Taylor's arrival came 3 days later than we expected. I was induced on June 15th ... but after 8 hours of pitocin and contractions, we went home, with baby still inside of me! We went back on the 18th and did a 2nd induction! How many kids can say that their mom was induced TWICE just for them? The nurses I dealt with said VERY few. I think between the nurses on staff that day (it was a quiet Sunday) they had 40+ years of experience and only one nurse had ever seen it happen one time! CRAZY. Anyway, the 2nd induction was perfect! She came very quickly arriving at 11:49am. She was my smallest baby, at 7 lbs 15 oz and 19 1/2 inches long!
Taylor’s name. Many of you have probably heard this story. We were at Trolley Square in SLC with our friends, the Taylors. We were discussing names of kids. At the time, we just had Alyssa and they didn’t have any children. We weren’t even expecting yet. Michelle mentioned that she had always wanted to name a little girl Taylor, but obviously couldn’t because of their last name. I found that very ironic because my best friend in 4th grade was named … Lindsay! And I always loved the name and wanted to name a daughter Lindsay but obviously can’t. We joked that I should name mine Taylor Lindsey and she could name hers Lindsay Taylor. They’d be best friends, live back to back together and confuse the heck out of their teacher when they got to Kindergarten. Steve and I liked the name and when we found out we were expecting, she was always Taylor! Michelle didn't really like Lindsay (at least it wasn't her favorite) and fortunately for the girls, didn’t use with that name for their daughter who is just a month younger than Tay. Taylor was confused enough as to why her best friend Makenna Taylor always wrote Taylor’s name on her papers! Taylor spent several months of kindergarten writing Taylor Makenna on all her papers … when I tried to explain that she should just write her own name, she told me “Why? Kenna writes my name on her papers.” I let it be!
Taylor has also had some trials with eating and speech. After almost 4 years of speech therapy now, she is doing much better. Her eating has not come as far, but we are working on it. I am so proud of how far she has come, although I know she still has some big mountains to conquer before she is caught up! 
Taylor had some rough nights when she was tiny and was a NOISY sleeper even when she was asleep, but soon learned to LOVE to sleep. I once took Taylor to the doctor because she was sleeping up to 20 hours a day at several months old. They did some tests and said, ENJOY it! We did but we also started paying more attention and realized, she wasn't sleeping all the time, she was just very content in her bed for quite awhile before she'd let us know she was awake. Her love of sleep soon waned and she started staying up late at nights ... sometimes 11:00 or midnight before she'd finally crash. Even now, she is the one who is the hardest to get to go to sleep. She does fairly well on 9 hours of sleep! She is my kid who wakes up the most in the nights though, which doesn't make it easy on me.
Taylor has always loved her sisters. She wasn't quite 20 months old yet, but wasn't talking, when Jessica was born. She loved her from day one! When she came to the hospital the next day to visit, she held her arms up to me and Jessica and said "Hold her"! It was a very sweet moment! The two of them have been close friends ever since!
Taylor is a dancer, a dreamer, a gymnast and she LOVES music! She loves to play music, sing, listen to music and move to the music. Songs aren’t given names in her world though, they are usually numbers—#7 in Karianna’s car or #3 on the CD. She really loves Abba right now especially Dancing Queen. 
Taylor is a creature of habit, a child of pattern and routine. Taylor has always done well with structure, organization and patterns. When she wasn’t even 3, she would line her toys up in a pattern and if anyone moved any of them, she could always tell. She’d walk over to the toy and fix it and then shoot you a look like, how dare you! I remember her putting legos in long short long, long short long, long short long. She would line up her Fisher Price People—all facing the same way and even if I switched two blonde girls, she could always tell. When things are chaotic, Taylor seems to stress out. She does very well when things are consistent for her.
Taylor is my memory! When I need to remember something, I can tell Taylor and she’ll remember for me. She has always had a great memory. She can say, remember when we did this … and I won’t remember at all. But then she’ll start to expound on it and wow, she can recall even the tiniest details accurately. She notices little things, items out of place, tiny changes. The other day I wore eyeliner—something I don’t wear very often and she noticed the second she walked in my room. 
Taylor is a helper! She loves to help do things. She does NOT like to do them by herself! She loves to clean with me or with Karianna, unload the dishes with Jessica, help in my office with stamps or sealing envelopes. She loves to be productive and get things done.
Taylor is very smart. Because she remembers things so well, she does well in school with little work on my part. I’m sure if I read to her more often she would EXCEL.
I love Taylor and am so grateful for the things she teaches me. I am thankful for her cute little grins and her big hugs and kisses. I am grateful that she still wants me to carry her, snuggle with her at night and hold her hand when she sleeps. I cherish these moments, because I know they won’t last forever! 
2 comments:
Hey...I never said I didn't like the name Linsdsay...And I haven't heard the story about writing her name
Taylor Makenna...that is so funny. I can't believe how fast she has grown up...she is adorable and I'm so glad that her and Makenna are such great friends.
Sorry Met - just meant it wasn't your favorite and so you chose something else. I fixed it in my post.
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