More funny sayings - Uriah Oct. 2019

Me: Uriah, do you want avocado toast for breakfast? Does that sound good?

Uriah: That sounds...(pause)...bad. Sounds stinky. (we use the "Everything but the Bagel Seasoning" and it does have garlic and onion in it. lol)

Me, eating a cucumber for a snack, and offering some to Uriah: Cucumbers are yummy and crunchy!

Uriah: It's yucky and NO.

After telling Uriah to get his backpack (along with other multiple ignored directions), I told him with a stern voice, "Uriah! You aren't listening good this morning!"

He replied in an equally stern voice, "MAMA. NO SPANK ME."

I told him I wasn't going to spank him, but I needed to scold him because I asked him nicely many times, and he still wasn't listening. Uriah: "MAMA, you bad guy." SO DRAMATIC.

Rob, watching football, cheers at the TV. Uriah: “TOO LOUD, DADDY.”

Uriah is chasing Elijah when he suddenly falls. Elijah starts crying. 
Uriah: “Elijah, you ok?... Don’t worry I call the ambulance.” (Picks up play telephone) “Hello?.. Someone is hurt.”


Bringing Uriah home from school- 
Me: Guess who's gonna be home when we get home?
Uriah: Dracula?
Close....Daddy.

Uriah: Daddy, Daddy, Daddy....DADDY...
Me: YES URIAH?
Uriah: YOU NOT DADDY.

Sometimes I take Uriah and Elijah to get a treat on the way home from school. The treat is often a donut from Dunkin Donuts, which is their absolute favorite. On the way, I told Uriah that I was getting the donuts if they continued to behave well. Out of the blue Uriah says very seriously, "And Elijah....he's not listening!" (Mind you, Elijah was quietly looking out the window minding his business) Someone definitely wanted Elijah's share of donut! Once we got the donuts, I told the boys we would eat the donuts when we got home (it's only a 5 minute drive). Uriah reiterated, "Donuts are for at home, and Elijah go moemoe! (nap time)"  AGAIN trying to keep Elijah from getting some donuts. Very cutthroat about these donuts!

At Uriah's school, rather than to use the phrase "no," they use the phrase, "that's not available."  While playing with some dinosaurs at home, Uriah was creating a dialogue between characters. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard in a sing-song voice (I guess the make-believe tone of voice?) "That's not available." HA! Little sponge, I tell ya.

Not a funny saying, but whenever I wear some lipstick or my hair down (apparently, it's rare enough that it gets noticed), Uriah will notice and say, "Mama. You pretty." It's been a few times now, but it makes me smile every single time! What a sweet boy we have!

Taylors Take Disney 2019

We just got back from the most fabulous family trip to Disneyland ("California" was really secondary to the DISNEYLAND destination). I have such fond memories of traveling to  Disneyland: as a child with my family, with friends as a young adult, and later with my husband to celebrate our "babymoon." I truly love Disneyland and the "magic" that is palpable throughout the park. I knew that I wanted our children to be able to experience that same joy and magic that left me with such a lasting impression. With Uriah being 4, and a lover of all things Halloween, and Elijah being 2, and still free! (yay), we decided October was as good a time as any to give it a try!

It has been awhile since we traveled with the kids, but after commuting from Maryland to Hawaii, a 5 hour flight to California seemed like a walk in the park! Even still, I did my best to set ourselves up for success! I packed lots of snacks, new toys, coloring books, crayons, silly putty, new library books, and loaded the electronics with games and shows for the kids. Thankfully, it paid off because our boys were angels on the flight! We arrived late Friday afternoon, got our rental (Hotwire score - $21/day minivan!), some food, and checked-in to our hotel, the Hyatt Place Anaheim. The Hyatt place was a great option - it is only two blocks from Disney (and a 5 minute walk to a Disney shuttle) and had a yummy hot breakfast included in its rate. With the military discount, I believe we paid about $122/night (before taxes, parking fees, etc). All things considered, it was a really good deal for what we got. 

