What no socks? No pants?

The little prince that has taken over my small apartment is growing like a weed after a fresh spring rain. Some of our favorite, well actually my favorite, outfits he has already grown out of and in another week he will be out of the precious onesies I just got around to washing this past weekend.

He has no socks. I take that back. He has plenty of socks, but none fit him. His toes are almost as long as my pinky. While I am only kidding, I am guessing in like another 3 months they will be twice the size they are now. The poor little guy has to go barefoot, even though he isn't walking around yet, everywhere he goes.

For example, last night we had dinner with some co-worker friends and they have 4 dogs. Colton was amazed, rather fascinated with the puppies because one of them was his size...little Putter. They licked all over his not-so-tiny feet and he just cooed and smiled. He didn't even cry when they started barking at one another about who's turn it was to lick which foot!

He has no pants. His long, getting little rolls, legs are outgrowing the 3mo outfits even before I can get him in them. He seems to like going without pants, although since he doesn't talk yet I have no idea if he is cold or hot, therefore I just keep a blankie--woobie close by!

At 24 1/2 inches long he is probably 2x as big as the last time any of the crazies, that'd be my family, saw him. Hopefully he won't be walking by the time he sees them again. Maybe we will make it to one of the Sunday afternoon luncheons my mother is now putting on at the Paynes-A-Plenty Plantation!

The Subaru Wildlife Trek

Yesterday after lunch I talked Chad into going on a wildlife drive with me. Although he thought it was totally "touristy", he tagged along...actually, he drove! 

It was nice. Colton fell asleep before we even made it out the drive and Chad and I lost ourselves in meaningless conversation and singing to the Jackson Hole radio station (which is primarily country and pop). Bring on the Katy Perry and Carrie Underwood! 

Our first drive of the day was out behind the National Elk Refugee, located in the town of Jackson. As we drove out onto the snow packed road we saw what many tourists miss and some locals take for granted, the big horn sheep. They make climbing all over steep, rocky, snow-covered slopes look easy. We saw baby sheep, papa sheep and probably some mamas, too, but I could barely tell the difference as they were 150 yrds away. I did get some really great shots even though it was overcast out. However, I had to lean over Chad to get them since the sheep were all on his side of the drive, even on the way back! 

These were about 100 yrds away, but that is what zoom is for on my Canon PowerShot Camera...

These 3 blend in a little too well, almost, with the snow and shrubs. 

Right before we left the sheep sighting, I yelled at Chad to stop. It was more like a squeal, but either way he gave me this look and then stopped. I had spotted what I thought was a wolf, but then after zooming in realized it was a coyote. He laughed at me and then made fun at the fact that I am a park ranger and should know the difference. Hey, when they are 200 yrds away even an animal specialist wouldn't be able to tell the difference, at least that is what I am telling myself! 

He was looking down at what his next meal would be...

We finally left the Elk Refugee. (I didn't take any pictures of the elk because I have so many already. Yet, since it isn't all about what I have seen, maybe I will do a blog on them and the sleigh ride you can take here in Jackson out to see all the beautiful elk). Anyways, we left and headed north, towards Grand Teton National Park. I really wanted to take some pictures of The Grand (that is the tallest peak in the park), but it was still partially overcast. As driving north I freaked out and yelled, yes this time I really yelled, at Chad to turn around. He gave me "that look" and then said never again would he turn around for a dumb animal shot, but he took back his words and said sorry once he realized why I wanted him to turn around.

It was something you would see on the Discovery Channel or in a magazine. Something one could only dream of seeing and trying to get close enough to take a picture. It was absolutely breathtaking and something I had never imagined in all my life being able to catch a glimpse of, let alone take a magnificent picture...a bald eagle, the biggest one I had ever seen, eating on a deer carcass. 

While it may sound gross, it is everything but gross. It is beautiful. Magnificent. Astounding. Breathtaking. Just GRAND! 

He then looked up and gave me a glare...

Profile look...beautiful, just beautiful...

