The Taylor Family

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T22:29:00.000-04:00

Malachi did pretty well trick-or-treating. We did a couple of trial runs in the house. He was a little uncertain when we started out, but once he had that first piece of candy, he was sold! He said trick-or-treat a couple of times, and thank you very clearly one time, so that was fun, too. He had a tendency to want to go IN the houses (yikes!). When people held out bowls of candy for him to pick from, he always took just one, without us or anyone else telling him that! I was shocked! Although, come to think about it...they went trick-or-treating around school on Friday, so he probably picked it up there.

I'm red-faced and sweaty (lovely, I know). It's mid-70's and Malachi wanted to be carried the WHOLE way, as usual. Although tiring, I really enjoyed carrying my little skunk! :) He's going through a Mama-phase right now, so Daddy wasn't allowed to lend a hand (poor Kev-he's handling it pretty well, but I can tell it's hard on him).

Kevin was a cat--of course!

I spy...a skunk!

Side note...Oh, I asked Malachi today, "What's your favorite animal?" And he said, "Bear." Mini-conversations like this are starting to happen! Because the bear is his favorite, we've been singing "The Bear Climbed Over the Mountain," over and over and over again.

Grammie's Little Stinker

2009-10-30T22:17:00.000-04:00

My mom made this.skunk costume for Malachi. She's awesome!

More weekend pictures

2009-10-09T23:08:00.000-04:00

When we were walking at the lake one evening after dinner, my Dad noticed that a snake was "sunning" on the rocks, which seemed at given the time of day. Upon closer inspection, we noticed that the poor snake was tangled in a clump of fishing line and a hook. Luckily, the supervisor on duty at the boat house is a wildlife management major at the local university. He knew that the snake was non-poisonous (Great Banded watersnake to be exact), and quickly worked to untangle the snake. He had to hold the snake's jaw and use a pocket knife to free him. While he worked, the snake's "tail" wrapped around this guy's arm, all the way up his elbow; he didn't even flinch! The snake swam away to live another day. Very cool!

Grammie brought STICKERS!

Malachi turned the tables on Mama and started quizzing her on the identity of the animals in his book. I just melt when I think of his smile. He really got a kick out of this.

Papa and Grammie gave Malachi a ride on "Thomas." Yes, Malachi is saying Thomas now.

Malachi pitched balls to Papa from this bin--over and over and over again. He had a blast!

We just found out this afternoon that Malachi has another ear infection--both ears. I'll be calling the ENT on Monday for sure. Another set of tubes seems to be in order. He's getting infections about every 6 weeks. I can't imagine how he's going to fare through cold and flu season at that rate. He's usually such a trooper that most people wouldn't suspect he had an infection, but this time it was really bad--high fever (around 103 all night last night), no appetite, lethargic. He was starting to perk back up late this evening though, which was encouraging.

Despite all the ear infections, Malachi is making great progress with his speech. He knows a lot of words (i.e., understands a lot of what we're saying and can correctly identify a lot of objects by their name and/or action), so the vocabulary is there and it's finally coming out. Recently we've heard:
*yellow--When you ask Malachi what color something is, it's either red or yellow. We've persuaded him to say blue on a few occassions though. Tonight when we were playing with a bunch of balls, they were all red. When we tried to correct him, it was a very "cougar-tiger" like conversation! :)
*K--Ask Malachi any yes/no question, and the response is "K" as in okay. He totally gets this from me. It is so funny to start hearing Kevin and I in his speech. I guess we have to be careful what we say!
*"Impanzee"--I have witnesses--he really did say Chimpanzee (three syllables!), spontaneously, when we were reading a book.
*Dolphin
*Diapers
*Soap (said like "sup")
*Babies--He loves to pretend with his farmer boy made by Grammie and his Raggedy Andy from Grandma. We feed them and rock them. I love the pretend play!
*Seasame street characters (because of that new Elmo toy Grammie and Papa!): Bert, Ernie
*Donkey (for Winnie the Pooh's friend Eyore)
*Barney--all the time! We have two DVDs, a Baby Einstein we borrowed from a friend and a Barney songs DVD (Thanks Auntie Stacey and Uncle Wayne). He LOVES Barney. When Barney starts signing off with his signature I Love You song, Malachi wimpers because he knows Barney is going bye-bye. Oh, we've been trying to get him to wave bye-bye for how long without much success? Barney did the trick. If Barney waves bye-bye, Malachi will wave bye-bye.

I'm loving all these new words. Can you tell from the frequent posting of lists? :)

A start

2009-10-05T23:16:00.000-04:00

I'm having major issues getting these pictures to post, but here's a start.

Visit from Grammie and Papa

2009-10-04T13:10:00.004-04:00

We had so much fun with my Mom and Dad (Malachi's Grammie and Papa) this weekend!

*We played at Chik-fil-A. Malachi wanted Grammie to climb on the jungle gym with him. He also wanted me to sit in Grammie's lap on the slide. We couldn't get him to the top of the jungle gym, so we're wondering if maybe he's scared of heights. Kevin and I have taken him to the top of those kinds of jungle gyms before, but this one was less enclosed with lots of "windows" where you could really see how high up you are.

*We went shopping. Malachi conned Grammie and Papa into buying him a toy. While I was shopping, they were in the toy section and he kept pointing to an Elmo toy and signing/saying "please!" Grammie and Papa were quick to oblige! :) Thanks, Mom and Dad. We love the cute new outfits, too!

*We went to an outdoor festival where 4-H had animals on display. A ze-bo (type of cow and I think my Mom's favorite), horses, sheep, goats, chickens, bunnies, and kittens were all there to see. We took a ride on a wagon hooked to a pickup truck and an old fashioned wagon pulled by two beautiful Belgium horses (trained by the Amish in PA). There were quilts and crafts on display, too. Malachi LOVED this one stall in the barn that had about 10 sheep and goats in it. He figured out how to open the stall...luckily I caught that in time before he let the animals out in the process of him trying to get in with them!

*We went to Pet Smart where Malachi jumped up and down in excitement for what seemed like half an hour watching the dogs in doggy day care and the birds for sale. He named the fish when we saw the tanks, but the birds and dogs had his attention.

*We played lots of baseball and hockey with Papa, which was so much fun. And Malachi enjoyed reading, playing with stickers, and pretending with the babies with Grammie.

Fun was had by all. I'll update with pics later; blogger is not cooperating right now.

More pictures...

2009-10-01T22:23:00.005-04:00

We're on a roll, folks! Enjoy!

Kicking back and relaxing. No, I don't allow him to do this; it just kind of happened. He's been exploring so much more lately, and I think we are on the cusp of a climbing phase. Oh, boy!
He looks so grown up here!

My sleeping angel with his Steeler bear.

OK, Taylors, Malachi is gearing up for Thanksgiving. He can correctly identify every single one of us in the Thanksgiving 2007 photo. That's 19 of us, plus 2 dogs! Remind me that we all need to print both 2008 and 2009 photos before leaving this year. Somehow we're missing 2008 and that was Malachi's first one.

