Getting Older

We still have two sippy cups around.  I know, I know she’s too old for sippy cups but they do such a good job at preventing spills.  Anyway we’ve decided it’s time for them to go so I told Taylor we were going to get rid of them and she got all teary eyed but accepted it.  She told me she didn’t want me to throw them away but to give them to someone who had the same favorite color.  She then went to the kitchen table for a few minutes and brought back this picture.  She tearfully said she drew a picture of her favorite sippy cup so she could remember it.  It’s funny what kids get attached to isn’t it?

Taylor Learns to Read

Taylor has been working really hard practicing the sounds that letters make.  She has on occasion, been able to sound out a word but has been needing some help to do so. Last night just before bedtime I was reading a book about Benjamin Franklin to her and she wanted to try to read some words for me.  On the first three or four words she could make all the sounds separately but needed some help to put them together.  At some point it really clicked with her because she started putting the sounds together without any help from me.  She was so excited and we went looking through the book for words that she could handle.  After 30 minutes she was still going but it was past bedtime.  Terri was reading in bed and Taylor layed down with her and they practiced a few more words until it was time to turn the light off.  It was so amazing to witness and be part of the exact moment that Taylor learned how to read.

Making Brownies

Taylor loves to help in the kitchen.  Tonight she was helping make brownies.

Great Day Fishing with Taylor

This afternoon Taylor and I loaded up “Grandpa Dan’s” truck and went to Stacy’s pond and fished.  We caught several nice Bluegill.  Taylor caught the majority of the fish and she even helped take them off the hook.  The first four or five we threw back but they were biting so good we decided to get our basket out and start keeping them.  We caught enough to eat for dinner and then we stopped.  Stacy let us ride his four wheeler and we had a good time on the trails he has.  Here’s a picture of Taylor with the biggest catch of the day.

Here’s a pic of Taylor and I with the last fish we caught.  It was a little bass and Taylor liked the fact that you can just hold him by his mouth instead of grabbing his body and risk getting finned.  We threw him back so he could grow a little.

We took some back roads on the way home hoping we could see a deer.  We didn’t see any but had fun looking at everything.  Once we hit the highway it was lights out for Taylor.  She slept all the way home but woke up to help me clean the fish.  I can’t understand it, most five year girls wouldn’t want anything to do with a fish but she loves touching them.  She was lifting up their gills and checking them out from top to bottom.  She even stuck her finger in the mouth of one as far as it would go.  She just giggled when he flipped around on the table.  We buried the fish remains in the backyard and Mom cooked the fillets and we had a great supper.  Here’s a pic of Taylor sleeping in the truck.

Fishing with Taylor

This afternoon Taylor and I impulsively decided to go fishing.  We loaded up “Grandpa’s truck” and went to buy bait.  When we stopped to buy bait we ran into Aunt Debbie, Brody, and Ty at the gas station.  We bought a dozen night crawlers and headed to the “hard road ditch” (a pond out by the armory) to try our luck.  The fish weren’t biting but Taylor and I had a good time anyway.  We did catch one very small bluegill and Taylor learned how to grab and how NOT to grab a fish.  She held him while I took it off the hook and we through him back to grow up.  After 30 minutes or so we headed back home because Taylor had to pee.  She sat in the middle and I taught her how to shift the gears for me and she really liked that.  We saved our worms and will hopefully have a chance to go again real soon.

Taylor’s Four Month Checkup

Taylor went to her four month checkup last Friday and the doctor said everything was great. She weighs a whopping 14lbs 8ozs. The doctor said we could start her on baby food so since then we’ve tried a few things. So far she likes pears the best but she also likes green beans, carrots, and bananas. She really didn’t care for the Gerber potatoes at all. You should have seen the face she made. Terri tried them and said they tasted really bad so we’ll wait until she can eat real mashed potatoes.

She’s really starting to use her hands a lot more and she plays with a few of her toys now. There are a couple that she can work by herself and she has a ball. She also likes to look at herself in the mirror. Gee, I wonder where she got that from mom. Wink, Wink!

Taylor’s New Best Friend

While shopping in Kohl’s today, Taylor spotted Piglet and wouldn’t take her eyes off him. I went over and picked him up and she smiled and cooed at him. He’s really soft and she loves to get kisses from him. She also likes the way he tastes. Maybe this is a sign that she’ll like bacon when she gets older.

Taylor Playing

 

Here’s a picture of Taylor playing on the floor with her toy. She’s getting more and more aware every day. This is the first time she has really played like this.

Update on Taylor

Taylor is doing great. She’s still pretty fussy in the evenings but she’s eating a lot more and becoming more alert. She smiles every now and then and it’s so cute. She loves the outside. During her fussy time in the evenings there’s not much you can do to calm her down but one thing that always works it to take her out on the swing. No matter how fussy she is she always calms right down when she gets to go outside.