WOW! 13 weeks down...

Landon is officially a three-month-old! Wow! I didn't think it was possible, but I fall more in love with him every day. His personality is really starting to come through and he is so happy and mellow. My favorite part of the day is watching him concentrate on something and then break out into a huge smile. He likes being read too and likes the colors and shapes in his books. He hasn't laughed yet, but we can tell that he really wants too. He like to coo and make noises and he wiggles a lot in his bouncy chair.

Megan came and visited a few weeks ago, which was a lot of fun. She spent the whole day with Landon and me and he took one of his signature naps on her chest. We visited Maile and her son Gabriel too. Maile is having a little girl in August and it was neat to see how much Gabriel enjoyed being around a baby. I'm not sure what Maile thinks, but it would be comforting to me to see that my first born was going to do okay (hopefully) with our second born.

Landon went on his second camping trip over Memorial Day in Eastern Washington. Even though we were on the east-side, it was COLD! We went camping with a group of friends and their kids and had a good time. Landon really likes being outside and spent most of the trip sleeping and soaking up the fresh air while we hiked and relaxed. Here's a picture of Jim and Landon before one of our hikes...

We took Landon to his first baseball game last week. The Rainiers, Tacoma's minor league team, played and hosted my company for the night. We didn't make it through the whole game, because it was so cold and rainy (seriously, who would have guessed it was June) but it was fun showing him off to my coworkers.

Landon received a clean bill of heart health too! When he was born, one of his valves wasn't closed, so this was a checkup. The problem fixed itself and his heart is healthy and happy. Great news! At last check, he was 12 lbs. 8 oz. and 24 in long. He's already outgrowing his 3-month clothes, because he is too long!

He's sleeping really well and if it wasn't for his hungry tummy, he'd be sleeping through the night. He sleeps in his co-sleeper, which we really enjoy. We are able to know that he is safe and monitor him throughout the night. It also makes feedings so much easier. We are planning to transition him to his crib within the next few weeks. He goes down for the night around 9:15 p.m. (after taking a nap from around 6 to 7:30 p.m.) and sleeps for 4-5 hours, eats and then sleeps for another 3-4 hours. In the morning he eats again, is awake and smiley for about 20 minutes and then sleeps for another 2-3 hours. We've tried giving him more at each feeding, (he nurses and gets a bottle) but he is happy with the boob and then 4-5 oz. of formula (I don't make much milk at all).

I go back to work July 19 and I am already dreading it. I feel very lucky to have a job to go back too and the blessing of my mom, who is going to watch Landon during the day. That said, I can't imagine not being with him everyday. It's going to be really difficult. I'm trying to focus on the positives though and remain upbeat.

We are going to Bandon, Oregon July 9 with Jim's family. We are renting a house and can't wait to introduce him to his great grandparents, aunt and uncle and cousins.

Landon recently got an activity mat, full of ocean toys and music. He really likes it and we love watching him take it all in. He's just too cute!

Landon James is nine weeks old!

I don't know where the last nine weeks have gone, but we have a beautiful, 11 lb., 8 oz., 23.5 in. long baby boy! Landon changes so much from day to day and we love watching him grow.

So much has happened over the past month, so I'll do my best to capture it (I'll also try to post more often!). We now have a smiler! Landon thinks we are very amusing and enjoys when we say "hi" in our highest, silliest voices. We have a video camera and will have to work to capture and post this. We haven't gotten any laughs yet, but you can tell that he wants to laugh very badly.

Landon just had his two-month check up and is doing great! He is right where he should be for his age and the doctor had nothing but good things to say. Our poor little guy got three shots, and was such a trooper. He cried when the needles stuck him, but was soothed by Daddy (I couldn't watch) right away and was just fine. We were very proud of him.

We just switched to cloth diapers and are really liking them. I am still trying to get a laundry routine down, but they aren't too bad so far. I am really impressed by the evolution of cloth diapers. I remember when I worked at the daycare center in college when I had to wrestle with pins and plastic pants to change the little ones. We are using the bumgenius 3.0 diaper. It has a microfiber insert that is very absorbent. It goes into a colorful cover that is very soft and durable. The diaper Velcros onto the baby and has snaps to adjust to his size. We will be able to use them until he is 35 lbs.! Here is a picture of one of the diapers...