*I caught him singing for the first time this weekend! A new song he learned in Sunday school--so cute!

*We "made" sugar cookies (the Pillsbury kind that you just place on the cookie sheet). We had a plate of the cookies out during small group (i.e., Bible study) and Malachi was grabbing cookies every chance he got. To limit the intake, I took one and broke in half to share with him. The result? Immediate crying. I pushed the cookie halves back together, and everything was right with the world again.

Pitt Game

2009-09-28T22:50:00.003-04:00

To celebrate Kevin's birthday, we spent Saturday afternoon outside in a cold, drizzly rain...watching the Pitt/NC State game. I think despite the chilly, wet weather we all had a good time. Malachi and I almost made it to half time before heading home.

Dare I say that Malachi seems to be exiting the camera obsession phase? I managed to get a few pics before he demanded the camera. Enjoy!

Tailgating. Malachi is certainly the apple of his daddy's eye.

Ah, goldfish.

Uncle Brian, Paul (with the wrong colors on), Kevin, and Malachi (still munching away).

Thanks for handing down your Pitt gear, Cousin David! Malachi loves his Pitt bear, Grandma!

Mama's Best Helper

2009-09-23T22:36:00.003-04:00

Ketchup! A new word and new fav "food," along with pepper (I think he just likes the sprinkling of the pepper).

My little man is doing a great job following directions these days, and takes a lot of pride in helping out his Mama. He now helps put the milk on the table, as well as putting it back in the refrigerator. He even helped wash dishes the other day, and he helped make birthday muffins for Daddy.

We went to a high school football game, thinking that Malachi would like to see the game in person. The highlight of the experience? The mascot. A cougar. Malachi touched the cougar's hand and pet his head (we were in the bleachers, which were elevated from the ground/track where the cougar was). He watched and watched for him, screaming, "Tiger!" Kevin responded, "Cougar." Malachi responded, "Tiger!" with much zeal. Kevin responded, "Cougar." ...You see where this is going. :)

Enjoy the pics.

THE Turtle Towel. Asked for by name. He plays with it on and sleeps with it on. He can eat and go to school without it, but he asks for it as soon as we head out of school at the end of the day and right after meals. I believe it's his "security" blanket. He looks so darn cute with it on.

I'm shy, Mama...

Just kidding!

Making some progress...

2009-08-17T22:19:00.005-04:00

I can now get one picture taken at a time. Yeah!

And Malachi is definitely talking now! :) And talking ALL THE TIME! It is so wonderful to finally hear his voice saying words, communicating his wants and needs. He came to the kitchen the other night, grabbed a juice cup and said, "More please." Music to my ears. I didn't have to ask him if he wanted a drink. He told me!

He is mimicking what Kevin and I say, which is so cute, and his vocabulary seems to be growing exponentially. Some new words (or words that have gotten clearer recently):

Please

Thank you (Even unprompted from time to time!)

Car ("tar")

Truck ("tuck")

Tow truck

Kitty cat

Daddy and Dad

Mama (He has said Daddy and Mama in the past, but he says them with much more intentionality-to get our attention or "ask" us a question-and correctly-I'm Mama and Kevin is Daddy and not vice versa.)

Duck (He LOVES his ducks at the lake.)

Dog

Puppy

Go (We hear this ALL THE TIME!)

Stop ("top")

He is also doing really well at picture identification. We have a bunch of books with just one picture per page. You can ask him questions such as, "Which one goes in the water?" and he'll correctly point to a boat. So exciting!

OK, enough bragging. Sorry. I just had to share.

Fourth of July

2009-08-10T22:48:00.005-04:00

Still catching up on my lack of blogging...Fourth of July was fun. Our neighbor hosts quite the celebration for the kids. A bike parade, complete with a banner, starts off the festivities, followed by the star spangled banner and the Pledge of Allegiance. Next up? Old-fashioned games: three-legged races, sack races. The finale? A massive water balloon fight, a watermelon seed spitting contest, and ice cream sandwiches. Does it get any more American than this?
Doesn't my little guy look so grown up with his new haircut?

With Grandma and Grandpa. A quick visit on their way back from Florida for a Taylor family reunion (which we sadly had to miss).

Yes, we're still here.

2009-07-24T23:54:00.004-04:00

I know it's been a really long time...not so sure anyone is even checking our site these days, but here's an update.

Kevin is in his fourth and final year of dental school. He's doing a couple of internships this summer. The first was at a hospital and REALLY intense. Right now he's working with kids at a public health clinic and enjoying it. The work is good and the hours are great. We're enjoying the extra time he's had at home.

I've cut back my hours at work...just by 10% (which is 4 hours per week), so nothing drastic. It will help me have more time at home in mornings a couple of days a week.

Malachi is making some developmental jumps right now. He's saying a lot more. Still single words, but his vocabulary is growing, especially now that he is mimicking us. The other day I told Malachi that we were going to get in the car after I grabbed him a snack and sippy. When I turned my back to walk in the kitchen I heard, "snackandsippy?" :) I was so excited!!!

Some other new tricks/skills:

-He can jump.

-He can climb up on his little chairs (much to my dismay he giggles in delight that he can do this).

-He can wave bye-bye now. On a recent trip we were getting our shoes on after going through security. He didn't want to stand up, so I took a couple steps away and said, "OK. Bye-bye." To which he smiled really big and waved bye-bye...and remained seated.)

-He is scribbling with crayons now. He insists on having one crayon in each hand. At school, the rule is one crayon at a time, unless you're Malachi.

-He's learing to play duck-duck-goose. He has the duck, duck, duck part down, but he just laughs really hard if you call him goose (he doesn't run around the circle).

-At red lights he signs and says "stop," and at green lights he points forward and says "go." He's so into it that in the car now he just waits for the next light. Very cute.

-He loves to help Daddy make coffee in the morning. He brings the ground coffee from the fridge to the counter, puts the filter in, and fills the carafe with water. He LOVES helping Daddy.

-He is close to being able to catch a ball, much to Kevin's delight, and he's learning to use a hockey stick. Yes, we bought him a hockey stick. He loves basketball and hockey. He can say: base for baseball, golf, hockey, hockey puck, basketball. We're working on tennis. Daddy and Malachi "read" the sports page almost every day. So cute.

-Malachi can point to his body parts, with elbow being the newest fascination.

-He is riding a bike now (not with the pedals, but walking/running on it instead of pushing it from behind). Such a big boy!

Just happened upon this pic. My poor baby had a bad fever, I still up late getting work done, so to keep an eye on him while I was working away on the computer, I laid Malachi down in the living room. Foster joined him. I think Foster appreciates it when Malachi sleeps--no louds squeals of delight, chasing around the room, pulling tail--although Malachi is very generous with the cat treats, which Foster definitely takes advantage of!

Hunting for Easter eggs. Wow, I really haven't posted in a while!

Hopefully more to come, more often. Our little guy's PASSION for the camera prevents a lot of the picture taking we used to do, but we'll do our best.

