Our Teething Baby

This week has been a rough one for little Zaylee as she is battle the rupture of her two front teeth.  It is funny how different teeth bring on different reactions.  The first two teeth came in without us even knowing, and these two coming through have made their pain very present.   

We spent most of Friday snuggled close to one another, her warm head and flushed cheeks pressed tightly against my chest.  It was the sweetest, yet saddest, afternoon we have had in a long while. 

Rosy, feverish cheeks!

She is a pretty strong girl, and is yet to truly be sick in her 10 months of life.  Even through the high fever, grabbing at her mouth, biting me while nursing, and viciously chewing anything and everything in sight, she still managed to smile and laugh.  Paul is always amazed at how well she handles any situation and the fact that she just rolls with the punches.  "We are blessed," is our most used phrase over the past 10 months.  Nineteen months really, if you count all the days we exclaimed those words while she was growing inside me.

All day snuggles, the only place she would sleep was on me and I was ok with that.

He was so happy to soak in some snuggle time, and she actually FELL ASLEEP on him! :)

Zaylee doesn't often fall asleep on us anymore, but through the last few days that is her most desired spot.  Paul always gets a pang of jealous and a bit sad when he sees her snuggled up in my arms, but on Saturday night she brought him soaring to cloud nine.  As I was changing her sheets, he hummed and ssshhhed in her ear while she quickly dozed off in his arms.  I left them and after he had had his fill, he placed her in her bed and came downstairs with the biggest grin.  My heart was full. 

Those lips!

Here's to hoping the next teeth that decide to push through will go unnoticed so you, sweet girl, don't have to endure this hardship again.  Although, I really do love the extra loving that comes along with the pain, I wouldn't wish it on you for anything!

New Tricks!

Nine months marked a lot of new tricks for Zaylee Jean!  She started clapping, pointing, and waving all in the same week.  She has the cutest princess wave I have ever seen.  So cute!  When we are reading, she points to every picture and often looks up at us as if she is explaining what she sees.  Her little pointing finger is too cute, and makes me smile every time I see her get excited and point to whatever it is she sees.  While skyping the past couple weeks she is definitely much more interested and observant to the family on the other side of the screen.  She was waving, pointing and talking so much more than she ever had before, which was fun for all of us to see!  It is amazing how smart little babies truly are, and is so fun to watch them learn new things all the time.  We think she is pretty smart, but I guess we are kind of biased!
A few days ago I realized I had never taught her "So Big", and I just happen to think that is the cutest things when kids raise their hands up high over their heads when asked, "How big is (insert name)?"  We did it twice with her and she caught on immediately which was so fun to see.  Really all you have to say is, "Zaylee" and she lifts her hands to the sky!  So fun!! 

We are having so much fun and just enjoying our days with little miss Zaylee Jean!  Love her personality and the joy she brings to us. 

Thursday's with Kimmy

It has become a Thursday ritual to hang out with our dear friend Kimmy.  She has truly been a blessing to me through this first year of motherhood, and I am so thankful for the friendship she has so lovingly showed me and little Zay.  I joke that she is like our chauffeur because she often takes us out to run errands to get out of the house for a bit.  Being at home is wonderful, but sometimes a day out with good company is much needed!  I have had a few weeks lately that I have made Dentist appointments on Thursdays, and Kimmy willingly comes along to the Dental office and sits in the toy room with Zaylee as I get my mouth scraped and cleaned.  They have fun together and Zaylee really loves her Kimmy.  She has been truly encouraging to me throughout this year, and pushes me to stay in the Word and keep my focus on the Lord.  We help each other, and listen to one another talk through our struggles and frustrations and bounce positive thinking towards the one that needs it in those moments.  It's refreshing and much needed.  I'm thankful for her and all she does for us.

She was extra cuddly yesterday...it was the sweetest! 

She is my sweet girl!

Kimmy decided to let her feed herself some mashed potatoes, and then ask her "How big is Zaylee!?"  Not my favorite :)

She had fun though...I guess that's what matters!

Christmas in Pictures

Carrera Christmas

Started out just fine, then wasn't so sure about Bob the Santa!

Loved the lights

Picked up Aunt Jenny for Christmas Break...pretty girls!

Christmas Brunch at Honey Jam

Chaos

After many attempts, this was the best we could get

Sweet girlie cousins

Opening presents with Daddy

Our pretty girl dressed in her best for Christmas Day

Eating her new Little People Nativity set

Another round of attempts...Paul was so happy about this!

The family tradition of Green Punch...

Grandpa D was eager to give her the first taste!

Zaylee and Taylor

Cohen "loving" on Zaylee :)

Micah sure loves his little Zaylee

Kaitlyn, the Christmas baby!

