Saying Goodbye to 2017!

So another year has gone by, and 2017 was a pretty good year for us! We actually went a whole year without going to the hospital! From new jobs, to several trips, and then our family expecting a new baby!  I would say that 2017 was one for the books!

I like to look back at the year to help me remember the good, and I think it helps give me perspective. So month by month, here is what happened to the Taber Family:

January

Well the biggest thing from January was I started a new job with KMEA. They are based out of San Diego, but they have a joint venture with Amec Foster Wheeler (now Wood). So I work out of the Cincinnati Amec Foster Wheeler office. It was a big change from what I was used to at CH2M. I had my first business trip at the end of the month to New Orleans! I really loved visiting New Orleans, and I ate some very good food there! I am a contractor for the Navy, so it's been fun getting to visit many naval bases. And Todd and Caleb were able to spend time together without Mommy around. Todd's schedule changed to days, so it was possible then for Mommy to travel! And this allowed for the two of them to really bond without Mommy around.


February

I continued to travel for work to Corpus Christi, Texas, which is a pretty large naval base.

We also welcomed our friends Damin and Vanessa's new baby boy, Victor Allen Cappel! Victor is such a special little boy! We also said goodbye to our dear friend, Richard Cronk. He went to be with Jesus in February, and it was incredibly sad as he was well loved by so many! He and his wife, Carol were the marriage mentors of our church, and the two of them were really instrumental in helping our marriage through some very difficult times! I do miss Richard, but I know he is enjoying heaven and being with his Savior!




March
 

March was a pretty good month for us. I had another trip to Texas, only it was by myself. Kingsville, Texas has some incredible Mexican food too!

Caleb and Mommy went to Virginia to spend time with my sister, Jen! It was a fun weekend just the three of us! Jen had moved to the mountains of Virginia (Blacksburg), and so we got to see her new place and new city! Caleb loved seeing the mountains, and we visited a children's museum. This is one of my favorite photos of the two of them! Aunt Jen is really the best aunt ever. I mean how many people will go into a kid's playhouse like this! She is a kid just like Caleb! 😉




April

In April, we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior, and Caleb enjoyed more Easter egg hunts! It was also a lot warmer to enjoy visits at the park, etc.

I visited KMEA's offices in San Diego, and enjoyed some of the sights! It was nice to finally meet the people I talked to on the phone, especially my supervisor and the president of KMEA.



May

May is always a special month. We celebrated Mother's Day, and then of course this sweet boy's 3rd birthday!! He had such a great birthday, and had his first birthday with a friend! His best friend Jonah and his parents, along with Jane our sitter. It was a super fun Monster Truck birthday party! Caleb also had his crib turned into a big boy bed! Quite a special milestone!

I had my last trip for work for the year to Meridian, Mississipi! And then we also enjoyed fun times outside, and especially at Riverscape in downtown Dayton.




June

June was the first month since January that I didn't have to travel for work, so it was nice to spend time at home! We visited several different parks and enjoyed a lot of outside time, filled with bubbles and popsicles. We celebrated Father's Day, and Caleb actually picked out everything he wanted to give his Daddy! And then the weekend before Independence Day, we went to our friends' annual Independence Day Cookout! It was a good month of fun!





July

In July, we took time to remember our first baby Gabriel, as it had been 5 years since he went to be with Jesus! We celebrated Independence Day with family as well. And then in mid-July, Caleb met his Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa for the first time. It had been a long time since we had seen them, so it was a special time. Todd and I had a special weekend together just the two of us, and little did we know what surprise was coming (our baby girl)! 💓





August

August was a busy month! It was a hard month for many in Florida and Texas with massive hurricanes. But I really appreciated watching the love of so many around the country donate and help the many victims of those hurricanes. Those were moments that made me proud to be an American. Americans care about one another and will stop at nothing to help others! It was also the month of the solar eclipse. I thought it was pretty cool, even if we didn't get the full 100% eclipse (we got 91-92%). I look forward to a few more years when Dayton will be in the path!  Caleb started a chore chart for things he can do to help around the house (picking up toys, helping put his clothes in laundry, etc). A great way to teach him responsibility! Todd and I also found out that we were expecting our baby girl! One week I was able to eat normal, and then the  next, I had crazy morning sickness! We look forward to her arrival come April 2018!


September

We had a lot of fun in September! Labor Day weekend was spent with my family in Frankenmuth, Michigan. September is a busy month for birthdays, so Frankenmuth was a perfect excuse for fun for myself, my Mom and Wes! We also told my parents and sister and brother-in-love that we were having a baby! Frankenmuth was a lot of fun, and Caleb got to experience Bronner's Christmas store (the largest Christmas store anywhere)! He LOVED it! We also announced via Facebook and to other friends and family that we were expecting! My morning sickness really started to get intense this month as well! We also started homeschool pre-school with Caleb!

