Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

Five Things I Learned in January

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January and I have a history. 

It’s the month I decided to follow Jesus two decades ago, we met Cate’s birth mom nine years ago, Greg proposed 14 years ago, Ben’s adoption was finalized six years ago, and I was diagnosed with diabetes 12 years ago. In 2012, it was January when decided to adopt a third time, and while we waited more than three years for that to happen, I remember the day God freed me from those fears. Last January, we decided to go on a mission trip to Guatemala, a trip that’s still rocking my world.

So, yeah, January. 

Honestly, this January hasn’t had big moments. Rather it’s been the kind of month where I’ve felt settled with where I am and who I am. I see God working in the everyday moments. I get teary thinking about all that God has done for us, in Januarys and all the other months of our lives.

In no particular order, here some things I’ve learned this month … 

1. Snow days are the best.

Okay, so, really, I’m a summer girl. But if we’re going to do winter, let’s have some snow days! And then when the snow days are over, let the sun come out and the snow melt. Clearly, I’m an all-or-nothing girl too.

And, yes, I’ve had snow days before, but we had a couple in one week (the same week the kids already had that Monday off in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.) and having everybody home FOR TWO DAYS PLUS THE WEEKEND was so great.

One snow day was a Wednesday, and then the roads were fine enough for a delayed-start school on Thursday, which worked out well because I needed to go to the grocery. And then more snow came so the kids were off school again Friday. Hello, long weekend! And Greg stayed home Wednesday and Friday too, which is a definite perks of owning his own business.

We played games, ate warm foods, drank hot chocolate, made snow cream, and hung out with neighbor friends. One day our best friends were even here for eight hours. We managed to play five games of various versions of Settlers of Catan while the kids enjoyed each other’s company.

The whole third week of January was a sweet balance of each of doing our own things and hanging out together as a family.

2. Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa (Milk Chocolate) is the best packaged hot coca.

I don’t drink hot drinks. Not coffee. Not tea. And I used to only want real hot chocolate, like the kind my mother-in-law makes or the kind that comes from a coffee shop. But I bought this on a whim in January. And we liked it so much I bought it again. And, well, those snow days I mentioned gave us ample opportunity to heat some milk to mix with these packets.

3. Strep throat can still happen even when someone doesn’t have tonsils. 

Ben, who is 6 years old, and strep throat are not strangers. Since he was 11 months old, he’s had it 16 times. But only two of those have been since his tonsils and adenoids were removed nine months ago. So, basically, we’ve had a good stretch lately.

Ironically, Ben was at the allergist the day before his latest strep diagnosis and the nurse practitioner even looked in his throat, which was red and irritated by the time the pediatrician looked at it. Within hours of leaving the allergist, Ben started running a fever. The pediatrician did say the way the winter weather has been back and forth around here is hard on kids with allergies.

4. Technology makes managing a chronic condition more efficient and fun. 

Medtronic Diabetes has the best customer service of any company I’ve ever used for anything. When I called to order some glucose sensors (a little piece of technology that is inserts near where my pump is inserted and monitors my blood sugar levels) and the lady told me I could get a free Connect , which is a small Bluetooth device that lets my pump and sensor communicate send data to an app on my phone.

{Read more here about my diabetes diagnosis 12 years ago and what living with a pancreas that doesn’t produce insulin in like.}

5. Those DVR shows will have to wait. 

Greg and I started watching “The West Wing” when all our regular shows took a holiday break. Now there are multiple episodes of “Madam Secretary,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Blacklist” on the DVR just waiting for us. We can’t stop watching Josiah Bartlet and company.

{Speaking of President Bartlet, why is Jed a nickname for Josiah?}

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I’m linking up with Emily Freeman, like I do at the end of every month. 

{2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. 
{2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. 


Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

7 Things I Learned in November

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I’m going to spare you my rant about how November got away from my completely. Team Taylor did lots of fun things, some of which I allude to here and others I’m still hoping to blog about. I’m getting over a cold and gradually getting into the Christmas spirit.

But first, let me share seven things, in no particular order, that I learned this month … 

1. Forehead thermometers aren’t accurate for babies younger than 6 months.

Well, here I am with my third child, and I thought she had a fever. Maybe she did. But maybe it wasn’t really 100.5 because forehead thermometers aren’t accurate when said baby is only 6 weeks old. She had been congested, so I took her in to get checked out. She was fine and I felt a little like a brand-new mom.

2. “Chasing Life” isn’t going beyond two seasons.

I’d never heard of this show, which has apparently been on ABC Family, but binge-watched the first season a couple months ago. I was so excited when Netflix emailed me to tell me the second season was available. (Netflix knows me, y’all.) I watched those 13 episodes like I had nothing else to do and then Google told me the show had been canceled. Yes, I was Googling to find out when season three was coming on so I could set my DVR accordingly. Bummer.