Me and my girls...I've babysat them their entire lives :) Love them!

She doesn't need no stinkin dolls, she loves trucks and cars!

These two are so sweet together!

Loving life

It was a wonderful Christmas, with many fun memories made and lots of good eating! 

A New Tab has Arrived!

This is your very first cousin on the Tabailloux side, and her name is Liesel Mary.

Liesel 14 hours after birth.  Dad thought this was a picture of you!! Tabailloux genes are strong!

She was born in the early, dark hours of the morning in Oak Park, Illinois on New Year's Day after a long 23 hours of labor for her super strong mom and wonderful supportive daddy!  Her mom says you, my dear Zaylee, were the reason for little Liesel.  You little, darling ladies sure made us mama's work hard to meet your cute, perfect selves.  Thankful to say that after some hard, exhausting, at times very frustrating labors we were both greeted with perfect, beautiful, healthy baby girls and all was right in the world.

This is you a few hours after birth!  Can you see the resemblance?

Yesterday, when Liesel was just 11 hours old, we went up to room 627 at West Suburban Hospital to meet her and congratulate Aunt Bethany and Uncle Timmy.  She was even more beautiful in person then the few pictures we had been staring at all morning.  Uncle Timmy was already proving to be a fantastic, doting father, and looked so overjoyed to have his own little girl in his arms.  Aunt Bethany looked so great for all the work and pain your little cousin made her go through to finally hold her in her arms.  She went through so much, and could hardly stand the wait for Liesel to make her appearance, and now she can love on her and stare at her all she wants.  Hallelujah!  They both seemed so peaceful and content with their new baby girl in their arms.  It was a wonderful time just staring at the new life that has already brought so much more joy into our big, French family and into the many loved ones that have loved her for many months already!

It was a short visit because you my dear don't like when you can't get down and explore new places.  You kept reaching out to touch Liesel, and clapped your hands in excitement.  The new clothes and packages were all touched by your little hands.  You love to explore and feel everything for yourself, which is proving to cause great, tornado like messes in our previously well kept living room.

 It seems like yesterday we were the one's in the hospital meeting you for the first time, and now you are our crazy, little active baby girl with so much personality and life in you.  Last night after leaving the hospital, I honestly envisioned those first moments and days with you over and over and over in my head remembering every little, perfect moment at least 30 times.  It started when we received the text letting us know Liesel had arrived.  We were still sleeping, but woke to the sound of chime on the phone.  "We have a baby," was what I read and immediately I filled with so many emotions.  Dad jumped up with excitement and we both laid there staring at your cousin's sweet face.  We prayed together thanking the Lord for a healthy, baby girl and were so happy and filled with so much joy for your Aunt and Uncle.  After about 45 minutes of staring and talking, we tried to go back to sleep.  I laid there with dad's arm around me and tears fell silently as I reminisced on those many hours we waited for you to come out and meet us, and then that moment when we finally saw you and heard you for the first time.  My mind wouldn't stop from that point on.  Dad kept asking me what I was thinking as I stared at you playing with your toys and listened to your sweet babbling.  It was the same thing on replay.  I love the memories of those precious moments, the pain of the contractions, the bond between your dad and I in those hours.  Not so much the frustrating realization of my body not progressing, but the other moments I loved every bit.  I remember it all, and truly can't get it out of my head.  Baby fever doesn't even begin to describe what I was feeling all day yesterday.  It was a physical pain of yearning.  Dad kept trying to snap me out of it, but he too felt it a bit, especially when we walked into room 627 and he saw little Liesel.  His eyes got wet, and he felt the emotions I had been remembering all day!

Zaylee girl, you have brought me so much joy and purpose to my life.  Every day when you greet me, I am reminded of how full my heart is now that you are in my world.  From the moment I heard you were in my womb, to that first week of not moving off the couch in fear of the reality of you being taken away from me, to hearing your heartbeat for the first time, to watching your little body move so gracefully across the black and white screen, and the feeling of you move beneath my skin, I loved you so fully.  As many bad days I had of being sick, the daily fight of lava pushing it's way up my throat, the pelvic pain towards the end that sent me to my knees, all the calls to Aunt Erin and Grandma asking silly questions, none of that could replace the pure joy I felt through the honor I had of carrying your precious life inside me.

So, Zaylee, are you ready to be a big sister??  We are ready whenever the Lord see's fit for our family to expand further!  You have blessed us, spoiled us, and made the transition from Husband and Wife to Dad and Mom so very natural and easy.  Thankful for you and the blessing it is to be a mom and to carry a life inside me.  So very thankful! 

