We're Back!

Yeah, yeah...I know it's been forever. I think I need to change our blog name to "Traveling Taylors"...we have literally been gone almost every weekend since my last post. And I must say, traveling with a newborn was a lot easier than now traveling with a curious and BORED 3 month old. She used to sleep for hours in the car...now it's like 20 minute naps, 20 minutes of staring at herself in the headrest mirror and batting at her toys hanging from the car seat and then 20 minutes of whimpering and whipping her head back and forth with annoyance. I wish I had video of me climbing from the front to the back (about 32 times in the first hour) and doing whatever I can to entertain my little gremlin to keep her from screaming in my face. It's quite the production, I assure you.

Lots of happenings over the past couple weeks:

We spent Thanksgiving in Portland at my parents' house. Carson's folks also made the trip over from Bend and my grandpa came from Roseburg. It was such a fun time and we were so excited to all be together. Rob and D were up in Portland with Rob's family for Turkey Day but we got to meet up for breakfast before everyone headed back.

As you will see, Kenna had a few outfit changes throughout the day...not because I'm one of THOSE moms but because she took it upon herself to shit her pants.

Breakfast with cousin Addie

Some playtime with Dad

And then crashed on Grandma

Kenna's first camp trip:

We went up to Crouch with 6 of our friends for some winter camping. It snowed the perfect amount; not enough to get us stuck but just enough to put us in the wintery spirit!

Unfortunately, we didn't get too many pictures...Kenna was too busy SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! This made her mama (and her trailer mates) very happy. And she has been sleeping almost through every night since then. Looks like we have a little outdoorsy girl on our hands....which is just fine with us!

We were in Portland this past weekend (weird, I know) for my friend Becca's baby shower. She is due in a few short months with her first little gremlin...I mean, GIRL...and she has, quite possibly, the cutest little bump I've ever seen. I was a cow at 30 weeks, she barely looks pregnant. It was so much fun seeing her and all the girls, some of us, with girls of our own to introduce.

Becca and KJ

Okay, is it just me or is my child the longest almost-3 month

old you've ever seen?!

And no, Becca is not drinking a beer, although I'm sure

she wishes she was :)

Nik and Gracie were there too...

This was us at my baby shower in August

And now :)

(please take note of this rare shot...my child is 

not the unhappy one in the picture! Yay!)

Dear Gracie, 

Please tell your mom to update her blog with adorable pictures of you.

Thanks.

And I will end this blog with tons of pictures...which is what you all really care about anyways :) Merry Christmas! I promise to post next week after we get back from Bend!

Our Crazy Life

Life lately has been crazy/exciting/scary/tiring/amazing/fun/scenic/busy...I really think I could go on and on but I guess it's just easier to say, what HASN'T it been?! Our little family has done a lot of traveling back and forth to Portland to see my folks. Carson's territory for work just got expanded out to La Grande, Pendleton and Hermiston which is about halfway to Portland so over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go! Kenna does great in the car, pretty much snoozes the entire way, it's awesome. And on the subject of our little monster, here are some updates: a few weeks ago, Kenna was having a rough time. She was extremely colicky and would literally not sleep...I don't count 5-15 minute naps worthy of being called sleep. She started spitting up a lot and just seemed super uncomfortable all the time. Well, we discovered Kenna has acid reflux and a milk product allergy so she has been placed on meds and on a ***special*** formula...special meaning 30 f-ing dollars a can...which my oinker goes through in about 7 days. So that's just great. Although it's damn spendy, it is SO worth it to have our happy girl back! She is smiling all the time and is actually sleeping about 7 hours at night...which mama loves :) I guess it's the price I pay for having a nearly flawless pregnancy and birth. I'll take it!

Oh and we also invested in this little piece of heaven:

 

 It's called a nap nanny and it's basically a really expensive piece of foam cut into a recliner for little babes. (Especially for little babes with acid reflux because it keeps them at an angle while they sleep, preventing the reflux effect.) I think this has, by far, been the best purchase we've made. It works like a charm and KJ sleeps like a champ in it. 

Big events of the last few weeks:

Halloween at The Groves'

I wish I could have gotten a chalkboard pic

of the three of us but it was one of Kenna's

worst days ever. She screamed all day :(

Luckily, she tuckered herself out by the time the party

started and we had some good photo opps.

Doesn't she look fake?! Ha! She looks so tiny it's 

almost like she's a hidden object in this picture...

minus her humongous foot!

Austin, "the donkey."

(And if you're wondering why our "smiles"

look so ridiculously awkward, it's because we were

 trying to keep our dumb, cheap mustaches from falling off.)

I want to eat those toes! O.M.G!!!

Her bottle and mine.

A giant sized Captain Hook, the whitest "Amigo" you've ever seen,

a drunk Goose (Top Gun) and a Mickey Mouse I'd never let

my child around :)

Again, Kenna the hidden object.

Election Night:

Attempted to "prop" Kenna up for this

chalkboard shot but, again, she wasn't having it. 

These were obviously all "pre-medication" events.

However, she was very festive for the occasion.

(And if you're wondering why her feet look

freakishly large, it's because they ARE! 

Her left one doesn't even fit in the picture!)

She hated all the political banter. I can't blame her. If I

had to see ONE more campaign commercial, I was going to

blow my brains out. I'm good for another 4 years...or forever.

Okay, okay, I know I'm kinda hard on my girl. (I mean, she didn't get the name "gremlin" for nothin'!) But truly, Kenna has been the absolute light of our life. She is probably the most adorable thing I've ever seen and although, she has her moments of meltdowns which leave us feeling like we have no idea what we're doing, her smiles sure make up for it! She is growing so fast, already about 10 pounds and in 3 month clothes. It makes me sad but excited for all the fun stages right around the corner. Love this girl!