Bear

2009-03-01T21:32:00.003-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit this weekend to celebrate Uncle Brian's birthday. They brought new Steelers gear for everyone in honor of the big superbowl win. I got a cute Steeler bear, which Malachi has apparently claimed. He says, "a bear, a bear, a bear," hugs it, and lays down with it on the ground. It is too cute! We've not seen him cuddle a stuffed animal or baby doll before, so it was really sweet to see him do this for the first time.

Malachi put on quite a show for Grandma and Grandpa. He babbled A LOT! Yea!!! He used his fork more at meals. He pointed at lots of things. Yea!!! He followed Grandma's directions to put his toys in the bins (hmmm...can Grandma come more often?). He played "music" with his cups during his bath (my eardrums are still ringing). He climbed up on Uncle Brian's bed and stood up on it--that was definitely a new one. And he never ceases to amaze Grandma and Grandpa with how much he can eat. He chowed down at a local buffet. His meal was free, but the restaurant had to have taken a loss. I think he ate almost as much as Daddy!

At some point, I'll try to post the one picture I got this weekend. Seriously, it is impossible to have the camera out without him having a meltdown if you don't give it to him. A budding photographer perhaps, or a toddler in full bloom! :)

New tricks

2009-02-08T14:13:00.006-05:00

Malachi is keeping us busy these days. I thought I'd share some of his new tricks/habits/behaviors.

-He dances like crazy when he's excited (which is about all the time). It's adorable. His arms go up and he just marches fast in place.

-He seems to be stretching up these days. It will be interesting to see how tall he is at his two year check-up. Yes, he's almost two already! I don't know where the time goes.

-He LOVES flashcards. We have three sets now and he'll just sit and watch while we go through them one at a time, over and over and over again. His interest in the cards seemed to peek after I took away his computer priviledges. He loves to watch a slideshow of our pictures on the computer, but he became so obssessive about watching them. That's ALL he wanted to do--to the point where he would melt down if I didn't turn the computer on. So...no computer for a while. Mean Mama, I guess. I'm glad he's into the flashcards though. He can point out his hands now and signs "eat" for the picture of a girl eating.

-We're hearing more sounds from him. This weekend especially, he's been pretty vocal with his babbling. It's mostly Da and variations thereof, but we'll take it!

-He's great at petting our cat Foster now. Kevin worked with him on being very gentle, and now when Malachi pets the cat gently, Malachi claps for himself for doing such a good job. What a goober.

-Malachi is beginning to follow directions fairly consistently and seems to understand so much more of what we're saying. I love it!

-He still really enjoys his baths. The best part is after the bath, when I have him bundled up in his towel. He loves to just snuggle while we (uh, I) chit chat about our days at school and work. It's our special mama-Malachi time.

-He got a Little Tykes basketball hoop for Christmas and he's great at dunking.

-He loves when I hike a Nerf football to him. He throws himself onto his belly to watch me. So funny.

-He love ring around the rosey and playing with his new parachute.

-He doesn't like snow apparently (I'll try to upload video soon, but blogger isn't cooperating at the moment).

Onto the pictures...

We're having trouble getting good pics of Malachi these days. He insists upon having the camera the instant he spots it. Self-portraits seem to work.

Listening to some jazz at an African-American Festival. This is what we did to celebrate our First Annual Family Day.
Malachi's first real snow. We really got a lot this time, and it was a big surprise, too.

Long overdue update

2009-01-12T21:49:00.013-05:00

Bad blogger, I know. It's been over a month. So much has happened. Unfortunately, my Grandmother (Malachi's G.G. , my Dad's mom) passed away the week before Christmas. She had been in the hospital since the week before Thanksgiving, so it had been a long, stressful month for the family. We will miss Grandma very much.

On Mother's Day last year, she was the one who finally got Malachi motivated to use a walker.

Although I already suspected as much, talking with Grandma's friends and extended family members at the visitation and funeral confirmed that she never missed an opportunity to share pictures of her great-grandbabies. She was so proud of them all.

This was our first Christmas with Malachi, and we were lucky to share it with my parents (Malachi's Grammie and Papa), my Nana and Pa, and my brother Mike and his wife Courtney and son Nate. Uncle Mike and I helped the boys make a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve day. You won't believe this (thus the picture for evidence is included), but I unknowningly bought a Devil's Food cake mix for the occasion! The boys sprinkled reindeer dust on the lawn on Christmas Eve. Cute!

The boys did really well together, in large part because of Nate's high tolerance! We had fun each day with a tricycle parade, singing "Jingle Bells." Nate would run over to Malachi and start pulling him toward the bikes saying, "Parade Cousin! Parade!" It was adorable!

Christmas morning, Malachi slept in. Figures...the one morning I WANT to get up early! He wasn't interested in unwrapping presents; he was totally content playing with the toys we brought from home. Guess we could have all saved some money on gifts!

Before leaving for Kevin's parent's (Malachi's Grandma and Grandpa), the boys made reindeer cookies with Grammie. Malachi didn't quite understand why we weren't eating the dough.

We had fun at Grandma and Grandpa's. We played at the gym and went to a science center. The science center was a blast with a fun activity area for little ones on one floor that resulted in Malachi getting soaked-he just loves water!

Lucky Malachi got Mama and Grandma all to himself one day while the rest of the family went skiing and tubing. He did a good job helping Grandma with laundry (sorry, I don't have a picture of that!). He loved Grandma and Grandpa's refrigerator covered in pictures of all his family members; we looked at those pictures OVER and OVER and OVER again. Those of you who know Malachi know that he never tires of pictures.

Malachi is doing really well. His tubes fell out (I actually caught one before it hit the floor--They're wider than you would think, and green in case you were wondering.). He is signing really well know and trying to talk more. His signs include: more, drink, eat, and me (as in "I want that. Please give it to me"). "Me" is a dangerous one. Now any time he wants something he signs me (e.g., toy, Mama's hand, Mama's dinner fork, Mama's dinner). Next lesson...just because you sign that you want something doesn't mean you always get it! :)

I attribute this new development growth spurt to a "Grandma miracle." Every time we visit the Grandma's and he gets all that extra special lovin' and attention, he starts doing lots of new stuff. I love it! Aren't Grandma's great?

At any rate, we're getting some more language from him, slowly but surely. He's said "kitty" a few times and "uhhh" for up. He even said "dance, dance, dance," a little phrase often said in our household. He dances (very River Dance like) quite often. His teachers have nicknames him "Happy Feet."

We're well into the discipline now. The main issues are throwing and hitting. The throwing gets toys taken away. Hopefully the reality of losing the toy will do the trick. The other issue is that he gets excited (like when we're greeting people) and bats at my face--lovely, right? My glasses have seen better days to say the least. We're trying timeout. No miracles yet, but stay tuned. I'm optimistic! We're welcoming other input for consideration (we just can't promise we'll listen!).

O, Christmas Tree!

