Bffs and Swimming!

What a fun weekend we had! A first birthday party and first time swimming!

Reese got to meet her {future} Bffs, Natalie and Kylie! Natalie's mom Mary and Kylie's mom Beth are 2 of my best friends. We all lived together for 2 years in college. We would never have guessed {although, maybe dreamed} that we would each have a little girl within a year of each other!

This weekend was Natalie's 1st Birthday!!! Here are some pics of the weekend:

Natalie, Kylie, and Reese playing in Nat's crib!

Kylie and Reese!

Reese and Kylie at Beth's house!


THEN! Today, we went to Brandon's parents and took Reese for a dip in the pool. Don't worry Babs, she was properly shaded and sunscreened!

This is a new face she has been making the past week or so. Haha, I'm not sure what it means, but it's funny!

One of our only family pics!

Swimming with Daddy!

Our little fish loved the water!

Just relaxing in her float!

Such a cutie in her Janie and Jack bathing suit...thanks Aunt Britt!!

And the fun isn't over yet! Tomorrow we are going to Lolli's house and playing with cousins

Lilly Kate and Annie! Can't wait!

Then, the 4th of July!!!

New posts to come for sure!

Oh P.S. Here are 2 videos from this weekend:

Uncle Scott & Aunt Cat:

Hey yall! Remember when I was this small:

A certain someone got upset that I didnt do anything but sleep. I think you even changed my diaper just to see my eyeballs! How rude! Just wait until I think it's funny to pull hair and bite!

Well now look at me!

I can sit {in my Bumbo}

I squeal.

I talk.

I kick my feet.

I've been working so hard and now that I've got all this stuff down pat, yall are about to fly across the world. I will continue to show off my skillz via Skype, it won't be the same!! Although, I hear that yall are returning just in time for my 1st birthday...how thoughtful!

I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't add that much weight to your luggage, so if you wanted to smuggle me into HK I wouldn't hate it!

Mommy assures me we will have a webcam before August so yall can see my cute face and new tricks!

Also, mommy tells me yall have a blog too! BUT it's not "allowed" to be written in until yall leave?! What's that about? I'm pretty sure Aunt Cat wants to start blogging now!

Well, I'm getting ready to go to bed, but I'll write more later!

Love yall,

Reesie

P.S. I'm ready for a cousin!!! :)

P.P.S. Hahahaha, I just wrote that to see Aunt Cat blush!

J & K + 8

Does anyone watch John and Kate? You have to be living under a rock these days to not know who they are! Well, tonight on their show, they announced they would be separating. The show was so sad to me. Why does John not really seem to care? He acts like this decision is the best thing that has happened to him. She seemed so heartbroken and he actually said he was "excited." One day when the kids look back, what will they think? I wonder if announcing the separation will help or hurt the situation with the press.

I am so thankful to have parents who have been through good and bad and continue to show us what commitment is. Brandon's parents have done the same and we both realize how fortunate we are to be a part of this {sad} minority with parents are still married.

It also makes us realize how important it is to make sure that we show Reese a true and loving marital relationship. The way we interact and communicate with each other will affect her future relationships. What an encouragement this little baby is to love and respect my husband everyday!

Speaking of that, Reese has the best daddy ever! AND yesterday he celebrated his very first Father's Day! From the moment we found out we were expecting, he has been in love with this "peanut." Then, in December when we found out that this peanut was a girl, she has pretty much been wrapped around his finger. Throughout the difficult {and at times scary} pregnancy, he was my rock. He knew things would be ok! And they were! And the minute she was born, he was blown away by the miracle of his baby girl! He is a true example of a selfless, humble, generous, and loyal companion--all things I wish for Reese's future husband!

Also, to my dad who is hard working, compassionate, giving, loving, funny, smart, and God-fearing, I hope you had a great Father's Day! Thanks for loving us and most importantly, loving mom all these years!

To Matt, thank you for always making me feel a part of your family! From day 1, you have opened your arms and heart to me and I will always be thankful for that!

Ok, tomorrow we will be back to our regularly scheduled programming with Reesie as the star of the show!

Random info...

So I am finally getting around to posting this month's bunny pic. I am pretty sure that by the 3 month pic, Reese and the bunny will have to be sitting together! I also posted the 1 week pic and OMG, she is soooo skinny! I guess I didn't notice the chubbiness that Reese has gotten over the past 2 months until I compared these pics!

Also, this weekend was once again packed with all kinds of excitement! Friday night, we had baby swap with Babs and T at Good Ol' Boys! Lolli and Pops and Grammy Kay came too! Lolli had not seen Reese in several weeks and was excited to see her!