We wanted Day 1 to be chill so we could adjust to the time difference as well as ease into the chaos of Disney days. We ended up making our primary mission that day to get some legit Mexican food (something Rob has sorely missed ever since moving away from San Diego) and to  check out Downtown Disney, which would likely get the kids more excited for Disney the following day. We stopped at a place called Cali Tacos that had looked promising. It did not disappoint! Rob and I split the Carne Asada California burrito and another burrito (I can't exactly remember what was in it, but I CAN exactly remember that it was delicious). The burritos were MASSIVE, so tasty, and the best part was, we fed our entire family for $22! The portions were so generous that we weren't even able to finish everything! Cali Tacos hit the proverbial spot. 

I just ate lunch, and this burrito STILL looks so good.
That's how you know it's good. I'd be willing to eat this on a full stomach. LOL. #LifeMotto

From there, we went straight to Downtown Disney. It was bustling and busy, but still so much fun. We loved being able to walk through all the Disney themed shops, and to check out all the goodies and decorations on display. One of the things we stopped to admire was the sweet shop where they were making candy apples right in front of large glass windows! I'm sure that marketing strategy definitely brings in customers because the apples looked so delectable! Thankfully, I was disgustingly full from my Mexican food so I was able to narrowly resist the temptation. 

I fell in LOVE with a rose gold sequined Disneyland backpack, but talked myself out of it for both practicality and functionality's sake. It was so gorgeous, but at $90 and too small to house the black hole-sized bag required to contain kids' ALL THE THINGS, I decided against it. I honestly still find myself thinking wistfully about the bag now and then. I'll be fine...eventually. I placated myself with a new Disney shirt to wear on our trip :) At this same store, they also had the "Heidi Klum Minnie Tiara Headband," which sells for a cool $600.00! Someone (or multiple someones) will buy it, but that someone definitely won't be me. Decision made easy bc: 1.) It isn't even rose gold and 2.) $600. I prefer electricity in my house.

See that little hand? Even Elijah likes it. Honestly, if this thing goes on sale
ever, I still may get it. #YOLO .. ?

The boys, especially Uriah, were delighted with how decorated Downtown Disney was! There were huge candy and lollipop displays, along with a bunch of pumpkins and gourds. They also had a live music band which was totally not my cup of tea, but the boys liked it enough to run around and dance to them, so it was all good! 

The next morning was our first day at Disneyland! We let the kids sleep in, got some hotel breakfast in the knick of time (closes at 9am and everyone got up at probably 8:40 - 6:40 Hawaii time, so right on schedule!), and headed out to the park! Our first stop was Main Street so we could request a DAS pass for Uriah. The wait time for the pass was long - about 45 minutes - but it was so worth it. Disney is so awesome in that they really try to accommodate all of their guests, despite physical or other qualifying medical conditions. With the DAS pass, it allowed us to get a "return time," for one ride at a time. It doesn't reduce your wait time for the ride (e.g, if Peter Pan is a 40 min wait, you are still waiting the 40 min), but it does allow you to wait outside of the lines, and then return at the point a fast pass probably would return (20 min max wait in line, but in most cases, we walked right through.) This was so helpful; we often took the time for bathroom or snack breaks, or even just to sit and rest awhile. It was pretty crowded on all the days we went to the parks, but if we were near rides that had short wait times, sometimes we were able to ride a ride in between the wait! In addition to the DAS pass, we also were approved for a stroller pass. This was also incredible in that we were able to basically wheel the stroller up until the point where we could get on the ride (Same as where a wheelchair would have access).The one ride where we didn't use the stroller access (Radiator Springs Racers - Elijah wasn't tall enough) the 20 minute wait in line was brutal for me! Uriah wanted to climb under and on the rails, touch all the plants, all the water, etc. He was so easily distracted that I constantly was having to (what I felt like) drag him through the entire line. It really emphasized to me how grateful I was to have the accommodations we did! I think the passes really influenced and enhanced our wonderful Disney experience. Though we had park hoppers, we spent the entire day at Disneyland (and mostly Fantasyland, at that). The kids especially loved Dumbo and King Arthur's Carousel. 

Uriah generally loved all the rides - Elijah was generally a deer in the headlights. Thankfully, he didn't cry on rides, though! I thought Uriah would've loved the Haunted Mansion because he loves scary things and Halloween, AND the Nightmare Before Christmas. Disneyland decorates the Haunted Mansion and does a NBC themed version of the haunted house. At the very beginning of the ride, Uriah said he was all done, so Rob took Uriah and emergency exited the ride. 

