memorial day weekend

It was a Memorial Day weekend up north at Lake Charlevoix like we rarely get to experience. Usually we are happy with one day of sun, temperatures comfortable enough to sit outside without a sweatshirt on, and water that is at least warm enough to dangle your toes in for a little bit. This weekend was completely different! We had beautiful sunshine, temperatures in the high 80's, and the water temperature was 70 degrees!! Needless to say - it was a FANTASTIC weekend!! We swam, ran, threw a tiny nerf football around, ate great food, boated around the lake, read, napped, walked, and had so much fun just being with the family!! :-)

Ever since Taylor was born, I have been looking forward to her first trip up north, and it was as wonderful as I had hoped. She traveled as well as a 3 1/2 month old can (there was lots of playing with toys and making funny faces while sitting next to her in the backseat), and she seemed right at home at the cottage. She slept really well at night, and had some great naps during the day (I think the fresh lake air and soothing sounds from the water had something to do with this :-)). It was fun to watch her take in all the new sights and sounds. We spent time in Boyne City and Charlevoix, and she had her first view of Lake Michigan. She also got to wiggle her toes in the sand on our beach, and splash her feet in the shallow water. We didn't take her for an actual boat ride this time around, but it's on the list of things to do for next time!!

In the car...

In Boyne City...

On the dock

On the boat...





Playing with uncle Jeff...


Chatting with grandpa Randy
Sleeping with grandma mem...

Walking by the marina in CharlevoixLunch in Charlevoix

Walking out along the pier

Early morning view while feeding Taylor... a girl could get used to this :-)

3 months old (only a week late) :-)

Last week, Taylor turned 3 months old...

At 3 months, Taylor is:

** wearing some 3-6 month clothing, but mostly 6 month-sized outfits already!

** wearing size 2 diapers

** blowing raspberries

** grabbing and sucking on anything she can get to her mouth

** lifting her head and shoulders off the ground when she is laying on her back (which is what she usually does when she wants to sit up or be picked up)

** starting to laugh and giggle a little bit

** taking a bottle better at daycare (yay!)

** going to sleep at 10pm and getting up once during the night to eat - usually somewhere between 2am-4am (sometimes she even sleeps through the night)

** very vocal!! She just talks and talks sometimes - it is getting harder to take her into church with us

Some pictures of the past week...

With Sophie the Giraffe - a little splurge from Tip Toes :-)

Attempting to put her in her first life jacket (she seems quite concerned about this new thing we were strapping on her!) - it will definitely fit better by the end of the summer, but we are hoping to put it to use this weekend on the lake!!
With a drawing her uncle Jon made for her - love it!!


Hanging out with daddy on the bed

I love this little hoodie

Video: Taylor Copying her Mommy!

Dedication and Daycare

Currently I am letting Taylor out of my arms for a few minutes while I do a little post...but will quickly snuggle up with her again as soon as I am done because, you see, I had to be away from the sweet little girl this week for more hours than I want to count. Maternity leave over, work and daycare begin!

But let me back up to the day before I went back to work - Mother's Day!! What a fun, awesome, and wonderful thing to be a mother, and have a day to celebrate it! I felt like it gave me an extra reason to love and snuggle Taylor, and it just makes me appreciate and love my own mom that much more! I never realized what an awesome job she has and what a blessing it is to be able to carry the title "mom". (Love you mem!!)
(Taylor and I when she was 1 day old...)
We had another celebration on Mother's Day as well - Taylor was dedicated at church! She did SO well in front of the church (thank goodness for bright stage lights to capture a little person's attention). Lots of family attended the service, and we had lunch at our house afterward (I think we found the maximum capacity for our little house! :-D).

Taylor with her grandma's at church
Cute little dress (on a very chilly Mother's Day!)

And now onto this week...what a week!! It was back to the classroom for me in two ways! I started teaching again on Monday, and also started my second to last grad class on Monday evening. Monday morning - first day at daycare for Taylor - whew - that was tough. I will admit that I was emotional getting her up that morning, when I fed her, when I changed her, when I put her in her car seat, the drive to daycare, and driving away from daycare (and maybe a little at school before the students were there and someone would mention her name). But we both made it through the first day, and each day got a little easier, although I didn't miss her any less! Getting back into the groove during the school day was easier than I thought - I was nervous to go back - it felt like it was the first day of the school year all over again!

It is especially hard to have to get her up and ready for daycare when she looks like this in the morning (this is not even a minute after she ate and I put her down to continue getting ready).



But one week down and only a few to go until the summer! It is going to be a fantastic summer!! Here are some more pictures...can't help myself... :-)


Bath time, blue eyes

Happy early birthday to me!! Baby Jogger!! :-)



Dressed and ready to watch daddy play softball for the first time!!

It's almost time....

Taylor is 11 weeks old this week...which means it's almost time for me to go back to work. (Sigh). This is going to be a hard transition, but I just keep focusing on how wonderful it is going to be to pick her up after work, and that summer break is only 5 weeks away! I think Taylor and I can make it 5 weeks!

At 11 weeks, we have such a talkative girl!! It is fun to be able to tell that Taylor really recognizes familiar things - when we are home she is quite animated compared to when we are out, and the past few evenings, she has just been a happy, little chatterbox (well, lots of cooing, gurgling and squealing :-)). We have switched to size 2 diapers, and I have spent a lot of time cleaning out her drawers of all the clothes that don't fit her anymore - it's a little sad to look at all her newborn things, and think of how much she has grown already!! Our "little" 2 and 1/2 month old is wearing some 6 month clothing now! My goodness do these early weeks go quickly, especially when she is changing so much daily.

Pictures!!

The highlight of this past week has been Tulip Time!

Walking in downtown Holland - Taylor likes to face out now in the Baby Bjorn and see what is going on!


Spring has definitely sprung in Holland - lots of flowers and blooming trees...



Smelling the tulips :-)


Taylor with her little buddy, Brady....I LOVE pictures of these two together, so sweet! Brady always smiles at Taylor, and Taylor just stares at Brady...so sweet!!
Their eyes meet....



The family with the tulips

Hanging out with daddy after he got home from work (hanging out on our bed brings out a very happy, talkative little girl...Taylor loves playtime on our bed, maybe it is the cozy, soft, warm down comforter :-))



Taylor all ready for bed...does she look sleepy? :-)

Wearing her first pair of blue jeans (thanks uncle paul and aunt mary-margaret!)
Blessed to be able to spend my days with this little cutie! :-)