Tired Girl

Today Reese skipped her nap. Lately she has just been reading in her bed during nap time so I didn't even lay her down. I wanted to run some errands but ended up not getting around to them. After what would have been nap time we went to play with her buddy Mitchell. About two miles from home she fell asleep in the car. Lance was home when we got there so he went to take her out of the car. She always wakes up...but this time she didn't. He layed her down in the chair and she woke up just enough to roll over on to her side. She slept like this for about 45 minutes until we woke her up for dinner. Needless to say she was a little grumpy after that.

Our tired little toddler

Trying to Get a Good Picture

...with a two year old...

and Daddy


is almost impossible


until she cuts her eyes and smiles.

The same with Mommy...

She is so silly


And then does it again.

She is too cute!

Baby Sprinkle

Today has been much better than yesterday!

My girlfriends had a "Baby Sprinkle" (a smaller, toned down version of a Baby Shower since we have all the big things) for me and Baby Cupcake. It was so wonderful and I am so blessed to have such great friends. Everything was perfect!! We got lots of great clothes, tons of necessary items, and a lot of fun visiting and catching up! One problem...I didn't pull out my camera once!! Hopefully some of you girls will share your pictures with me! Please?

Thank you so much to my wonderful friends for such a special day!!

This is me today...

Wordless Wednesday

Oops...wrong end!

B.C. Update

Today I had a doctors visit to check on Baby Cupcake. I met with a doctor I have not seen before...with this pregnancy or with Reese. So I was really glad to see her. I liked her a lot. Everything looked great...heartbeat, weight gain, blood pressure! I have another appointment in two weeks and then I start going every week! Yikes! I really can't believe things are moving so quickly!!! November, here we come!

Flood Insurance

I am pretty sure we should have invested in it...

Seriously, how can it rain this much?

And I don't see any end in sight!!

Yes, in case you were wondering, I have let Reese watch TV all day!! What else do you do on a yucky day like this besides watch TV, play on the computer, and do laundry?

Edited to Add:

Highway in Atlanta

Below are pictures from my mom's school's playground and parking lot.

Two Great Nights!

Reese has always been sensitive to the temperature when she sleeps. During her first winter she was waking up every hour on the hour for several nights and we were about to go crazy. We tried all kinds of different things each night to see if it would help. Finally one night we had the thought that maybe she was getting cold. So we put a space heater in her room about 30 minutes before bed time and let it heat up her room...I think we actually let it run the whole night. And she slept...the whole night! We were so happy the next morning. We immediately got online and ordered an econo-heater for her room...a friend of ours had it for their daughter's room at the time and had rave reviews about it. It was much cheaper to run than the space heater.

Well, with Reese's little escapades last week of waking up during the night we finally went back to the temperature thing again. This time we were afraid she was getting too hot because she has never been covered up by a sheet and a comforter. We also thought this might just be too much heaviness on her. She is used to just a quilt in her crib and most of the time that came off. So we folded down the comforter and put her quilt in her bed with her...And she slept the whole night. She has done this the last two nights and we are all so much happier. Yay!!! Hopefully I didn't just jinx it.

Even with all the thundering and rain last night she slept soundly through the night. This morning when she woke up the worst part of the storm was going through and I swear it was lightening all around our house. I went in to see if she was awake and she was still laying down so I walked over to her bed and her head popped up. She looked at me and said, "Hear dat?" I told her it was thundering and reminded her about a Franklin book that we have that talks about storms. She picked her monkey up and said, "Monkey scared of dat." I told her to give Monkey a hug and tell him it was ok so she did...she never once acted like she was scared of anything. I really hope that the rain goes away soon. I think it is supposed to rain the rest of the week but I don't know if we can handle that. However, it does look like there will be some fall weather on the other side of all of these storms so I will be happy about that! Hopefully we don't go crazy before then.

Fun Day!

Today we took Reese to see Sesame Street Live. We didn't tell her we were going until this morning because she would have been asking about it every second of every day. This morning when I went in to get her out of bed I told her we were going to see an Elmo Show. She shot out of bed and ran to tell Daddy. She was so excited!


We got to Phillips Arena about 30 minutes early and decided to buy Reese a souvenir before the show. (check the last picture)

We got to our seats about 15 minutes before the show started and Reese could not wait!

