Tag: Abby

Our First Vacation as a Family of Four…

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Our first vacation as a family was a relaxing one. Uncle Tom and Aunt Mary were kind enough to let us use their condo for the weekend, so we headed up to Mammoth. Much of our plan was to plan nothing and that is pretty much what we did.

We hit the road on Thursday night after Shaun came home from work. The girls were all ready for the car ride and dressed in their jammies. We traveled under a bright moon and listened to the radio as the girls slept. We didn’t pull up to the condo until after 2am, but it was a fun drive. Once we had unpacked the car it was off to bed for us.

The next morning we were up late but to a beautiful day in Mammoth. Shaun made us a yummy breakfast and then we were off to explore. We decided to head up to Yosemite National Park to see if the leaves were turning colors up in Tuolumne Meadows. The drive up was beautiful. The moutain sides had patches on red, orange, yellow and green from the groves of Aspens and Dogwoods turning colors. It was beautiful. Unfortunately the trees up in Toulumne had not started to turn yet but we still enjoyed the drive. We even spotted a coyote on our way through. If there had been enough time we would have driven down to the Valley, but it was getting late and we wanted to head home. That night we ate a wonderful dinner and slept well. Must have been that mountain air!

View from the condo.

Autumn Leaves, Gull Lake , October 2010


The next morning we woke up to a yummy pancake breakfast and then headed out to explore again. The day was pretty but cloudy. A big storm was starting to making its way over the moutains. Shaun and I certainly were not complaining. We drove around the lakes, stopping to take pictures and enjoy the scenery. From there we drove up to June and Gull Lakes. We stopped at the Gull Lake Marina where Abby and I took a walk down the boat ramp area. She wanted to see all of the birds swimming out on the lake. As we watched a mama duck came swimming up to us. It was obvious she was hoping to get a hand out or two. She quickly jumped out of the water and onto the ramp. Abby was as happy as a clam and excited to be so close to a duck. Mommy was having fun too, although she was doing her best to keep Abby from getting too close. From there we decided to head back to Mammoth. We drove up to the Canyon Lodge, the Minarets overlook and Reds Lake. After that we headed back for another yummy dinner at the condo and to enjoy a cozy evening. We even had a nice rain storm blow through.

Ducky Kisses


The following morning we woke up and headed home. It was hard to leave but we had to. On our way out we drove up to Convict Lake. It was gloomy but pretty and a nice end to our trip to Mammoth. The drive home gave us some rain and pretty landscapes. All I know is that I hope we are back very soon!

Monkey Says…

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There is a new show on Sprout called Monkey See Monkey Do and Abby LOVES it. She loves to follow the directions as best she can and really just have fun. Because of that show, Shaun has now started to play “Monkey Says” with her and she has a blast. I caught some video of her doing this just after bath time and I couldn’t stop filming, it was too funny. Its longer then most of our video clips but its cute. She is such a funny and silly little girl. I think we have found a really good way to get her to listen and follow directions when we ask her to do something!

Kings Hockey Officially Begins!

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Today was the first game of the season for the Los Angeles Kings. Since we decided not to go to the game, we thought it would be fun to have a small get together with our friends Byron, Erika and Harrison to watch the game. If you didn’t already know, they are Kings fans too! We got all dressed up in our T-Shirts and Jerseys, had some pizza, salad, plenty of game time junk food and watched the Kings play the Vancouver Canucks. Erika even made some yummy Kings themed cupcakes and they were super delicious.


The game really didn’t get exciting until the end. In the third period the Kings tied it up 1-1, took it to overtime and then a shoot-out. The Kings won in a shoot-out and we were all very happy campers. During the down time in the game we all had the chance to talk and watch the kids play. Abby kept stealing all of the toys from Harrison, who really just wanted to escape from this aggressive little girl and play on his own. Shaun and I were constantly telling Abby to share with Harrison and to give back the Buzz Lightyear toy that he chose to play with. AH two year olds. The concept of sharing is nearly impossible to teach. But, by the end of the night they were playing together… chasing each other around our house. It was a great night and a great win! We need to do these parties more often!




More Milestones and Updates

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Today we took both Abby and Ellie in for their check-ups (2 Year and 3 Month). Abby hasn’t been since she was 18 months, but she seemed to remember it pretty well and better yet, didn’t seem too apprehensive about it. As we sat in the Well Child Waiting Room, Abby met a friend and they played and chattered as we waited. And we waited for quite some time. Unfortunately I made the appointment for a Monday and it was a zoo! Monday walk-in hours are miserable, even if you are one of the lucky ones waiting for an appointment.

