Cash Visits

Living two hours away from my family can sometimes be a very hard thing to do especially when all the girls get together!  And especially when a new baby is involved!  NeeNee doesn't get to cuddle and love on the grandkids as much as she would like :(.  Great thing we all have cell phones with cameras, texting and even video to keep me in the loop.

Clarissa, Katie and Ella went to visit Nikki and Cash on Thursday.  Here are some of the sweet pics they took during their chit chat session.  I so laughed at this first one of Ella as she looks as though she's just done something or is just tickled that Cash is waking up!

Ella has a baby sister coming in just 3 months so getting to see and hold a new baby is a real treat.  She loves playing with her baby dolls.  I'm sure we will all have our hands full with keeping a sharp eye on her around her new sissy because of her current "baby handling" moves...haha!

Baby Cash and Baby Taylor get to know each other.  Katy said that her baby was doing some kicking while Cash laid right up against her belly.  Do you think the two babies knew something they didn't?

And the last picture to be added is Auntie Kissa with her niece and nephew.  If there ever was an Auntie award, Clarissa would absolutely win.  She is the most loving, caring and "playing" Auntie ever.  She's gonna have to juggle three very soon.  Ella won't know what to think with all the new competition for attention.  Good thing there are plenty of us to go around who love them all!

River Girl!

Ella loves the water and it appears that she isn't afraid of larger bodies of water than her kiddie pool. Katy posted this picture on FB and her caption was...I think we are in trouble, Ella likes the river.

Katy and Dustin's home is very near the river. I see many trips in their future to kick around the rocks and splash! Good thing they both were raised going to the river and they like hanging out there even now as grownups. Dustin used to search for crawdads and dig in rocks all day when I would take him. It was great as I would pop myself half in and half out of the water and just relax and watch.

Ella, The Water Bug

It's hard to imagine that our Ella is over a year old and into her second summer on earth!  I get the privilege to send time with her when Katy gets some "Mommy" time away. 


Ella and I play, rock, eat and yes, she sleeps and this time it was for 3 hours!  Katy got her a new pool to play in and I got her a little play swimsuit that she could wear since hers was a little too short in the ka-poot!  After her long nap, we suited her up for some major water play.  First off was this great big smile!

She was just so fun to watch and laugh with.  She totally was in tune with every noise that nature supplied around her....birds flying over, cows mooing, and the dogs trying to join her water fun.

In her own little world she is the expression QUEEN!  Everything produces the "surprised look" that she is famous for complete with the sucking in of air!  She conducted a symphony, Mooed at the cows, insisted on playing with NeeNee's flipflops, holding the toy saxophone as a telephone and invited me to play the sunglasses game...put them on her, she takes them off!

Many more days of fun ahead with this precious, entertaining and sweetness of a grand daughter of mine!  Love you bunches Ella!

Why buy toys?

Ella got a new car seat today as she is nine months old!  Her Momma, Katy, found the perfect one that she could use for the duration and still be able to seat other passengers.  She is a very wise woman.

We took the box that it came in and turned it on it's side for entertainment.  Ella's Daddy, Dustin, use to spend hours playing in boxes.  He would even be talked into a nap in one or two of them.  I would cut "windows" in them and he would have a great time coloring them up.  Ella has a way to go before she can manage the crayons but in the mean time, she likes putting her toys in and pulling the box forward to get them out.  Actually she found this out by mistake as she tried to  pull up on it and the toys came out.  Good thing she didn't pull it back on her or she would be mad at it and maybe not want to play in it anymore.  I do have to say that the dark box was intimidating to her at first.

Baby Ella goes on her 1st Pregnancy Care Center Walk

Clarissa, Katy, Ella and I walked the Pregnancy Care Center walk on October 1, 2011.  It was a beautiful day to share with three of my favorite gals for a worthy cause.

 Clarissa and Katy...Ella too....at the starting point.

 Sweet baby Ella on the car ride to Beth's Bake Shoppe for lunch.  She just stared at NeeNee for the longest time.  I wonder, what those brown eyes are seeing and what that bright little mind is thinking.  My hopes were that she was memorizing my face as her NeeNee for life.  I prayed that she could somehow see in my eyes the love that I have for her.  I guess you could say we were "Eye talking"!

 Having a little fun walking around in Gifts From The Heart after we had lunch.  Ella had a clothes change (necessary one due to a blow out...sorry Ella) and she was full of fun.

This isn't a great photo but I love the little face and how intent she looks as she looks across the room.  I love the time that I get to spend with my girls!  This marks the beginning of Fall and Ella's 5 month birthday.

Auntie Clarissa loves baby Ella.  Since she lives in Columbia, she doesn't get to see her much but when she does...she always has an outfit or gift for her.  Think Aunt Clarissa could get into some serious spoiling of this little girl.  

She is here! The next generation.

On April 27, 2011 Ella Jane Taylor made her way into the world and into my heart.  She arrived at 7:30 p.m. weighing in at 8 lbs. 3 oz. and 21 1/2 inches long.  Never do I believe that I have ever seen such a proud Daddy and a stargazed Momma when I first met Ella in person and hour after her birth.

She was so alert and her eyes wide open for just an hour old.  We giggled at how she worked her tiny tongue like she was searching for something in the air.  When the nurse unwrapped her to check her vitals we all found out that she was searching for her hands.  They passed by her mouth and she fixed in on them.  Yep, in the mouth they went!

I love this shot that Clarissa caught of her over my back/shoulder. She doesn't look brand new, does she?

Oh precious little Ella, I so look forward to the cuddling, reading, walking, singing, tea parties, cooking, crafting and just plain ol' learning from each other in the years to come.  I love you and I just met you!

Love so amazing!

My family is expanding!

May 2nd is the due date for Dustin and Katy's little baby girl, Ella Jane, to enter this world.  My first grandchild!  It so just seems like a few short years ago that I had two little babies of my own.

Being a Grandma is going to be such a treat and another phase of my life that I so look forward to.  A new life to love, influence and nurture as she grows into a woman herself.  I cannot wait to hold her tiny body and see both my son and daughter in law in her.  A perfect blend of two people who so love each other and are like two peas in a pod.

What will she call me?  Will she like me?  Will I get to see her often?  All the questions that go through an expecting Grandma's mind.  I pray for her parents and her daily.  May this little family grow in love for each other year after year.

Ella Jane Taylor

3/13/2011

32 weeks