We went on our first camping trip last weekend! We didn't take any pictures, but we did get some videos that I'll upload later this week. We bought a camper for the truck and this was our first outing. We took the dogs and stayed in an RV park in Leavenworth on the Icicle River. The weather was great and we had a really nice time. The camper is cozy and met all of our needs and Landon really enjoyed being outside. Our next trip will be over Memorial Day Weekend with some of our friends and their kids.

My first Mother's Day was amazing! Jim and Landon got me a second wedding band and a pretty house plant along with two fabulous cards. Jim even bought Landon a special outfit to wear. We went to brunch with my mom and Mike at Chamber's Bay Golf Course and then spent the rest of the day relaxing. Mom and Mike gave me gift certificates for a pedicure and a facial, a special "Mother" figurine and a nice book. My friends even treated me special...Misty got me a great necklace with Landon's picture on it (you can see it in the picture below) and Megan sent me a really pretty orchid.


Pam, Jim's mom, visited from Virginia to meet Landon. She was here for a week and got to spend a lot of time with her new grandson. When she was here we went to the UW spring game in Seattle. It was great taking Landon to Husky Stadium and got us excited for football season to begin. We have our tickets and are ready for some fun!


On a sad note, my Grandma Barb passed away. She was sick with cancer, but really took a turn for the worst after she fell getting out of bed. Luckily, she had the opportunity to meet Landon and hold him and kiss him before she passed away. It was very special and something that I will always remember. She told me that he was beautiful and that she prayed for him because she knew what great parents we would be. Her passing brought the entire family together. Although it wasn't how I imagined my family would meet my son, it was great to share his new life with everyone during their time of grief. Aunts Cindy, Sandy and Susi and Uncle Mark and all of my cousins got to meet him and they all loved him. For me, Landon's presence helped me heal and helped me appreciate my family even more.

Megan is visiting this weekend and I am very excited for her to meet Landon. He's much more interactive now than he was as a newborn, so this is a great time for her to meet him.

Sadly, I'm already having to plan for my return to work. I wasn't supposed to go back until the first part of August, but Landon made an early arrival, so I will be going back after Fourth of July. Luckily, that is a short week and then we will be in Oregon with Jim's family for a week before I return full time, but I am absolutely dreading having to leave Landon. However, I am doing my best to remember how blessed we are that my mom will be watching him. Not only do I trust her more than anyone with my son, she lives less than five minutes from my work, so I can visit during my lunchtime and drop offs and pick ups won't be too difficult (hopefully). We are already working to devise a plan for housework and dinners so that we can maximize our time with Landon at night.

So, as you can see, things are going really well and time is just flying by! We continue to fall more and more in love with our little guy every minute!

Four weeks down!

Kicking back

Cheering on daddy at a hockey game

The boys

Sleepy boy

On our nightly walk all bundled up

My snazzy new stroller...hello BOB!

Well, it's April 13, 2010, my official due date. It's so crazy to know that we already have a four-week-old (as of tomorrow) son. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be pregnant for another month. I think God knew just the perfect time to send Landon to us, and we are so blessed and grateful that he did!

Things are going really well! Landon spends one- to two-hours a day wide awake, taking in the world with his big blue eyes. He focuses on things really well and even dazzles us with the occasional smile. We so wish that we could know what he is thinking, but you can just tell that he is learning. He eats every two to three hours during the day and has been sleeping in three hour stretches the past two nights.

He's back to his birth weight plus some, which is just what we wanted! He's nursing really well, but we also give him a bottle of formula after each feeding, since I don't make quite enough milk to sustain him. Speaking of weight, I only have seven pounds to lose until I'm back to my pre-birth weight. (I still want to lose quite a bit and have a flabby belly, but it's nice to see those numbers go down.)

