Little Tay Tay

It's been awhile since I spent some time on my little spunky middle child! Tay Jayne, I love you, sweet girl!!

I absolutely ADORE Taylor's phase right now. I mean, really, I've never NOT enjoyed anything about this charming ray of sunshine! But she is in a particularly FUN and SWEET and hilarious phase! Aren't two year olds a breed of their own?!

Taylor is sooooo affectionate these days! It melts me! She doesn't just give hugs, she squeezes the breath right out of you. She doesn't just give kisses, she grabs your face in her hands and gives you a huge MWAA! She doesn't just want to be tucked into bed, she wants you to lay down and snuggle with her for a few minutes! And who could resist that?!

She is so expressive! She makes the funniest faces for every single feeling she has!

And those eyes! They are endlessly blue and also incredibly telling!

Tay continues to bring such a happy spirit to our home! I think she was born with a smile on her face and it has never faded, but only grown bigger and brighter! Her dimples get a LOT of use! What I love so much about this darling is that nothing really phases her too much. She is really easy-going and slow to anger. Sure, she has a spicy side that comes out when she is particularly bugged about something, but for the most part, she really is so easy to please and remains happy and content most of the time! She is always so quick to see the brightness of life, the little things that most of us miss, make her so happy! She is curious and has a beautifully creative imagination! I love to listen to her when she is playing by herself -- the conversations she has with her toys are absolutely hilarious! And my goodness, she is so dang funny! I can't even count the amount of times that I know in my head I should totally be disciplining her for something naughty that she is doing or saying, but I am too busy laughing my head off (or trying to hide my laughter)! An example: the other night, we heard Taylor in her room (she was supposed to be asleep) and it sounded like she was howling like a wolf. We listened for a bit, trying to figure out what the heck she was doing. Finally, Chris went in to see what was going on and tells me to come quick. There was Taylor, sitting in the pitch dark, on the floor in the corner by her bed, and she had a Linkin Log stick in her hand which she was playing like a clarinet. The sound we heard was her imitating her instrument's sound. We about died laughing and she thought it was hilarious too! Ohhh, she is the funniest little girl!

Taylor has always been quite a little talker! She jabbers on and on, most of the time I can understand her, sometimes it's just her blabbering on and on about who knows what! And the things she says, oh my goodness, they are so hilarious! She is a little comedian! Some of my recent favorite Taylor lines:

"Ok dad, stop! You're going to mess up my hair!"

While playing with my pressed powder, "Mom, I need to pat my face so it doesn't get soggy!"

"You're my BEST friend ever there was!!" (She says this about 80 times a day to anyone and everyone...especially Kaiya!

Speaking of best friends, the other night the girls were both crying in their beds so Chris went in to see what was wrong. Taylor, in total sadness and tears says, "Kaiya said she's not my best friend." So Chris asks Kaiya if she is Taylor's best friend. Kaiya says, "Taylor you ARE my best friend!" And Taylor immediately stops crying, puts her hands on her cheeks in total excitement and squeals, "You are?! You're my best friend too!!" So precious!

She calls Chris "Daddy-boy" and me "Mommy-girl". How cute is that?!

With her finger on her chin, she says, "Hmmmm, let me think about that!"

"Are you kidding me?!" (In a totally sarcastic voice!)

"Daddy, you're my A, B, C, D, E, F, G!" ( I have no idea what that even means!!)

While playing with Chris' tools and her hands on her hips, she says, "Mom, I need to go hang up things."

Taylor is kind and sweet to her sisters. She seems to have a comfortable sense of her place in our family. She looks up to Kaiya and is eager to play with her and try and do all the same "big girl" things. And she also has this tenderness towards Avery. She is soft and gentle with her and truly makes Avery smile and laugh like nobody else in our family! She is the perfect middle child and just enjoys being friends with both of her sisters -- older and younger. Taylor is so nice and inviting to everyone she meets. She always greets everyone with the happiest hello's and does not have a shy bone in her body! She is the oldest in nursery at church now and is quite happy being the little mommy to all the other little kids!

Taylor lives on fruit! When she wants a snack, it will almost ALWAYS be an apple, a banana, some grapes. I'm so happy for that. She doesn't much care for sweets. Loves fries, though! She's also a fantastic sleeper and never makes a peep at night! She loves sharing a room and bunk beds with Kaiya and one of my favorite things is to hear them talking and laughing before bedtime!

Taylor is becoming more and more interested and aware of her bodily functions, if you know what I mean! If only mommy were more motivated, she would probably be in the process of being potty trained. But alas, mom is just not ready and has no desire!! Taylor likes to sit on the toilet and feel like a big girl, though we haven't really pushed it. She has pooped and peed several times on the toilet, but we haven't been good about teaching her to recognize the urge. After a few mishaps in the bathtub, (my favorite!), she thinks she has to sit on the toilet EVERY time she gets in the bath so she doesn't get anything in the tub! But she does look awfully cute sitting there, reading her newest issue of The Friend, don't you think?! I guess I should get to it one of these days!

Truly there has never been a happier, more pleasant kid! I take for granted what a blessing it is sometimes. But I know and can count on the fact that if I am ever having a bad day or am frustrated about something, Taylor will brighten my spirits. WITHOUT FAIL! All it takes is one of her hugs, or one of her funny comments, or just to hear her laugh and squeal in delight about something, and I can't help but feel a million times better! She has that special happiness that few people naturally have and she shares it so willingly! I would be lost without that smile!!

So, at 2 1/2, Taylor's smile continues to grow, just like the rest of her! And her infectious spirit fills up and spills to overflowing her special spot in my heart! Love you, Tay Jayne!