My One Year Old!

Dear Taft,

You are ONE! I cannot begin to fully describe what a delight the last year has been! It has flown by as if on eagle's wings and now you sit before me, a jolly one year old! 

Having you become part of our family on earth was no easy task. We prayed and waited and fasted and worked to get you here. You were supposed to come to this earth at a very specific time! We are so grateful that you are here and for the joy that you have brought our family. 

Alyssa likes that you are laughy, smiley baby. Dad does too, and that you are so fun to play with! I love your cuddles! When I pick you up and rub your back you lay your head against my shoulder. You let me kiss your sweet, soft cheeks and breathe in your little baby scent! It is euphoria!

When you talk, your tongue is at the forefront of your mouth, making "lolling" type noises. You like to make "O"s with your mouth! You can say Dada for dad and you have tried out Mama, what, and wa - for water. Recently you like to put your hands over your eyes and play peek a boo. When I laid you down this afternoon for a nap, you put your burp rag over your face and we played peek a boo! I think it is safe to say that peek a boo brings you a lot of joy! You're favorite books are books with flaps and peek a boos like Peek a Who and Baby Loves Peek a Boo. 

You are so easy going. I can put you on the floor and play with you. Eventually you find something that interests you and you will entertain yourself for hours! You sometimes study something very closely and kind of do singy songy grunts while you look at it. You love to put Lego tires in your mouth, but you know most other Legos are not for eating! 

Alyssa is your best friend! She will run around the house trying to get you to chase you. She screams and you crawl back and forth trying to catch up to her. You are so blessed to have a wonderful sister and she is blessed to have you as a brother! She always wants to make you happy and she is very glad when you are not crying.

Last night you both went to bed very late. She put your new Little People School Bus in bed with you. She said you needed a toy. She would then run in and out of the room singing "one year older and wiser too - happy birthday, to you!" You would let out peels of laughter at this gesture!

Music is in your soul. Any time you hear a little tune you shake your bum to dance to it. You enjoy putting fingers to keys on the piano and tapping on the drums. I practice the violin after lunch and you just listen and play. We always talk about how right after you were born Dad played "Sleigh Ride" for you and you loved it!

You are definitely a crawler! You can get where you want to go, but you don't go searching for new places. You like to pull yourself up and occasionally you stand on your own. You are still finding your internal balance and it might be awhile until you walk!

So much has happened this year! Some highlights include:

:: The time you were sitting in you chair at the counter and you pulled an entire burrito out of the pan and started to suck on it.

:: Experiencing TWO Archibald Family Reunions - one in February at Nana's house and one over Thanksgiving in Branson, MO.

:: Visiting Utah to see Claire after her mission.

:: Playing with bubbles. 

:: Having Grandma and Papa come visit when you were blessed and again in October.

:: Having all the Nelsen's come visit in July.

:: Kristin Allen holding you, cuddling you and rocking you. You would always fall asleep on her shoulder!

:: Playing "Are you a cow?" We would ask you if you were a cow and you would emphatically shake your head no!

I worried a little bit about having a second child because I had outgrown the baby years since Alyssa was almost 5. But you have made the transition beautiful and easy! You are such a joy and I feel so blessed to be your mother! You are cute and friendly! You are happy and easy! You have brought an incredible amount of peace to my life and I am so grateful Heavenly Father has allowed me to be your mother!

Love,

Mom

Clappy!

Grandpa and Grandma Nelsen came to town. Grandpa wanted Taft to learn to crawl and clap. I think the clapping was successful!

You like to shake your head when people talk to you, especially when they nod their head at you!

You love food! "Give me more food" you would say, if you could talk.

You are loving and happy! You put your head so comfortably on our shoulders when you start to feel tired. You smile with so much charm at anyone who smiles at you! You are so mellow and I feel the goodness that radiates from your heart. It shines in your sweet nature.

You, me and bubbles!

You and I were home together today so we blew bubbles. You were enthralled with the rainbowic spheres. You were pleasantly surprised each time one popped before your eyes. It was a simple yet beautiful moment. You are so interested in life! You giggle when Alyssa plays with you. You hold things in your hands, trying to discover what they are. Today I gave you a block and you shook it as if to see if it made noise like other things that you have played with. I am so grateful you came to earth; to our family!

