Taylor's First Tooth

Taylor got his first tooth last night! He had been drooling and gnawing a ton on his hands. And he was also sticking out his tongue a lot - I think he could feel the tooth before we could. It's on the bottom right and you can for sure feel it but too small to get a picture yet. He was not fussy or upset so hopefully all teeth will be this easy :)

Our Quiet Christmas

We had a peaceful and wonderful Christmas. On Christmas Eve my mom, Avery and I took Grammy to church and then met up with Chuck, Hung and Taylor for Chinese Dinner at my Mom's. After dinner we came home and put out cookies for Santa - Avery did some weird "air quote" thing and I asked her what it was and she said she didn't know :) 

When we woke up, Santa had come and Avery was SO excited. It was such a magical year for her - she believed so fiercely. She tore through presents in record time and was excited about what she got. Papa brought over a yummy breakfast and we then spent the day playing with new toys, napping and lounging in our PJ's. Grammy came over for dinner and we exchanged gifts with her. Hung made braised Short Ribs and my mom made all the traditional sides. It was a perfect, quiet Christmas!!

Taylor 4 Month Update

Taylor is 4 months old and doing great! Here are some highlights:

• Taylor is still bouncing away on the Jumparoo! And he now loves to sit in the Jumparoo and watch TV. The kid loves TV and it cracks us up because it looks like he's really watching it.
• He likes his play mat and does awesome with tummy time. He has rolled 3 times but then just stopped doing it. But he is very content and chatty on his tummy. 
• He is wearing 6 month clothing and some of it is starting to get tight.
• Taylor will not take a Paci despite our efforts and has also stopped liking bottles. When we give him one he acts like we are poisoning him. Not great timing with me heading back to work in a week. We are going to order some new nipples and see if we can find one he'll take....fingers crossed! If he wakes up from a nap and I am not here to feed him he gets pretty crazy and inconsolable! Not fun for whoever is watching him.
• He is really exploring his voice and cooing and making lots of sweet sounds. It's fun to lay on the bad and just let him coo away and talk to him.
• Taylor still loves the carrier and is very content to be walked around in it.
• We have moved him to his crib at night. There is lots of crying when he first goes down but it's getting better every night. He sleeps about 5 hour stretches so I am getting up 1-2 times a night to feed him. And sometimes will bring him in bed with me to eat and cuddle and sleep :) 
• Naps are mostly in the rock n play or his car seat. They are starting to get a bit more regular and I think we'll have more a schedule when the nanny starts and we are done running around for the holidays.
• He loves to suck on his fingers - maybe he'll take to that instead of a paci? 
• He will take things and just stick them in his mouth. Loves to gnaw on our fingers. Could be early teething as Avery got her first tooth around 4-5 months.
• Taylor still loves bath time with Daddy. He hates being taken out of the tub - either he is cold or sad to leave the bath.
• He is super smiley and gives awesome grins.
• Taylor loves to be walked around and just takes in the world. It's fun to see him focus on things and get excited.
• He is one sweet, snuggly cute guy!!
• Current nicknames are Tay Man, Taylor Man Trieu, Tay and Dude (from Hung)

Lila and Avery's Breakfast with Santa

Marija and Lila invited Hung and Avery to the Lilly Santa Breakfast on Christmas Eve. The girls had a blast! After breakfast they got to meet Santa, get tattoos, do lots of crafts and just play. Avery came home covered in dirt because the girls were rolling down hills outside - How is this possible in December??

Christmas French Lick Trip with G and Papa

G and Papa gave us a trip to French Lick for our Christmas gift and it could not have been a better present!! Avery now says she likes French Lick better than Weber's Inn which is a huge statement for her. The hotel we stayed at was perfect for kids - It has a SUPER warm pool that was made for families, a bowling alley, an arcade, and a great lobby with beautiful Christmas decorations. Avery got lots of pool time with me, Hung and G. We also took Avery to her first Water Park and she had a blast - She loved the smaller body slides for kids and also did some of the big inner tube slides with Hung. At first she was a little nervous and then realized how fun they were. We also did the Lazy River and played on the obstacles and in the pool area. G came along and took care of Taylor so Hung and I could play with Avery and she just had a blast! We wore her out in the water and she fell asleep sitting up eating a Veggie Straw waiting for dinner :)

The highlight of the trip was the Polar Express train ride that G took Avery on. It was pure magic! Avery got to meet Elves, help propel the "magic train" to and from the North Pole with singing and dancing, and meeting Santa himself who told Avery "I have been looking for you!". Avery is 100% sure she met the real Santa. They also go Hot Chocolate and cookies and did a little shopping at the Christmas tents. She had the BEST time and I hope we can go back next year and all take a ride.

We also had some great meals! Our first night we ate at a pretty fancy restaurant and Avery was a little bored so she made friends with the hostess, Dakota, and spent the whole meal just chatting her up. She loved her so much that she wrote her a card and dropped it off at the restaurant for her the next night. So sweet!

Taylor was a trooper on his first hotel trip. Did well during meals and took good naps while we were out and about. The only downside was Avery not wanting to fall asleep and Taylor waking up throughout the night. We were a little sleepy but it was totally worth it. We had great family time and Avery had a fun filled and magical few days.

Thanks a ton to G and Papa for an amazing Christmas getaway :)

The Polar Express

Fun at the Waterpark and passing out before dinner

Exploring the French Lick and West Baden Hotels

Tay catching a nap

Jingle Rails with Aunt Amy

Aunt Amy came to visit and we spent the day at the Eiteljorg Museum. We explored the Jingle Rails exhibit and did the scavenger hunt and then Avery was bored of it. After a yummy lunch we headed down to the Children's Hands On area and Avery got her imagination going. We played House, Store, The Three Little Pigs, and Carriage Ride. And Avery also did the totem pole and mosaics. Amy carried Taylor around most of the day and got lots of snuggles :) It was such a fun a day and we were so happy to have Aunt Amy with us!!