2008-12-08T20:34:00.004-05:00

We bought our first real Christmas tree! I'm so excited to finally have a real Christmas tree. Kevin and I typically travel so much during the holidays, and/or we were in small apartments, so it didn't make much sense to have one, but Malachi was excuse I needed to get a REAL tree. Brian and Kevin put it in the stand for me, and then the boys watched football while I decorated and listened to Christmas carols. Malachi doesn't seem too interested in the tree, yet. Neither does Foster. I think I'm the only one who cares about the tree, but that's okay! :)

Here is Malachi's first ornament that my mom made for him last year.

Go Steelers! Is that a mini-Bus I spy? It was a sports-filled Sunday with the NCAA Women's National Championship soccer game (UNC women won against previously undefeated Notre Dame) in the afternoon and a Steeler win in the evening. He's starting to look so grown up, I can't believe it.

Taylor Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T22:08:00.005-05:00

Malachi's first Thanksgiving with the Taylor clan was a lot of fun. Of course, Thanksgiving morning began with a chilly Turkey Trot. He "ran" in the kids Turkey Trot. I say "ran" because despite much prompting from Daddy and the rest of the family, Malachi remained on the starting line with a great big smile on his face while all the other kiddos ran, toddled, and crawled toward the finish. Daddy gently nudged him forward, resulting in him falling down and crying (no worries, he was not hurt). The whole thing was rather funny. Here is Malachi doing his best to stay relaxed just before the big non-race.
King of the World!!! (as Daddy always says when he puts Malachi up on his shoulders)

Malachi had a great time with his cousins...

and enjoyed feeding the dogs.

Playing the piano with Grandpa was fun!

Reading books with Grandma was cool, too.

The walk in the woods was great!

Malachi and I played at the park while the grown-up Taylors played touch football and volleyball.

We had a check-up today. He's now 33 inches tall and weighs a little over 26 pounds (55 percentile for both height and weight, 92 percentile for head circumference).

Referral-versary

2008-11-08T21:39:00.004-05:00

On November 9, 2007, Kevin and I received a phone call and a picture that changed everything...

I received a call at work at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon. The secretary buzzed me and said Marianne Adams on line one. I guess because it was out of context, I didn't even recognize the name as that of our adoption case worker. I picked up, heard Marianne's voice say hello, and I knew. This was THE CALL. The one we didn't think would come for many more months. I raced down the hall to announce the news to a few co-workers, and dashed off to find Kevin at the dental school. I waited and waited for him by his locker. He saw me and knew right away...he was a dad. We laughed and cried and hugged, and then we sat down together at his computer to look at the face of our son for the very first time. It was amazing.

Looking back, it's funny how in all the pictures we received of Malachi before we met face to face he wasn't smiling. Funny because it's really hard to catch this kid NOT smiling (okay that's changing a bit now that he's entering toddler-hood, but still).

The boys donned their Ethiopian clothing and we did a little photo shoot down by the lake.

(Yes, he's running now!)

Enthusiastic Reader

2008-11-08T11:10:00.005-05:00

Lately, Malachi has been really into his "That's Not My Truck" book (by Fiona Watt).

And now introducing "Kung-fu Panda Gone Country," the scarecrow we stuffed last weekend.

Halloween

2008-11-01T09:02:00.005-04:00

Malachi's first Halloween has been fun so far (the festivities continue today with a scarecrow stuffing event at the park and a party). He was a dragon. Many thanks to my Mom for sewing this very AWESOME costume! Kevin was a dragon slayer (yes that's a shield made from a Pampers box). And, I was a princess.

Malachi wasn't too crazy about knocking on doors and getting candy...until he got home!

Visit with Grandma and Grandpa

2008-10-07T20:59:00.006-04:00

Grammie had to leave, but Grandma and Grandpa soon arrived. Just in time for a trip to a pumpkin patch! We went on a hayride, walked through a corn maze and a hay maze, picked cotton, and feed the animals.

Oh, yes. Malachi is in a biting phase. I have the bruises to prove it!

Malachi and Daddy picking cotton...until Malachi decided to eat the cotton.
Malachi lovin' on his Daddy.
Three generations of Taylors...

As you can see, it's a little difficult to get Malachi to sit still these days. He's very busy.

Bye Bye Grammie

2008-10-04T09:29:00.003-04:00

We had to say good bye to Grammie this morning. We had such a great time!

Getting ready for the airport.

While Grammie was here, Malachi learned how to run in place and he's trying to jump. This isn't the best video, but it gives you a glimpse at his newest tricks.

Fun with Grammie

2008-10-03T20:38:00.012-04:00

My mom (Malachi's Grammie) came for a visit this week, spoiling us rotten with home-cooked meals and a clean house to come home to after work. She and Malachi had great fun together. Learning "noggin" (see below) and signs and shapes, doing puzzles, trying to color, swinging, and going for walks were just a few of their activities this week while Mama and Dada were at work.

We squeezed in a few walks at the lake, of course.

Malachi showed Grammie how much he loves cell phones.

Malachi in action with his cup. This was taken the first day without his bottles. Luckily, he's gotten less messy as the week has progressed.

We're still working on what to do with the cup when he's finished drinking...

Grammie took us to the children's museum. Malachi LOVES splashing in the water!

Walking

2008-09-29T22:36:00.002-04:00

Our little man is finally walking!

Finally, a new post

2008-09-29T21:27:00.006-04:00

We've been pretty busy, but all is well. Malachi went to another baseball game recently. As you can see he had a great time--played hard and crashed hard.

We went to a BugFest last weekend. Here Malachi is pushing a ball of "dung" to simulate a dungbeetle, with a little help from Daddy of course.
And, he's walking! On his own! His steps get more confident and quick each day. I'm having trouble uploading video right now, so please check back for a glimpse of our little man's newest moves.

And, arguably even bigger news...no more bottles. We had a check up on Friday, and the doctor, very gently but firmly said, they've got to go. Cold turkey. Many of you know that Malachi will NOT take a sippy cup (yes, we've tried them all--or close to it). We're just using a cup, which is quite messy, but he's getting the hang of it. He's not drinking nearly as much as he was drinking with the bottles, but he's taking in enough to stay hydrated (thank goodness). He get's better and better with the cup each day. His Grammie is visiting this week and helping him practice. We hope to have this skill mastered before the return to daycare next week.

The morning bottle was the hardest to give up; we both cried. Overall, he's doing really well with the transition, and he's now sleeping through the night since he knows he won't get a bottle.

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-05T22:53:00.004-04:00

This is not for those with weak stomachs. Malachi really enjoys clapping his hands and feeling the subsequent spray of food land on his face. What a little goober! :) We were at a park with some friends on Monday. Kevin had the idea to kick the soccer ball around on the bridge so Malachi could see it bounce around. Well, Malachi thought that was hilarious! He laughed so hard.
Then, Mommy accidentally kicked the ball over the bridge railing and into the water. Oops! I don't think Daddy was too pleased about retrieving it, but he did so nonetheless.