When we were finally called in Abby was still happy and calm. Shaun and I were both very proud. Dr. Calig took a look at Ellie first. Once again she received a clean bill of health and her chest and lungs still sound clear. Always good news!

We then placed Abby up on the table to be looked over. Dr. Calig checked her heart, her ears, her throat and more. Abby sat still for all of it and even giggled a few times. She too recieved a clean bill of health from Dr. Calig. Then came the part that I was truly dreading, her vaccinations. She received 4 of them today and I was super worried that she would flip out as she does with so many little things these days. I had talked with her about them and didn’t hide the fact that she was getting some shots today, not that she really knew what that meant. But when it came down to it, Abby was amazing! She didn’t even flinch and there wasn’t a single tear shed! I couldn’t have been more proud of her and more relieved all at the same time. What I thought would be a rough day at the doctors office turned out great! Shaun and I are so blessed to have two healthy little girls.

Since they are both growing so fast, here are some of their stats!

Ellie’s Three Month Stats
Weight: 12 Pounds 13 Ounces
Length: 24 and 1/4 Inches

Ellie has gained nearly a pound in one month and grown a quarter of an inch. It doesnt seem like a lot but for an infant that is, in both respects. Abby and Ellie are such different babies. At 3 months Abby was 13 pounds 9 ounces and 23 1/2 inches, so now Ellie is slowing on her weight gain a bit but still measures longer then Abby did. Ellie is now smiling, cooing, and chattering with us a lot. She has on several occasions rolled from her tummy to her back and is lifting her head very well in all situations, including tummy time. She is growing and changing all of the time, its so hard to believe! I am sure there will be a lot more to tell in just a months time!

Abby’s Two Year Stats
Weight: 31 Pounds
Height: 34 and 3/4 Inches

Abby is growing so fast as well. I swear she gets taller and taller each day. She is such a happy a cuddly little girl. We have our terrible two moments, but its nothing we cant handle and certainly something she will eventually grow out of. Abby loves to sing and has a remarkable ability to remember songs, mainly the tune of a song. The words still come and go but she knows the tune. She loves to sing her ABC’s, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Fruit Salad by the Wiggles, Rock A Bye Your Bear by the Wiggles and quite a few more. Abby can also count to 10 and loves to show her knowledge of animal sounds and body parts. Currently she likes to show off her belly button to strangers when we are out shopping and I think sometimes those strangers think they are being flashed by a two year old if they don’t pay attention to what Abby is saying.

Boy do they change a lot in such a short time and learn so much. Thats why this age is so bittersweet. You can see them changing and learning and gaining even more of a personality but it all happens so fast. Before I know it, both girls will be off to college! Until then I will enjoy each and every moment that I have with them!

Tigger Dance at The Happiest Place on Earth

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Today we took Abby to Disneyland for her birthday. We have not been since February which is actually a long time for us! What a difference a few months can make when it comes to a child of this age. She is so much more aware of her surroundings, characters and the excitement that comes from being a child at Disneyland.

Over the last week or so I have been talking with Abby about how she is going to Disneyland. Each time we talk she gets really excited. When you ask her “Who are we going to see?” she immediately says, “Mickey Mouse!” Its a good thing I caught it on video because the way she says Mickey Mouse just melts my heart.

After dropping Ellie off with Grandpa and Nana we made our way to Disneyland. I had hoped Abby would fall asleep for a bit on the way, especially after such a busy day yesterday, but that did not happen. She chattered and sang to her Ariel doll the entire way. When we finally reached the parking garage, you could tell that Abby seemed to know we were there. There was a bit of prompting from Shaun and myself, but she was genuinely excited. She even said hello to the parking attendants as we drove by.

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After getting settled in with a stop at the lockers and more we headed for our first ride. It was a warm and humid day so it didn’t take long for Abby’s energy to be zapped. Shaun and I decided to get onto Nemo’s Submarine Voyage first before the lines grew. It was probably the longest wait of the day at about 30 minutes. That may not seem too long, but with a cranky 2 year old it seems like forever. There were a few bouts of tears because Abby didn’t quite get the concept of waiting in line, but there were also moments of happiness. Once we were on the ride, Abby was completely in awe! Even just the bubbles in the water made her happy. Those 30 difficult minutes in line, in the heat, were well worth it when we saw how excited she was to see Nemo.

Enjoying the Matterhorn and watching the waterfalls.

Loving Nemo and all of the bubbles as our submarine “dove” into the deep!