After about 20 minutes of staring at the most awesome wildlife sighting ever, we traveled further north for more pictures, of the Tetons and wildlife, but due to the cloud coverage and snow beginning to fall we didn't see anymore, except for on the way home I spotted another "wolf"..."It's a coyote, Ashley, a coyote". He was looking down at a herd of deer picking out the weak one of the bunch for dinner. Good hunting little coyote, good hunting.

Our day of Subaru Wildlife trekking was incredible and finally over after the little one started whimpering. I think he was sad he didn't get to actually see any wildlife himself, but one day soon he will be able to...in Jackson, the Tetons, Zion and various other National Parks! 

Have fun today spotting your own wildlife and just remember, don't take for granted the little things, like little bambi that crosses the road in front of your minivan, or the chubby red squirrel who drives the puppy dogs crazy! 

Happy Birthday to ME!

Monday was a special day, as it not only was the day I was born, it was also the day that I got to spend my first birthday as a mom. I received many sweet facebook messages and texts, yet none compared to the big, beautiful, blue eyes and smile that I saw when I finally decided to get out of bed at 8:30. Is it possible for someone who is only 2 months old to know it was his mommy's birthday? Maybe. He couldn't stop smiling all day and he giggled at me every time I said, "Say Happy Birthday to Mommy"! 

While Colton may not have known it was my birthday, his father did. I received roses and cupcakes, I only requested one, but he knows me all to well and brought me 12! 

As everyone kept reminding me that I was half a century old, I just liked the reminder from Chad that I don't look a day older than 24! 

As my special day was coming to an end, I received that last birthday phone call from my dad back in Ga, who sang me Happy Birthday. Now for any of you who have attended a Payne's Birthday you know that my dad sings way off beat and very sllllooowwww! He warned me before he began singing that he had a cold and that his singing may not be up to par, but he would sing anyways. I braced myself and tried not to laugh the entire minute and 12 seconds it took him to sing Happy Birthday! Through the coughs and side comments he would make between "Happy Birthday to You", such as "I think that tickle in my throat is messing up my singing" I realized that no matter what, my dad would always be there to sing for me, through sickness or not! 

He truly is the best father a little girl could have. Yes, I still think of myself as his little girl. The little girl who still will never reveal where that $1.00 came from that I found when I was 5!

Happy Birthday to Me, a new mother to my little monkey, Happy Birthday to Meeeeeeee, Happy Birthday to ME!

The Massive Explosion

As a new mother I didn't really think some things my two older sisters, Lindsey and Katy who have children, told me were true. For instance, the constant need of the little one wanting to be in your lap when you just said "I have to pee" or when you want to have a decent conversation with another human being on the phone. It is at that very moment they want to be held and nurtured and think mommy is the best. I sort of knew about the obsessiveness to tattle-telling on the older sibling every 5 minutes from my niece Annabelle, but it was still something I had to witness to know was actually true. They both, Lindsey and Katy, have taught me a lot about what to expect out of motherhood these first few months, as has my own mom, but no one actually warned me about the massive explosions that would hit you right after you get out of the shower and have on fresh new clothes and your hair is smelling all clean and you feel just fabulous. Nope, not a single one of them. Let me make your day and explain...