Malachi had another ear infection this week. Yes, even with the tubes. Fortunately, the tubes alleviate a lot of the pain associated with ear infections and he didn't experience a fever. Unfortunately, there was so much drainage, he was prescribed a 10-day couse of antiobiotics (usually with the tubes you can get by with three days of ear drops). He's acting his usual self though, just a bit tired.

He's starting to babble a bit. When I was about to scoop him up out of the high chair after dinner tonight he said "BAAAAAAATH" four times with a big smile. Baths happen immediately after dinner. Why? Please refer to the first picture!. We've also hear him saying Mom, Dad, bottle, and Foster (our cat). He's not using anything consistently, just when he feels like it, but it's a start and so much fun to listen to. When he says something that he thinks is a word (which I'm sure is, we just can't understand it yet), he gets a little smile on his face, likes he's proud, a little surprised, and tickled with himself all at once. So much fun.

Phoebe

2008-08-31T10:35:00.003-04:00

Please welcome Phoebe, Brian's new kitten, to the family. Isn't she adorable? She's two months old.

I think Malachi must be getting taller. He seems so big in his Pack and Play now.

This happens quite often. I usually pull him out right away and put him in the Pack and Play for a nap, but I couldn't resist capturing this on video.

First Steelers Game

2008-08-23T20:29:00.004-04:00

Malachi is watching his very first Steelers game tonight, a special occassion in the Taylor family.

This video is too funny. I was laughing so hard after this was taken my stomach hurt and I had tears rolling from my eyes. Malachi's giggle is THE BEST!

We're also tuning in to the Olympic Marathon. An Ethiopian runner is in the lead pack and looking good.

Peek-A-Boo!

2008-08-11T22:27:00.006-04:00

Peek-a-boo!
Malachi loves playing peek-a-boo with us these days. It's so cute.

Big news! He started babbling "mom-mom-mom-mom!" When you repeat it back to him, he smiles as if to say, "Yes, I thought you'd like that." The little turkey.

We went to a friend's wedding this weekend (Congrats, Adam and Heather!). We found a nice park near the chapel, so Malachi got a chance to play before the ceremony. Yes, he was as tired as he looks in the pics, which explains the meltdown he had just before the ceremony, resulting in me missing the nuptials. Poor guy; he had a touch of a cold and his new molars are giving him a heck of a time. :(

Malachi asked me to give a shout out to Grandma and Grammie for him. He really enjoyed all of his "lessons" with the Grandmas during the past few weeks and is looking forward to learning more from them!

Self-feeding!

2008-08-04T20:21:00.006-04:00

Finally!

We wanted to keep encouraging him, so we grabbed whatever finger food we could from the kitchen and kept it coming. He did great! And now...the aftermath!

North Myrtle Beach Vacation

2008-08-03T16:05:00.010-04:00

We just got back from a week at the beach. It was a much needed time of rest, relaxation, fun, and time with family. Kevin's parents, his brother Steve's family (Steve, Kim, Ryan with girlfriend Hayleigh, Katie, Rachel, and Nathan), and his younger brother Brian were with us.

Malachi at the beach.

Malachi learning to play cards, a Taylor family tradition.

Malachi at a Children's Museum. Big bubble!

Playing with K'nex.

A big light-brite board.

Will he be a doctor?

Or a dentist like Daddy?

What a smile!

Catching up

2008-07-19T13:56:00.005-04:00

We had a visit from Ethan, Tiffy, and Eddie recently. Malachi and Ethan had fun playing side-by-side. Ethan was really good with Malachi.

This is what finals does to you. It may not be obvious, but he's still holding the remote control for the TV. Poor guy.
I went on a business trip to D.C. for a week. Kevin drove Malachi and I to D.C., and Malachi stayed with me the whole week. My Mom watched him, while Kevin went back home for a week of finals.

Nana and Pa also happened to be in D.C. for a D.A.R. conference, so they were FINALLY able to meet Malachi!

Daddy squeezed in a quick trip to the National Zoo with Malachi before he headed back home. And what do you know? He found a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow! We already knew Malachi was a treasure, but now we have proof!
While in D.C., Malachi did his best to help me analyze my notes. So serious with his books.

Grammie and Papa drove us home yesterday, and Malachi had to say good-bye to them this morning. He had a great week with Grammie at the hotel and...big news. He's starting to walk! He took seven steps for her! It won't be long now.

Long overdue update

2008-06-27T21:47:00.006-04:00

So sorry for the lack of updates. It's been a busy month! We went to Pennsylvania over a three-day weekend for our friends' wedding (congrats Stat and Jodi!) and to squeeze in a visit with Grammie and Papa, and Uncle Mike and Nate (thanks for making the trip!). We also had a string of doctor's appointments for Malachi.

So the first appointment was mostly good. Our 12 month check up (at 13 1/2 months because we're a little "off schedule" from having our 9 month check up at 10 months) revealed that he is a whopping 32 inches long and 24 pounds! He certainly has grown! He's 95th percentile for head circumference, 90th percentile for height, and 60th percentile for weight. The nurse was so surprised by the big jump she had me verify that the date of his last check up was correct. He's really stretching out. It's hard to tell in the pics because he has the cutest round face, but his torso and legs seem to be visibly lengthening every week! See...

So the not so good part...he had another ear infection. Number four, each time in both ears. The result? Antibiotics and a good ENT. He had tubes put in this Tuesday. He is such a trooper. Except for sleeping a little longer during his naps and at night this week, you wouldn't even know he had anything done. He did hold his ears a little while he slept (poor thing), but he didn't show signs of discomfort otherwise.

He's a moving, giggle machine lately. EVERYTHING makes him laugh (including when we say NO!-ugh!), and he is cruising along furniture, walls, people, anything he can get his hands on), which is fun to watch. He's showing some interest in sippy-cups and self-feeding. It's exciting, but a little sad, too...why do babies have to grow up so quickly?!?

On to the good stuff [Does anyone read what I write, or do you all just skip to the pics? I'm on to you! :)]...

Playing at Papa and Grammie's with Cousin Nate.

Grammie, Papa, Uncle Mike, and Nate wore him OUT! He slept for almost three hours.

Malachi's hair is getting quite long. Do you dig his 'fro? I just love it!!! His curls are so soft.

So sad, but the Snuggli is nearing retirement. It has a weight limit of 26 pounds, but my back thinks it's 24! Kevin and I will certainly miss the closeness with Malachi the Snuggli provided us, but the stroller will bring new adventures. For example, Malachi can get really close to the ducks and geese at the lake.

Malachi was born on April 19, 2007...Patriot's Day! Appropriately so, Great Nana and Great Pa made sure he had a three-cornered hat. Now I don't think it was meant to be worn with a Red Sox bib (hard to see in the pic, but also from Great Nana and Great Pa), but cute nonetheless. ;)

First Baseball Game

2008-05-31T22:04:00.007-04:00

We took Malachi to see the UNC vs. UNC-Wilmington NCAA tournament championship. He didn't watch much of the game unless there was a lot of cheering or the crack of the bat was really loud. Nonetheless, he had a great time playing on the picnic blanket (we had lawn tickets).