A Sweet Friend

While we were in Dallas visiting Nana and Papa we went to Bass Pro Shop. I was feeding you in the front lobby when a boy who had Down Syndrome came in. He eventually noticed you and was very excited to see you! He stroked your head and when he left, he gave you a kiss. I believe that people who are physically and mentally limited on earth have the strongest spirits. I felt it a privilege and compliment that he took notice to you. I know that you are also a strong spirit and that you, as well as your sweet friend, are both close to God and the veil is thin. You are a divine son of our Father in Heaven and it is a blessing to have you in our family!

Taft Lawrence

You were born December 10, 2015 at12:39 pm in Vicksburg, Mississippi at River Region Hospital. You surprised everyone with your size! 11 lbs 1 oz, 21.5 inches long and a head circumference of 15.75 inches! We knew your head would be big because at 28 weeks it was in the 88th percentile. But it is the perfect head for your body!

Your life is a miracle and we are so thankful that you are part of our family! We prayed for over two years to have another child. We were just finishing the foster care classes when we also decided to try one more month of clomid to conceive a baby. I had read in Alma about how Alma fasts and prays for Alma the Younger who is passed out because of his experience with the angel. I knew we needed  fast and the Lord would let us know if foster care or natural conception would bring us our second child. I found out that I was pregnant with you the day we moved into 215 Redbud Dr. What a joy!

Here is an excerpt from our family blog:

Taft was due December 9th. I had supposed I would naturally go into labor like I did with Alyssa and this time I had a plan. Me and the shower were going to be good friends and I was going to be strong, yea, even mighty and in control. 

Yet my mistake was in the assumption that this labor would start like Alyssa's. It didn't. December 8th came and I still had no signs of contractions. After consulting with my doctor combined with some incredible fears I had concerning the well being of this baby, I was convinced to be induced on December 10th. 

We went in at 6 AM. Emily Stephens kindly came over to watch Alyssa. I ate a bowl of oatmeal even though I wasn't supposed to and then we were off to the hospital! I was wearing my pregnancy uniform - Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt and stretchy pants! It was a foggy, humid humid morning.

By 8:30 AM the petocin had begun and the epidural was on its way. Erik and I engaged in a good game of Scrabble, which we finished before I gave birth. I won 272 - 260. By 11:30 AM or so the epidural was wearing off and I could feel the contractions. This was fine with me because I didn't want to be a 100% wimp. I was smooth and in control. I did manage to master that part of my plan. No shower though...darn. 

At 12:39 PM Taft entered our lives in this air breathing world. They put him on me and he was BIG and swollen but alive and I was so happy and so relieved!!

Alyssa came to visit shortly thereafter. The adjustment didn't seem traumatic, but she was a little weary of her new little brother.

After two days in the hospital we finally got to go home! I love home and I was so grateful to be taking my little man with me!

Now let me sum up by sharing an excerpt from an email I sent Claire:

"My heart is so full of gratitude and appreciation that Taft is here safely. I have had a really hard time being totally excited because if he hadn't made it, I would have been devastated. But he did make it and I see that God's hand has been in it. I also feel such a strong appreciation for the Savior and His Atonement. It is important and related to everything. He strengthens us through His grace. He is real! And our Heavenly Father is real too. It is a feeling that goes with knowing that the conception and birth of Taft is a manifestation of His love for me and the desire He has that I be happy!

So I wanted to go natural for awhile. That seemed to be the most exciting thing...ya know, the drama of sudden pain and anticipation ending because the time to work was finally here! But after seeing the doctor on Tuesday, which was an ordeal in and of itself because she was delivering babies during my appointment and I had to go back later, I realized scheduling to be induced would be smart. That and I felt as I prayed about it that Heavenly Father knew my desire to go natural...at least start that way, and if there was a reason I shouldn't, then the induction would be set up. 

His heart rate was fine during labor. It was all uncomplicated and I'm not totally sure why God helped me be induced...but he also helped me have a wonderful experience. He blessed me with a great nurse, he blessed Taft's hand to be by his face so she could pull it out and it allowed the rest of him to slide out without complication or c section. He blessed us with a giant, healthy baby! I am thankful for that."

I really did and do have an overwhelming feeling that God wants us to be happy. The blessings we desire do not always come the way we want them to, but they come. I haven't been unhappy in my waiting for Taft. These last couple of years have been magnificent and we have had wonderful and joyous experiences. And now I am even happier with my wonderful children and the joy and light they bring into our lives!