Reed's 4 month check-up

My sweet guy had his check up this afternoon, and he was a big, brave boy! He weighs 14.8 pounds and was 26 inches long. I looked in Edee's book and she was 14 pounds and 25 1/2 inches at her 4 month check-up. He wants to grow up healthy and strong like his sister! He is not wrapped in a pink blanket, contrary to what Daddy thinks! He looked so cold in just his diaper, so I grabbed by nursing cover out of the diaper bag. He just cooed and laughed the entire time! That is...until the nurse came in and gave him his vaccines! He HATED the liquid that he had to swallow, but he only cried for a few seconds when they gave him his shots. He also took another 2 ounces from a bottle at school today! We're celebrating the small victories!

We attended a birthday party for our friend, Mia, on Saturday. Edee was a well-mannered party guest, so she received a small surprise when we got home: an Angelina Ballerina doll! She is a big fan of the show, which unfortunately only comes on one day a week! We've recorded a few episodes on the DVR, but I'm starting to have them memorized!

My first half day was a huge success! I had a very productive morning with my students, but I sure was ready to hit the door! The babies were so happy when I arrived to pick them up, and Edee slept for almost 4 hours in her own bed at naptime! I'm hoping Reed and I can catch a little snooze tomorrow! ;-)

This and That...

While Reed and I were at the lake for my sister's birthday celebration a few weeks ago, Daddy and Edee had some good ol' fashioned summer fun! She woke up one morning and informed him that she needed a helmet! Well, that was all it took for them to make their first trip to the bike shop together! This picture just cracks me up! Edee does NOT take a pacifier! She found one that I have tried to get Reed to take and cuddled up beside him under his play gym! Meanwhile, he looks like he is about to chew his finger off!

This was Edee on Day 2 of school! She plopped right down, found a drum, and was ready for Miss Danielle to start the day!

And THIS is what guilt looks like!! We always talk about our day at dinner, and Thursday night Edee apparently had to get something off her chest. She mumbled something and I heard, "time out." I asked her if she had to go to time out at school and she answered, "Yes." We asked her why she had to go and she very calmly informed us, "I hit my friend." She even told us which friend she hit!! It is one of the boys from her class last year, and they seem to have a brother-sister-love-hate relationship. When I asked her if Miss Danielle was sad, she put her head on the table and whispered, "Yes." I was shocked that: 1)she remembered an event from earlier in the day and 2)she felt a need to tell us about it! I didn't know whether to hug her or be mad!

SOOOO, we spent a great deal of time that evening reminding that we should be nice to everyone, etc.. We told her if she had a good day (which is the norm, by the way), that we would have a special surprise after school on Friday. Well, she had a GREAT day! No visit to the "sad spot," so we went to my school where we had water slides, bounce houses, kiddie pools, and such set up for our Summer Reading Splash Party! Most of the big kids had gone home, so Edee and a few others had a blast splashing around! In fact, it is now 8:30 on Saturday morning and she is still snoozing!

On the Reed front, the bottle situation is improving! Miss Jacque was able to give him 2 ounces mid-morning on both Thursday and Friday!! I still fed him at noon, so he didn't starve for the rest of the day. I start my half days next week, so I'm sure it will take time to get into a new groove and make adjustments!

BIG Church!

Our church is trying something new to get young families more involved in the church. We attend the early service, so there is no children's church. We normally just leave Edee in the nursery but keep Reed since he is still so young. Well, there are now large tables at the back of the sanctuary with Crayons and coloring sheets where families can sit with their children. We decided to give it a try with Edee and she was GREAT!! There was special music by our gospel choir today and she was loving it! After one song, she was clapping and shouted "YEAH!" after it got quiet. One of the singers came by after the service to meet their newest fan. ;-) I didn't even plan the coordinating outfits! Eric pointed it out before we were leaving!

It is absolutely blowing my mind that Reed will be 4 months old tomorrow! Where has the time gone???? He recently found his feet, loves playing under his play gym, smiles at his sister while they're taking a bath, and giggles over and over when we play peekaboo! He is such a joy and Edee adores him! I always put her in the car first and when I open the other door to put Reed in, she gets the biggest grin and says, "It's brother!!" These are the days to remember!

