Updates

Holy guacamole people! The update of all updates just in: Leighton went to the doctor yesterday for his 2-month check-up (a little late actually as he's already 11 weeks, or roughly 2.5 months) and he weighs a whopping 15 pounds and 8 ounces. His length (24 inches) is at the 75th percentile, his weight is at the 95th (up from about the 75th last time he was at the doc) and his head is in the gol darn 100th percentile! That kid sure has a melon on him! He is smiling a lot these days and even does a little talking once in a while. He stays awake a lot more than he used to which keeps Mommy very busy (and a bit crazed at times) during her days home with us. But Mommy knows that this too shall pass and she loves every minute she has with us.





As for me, well I'm just a big girl these days. After a vacation where I slept on a bed from which I could easily escape, I came home brave enough to try the same from my big high captains bed. And guess what? I can totally do it! So now when I don't want to nap, alls I gotta do is jump down and run around my room and move the footrest to the door so I can play with the light switch and jiggle the doorknob. I did this for an hour and a half during what should have been my nap time yesterday. Finally Mom got smart and said I didn't have to nap. I won! Or maybe not, because the trip to the park that was mentioned in exchange for my napping did not happen. Oops. Let's see...what else have I been up to...well a couple weeks ago I got to go to a wedding and I danced my fanny right off at the reception. Mom and Dad clocked me at about 45 minutes of dancing. I get to go to another wedding this weekend and I'm really excited to show off some new moves I've been working on.





I also got to go with the Behnkens for a vacation in Siren, Wisconsin. The weather was really cold and windy for the first four days, which made it seem pointless to be on a lake, but we made the best of it and did lots of playing in the cabin as well as outings to the nearby towns. When the weather did turn nice, we got to play on the beach, ride in a pontoon and go on Big Bertha, the inter tube that got pulled behind the pontoon.





Well, since life around here is still pretty hectic and blogger is still pretty slow to load pictures, you can get the picture part of this update over at our flickr site.



TTFN Blogosphere Buddies!

Taylor and Leighton

Head to Flickr

We've added some random pictures that haven't made the blog from the last couple weeks to our flickr site. Check 'em out.

Taylor and Leighton

Somewhere in Middle America

As some of you may already know, I recently enojoyed a trip to Omaha, Nebraska with Grandma Trish and Papa Steve. They came to Minnesota to see us (and to attend the annual Breast Cancer golf benefit in Rochester) and took me back to Nebraska with them. I got to stay there all week and have TONS of fun with them. Leighton had to stay at home with Mom and Dad. When he's bigger he can come with me on these fun trips.

I spent a lot of time in my bathing suits (all five of them, thanks to Grandma Trish's swimsuit shopping spree). We had sprinkler play in the yard, went to Craig and Jill's pool (Craig and Jill are Grandma and Papa's friends) and went to the pool at Grandma and Papa's country club.

Leighton, Mommy and Daddy came down to join us in Omaha halfway through my stay. Leighton got to come watch me swim, but he's too little to go in the pool.

Leighton enjoyed some leisure time with Papa...

And he also got to see Aunt Stephanie again AND meet our awesome Uncle Klayton for the first time. I learned a secret about Uncle Klayton...he's a PIRATE! Did you even know that boys?!?!

(Ok, maybe that was a joke. Maybe he just got something in his eye when he was golfing. Hehehe I tricked you!)

One night Mom, Dad, Grandma and Papa took me and Leighton to Village Point for live music and family fun. I got to get a balloon hat and play with this big ball fountain. Village Point isn't just a nice place to shop and go out to eat...remember when I was little and I went there to see a Christmas tree lighting?

Before we left town, we went out to breakfast with Mom and Dad's friends. Cory and Kristin were there. Tim and Tara were supposed to be there with all their kids-Peyton, Brylee and Morgan-but Tim kinda messed that one up. I heard the adults saying he went to the doghouse or something. He must have brought Peyton and Morgan with him because only Tara and Brylee came to breakfast. The boys were missed, but I had a great time playing with Brylee.