On the way to the game, I was able to capture how Malachi reacts to wind. The windows in the car were down so the sound is really bad (you might want to mute your volume), but his actions definitely make it a worthwhile watch. He does this ANY time he feels wind on his face. He just loves to be outside.

Having some fun on the blanket...He is pulling up on everything and everyone these days, so Kevin and I were jungle gyms at the game tonight.

UNC won! It was neat to see all their family congratulate them and visit with them before they were bussed back to campus.

All that playing is hard work. Malachi fell asleep at 7:30-an hour before bed time! As you can see, he was properly decked out in UNC gear.

Cultivating Pittsburgh Pride

2008-05-30T22:35:00.003-04:00

Game three of the Stanley Cup finals. Go Penguins! You can't tell from the picture, but Malachi is chanting-Crosby, Crosby, Crosby! :)

Swimming

2008-05-26T19:58:00.004-04:00

We took Malachi swimming at our local pool yesterday and today. Malachi sends a big thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for the pool passes!

He really loves the water and plays long and hard. Enjoy the videos and pics!

New tricks

2008-05-20T21:12:00.004-04:00

Pittsburgh Pirate in training? Kevin said Malachi is getting a head start on his palm ball (whatever that is!).

I'm pretty sure there's a little boy under all those peas and carrots. Mop on Aisle 1, please!

Just recently, Malachi has been more confident with his walking toys. I think he started being more interested in them after G.G. showed him how to do it on Mother's Day. Thanks, Grandma! :)

A visit with G.G.

2008-05-12T22:24:00.008-04:00

For Mother's Day, we went to visit my grandmother, Malachi's G.G. It was the first opportunity for most of my Dad's side of the family to meet Malachi. He had lots of fun with everyone and really enjoyed watching my cousin's son Ethan who will be two and a big brother soon!

Malachi also got to see his Grammie and Papa (my Mom and Dad). When he spotted them, he immediately lit up. He definitely remembered them.

Kevin was so sweet to drive us to Grandma's and back in the same day. Eight hours of driving with several stops for diaper changes is probably not exactly the way he imagined spending his last day of break, but he didn't complain and enjoyed visiting with the family (before and after a run, of course). Malachi did great in the car, and we enjoyed listening to CDs on my new CD player-a wonderful Mother's Day gift from my hubby! My car radio hasn't been working, and with the long commute to and from work, I was going a little nutso-bananas.

Malachi is crawling all over the place and starting to pull up on everything (including the wee-babes at daycare, but let's not go there-yikes!). His new thing to making a break for the front door when it's open. I think we're in for an interesting summer!

Crawling!

2008-05-04T15:12:00.008-04:00

Malachi is finally crawling forward!

We had a nice afternoon at the park yesterday afternoon (before Malachi started yet another ear infection). We rode on a train and the carousel, swung on the swings, and played on some other playground equipment. Of course, given our "little" man, we had two bottles and a little napper thrown in the mix.

First bottle

First nap

Train

Carousel Another bottleSwinging (We've done this a few times now, and he hasn't been so sure of it in the past, but as you can see, I think he's catching on that this is fun.)

Bouncing

And, of course, I had to end with another great picture of my boys. Malachi is clapping in this picture. He claps at EVERYTHING now. It's too cute. If we do something funny, he claps. We are eating up the attention!

Baby Luau

2008-04-29T07:11:00.005-04:00

It's a baby luau!

On Saturday, all the new parents I work with brought their families to a local park for a baby luau. It was great to everyone's little ones, especially since two of them are Malachi's age (almost to the day!).

Aren't my boys handsome?

They had a playground with equipment built for small children, which was fun.

I think Daddy was a little too big for this!

Catching up

2008-04-28T06:40:00.005-04:00

Okay, so it's been a while since we've posted. Malachi has lots of new tricks to report! He can roll from his tummy to sitting, and from sitting to his tummy. He definitely finds this to be a novel trick as he does it even when he's not reaching for a toy. He's quite proud of himself!

When he's on his tummy, he tries to stand up. His butt goes really high in the air and his feet dig into the carpet. What he's going to do once he's standing, we're not sure since he can't quite stand on his own yet.

He's pulling up on us to a standing position now, and he's getting to be a little more independent with his walking toys. You still have to have your hands on either side of him because his chest tends to get way far in front of his feet from time to time and he always reaches back to make sure you're there. It's very cute.

We went to a soccer game last night. The women's Olympic team was having a friendly match with the Australian team to gear up for the Olympics. Great game (from what I saw of it). But, it poured off and on the whole game!!! Malachi thought it was awesome though. He kept leaning back to catch the raindrops on his face and giggled the whole time. He was adorable! I do believe we have a future swimmer on our hands. He's loves water! Even during his baths, he loves for water to run all over his face. Crazy kid!

My Dad videotaped this after the birthday party. Enjoy!

Kai's First Birthday!

2008-04-19T22:18:00.004-04:00

It was quite a party! Seventeen of us managed to fit into our dining room and living room to celebrate Malachi's first birthday. We had a wonderful time.

I made Malachi's cake from scratch. I know. I know. Many of you thought I had probably forgotten how to bake! This cake was chocolate and decorated with colors from the Ethiopian flag. I made carrot cake cupcakes for Malachi. My mom made her Blue Ribbon (2007 Shippensburg Fair) chocolate chip cookies and congo bars. Both mom and dad were a HUGE help in pulling this party off (in a clean house!). After making a mess of his cupcake (and of course not eating any of it), he had a little juice and fell fast asleep right in his highchair. My poor little man was pooped from all the excitement of our friends being there and playing with other little ones--Hannah, Gavin, and Tyler. Very understandable. He slept for the next hour and forty-five minutes. Oh well, it's his party and he'll sleep if he wants to! :)
So after the long, overdue nap, he had a lot of fun with the ribbon and wrapping paper on this present from Tim, Debbie, and Tyler.
After dinner for Malachi (no cupcakes this time) and a subsequent clothing change, we continued to open presents with the family. Of course, if we had turned the fan on earlier in the season, we all would have realized he doesn't need any toys. A ceiling fan will do!
Great Pa (Mel's grandfather) made a special edition train for Malachi--the Kai Express! Very cute, and very special.

The Zoo

2008-04-13T22:37:00.007-04:00

Malachi made his first visit to the zoo today! Between diaper changes, bottles, and a nap, he did see a couple of animals! No worries. We have a membership, so he'll have plenty of opportunities to see them all.

We thought these statues were great, especially since many animals were too far away for Malachi to really see well.
From a distance, I actually thought this was a real snake and was concerned when a little boy grabbed it! Silly me.We spent most of our time in the Africa portion of the zoo. We showed Malachi where Ethiopia was on the map.

So, when you've been in a car for a total of 3 hours and in a Snuggli for 4 hours, you have some pent-up energy to expend. See for yourself.