On Saturday, we went to Nanna and Grandpaw's house and Reese's great-grandmother Grunt came to visit! On the night Reese was born, she was so talkative to Grunt and we all said that Reese lives up to her name, as she is quite the 'grunter' herself!

Also, while everyone else was visiting on the porch, this is where Reese and her Grandpaw were for at least an hour!! They were sleeping so hard!

Then today, Brandon made Babs' famous egg rolls!! They are soooo yummy! He also made PF Changs' Lettuce Wraps and they were verrrrry close to the real things! All in all, it's been a great weekend!

2 months!! (and 1st time mom drama!)

Ahh!! I can't believe this sweet baby is 2 months old!

Here are the stats from her 2 month check up:
Weight: 8 lbs 12 oz. {between 5th-7th percentile!}
Height: 21 inches {7th percentile}
Head: 14 inches {between 5th-7th percentile}

She gained almost 2 pounds since her 1 month check up! She is making her way up the growth chart and it's so exciting to see her growing so well! She was only in the 3rd percentile at her 1 month check, so any increase is awesome!

We are still in newborn diapers (although today, she wore a size 2...story to follow) but I think we will be moving to size 1 diapers within the next few weeks! She is still wearing newborn clothes and probably will be for a little while longer. Some newborn things (Gerber onesies) are getting too tight lengthwise, some newborn outfits fit perfectly, and some are still too big--especially the "separates." The tops/dresses will fit fine and the shorts/diaper covers/pants are still waaaaaay too big! Oh well, I am still having fun playing dress up and try and find things to do so that she will get to wear all of her outfits at least once!

She is sleeping well most of the time. It is still not a predictable routine, but since she has been eating close to 6 ounces at her nighttime feeding, she will sometimes be fed at 1 am and then not wake up until 6 or 7! This is a routine we can def. work with!

I cannot speak enough about the miracles of Gripe Water! Reese has always had the hiccups when she eats, spits up frequently and has gas. But, the gripe water has helped so much! Especially with the hiccups...we notice a huge difference when we don't put it in her bottles!

Here are this month's likes/dislikes:
LIKES:

~ THE red curtain. Still our fav. thing in the house!
~ Swinging. Most of the time, this is a like!
~ Car rides/road trips. She's been a road warrior since day 1 and it's ingrained in her now!
~ Smiling and "laughing". She is soo smiley and I love it! Also, I think she is in the early stages of laughing. Hopefully, full on laughter will be coming soon!
~ Her play mat. As long as the mood is right, she will play on this for 30 minutes!
~ Still loves eating!
~ Being changed on a bed. Who knows why, but she cries being changed on the changing table, but doesn't mind being changed on the bed!
~ The bath! She is so content and alert in the tub!
~ Her Winnie lovie.
~ Her reflection.
~ Being swaddled in the Miracle Blanket (seriously, the BEST blanket ever!)
~ Her crib music maker! (it has a mirror on it...go figure!)
~ She is still indifferent to the bouncy seat, although I think it's slowly climbing up on her list of likes!
~ Tummy time! (playing and sleeping)

DISLIKES:

~ The pacie has fallen to this list! She is not loving the pacie right now!
~ Changing her clothes!
~ Bright overhead lights (she gets this from her T!)
~ Shots! (she has pretty much been asleep since her 11:00 appointment!)
~ Having her feet covered. She gets this from me!
~ Burping!
~ Her changing table. (we already discussed this!)

As you notice, her DISLIKES list has decreased! I can't complain!

NOW, onto the drama with her appointment today.

Yall remember how I blogged about the diaper pouch that holds wipes, diapers, and a changing pad? Well, today I was adding new diapers to it before we left for Reese's appointment. When we got to the appointment, she had to strip down to just a diaper to get weighed. When I picked her up from the scale, there was a big puddle underneath her! Brandon took off her diaper and I reached into the bag to get the diaper pouch. Except. Yep, it wasn't in there! I told Brandon it wasn't in there and I got "the look." Haha. So, I ask the nurse if they have a diaper. They don't. {Sidenote: shouldn't a ped's office have those?} Soo, we put the wet diaper back on her and put a paper towel in there.

Then, about 30 seconds later, she starts reallllly going to the bathroom. Lovely. I then go into the waiting room and ask anyone if they have a diaper. They don't. Awesome. I then send Brandon into random people's exam rooms to find a diaper. He finally comes back with a size 2 diaper! So, I go into the bathroom to change her. I don't have wipes, so I had to use toilet paper. Perfect. Yall, this diaper was up to her armpits...haha...I was dying laughing. I wish I would have taken a pic, but I was too caught up in the moment.