I loved all of the details for the Nightmare Before Christmas-themed mansion!
To me, it was less scary than the original version. I wish Uriah could've lasted to get on to the actual ride; I
think he would've actually enjoyed it once he got past the very loud and dark hallway entrances.

One good thing about Uriah emergency exiting the ride was that he got solo time with Jack and Sally!
The exit just so happened to be the same balcony where Jack and Sally were waving to people in line from.
 Most people have to wait anywhere from 1-3hours some days to take a photo with them, and Uriah
was able to have exclusive one-on-one time with them by chance! 

Behold: The many terrified/unimpressed faces of Elijah during Disneyland rides. Mind you, these were
ALL obviously during little kid rides! HA!

Each day, we ended up leaving the parks no later than 8pm (our earliest day we left by 6:15!). Our kids powered through the day with no naps, and thankfully, don't really care all that much about fireworks or parades yet. We'll save that for our next trip.

Day 2 we started out at California Adventure. The boys both love Cars and Lightning McQueen, so seeing the entire Radiator Springs/Cars-themed section was so fun! The characters were even dressed in Halloween costumes, which was cool. Uriah was tall enough for the Radiator Racers ride, which is the Lightning McQueen roller coaster. It is SO FUN! That was both me and Rob's favorite ride! Luckily, we were able to take advantage of the rider switch, which allows for parents who have to split up to be able to ride the ride again with their child! (One of us had to stay back because Elijah was too small for the ride) Not only did it mean we got to go into the fastpass lane, it also meant that Uriah got to ride back-to-back! Radiator Racers and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree were the favorites of the day. 

Lightning McQueen is a superhero - see his cape? And the firetruck clown costume took 80 wigs to make!
(I watched a behind the scenes Disney Halloween special) Rob also bought Uriah those cars as a surprise.
He and Elijah were so happy with them, and we were glad to have some toys to play with during waits!

Even Mater got in on the Halloween fun and dressed up as a Mummy!

Uriah ended up wearing his noise canceling headphones on a lot of the rides. I didn't think we'd really need them,
but during a ride, Uriah covered his ears and said it was too loud. It's the first time we used the headphones,
and I was surprised how readily he accepted and liked them!

At the end of the day, we headed back to Disneyland to ride a few more rides (California Adventure closes earlier than Disneyland). The surprise favorite ride for the boys was the Finding Neemo submarine! It was SUPER LONG (I guess good to rest legs?), and honestly, pretty boring for me, but it was the first ride Elijah actually smiled on, so it made me happy!

On our final day, we started out at California Adventure to ride Radiator Racers one more time, then to try Guardians of the Galaxy. Uriah was too scared to ride it, so we ended up not going this time around. I did, however, get a chance to ride my favorite ride at California Adventure - the Incredicoaster! The wait time was 15 minutes, but because I was a single rider, I literally walked on to the ride! The other big thing that day was that we had reservations at Cafe Orleans so I could get my Monte Cristo. Every day, we packed a small soft cooler with snacks like veggie trays, sliced fruit, deli meat, cheese, boiled eggs, crackers, and waters. We were so glad to have done that because Disneyland food is pricey, and also for the most part super decadent. Aside from that, Uriah is a picky eater, so even if we do buy something for him, we don't really know if we will end up eating it. Anyway - that was our one sit down meal at Disneyland, and it did not disappoint! Rob got a yummy salad, I got a seafood and sweet potato étouffée starter, along with my Monte Cristo. It was delicious and hit the spot! The other goodies I got while there were some churros (NATURALLY), and churro flavored toffee that my friend Jodie recommended. I'm not a churro or toffee fanatic - I like them - but these were SO GOOD! When we go to Disneyland again, I know what I'm buying as a take-home treat!

We took Day 3 easy, since we were all pretty tired. We figured today was a free day to repeat the rides the kids really loved. We did Small World, Dumbo, Finding Neemo, and King Arthur's carousel a few times. It was the perfect ending to three busy but fantastic days!

