Taylen 4 months

Height- 24.8 inches (75%)

Weight- 14 lbs (50%)
Head - didn't catch the measurement but it's definitely in the 90%. I'll credit that to big brains and thank goodness for the C-section.

Clothes- 0-3 and some 3-6 depending on the brand.

Diapers- Size 1

Taylen is eating 5-6 oz about every 3 hours and is taking a morning nap around 9:30 for about an hour and a half and an afternoon nap around 1 or 1:30 for about 1 1/2-2 hours. She also usually sleeps for about an hour in the evening after I pick her up from daycare. At night she sleeps from about 8:00 pm to 2:30 and then after she eats goes to sleep until about 6:30. She is still sleeping in her cradle with a sleep sack and a blanket tucked around her in our room at night.

Taylen is doing awesome at daycare- all smiles for the most part. I think she's been there enough now to know the drill and what to expect, so seems like I might be raising another kiddo with a schedule expectation (which is a-ok with me b/c that is how I am too). She even started taking her morning nap in the pack and play rather than having to be put in the swing or bouncer.

Taylen is becoming more and more animated and is so much fun. She sits in her jumper really well even though her feet don't touch the ground yet. We finally got the giggles to come out and I just can't get enough! I haven't gotten a good video yet b/c I usually have to be really silly and its impossible to hold the camera at the same time. That little toothless grin and scrunched nose smile...She also rolled over ONCE. haha and hasn't since then. She went from tummy to back. When she lays on her back she'll get all the way onto her side and then gets stuck. She's close though! She sits really well in her bumbo and also does not mind laying on her tummy now that she can hold her head up for awhile. She's become really interested in grabbing at her toys and holding them when she's in the bouncy seat (and of course everything goes straight to her mouth).

My favorite thing right now is just seeing a glimpse of the two girls getting to interact and knowing how much fun (and how many sister fights too) they are going to have together. Aspen likes to "read" to Taylen and is always so encouraging to her "roll over Taylen- look mom she got on her side- I'm so proud of you Taylen!" I kid you not. So sweet.

Taylen 3 months

Height- 24 inches

Weight- 14 lbs

Clothes- 0-3 and some 3-6 depending on the brand. I am starting to put away your 3 month sleepers as your feet get to the end of them! :) It's bittersweet for me- happy you are growing but hoping I never forget this sweet time of you being so small.

Diapers- Size 1

Taylen had a big month this month! She is eating 4-5 oz about every 3 hours and is taking 2 longer naps with 1-2 cat naps here and there. Her longer naps are usually around 9:30 for an hour or so and then about 1:00 for 2-3 hours. Although she is still surprising us with random naps in her schedule as well. At night she sleeps from about 8:00 pm to 2:30 and then after she eats goes to sleep until about 6:30. The last two nights she has slept all night in her cradle! :) Big news this month, sleeping wise is her getting all the way through the night a few times and we stopped swaddling you. I'm not so sure I was ready but daddy tried it one night and you seemed to like it better so we stuck with it.

The other big milestone Taylen hit this month was starting daycare. I went back to work part time, which was wonderful. It allowed us both to adjust (me being away from her and back to work and her and her daycare provider to adjust to each other) without being forced into it for 9 hours a day. The first week was hit and miss but mostly a little rough on all of us and after that it got better and better. I think she knows its a daycare day now when I strap her in her seat in the morning and she does really good for her provider for the most part. She will only sleep in her bouncer or swing while she's there...but she is eating and sleeping well while she's there. Last week was her first week going full time.

This also became a morning tradition starting last week:

After they're both dressed and ready for the day, I go in and finish getting ready and brush my teeth before we walk out the door. They sit together in the glider watching Mickey. I love it.

Taylen also sat in the jumper for the first time both at daycare and at home.

She is a very laid back baby, and I can't believe she is already 3 months old. She's starting to grab at things and will hold onto her mousey or a burp cloth (or my hair, necklaces, sweatshirt strings, etc) now. She's a smiley baby just like her sister and we just love every single smile we get. I'm pushing for the giggle but it hasn't come yet. Good thing no one has a camera on me while I'm working for that giggle...

Taylen 2 months

2 months - 1/1/14

Weight - 11.6 lbs (50 %)

Height- 22 inches (50%)
Head 22 (75%)

Wearing size 3 months clothes and size 1 diapers

Taylen Ann. I can't believe it's been 2 months and I'm getting ready to go back to work soon. You are such a joy baby girl. Your personality reminds me so much of Aspen's as a baby but with a little bit of difference too. You are pretty go with the flow, but when you get hungry- watch out b/c you will let us all know about it. haha We love you so much baby girl- you are just perfect to complete our family.

