One Year older and Wiser too!

Thank you to everyone who made me feel so much love on my Birthday, I had a very *wonderful day. Thank you especially to Ryan. He got me everything I wanted and didn't even spend a dime! How great is that!? I asked Ryan if we could have a few friends over (a few of the people we have met since we have been out here, but already great friends) for dinner and games. One of my friends offered to make my birthday cake. She made the most amazing German Chocolate Cake, it was so tasty. I also asked Ryan if I could have this head board and base board that someone in our building threw out. We found it on the loading dock (to be taken with the trash). He was a champ and got that for me too. I can't wait to paint it so that it will match our bedroom. And last of all I asked for Family pictures. We still haven't done them but he has promised them to me, I am so excited to have them done. They will be a self portrait, so we are getting great pictures and saving a bundle!



You know the movie That Thing You Do? Well there is a part in the movie when the Wonders are trying to come up with their band name and one of the band member wants them to be called the One-ders. I just spelled wonderful with an O-N-E, oops. :)

Bath TIme

Last Friday while giving Micah a Bath I decided to throw Sam in too. I was skeptical about how it might go but both boys needed a bath and I might as well get it done in one shot right? Much to my surprise, Sam was loving bath time. every time Micah would splash Sam would burst out a good gutty ha ha laugh, It was the best!

100th post!

Yeah we are all settled in to our new apartment and adjusting to living in Virginia. rewind. You read this correctly the first time. we are all settled into our new apartment. perhaps you are wondering what happened to the cute little house we were planning on moving into. You know the cute little house with a sun porch, a library and a park that were closer than a hop skip and a jump away. Well I am sad to report that little house just wasn't ready for us.
The following will solely be an explanation of our experience, I promise I am NOT complaining. We arrived in Washington D.C. on 8/15. We woke up bright and early the next day to go to church. After our meeting we were able to round up a lot of help for our moving day (which was suppose to be Wednesday that week). After church we met the Realtor and had a tour of the house. We loved it and told him that we wanted the house. The following day we were planning on signing the lease and working out all the other details so we would be ready to move in. We also received a call that the moving truck would be arriving 1 day early meaning Tuesday, the very next day Tuesday! We had a very hard time reaching our Realtor and his colleague (who had our paper work) all day. We had called multiple times through out the day and Ryan and I were both starting to become very anxious, frustrated and very irritable. When we finally reached Stan (Realtor, I have changed his name for his protection, lol) we informed his that our things would be arriving a day early, He told us that wouldn't be a problem and he would have someone call us so we can get everything squared away. Several more hours later it was dinner time and we still hadn't heard anything. Just as we we're packing up to go out and find something to eat the phone rang, it was Stan! Ryan seemed very unhappy as he sat and listened on the phone and I knew right then that we weren't going to be moving into that cute little house. Apparently the Landlord wants to do work on the foundation of the house before anyone moves in. This project was estimated to take 5 days. We didn't want 5 days to turn into 2 weeks or a month, etc. so we decided not to wait to move in. We made a few calls and got a few suggestions of places we could go check out. unfortunately all of the apartments we were calling were done showing rooms for the day, or no one had rooms for immediate move in. After a couple hours we received a call from someone we had met at church the day before. He and his wife had a few appointments lined up that night for apartments they were going to go see, and invited us to come with them. We went and met them immediately. To my surprise we were looking at apartments in a High Rise! One of them was still occupied and the other was available Immediately. The apartments were much farther than we wanted to live but we heard that they offered a free shuttle to the metro, they also have a pool and a fitness center. The family that had invited us to tag along with them also invited us to come look at their apartments and they gave us dinner ( I can't believe how wonderful and helpful and kind people have been out here). Finally at 9:00, we got some dinner (4 hours after we had intended to eat) and tried to make a decision about where we were going to live. Ryan and I felt so much pressure to pick a place, it was too hard to choose that night, so after sleeping on it we decided to go with the high rise. We are very pleased with our decision so far. My BIGGEST complaint (now I am complaining a little) is that because we were moving in immediately, the landlord didn't have the apartment cleaned up for us. I can handle most if the dirty work but the carpets are so filthy. We have done some cleaning to make ourselves feel a tiny bit better, but we still don't feel comfortable enough to walk on it bare foot; except Micah who only wants to go around bare foot). Our main goal at this point is to finish unpacking all of our rooms, so we can get the carpets cleaned. That it our move in story, I could probably go on and blame the Realtor, or the Landlord, or the moving company, but why? The fact of the matter is it didn't work out. And most importantly, we are very happy in our new place.