We flew home on an early flight Wednesday. We were supposed to be split up by 2's, and 20 rows apart. Unbeknownst to us, a Hawaiian Air agent had found an entire row and put us all together. It was such a pleasant surprise! Elijah actually was able to lay across our laps and sleep, and it was also great to be able to switch the kid's seats when they started to get restless next to one of us. We had such an amazing trip, and made some wonderful memories, but there really is no place like home. 

Kids Say and Do the Darndest Things

An early morning conversation amongst brothers:

Uriah: Good morning, Elijah!
Elijah: (turns head swiftly to the side) NO THANK YOU


A polite declination:

Me: Elijah, it's time to go moemoe (nap).
Elijah: NO THANK YOU

A tense situation between Mother and Son:

I had been scolding Uriah for something he was doing while we were driving, and he told me, "Mama, STOP," while putting his hand up. I sternly told him to put his hand down, at which point he not only kept that hand up, but decided to bring his OTHER hand up just to show me how much he WASN'T putting his hand down. I had to turn away and laugh! 

A demonstration of retention:

I often will tell the boys to "Be nice," when they are starting to get in each other's faces, or do something to upset the other. Often now if I or Rob scolds Uriah or Elijah (or even Sophie!), Uriah will interject seriously, "MAMA. BE NICE."

A case of misunderstanding (perhaps, deliberately so):

Uriah: (general screaming that accompanies toddlerhood)
Me: URIAH, STOP SCREAMING.
Uriah: Ice cream!

A macabre dining experience:

Me: Elijah, eat your chicken (on repeat throughout meal)
Elijah (also on repeat before each bite): Cluck-cluck.

A case study in theatrics:

Uriah(on the floor scrunched in apparent agony after a light brush from Elijah): MAMA, my eye hurts.
Me: Oh no, are you all right?
Uriah (scrunching face continued): I need to go hospital.

An important reminder:

The other evening, I had been so tired after a day of energetic mischievous boys, rushing around, and completing tasks all while under the weather. We were at the dinner table, and I was scrolling mindlessly through my phone on a mental break when I heard Uriah in the background, "Mama. Mama. Mama. MAMA!" (for what felt like the millionth time that day, when in actuality, it was probably only the...hundreth time) to which I responded, "NOT RIGHT NOW URIAH MAMA IS BUSY." Uriah told me, "Mama. Don't be angry. Be happy." I immediately apologized and told him that I wasn't angry. He asked me again, "You happy, Mama?" and I told him yes, I am happy. <3 Love my sweet boy!

Come at me, BRO!

So, I generally like to keep my blog light and happy, but I DID also say that this was going to be part journal for myself...and whats a journal if I don't keep it real every once in awhile?! Well then it becomes a "book," and I want posterity to know that their great-great-great-EXTRA-SUPER-GREAT-grandma was not only awesome and gorgeous but also candid with her life experiences. That being said...CUE THE REALNESS!

Today is a big, fat NOPE and it's only 10:30am! Though it is Thursday, it feels like a Monday. And not just any Monday: the Monday after you come back from a two week vacation somewhere beautiful, then have to go back to work, after you've sat in traffic for an hour. Am I painting a picture here? Well maybe this will help:

Is this me? It very well could be. Wait.
This woman is wearing makeup. I am not even on THIS level!!

Perhaps my disdain is due in part to the fact that I have a cold, and a baby, who also has a cold. All I want to do is sleep, lay around watching TV, and drink some hot tea. OH, and take a ton of cold meds (yeah, nursing means basically no medicine. At least none worthwhile, anyway). INSTEAD! I wake up with the KRAKEN --
(throwback to 1981 Clash of the Titans because 1) that's the only one I've seen and 2) there is no need to see any others because it is THE Clash of the Titans to end all Clash of the Titans!)

Uriah? Is that you? 

I am convinced these characters are one and the same.
And as for you crib shamers, we are lowering the crib (again) when Rob gets home today.

Where were we? Ah yes, onto my list of grievances.

1. Kraken baby is also teething, as documented in previous blog entry. Gone is my sweet, patient, happy baby. Who IS this tyrant demon child that has replaced him? "I decree no naps, ever! Blocks of sleep? hahaha! That's cute! Oh, you're hungry? That's funny because SO AM I! I have DEMANDS, and they will be heard!...BY THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD IF NECESSARY!" *sigh* His increased mobility, while impressive, is also exasperating at times since he wants to get into everything BUT his many toys strewn about in futile hope of enticing him. 