Been Busy

2008-04-11T21:34:00.008-04:00

So sorry for the lack of posts. I'll try to make up for it with lots of pictures and videos this weekend. We're doing fine, but Kevin and I are exhausted. Malachi decided this week to skip his naps, stay up REALLY late, and get up a few times during the night on a couple of occasions this week. He seems to have realized now that he actually does need to sleep. Honestly, it wasn't that bad, but even one night of little sleep makes for a rough week for Mom and Dad! We shouldn't complain though; he normally is a good sleeper.

He has five teeth now. One of his front upper teeth is coming in nicely, with the one beside it on its way.

Onto the good stuff! Videos and pictures! First, a lovely video of my sweet son--blowing raspberries. Seriously, he did this off and on ALL day! I couldn't stop laughing!

We were able to take a short walk this evening. 80's today, with beautiful blue sky and a gentle breeze. Perfection!

Malachi already wants to lead our "hikes." Follow me, boys!

Going...

Gone.

Our nephew Ryan

2008-04-05T11:43:00.003-04:00

Our nephew Ryan's picture was in the paper this week. The article was about the gifted and talented program in his county and gave a nice nod to just a few of Ryan's many accolades. Cute picture!

Feeling Better

2008-04-01T20:23:00.004-04:00

Malachi and Kevin are finally on the mend. We were able to sneak in a walk around the lake this evening before Malachi went to bed. The weather is gorgeous here, and the leaves are coming out. It's going to be a picture-perfect weekend for sure!
This is what happens when Daddy's home with Malachi all day. He wears him out!
Once again this year, a pair of ducks is setting up house on the cul-de-sac. Hopefully we can catch a peek at their ducklings before they head back to the lake for the summer.

Malachi had another round of immunizations yesterday, and he did great. Kevin took him, so he had the unfortunate experience of having to hold him down for the shots. Kevin said Malachi just looked at him as if to say, "Daddy they're killing me and you're letting them." Oh, Daddy is sensitive afterall!

We're Still Here

2008-03-30T18:36:00.007-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. I went back to work this week. On top of that, Malachi is teething and has a double ear infection--the second one in three weeks. Looks like tubes are in our near future.

At any rate, Malachi is finally feeling better. Kevin has spring break this week, which will give them so nice Daddy-Son time.

Watching the tournament. At this point, the remote is more interesting than the game, but we're working on that. He was watching for a moment here. Daddy let him switch between games. Yeah, right!

Malachi is really trying to work on his standing. He's pretty good at balancing with just one hand now.

Flying with Daddy! Seriously, this kid ALWAYS knows where the camera is!

It got quiet all of a sudden this morning...He was COMPLETELY out. This is what happens when Daddy's home and has lots of time to play with Malachi. He just wears him out.

He's just plain tuckered out from being sick this week. He feel asleep during his dinner bottle at 6:30. Of course, he's been up until 10:00p.m. a couple nights in a row, but getting up a regular time, so he has some catching up to do.

Big congratulations to my cousin Tiffy! She's expecting again! Her son Ethan is so good with little kids that we know he's going to be a great big brother. Congratulations!

Another Gift from the Easter Bunny

2008-03-24T14:39:00.003-04:00

I forgot to mention that the Easter bunny also brought Malachi two new teeth. I could swear they weren't there in the morning, but they sure were by the afternoon. The Mystery of the Fussy Baby earlier in the week is now solved! :)

Jason and Eric left late this morning to make the trip back to Pennsylvania. Malachi had a great time playing with them, and both Jason and Eric were really good with him.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T22:48:00.008-04:00

Two posts in one day!

Today was Malachi's first Easter and first of many trips to church. At the beginning he moaned a little bit until he fell asleep. A little boy next to us heard him and offered him his own bottle. How cute is that?!? Malachi slept during most of the sermon and was really well behaved (as usual) when he woke up.

When we gave Malachi his Easter basket he immediately pulled it toward him and dumped the goodies out. He got a spring jacket, a couple of books, an Easter bunny, and a wild and crazy chicken car. He's not so sure about the chicken car at this point, but I think he'll like it more when he's older. For now, it's keeping the adults entertained.

Speaking of adults, Kev's college buddies Jason and Eric are visiting this weekend. They're in town for the NCAA tournament. Malachi seems to be enjoying all the extra attention from the guys.

This outfit came from G.G. It's adorable, but you'll see that the shirt had to be switched out later in the day due to a banana spit-up situation.

Tipping over his basket. He pulled the jacket out first and then kept looking at Kevin and I as if he wasn't sure what to do next.
He did pretty well getting the wrapping paper off this gift from Grandma and Grandpa once I got it started for him.
Finally a smile. He figured out this is supposed to be fun.

Coloring eggs with Daddy.

And of course, I have another video. I was trying to capture his giggling. This isn't him at full tilt, but it gives you an idea.

NCAA Tournament

2008-03-23T14:29:00.004-04:00

Kevin, Malachi, and I attended the first session of the NCAA Basketball Tournament in Raleigh on Friday. Davidson beat Gonzaga--a great game--and Georgetown beat UMBC. Malachi slept through the first half of each game. He was a little uncertain of all the noise at first, but once he saw that Kevin and I were having fun he was fine. We couldn't take a camera into the stadium, but here are a few pictures of us gearing up for the games.

I've Been Tagged!

2008-03-22T15:20:00.002-04:00

Hi, all! It’s Malachi. My crib-buddy Mari tagged me, so I’m going to tell you ten random things about myself.

1. First of all, I’m a pretty happy-go-lucky guy. There’s not too much that I fuss about, which seems to amaze people. Life’s good. I have no complaints.
2. I love it when Mom sings and dances with me. Day-O by Raffi is one of our favorites.
3. When Mom sings the Barney song (although I’m not sure who this Barney character is—I’m not allowed to watch TV, yet) I get a big smile on my face in anticipation of the big hug and kiss that come toward the end of the song.
4. Books are awesome. I used to really like listening to the stories Mom and Dad would read, but now I’m more interested in turning the pages.
5. I love when my Daddy holds my hands and let’s me “walk.” Crawling is for the birds! I want to run like Daddy.
6. Baths are lots of fun, and I love to have lotion rubbed on my face afterwards.
7. I’m starting to become more acquainted with Foster, our tabby cat. He doesn’t seem too sure about me, but I like to pet him, especially his tail.
8. I love the camera. Anytime Mommy has it out, I look right at it and usually smile. It makes for great pictures, but it does make it extra difficult for Mommy to catch me in the middle of doing really cute things.
9. I love to be outside. My favorite spot is the lake near our house where I can feed the ducks and geese and then take a nice long nap in the Snuggli.
10. I’m a pretty big guy. I’m already 50th percentile for weight, a little over 50th percentile for height, and 90th percentile for head circumference. My Mom and Dad are on the small side. Mommy’s a hair shy of 5 foot, and Daddy’s only 5’8.” Needless to say, we get lots of comments about our size differences.