Our seats were much better than I thought they would be. They closed off a lot of the arena so it made it more intimate. There were seats on the floor that cost over $100 each...but I think our seats were much better than those. The only advantage they had on the floor was that the characters walked through and interacted down there.

Reese was in awe the entire time. She watched everything so intently and when a song would end she would say "again". At the intermission she thought it was over and was so upset. I told her that Elmo just needed a break to go potty...so she and I headed to the potty too. When it was over she was perfectly fine with it...I thought she was going to have a melt down and want more.

Our neighbors were two rows up from us so we met them at The Varsity for lunch. On our way to lunch I had given Reese her souvenir shirt to hold. She held it up, gave it a hug, and said "I yove dis!" She was trying to put it on so when we got to The Varsity I changed her shirt so she could wear her new shirt. She was so excited. By the time we got home Reese was over having her picture taken so this is the best I could do with her new t-shirt.

I am so glad we were able to do this today! We used this opportunity to spend some special time with Reese since she is not going to be our only little monkey soon. What a great day!

#2

Going #2 in the potty is still a struggle but there have been no accidents in the pants lately! So I guess that is a bonus! The stakes are higher now...no silly M&M's for #2. Now we have popsicles as a prize. And today we got one! Hooray! She seriously holds it until she is about to burst! I know she probably feels a million times better after she goes.

Hopefully these popsicles will do the trick!

Blah...

What a yucky couple of days it has been. Not only the rain but the lack of sleep around here. Reese decided she wanted to sleep in her big girl bed last Thursday night so I let her. She did great! She slept through the entire night with no problems. I probably checked on her a million times. So Friday night she did it again. Perfect! She did great again. And then for some reason she has decided she doesn't want to sleep through the whole night...that she wants Mommy to sleep with her or she wants to sleep in our bed. EVERY night she screams going to bed and around 1:00 she wakes up crying. It is so frustrating to say the least. Last night she said her big girl room was scary. As I was laying there I did notice that it is darker than her nursery was so I brought the alarm clock from the nursery in to her big girl room. It has a bright light on top of it so I figured that is what she was worried about. But no. She did the same thing. Finally Lance went upstairs to get her to go to sleep and she did but right at 1:00 she was screaming again. She fell back asleep after I laid down with her. I went back to bed and 30 minutes later she was screaming again. So Lance went in this time and she screamed and screamed. Finally I went in and it took forever for her to go back to sleep. Needless to say, all three of us are at our wits end the next day. We are all sleepy and grumpy. We HAVE to get this worked out before the baby comes because I can not handle getting up with a newborn and a two year old! And Lance doesn't wake up unless a freight train is running through the house. HELP!

Reese had school today. I was worried she would be a huge grump there because of her lack of sleep this week. She seemed to do well but has been a little disobedient since getting home. I love Thursdays though because she brings home her pictures from the week and her teacher writes a little note about what they did this week. Last week they started learning Spanish...great, now we have to figure out what she is saying in Spanish! I think they are only learning their colors and counting to five right now. She also will sing the blessing they have been learning...however, I am not exactly sure what it is. So many things for me to learn!

"Take picture my pictures, Mommy!"


Reese wore her game day clothes to school today since today is Tech game day!

And just a little teaser...

Sneak Preview of what is to come...I made this little head scarf out of left over fabric from Reese's new dress.

Seriously?!?!

Could they be any cuter??


This sweet baby girls mommy came over today to help me with a fall dress for Reese. I have never made an A-line dress before and wasn't quiet sure how to read the pattern so she came over to help me out. I had a great time sewing and Reese had a great time playing big sister.

Dress to come...

Julie & Julia

Last night I was able to sneak away for a couple of hours to see Julie & Julia and have dinner with some friends from church. It was a super cute movie! A little long for me (about 2 hours). But I really enjoyed it. There were some really cute parts and Meryl Streep did a great job playing Julia Child and Amy Adams was just cute all around. One of my favorite parts was when Julie was about to cook some lobsters and she was having a hard time putting them in the boiling water, she finally does it, gets the lid on, and then the lid flies off and she screams and runs away. I laughed out loud because it is exactly what I would have done. At the end of the movie (I won't ruin it all for you) Julie gets 65 messages on her voicemail of positive feedback and offers. At the end of the night she gets one phone call that is negative and she can't get over it. I totally felt her pain on that! Isn't it so hard to get over the one negative thing in your life? It keeps holding you back even when you have so many positive things pushing you forward!!