October

 

October was also quite busy! We were able to enjoy lovely fall leaves this month and enjoy some cooler temperatures. We heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time, which was so fun! Always makes me smile when I hear my babies' heartbeats! 

We celebrated the baptism of this little guy - Victor Allen Cappel! I also became his godmother this month. It is truly an honor to be this special boy's godmother! I am totally smitten by this little guy! 

And then we of course had some trick-or-treat fun for Halloween! Caleb dressed up as Thomas the Train this year! 

November

This month always starts out great - celebrating our marriage! This year, Todd and I celebrated 9 years! Can't even believe it has been that long already! We celebrated by going to South Carolina, and we visited Myrtle Beach and Charleston. It was truly another honeymoon for us, and a vacation full of special memories! 

We also celebrated Todd's birthday this month, and he got his annual birthday carrot cake! Caleb had to help! 

For Thanksgiving, we went down to Blacksburg, VA, where Jen and Wes hosted us! It was a very special time together as a family! Caleb always loves seeing his aunt and uncle and of course Grandma and G-Pa! 

And right after Thanksgiving, we found out for sure that our baby is a girl! So we can't wait to meet Miss Alexandria Grace in April! 

December

And now December...a month full of Christmas fun! We enjoyed seeing lots of Christmas lights and listening to Christmas music. We also enjoyed decorating for Christmas, and Caleb was especially helpful this year! He did a great job! I was sick quite a bit in November and December, but thankfully, there was plenty of good memories in the mix. Pregnancy and illness have taken a lot out of me, but I am thankful for the special memories we made anyway. Caleb had a fantastic Christmas, and he made it soooo fun this year with his excitement! He would count down the days literally every day! And then on Christmas morning, he woke us up and said "Mommy/Daddy - do you know what today is? It's Christmas!!!" His happiness was truly contagious! And we surprised this big boy with a train set and several Thomas trains to go with it! He was SOOOO HAPPY! We were also able to celebrate Christmas with my parents on Christmas Day and then later in the week with my sister and Wes! So it felt like Christmas all week long! 

I have truly enjoyed going through the many memories this year has given us. God has truly blessed us with this little one we are excited to meet in April, and many fun memories along the way! So stay tuned for more fun updates! 

I pray for God to bless all of you with a memorable and special 2018! 

Much Love,

Todd, Sarah, Caleb, and Baby Alexandria

Why the name Alexandria Grace

So we are definitely having us a girl! ❤ And her name is Alexandria Grace Taber! I wanted to explain a little as to the reason we are naming her this. We both had strong inclinations for names. I always knew I wanted a boy named Caleb, and Todd always knew he wanted a girl named Alexandria. So it worked out perfectly that we both got to name one of our children the names we had planned.

Todd had always loved the name Alexandria, and so when I looked up the meaning, I fell in love with it as well. Alexandria means "defender of mankind." And it has always been important to us to name them strong names and names that mean something great. Back in biblical times, when a person was named something, that name really did define a lot about that person. So I love the fact that our girl is being named something so strong. I love the idea that she will be used by God in some way to defend others. I am not sure what that looks like, but God does. I believe with God's help, she will do amazing things in this life to impact others for the better!

And since Alexandria is such a long name, we both agreed upon a shorter middle name. And when I started thinking about middle names, I couldn't pass up on Grace. This baby girl is truly an example of God's grace to us. Our family has been through so much, and this baby was conceived despite the odds because of various struggles (infertility, PCOS, time, etc). But God said she was going to be at this time and place for a reason. She has a divine purpose in this world that we are excited to see how it all unfolds for her! She is definitely an example of grace to us as a couple and our family. And we are so thankful for her!

So there you go! We have a boy already that adores his baby sister! And now we are expecting this little girl in April! Thank you for your support and prayers over this little girl! We do appreciate them!

I leave you with our latest ultrasound (19 weeks/5 days), and she refused to show us her profile (and much like her brother did, she also refused to allow us to see some of her internal organs), but here she is looking right at us and ready for a picture! And you can see her hand giving a little wave! ❤

The Beginning of Someone Very Special

So I have shared that we are expecting...AGAIN! 😊 It feels a little more real now. Let's just say, when you have experienced heartache and disappointment in the past, until you see the heartbeat on the ultrasound,  it's hard to be sure what to feel.