This photo is not for the faint of heart


These dirt little feet are a daily occurrence, this is after a few hours of playing on our dirty carpet. I feel like I am constantly washing Micah's feet

The First day of school

Ryan has officially finished his first week of school. We are all really proud of him for braving this new adventure, and so grateful that he is sharing it with us. Good Luck Ryan we love you!

And we're off!

The first day of Driving was dull as far as scenery goes. It was wonderful as far as the kids go. Sam woke up every few hours to eat and Micah watched movies and ate his snacks. They have been so pleasant and adorable the whole trip, these boys really know how to charm me and Ryan.
After a full day of driving, we decided to stop in Cheyenne, WY. This was the most eventful part of the day. After several phone calls and about 45 min later we found a motel with a vacancy. We booked the room immediately and drove straight to the motel. When we arrived Ryan ran into the office before making final arrangements Ryan came back to the car and asked me if wanted to see the room. I should have taken this question and a sign that it would not be a good place to stay. Instead I said, “I don't need to see it, go ahead and get it.” We grabbed the boys and took them into the room. We left just as soon as we arrived. There is really no point in grossing you out with the details.

Nebraska was also boring to drive through. We stayed in Omaha on day 2 with my cousins, which was mot boring at all. It was really good to see them. But I have to say, they have one busy household. :-). Before hitting the road for day 3 Micah and I went to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo with my cousins. This Zoo is huge, and very impressive. We didn't have that much time, so we decided to hit the jungle exhibit and the aquarium. We had a lot of fun. That night we drove through Iowa and stopped for the night in Nauvoo, Illinois. We were really tired but we really wanted to find the temple before we went to our hotel. Not surprisingly it wasn't hard to find at all. The following morning we toured Nauvoo, unfortunately it was way too hot, so we didn't hang around for very long. The rest of the week is a blur.

We mainly just drove, we only stopped to feed children, change diapers and sleep. We packed a lot of good treats so we didn't really need to stop too much to eat. We worked it out so that we were only eating our 1 meal a day. This was nice because neither Ryan or I are big on fast food.

The next 2 days we drove through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and we finally reached Washington, D.C. On Saturday night. We also spent the most money those last two days. The main reason for the expenses was Toll Roads. I could not believe how much we paid in tolls. I'm pretty sure we spent about $80.00 in tolls! The second reason is because we decided to go out to a nice place in Chicago for a Chicago style deep dish pizza. The pizza was really good but, I don't think we'll be doing that again soon. The pizza was a little bit out of our price range, and Micah and Sam were both very fussy (biggest understatements of the year) in the restaurant.

Can you tell how happy we are that we have finished our long journey? Little did we know.... (More to come)

Our bags are packed and we're ready to go.

Stay posted for a photo diary of our Road trip across the country! :)

I can't believe it is already August. Ryan starts school in just a few weeks, which means it is time to move our little family across the Country. We packed up all of our belongings into a moving truck yesterday and we will be making a week long drive to our new place in Arlington, VA. Today is August 5th, we are leaving on the 9th and our belongings won't arrive in Virginia until the 18th! I am nervous about how I am suppose to get all settled and organized with out Ryan being around. He will have orientation all the week of the 16th. Who on earth is going to help me unload that Huge truck!? I'll tell you who, the Elders Quorum. I am so grateful to have the LDS church in my life, besides the gospel being AMAZING, the people are wonderful and I absolutely know that Ryan and I can count on the members of the church to help us when we get to Arlington. It's also comforting to know that we have a few family and friends fairly close and I know they will certainly help where they can.

