Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Week in Review

A few weeks ago I started teaching very basic piano lessons to Ava. She has been asking me to teach her for a long time, and I just wasn't sure she was ready until recently. So, every Sunday after church, we have been sitting down together for a lesson. At first, I thought Ava was more interested in the uninterrupted one-on-one time with Mom (I really try to make sure I am giving her the same attention I would give to any of my other students...David takes Ella and Dallin in the other room, and we set a timer to make sure they all know it is Ava's time). But about two weeks ago, I started noticing something. She was really learning! In about one month's time, Ava has learned the musical alphabet, can point to any given key on the piano (A,B,C,D,E,F,G), can find middle C, is counting rhythms quite well (i.e. knows the difference between quarter, half, whole notes, eighth notes, and can count them accordingly), and can play a few simple songs while reading the music in front of her. The only reason I dare to be impressed by this is because I've been teaching piano for about 10 years now, to dozens of different students young and old...and my little Ava is among the fastest learners I have taught. That's my girl! Granted, she's no little Beethoven just yet, but I think she is displaying some musical talent, just the same. I'm just happy that she seems to be enjoying it, and sits down to practice her songs several times throughout the week without me having to ask.
For today's lesson, she decided to wear a fancy dress-up.

Meanwhile, Ella played quietly on the computer in the other room. The combination of headphones and Nick Jr. is God's gift to mothers.

This past week it was also my turn to teach Ella's preschool. We learned all about nursery rhymes. We talked about rhyming words, read stories, and then played games that correlated with the nursery rhymes we read. For example, we had a race to "fetch a pail of water", we jumped over candlesticks, we ate "curds and whey" while pretend spiders sat down beside us, and they each got a turn to let Humpty Dumpty (each kid got a hard boiled egg) have a GREAT fall. Oh, and we played with watercolors. What day at preschool is complete without watercolors?
Let's see, what else did we do last week? Hmmmmm... oh yeah. We did a whole lot of snuggling with this handsome little guy.


OOoohh....he was trying so hard to crawl here. He was eying that toy. For sure.

And I finally decided to lay him in his crib at night! Hooray! He has been doing great. He is sleeping from 8 to 6 or so, just like normal. What a champ.

So, here I sit on a Sunday night, with everyone else asleep, and planning for the week ahead. It's strange, because I think I may be the only person in the entire universe that absolutely loves Monday mornings. For me, the dawn of a new week is like New Year's Day all over again. I feel fresh, renewed, and revitalized, with lists of goals to accomplish, and hope for a wonderful week ahead. Call me crazy, but it's true. In my mind, a "case of the Mondays" consists of a clean house, (Monday is always deep-cleaning day) fresh vacuum lines in the carpet, clean sheets, fresh bread, folded laundry, a yummy dinner and a fun family night. What could be wrong with a day like that? Ahhh Monday...I love you so. Okay, okay....enough day-dreaming about tomorrow (I have a serious case of OCD if I'm day-dreaming about cleaning, I admit it).

For now, here's a little look at my 4-year old Beethoven in the making... (sorry it's upside down, I was holding my phone the wrong way when I took the video).

Sunday, March 20, 2011

January, February, March...Oh MY!

What an exciting time these last few weeks have been. Ella turned three in February, Dallin hit the three-month mark in March, and Ava will turn five in April. Between all of the party-planning and Spring Break festivities, I'm just about ready to break my "no daytime napping" rule! I've even had a few creative outbursts, including a diaper cake or two, cupcakes galore, learning to sew, and hosting a St. Patrick's Day party for the kids and their friends. It's been busy, but definitely worth it.


But, most importantly, let me briefly recap Ella's fun birthday! On her big day, we rented an enormous bounce house, and had a Dora the Explorer party. It was great, because we had the party on her actual birthday, which happened to fall on a Friday this year. She was so excited to invite all of her little buddies, including a few of her cousins, neighbors, preschool friends, and friends from church.