We are trying to be as "normal" as possible with him, so we've already been out to dinner several times, we go to Target and the grocery store and spend time visiting with family and friends. Landon has already been to one of Jim's hockey games and is anxiously awaiting his first Husky game! We are currently shopping for a camper, and Landon helped look at possible models last weekend at the Tacoma RV show.

The dogs have gotten much more comfortable with him, but still get nervous when he cries.

We bought a snazzy new stroller (thanks Aunt Susi and Uncle Chris) and have been taking advantage of the sunny spring weather by going on walks every night when Jim gets home. Landon really likes the fresh air and sunshine and promptly falls asleep.

He was circumcised on Friday, which was much more difficult for Jim and I than it was for him...he was a trooper and only cried a little bit. I only know this because Jim told me...I was a wimp and had to sit in the waiting room because I started crying as soon as I saw all of the "procedural" instruments. Yikes!

We are counting down the days until Pam, Megan and Susi come to visit and meet Landon. It's hard having loved ones so far away!

We will do our best to keep the blog updated, but we are very busy loving on our little man!

We are proud to introduce Landon James Taylor!

Our lives completely changed March 17, 2010, when we welcomed our son, Landon James Taylor into the world. He was four weeks early, but weighed a healthy 7 lbs., 6 oz. and was 20 in. long.

Here's his story...

My coworkers threw Jim and me a baby shower after work on March 16. We had a great time, and then went home and relaxed. After going to bed around 9 p.m., I got up to use the bathroom at midnight. When I was done, I heard a little "pop" and then felt like I was still going. I knew that my water had broken, but I was in total disbelief. I never thought Landon would come four weeks early!

After taking a minute to process the situation and take a few deep breaths, I woke up Jim. The poor guy was so caught off guard and was really worried about me. He called the midwife, who happened to be on call that night and she told us to come in. We knew that once we got to the hospital they would keep us, so we quickly tried to put the house in order and get things ready.

I had my bag packed and a bag packed for Landon, but Jim hadn't had time to put things together and was running around the house looking for clean socks. All he could say was "I can't find any clean socks." It was really cute, but showed just how nervous we both were.

We both took showers and cleaned up a few things and were on our way. The drive to the hospital was surreal. There were no cars on the road and it was really quiet. Jim and I kept looking and each other and couldn't do much except for hold hands and share nervous smiles.

When we got to the hospital the ER immediately called for someone from Labor and Delivery to come get us. By this time my water was really coming out. Luckily, I took the advice of a friend and was wearing and adult diaper, which really helped!

We were taken up to the 14th floor and I was given a gown to change into. There was no doubt that my water had broken, so the nurse called my midwife and received instructions. By that time, my contractions were mild, similar to menstrual cramps, but didn't bother me much. We basically just relaxed and did our best to enjoy our time together. We both e-mailed our bosses and left messages at work letting them know what was happening and that we wouldn't be in the next day.


We were moved to another room around 3 a.m. that had a more comfortable bed and a reclining chair for Jim. We tried our best to get some rest, but my contractions started to become more real around 3:30 a.m. I could still talk through them, but they were coming every two to three minutes and were lasting for more than a minute. Because my water had broken, the nurse didn't want to check my cervix until later, to help ward off infection.

My mom and Mike arrived at the hospital in the early afternoon to visit and check in on us, which was really nice.

I labored until around noon, and still hadn't been checked by the nurse or midwife. I told Jim how uncomfortable I was, so he nicely asked the nurse when I could be checked and have my epidural. She looked surprised and asked if I was ready for one. Apparently I was doing such a good job dealing with the pain that she assumed that I didn't need one. Wrong! I was dilated to 4 cm and was 80 percent effaced when she checked me. She paged the anesthesiologist and he arrived to give me my epidural.

I was really nervous, but the process wasn't bad at all. Jim was able to stand in front of me as I leaned against him, which really helped! The anesthesiologist told me that he was very impressed by me and that he wished all of his patients were as composed as I was. Props to me!

The epidural really helped and started working right away. I could feel slight pressure on the big contractions, but other than that, I was in total comfort. We were able to finally get a little rest while we waited to meet our little man. Jim was amazing during the entire process and really supported me and made me feel comfortable and happy.