2. In matters of productivity, today I have gotten Uriah to nap (good 'ol Cry it Out!), and successfully ate breakfast (at 12:30pm). I previously tried Cry It Out and thought I could never do it because it was so hard for me to hear him cry. Don't get me wrong - I  still don't enjoy hearing him cry, but when you have done everything to make your baby comfortable and you know they are tired and just won't sleep, you reevaluate options. Thankfully, his crying was short-lived and I got a good 40 minutes to myself. And it's a good thing I had 40 minutes to myself, because it meant I could contact XFINITY about our connectivity issues! YAY for "personal time"! (eye-roll) Which brings me to my next grievance -

3. Our WIFI has been all day off-and-on for the past 2 weeks, despite all of the "reboots" we were told would fix it. (I know, first world problems, but when you rely on technology for "Elmo Celebrity Songs" to keep your  baby entertained while doing the dishes or folding laundry, WIFI becomes very detrimental to survival. Also, FB while nursing) This just adds to an overall disappointment with Xfinity's service since we obtained them in November, to include, but not limited to: several prior phone calls about the same connectivity issues, multiple technician visits, and a new cable box put in about a month after our other new cable box. You get the idea.

4. The diaper from hell. Self-explanatory.

5. The DIAPER GENIE, which acts as a tomb for any and all diapers from hell, malfunctioned today. The foot pedal wasn't working, and when I tried to push the diaper from hell through the top slot, it wasn't working, even though the chamber was basically empty. Figured out how to get hell diaper down the chute, BUUUUT then the lid wouldn't shut. So the toxic fumes that are normally safely enshrouded in the diaper genie were wafting through our home. This was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back, so I slammed the lid down (not unlike an MMA fighter slams their palm into the face of a poor unfortunate opponent), and it broke off. HOWEVER! The hinges didn't break, and the lid now can lie flush with the genie. So the lid isn't officially fixed, but at least we don't have death fumes permeating our home, and I feel A WHOLE LOT BETTER having taken my aggression out on something inanimate. (Sorry, Rob. Hopefully you can fix the genie when you get home) OH, and while this was happening, I saw my baby was chewing on the iPhone charger. and I let him continue while I "fixed" the genie.

*.

HAVING SAID ALL THIS (and I know I've said a lot), I feel a lot better now that Uriah has napped and I got a chance to vent my frustrations. Being a Mom is not easy, and while it is only one facet of who I am, it has really altered everything  I do, and my perception of what is important in my life. Today is just a hiccup in a journey that I am 99.9% of the time thrilled to be a part of. I know the tough times do not last forever, though alternate tough times still lie ahead in different forms. Bring it on! (Feigned bravery is still bravery, right? Fake it till you make it, as they say!)

*6. Whoever you are that rang the obnoxious buzzer and woke up my almost asleep baby just now, then were not there when I answered the buzzer: I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. What I do have are a particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. (edit) I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you.

Smiling and Bathtime and Beach, Oh My!

One of the main reasons why i wanted to do a blog was so that I could keep a record of Uriah's baby milestones as best I could. I am a realist and know that I have never been crafty  or creative, nor organized when it comes to scrapbooking, and didn't want to lose any precious moment because of some technical deficiencies. So! My solution was to blog what I could, include pictures, and when I have time to update the actual baby books, I will have all of the relevant information ready! (still doesn't sound so convincing, does it? Well, it's a start!)

Uriah's a pleasant, happy baby. We are so lucky in that he only cries at this point when there is something wrong: tired, hungry, wet, cold/hot, gassy. He is easy to appease and has such a relaxed temperament. 

-This brings me to his first milestone: RESPONSIVE SMILING!

Uriah started consistently smiling in response to us when he was two and a half weeks old. From everything I've read and seen, this is very early for babies. Even at his two month appointment, the pediatrician commented that Uriah was a "social butterfly" and a bit more advanced socially then they would expect a two month old to be. I attribute his happiness in part to his awesome, happy parents! Seriously, though, I know that babies are part nature part nurture, and lucky for us, the nature part of Uriah on its own was predisposed to being happy and easy going. 