During the party, we played games, went on a Dora-style adventure to find Ella's birthday cake, and did a whole lot of bouncing! We even opened Ella's presents in the bounce house with all of the kids inside. I also made Ella a special cake (a yellow cake with lots of yellow icing...per Ella's request. Her favorite color is yellow!). It was a very fun and memorable day.
And, on the very same day that Ella turned three...Dallin hit the twelve week mark. Twelve weeks? Has it really been twelve whole weeks since this handsome little man entered my life?
In some ways it seems like he was born yesterday, and in some ways I can not even remember life without him. He is such a sweet addition to our family. The girls ADORE him. He can do no wrong in their eyes (or ours, for that matter). So, in honor of his three-month birthday, here's a recap of D's life thus far:

Week one: Rough. My milk took SIX days to come in. Which is an eternity. Baby Dallin was totally starving, and I was a nervous wreck. One night he woke up every half hour to forty-five minutes. He was just plain hungry. We even realized that his poor little legs looked like chicken bones. He was losing weight rapidly. Per Dr. Swan's recommendation, we supplemented with goat's milk on day five. I saw a lactation consultant on the morning of day six. That night, thankfully, my milk came in. And when I say it came in, it came IN. Baby Dallin was so happy. He probably ate every hour or two for a while after that, and who could blame him? He had lost over a pound since birth. On the plus side, the love, support, and MEALS we received were beyond fantastic. Love and visitors were in abundance.

Week two: Dallin regained all of the weight he had lost, plus some. I took him in to see Dr. Swan to have him weighed, and was nearly 8 pounds. What a champ.

Week three: Christmas time! Precious baby Dallin was such a sweet reminder to our family of the true reason for the season, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Having a new baby boy in our home during Christmas was nothing short of magical.


Week four: At around the beginning of the new year, once the chaos of the holiday season had passed, we began to regain a sense of normalcy and routine in our home. I am a very systems-oriented person, so finding a new routine that would fit our family's needs was (and is) important to me. For example, we found our way back to our normal bedtime routine, including storytime with Daddy when he got home from work.
Baby Dallin adapted so well to increased times between feedings and naptimes. He started sleeping for longer intervals at night around this point.
Because of his flexibility and easygoing nature, I was able to get out and do a lot of fun things with our family and friends without worrying about him fussing too much. We even enjoyed a nice hike at Usury Pass with the Jones', Britts, and Anselmos around this time.


Plus, around week four, he really started noticing his surroundings a lot more. He started to follow objects with his eyes, and mimic facial expressions.

It's always so much fun when you can really start interacting with a new, sweet little human!

Week five: Blessing Day! Dallin was so sweet on his special day. He did not cry one bit during his blessing...and he didn't even spit up (a small miracle)! On his blessing day, Dallin wore the same sweater that David was blessed in so many years ago.
After sacrament meeting, we had a light brunch at our home with family and close friends. It was a wonderful day.

Weeks six through twelve: This sweet little guy gets more handsome by the day. I am loving having a boy more than I ever thought I would! And who ever said dressing a boy isn't fun?

But even without clothes on, he is still pretty cute...

Oh, and did I mention that he has already been roped into a few tea parties? Poor little man never stood a chance...
To add to all that cuteness, Dallin is already a champion flirt. Over the past few weeks, he has perfected the art of a sweet grin with a mischievious raised eyebrow. He can melt hearts with that smile. Well, he melts mine at least! He is also kicking a lot when he gets excited, easily raising his head, and gaining more control over his arms.
Another thing I've noticed recently is that when I have him sitting somewhat reclined, with his back against my belly, he is always trying to lean forward and sit up on his own! He is pretty strong. He is not rolling over yet, though. Good thing, because I still have him sleeping in the bassinet next to my bed at night. I just can't bring myself to put him in his crib....in his bedroom...all the way across the house! It seems like a million miles away and he is still so little. I had a hard time moving both girls to their bedrooms, too, when they were babies. He is sleeping a solid 8-10 hours every night, though...so the transition will be easy whenever I decide to make it. We usually put him down at around 8:00, when the girls to do bed, and he is usually up and ready for his first feeding at around 6:00.

Needless, to say.... I love this little angel.