After Nemo we headed over to Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters. Abby had fun watching Buzz and the little aliens, but didn’t quite understand the whole lazer gun thing. Oh well… baby steps! When we finished we started walking towards the entrance to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and Fantasyland. On our way we noticed the Pearl Band walking towards the castle. I knew what was going to happen so we quickly followed them and sure enough the show started. It was the Mary Poppins show and before we knew it, Mary and Bert were out in the crowd performing some of Abby’s favorite songs. What a treat! Bert even waved and winked at her!

After that excitement we decided to find a cool place to sit down and have some lunch. We headed over to the Hungry Bear and sat near the edge of the restaurant. From our seats we could watch the Sailing Ship Columbia and Mark Twain Steamboat pass by as well as the Disneyland Train. Abby got a big kick out of that. After lunch and a bit of walking around Abby finally fell asleep in her stroller. Shaun and I took the opportunity to sit down and relax in a nice shady spot over near Big Thunder Ranch.

When Abby woke up we decided to pop on in to Big Thunder Ranch so that Abby could see the farm animals. She saw the turkey that was saved from Thanksgiving dinner by the president, goats, sheep and the Disneyland cow Maggie. As we were petting the goats, Shaun and I looked up and saw the best thing on earth walk into the ranch… Jessie! I never thought I would be one of those parents that flips out but I did. Shaun and I snatched Abby up and booked it over to Jessie. I have to say it was worth looking like an idiot for. Abby was wearing her Jessie T-Shirt and Jessie kept pointing at it and kissing Abby. It was the sweetest thing ever and Abby was so excited. Made the whole trip worth it. I think if we had gone home right then and there, Abby would not have cared. She was on cloud nine. Mommy and Daddy were too!

Jessie gives Abby hugs and kisses. That is one happy little girl!

From there with big smiles we went on Winnie the Pooh, which of course Abby loved. When we exited the ride Shaun took us over to the line to see some of the Pooh Bear characters. When we walked up Tigger and Rabbit were out but had to leave. Lucky for us Tigger came back and along with him came Pooh Bear! Another excitement for Abby. This time around I didnt even have to hold her. She went running right up to Pooh Bear. He knelt down for her and she talked to him in her gibberish. Abby played with his nose and then we posed for a picture. This little girl was in heaven!

Pooh Bear’s nose is very interesting and Abby had a lot of interesting things to tell Pooh Bear too.

After visiting with Pooh Bear we made our way over to Tigger. Abby walked over on her own and was even more excited to see him. She started doing her Abby dance, which is basically bending and straightening her legs. Bobbing up and down so to speak. Before we knew it Tigger was following her movements and then Abby was following Tigger. It was adorable! She even had most of the people in line laughing. We didn’t catch all of it, but here is a little video of what we now call the Tigger dance…

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After her dance with Tigger, Abby snuggled up with him and we got what is probably the cutest picture to date of Abby. Pure excitement and joy to see some of her favorite characters. What a day to remember as parents. From there we headed over to California Adventure to see Beasts Library and the Monsters Inc. ride. Abby loved both. We had wanted to go on Toy Story Mania but unfortunately that had been closed for refurbishment. After Monsters we packed up and headed home. Even though the day started off rocky, it ended with some wonderful moments! What a great birthday for Abby. Happy Birthday little girl!

Snuggling up with Tigger for an adorable picture. What a lucky little girl.

Party Like Its Abby’s 2nd Birthday

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What a wonderful birthday for our little girl. Today Abby celebrated her birthday with family and a few friends. Shaun and I decided that instead of having a huge party for her we would do something small and take her to Disneyland the next day.

Abby had a great time hanging out with Grandpa and Nana and her Grandma Zoe as well as her Uncle James and his girlfriend Sammy. The Guerreros joined us as well and Abby had a fun time playing with Harrison. Harrison on the other hand was smitten with Sammy and wouldn’t leave her side. He was heart broken when it was time to go home. I hated to see him so sad but his crush on Sammy was very cute.

Stealing from Harrison’s plate… Im not sure that Harrison knew what to do with this aggressive little girl.

The food was yummy, and the cake even yummier! I made it myself and it was certainly fun trying to do that. I have learned a thing or two for next time but I think in the end her cake turned out great. Her plates and decorations matched it… kind of. This year Abby had a great time blowing out candles and laughed hysterically as people sang Happy Birthday to her. She loved the attention understood it a little bit more. On her first birthday she seemed a little creeped out by the fact that everyone was standing around her, staring and singing. What a difference a year makes! Although her process of consuming her cake was pretty similar to last year. What a messy little girl.

Abby’s Birthday Cake made by yours truly… No she is not 4 I just wanted Abby to have fun blowing out candles.

MMMMMM… CAKE! Not much has changed in a year has it?