Exhibit A: June 23

Exhibit B: July 3

Exhibit C: July 16

In unrelated but mind-boggling news - look at how Uriah has filled out in two short months! The below picture is when Uriah was two weeks old. He looks like a completely different baby. Hooray for healthy eating! (He does have that Kimokeo blood, after all!)

After so many smiling pictures, I thought I would jazz things up a little.

SECOND MILESTONE COMING RIGHT UP: BATHTIME!

Uriah's first official bath in his baby bath was June 23. We had to wait for his umbilical cord to dry up and fall off, so prior to this day, we had been wiping him down. We were so excited to give him a bath! He loved it too! Here's a picture of him getting a bath from Grandma Taylor and Daddy. If you look close enough, context clues should give a good idea of the excitement that was going on in the picture. Hints: Grandma is holding a diaper up doubling as a shield, and Daddy's face should be a dead give away!

THIRD MILESTONE: BEACH DAY - HAAAAAA-Y-N!

Uriah's First Beach Day (which we consider him actually putting his feet in the water) was just this past week! He absolutely loved the water! I was surprised because I thought it would be too cold for him, but apparently, it was just as refreshing for him as it was for us! I'm always asking my Dad if Bellows will have Portuguese man of wars, because he's a surf guru and knows all the beaches and the trade winds, and whether weather will affect our fun! That day, Dad said not to risk Bellows and suggested we go to Pokai Bay on the West Side. Why have we forsaken the West side beaches all these years?! Driving down, there were so many beautiful, unpopulated beaches! Side note: Rob and I  plan to explore the West side beaches more in the coming months. Pokai Bay was perfect and so beautiful! It was like glassy and clear like a pool, with only a handful of people! Of course, this was before we discovered that they had a shark sighting five days earlier, but I figure, it's an ocean, and sharks are everywhere! Also, Eddie Would Go, so naturally, Taylors went. I was just extra observant that day! We all survived unscathed.

Let's not forget what a stud I married!

Baby Uriah's Birth Story - June 04, 2015

I wish that I had been keeping up a pregnancy blog while I was pregnant, but oh well! Maybe next go around!

June 04, 2015 will forever remain one of the most special days of my life. Even with years (hopefully!) ahead of me, I can say with assurance that the day my son was born will always be a cherished day I hold close to my heart. 

Being that Rob and I were a bit older when we got married, we decided that we wanted to try to have kids right away. It's one of those things in the back of my head that I was always worried about - the fact that you never really know if you'll have a hard time getting pregnant until you're actually trying to get pregnant. Luckily, by September, we discovered that we were expecting our first baby - a BOY! Since the time that we found out, Rob and I had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of our precious son.

Uriah, on the other hand, was having SUCH a good time in heaven that he took his sweet ol' time (and I'm pretty sure they had to nudge him out!) getting here. Uriah's original due date was May 28, 2015. Well, that day was absolutely and frustratingly normal, and came and went as any other day. Keep in mind, at 39 weeks, I started trying to facilitate the process by any possible suggestion my midwives, sisters, friends, or random internet posts provided! Despite my efforts, Uriah was in no hurry. As a result, my OB/GYN decided to schedule an induction date of June 03. Funnily enough, at about 10 am on June 03, I started having regular contractions about every 10 mins apart. At about 1pm, it got closer to 5 mins apart and we got ready to head to the hospital, but they started spreading out again. Since we were to be induced later that afternoon (5pm), we decided to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Bird. We were there for a few hours (our visits, even if intended to be short, always end up longer at that house - and we love that!), then left in time to get to the hospital at 5. 

When we got to the hospital, the nurse wanted to hold off on the induction since my contractions were regular and my cervix was softening. Within the first few hours of my hospital stay, I was making progress, but at about 130am, my progression halted. My midwife suggested I walk around for an hour to try to break my water and softening of the cervix. I was absolutely not thrilled at that prospect since I was still having regular contractions, and they were getting painful. Lucky for me, I have an ultra assertive husband who, upon hearing that suggestion, said, "Absolutely not. We want to use the pitocin." MY HERO! 