When the Ped came in to examine Reese and practically reached up to her chest to unwrap the diaper, I made sure I told her that she is not wearing a size 2 on a daily basis!

Oh the joys of being a first time mom!

P.S. Bunny pic coming soon. She is not in the most photographic mood right now!

Forgot something!

Here are some random photos that I wanted to share!

Here is Reese napping with her favorite lovie!!


Babs is already assuming grandparent roles and allowing Reese to have sweets! (check out her hand...no that's NOT spit up!)

Yaaay!! I love this smile and she has been so generous with them! {Especially with me, which I certainly don't mind!}

Haha....we tried out the Bumbo this weekend. She probably has a week or 2 before she's holding her head up enough to really enjoy this. As you can tell, at first she wasn't loving it, but then she didn't mind!

This and That

Tomorrow will be the big 2 month post! It has gone so fast and I almost can't remember my life before her (or at least, my life before pregnancy!)

This past weekend we took Reese down to Brundidge to visit with her great-grandparents AND her great-great-grandparents! Yes, that is a lot of generations! Brandon's great-grandfather, Big Daddy has been so excited about Reese and is always so emotional when talking to Brandon. He held her and sang Rock-A-Bye-Baby to her! It was precious! Most everyone had tears in their eyes!

We also took a 5 generations pic! Here are Mawmaw and Big Daddy (seated) and then Papa (Brandon's grandfather), Matt aka Grandpaw aka Pawpaw (Brandon's dad), and Brandon! Oh, and of course Peanut (who was obviously not happy with the arrangement!

She is quite the traveler and I am so glad we have started her out early! We both like to travel and I get antsy if I am in one place for too long! I'm just glad I have a little rugrat to travel with me now!

Yall, I would not be surprised if this child of mine starts crawling, walking, talking early! She is already scooting around and I'm pretty sure she is well on her way to living out the meaning of her name...feisty, enthusiastic, fiery! She seems to get bored and angry not being able to do things on her own. If she's anything like her daddy (and ok, her mom too!) stubborness and independence will run deep in her veins! Example: She was doing tummy time on the boppy. She kept kicking her legs and eventually scooted right on over the boppy! Evidence is below. Pic #1 was taken about 30 seconds before pic #2!

2 other bits of random info:

Please look at this pic! Yes, that is her foot she has her face propped up on! How uncomfortable!

Also, somehow last week I had time for a simple craft! I bought plain white candles and then some cute ribbon and hot glued them around the candle. Then I took some black buttons and glued them on the seam of the ribbon. Here is the final result:

Anyways, I'll be back tomorrow with the 2 month post, including the bunny pic, likes/dislikes and the newest stats!

Weekend of fun!!

So Miss Reese has had quite the week/weekend! First off, she had her first overnight trip away from mommy and daddy! She spent Thursday and Friday night with Babs and T. From what I hear, everyone had a blast! I am so thankful to have parents who want to spend as much time with her as they can! I was not at all worried about Reese spending the night with them for 2 nights! Brandon and I also went to Columbus to shop and eat dinner!

Since I am back and work now (boo), I try to spend as much time with Reese as I can. As lucky as I am that Brandon gets to stay home with her, it is still not the same! I miss those early morning hours where we watched the Today show and then fell asleep in bed until Ellen came on at 9. It's so hard being a working mother. Before she was born, I thought I would miss adult interaction, but that's not the case! I wish I could sit all day in "babyland" and not talk to adults! Oh well, I know God has a plan for us and right now, that plan is for me to work. Maybe if I enjoyed my job more, my attitude would be a little different...

OK, on a much lighter note, Reese also got to spend time at her Nanna and Grandpaw's house! Brandon's parents have a pool and even though she might be a little young this summer (although she has an ADORABLE Janie and Jack bathing suit!), I can see many, many hours spent in this pool in the years to come! I did put her feet in there this afternoon, and let's just say, she did not enjoy that!

These are some pics Babs took with my camera while Reese was at her sleepover!

Just after bath time!

Swinging away with Babs!

Jess, check out the belly button on this one and the next...is this what Lily Kate's looks/looked like??

Spitting up while in the tub!

A smile! A wink! A lovie! All fun things that we have just started loving! (Alright, so winking maybe not, but everything else is a new thing!)

Sleeping with her T!

These next few are from Nanna and Grandpaw's house:

Reese and Grandpaw playing!

She loves this bouncy seat!

She looks so sweet sleeping like this!