Life Lately

New Years Eve brought a visit from Jake's mom and a four day weekend for us to enjoy time off work with her. We were so happy that she decided to make a trip to see us last minute and super thankful when she volunteered to watch the tot so that Jake and I could go out with some friends that evening! The last time Nancy came to visit, Taylor was only a month old so it was fun watching the two of them interact and get acquainted. The tot is definitely more fun now than she was as a teeny tiny baby! And even though we took it pretty easy, we all had a great time going out to eat, playing games, and spending long, leisurely days together. It's always hard living far away from family but the reality is even more prevalent during the holidays. This trip from Nana was exactly what we needed to make our holiday season complete! Come back any time, Nancy. You're always welcome!

After we said goodbye to Nana, it was back to life as usual. Full time work schedules resumed which meant the tot was back to spending her days at daycare with her friends. When we took Taylor in for her 15 month check-up the following Tuesday, the doc noted that she had some fluid in her right ear that could potentially lead to an ear infection. He wanted to keep an eye on it but didn't feel antibiotics were necessary at the time. We rode out the remainder of the week and then out of nowhere Tay spiked a fever Sunday afternoon. She had developed a runny nose and a slight cough but no other symptoms were present. Since she had a fever on Sunday, that meant we couldn't take her to daycare on Monday, so Jake and I each worked a half day in hopes that she would be better the following day. Wrong. Monday night she woke up screaming every half hour which meant that none of us slept. Tuesday morning the poor thing was absolutely miserable, so I took her back to the doctor for some antibiotics. On Wednesday morning, she was still fever free but not her usual self. With no time off left in my ETO bank and a busy day on Jake's calendar, we were forced to take her to daycare. She slept most of the day but refused to eat and screamed unless our babysitter held her and read to her. By Friday, the antibiotics had kicked in and she was getting her energy back. By the end of the weekend, she was laughing and playing just like her normal self. Ahhhh, finally. This was her first real encounter with sickness but, unfortunately, I know it won't be her last. It definitely sucks watching your child suffer and knowing there isn't a single thing you can do to make it better. I'm just glad she's finally kicked whatever she had and is back to her sweet self.

Since we had so much extra time together while Tay was sick, we resorted to any means necessary for entertainment. We built forts, watched cartoons, sang songs, colored, put together puzzles, and read every book in her collection three times each. I'm not sure how you stay at home mommas do it. I was going stir crazy after two days of being couped up in the house! The upside of our time spent indoors is we learned that Taylor's hair is now long enough for a pony tail! I realize she has more of a rat tail/mullet situation happening here, but it's still freaking adorable. Just another sign that our baby is growing up and there's not a darn thing I can do to stop it.

The temps began to rise just as the tot started to feel better. It's like the good Lord knew I was about to reach my breaking point if we didn't get out of our germ-infested house soon. Sunny skies and 50 degree temps meant it was time to break out Taylor's new wagon, so we did just that. A few trips around the neighborhood made us all feel a little better. It's amazing what fresh air will do for a person! And not that I need to mention it, but this little lady loves her wagon. Aside from riding in it big kid style, her favorite part is opening the door and climbing in and out approximately 100 times. I'm so glad to see our girl back to her happy little self!

Since the weather has been so nice lately, we also managed to make a trip to the playground at the local elementary school. Although it doesn't have any baby-specific features, it is within walking distance from our house so we make do with what we have. Tay enjoyed going down the slides, swinging on my lap, and running up and down the muddy hills. I realize she has a sheer look of terror on her face while going down the slide, but I promise she had fun.

This past weekend, after sanitizing our house and ourselves, we had some friends over for a little post-holiday get together. After a long week of chaos, we all needed a little playtime with our friends (and a few adult beverages). My super sneaky husband was able to capture what may be the cutest picture of all time of Taylor and her friend, Benson, playing in her room.  This little fella is the son of two of our very best friends and is only three months older than that tot (which you can't tell since she is well on her way to giant status just like her daddy). I love that even at 15 months she's already bossing him around. This girl is becoming more like her momma every day!

So there you have it. We've survived our first bout of sickness, spent time with friends, and had a lot of quality time as a family of three. Life has been hectic (as usual) but wonderful at the same time. The tease of sunshine and warmer weather has us longing for spring, but for now I'm just hoping we can all stay healthy throughout the remainder of winter.