Other updates

Micah is as cute as ever. His vocabulary has exploded and he has turned into a chatter box. Like any 2 year old, Micah has a mind of his own. He has so much love and enthusiasm for living everyday to it's fullest. He is such a caring big brother. If he hears his Sam crying he stops whatever he is doing to go check on him. Micah's favorite game to play right now is to throw all of the pillow from the sofa onto the floor and jump into the pile of pillows. He he has a special interest in letters and numbers and is a little whiz at naming his letters and their sounds. I love the new level of communication he is capable of. It is so great to hear him vocalize his thoughts and feelings. I LOVE MY MICAH!

Sam is the sweetest little guy. He is getting big fast, he is already 2 months old. He has been such a smiley guy lately and he is so talkative (in his own cooing way). He still loves to sleep quite a bit and he hardly ever cries. Sam had his baby blessing on Sunday. He looked adorable! I owe my parents and in laws a BIG Thank You for helping Me and Ryan put the blessing and the lunch afterward together. Everything was perfect. My only complaint is that I misplaced the shoes I made Sam to go with his blessing outfit. I found them when I did laundry the next day. Oh well, I still plan on dressing Sam up again in his outfit and getting more pictures.

He's Here!!!

Our little Samuel Ryan Taylor is here! He was born May 26, 2010 at 8:03 am. He was 6lb 3 oz. I can't believe how fast time flies, He is 7 1/2 weeks now! Sam is such a good baby, he eats well, sleeps well, only cries a little bit, and seems to tolerate his big brother's tough love approach. We are all adjusting to our growing family but despite how hard it can be at times we are certainly a happy family.



Sam's birth
During my last few weeks of my pregnancy I switched providers and decided to go see a nurse-midwife. I loved my midwife and really felt as though she was very respectful about my hopes and expectations for a natural childbirth. As I was going to each check up we did the same old routine, check the babies heart beat and measure my belly. My first few appointments everything was perfect, then at my 36 week check up I was measuring the same as two weeks before, which was not good because that meant that I hadn't grown. So I went and had a non-stress test and had my fluids checked. The baby was doing fine and I had plenty of fluid. Two weeks later I was still measuring too small so I was sent to get an Ultrasound and non-stress test. I went to get the Ultrasound and the non-stress test on Tuesday May 25, the stress test was great, Sam seemed to be doing well but the Ultrasound was a different story. Sam's abdomen was measuring too small, and the Doc that reviewed the Ultrasound said that Sam was probably not getting enough
nutrition and that he would recommend a repeat c-section ASAP. Just then I felt as though I was trying to hold onto a stack of papers in a whirlwind. Can you imagine how hard that would be? Everything you are trying to hold onto is flying away from your grasp. I really felt helpless, flustered and as though I was being robbed all at the same time. I asked the Doc if I could try inducing labor naturally, he didn't believe that was in the best interest of the baby. He thought because of the lack of nutrition he wouldn't be able to tolerate labor and I would most likely end up with a c-section in the end. I should mention that this conversation was had with the ultrasound Doc and not my midwife or her back up Obstetrician. I felt very upset and I went to my midwifes office and hoped that they would be more open to me having a natural childbirth. I spoke with my the back up ob, and he had the same recommendations for me. I was told I could choose to do whatever I wanted, but after I was presented all the facts, how could I choose to have the natural childbirth that I had prepared myself for when the health of my baby was on the line. I couldn't do it, it felt too selfish. I agreed to have a c-section. To my surprise Dr. Nielsen (my midwifes back up ob) was trying to schedule me in to have the surgery that very night. This is where I had to put my foot down. I was very red faced and had two puffy sacks under my eyes from crying, I was still surrendering my hope for a beautiful natural childbirth. There was no way I was going to have the surgery that night; we scheduled it for the next morning. After the disappointment wore off I started getting really excited about the fact that "this time tomorrow" I would be holding my baby boy. After getting some blood work done and receiving an armful of wristbands to prepare for my surgery, I went home and started the other preparations ie. find a babysitter for Micah, pack our things, and clean up a little. We took Micah to stay with his Aunt and Uncle Sara and Weston and took our last picture as a family of 3. Ryan and I went to dinner then headed home to get ready for the day to come. I didn't sleep at all that night.