So, how do I keep getting so lucky with all of these wonderful children? Each one is a ray of sunshine in my life. I thank my Heavenly Father every single day for allowing me the opportunity to be their mother.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The Birth of our Baby Boy

On Friday, December 3rd, at 8:57 p.m., we welcomed a brand new little bundle of BOY into our family! Dallin Matthew Tait was born...weighing in at 7 lbs. 12 oz, and measuring at 20 3/4 inches long. We were so ecstatic to finally meet him!



Since that time, many friends and family have asked me to share my birth experience, as it is somewhat atypical for women to give birth naturally nowadays. Primarily, I think the biggest question on people's minds is "Why?". Well, sometimes it is easier to understand something by knowing what it is not.

So let me start by listing the #1 top reason that is NOT why we chose to have this baby at home.

1) To Save Money. A lot of people have the mistaken notion that I had this baby at home to save money. This is most definitely not the case. First off, I don't even clip coupons! So, the idea that I would take such extreme measures to save money is just silly. Granted, an assisted home birth is way less expensive than a hospital birth - but in my eyes (and my husband's), that is just an extra special bonus that goes along with a decision we had already made.

So, now that that's out of the way....here's how it all went down.

On Sunday, November 28th, my "due date" came and went. This was a little bit of a let-down for me (to say the least) since Ella was born 10 days early. So, I waited. And waited. And waited some more. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday....these may have been the longest days of my life! Every night I would have very strong contractions, but they never evened out, and always went away in the morning as soon as I would get out of bed.

On Thursday night, the contractions were very, very strong. So strong in fact, that I would have to hold David's hand and breathe through them. They were so intense, but still very sporadic. I was sure that these, too, would probably go away by morning. I was so frustrated, convinced that my body was doing all this work for nothing. The contractions lasted throughout the night, and into Friday morning, but still never evened out! They were 10 minutes apart, then 12, then 7, then 15! It was all very, very frustrating.

Throughout the day on Friday, I would try to walk around and get things going, but it was no use. My contractions were all over the place, and I was really tired anyway from not getting any sleep the night before. At about 11 am, I showered and got myself dressed. David decided to stay home from work and help me with the girls. Mostly, he played with them outside while I rested inside. When I would have a contraction, I would close my eyes and really shut out the rest of the world. David would have the girls be still and quiet during my contractions so I could focus on staying relaxed. I could hear him whispering things to them like, "Your mommy is working really hard right now. We need to be quiet so she can relax." The girls seemed very aware of how important this was.

At around 4:00, I was getting very impatient and frustrated that "nothing was happening". My contractions were still very unpredictable at this point. So, we called Dr. Swan...mostly to ask her what we should do to turn this bout of "false labor" into real labor! She agreed that she should come over just to check things out, and she would let us know what to do from there. I said not to rush, because apparently I was going to be in labor until Christmas.

It seems that the minute we got off the phone with Farra, my contractions started evening out (finally!). They got down to about 6 minutes apart, more or less. Dr. Swan made it to our house at around 5:00, and did a quick exam. "Well, my dear...you are at a 6! Looks like we're having a baby tonight!" Sweeter words have never spoken. I was so shocked! This was actually it!

David quickly helped Farra get her supplies set up. He also took Ava and Ella down to our friends house down the street, where they would stay until Grandma and Grandpa came to pick them up for the night. Meanwhile, I actually started walking from room to room, trying to tidy things up. I quickly realized this was not the best use of my energy, so I retired to the bedroom and planted myself on my warm, cozy bed.

For the next few hours, David stayed on the bed next to me, helping me breathe through the contractions, and helping me focus on staying calm and relaxed. Just being around him - touching him, hearing his voice - has a calming effect on me. Unfortunately for him, this also means he had to do things like holding a bowl and tying my hair back while I threw up three times. But he didn't seem to mind at all. He just quickly and quietly did exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. He really is the best labor coach in the world.

Then, some time later, Farra told me to let her know when I was ready to push. I figured that walking around a little bit, or at least sitting upright, might help. I walked into our bathroom and sat on the edge of the bathtub for a while. A while later, I felt the urge to push! I sat on the birth stool for a bit, and tried to stay focused on the task at hand. At this point, I still could not believe that this was really happening! Our baby was actually coming!

