You Tube - Santa

Most of you know that Dusty and I have been putting new videos of Taylor on You Tube. The blogger site only allows me to put a limited amount of video from my camera so this seems like the perfect fix. You can go to http://www.youtube.com/ and type in Taylor Dunaway which should bring up some of the videos or here is the link for our trip to see Santa yesterday. Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woEGy491bmg

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving! We had a great day here in Utah - we ate so much yummy food and had a chance to remember all the things we are thankful for. I am especially grateful for my wonderful family {whom I love and miss very much} This year I couldn't help but be reminded of my mom's tender heart. She has befriended a widow in our ward and delivered dinner to her every Sunday for years. Barbara's children have been absent on most holidays including her birthday. My mom has welcomed her with such loving, open arms and made her an important part of our family - caring for my tutu {my grandma} always came very easy to me and today for the first time I realized this is a trait I am grateful to have from my mom.
Now for the highlights....

mom & barbara

dinner table

i made these funny place cards from paper source

thanks to dad we had VERY yummy turkey
thanks to mom we had burnt rolls - but good potatoes

thanks to caitlin we had amazing pumpkin cheesecake!

Did I mention I am also very thankful for my man - and miss him like CRAZY!

Salt Lake City

We had a wonderful time visiting my family over the past weekend. The majority of the time we stayed home and played with the peanut while Dusty worked his tail off. As usual we eat a lot of my favorite foods and went shopping. Taylor is so close to walking it's ridiculous.

Dusty and I went to the Utah vs. BYU football game. It was so much fun. I even got Dusty to wear a U of U sweatshirt.

#1 Utah Fan

Taylor got to see snow for the first time. We took her up to the lodge where Dusty and I got married and took a million pictures!

First Snowball. She didn't hold on for long.


Peanut

Daddy and Peanut. it was freezing. we are obviously way to used to our perfect San Diego weather.

Taylor climbed her first stairs this weekend. ( This was the first time she has been around stairs) She loved it. All she wanted to do was go us and down. She giggled the whole time.

wish i was wearing these...

First, I apologize for my absence in blogging {therefore making this a "baby" blog} However, since my boss abruptly quit her job 2 weeks ago I have become one of those leave for work at 6:30 am return from work at 8:30pm kind of people. Sad to say I hardly even got to say goodbye to my man who left for Thailand yesterday for 2 1/2 weeks :( The only thing that could make the weekend better would be lounging around in these lovely's from J.Crew.


{now that all I have time for is work and sleep...I think I need these}

GRAMMIE HERE WE COME

So last week Dusty came home and told me that he need to go the SLC for some business meetings. Paramount is flying him out so we bought a cheep ticket for me ( peanut on lap) and we are leaving the day after tomorrow. Dusty will be in meetings all day on Thursday and Friday. On Friday night Grammie and Papa are watching the peanut so we can got on a hot date and than on Saturday we are going to the BYU vs. Utah Game. ( Got Utes) I could pee myself I am so excited!!!!!

This is Bowman ( we were babysitting). Taylor thinks he is so funny. She was cracking up when I took this picture.

She loves him. Watch out Daddy!

9 Month Doctor Check Up

Taylor had her 9 month check up today. She is as healthy as can be and giggled the whole time. She even had the doctor laughing. Shhe didn't even cry when she got her flu shot. She looked startled but that's it. Such a happy peanut. How did we get so lucky?

Here are her stats : Length 29 inches 93 percentile, Weight 19 pounds 10 oz 69 percentile, Head Circumference 18 inches 92 percentile. I freaked out about the head thing but the doctor told me that it was normal since she is so tall for her age " imagine what she would look like if she was in the 50th percentile... she would be out of proportion." So I guess if I want her to be tall like her momma she needs a big head. :)

Baby Steps

Fingers Crossed

Keep your fingers crossed and think happy thoughts for Brad while he takes the GMAT tomorrow!! 77 days - 231 hours of studying(roughly) - 24 hours of class - he has been so unbelievably disciplined and focused, he has given up so many things he loves to prepare for this test - his unwavering dedication makes me SO proud.
You are going to do GREAT!

{by the way...I'm sorry for all the nights I tried to convince you to play with me instead of study}

Zoo

Taylor and I went to the zoo today! A friend of mine has free passes so we packed up the babies and tromped around the zoo for a couple of hours. The morning was wonderful not to hot, not to cold and very few zoo visitors. She loved the gorillas and the ducks.

Riding on the hippo

Playing with Luke and Brendon in front of the gorillas

Pointing out her big teeth


Talking to the gorillas. This little lady walked right up to where we were standing and started to play. Taylor was cracking up.

Flamingos. Taylor was looking at Luke... oh that hat!!!!!...oh those cheeks

This Hat...

....is my new favorite thing.

New DO

After months of telling everyone this I finally bit the bullet. In an effort to cut down on all costs I dyed my hair back to my "real" hair color. I say this mildly because I really don't know what my real hair color is. I know it is dark and ashy and very very UGLY. I really didn't want my real color so my wonderful friend/hairstylist took it one shade darker....and red. This way I only have to get my hair done every other month or so instead of every 5 weeks.