The nurse checked me off and on and I had dilated to 6 cm by 4 p.m., but Landon's head was still really high up and hadn't come down into the birth canal. She manipulated my bed into a position where my head was down and my feet were higher up into the air in hopes that he would shift his position.

The on call doctor came in at 5 p.m. to check me and I was dilated to 10 cm and was 100 percent effaced. However, little Landon hadn't made any progress and she said that she would give us another hour and then perform a c-section. We really didn't want to have a c-section, but we wanted to be sure that we had a healthy baby, so we tried to keep an open mind.

Jim, Sue and Emily arrived around this time and came in to visit a little between checks by the doctor and nurses.

The on call midwife came to visit a short time later and we asked if we could have more time before surgery to see if his head would drop. We talked about the possibilities of him turning and/or me pushing and agreed that we would wait at least another hour before committing to the surgery.

There were two other patients ahead of us in the OR, so we were able to wait until around 7 p.m. before we were checked by the doctor again and decided to have the c-section.

The nurses came in to prep me around 7:30 p.m. and I had to say goodbye to Jim, who waited in our room until I was ready in the OR. I was nervous as they wheeled me away, but excited and anxious to meet our son.

The OR was cold and bright and although the medical staff were very nice, no one really told me what they were doing or what I could expect. I started to get really scared and asked when Jim could come back in. They went to get him and I instantly felt better, but had started crying and shaking and couldn't really stop. The shaking was caused by the medicine and epidural, but the tears were all nerves.

The medical staff worked quickly, and Jim alternated between kissing my face and staying by my head to peeking over the drape to tell me what was going on. At 8:20 p.m. on St. Patrick's Day, Wednesday, March 17, our son was born. Even though he was a month early, he was healthy and perfect. Our lives were forever changed.


The next two days were a blur of checks and exams, paper work, diapers, feedings and answering questions.

Landon was born during March Madness, so we got to watch our Huskies play from our hospital room. It was a nice "first" for our little family.

We were discharged to go home on Friday, March 19. It was so scary being wheeled out of the hospital, but we couldn't wait to leave. We were proud, scared and anxious, but both very ready to love and care for our new son!

Five weeks until "D" Day!

Five years of marriage...11 years of love!

My hubby is the big 2-9!

The past few days have been very eventful! March 5 was our five-year wedding anniversary. We celebrated with a nice dinner at Indochine in downtown Tacoma and dessert at Costco...hey, we had to buy a few things and the frozen yogurt was calling to us.

Saturday was my "family" shower at my Aunt Cindy's in Olympia. Cindy and my mom did a great job putting everything together and Stacy and Laura planned some really fun games with great prizes. It was so nice to see everyone and visit. We got some really nice gifts as well!

On Sunday and Monday I noticed that my blood pressure was high and that I wasn't feeling well, so I went to the midwife and had a non-stress test. Baby boy is doing great and it was really neat to hear his little heartbeat for nearly 30 minutes. My blood pressure is high, but not dangerously so. Just to be safe, I will have non-stress tests each week at my weekly appointments.

Tomorrow we get to see the little man on ultrasound again. I'll get pictures posted soon! I can't believe we have made it 35 weeks...only five more to go!

I am starting to get things ready for my hospital bag and called St. Joe's today to verify that I am pre-registered.

As I am typing this, Jim pulled up from work and the dogs are going crazy with excitement. Made me smile thinking about how our little boy will also be just as excited when daddy gets home!

Six weeks and counting!

Well, we've hit 34 weeks and we have so much accomplished! We have been hard at work on home projects and are feeling very good about all of the things we have been able to check off of our list.

The nursery is almost complete and we will be posting pictures soon! We've washed all of the crib, bassinet and cradle bedding (yes, our son has three sleeping options...what can we say, we are blessed with generous family and friends) and washed all of his blankets, burp cloths and onsies. We are going to hold off washing all of his sweet little outfits until we see just how big he is.

