Happy 1st Birthday Taylor!

On Taylor's birthday (November fourteenth) we took Taylor to get her one year pictures as well as her Christmas pictures! They turned out beautiful. As one of our gifts to Tay we went to Build-a-Bear and built her a bear. She named it "Ba Ba" and dressed it in a black skirt with a pink polka dot shirt. When we got home, my mom "Bushka" and Grandpa Mike, along with Renee, Jeff, Danielle, and Dominic came over for presents and cake. Taylor got a Leap Frog book, a winter coat (we need it!), some clothes, books, and a stuffed bunny. We then went into the kitchen for cake and ice cream! We sat Taylor in her highchair and all sang happy birthday. We waited for a mess... and waited... and waited. At first she only stuck her finger in. Then we gave her a taste and she began to dig in. Overall though, she was pretty mild. She made a small mess but it was rather easy to clean. She really liked the icing and the ice cream! Happy Birthday Baby! Taylor really enjoyed hanging out with "Bushka" and Grandpa Mike. She showed them all her new tricks, like clapping and waving and spitting!





Taylor had her one year check up on Friday! She is 26 inches and 1/4 long! And she weighs 14lbs. 14 ounces! She is still a peanut but it suits her well!

On Saturday the 17th we met Tony's family up at Frankenmuth to do some shopping and go to dinner. Taylor really enjoyed hanging out with her cousins! Even all bundled up she was in good spirits! We went to Zender's for dinner and afterwards we had cake! Everyone sang really loud and some people from other tables even joined in! We ate cake and then opened presents. Tay got a xylophone (thanks Uncle Keith!), a jewelry box, a phone, some clothes, and a gold cross. Everyone had a lot of fun and Taylor did very well for not getting a nap all day! Although Taylor did get loaded up on ice cream and cake, so that is probably what kept her going!




Today Tony had to help Jeff get his boat out of the water, so while he was outside Taylor watched hime through the sliding door. When she saw him she hit the glass and said "Daddy!" It was too cute!

And for Grandma and Grandpa Van Sant, Taylor has learned the cooing!

Good Times with Great friends!... oh and Happy Birthday Mommy!

On Saturday Tony, Taylor and I drove out to Buffalo, NY to visit with Annette, Marwan and Kate. Soraya and Max also came! We all had dinner and exchanged gifts for the girls birthdays! After the kids went to bed the adults got a chance to hang out, have some drinks and chat. The usual was talked about, Politics and Religion (seriously!) and we reminisced about Kaz. We even got to talking about trying to go back adopt again together! Fun was had by all and it was great to see everyone again!


This past week we went to my in-laws since Tony was out of town and it was my birthday. Taylor had a great time hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa. And yes, thats me with the long hair, I had put extensions in... but they did not last.


Here is the update on Taylor:
~Taylor now has four teeth! The fourth one popped in this weekend!
~Taylor's favorite words are bye bye and daddy.
~Tay can wave bye bye (while saying bye bye) and wave hello (they are two different waves, each done with a different hand!
~Tay is pulling herself up and walking up and down the furniture!
~Taylor will be one year old on Wednesday! YAY!

Halloween!

Lets start with Halloween prep! On Saturday we carved pumpkins and Taylor played with the guts! She is not one for being overly messy, but she had fun! She has a book titled "Five Little Pumpkins" and she chose the face of her pumpkin from that book. Tony decided to go scary, and I just went for happy.


Last night was Halloween! Taylor dressed up as a penguin and went to about twenty houses trick-or-treating! She looked so cute in her costume, and she really seemed to enjoy being out with all the kids. She received a lot of candy, and surprisingly she can eat most of it! Her favorite is suckers, even though they make a huge mess, but she doesn't care. She lets the sticky drool fall!


As of right now, Taylor is enrolled in Gymboree Music and Gym, and she is making new friends fast! She loves to watch all the other kids and everyday she is growing more and more. Today she got onto her knees (this is a big thing since she has always hated being on her knees!) and then stood! Yep, we are those parents! Everything is great!...even the yucky stuff like her cold! I just tell myself "Hey at least she is building antibodies!


And just in case you were all wondering about our adult Halloween party, here is a picture of us!