School stuff

Edee and Reed got new preschool packs this week. They are just the right size for Edee to carry "all by herself," and the reviews for the quality of the packs were awesome! They will also be great for future hiking trips! And so it begins...school projects! Edee's teacher sent home a small piece of posterboard for a "Getting to Know You" project. Daddy was WAY more involved than I was, I must admit! We printed out pictures and he cut them out, labeled them and arranged them on the board.

Here is the final product! He did such an awesome job!

Remember when I posted a picture about how much Reed HATED his swing?! Well, he also hated being swaddled, but when I walked in to feed him at school the first day, he was wrapped up tightly and sound asleep in a swing. He has even napped in his swing at home since he figured out that swings are cool! I'm not so good with the swaddle, as you can see! :-)

SOOOO, the four bottles on the left are the bottles that he has refused this week at school. The two on the right were purchased yesterday at Babies R Us and are supposedly the ones that stubborn breastfed babies will take.

Nonna is coming to spend a couple of nights to help me while Eric is in Longview for a meeting. Maybe she can put him through "bottle bootcamp!" It worked for Edee a couple of years ago!!

First Day of School!

Teacher in-service started on Monday, so that meant "Back to School" for Edee and Reed. Miss Edee was in a great mood when I woke her up at 6:30. Reed woke up when I got up shortly after 5:00. He is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY a Mommy's boy! He wants to be where I am and spends a great deal of time just staring at me! He even loves me SO much, that he won't take a bottle! We have tried several different bottle types, but he will not have it! I will be working full days for the next 2 weeks, which means I will be making a lunch time trip to his school to put an end to his self-imposed hunger strike!

All in all, it was a great first day for everyone! Edee cried on the way to her classroom because she wanted to ride a bike that was on the playground. She had a good day once things got going and even had some success with her potty training! She was very happy to see Daddy at the end of the day but once again had a hard time walking past the playground! :-) Reed was sound asleep when I got there to feed him at 11:30. The room was dark, there was spa-like music playing, and all 4 other babies were asleep! It was so peaceful that I almost hated to wake him up! His teachers, Miss Neva and Miss Jackie, said the only time he cried all day was when they tried to give him a bottle. Little Stinker!! (On a side note, Miss Neva was Edee's teacher when she was an infant. She is a gem!)

I know this last picture is blurry, but I just thought it was precious! Eric sent it to me while I was still working in my classroom late yesterday. They were snuggled up together watching Mister Rogers after a BIG day at school! I am so blessed to work in a school district that values young families. My job share situation is ideal for us and having my babies in a day care operated by the district puts my heart at ease. I am actually excited about going back to work!

Fabulous Family Fun with Friends in Fort Worth! WHEW!

We had a great weekend enjoying time with our friends! We rode the Forest Park Mini Train that runs near the Trinity River and Fort Worth Zoo. Eric remembers riding it as a little tyke, and it was SO cute! At the turnaround point, the train stops and you can buy popcorn and drinks. So yummy!! The route is very shady, so the heat wasn't bad at all. We brought our lunch and had a picnic in the park. Reed's lady friend, Mackenzie, sat in front of us with her mommy, Nikki.

Saturday evening, we had some friends from my mom's group over for family night and to celebrate Pete's 40th birthday. As I was putting up decorations, Edee said, "I love a celebration!" You never know what is going to come out of her mouth! She was shivering in the pool, but managed to look right at Nikki for this floating picture! She would run if I had the camera!

Nikki was also able to get some cute shots of Reed, too! It was a great night with awesome food and good friends!

Remembering Ramzee

My daddy and Christy, who are both cancer survivors, lost their precious Ramzee to cancer on Tuesday. He went to sleep peacefully at home while my dad sang him to sleep. The wonderful neighbors came over to help give him a proper burial, and toasted him with a glass of wine while everyone howled. He will be greatly missed!

"Heaven's Doggie Door"
My best friend closed his eyes last night,As his head lay in my hand.The doctors said he was in pain,And it was hard for him to stand.The thoughts that scurried through my head, As I cradled him in my arms,Were of his younger puppy years,And Oh... his many charms.Today there was no gentle nudge,With an intense "I love you" gaze.Only a heart that's filled with tears,Remembering our joy-filled days.But an Angel just appeared to me,And said, "You should cry no more,God also loves our canine friends,He's installed a doggy door!"~ Jan Cooper '95