Thanksgiving

We had quite a busy Thanksgiving week!  We celebrated with JTs parents the weekend before when they came to visit us.  Where Taylor and Grandma blew lots of bubbles outside.

On Tuesday before Thanksgiving Taylor and I headed for Fort Worth to spend the rest of the week with Nana and Bapa.  Taylor didn't have school all week and we were having some painting done in the house, so we headed out!  

Taylor must have been going through a major growth spurt because she ate A LOT while we were there.   Here she is with Bapa at Jason's Deli partaking in the free ice cream.  I just love this sequence of pictures.

Just getting started and already its on her shirt

OK, now Bapa can have some too

Nope!  Spilled some more.  Taylor thought it was quite funny.  And so did I as I snickered from the other side of the table taking pictures of it all.  

We had a lot of fun.  

Watching movies with Bapa.  (especially Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and Monsters, Inc - Taylor's favorites these days)

Reading the morning paper with Nana and Daddy (who came a day later than us)

And visiting her old flame, Hendrix!  (who will be a big brother in June!)
Ironically, I didn't get any pictures of our Thanksgiving dinner.  Taylor slept through the ENTIRE thing!  I still can't believe it but she slept from 1 pm until 6 pm!  AND I had to go in there and wake her up so she would go back to sleep for bedtime.  She must have been so tired, because it took her a good 45 min to wake up.  She was like this with Nana for a long time.

Craziest thing I have ever seen.  

Once she got up she had a few bites of corn casserole.  After I shoved it in her face for probably the 5th time trying to get her to eat more saying 'it's corn, it's corn, you like it', she finally stuck out her finger pointing at the corn and said very emphatically, 'NO CORN!!!'.  We all cracked up.  Even my mom heard her from the other room.  OK, the girl doesn't want anymore corn.     

On Friday we went to Granbury Live for a Christmas show!  Taylor loves music and dancing so we knew she would absolutely love it.

Trying to get a group shot of Nikki's kids (who came to the show) and Taylor.  This is the best we got. 

A family shot

We had a great Thanksgiving with lots of fun.  I will leave you with Taylor wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Dos Update

I feel the need to update everyone on baby dos.  

There is no update, everything is going great!  No complications or anything, lets hope it stays that way.  No more nausea (thank the good Lord), no more extreme fatigue (although I usually stay tired), haven't gotten huge yet - so I am feeling pretty good.  That is why they call the 2nd trimester 'the honeymoon' stage of pregnancy.  

We are starting to *think* about getting things ready in the baby room.  I say think because we haven't done much at all!  I did make my first purchase off Craigs List last week - a big girl bed for Taylor!  I got such a good deal, I feel like I stole it.  A solid wood head/foot board and frame for $30!  Look for that blog soon.  So the baby will have Taylor's crib, and that's all we have done!  I have come to realize that baby #2 comes with far less planning, necessities, stressing, etc.  I guess that's why you are more laid back after the 1st kid...you are just trying to survive!  

Today I made the first purchase for baby Dos at Target.

Cute, huh?

And a belly shot I took

Good grief, this was 2 weeks ago.  Time is flying by.

We are still working on a name.  Right now her name is 'the one who cannot be named'.  Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?  Yeah, I think so too.

The World Series

The Rangers finally made it to The World Series.  I told JT during the season that if they ever made it all the way, I would want to be there.  I couldn't think of anyone better than my Dad to go with.

We have been going to games together ever since I can remember.  We saw Nolan Ryan pitch his 7th no hitter and when Robin Ventura charged the mound.  I don't really remember much, but I know I was there.  There is no bigger stage in baseball than The World Series.  And we had tickets!  

We decided to get there really early and experience everything.  And wouldn't you know that we saw batting practice and I got a ball!!!!

I have been to enough games to know if you yell loud enough and are obnoxious enough, they will throw you a ball - especially at batting practice.  I have to give my Dad the assist as he did a full body block on the guy next to him trying to get the same ball.  Never underestimate a pregnant washed up softball player.  Never.  

I got to meet up with a few friends who I knew were at the game

Janis who I played softball with in college, who did break my homerun record.   We are finally back on speaking terms. 

Totally kidding.  I love Janis to death.  She is the sweetest, most intimidating player and was always glad she was on our team!  (yeah, she is a Giants fan... back to not speaking to her again)

My friend Heather from when I used to work for the Rangers.  She still works there and got us in the ballpark before the gates opened. 

There were so many people there, found out later it was the biggest crowd in the history of the ballpark - over 52,000!  We were going to walk around the stadium right before they opened the gates but ran into a sea of people and we were trapped!  Remember this is 3 hours before the game is supposed to start!!!

So, we waited with the crowd for them to open the gates.  

After we got in. 

It was so crowded you couldn't even walk, and they had police officers to direct you!  Crazy.  Anyways, the game itself was amazing - they won!!!  It's too bad it was the only World Series game they did win as they ended up losing the series to the Giants.  But, I can say I was at the only World Series game the Rangers have ever won - and was there with my Dad.  I will remember that day forever.  

Houston Trip

Over the weekend, Taylor and I took a trip to Houston to visit family I haven't seen in forever (some had never even met Taylor) and celebrate cousin Joshua's 1st birthday.  I knew JT had to work some over the weekend, so I would be looking for something for us to do, a trip sounded like a great idea!  We left on Thursday morning to give us a few days there to visit, and to avoid the Houston traffic.  I had lots of movies and music CDs to keep Taylor entertained, and she did great.  

