears, arms, etc. Not sure why that is. Needless to say they play very well together. We put them both in the ball pit where good times were had!

They were more interested in climbing over each other than playing with the balls

Then of course was the chewing on the balls. At this age, everything is a chew toy/teether


These 2 together equals double trouble!!!


Thanks Eleanor and Clark for some fun playdates! We are looking forward to Saturday for Clark's 1st birthday party!!! Here are some fun pictures of the soon-to-be birthday boy!

Bragging Rights

Since this is my blog and I can write what I want, I am going to brag on my child...because that's what parents do.

First, I must say that Taylor is the star of the forward roll in Little Gym class! The way they do the roll is they are held at the waist, and then held upside down where they are supposed to put their hands down and tuck their head, then flip their legs over (if you can follow that, I should get a video of it). Well, most babies don't put their hands down right away and/or don't tuck their head at all. Not Taylor. She puts her hands right down and immediately tucks her head, and over she goes! Even the other mom's comment on how well she does it. I just beam with pride. That's our little star athlete. Maybe it's her natural athletic ability or maybe I am getting just a little ahead of myself. Either way I am VERY proud of her!

Secondly, she took her first step yesterday one day short of her 9 month birthday! I am not sure if it counts or not but I was practicing with her standing on her own, which she has done for up 10 seconds before, she stood there getting her balance for a couple seconds then took one step towards me then fell right into me!!! Needless to say, I was extremely excited. Everyday she gets better at standing, letting go of the furniture (or whatever she is holding on to) for a couple seconds then falls/sits down. It won't be long until she is running around this place!

And lastly she has started mimicing me. Today in the car I waved 'bye bye' to see if she would do it back to me, (something we have been working on) I did it for awhile with her merely staring back at me so I stopped and turned to look out the window and when I turned back she was waving bye bye! I guess she just wanted to do it on her own time and when she was ready, or she just needed some time to think about it, who knows but again I was so proud and excited! She will also shake her head if I shake mine first, it's quite cute. She is doing something new everyday it seems and trying to soak it all up before she gets to be a toddler and I can't remember her baby days. Sigh.

I don't like to post unless I have pictures, so here are some taken over the past week

Look at all that hair! Yes, it's still sticking up

At her first wedding, where she was very well behaved. I kept waiting for her to yell 'BA-BA-BA-BA!' or something equally disruptive, but she hardly made a peep.

Can you tell she is teething? Ball, anyone?

Up to no good

The Ball Pit

My best friend Rachel (Taylor's future mother in law) sent Taylor 100 plastic balls, like you see in play areas, only minus other kid's urine, vomit and other vile things living in public play areas. I have been on the lookout for some to put in Taylor's pack n play, since she really hates to be in it (I have mentioned she is a mover, does not like to be confined) to make a super fun ball pit! I haven't seen any and Rachel saw some in a catalog where she was ordering a birthday present for a 1 year old, so she was kind enough to order some for Taylor! I was so excited when they arrived yesterday that I tore open the box, dumped the balls in the pack n play and threw Taylor in it and said, 'BALLS!'. Then she cried. I think it was too much for her at once, combined with the separation anxiety that she is going through. I took her out, gave her 2 of the balls to get her warmed up to the idea and then put her back in it. I had to go in the kitchen (away, but where she could still see me) so that she would play with the balls and not try to play with me, or want to be picked up. Here is the video I got from afar (the noise you hear is the washing machine and dryer going)



She stayed in it for about 10 or 15 minutes. I think the only reason she wanted out was because I went in there to stop the dryer, then she wanted to be picked up. I am thinking she will really love it once she gets over this clingy phase.. Thanks Rachel!!!

Separation Anxiety

We have been going through a rough patch right now with some major separation anxiety, which is why the lack of blogging. Taylor's sleeping had been disrupted for the past couple of weeks and I chalked it all up to the dreaded teething. But after trying EVERYTHING with nothing working, and it only getting worse I did a little more thinking and research and sure enough it is definitely separation anxiety. She is currently cutting 3 teeth which I am sure doesn't help matters any, but she is prefectly fine while awake and I am in sight. Her teeth actually don't seem to bother her in the least, which I am very thankful for. She sleeps like a dream at night (we are working on her waking up later than 5 or 5:30 am which this morning she slept until 7!) which was really confusing me on whether it was her teeth or not.

Anyone that knows me and Taylor knows that naps have been our nemesis, and they have struck again. It all started a few weeks ago when Taylor would wake after only 30ish minutes of her nap, I would go in there and coax her back to sleep where she would sleep for another hour. It wasn't every nap and was very easy to get her back to sleep and sure did beat listening to her cry to see if she would put herself back to sleep, so I did what I had to do. Just this past weekend everytime we laid her down asleep for her nap she would immediately wake up and cry, sometimes before her head even hit the mattress. We would try 5 and 6 times to lay her down with the same outcome, pick her back up and she would go right back to sleep. This went on so much that we had no choice but to sit with her in the rocker and let her sleep, otherwise she was not going to nap at all. I tried letting her cry it out, but she would cry for days, if I let her, until I would come rescue her. When I would go get her she would be so worked up that I couldn't get her calmed down to take a nap at all! So that does not work, at least not now. As much as I don't want to get back in the habit of her napping with me, I really have no choice. It's either do that or she doesn't get a nap, and that is definitely not an option. So, until Taylor figures out that just because I lay her down and leave the room doesn't mean I won't come back, we will nap together. It's kind of a nice feeling to know that someone wants to be around you so much that they don't even want to sleep unless you are there. If I think about it that way, it makes me smile.

Other than this hiccup, things are going great. Taylor is pretty much into everything and everywhere. She still loves the chase the cats around, much to their dismay. Phoenix has found a safe haven that keeps him out of the grasp of a 9 month old...for now



Much of my day is spent chasing around the little crawler to see where her curious self takes her. These days it's either to the cat food where I then have to scramble to put it up, the bathroom to play with her bath toys that we leave out, or the back room that acts as our laundry room and where we keep our books. Power cords are another favorite of hers, that is where we are trying to teach her what 'no' means to which she just looks up and smiles...it's a work in progress. She can stand by herself for a few seconds now which I know walking is right around the corner. We are now going to The Little Gym twice a week where we have a blast! She has her little friends where they all play and socialize together. We have been learning forward and backward rolls, mommy (or daddy) assisted log rolls, how to share, practicing walking, and of course playing with balls and bubbles at the end of class. One of the moms even said to me about Taylor, 'wow she is a live wire'. I thought to myself...you have no idea.
Taylor is such a happy, happy baby. Many moms at The Little Gym comment on how happy and bubbly she is. She always has a big smile on her face



How can you not smile at that?! I feel so lucky to be able to be with such a happy, fun baby all day. We love her so dearly.