Updated pics below!

Kristian is starting to scoot!! Hoping to have a video up sometime this weekend....

Life is good! Be saying a prayer for a job opporunity for Courtney...one that would allow him more time at home and no weekends to work....:-) Will update more thoroughly soon!

bathtime!

spring days....new developments!

Thought I would  share all the new things that Kristian is up to these days....I hope to have some video/pics up later on this evening if I can catch him in the act :-)

Kristian found his tongue this past weekend. He loves to stick it out and has started to lick his pacifier and toys when they are near his mouth...too cute!

He also just found his feet. He will often hold on to his toes now and has even reached them up to his mouth and sucked on them a few times....lolz!

Kristian slept for 12 hours this past Friday nite! 12 HOURS!!! Unbelievable. I went to check on him about 8 times that night b/c I was worried...lol. He can also roll over now so I think when he sleeps on his belly he is much more comfortable and able to sleep more soundly.

He has also started really "talking", especially to himself. He loves to play with this one toy that he lays under...there is a mirror that he can look up to and he will just lay and babble and coo for 20-30 minutes at a time! Soo much fun!

We have a dr. appt next week so I hope to have updates on his weight, length and maybe get him started on oatmeal!

Pics to come!

An update....FINALLY :-)

So I know that it has been forever....I apologize for the poor blogging skills but it has been an absolutely crazy month!

My new job is fabulous. I love my coworkers and I love the independence and flexibility that the job allows. I just started meeting with my clients last week and am looking forward to getting to know them better. It is so nice to have a job that I don't dread going to and days that don't slugglishly pass by.

Courtney's job is so-so. He doesn't particuarly get along with his boss. He seems the type of guy who think his way is the best way...even if it is very obvious that it is NOT. Courtney is having a time holding his tongue and trying to be patient with him. The other hard part is the hours. Although he really enjoys the work, especially because the days go by very fast when he is on a route, the hours are very long and there have been numerous nights that he hasn't been home until Kristian is already in bed :-( That is very hard on him. We are praying for a better solution to come available in the next few weeks or months as we planned on this position really only being a temporary one while I was on maternity leave and hoping to get a new job. Since those two things have been accomplished I think he is getting antsy and I know that I would be much happier if he is able to find something that is normal daytime hours where we can have our evenings together as a family. We will see what God has in store...

Kristian is growing up so fast! (see pics below) It is hard for me to believe that he is 14 weeks old already...each day he is doing something different. Along with the age has come some fun and some not so fun developmental milestones. He can now roll from back to belly and belly to back. Although he is not rolling around like a crazy man, he can turn when and if he wants...which makes me feel alot better with him sleeping in his own crib and in his own room. He sleeps a good 7 or 8 hours now when he goes down at night and although I am still getting up to feed him around 430 am or so I enjoy the straight sleep without multiple interruptions of my sleep. He is regularly giggling and starting to enjoy being "scared" by me! :-) This past week he started sticking out his little tongue and laughing if I touch it. It is so cute! He is growing quick and unfortunately with that I haven't been able to keep up enough milk to have him be content so i've started supplementing formula. Ugh. Not something I wanted to do at all but I guess it is all in stride. He will be able to have oatmeal soon and that should help hold him over better. For the not so fun he has been teething. Ugh. No one really prepared me for the incessant crying that would ensue. Especially this past week he was really fussy several times during the days and would cry and cry. I have gotten some teething tablets and cold teething rings that I hope will help. So overall he is pleasant...but when he is not....he REALLY is not.

I just started week 7 of 8 for this round of classes and I have to say that they are really getting harder. I have only one more set after these current ones are done and I am looking forward to never taking classes again. And it will be nice to have that degree as well :0) I have 2 huge papers that are due next week and of course, I have yet to start. Hopefully Courtney will be home more this week and next so I can work on those in the evenings.

I have really been enjoying the church we have been attending up here and learning so much. Just an interesting tidbit that kind of ended up being a weird coincidence with my parents recent trip to Israel and the Holy Lands. We all know the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. During service last week, Pastor Scott shared that this passage is often used by non-believers or Bible critics as an example of a place where the Bible has mistakes. In the parable Jesus tells of a man "going down from Jerusalem to Jericho". Bible critics have pointed out this passage as being a mistake because Jericho is north of Jerusalem therefore the man could not have being going down to Jericho, he would have been going up. Our pastor shared that this is far from a mistake because of the physical location of Jerusalem and because of the spiritual significance of the city of Jerusalem. The man was "going down from Jerusalem to Jericho" because Jerusalem physically sits atop a hill, therefore no matter where you are going from Jerusalem you would go down. The man was also going down because in Biblical times a city like Jerusalem was seen as sacred thus making it "above" other cities. Mistake in the Bible??? I think not :-)

That's all for now...I will try to be better about updating but we shall see :-)

Enjoy the pics of Kristian...

resting....so sweet :-)

 1st time sitting up in the Bumbo

at daycare

my little Hershey bar

I think he looks just like his daddy....

Cutie Pie

Super cute pics of Kristian this past week :-) Enjoy!

Week and End

Last week was one for the books! Super cold weather here in PA, a new job for me as an adoption caseworker, an ever growing baby boy, and good times with friend in Richmond, VA. We roadtripped down late Friday nite and were able to spend 2 good days with our friends....made me a little sad to be leaving but when we arrived back home in PA yesterday I was relieved! Starting another set of master's classes today, should be interesting juggling Kristian, the new job and these classes. Take a look at the fun pics below of this weekend :-)

Kristian relaxing...

Mom is happy...Kristian....negotiable.

Kisses!

My girlfriend Becky and I.

My friend Rachel and Kris!

Back to work, daycare and a job interview

So this week has been full already....and it is only Tuesday morning! Yesterday was my return to work after 7 weeks off for maternity leave...and it has been bittersweet. I was starting to get bored and stir crazy at home every single day with Kristian there and Courtney at work, but now that I'm back to the grind (and the mess that has piled up) I must say that I am already wishing that I could be at home with my little boy. Kristian is going to daycare at our church which also happens to be where my mother-in-law is the director. God is good because without the blessing of this specific daycare things would be much tougher both financially and mentally. Kristian's teachers were encouraging that he had a good first day. He ate well, slept well and played some too! He is starting to be so much fun, smiling, cooing and even laughing a little bit every once in awhile. I received an email last week about a job that I had applied for and am lucky enough to have an interview later today. It would be nice to have a job change as most days I feel rather bored with my position now. Hopefully this job could potentially be a great change and hopefully I fit the part! It has been bitter cold here now for about 5 days. It hasn't gotten out of the low 30's although compared to the weather in Alaska....I can't complain! Well that's all for now...I hope to do a better job keeping up with this blog and bringing more news, photos and videos :-)

A New Blog....

Welcome to the Taylor family's blog! This is a great way for those out of town or even those close to stay up to date on Courtney and I's daily happenings and the ever growing Kristian! We were blessed to spend Christmas with Courtney's family in Baltimore and will be going to Chambersburg tomorrow to spend time with my dad's side of the family....pics and lots of fun stuff to come!