How Our Family Got Started

Taylor May aka Tae Mae, Tae Tae, Monkey, Baby, Goofy, Silly, Pumpkin Pie, Sweeite and many others has changed mine and Dennys world.
For a long time I said “I don’t think I want children”. Given my background of many years working with children I knew they were WORK and was afraid of the unknown. Having a daycare the children went home everyday however I knew if I had children they would never go home heehee. Don’t get me wrong I adore kids and have loved many of them I just was afraid. Dennys who wanted kids right away agreed to wait until I was “ready”! After four years of marriage and finding out my dad was terminally ill I decided it was time! After many months of trying Dennys and I found out we were expecting our first child that would arrive in Oct of 2008.

The pregnancy was fairly easy. I had the morning sickness and said I would never ever have another one again heeheee. But after that passed the actual pregnancy went great. Even though the pregnancy was great it was the most heart wrenching and life changing moments I have yet to live. I along side my step mother and family members watched my father deteriorate in a matter of a few short months. I stopped working to help care for him. My dad who was every definition of a “Man” went from strong, independent self driven family man to completely helpless to a disease called ALS! He fought so hard hanging on to the hope of meeting his first grandbaby. In the end the disease got the best of him and In August of 2008 just 4 weeks before our beautiful Taylor May was born. He passed away.

Taylor was born at 7:54 and in military time it translates to 19:54 which also happens to be the year my dad was born. So at that moment I knew my dad was watching over us and did get the chance to meet Taylor in Heaven! God is so Good!

I had no idea what a blessing a child was until I became a mommy myself. Taylor has the ability to make me laugh and smile non stop each and everyday. She lights up our world. Crazy, enough I miss her when I put her in bed and feel terribly guilty putting her in childcare at church and the gym. Her on the other hand is a social butterfly and does not have separation anxiety heehee.

Taylor has already passed many milestones. She is full of life. She loves to talk non-stop some of her favorite words being:
Mommy and mommy and then mommy again J
Daddy
Baby
Dog
Derick
What’s that?
Outside
Water
Snack
“she’s poopy” (referring to her self)
I love you
Night Night
And the list goes on and on even repeating some words that I may have taught her while driving that are not so niceJ!

She is at the stage she mimics everything we do. She loves to be a big helper. She digs with daddy and helps him in the yard. And she loves to help me clean. Yesterday she found a glove and decided she would clean the toilet just like mommy does. I was horrified that she was touching the potty but did not want to break her spirit since she was helping. Being very independent she refuses to let us help her eat and now she drinks out of real cups with no problem.

Dennys and I amazed as I’m sure all other parents are at how smart and as Dennys would say “advanced” she is. It’s so funny to look at her and see this 31inch person walking around who also happens to call the shots in the house! She was not a cuddly baby at all but through much prayer God has changed her. She is so cuddly these days giving out free hugs and kisses and so giving. She loves to share and she adores babies! Everywhere we go if she sees a baby she just lights up. So hopefully she will be just as happy when baby number 2 arrives in July! Taylor also loves to pray. Before each meal she puts her hands together, says her own little prayer and finishes with a huge AMEN.

In these short 19 months God has shown me to love because you never know when that opportunity will come to an end. And he has also shown me what selfless love is by being a mommy.

Hopefully, this is just a glimpse to what I will blog on in the future. I hope to stay disciplined to share all the future moments that make up our days as a family. I would love Taylor to be able to read all about her best and worst moments as a childJ!