For now, we will just love on sweet, little Liesel!!!  So very happy for Uncle Timmy and Aunt Bethany.  So very happy! 

Traditions

I love Christmas time.  The memories through traditions are something I hold very dear, and knew I wanted to start some of our own in our new little family.  We have a couple we had previously started, but this year we began a few more that I know will only get more fun as the years pass by!
Paul and I both grew up with BIG celebrations full of lots of noise, music, people, and wonderful memories with our dear families.  We love spending Christmas Day with our family, whether here or in France, and hope to always do so as the kids keep coming (Lord willing) and the noise continues to escalate.  Since it is important to us to be with family on the actually Christmas Day, we plan to make our traditions for the Eve and the days leading up to it.  It fills me with so much joy this year to be celebrating as a family of three and beginning to mold our family memories with our sweet little Zaylee Jean.

• Christkindlmarket is something we started doing together the year we were engaged, and is something that I get very excited about.  I love the crowd and commotion that goes along with it.  The warm, spiced wine and delicious German food that warms your body from the inside out.  The delicate ornaments and hand crafted knit clothes.  The colors, smells, crisp winter air, and just being with Paul and taking it all it.  It's magical and wonderful and a MUST on my Christmas to do list!  This year we went with my parents and Aunt Jenny, while Zay girl snuggled close to my chest in her carrier in hopes to keep her warm.  

• Macy's goes hand in hand with the Christkindlmarket in my book.  The windows are so intricately decorated each with their own theme, and always with a bit of a story filled with some history of the great city of Chicago and the Christmas spirit.  Zaylee slept through them this year, and I must say I enjoyed that warm bodied snuggle more than all the windows combined! :)  The Macy's on State (previously and in my mind forever Marshall Fields) has the most beautiful decor and elegant Christmas tree in the great Walnut Room.   There is something special about this department store in the Christmas season.  It just feels like Christmas (whatever that means!).  

• Picking out the perfect tree and decorating it together as a family.  I loved this as a child, and remember it so vividly in my mind as my dad had to look at EVERY single one, from EVERY angle and make sure it fell just right and had no major deformities or holes.  I would get apple cider or hot chocolate and would wander through the trees at Pesche's greenhouse.  We would take it home, set it up, tie up any loose branches, trim where needed, and wait for it to fall a bit to make sure it was perfect.  Oh the habits that get passed down.  Bless Paul's patient heart! :)  I loved stringing the lights and placing the family ornaments in just the right spots making sure they were evenly dispersed while listening to Amy Grant and Twila Paris in the background.  This year the lady that got our tree prepared for us, cut off a piece of the trunk so that we could make Zaylee an ornament from her first tree.  I was so overjoyed by this sweet woman's kind thought for our little family!  Ornaments were always so special in our home, always having a story or memory linked to each one.  

That owl is her first Christmas ornament bought at a friend's barn sale.

•  Advent calendar.  As Zaylee get's older I want to incorporate something more involved with verses and Christmas crafts or activities, but for this year Paul and I just enjoyed the chocolates! :)  
• Today we started a new tradition, that I hope stays around for a very long time.  We went out for a family "brunch" and enjoyed being waited on and just being together.  It was wonderful.  When I was young I remember always going on to a Christmas Brunch, and it was so fun being together celebrating over good food surrounded by so many people all doing the same thing with their loved ones.  And honestly, I just love a good reason to go out to eat!  

• Christmas Pajamas.  I have a new pair of pajamas for Zaylee wrapped and under the tree for her to "open" before bed.  I think it is such a fun idea to have a new pair of festive pajamas to wake up in and open all the special gifts that await under the tree.  

Grandma D and Grandpa D got her a pair too! :) 

• Opening our presents together as a family on Christmas Eve morning or night depending what are plans are for the evening.  This year it will be morning, but Zaylee doesn't know the difference or understand anything that is going on!  Also a good breakfast with Mimosa's for mom and dad :)  

• Stockings were always a big deal for me, and I hope to carry that through to my family! 
  It was always the FIRST thing I raced downstairs for on Christmas morning, but would wake everyone up first before taking all the goodies out.  It was so fun and always filled with so many great gifts! 
• Willow Creek Christmas Service.  Last year we decided to go to the Christmas Eve program at Willow Creek on our way up to my parents house, and we were very pleasantly surprised by how much we truly enjoyed it.  It was such a great message, wonderful time of singing, not too flashy, and just extremely relevant representation of the true Christmas story!  We are excited to see what they have in store for this year, and look forward to spending our Christmas Eve remembering our Savior with thousands of others.  

So thankful for  the birth of our Savior and a day set aside to celebrate that most precious gift!  I pray Zaylee will know the importance of this gift and will always remember the reason for the season! :)