I like it....I think...it's different.... Dusty likes it. What do you think?

Sorry for the poor picture quality I took them myself and I should have put some eye makeup on... but oh well, you get the drift

Play Dates

Taylor had two very fun play dates this week. My friends and I are starting to "trade" babysitting so that we can save money on babysitters. Babysitters in San Diego cost between 11 dollars ( for illegal immigrants) to 17 dollars (for high school/college students) WHAT A JOKE!!!! I charged 2 dollars an hour... ok off my little soap box

Lucia and Taylor playing with her new walker toy

Both girls took a great 1 1/2 nap this was after I woke them up. I put the them together for a little snuggle. ( obviously Taylor loved it)


Daddy, Taylor and Makenna playing with blocks

Tis the Season

so happy to see this at the grocery store today - plus...look at all the flavors: pumpkin, sugar cookie, cinnamon, soy {i like the plain old thick stuff}

happier to order my first peppermint mocha and enjoy it in this festive cup

NOT so happy to feel like this today - {also not happy my boss quit her job this week}

Bath Time

Oh, Taylor loves bath time with daddy. She crawled from her room to the bathroom for this perfect shot. Got to love those bunz!!!

Naughty Little Girl

Taylor has got a little naughty side. She is a smart little peanut, when I tell her no she looks right at me and stops. She might try again once or twice but she won't go back if I say no. Well, over the past few days Taylor has snuck off to find a little mischief. I'm always right behind her, ...but I can see it in her eyes so I always grab the camera.

She loves these little Gerber puffs. Whenever I turn my back she is reaching for them. Well, she obviously figured out how to open the container. Right before I took this picture she had shoved a huge handful in her mouth.This morning when I was making the bed Taylor snuck off down the hall. She had grabbed the towel paper roll within 30 seconds and was giggling her little head off.

Please note

1. What a ham!!! She smiles every time I pick up the camera

2. I'm not sure where she gets this naughty side. I know it's not from me... I'm sure it's from Dusty.

Hope

Hope you are all you are cracked up to be....
{guess you know which one of us a the cynic-too bad Ashley beat me to the first post}
CONGRATS OBAMA!

God Bless America

I have never in my live been so proud to be an American.

YES WE DID!!!!

V-O-T-E

Dusty and I are so excited for tomorrow. It has been a long time coming and after two years of watching and discussing the candidates we are ready for the final decision. I know that most people are excited to stop talking about politics but I for one think that the passion surrounding the issues has been extremely educational. I have never felt so inspired to vote and be to an advocate to help this country change after a long eight years.

To celebrate I will be making a classic American meal for dinner tomorrow. Fried Chicken, Mashed Potato's, Fresh Peas and Homemade Apple Pie. ( This will be my first time making apple pie from scratch, yes crust and all... I'll let you know who it goes)

One other note. we voted by absentee almost 3 weeks ago, I wish we were California residents because I am just as passionate about Prop 2 ( vote yes ) and 8 ( vote no )

Loving...

1. juicy couture raincoat for SF's notorious rainy winter
2. a shiny and new MacBook {my 5 year old MacBook is 60 years old in Mac years}
3. the pretty ruffles mixed with leopard print on this Jcrew cardigan.
4. these sunglasses - maybe santa will bring them!
5. this "audry-esque" cardigan - a wardrobe essential.
6. pretty floral rain boots {I really could have used these this week on the bus}
7. the blackberry storm - oh how I wish I could have you!
8. new black boots

Three Birthday Girls

Happy Happy Birthday...

to three ladies who we wish we could see more. May this next year be your best one yet!!

Our dearest Green Grandma, birthday is November 2. Our little Peanut misses you so much. We hope to make it out to see you in Cincinnati soon.

Aunt Georga,birthday is November 2( picture taken 11/85) and Our Cousin Cristin, birthday is November 1( picture taken 6/84) both pictures are with Caitlin, who as you can tell was/is the favorite child....but that is neither here nor there

It is unacceptable that you both only live 2 hours away and Taylor has not had a proper introduction. I only have myself to blame. We are LA bound in the months to come in order to see you both. Happy Birthday, I love and miss you.

Baby Party

Yesterday I hosted a Halloween party for my mommy group. Most of us have been friends since our labor/delivery class. All of our babies are within 1 month of each other, it is the first baby for all of us and we are all in our late 20's/early 30's. We get together every week for coffee, swim class, girls night out etc. Since Taylor has been born we have become really good friends. It has been great to watch the babies grow up together and wonderful to bounce ideas off of each other.
Little Spencer was the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of OZ, Taylor was chasing after him all day.

As you can see, out of the 9 babies 4 were pumpkins. It was a little Pumpkin Patch, I wish we had a better picture with all of the babies. As soon as I get some from the other girls I'll repost.

Taylor loves little Makenna ( Bumble Bee) she was so cute in her little outfit

Jason and Ella