When we got there, she made herself right at home at 'Aun Linna's' (Aunt Linda) house.  

I told her a few days before that we were going to see Aunt Linda, and reminded her that Aunt Linda painted her toes pink last time we saw her.  So now she associates Aunt Linda with her pink toes, its cute.  

She enjoyed all the balls to play with and nice backyard at Aunt Linda's house

On our way to eat dinner with my cousin Jennifer, Thomas and their two boys Ethan and birthday boy Joshua, we stopped by the duck pond by their house

Attempting to get a nice picture of the two of us.  No luck, I should've known better. 

We went to dinner at Pappasitos where we were quickly serenaded.  Taylor wasn't too sure about these two...

The next day we took a trip to Toys R Us to price out some potential birthday and Christmas gifts.  Taylor loves all the Sesame Street characters, especially Abby Cadabby.  Aunt Linda bought her an early birthday present - an Abby Cadabby doll!  When I went to make sure she was sleeping at nap time, this is what I found

Her clutching Abby Cadabby, huddled in the corner of the crib.  I think she liked the gift, thank you Aunt Linda! 

The birthday boy!

And with his cake

Happy Birthday Joshua!  I am so glad we got to come visit family and celebrate his birthday!  

A big thank you to Aunt Linda for letting us stay with you and for the GREAT time, I am so glad we came!  By the way, the first person Taylor asked for when she got up from her nap today once we got home was 'Aun Linna.'  I'd say Taylor had to great time too.  

Halloween!

I was pretty excited for Halloween this year since Taylor was a year older and we could go trick or treating.  I knew she really wouldn't get it, but knew if I told her we were going to get candy she would be all about it!  The kid has a serious sweet tooth...of course so do her mom and dad. 

 

I was so excited when I found an Elmo costume at the semi-annual consignment sale that I go to in her size!  I snatched it up for $6 and couldn't wait to show Taylor.  Well, she loved it but she would NOT put it on!  I really have no idea why, I mean, she doesn't have any reason to be scared of it.  I did 'force' it on her one day while watching a movie (distracted) then ran to the mirror to show her that she was Elmo!  She really could care less and just wanted it off.  Bummer, maybe she will wear it next year, it is a little big on her.  

So, I had to figure out what to put on her since we were going trick or treating and at preschool they had a day for the kids to dress up.   I thought of the BEST 'costume' for her - seeing as how the Rangers were in the World Series (look for that post coming soon) and Nana got her a new Ranger shirt, she could be a Rangers player!  Perfect.  It's still normal clothes, but I could pull her socks up and put her hair in pigtails.  It was the best costume since game 4 of the World Series was on Halloween.  

She was VERY, VERY excited to go trick or treating.  Kids started coming to the door and she saw us handing them candy, well she wanted some!  So, I hurried to get her 'costume' and get her hair up.  This was the only picture I got before we went out because she wanted to go!  

We told her to say trick or treat at the door, she would say 'treat' and hold up her bucket.  She caught on real fast to this trick or treating thing

And here she is in action.  I like how she looks back at us almost in a panic when the lady went to get the candy as to say, 'where the heck is the candy?!'.  Taylor is sometimes shy at first at going up to strangers...apparently not when they have candy.  

We let her have a few pieces of candy corn after we got home...JT and I (ok, mostly me) have put a pretty good dent in the stash already :)

Happy Halloween! 

Sesame Street Live

Last week my mom and I took Taylor to Sesame Street Live in Tyler, TX!  A friend of mine (thanks, Lauren!) told me she heard about the show, knowing Taylor's love of Elmo and friends.  

The show was at The Oil Palace, fancy.

It was on a week night, all the way in Tyler (about 100 miles away) so I didn't think JT could go.  I knew Nana would love to come!!!

I didn't tell Taylor we were going until that day, she was very excited once we got there and she saw the lights and Sesame Street stuff around us

Of course, she had on her Elmo shirt!  

I bought the tickets and Nana bought a Zoe doll, a way cool Elmo light, and parking ($8!!!  Seriously, $8).   

Zoe doll in hand anxiously waiting for the show to start.

Once the show started, she was mesmerized!  I thought she would just be beside herself with excitement, but she was too excited for words.  

She sat on my lap for the ENTIRE SHOW.  She has NEVER sat that still for that long.  Money well spent.  

ALL of the Sesame Street characters were there, and even some we didn't know - like a female Oscar???  Weird.  

Some pictures of the show (we had great seats)

This was a glow in the dark number they did - very cool.


The show ended a little before 9 pm, which is past her bedtime.  Since we are very strict about her bedtime, we figured this one time of staying up late would be ok.  Thankfully, she fell asleep in the car and slept the whole drive home and went right to bed once we got back.  It could've really backfired on us if she couldn't go to sleep and screamed the whole drive back.  The one time we had tried to leave for a roadtrip at night in the hopes of her sleeping, she screamed for 45 minutes before we turned back.  Thankfully, that didn't happen.  I am sure she dreamt of Elmo, Cookie, Ernie and Abby all night long.  What a great night!