Before pitocin came the epidural. The epidural was not only painful while being administered, BUT the anesthesiologist literally couldn't find the right "space" for the needle and, as a result, took about 20 minutes to finally stick me properly. Keep in mind, while getting an epidural, it is imperative that you stay as still as possible because they are dealing with your spine and could cause serious injury if it hits a wrong spot. Every time the epidural needle went in, I could feel the needle go in deep until it "zinged" my spine. The lady was asking "do I need to move it to the left, right, or does it feel centered?" Um.....you are relying on me to determine that? SCARY. I wish that I wasn't so concentrated on not moving during contractions because I probably would've taken her name down for reference. She chalked it up to my bones being really closely fused together, and said she needed to try another area. FINALLY, she got it and within a matter of minutes, I was feeling much better! (and by feeling much better, i mean I was feeling NOTHING. lol.) My entire lower left side was like a tree stump...a 2,000 pound, water logged, dead tree stump. Just how I wanted it! As the nurses came by to check my dilation and move positions in hopes of helping Uriah move down to the birth canal, they were left to their own devices to get my left leg bent. My right side was not much better, but at least I could help a little with the movement there.  

The nurses and doctors tried everything to get stubborn Uriah down into the right position/the birth canal, but Uriah was not having it. Despite moving me from side to side every half hour and bending my legs with pillows propping me up, despite the pitocin, despite my water breaking (nurse checking my cervix "accidentally"? popped it while checking my dilation), and despite my contractions being strong and close together, Uriah was still too high up in my stomach and as a result, my doctor determined my progress was at a stand-still at about 6:30pm on June 04, 2015. She suspected that Uriah's head was too large for the birth canal, and she was right - he has consistently been in the 98% for head measurements at his checkups since birth. With our options limited, Rob and I agreed to a c-section to get Uriah out.

The C-section was a blur and seemed to go really fast. Although I was heavily drugged up, I do distinctly remember that the c-section surprised me with how much it still hurt even with anesthesia and my epidural in full force. I think because Uriah was still so high, it was particularly painful because they had to "push" Uriah down to the incision site to get him out. I vividly recall the doctors applying forceful pressure on my stomach, then tugging to get the baby out (Rob seems to recall at one point the doctor appeared propped up on the table to apply downward pressure) to the point where I had tears rolling down my face. Once I felt the "pop" of the baby being out, and heard that first cry, though, I had an immediate relief and distraction from the tugging and pulling to reorganize my insides and seal my incision up. At 8:15 p.m., Uriah La`ahia Taylor made his debut into this bright, cold, and foreign world weighing in at 7 pounds 11 ounces and 21 inches in length. 

What's in a name? 

Uriah: A valiant, loyal, and brave warrior in the Bible. Literally translates to "the Lord is my light/fire." Rob has loved this name for years, and the name really grew on me. It was a toss up between Elijah and Uriah, but during my third trimester, I knew that his name would be Uriah. While I loved Elijah, I felt nothing when I talked to the baby and used the name Elijah. Uriah was innately right.

La`ahia - a sacred desire or delight set apart for a specific, consecrated time. La`ahia has definitely lived up to his name, as he has determined when he entered this world despite concerted efforts to bring him earlier throughout homeopathic and medical interventions. Additionally, we found out that we were expecting while in Michigan for Rob's father's funeral. What was such a sad, emotionally heavy experience was blessed with hope and love when we discovered the next generation Taylor was on his way to us. We were so happy to be able to leave our grieving family with such exciting, happy news.

Rob brought baby Uriah up next to me and laid him on my chest while the surgeons finished my procedure. Despite being high as a kite, I remember crying tears of happiness this time, and felt an instant and intense love the moment Uriah was next to me. 

Recovery for the surgery was about an hour. I started shaking violently and uncontrollably, and remember shivering and feeling very cold. They put a warm blanket on me and within a matter of minutes I started feeling better. Apparently, I lost a lot of blood to the point where they were monitoring me for a blood transfusion even into the next day, but thankfully, everything leveled out and my recovery went probably as good as one can expect considering major abdominal surgery. Throughout our hospital stay, the staff at Castle hospital was so accommodating and helpful, and I truly hope that I am in Hawaii for my next baby so I can deliver there again. 

Uriah and Rob are my greatest blessings in this life. Even after 34 hours of labor and all of the hiccups along the way, at the end of it all, I have the most precious, sweet baby that I've been entrusted to care for and love. I love you son and look forward to so many more happy and exciting years with you!