Grandma and Grandpa Taylor and her Auntie J had the chance to watch her blow out her candles via web cam, which I know made their day. Even though they are not close to us they still had the chance to be a part of Abby’s special day.

After cake, Abby opened up her birthday presents. She opened her cards, kind of and then tore through her gifts. The clothing she received was given an “OHHH CUTE!” as she opened them and of course her attention was lost on toys, wrapping paper, boxes and more. Abby is a very lucky girl and will be well dressed for that matter. What a great birthday!

Being a good girl and opening her cards first… kind of.

Surrounded by wrapping paper and the remnants of some great birthday presents, now strewn about our deck.

Happy 2nd Birthday Abby!

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Today Abby turns 2. Is it really possible that its been 2 years since our little girl was born? Well it has and it certainly has been an amazing two years. Abby has grown and changed so much. She is such a happy and adorable little girl, even with the new addition of scream at a pitch nearly audible to dogs alone. So much happens in one year at this age, its an amazing process to see. Since her first birthday Abby has learned to walk and run, talk, speak in sentences, imaginative play with her toys, sing, dance, jump, climb and much much more. Her personality is amazing and she makes us laugh every day. She has developed likes and dislikes like most people and I am sure that will change a lot over the next little bit. At the moment Abby’s favorites are:

1. Favorite Movies:
Mary Poppins, Toy Story and Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc. Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo

2. Favorite Characters:
Jessie, Woody, Bulls Eye, Buzz, Pooh Bear, Tigger, Mary Poppins, Bert, Nemo, Squirt, Beast, Belle, Ariel and Tinker Bell

3. Favorite Foods:
Bananas, Broccoli, Cheese, Apples, Chicken Strips

4. Favorite Friends:
Blanky, Doggy, Jessie, Woody, Tigger and Pooh

5. Favorite TV Shows
Caillou, Sesame Street, Olivia, The Wiggles

I am sure those favorites will change over the year, but thats what being a kid is all about. Shaun and I look forward to the years ahead and all of the changes that come with it. Abby, Mommy and Daddy love you so much and we cannot wait to see what the future brings.

Happy 2nd Birthday Pumpkin!

Early Birthday Presents

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Abby turns two in less then a week… It’s very hard for me to believe but she does. How is it possible that two years can go so fast? I don’t have the answer to that question and I don’t think there is anyone else out there that does either.

As a present Shaun and I decided that we wanted to get Abby something that encouraged her to run and play but didn’t require ten thousand tiny pieces that will get scattered about the living room for all to step on. So Shaun felt like we could utilize a portion of our deck as a play space for Abby and eventually Ellie.

On Saturday we set out to run some errands and then buy the items we had in mind for the deck. We decided that after the girls went to bed, we would set up everything and have it waiting for Abby in the morning when she woke up. Abby already had a Cozy Coupe that Grandpa and Nana had given her for her 1st Birthday, so we thought that a slide, a picnic table and one of those fabric tubes all on a foam mat would make the perfect start to a play area. What a very lucky little girl. It didn’t take long to get things up and once that was taken care of we were off to bed.

The next morning we took our time getting up and luckily, so did the girls. Once everyone was awake, fed and happy we decided to show Abby her new things before it got too hot. The tempurature was supposed to get over 100 degrees. And let me tell you… it did.

When Abby came outside to check things out, she was very happy and excited to see all of these cool new things to play with. She has her own little park on our patio! She was all over the place, from the slide to the tunnel, around in the cozy coupe then back down the slide. She was enjoying herself and the heat didn’t seem to stop her in the least.

To me the slide seemed a tad steep as we set things up and I was worried that Abby would not go down it, but I was wrong. She was fearless and loved the fact that she would fly down it and land on her backside. Eventually she learned that if she put her feet out instead of curled up, she could land on them and save time between trips down the slide. As always she is a smart cookie!

Mommy loves all of this too! I know the Abby loves going to the park and before Ellie arrived I would take her often. Right now its a bit tough to do so, as I cant keep her wrangled and make sure Ellie is safe and happy to. Its really sad to think that now a days, the thought of taking her to the park and losing my eye on her for one second would make me have so much anxiety.

In a few more months, Ellie will be completely out of her newborn stage and a little more self sufficient which will allow us to head to the park and play more. Until then, Abby has a cool place to play. She has also finally gotten the hang of her cozy coupe and can zoom around the deck on her own. Before hand, she insisted on having the bottom board in and have one of us push her around and thats a tad difficult to do with a little one in my arms. Now she does it on her own and I dont have to worry about the tantrums that would ensue.

Wow… I cant believe Abby is almost 2! I cant wait for this weekend!


Hockey!