Pushing took longer than I expected (again, comparisons to Ella's birth were not productive...Ella was born with literally one push). I pushed for about 30 minutes, which felt like forever. On top of that, I was beginning to feel the effects of not getting any sleep the night before. I was getting really tired. David kept feeding me spoonfuls of honey so I could gather some energy. Keeping my eyes open seemed just too difficult, and even keeping my head upright was a challenge. Sitting on the birth stool got uncomfortable after a while, and I decided to try and stand up so my legs wouldn't fall asleep. As soon as I stood in a half squatting position, I could feel so much more progress being made! With a few more very intense minutes of standing up and bearing down, and with lots of encouragement from Farra, her assistants, and David...I gathered all of the strength I could muster, and baby Dallin was finally born! YAY!! I was so happy....and just so relieved to have it all done.



Immediately after Dallin was born, I felt a surge of adrenaline. It was as if I had just ingested 32 ounces of Jolt cola. Tired?! Who was tired? Not me! But I was COLD. I was shaking and shivering like crazy for about 20 minutes after he was born. I couldn't have enough sweatshirts and blankets on. Kai (Farra's assistant) reassured us that this was a normal response due to the rush of hormones my body was experiencing. But I already knew that. This was the one and only thing that was the same as my experience with Ella's birth.

So there I was. In my bed, with my husband, in our dimly lit bedroom, holding our brand new, totally healthy, sweet baby boy. There are no words for that kind of joy.

So, now, let's end where we began. Let's answer that question that everyone wants to know but no one really wants to ask.

Reasons I Chose a Home Birth

Having the baby at home just made sense to me, considering I was blessed with a very normal, very healthy pregnancy, and had already had Ella with no medical intervention. Natural childbirth is not something new, and definitely not something unique to the Tait family. It's been done many, many times before, by countless numbers of women across the world.

I didn't see the need to rush off to a hospital, as I was not sick, or in need of surgery. I think there is a time and place for hospitals and medicine, but for me, that time was not during the birth of my child. That being said, I have never been crazy about hospitals anyway. The awful smell, the harsh florescent lighting, the sense of taking a number, getting in line, and having your baby on an assembly line - and let's not even TALK about the gowns (lol)....a hospital was just not the ideal place for me to meet my new little man.

I believe that the female body was brilliantly designed for childbirth by a loving Father in Heaven. I believe that all too often in this day and age, we tend to underestimate the capacities of the ever-so-amazing gift of the human body. Natural childbirth is an especially fascinating process to me, and one that I am honored to be a part of. There are so many ways that the human body rises to the task at hand, if one will simply let "nature take it's course". There is also something so wonderfully comforting and special about having a baby in your own home. Having experienced a hospital birth and a home birth, I've got to say, I'm never going back.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Fall Break

Fall Break. What IS "Fall Break", anyway?! It seems like school just started, and the kids already need a break? Geez, Louise.

Well, despite it's obvious uselessness, Fall Break was a lot of fun for our family. Most notably, the girls had a great time playing with their cousins Vanessa and Christian who had come in for a surprise visit from Chicago.

Here's a pic of Ava and Vanessa at the park (...yes Ava has a black eye....and, NO we don't beat her. Do you remember when she broke her little leg on the slide two and a half years ago? Well, she apparently has a knack for barfights with slides. And the slide always wins.)


Sleepover time!

And of course, there was quite a bit of eating out. Between Costa Vida, Paradise Bakery, Rubio's and the food court at the mall, we pretty much covered the whole town. Here's Ella at Paradise Bakery. Seriously, can she get any cuter?

And the week ended with Dave's birthday on Friday. So where did we go to dinner? Famous Dave's of course! Usually, I have objections to eating at restaurants with neon signs of a pig in front. But hey, it was David's day, so he got to choose. And, it was actually pretty darn good. Thanks to the bottle of TUMS I brought along. At this point, I don't leave home without it.

The girls were obsessed with Famous Dave's mascot, Wilbur. He must have been the model for the neon sign out front.

So, there is our week of play-dating, park-going, eat-outing, and birthday partying in a nutshell.

But the best part of my week was this morning. As we were leaving for church, Ava handed me a picture she had drawn of our family.