Our next appointment with the midwife is Thursday, so we should have a better idea of exactly how big he is and what that means. We will also know when our next ultrasound is. If anything, we feel fortunate that we get to check in on Mr. Man more frequently.

My rash is almost totally gone and my stomach looks so much better! I still have stretch marks, but nothing compared to what I thought. The rash was making everything really red and much more dramatic.

My family baby shower is this Saturday at my Aunt Cindy's house in Olympia. She and my mom are putting it on and I can't wait to see everyone. I'll be sure to post pictures. Jim and I are celebrating our five year anniversary this Friday and Jim's 29th birthday this Sunday, so it's a weekend of celebration. Can't wait!

Showers and rashes and 33 weeks, oh my!

I am officially 33 weeks pregnant! Holy moly! The baby is now the size of a honeydew...

Your Baby: Month 8
18.2 in., 5.8 lbs.
Baby's senses are continuing to improve--when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs…time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month.

I had my first baby shower on Saturday, Feb. 20 at Jim and Sue's. Megan, Misty and Maile put it on for me and it was fabulous. There were 24 people there and we were bombarded with wonderful gifts. It was great!

Megan brought these delicious cakes from a place called Nothing Bundt Cakes in Reno. Red Velvet and White Chocolate Raspberry with cream cheese frosting. Swoon!















Maile, Misty, me and Megan

We got SO much stuff! We are very blessed!

At my last appointment, my midwife told me that I was measuring two weeks ahead in my belly, so she ordered an ultrasound. It was so great to see our little man and we got to see a great shot of his cute little face (to be posted soon)! The technician was able to tell us that he's measuring around 5 lbs. 4 oz. That's pretty much all she could say. I spoke to my midwife today, because I have an itchy rash all over my torso, arms, hand, legs and feet. I was treated at urgent care and given some medicine that I pray will help. This itch is out of control!

Anyway, little man isn't so little...he's in the 95th percentile! They are going to take a look at him again in three weeks to see how he's progressing. She also mentioned that I have a lot of amniotic fluid, but didn't elaborate to tell me what that means. We see her again March 4, so we will have a lot of questions at that time! Sounds like I'll have to do the dreaded glucose test again, blech. But, what ever is best for my son is what I will do!

Overall, I am doing really well. Things are getting cramped in my belly and the little guy is kicking me much more swiftly, but I am still really enjoying being a pregnant lady!

30 weeks! The 10 week countdown is on!

We cannot believe that we only have 10(ish) weeks left! Time has really flown by. I am looking forward to my baby showers...I have great friends and family and it's going to be so much fun to get everyone together to celebrate our little man.

We finished all of our classes and our Breast Feeding Prep class. It was really interesting and answered a lot of our questions. I can't wait to feed my little man.

We are busy working on the nursery...the main wall color is a light mocha, which was already in the room. We painted an accent wall red and blue with a white trim and white wainscoting. We are going to add little horseshoes to finish it off. We have been taking a lot of pictures to document the process, so we'll get them posted soon!

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom (Grandma Terry)!

Baby is 29 weeks old and as big as a squash!

Baby is 16.7 in. and 3.8 lbs. Wow!
Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments."

We went to an orientation at a pediatric clinic near our house last night to tour the office and meet one of their five doctors. We got a lot of questions answered and feel very comfortable! Now, we just have to decide which doctor we want for mister man. They all seem very capable, but we have to do some more research.

We finished our birthing classes and learned a lot! I feel much more confident about labor now. Don't get me wrong...I'm still nervous, but I feel better. We have a breast feeding class on Monday at the hospital and then we are done with the classes. Only about 10 more weeks until we get to meet our sweet baby boy! We can't wait!

A Newborn's Conversation with God

Jim's grandma sent this to me and it brought tears to my eyes—beautiful!

A baby asked God, 'They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?'

God said, 'Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you.'

The child further inquired, 'But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy.'

God said, 'Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy.'

Again the child asked, 'And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?'

God said, 'Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.'

'And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?'

God said, 'Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.'

'Who will protect me?'

God said, 'Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.'

'But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.'

God said, 'Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you.'

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, 'God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.'

God said, 'You will simply call her, 'Mom.'