That’s all for now. I’d like to tag my cousin Nate, my buddy Ethan, and my HOH pal Silas.

Growing

2008-03-18T08:41:00.005-04:00

I think it's time to retire the 12-month Gerber sleepers. What do you think?

Ahh, much better!

Okay, so I know I'm getting carried away with the video clips, but he's just so darn cute, I can't resist!

Crawling?

2008-03-16T07:52:00.006-04:00

Okay, so Malachi has made a new attempt at crawling forward. He now tries to wiggle all four limbs at once while balancing on his tummy. It's too cute, although not entirely effective! :)

A few days ago, Malachi started sucking in his bottom lip and then bumping his gums. It's so funny, and he does it off and on all day.

My Boys

2008-03-13T22:49:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. We began transitioning Malachi to daycare this week, so we've been away a lot during the day.

My boys...
Rough-housing already!
Smiling during his bedtime bottle.
Playing with Mr. Octopus. He's been a favored toy this week.

Hermie the Elf

2008-03-08T09:56:00.003-05:00

Let's start at the beginning. So, Kevin was studying to be a physical therapist before deciding to become a dentist. A little unusual, yes, but a great decision in the end.

When Kevin started dental school at UNC, he let his hair grow out. Around Christmas time that year, students, family members, and friends started to see a resemblence between Kevin and the elf named Hermie. Hermie starred in the classic Christmas claymation movie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as a "misfit" because he wanted to be a dentist instead of a toymaker. Thus, there appears to be more than just a physical similarity between Kevin and Hermie. As such, we've been the recipients of these two adorable Hermie dolls that move and sing.

Malachi is absolutely fascinated with these two dolls. See for yourself!

Play Time

2008-03-06T13:43:00.004-05:00

G.G. (Great Grandma Whetzel) gave Malachi this animal train set. He absolutely loves it!

He hasn't quite figured out the pop-up toy (lower left-hand corner) yet, but he's getting close.

Happy Baby

2008-03-04T20:55:00.013-05:00

Malachi "hyperventilates" when he is excited. His little eyes flutter, his arms are straight out in front of him, and his breathing quickens. It's the funniest thing ever!

Apparently, the messier the meal, the happier the baby.

Okay, so I love to watch him sleep. Here are a few pictures I've taken throughout our time with Malachi. The pictures start with a few from our time in Ethiopia and progress to the past couple of weeks.

Visit from Grandpa and Grandma

2008-03-02T17:34:00.011-05:00

Kevin's mom and dad visited this weekend to celebrate Brian's (Kevin's younger brother) birthday and to meet Malachi.

Malachi ate lunch at Brian's and then we headed out to find lunch for ourselves, do some birthday shopping, and make a quick stop at the driving range before a home-cooked meal at Brian's and cards at our house. Malachi did really great with all the running around. He seems to like being out and about--he must be a Taylor! :)

(We're loving this booster seat that Mike, Courtney, and Nate gave us!)

Malachi is hamming it up for the camera with his Grandma.

And now with Grandpa.

Three generations of Taylors.

Book Worm

2008-02-26T19:53:00.017-05:00

Malachi is learning to turn the pages of his board books!

My Mom and Dad gave Malachi a kid-friendly photo album with pictures of everyone in the family. Several times a day, we look through the pictures and name everybody. He really enjoys it. He especially lights up at the picture of his Daddy.

Most of his babbling right now comes out as "dadadadadadadada." So a few times, by chance, he has called Kevin "Dada." :)

Here are a couple more pictures from Malachi's visit with Grammie and Papa.

How cute is he?!?

2008-02-24T13:37:00.008-05:00

My parents left this morning. We had a great visit, and I know Malachi enjoyed every minute of his time with Grammie and Papa! Below are some pictures from the past week.

Playing with Papa.

All bundled up. How adorable is that hat?

A little boy in coveralls. I love it!

Malachi loves to play in front of the mirror. He just laughs and laughs.

We put Malachi in the Snugglie and walk around the lake every chance we get. It's great for afternoon naps!

On the Move

2008-02-22T21:21:00.005-05:00

Malachi is really scooting now. Of course, it's backwards, but he's getting pretty fast! These are few snapshots from our playtime tonight before bed. He's been playing so hard during the day and evening that he goes to sleep really quickly, with a few quick, goofy, half-asleep smiles on his face. It's absolutely adorable.

Doctor's Visit

2008-02-21T14:26:00.002-05:00

Malachi visited his pediatrician for the first time today. The doctor was pleasantly surprised at how healthy he is. He weighs in at 20 pounds and 7 ounces--no wonder my back hurts! He is at the 50th percentile for weight, slightly higher than the 50th percentile for length (29 inches), and at the 90th percentile for head circumference.

He was quite a happy camper during the whole exam. He threw a fit when I put his clothes back on. I guess he thought I was putting an end to all his fun!

Grammie is visiting

2008-02-20T13:31:00.002-05:00

Grammie (Mel's mom) is here for a visit. Papa (Mel's dad) will be joining us again on Friday.

Yesterday we visited Kevin at school. All of his classmates were so excited to see Malachi and they were so taken with him. He just barely lasted through the visit...nap time! (Looks like it might have been nap time for Kev, too!)

Weekend Life

2008-02-18T21:29:00.001-05:00

Daddy and Malachi seem to be enjoying the sports pages!

Malachi always seems to know when the camera is on him. It's so funny and makes for lots of great pictures.

Malachi LOVES to "walk." He's not quite crawling, yet, and he actually gets quite frustrated when he tries since his attempts take him backwards. But "walking" is tons of fun!

Our Trip

2008-02-16T08:51:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful experience in Ethiopia. We stayed in the capital city of Addis Ababa at the transition home where Malachi had been since early November.

We had a personal driver who took us sight-seeing and shopping each day. We were lucky that he had grown up in the city and knew the side streets and alleyways very well because we were re-routed often. The African Union was meeting in Addis the week we were there, and there were multiple, random street closings whenever dignitaries needed to pass through an area.

Because of the African Union convention, there were police everywhere. Since you are not allowed to photograph the police, we were not able to get as many pictures as we were hoping for. Below are a few common street scenes. The first one is of children playing soccer.

This was taken from our car while we were driving. Yes, we were typically this close to people.

There were blue and white mini-buses/taxis everywhere!

We went to the countryside one day and along the road were women carrying their wares to sell into the city. The road was quite steep and their loads very heavy.

We're Home!

2008-02-15T10:41:00.000-05:00

We're pleased to introduce the newest member of our family...Malachi Abenezer!

We've been home a little over a week now with Malachi Abenezer. He seems to be doing really well, and Mommy and Daddy couldn't be happier! He is so much fun.

His nurse at the House of Hope told us that he loves birds. Luckily we live by the lake! He really loves our walks to see the seagulls, ducks, and geese.

So far he's not too interested in our cat Foster, but of course Kevin is hard at work to change that. Foster is a little stressed by all of Kai's noises, but he lays beside us during bottles and quiet playtime, so he seems to be trying to get along.