Home, Happy and (Relatively) Healthy

Hello there folks. Sorry for the lack of updates. As you can imagine, adding a baby hooked to an Apnea Monitor to the family mix has made life around here a little hectic. I've been so busy being a big sister helper that I've not had time for my blogging duties. But Leighton is sleeping and Mom and Dad seem to have things under control (for now) so I've snuck away to blog for your viewing pleasure...

Here is our first official family picture. Picture perfect or what?!?!

Isn't Leighton just a handsome little man?!?!

Sometimes he gets a little tired of the paparazzi around him and has to take cover...

While Leighton was getting better in the hospital and I was hanging out with Grandma Trish and Papa Steve, I took them to my favorite park. It has a "eem" (airplane) that I absolutely love-but you have to buckle up before you can fly with me!

I like to copy everything that Papa Steve does...

I was right at the door to welcome my baby brother home last Friday. I was so happy he got to leave the hospital. Mom and Dad were very surprised that the doctors and nurses let him come home, but were more than happy to comply!

Leighton and I have been having a good time getting to know each other. He doesn't do much...mostly he just eats, poops and sleeps, but that's alright. They tell me I was like that once upon a time for about a day and a half. (Then I apparently morphed into some kind of monster baby that cried a lot and didn't like to sleep unless someone was holding me ALL the time for a couple months.)

Mom, Dad, Leighton and I would like to send out many many many many thanks to those of you that prayed for Leighton and our family during his time in the NICU. Your prayers did wonders and we're so glad to have Little Lazy Leighton home with us. He will be on his monitor for at least four weeks, but if all goes well during that time, the monitor will go away after that. (So you can guess what our prayers are for now!)

Toodles!

Taylor (and Leighton)

It's a Boy-and It's Early!

Well surprise surprise surprise! I have a baby brother. Yeah yeah, I know I've had him for 36 weeks in theory, but he was all hidden in Mommy's tummy. Yesterday he pulled the ultimate stunt and decided to come and join us in the real world four weeks early. Mommy went into labor about 3:00 Saturday morning and Leighton Steven was born at 8:34 AM weighing 7 pounds, 5.75 ounces and is 20.25 inches long. (Yes, I know, a bit big for four weeks early...many people have questioned if the due date was off by four weeks...)

Mom and Leighton are both doing great. Daddy is also doing very well and is quite excited that there will be another boy in our house now. Me, well I'm just tickled pink with the little guy. He's pretty darn cute and I like to kiss him and watch his funny faces.

It's a lot quicker for me to post pictures on our flickr site, so please take a detour there for more pics of our newly expanded family.

From The Big Sister,

Taylor McKenna

Whirlwind Weekend

Late entry: Grandma Jan supplied this picture yesterday...it's me eating the yummy crab legs last weekend when we visited Papa Owie:



Daddy is a traveling man this weekend, so Mom and I spent lots of time with Papa Bob and Grandma Jan. When we left the house yesterday morning, I made sure I was well prepared for a day out and about, with my backpack and my purse.

Good thing I was prepared because Mom and Grandma drug me all over the metro area. We went to a consignment sale in Eagan where Mom bought oodles of clothes for my baby brother. I guess she's facing the reality that the little guy is going to be here before we know it and most of the clothes I wore would not be of the appropriate coloring for him. Grandma rode herd on me while Mom shopped and she said it made her very tired. Then we hit some garage sales, but came up empty. Next it was on to Target for some random Target-type stuff. After that I finally got a break from my car seat and hand-holding and cart-riding foolery when we went to Grandma and Papa's to play and have lunch. I had a nap there and when I woke up, it was out again to the fabric store for some projects Mom and Grandma have in the works. I had lots and lots and lots of fun running all over the store. Grandma said it made her tired. Again. Then it was back to Grandma and Papa's house for supper. I was tired from my busy day and had to go home to sleep it off right after dinner.



Today was another busy day with lots of grandparent time. We met Grandma and Papa at church, but Mom swiftly swept me off to the nursery. Last time she took me there I was all for it, but this time I pitched a bit of a fit. One of the nice nursery ladies held me and cuddled me when Mom left and I decided it was an alright thing. The nursery is cool because I can talk and giggle in there and nobody shushes me like they do in the sanctuary. After church we had lunch then I took a really good, long nap. After nap time we had to go to another fabric store since Mom and Grandma didn't find what they needed yesterday. This time they brought Papa along to ride herd on me. I heard them giggling while they watched Grandpa chase me around and put things (mainly candy) back on the shelves.

After shopping we went out to eat at my favorite restaurant-Red Lobster!!! Being the seafood aficionado that I am, I shard shrimp with Mommy. I also gobbled down the Lobster Fondue appetizer and even ate some broccoli. Yummy!

Grandma and I played outside a bit before it was time to go home. We found this neat pond by the restaurant with a little boat floating in it. That's us pointing to the boat for Mommy:



When we got home, somehow I was still hungry, so Mom got me some apples and milk. I spilled milk on my shirt and decided I should have a bib. For quality control purposes, I tried out one of the bibs that goes with an outfit Mom got for the baby. It worked quite well, but may be a bit small for me.




In other news not caught on camera, I did a great job potty training today. I used the toilet five times today! Four times at home and even one time at the restaurant. Mom let me wear a PullUp to dinner because I'm such a big girl. We're not sure what the next step is or even if there is a next step...perhaps today was a fluke...I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings.

TTFN,
Taylor "Big Girl" Oster