New swing

Christopher you got a swing to go on the swing set for Christmas. You were a not quite sure at first but seem to really like it after a few pushes from Alli and Gracie.

Cookie decorating with Big Daddy

Happiest days of my life!

These are fun, full, and happy days!

While helping you read Gracie, I say "good!" every time you get a word right. This morning you said "You don't have so say good every time because I know how to read now.". Sorry I was being condescending.

Santa

We went to Bass Pro tonight to see Santa. To my surprise Christopher did not cry!

At home nativity

The Martin girls are here today and y'all are putting on a Nativity play.

It has been a while:(

Well, again it has been too long between posts. I am sorry Alli, Gracie, and Christopher. We have had a busy fall. Christopher, you are growing fast and getting to be more and more fun. Gracie, you amaze me as we do school at how well you are doing. I do not feel like a born teacher so hearing you actually start reading is amazing to me! Alli, you are a busy busy girl. I think you need your own calendar because you are always planning new and fun activities for us to do. I am sorry to say we don't get around to actually do most of them. They are typically pretty elaborate plans:). I am enjoying this Christmas season with you three. You girls are understanding more and more what Christmas is really all about.
Every year trying to get a Christmas picture is quite a chore. After a few failed attempts Mrs Beth Martin got the best one for the card. I am just posting some of my favorite unused ones.

Checkups

Gracie at your 4 year checkup you are 38.5 lbs, and 40.5 in tall.
Christopher at 4 months you are 14lbs, and 25 in tall.

Play time

Christopher, you are getting bigger every day. You have started to take notice of toys and seem interested. Alli and Gracie, y'all are so proud of him. You two set up all of his toys last night and were having a ball just watching him look around at them.
I love it when one of you comes to tell me "you have got to get the camera!". These pictures are not as sweet as the moment was, but I am glad I have the memory captured.

3 months

Alli
Gracie

Christopher

Alli's 1st lost tooth

Alli, you lost your first tooth! It has been wiggling for a couple of weeks. Daddy had been trying to pull it, and then we put you girls to bed and 2 seconds later you came out soooo excited because you had pulled it out yourself. You also realized you have another loose tooth as well. This was harder on me that I would have expected. You are growing up way faster than I would like. I enjoy getting to be your mommy, and watching you grow. I am very proud of you.

Gracie, you were sooo excited for Alli. Anyone would have thought it was you who had lost the tooth. You were all too willing to get out of bed for the celebration;)

Rest time drawing

Alli, you are drawing and writing a lot right now. This is what you did today during your rest time.
I think this says I like my sister. I LOVE seeing how you try and sound things out by yourself!

I think you did a GREAT job with all of these. I am so proud of how hard you work to learn to read and write. I hope your love of learning will continue as you get older. I just wanted you to have a sample of what you were able to do at 5 years old.

Christopher's 2 month checkup.

Christopher your sister's are sooo excited to be holding you standing up! This is a very big deal because I always make them sit to hold you. You are pretty happy and have no idea the danger you are in. You also had your 2 month checkup today. You are 10lbs 14oz, and 23in. You are growing right on schedule, and doing new and cute things every day. You have started talking and cooing at us lots which is fun.

A Gracie story

So....Last night Daddy was at a meeting so I was doing bedtime by myself. I put you girls to bed, and had just sat down to feed Christopher when Alli came running out of your room. Alli looked scared to death and said "Mommy! You have to go help Gracie! Her head is stuck under the bead!!" Obviously I jumped up and handed Alli Christopher and ran to see what was going on. Sure enough Gracie, your head was under the bed, and your body was sting out. You were crying and scared. I helped you simply turn your head to the side to slide it out. Then I calmed you down, and put you back to bed. I would have LOVED to run grab the camera so that you could see what all this looked like from my perspective, but I felt that would be way to mean to leave you like that any longer. This morning Daddy and I asked you about it. We wanted to know how in the world an obedient little girl who is supposed to stay in bed gets their head stuck under the bed. There was a lot of smiling and finger sucking before you finally said you were out of the bed playing.
Gracie this is just a pretty typical story about you. You are always keeping us on our toes;) We love you!