(My new Netflix addiction is “Hawaii Five-0.”)

3. Cate spent the first 2-plus months of school sitting on a dictionary.

I know you’re thinking, “What? Why?” because that’s what I thought when we were in the McDonald’s drive-thru and she made a comment about getting used to sitting on hard surfaces. Um, why child? Turns out her desk is too tall, but when it’s lowered to the next level, it’s too short. After telling me about how the dictionary solves the height issue, she told me she sometimes tries to sneak a seat in her friend’s chair because he sits on a desk chair cushion.

I ordered her the same desk chair cushion – although in a different color – from Amazon right there in the McDonald’s drive-thru. In other mom confessions, that was the second time I had been in the McDonald’s drive-thru THAT DAY. The first time was that morning for a large Diet Dr Pepper for myself. The second time was that evening for a large Coke for my best friend.

4. A Thanksgiving road trip to Buffalo, NY doesn’t necessarily mean snow.

People thought we were crazy for going, but we wanted to visit my sister and her family, so we went anyway. Two of the days we spent there were in the 50s. Okay, so the other one was in the mid-30s, but there was no snow.

Of course, there were no babies either. My sister is almost 37 weeks pregnant with twins, and I was not-so-secretly hoping she’d go into labor while we were there. She didn’t. But I was glad to hang out with her , her husband, and her almost-2-year-old son.

(More on our trip coming later this week.)

5. Liane Moriarty is my kind of author.

I read “The Hypnotist’s Love Story” this summer while sitting by the pool. This month I read “The Husband’s Secret” and “What Alice Forgot” then started “Big Little Lies” on our way home Sunday. I like the way the stories are told using various characters who are somehow intertwined. There’s a mystery element of what’s going to happen next or be revealed from the past that keeps me turning the pages.

6. Six or seven hours is a decent night’s sleep.

Y’all know the hardest thing about a newborn for me is the interrupted sleep. I prefer 8 or 9 hours every night. Honestly, Rachel has been a trooper from the beginning – waking up once or twice in the middle of the night to eat and then going back to sleep. Well, when we were in Buffalo, she slept 6.5 hours one night and then 7 hours the next night. THAT’S LIKE ALL NIGHT IN NEWBORN SPEAK. Last night, she managed six straight hours during her first night back in her own bed. I’ll take it … and be hoping for even longer stretches!

7. I can eat buffalo wings with one hand while feeding a baby.

It’s true. I had my doubts, but I managed. And then my brother-in-law Zac informed me I was just perfecting my wing-eating technique because he prefers using one hand so the other stays clean. Yes, we ate wings while in Buffalo. Seemed appropriate.

How was your November?

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I’m linking up with Emily Freeman, like I do at the end of every month. 

{2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. 
{2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. 


Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

One month with Rachel

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Hello, one month.

Rachel fits so well in our family that it seems like we’ve known her longer than one month. She was officially one month on Monday, but I wanted to wait until I had her current weight and height to share this update. She’s 8 pounds 9 ounces and 21 1/4 inches – that’s up 13 ounces since her two-week check up. Way to grow, baby girl!

We’ve had a love-hate relationship with the pacifier. She loved; we hated it. Well, okay, we didn’t hate the pacifier itself, but we hated how she cried when it fell out just as she fell asleep. Daytime was fine, but evenings were frustrating. So we just stopped during her third week and Rachel seems to have forgiven us for putting them away.

She’s been waking up twice in what I consider the middle of the night, like midnight or 1 a.m. and then again three or so hours later, although last night I fed her at 12:20 a.m. and then Greg fed her at almost five, so the stretches are getting longer! And I’m so grateful my husband shares nighttime feedings. We all like to sleep around here.

Of course, we like to eat too. We’ve eaten well because our friends are still bringing us food. Seriously, multiple times a week someone we love shows up with food. Such a blessing. I’ve been to the grocery a few times for basics and stuff for the kids’ lunches at school, but I’m so thankful most nights I don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner.

Oh and Rachel likes to eat too. She eats fast, although she’s gotten the hang of it and slowed down some. Typically, she takes 3 to 4 ounces every three hours, although she likes to cluster feedings closer together in the evening, which works well for the sleeping scenario. Really the only time she fusses is if she is ready for her bottle and we aren’t fast enough or if she needs to burp.

Rachel likes being swaddled with her arms out and being carried in the wrap. She also likes to sleep on her side and I’m thinking she will like sleeping on her belly even more. She sleeps in her crib at night but doesn’t take many naps in there yet!

Cate and Ben still adore her. They don’t like her to cry and like to feed her. Cate likes to help change her clothes and is close to changing some diapers.

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Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”