After a fantastic week in Omaha, it was time for the long trip home. Mom and Dad knew I wouldn't nap my usual 2.5 to 3 hours, but hoped for at least 1.5 hours. Boy did I surprise and astonish them when I only slept for 15 minutes of the 7 hour journey. That'll teach Mom to reward my potty accomplishments (yeah, that's right, I pooped at a gas station after Mom and Dad made a special stop at my request) with a Tootsie Pop. She should have listened to Dad when he told her to get me a toy for a reward.

TTFN,

Taylor (and Leighton)

We're still alive.

We're just too busy to blog. Sorry.

Taylor and Leighton

Busy Bees!

Since our last report, things have continued to be busy around our house. I had my last week of daycare last week and am now staying at home full time to help Mom with Leighton. Leighton is growing bigger and bigger. He stays awake more during the day which you would think would be a great thing so we can all play with him, but I've heard rumblings and grumblings from Mom and Dad. Something like "All he did was sleep the first four weeks, like he thought he was still in utero...now he's acting just like Taylor did! This could be a long few months if it's anything like it was with her..." You'll have to help me out here boys...what are Mom and Dad talking about? I think I'm a pretty darn good kid. Was I not always this way? Was something wrong with me when I was a teeny baby like Leighton? Well, I guess the bright side is that obviously I grew out of it, so he will too.

Well, you're probably here to see pictures, so I'd best get on with it.

On June 9th, Leighton turned one month old. Here he is celebrating with George in Dad's chair:

I'm on a tight schedule here, so we'll have to go with the detour for the rest of our pictures. Head over to flickr for more.

TTFN,

Taylor (and Leighton)

Trying to Keep Up...

As our dad would say: "Oh my oh my oh my." Two children may only be twice as many as one child, but the level of activity around here seems to have multiplied by much more than two. Especially when it comes to diaper duty. Do you people out there have any idea how much a new baby poops?!?! Just trying to keep up with his dirty diapers is enough to wear a big sister out. I like to help Mom and Dad by getting a clean diaper, opening the "medicine" (diaper rash cream) and then "washing" my hands with the hand sanitizer.

Life around here is so busy that I'm (obviously) not able to keep up with regular posting. And now that I have finally found time to post, I have to apologize for the lack of organization and flow to the post. To put it simply, it's just a bunch of random pictures thrown on the blogosphere. But I'm sure it will satisfy your curiosities just the same, even if the post does lack my usual unique and perfectionistic layout and writing style.

Oh, by the way. Mom and Dad and I took Leighton to the doctor today (because he finally caught the cold that the rest of us have had-no worries though-just a run of the mill cold and the doc gave Leighton some eye stuff to clear up the nasty eye, nasal drops for the nose, and Poop Goop for the diaper rash) and he weighs a whopping 10 pounds and 1 ounce!! Can you even believe the little porker?!?! To his defense, he would like me to clarify that the nurse left his diaper and clothing on so he may actually weigh a few ounces less than that. But still? Wow.

So, on with the pictures...

Mom loving on Leighton.

Leighton hanging out in his glider.

Leighton getting ready to go to the zoo in a cute monkey outfit. (Which he's already outgrown!)

Mom, Grandma Jan, Leighton and I went to the zoo with my daycare friends. It was super fun!!

Leighton had to borrow my sunglasses one day when he was hanging out in the sun rays. This was in his early days when he still had some jaundice and needed to sunbathe (in indirect sun of course) to get rid of it.

We call him "Lazy Leighton" because he likes to sleep. A lot.

I've found some time in all the craziness to play outside. I especially like to play with my bubble maker.

Grandma Trish came to visit us for a few days last week. One day we got to go to Lake Calhoun with Aunt Sue and Uncle Lars for a walk and a picnic. So much fun!

Sometimes I like to make funny faces to keep everyone laughing.

And if the funny faces don't work, there's always my wardrobe choices and moptop hair that I sometimes won't let my mommy tame.

Aunt Jenni likes to snuggle with Leighton. She says it almost makes her want to have another kid. But only almost.

Look at this strong boy and his Tummy Time Tricks! He can already lift his head up.

Leighton can't get his toys out by himself so I like to help him out by dumping them all on top of him. Aren't I just the most helpful helper?!?

Professional's Corner:

We visited the portrait studio to have some professional pics taken. I've got to say, we're a couple of good looking kids!!

I hope you enjoyed. I gotta run. The baby pooped again!

Taylor (and Leighton)

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)