Taylen eats 4 oz every 3 hours or so except in the mornings, it's more like every 1.5 hours. She is in a pretty consistent schedule of waking at 7 or so in the morning and being awake until 10 or 10:30 then taking her first nap for the day. It's usually a short nap (about an hour or hour and a half) and then she's up and ready to eat again. After that bottle she's usually back asleep for nap #2 by 12:30 or 1 and will sleep for a few hours during this nap. Then it's hit and miss for the rest of the day with bath time around 7 or 7:30 and she's usually asleep for the night around 8 and will sleep until 3 am or so.

Taylen really loves bath time and getting her diaper changed. I get the best smiles during diaper changes (when of course my camera isn't in my hand!). She has started smiling a lot more lately too. I got her really close to what sounded like an almost giggle this morning but not quite there yet. I can't wait for those baby giggles! She naps really well in her swing. Taylen goes really well to anyone so hopefully that keeps up when she starts daycare.

Time has gone so fast this last month- I can't believe it is almost time for me to go back to work and get into a whole new routine. We celebrated Taylen's first Christmas over this month and got lots of time with family, where of course there was no shortage of attention given to her. :) We are just so in love with Taylen and being a new family of 4! 

Taylen - One Month



Written 12/1/13

 



I think I said this in almost everyone of Aspen's monthly updates- but seriously how is it possible?!! Taylen was one month on December 1. We spent the day at Poppy's celebrating Thanksgiving. Aspen had a blast playing with her poppy and aunties and Taylen got spoiled with everyone loving on her. It was a great day.

Height - 21.26
Weight - 9 lbs 10 oz
Clothes/Diapers - Wearing Newborns and 0-3 month clothes and newborn diapers

Taylen is a great baby. For the most part she doesn't cry unless she is hungry (and then it's like she's been starving for days- ha!) or if we're strapping her in her car seat. Definitely not a fan of the car seat yet. She eats about every 2.5-3 hours about 3 oz. She is starting to get into a little routine of being awake in the morning for a few hours then she sleeps most of the afternoon and is awake from around 4 or 4:30-7 or 7:30 when she goes down for the night. She sleeps in the night great for the first half of the night (from about 8-1 or 2 if I'm lucky) and then up every 2-3 hours after that.

This first month has gone by so quickly. Can't wait to see her grow! :)

Taylen's Birth Day

Since we had a C-section with Aspen we were scheduled to have a repeat C-section for Taylen. So many emotions were running through my head the night before as I put Aspen to bed for the last time as an only child. I tried to get some sleep but was just too excited and nervous to sleep much. The night before was Halloween so luckily getting Aspen ready to trick or treat and handing out candy at home kept my mind busy for awhile.

 

We got up bright and early to be at the hospital by our 5:45 check in time.

my last belly picture - 39 weeks, 1 day

 

I got changed and they got me all hooked up to the monitors so we could hear her little heart beating. At this point I was taking in every movement, knowing that I would miss it once she wasn't in there anymore and getting more and more nervous knowing I was heading into surgery. They got my IV going on the second try and looking back I can say that was the worst part of the whole surgery. We hung out while they were monitoring me and getting everything all set and watched Mickey Mouse. My mom got there to stay with Aspen and before I knew it we were walking down the hall to the OR.

Last family picture as a family of 3

 

Walking into the OR it really hit me what was going on and I got emotional. My nurse was great and walked me through everything, including breathing with me while they did my spinal. Joe came in after that and I immediately felt better. My toes and legs got warm and then the feeling disappeared and I was just more excited than anything. After a lot of pushing and pulling, tugging and even having to use the vacuum she was here!!

Taylen Ann born 8:32 am, 7 lbs 15 oz, 20 inches

 

After delivery we found out her cord was wrapped around her neck twice and she hadn't dropped very much so they actually had to pull and vacuum her down to the incision in order to get her out. She was crying off and on, but in between her cries she was turning a purplish blue color and was having a hard time breathing. They brought her over to me for a kiss and then took her to the nursery. Joe kissed me and followed her. They finished stitching me up and moved me into the recovery room. Before surgery they had told me that they would bring the baby in there with me so when they didn't I knew something was wrong. I kept asking about her and Joe came in and out giving me updates. This was about the longest hour of my life, followed closely by the hour after Aspen was born when I wasn't with her. Finally after my hour in the recovery room being monitored, my nurse just took my bed directly into the nursery. I will forever be so grateful to her for everything she did.