The next morning we arrived at the hospital at 6:30. Everything was much less chaotic than my first cesarean. I was prepped for surgery and after I was all ready, Ryan came into the O.R. My Mom works at St. Marks Hospital (where I delivered) so she was standing right outside the O.R. Ryan and I were getting very anxious behind the screen because we knew my body was being cut into.


It was after a few minutes I was told I would feel some pressure. I felt the pressure and then I heard the most beautiful sound I have ever heard in my life. I hear my little Sam cry and I couldn't help but cry myself. I could not believe the emotions that came over me. I wanted so desperately to hold my baby right then, of course since I was numb and my innards would have fallen had I tried to get up, all I could do was lay there. They brought Sam around so I could see him and I was so amazed at the beautiful little boy in front of me. Sam was perfectly healthy and I couldn't have asked for anything more.


After the surgery was complete I went to my recovery room and got to hold and nurse my little boy. It was wonderful.

Cuppy Cake

Micah's favorite book right now is Cupcake, by Charise Mericle Harper. Unfortunately I have maxed out on renewals at the library and we had to return it. The story begins by telling you all the ingredients that go into making cupcakes and how a special little vanilla cupcake was born. Today Micah sat down at the Kitchen table with a measuring spoon and asked for flour, sugar, eggs, milk, and baking powder. All the ingredients that are listed in the cupcake book. I'm pretty sure he wanted to make cupcakes. :)

A few days ago Micah wanted to read Cupcake, so I asked him to read it to me. He wasn't even following the words or showing any signs of reading, but he narrated the first page to me perfectly. I was very impressed by how well he has been listening to the story. I'm going to have to find a copy for my little guy. It really is a fun story.

3 weeks (or less) to go!

almost 37 weeks here 05/10

Here is the most recent belly picture. I can't believe how much smaller I am this pregnancy. Can you tell I have had more spontaneous behavior? I asked My Neighbor Val to chop off my hair. I'm really happy with the way it turned out.

It's getting hard to believe that I am going to have two little ones to care for soon. I really like that it's just me and Micah together each day. I think I am going to miss that. I am very excited to have Sam around, but I wonder if I'll be able to give both of my kiddos all the attention they need. I really hope Micah will be okay with the adjustment.

These two pics were taken at 35 weeks of both of my pregnancies. Can you believe how BIG I was with Micah! The little measuring tape I am holding on the right was cut on the day of the picture on the left. YIKES!

Micah 12/08 Sam 05/10

With toddlers there's a surprise around every corner

This is what happens when you leave markers out while you are fixing dinner.

First of all, I love my midwife. I am so excited to have this baby! And I may have a Doula too!

I have had a lot to post so I am going to continue on with my check list. Today's topic is all about Micah! Oh how I love my little Micah. I can't believe how much he is learning and growing. Yesterday I put a pair of pants on him and they fit perfectly, that same pair of pants was falling down to his ankles just last week. Today when I called for Micah I didn't hear little feet pitter pattering my way, instead I heard "What Mommy." I have noticed that Micah is trying to find a place where he can be my little baby and my big boy at the same time. We tried potty training, but despite how ready I think he is, he is just to afraid to park his little tushy on the toilet.

The most recent thing that Micah has surprised me with is his ability to recognize all the letters in the alphabet, and he knows the sounds that most of the letters make too! It is amazing to see him grow up.

The surprising things Micah has said recently:
- Mommy, I poopy, change Micah. (Don't you dare tell me he's not ready to potty train)
- COME ON JAZZ!
- Daddy come here RIGHT NOW!
- stupid dog. (Micah learned this one from Toy Story, he use to yell it until I told him that I don't want to hear him say it anymore. Now he whispers it under his breath when he gets mad).
- Whoa, Big One! (usually talking about airplanes or trucks).

The list could go on and on. You'd think that we yell at our house a lot. To be honest I think Micah has picked up the yelling from other kids. And I have decided that Micah can ONLY watch PBS shows. I love all the fun Disney shows, but I think we better hold off a little longer for Micah's sake.