The explosion happened today, at approximately 3:05 MDT. I had just taken a relaxing shower while Colton sat in the carseat cooing away at the steam fogging up the mirror. Yes, he was in the bathroom with me since Chad was at work and I cannot bare to leave him alone just yet. I had gotten out of the shower, dried off and promptly went to put on fresh smelling clothes when I smelled an odor. Not a usual odor, a very foul, wants to make you gag, odor. I thought it may be the one who was still cooing away and smiling at me as I had the most puzzled look on my face trying to figure out where the rank odor could be coming from as I had just taken a shower and it couldn't be my hair anymore (he has spit up in it earlier). I knew I probably shouldn't have, but I did it anyways...I sniffed his hinny. EWWW!!! It was him! I thought to myself, how could someone so small, smell so terrible. As I peeled off his nightgown and lifted his hinny to pull off the onesie, my hand hit something mushy and slimy...it was his rank poo. GROSS! As I almost hurled, he continued to laugh. I gently tried pulling it off of him but it was going everywhere, his back, his arms, his legs, and then the worst, his hair. He was squirming away, but seemed to not care about the foul odor or the fact that he was covered in his own poo. I went to throw the dirty onesie in the clothes basket, but somehow it got stuck on my fingers and flung back on me! AAAGGGHHHH!!! I whined and then decided that was it, we were going to take a bath. He normally doesn't like bath time, but for some reason he thoroughly enjoyed this one! After he was all clean and laying their in a daze on the monkey towel, he decided that he liked bath time so much that he would take another....that is right, he went poo again, a massive one AGAIN, all over the clean towel and bedspread. Oh dear. How could he have that much built up inside I wondered. Then, after his second bath of the day within 10 minutes of each other he felt that it was time for a good, long nap. Well, I would too had I just taken 2 bathes and experienced what could only be described as out of this world explosions! I would have taken a nap as well, but someone has to clean the dirty mess up, as well as clean themselves off again. 


I am hoping that since he made two in one day that I can expect a break in the massive explosion realm and look forward to just little disturbances in the pampers-huggies world! 


I actually want to thank Lindsey and Katy for that experience because I now know not to eat chicken and mushroom pasta ever again! Well, at least while I am nursing! 

The first of many firsts!

So today I decided that I would start a blog about my life, not so my crazed, loving and non-stop calling/texting family can keep up with me, but so I can tell the world about who I am and the many firsts that have come into my life within the last 18 months! The following are just a few things that will help catch you all up to speed so you know what you have to look forward to and why my blog is named Adventures of a Prince in Zion...


1. I graduated from Georgia College and State University in May 2009.
2. With my degree and Honda Ridgeline loaded down, I moved to California, Sequoia National Park to be exact, to work as a Lead Visitor Use Assistant at Dorst Creek Campground.
3. I then moved to Jackson Hole, WY in September 2009 to work in the most awesome and best National Park ever, Grand Teton National Park. I was the Lead at Moran Entrance Station, the northern most entrance station in the park and the one most all visitors take to get to Yellowstone, which I think is overrated, but that's just me.
4. While working for Grand Teton, I got a job offer with Zion National Park to be a supervisor within the Fee Division. A promotion and more money, of course I took it. It was not without much thought though, as I would be leaving behind my two loves, Grand Teton and Chad Taylor (the boyfriend who had captured my heart early on and was supportive of my move to better my career). 
5. I arrived in Zion Easter weekend and began work on Monday, April 5.
6. On April 9 I realized two things, that my little sis Calley was 22 and that I was not going to be alone any longer...yes, I found out I was pregnant. 
7. After a long, hot summer and many countless nights of tossing and turning, I welcomed a baby boy into this grand world...Colton Ellis Taylor, born December 5, 2010. 

Now, after summing up 18 months of my life in 7 points I am excited to say that this blog will be dedicated to telling you all about Colton, the trials and struggles I endure as a first-time mom, my intriguing job, and other randomness, but most importantly it will be about how the three of us (Chad, Colton and I)  have become a family, one unit, dedicated to loving each other through all of life's hardships. I am looking forward to our many firsts ( first house, first crawl, first word, etc), but have already welcomed so many, such as that first bath...

the first walk in Zion...

the first plane ride back home to Ga...

the first Christmas...

the first New Year...

the first snow...

the first smile...

and the best of all, the first time I realized that something so small could truly capture one's heart...

I hope you continue to follow along as there are more blogs to come about Colton, Chad and I. These first few blogs will catch you up on all we have been doing since the little one's birth, such as attending Hailey's Hannah Montana party, dining out at the Snake River Brewery, playing on the party mat, walking around Jackson Hole, and much, much more! So enjoy and check back again tomorrow for more fun and randomness! 

p.s. the adventures in Zion will continue when I get back there for work as I am out on maternity leave, therefore all the adventures we are currently experiencing are in Jackson Hole, WY, where Chad lives!