Finally meeting my second baby girl. Beautiful just like her sister.

 

After we were in there for awhile they updated us after the doctor had checked her over. They had done a chest x-ray and it showed some fluid in her lungs so they were going to treat her as if she had pneumonia. We were shocked and scared for our girl. They had to keep her on oxygen or her stats were dropping so she had to stay in the nursery until she was breathing on her own. They had to give her an iv and start her on antibiotics. The thought of my girl getting poked like that and being anything other than perfect was really hard to take.

I went back and forth from my room to the nursery in my bed several times and most of the rest of the day was a blur. Joe and I stayed in the nursery until about 11:00 and then went back to our room to try to get some rest. We slept off and on and finally at 4:00 am I couldn't take it anymore and got up out of bed for the first time and the nurses took me down to the nursery in a wheelchair. I held my little pumpkin for 2 1/2 hrs until I had to leave for shift change. At this point she was down to 21% oxygen, which is what room air is and they were going to start backing off the amount of flow she was receiving to see what she did on her own.

Joe went down to see her at 8:30 am and came back about 5 min later with Taylen!! We were both so happy to have her breathing so well on her own and in our room with us.

Aspen finally getting to meet her little sister. She just wanted to kiss her as soon as she saw her!

 

The rest of our stay was an up and down of IV's (baby's veins are so small they won't hold an IV for very long so after a few days they usually have to replace it in another spot). She first had her IV in her arm, that lasted for a day and a half- then they were able to move it to her foot and that one only held for one treatment. Then they brought her back to me with her IV in her head. It was so hard to see. Luckily that one lasted through the end of our stay. I was discharged from the hospital on Monday, but luckily they allowed me to stay in my same room to stay with her and she was in my room the whole time except when she went down to the nursery to get her dose of antibiotics. Joe went home to stay with Aspen at night- and they came in every hour to check on Taylen so I didn't get much sleep.



 

We were able to go home Friday, a week after she was born, after she finished 7 days of antibiotics through her iv. I was so happy to bring her home and to know that she's a little fighter and medically cleared and healthy. It felt amazing to be in the car with both Aspen and Taylen in the back and then to be at home with our new family of 4.

 

39 weeks

39 Weeks

 

How far along? 39 Weeks

Maternity clothes? Most everything is maternity- have a few dresses and tshirts/jackets that will still work. Just this week my boots have given me trouble to wear them b/c my feet expand during the day.

Sleep? Still not great. I’ve taken up sleeping on the couch which helps gives me a little more support but I sure do miss sleeping in my bed. Fought a bad cold a few weeks ago but luckily getting passed that now and praying my cough goes completely away in the next 2 days so I don’t have to cough after having a c-section.

Best moment in the last week? Knowing she’ll be here soon. We finished the nursery and I decided to take Halloween (the day before she gets here) off to get everything ready to go. This planned stuff sure does make it easier for a type A girl like me!

Miss anything? Sleeping, being able to zip my jackets- ha!

Movement? Yep, baby girl is running out of room.

Food cravings? Nope. Mostly drinks- I seem like I’m always thirsty.

Anything making you queasy/sick? I stopped taking the fish oil vitamin and that seemed to do the trick to take away the sick feeling at night.

Gender? GIRL! We are so excited to welcome another little princess into our family.

Labor Signs? Not really. Feeling a little more here and there that are close to contractions but nothing regular.

 Symptoms? Backpain, pressure when I walk/stand up, and so tired

Belly button in or out? Out just a little

Wedding rings on or off? On- although at some points I’m not sure I can get them off.

Happy or moody? Happy- getting so excited to meet this little girl!

Looking forward to? Meeting her in just 2 more DAYS!! J

Daddy moment?  We’re both just getting so excited and nervous at the same time. He’s helped me finish up the nursery, carve pumpkins with Aspen, keep the house relatively clean and grocery shopping. He’s also taking Aspen trick or treating tomorrow since this prego would not be able to keep up!

Big Sister moment? She asks every day how much longer. She’s got a fun weekend planned to be at the hospital with us Friday and a cousin bday party in manhattan Saturday and hanging out with her old daycare buds on Sunday. She’s already got next week all planned out how she’s going to show the baby how to play babies “but she can only watch me play b/c she’s not big enough yet to play” and she says she’s going to feed her and change her, but not the dirty ones- she’s leaving those for daddy. ;)

Wild one

To further show that my girl is a crazy one just like her sis- here's a video of her moving around the other day. She had the hiccups and I don't think she was a fan. :)

 Can't wait to meet her in a few weeks!