Addyson Taylor has arrived...

Addyson Taylor
Born - April 11, 2010 @ 1:03pm
Weight - 7 lbs 9 ounces
Length - 19.5 inches

The Next Chapter.....

On the night of April 3, 2008 I played a softball game at Champion Forest knowing that the next day my world would change forever. I remember after the game, Bethany and I chatted with friends and headed home knowing that we had a 5am wake-up call. I remember I didn't fall asleep until around 2am that night. I was so nervous with thoughts racing around in my head about what was going to occur the next day.....How on earth was I going to be ready to be a "Dad"? I don't really know how to change a diaper, put a baby down to sleep, feed a baby, bathe a baby, etc.

At 7:26pm on April 4th, Bethany and I welcomed Madelyn into the world. I was so proud of Bethany and excited about having a little girl to love. Over the next few weeks, I quickly learned the ins-and-outs of how to take care of a little baby. It was astonishing how natural many of the tasks became.

Well tonight I was making the trek home tonight after another softball game at Champion Forest. I normally listen to the radio and hope that a Taylor Swift song comes on so I can sing (just kidding....I think). Tonight was different. I drove home with the radio off and started really thinking about how much our lives are going to change in a few days. How is Madelyn going to handle being a big sister? What is going to be like having three wonderful girls in my life? How am I going to provide for my family? How did all of this happen so fast? I then realized that I had similar questions back on April 3, 2008 and everything has turned out well.

One final thought.....Over the past two years, I have cataloged so many wonderful memories that involve Madelyn. Of course you always remember all of the "first time" events, but one of the things I treasure the most is something that probably got me in a little trouble from time-to-time. Before I would go to bed, I always wanted to check on Madelyn one more time....just to make sure everything was 'ok'. I would go into her room and watch her sleep for a few minutes. There is something about watching your child sleep......it calmed me down after a long day and I believe it helped give me a glimpse of what is important in life. As I mentioned earlier, doing this got me in a little 'trouble'. Every once in a while, Madelyn would wake up (due to Chaz making a noise or the door would shut a little louder than I thought it would). This gave me the opportunity to pick up my little girl and help her get back to sleep. Not a bad trade-off, right?

Madelyn & Elmo....

Over the past few months, Madelyn has found a 'friend' that will ride around in a car with her, read books with her, have tea with her, etc. It's pretty funny to see this little girl pick up something that is almost as tall as her.

Madelyn and Riesling....

As many of you know, we have two cats. One of them (Riesling) doesn't mind the attention that Madelyn gives out. Whenever Madelyn gets home, one of the first things she will do is look for the cats (she will also make sure to tell them "bye" when she is leaving). Riesling is the perfect cat for Madelyn, she will let Madelyn hug her, try to pick her up, pet her, etc. Chaz on the other hand has learned to stay clear when Madelyn is near. Below are a couple pics of Madelyn and her buddy....

Madelyn palpating Riesling (wonder who she learned that from?!?!?)

Madelyn & Riesling hanging out below the Christmas tree

Hitting The Mile-High City...

Bethany and I went on a trip a week or so to Denver, CO. I had the opportunity to sight-see while she was "stuck" in a classroom. We've been to Colorado a few times, but I've never been able to spend time in Denver. Below are a few pics of a few of the sites.....


The view from our hotel. It's a little different than Houston....but I think I could adjust.


This is the bear outside of the Denver Convention Center.....I think the bear is planning the next meal?!?!?


I was able to take a tour of Invesco Field at Mile High (yes my old company has the naming rights). I love checking out sports venues.


We were able to go down to the field. They were getting the field ready for the big Monday Night Football game. In case you are wondering....Denver lost.


I also made a trip to the US Mint (sorry....not allowed to take pics), the Colorado State capitol building, the Denver rail system (wish we had something like that in Houston!), and many other attractions. It was a fun few days.....but I was glad to be back in Houston!

San Antonio....

A couple weeks ago, we took a trip to San Antonio. On the way we stopped at Buc-ee's in Luling (my favorite one if you were wondering). It was the perfect rest stop.....except for the fact that your don't take a hungry pregnant wife to buy a few items.

Madelyn hanging out in the hotel room before bed.....

We arrive in the Alamo City and check into our hotel room (on the 34th floor). It was a great view of the city.......and allowed Madelyn to spot buses (one of her favorite things to do) whenever she felt like. The hotel was in a great location....one block from the convention center and right next to the mall. I wasn't planning on shopping this trip, but with the cooler weather.....we needed to buy Madelyn a few items to stay warm. Of course the joke of the weekend was "How could Bethany pick a hotel that is right next to a mall? What was she thinking?"

On to the fun stuff....Madelyn and I were able to take in a few sites while in San Antonio. We visited the San Antonio Zoo (for those wondering, it is 10X better than Houston's), The Alamo (3 or 4 times), stopped by a few museums, took a few trips down the River walk, and of course watched some college football.

Below are a few pics from the weekend.....

If you could only have seen Madelyn's face before and after this picture....

...in the gardens (inside the Alamo)

...help! I'm stuck!!!!

....good thing you can't see the back of my baseball cap!!!!


...a pic of Madelyn's 2nd favorite college mascot (at the San Antonio Zoo)

I wish I had a popsicle.....

Chaz is one of those cats that always wants to participate in what you are doing. If I am sitting on the couch....he will find a spot on the couch. If I am shredding paper.....he will get as close as he can to the paper shredder. Chaz is somewhat afraid of Madelyn (she likes to give him hugs.....and Chaz isn't that affectionate for some strange reason). When we go outside to play on the splashpad, Chaz feels the need to make sure that we know that he would like to get a little sun. We have let him out a few times, but he doesn't like being chased by a little girl.

On the afternoon the picture was taken, Madelyn was having a little fun with her popsicle (basically acting like it was an airplane while eating it). Chaz was fixated on the popsicle......he wouldn't take his eyes off it. Just thought it was one of those cute moments.

Below is a pic of Chaz getting comfortable on my clothes....