I started feeling sick the week of August 21st. I knew I was late, but I was just thinking that my PCOS symptoms had returned. Didn't occur to me at first during the week of August 14th that I might be pregnant. Nah. And then nausea came on. I mean, it came with full force! I had eaten some barbeque the week before at a training course I was taking. And it tasted so good, that I told Todd I would like to have barbeque again the following week. Apparently that was a  mistake! Because when we had barbeque the following week, suddenly it was the most disgusting thing I ever tasted (by the way - the barbeque was from the same place both times). So anyways...that tipped me off. Heartburn, nausea, and just plain feeling like crap. I suppose it could have been the flu, but having been through pregnancy twice before, I knew what I was feeling. My husband told me it would be best to hold on taking a test until the end of the month so as to avoid possible disappointment. I held off an additional work week, but I couldn't wait much longer.

So on August 25th, our Shipt grocery delivery came while I was working from home, and I was expecting the pregnancy test! Waiting all morning! They delivered all of our groceries, and instead of putting things away, no, no. I decided to immediately take the test. And you know how sometimes when you take a test, it seems like it takes forever for the test to "show something." Not this time! This time, it came immediately! Within the first 30 seconds of the test, there were two pink lines!

There was some panic in me. After all, as a working mom, I already feel like I am stretched to my max as it is. When I drive to Cincinnati for work, that is 3 hours out of my day of just plain driving. I like working at home more so that I can make better use of my time. But it's not always feasible, nor should I always work at home. But I always worry that I am not doing enough for Caleb as it is, and then mom guilt comes in, and I wonder how the heck am I going to be a good mom for 2 kids?! Having one kiddo has been the joy of my life, and I still work and help in providing for our family. But add one more, and I am like "EEEK...can I do that?!" It's just my honest feelings.

Todd has known and believed that we were having another baby since September 2014. I won't go into all of the personal details of that, but Todd believes God told him we are having another baby, and the baby will be a girl. And without giving into all the details, Todd was pretty close on his estimated guess of when it would happen (within 2 months). Todd has watched the promise given to him unfold just as he was told. You'd think being a Christian woman and wife that believes her husband, that it wouldn't have come as a shock to me. Well that would be a lie. I was still shocked. You know the story of Sarah in the Bible? Remember how she didn't believe she would ever have a child, even though God told her it would happen. And then I think about my reaction and how I was literally taken aback (even though I shouldn't have), and was kinda freaking out for a while. I am ashamed that I wasn't full of faith and expectation and hope. I guess me and my namesake don't fall too far from the same tree! 😉

Heck - I have witnessed God's power and amazing ability to make dreams come true with Caleb. I mean, He gave us an incredible little boy after so much pain, disappointment and loss, that I should have had more faith in His promises. I feel quite hypocritical to say the least. I guess you could say this has been a time where I have been humbled. I mean, really humbled.

And many of you will think we are nuts for calling the baby a "her" already. But having witnessed God's movement in our lives and just how it's all unfolding, mark our words....when we find out for sure the sex, the baby is a girl! Understand, that even if we were somehow wrong about the baby being a girl, it wouldn't change our love for this little one. But don't be surprised - we are having a girl!

And we told Caleb at a restaurant that night. We explained that Mommy had a baby her her belly and that someday soon, the baby will come out and he will help play with her, and love her as a big brother. He wears that badge proudly already! He tells everyone who will listen that he is a "big brudda!" And he will rub my belly and kiss it. One time, he came up to my belly and said "Hi buddy!" It was so cute. And even more recently, he was telling me that nobody messes with his baby! (Melt my heart - he believes this baby is his!) I do believe Caleb is ready for his role!

And the baby - well she is doing well. We found out on Monday, September 11th, that she is 8 weeks, 5 days, and she is due around April 18th. Her heartbeat was measured around 176 bpm, and we even saw her wiggle a little in there. And I love that we can already make out a head, little arms, legs, and a bottom. I think it was really important for me to see her moving and see the heartbeat so I could really believe this was happening.

And then when I realized that this little blessing was conceived in the month of July, I can't help but be amazed of how He can take a terrible month like July for our family (when we lost our Gabriel), and turn it around to be a blessing. God really does build beauty from ashes. This baby isn't a replacement and neither is Caleb. But, I truly believe God can redeem the pain of the past!

Or when I think of how this time last year, I was two weeks away from being let go from my job of almost 12 years, and how God provided another job within 3 months time. God provided for us financially during that hiatus, and provided the much needed health we needed in there for 1 1/2 months without insurance. And even though I am still feeling out this new job, so far, I think it is going well. And I have a job to provide for all 4 of us now! God's timing is perfect!

This little sweetheart is a blessing already. Her existence is evidence of God's promises being fulfilled, and that you can trust Him to keep those promises. Is it easy to always trust - no way! I am evidence that I don't have it all together and that I don't always trust Him as I should. But, I guess I am taking from all of this that God's plans will unfold, in His timing, His way, and all to glorify Him!