Our whole family. Ella, Dad, Mom, Ava, Kona...and Dallin. Dallan? Dallen? Whatever. We haven't decided on a spelling yet, and Ava is keenly aware of this... so, she simply writes, "Dall n". With a backwards N. Can you see the blue bundle in my stick-figure arms? That's him. And that's Ava for you. Including everyone, down to every last detail - up to and including the color of their eyes. Including everyone, even they are not born quite yet....and even if we don't quite know how to spell their name.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Labor Day 2010

When David asked me what I wanted to do for Labor Day this year, my answer was pretty simple. All I said was, "I just want to be outside and NOT HOT...just for a little bit."

So.... up north we went. :)

We decided to take a quick trip up past Payson and camp out for the weekend. As we drove northward, I kept watching the temperature gauge on our dash drop lower, lower, and lower...all the way down to 75 degrees! Woo-hoo!

Sometimes I have to remind myself that Arizona is not all heat and desert. Arizona offers a lot of this, too...
...and this.


The weather was so beautiful! We found a gorgeous little spot to camp out at Upper Creek Canyon, and as soon as we stepped out of the car, I was greeted with soft shade and a cool breeze. The air smelled absolutely delicious...so clean and refreshing. Heaven!



The girls enjoyed exploring all around our campsite. I was so happy to see them get dirty and dig in the mud... and forget about princesses and dress-ups and Barbies...just for a few days.



So, our Labor Day was filled with trees, campfire, hikes by meandering streams, and lots of roasting marshmallows. This made for two happy parents, two happy kids, and one VERY happy dog. All in all, a successful weekend, to be sure. Happy Labor Day!

Friday, August 27, 2010

Well, it's about time...

It's been ages since I've posted. There's no real rhyme or reason as to why I decided to re-enter the blogosphere today, except to begin the countdown to baby boy Tait and document a few other family-related things. I've realized that my personal journal feels a little scatterbrained sometimes, and this is the best place to keep my family journal.

So, if you are ready to endure the ongoing accounts of all things kid-related, read on, my friends...read on.

First off, I have to relate my favorite portion of Ava's bedtime prayer last night. It sums things up quite nicely as to our state of affairs lately. I'm quoting here. This is way to good to make up.

"Dear Heavenly Father....we are grateful for our family. We are grateful for the swim school and that Daddy got home safe. Please bless the baby to be healthy and strong. And please, please bless Ella to be more flexible and not stubborn so much so mommy doesn't have to lose her patience." Amen to that, Ava!!

Ella is a handful, but she is a cute handful, so that pretty much makes up for it. She is just about completely potty-trained (quick! knock on wood!), and is always saying and doing the most hilarious things. It is not uncommon to see her tromping around in one tap shoe and one Ugg boot, wearing every sparkly necklace she can find with lopsided sunglasses, and a backpack full of rocks. She is mischevious and stubborn, too (as clearly mentioned in Ava's prayer). As for Ava, she is such a sweet little helper, and **usually** willing to share with her sister and help out her momma. She is a busy girl with ballet, swim lessons, preschool, and piano. She is a wiz at folding handtowels, too. Last week she was able to bring home the "Adventure Animal" from preschool and take it around with her. Here are a few pics we took with "Rex".





Baby boy is less than 90 days away.... GULP. Last weekend was our official "Friends Weekend",, which is basically a reunion of a large group of friends from the singles ward days. There are quite a few of us pregnant this year, so I have dubbed 2010 "The Year of the Baby." Can it really be that in just a few months (weeks, really!), I'll be back at square one...nursing, burping, diapers, sleepless nights?! It feels like eons ago that I was in that stage with baby Ella. If it's possible to have pre-partum depression, I may be at risk. Sigh. I'm just not quite ready to face that reality yet! Oh well, at least I am in good company!


So, there you have it. An official bog post. There may be more to come, depending on whether or not I can keep my act together. Until then, I will resume my blurking with the rest of you. :) C'mon, you know you all do it.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Ava's First Preschool Field Trip

A few weeks ago, Ava's preschool class took a field trip to the AZ Southwest Dinosaur Museum. Here are a few pics of Ava's cute class right before entering the museum. Such cute kids!


Ava's gotta get that pose just right...........

CHEESE!


Thanks to ABC Preschool for an awesome day!