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On Thursday, Abby went with Shaun and I to a Kings Pre-season game. This isnt the first time that she has been to a game, its actually the second time but its the first in which the music and horns didn’t send her into tears. Abby had a blast and was very well behaved. She truly loves to watch hockey. Mommy and Daddy are very proud!

Abby was definitely a part of the team spirit. She wore her jersey, which is a little too small for her now but it works for now. I was able to find some cute purple and white clips to put in her hair too! I wish I had been able to take a picture of the smile she had on her face when we put everything on…. priceless.

When we got to our seats, Abby seemed very content to sit in my lap or Shaun’s lap which was the firs good sign. I was worried that all she would want to do is run around. We arrived early enough to watch the warm ups before the game and the minute the players took to the ice, Abby was bouncing up and down, clapping her hands and started shouting “Hockey, Hockey, Hockey!!” at the top of her lungs. If only I had the chance to video that. Oh well.

Like I said before Abby was very well behaved. She kept her focus and her cool until about 5 minutes into the third period. At that point she didn’t want to sit still anymore and focus on the game. Shaun and I completely understood this and knew it was time to head home. The game was a bit slow anyways, and the Kings ended up losing 3-1. Not that it really matters, its just the preseason and a lot of the players on the ice were prospects and Rookies all trying to prove themselves and compete for a spot on the team. We took off but its nice to know that Abby can focus at a hockey game. Now we know we can take her with us for a special outing in the future.

Its nice to see that Abby enjoyed it so much, I knew that night would be a good night. Maybe this little video was an indicator!


Melts My Heart

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I am so lucky to be Abby’s mommy. Today has been a less then perfect day, with Abby a little more cranky and needy then usual and I was probably a little less patient then usual. There were some tantrums and some tears and I thought I was about to pull my hair out. But then a moment comes along so precious (to me), that all the issues of the day seem to slip away.

I sat down on the couch to feed Ellie. Abby was distracted with a movie so it was perfect timing. As I sat there I closed my eyes and just relaxed as Ellie ate. It was finally quiet, aside from Elmo in the background rambling on about his blanky. Then it became too quiet so I quickly opened my eyes to figure out what Abby was up to. Instead of getting into something, there in the arm chair by the window sat Abby. In her lap was the baby doll that Grandma and Grandpa Taylor gave to her when Ellie was born. She had her baby wrapped up in one of Ellie’s receiving blankets, very meticulously I might add, and she was feeding her baby just like mommy was feeding Ellie. She had not noticed that I was watching her as she sat there, talking in whispers to her baby doll. She brushed the dolls head with her fingers just like I do as I feed Ellie and talk to her.

It was a moment that left me with joyous tears. Just when I think she isnt watching or listening to me at all (due to her defiance to pick up her toys or come with me to change her diaper), I watch her mimicing something that is so special to me. She melts my heart when she does things like this. I certainly feel lucky to be her mommy.

‘Tis The Season

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And so it begins my friends… Fire Season in Southern California. Luckily this one was out within an hour or so, but that was probably due to the fact that this area burned heavily 2 years ago. I remember it very well as I was home recovering from my C-Section with Abby and Simi Valley was dark with smoke, my Aunt, Uncle and Grandmother had to take a detour to come visit, Grandma Zoe had to evacuate from her house, and Shaun nearly got stuck in Box Canyon because it was so smokey.

Anyway, I digress. This fire was in the hills behind Porter Ranch at the top of Tampa Avenue. We spotted it on our way home from Thousand Oaks off of the 118 on Monday. As I watched, I think my only real concern was that it was close to a Gas Company facility. Now I am generally not a looky-loo, but Abby was having a grand old time watching the fire trucks wiz by. So, we headed over to the park near Grandma Zoe’s house and sure enough, all of the fire department helicopters were landing there to fill up for water drops. Its pretty amazing to watch. One would land, fire fighters would run a hose from a nearby hydrant to it, fill up and it would take off. The cool part is that it only took minutes to do. Abby just loved to watch them. I think should have cared less about what they were doing. All she knew was that they were there and it was pretty neat.



I am beginning to think that those of us living in Southern California are getting a little too used to fires. Within minutes of us parking to watch, the street was swarming with people, with their cameras poised, ready to take pictures. I can say I was one of them, although I did use my cell phone to snap a few photos. After living through so many of them in the last ten to fifteen years, I know I am in awe of them. I am always respectful of the fact that they can cause so much devastation and heartbreak for many. At the same time, its amazing to see what fire can do and how, all too often, we have no control over it. I have a respect for fire and a very healthy fear of it too. I think if everyone was that way, so many of the major brush fires of the last ten years could have been avoided.