The morning sickness (or it should be called "all day sickness") has been quite brutal this time around. I remember when I was having Caleb, and I very rarely felt very sick. Caleb was a breeze compared to this pregnancy. But, I know it means that she is doing well. So if that's the case, I guess bring on the yucky feelings! (please be gentle though 😉) I have an early screening for various things at the end of this month, but one of the things is they confirm the sex. So likely by October, we should know for sure that the baby is a girl! 💓

So there's the story! I look forward to feeling better hopefully soon, and I appreciate all of the advice to help me with my nausea! Peppermint so far is really helping! Thank you all for your congratulations, for your friendship, and for your love, and here's to a happy and healthy pregnancy!

Much Love,

Sarah, Todd, Caleb, and Baby Girl Taber

To my Caleb on His Third Birthday

To my dearest Caleb,

You are three! And I don't know how we got to this year so fast! I remember your birth like it was literally yesterday, and yet the past 3 years have flown. You don't remember this moment, but I do! It will always be in my heart and mind:

You are a very curious, funny, sweet, little boy! I don't know anyone like you anywhere! You love cities, tall buildings, towers, trucks, cars, parks, swings, slides, candy, long walks and hikes, nature, and so much more! This past year was so fun as we watched you really turn a corner from baby talk to full on sentences and conversations. It's very rare that we don't know what you are saying. You still struggle with your "L's," but that's pretty  normal. So instead of saying Love, you say "Wuv." It's so darling - I love it! You are amazed by anything that is tall, When we visited downtown Dayton's Riverscape last summer quite frequently, you fell in love with cities! Your face brightens up and you just love everything about it. The tall buildings, the bridges, the water, the towers, etc. And we thought that would be a phase, but you haven't gotten over it. You still want to see the city every day, even though we don't. But at least once a week, when I pick you up from Jane's, we go and drive into the city so you can see all the things you love. You especially love the Carillon Bell Tower and driving past the Dayton Flyers Arena. You now yell "Go Flyers" when we drive by! That's my boy! 😉

You are so smart and learning every single day. You even know really, really basic math! When you see things on our walks, like flags or signs, we can be talking about how there is another flag or sign, and if we ask how many that is now, you can tell us. And while you can't read yet, you love to tell us what is going on with each page of the book. You tell us the story that you know of, and it's pretty cool to watch you do that! You know how to spell your name. You know your whole name, including your middle name and last name. You have learned concepts of time pretty well this year because of Mommy's  new job requiring me to travel. So we have started talking more and more about days of the week, and how many days left til I come home, etc. You listen to us most of the time pretty well, with occasional bargaining (when you tell me "two minutes"). You still have moments where you throw tantrums and act out, but you have gotten better even with that. You know that time-outs are no fun, and while you still have them, even the time-outs are less painful because you want it to end as soon as possible.

You are such a sweetheart, and such a compassionate little guy. If someone says "Ow!," you usually ask if they are okay. You love to kiss boo-boos. You love to give big hugs if someone is crying or upset. You are also very stubborn and still demand that you do things for yourself. Very rarely do you want our help because you are a big boy. And when you accomplish something, you are soo proud and so smiley! And then you have to do it over and over again! You have a smile and a laugh that just radiates out to everyone around you! It's so infectious! I can't help but smile when I am around you!

You love to sing and dance, and you are soo expressive! It's so fun watching you learn and enjoy life! You are highly opinionated about so many things, and if you don't agree with something, you will tell us. You are growing up so fast with all the things you now do. I remember when the only word you really said was "uh-oh!" And now, we can carry on conversations with you as you tell us about a movie story line, or you tell us about your day, what you want to eat in great detail, or how you want to go see the city and tell us all about it. And during your birthday, you had your first friend come celebrate with you! We truly enjoyed meeting Jonah and his Daddy and Mommy. It was so fun watching you interact and have fun with Jonah. Since Mommy goes to work, I don't get to see you interact with other kids very often, so when I do, it's just amazing to watch you be this little independent person doing fun things with your friend. As you grow up, I am sure you will have many more days where you have friends come over and you go over to their house. Friendships are so important in life!

And another big milestone - on your last night as a 2 year old, we converted your bed to a "big-boy" bed with no railings. And you did really well! You slept through the night pretty well, and this morning around 6:45 AM, I heard the door open, and you peaked your head out. You saw me and it was time to be up! I think it must have felt so cool that you were able to decide when to get up! Such a fun milestone!

You are so incredibly special to us and we couldn't be prouder! I don't know that you could ever know how much joy you bring to our lives. In this next year of your life, just know that your Mommy and Daddy are your biggest advocates and will always cheer you on as you learn, grow, and make friends! We are so proud of you and love you more than our very own lives!

Happy Birthday, my sweet one! Love you whole bunches!

Love, Mommy