Almost 6 weeks

Christopher, you are almost 6 weeks now and getting cuter by the day. We think you are looking more and more like the girls baby pics.
This was your first real smile for me. I was talking to you and you smiled like this long enough for me to grab the camera!

5 weeks

This is what I get to see most mornings right now and I LOVE it. You girls wake up so ready to hold Christopher, and get the day started. Typically I feed Christopher and then y'all hold and play with him until I can get my coffee poured and breakfast ready. I LOVE your crazy hair and fingers in your mouth Gracie. I know you will need to stop sucking your fingers soon, but I will miss it.

Welcome to the world Christopher Michael Taylor Jr.

This is a bit late sine tomorrow you will be 4 weeks old Christopher, but I have been a bit busy;) Daddy and I got to the hospital at 7am to get ready for a c-section. You arrived April 7th 9:30am. You were 8lbs, 3oz, and 21in long. I was very very excited and ready to have you out!! You immediately displayed a very strong set of lungs showing what a healthy baby you are. The whole family came to see you in the hospital, and we all loved you instantly!
Christopher, you have been a very sweet baby so far. You sleep and eat well. At your 2 week checkup you had gained 3oz. Last night you even slept through the night for the first time! We are excited to watch you grow and learn more about your little personality. Our greatest prayer for you is to grow into a man who knows the joy of following Jesus where he leads you.

Alli, I do not know what I would have done without you! You have been such a HUGE help to me over the past 4 weeks. You are a wonderful big sister to Gracie and Christopher. You take great joy in relieving me of any chores you are able to do for me. I am so grateful for the help, but even more than that I LOVE how much joy you have as you serve the family. I pray God continues to develop in you a servant's heart, and uses that to further His kingdom.

Gracie, my heart melts as I watch you hold and care for your little brother. You have an ear for his softest whimper and rush to check on him to give him his passy or just say sweet words to quiet him. I never change a diaper that you are not there to watch and help, and then throw the diaper away. Nurturing seems to be your gift.

These past 4 weeks have been wonderful! I have so enjoyed doing nothing but watching and caring for the three of you. Life will soon pick up pace, but this has been such sweet time for me to just savor the joy of the gift you all are to me. I hope I will be better about keeping this updated in the future.

Love,
Mommy

14 days to go!

So with 14 days till baby Christopher arrives we are starting to get ready. We are scheduled for a C-section thurs April 7th. Bye bye storybook nursery!
Alli, you helped Daddy prime and paint the walls. Gracie, you have been pretty excited about all the changes. Every time we do something new, you tell anyone and everyone who will listen.
On with the grey paint.

Christopher Michael Taylor, we are counting on you being a UGA fan!

We are not completely finished, but I am not sure how much more will get done before you get here Christopher. I am pretty sure you are ok with that.

Playing in the dirt

Today I let you girls get some flower pots and zinnia seeds at walmart so you try and grow from "scratch". Alli, you are very into growing ,and want to plant all sorts of flowers and fruit in our yard. Daddy and I hope you continue to feel this way as you get older. We would gladly let you be in charge of the yard work:) Gracie, you just like doing whatever Alli likes doing for the most part.
Gracie, your favorite part of planing is always watering.

Y'all did such a good job, I think I may go back for more seeds to led you plant some in the back yard bed.

Watching you girls work, play, and grow makes my heart sing! I love you both!!!

Jan 10th 2011 Snow

Jan 9th & 10th we had a big snow here in Ga. you girls loved looking at it, and playing in it for a little while. It was pretty cold so we had to limit how long you could play out in it.

Alli is 5!!!

Happy 5th Birthday Alli!!!!!
Dancing to the wii kidz dance

Soooo sweet!

Girls, I am so sorry it has been so long since my last post, but better late than never I guess! So I will start with your 5th birthday Alli. We had the older cousins over for a sleepover party. We had a very good time making our own pizza, and decorating cupcakes. After watching a movie, and going to bed late, y'all were little chatterboxes! After an hour or so you came out and said it was too loud, and you couldn't sleep. I told you that you could go sleep in the playroom by yourself, and you sad yes and were asleep in seconds;)!

Gracie you went down to Macon to have a sleep over with Perry Catherine, and had a wonderful time. Aunt Claire said you were lots of help with baby Charlotte.