After the movie we went out for Mexican...yummy! I ate way too much but it was fabulous. We had some sweet conversations and I really enjoyed it. I am glad I was able to have some girl time but I couldn't wait to get home and snuggle up with Reese in her big girl bed!!

Reese's Birthday Present

Two months later we finally bought Reese a birthday present...I know, bad parents!! I was looking everywhere for an activity table for her but just couldn't find one that I liked or that was priced right. So we bought her an easel at Ikea instead. It is inexpensive and has multiple uses.

She can use dry erase markers...

Crayons...


and chalk...

She loves it! We could use paint and markers on the paper too but I am afraid to pull that out on the carpet. Maybe one day we can take it outside and do those! Happy late birthday Reese!!

9-11-01

We remember...

Thank you to all of our service men and women. You are our heroes! Especially my little sister, Leah!!

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Mommy: "Reese don't stand on that. You are going to break it."

Reese: "Why?"

Mommy: "Do you need to sit in time-out? You have been so good today. Let's not ruin it."

Reese: "Mommy, not talk like that."

When Reese is not talking to me nicely I tell her not to talk to me like that. Do you think she has heard that too many times?

Our Little Monkey

Back when I was pregnant with Reese we called her the "little monkey". Well, look what she has become attached to...


I never put toys or blankets in Reese's crib when she was a baby. The only thing she was ever attached to were her pacifiers. Once I started taking those away I would give her a stuffed toy in her crib to try to replace it but she never took to any of them. One day I pulled out a basket full of my stuffed animals and put some of them in her basket of toys. Some how she found this monkey and he became attached. He likes to go with us everywhere. When we went to Jacksonville last month we forgot him...bad parents! But she did fine. Each morning she takes him out of her crib and carries him around. If she forgets him in the crib she will say, "Oh no! My lost my monkey!" I think it is so funny that he is her constant companion...it is just fitting!

Baby Cupcake Update

He is looking good. Today I had my 32 week check-up...32 weeks?? Yikes! His heartbeat sounded good, my blood pressure was good, my weight...well, I gained three pounds in two weeks...was fine. That could possibly be due to all of the brownies I have been eating or the yummy jalapeno chips!

His name...hmmm...does he really need a name? Can we just call him Baby Cupcake forever? We have two names we are contemplating now. One is traditional and one is not so traditional. Which to choose, which to choose? I keep writing the names out, saying them aloud, seeing which one fits the best with Reese. I am still stumped. Eight weeks and counting...

Preschool Update

Reese is still loving preschool! Each morning she says "no preschool" when I wake her up but I think she just does that to make me feel good...like she wants to stay home with me or something. If she really didn't want to go she would fight me the whole time getting ready...and she doesn't!! When she doesn't want to get ready to go somewhere she will ask to wear her pajamas.




Daddy got to go with us to drop her off this morning. He went to get the tag for my car (finally) first thing this morning and just happened to pull in right before we were leaving. I asked him to ride with us so he could know how it goes (for fun and for when BC comes). She was so excited he was riding with us. She got out and had a great day.



When I picked her up this afternoon she immediately asked where Daddy was. Her teacher walked her out to the car today which is not normal. Luckily I didn't notice it was her until she was putting Reese in the car because she had a hat on. I might have been worried Reese was bad or something. But she had great things to say. She said Reese is doing great, learning a lot, is a pleasure to have in class, and has a lot of fun playing with her friends. I told her that she always talks about her friends...especially the boys Micah and Caleb. It turns out Micah is a girl...LOL! Now I know. I totally thought Micah was a boy and that Reese was only playing with the boys. Not that I was worried about that at all I just thought it was interesting that she would distinguish the difference between boys and girls and only play with the boys. I am glad her teacher walked her out today. Since we don't go in to pick her up I rarely get to talk to the teacher. So it was nice to hear from her today and see how she is doing!



I tried to get a picture of Reese today because she looked super cute...but these three were the best I could do. She is so silly. Right before this last picture she was smiling for me and then right as the flash was about to go off she turned it to a frown. She really is learning a lot and her imagination is growing fast. This is a fun (and sometime frustrating) age.

End of Summer Celebration

Last night we went to Centennial High School's End of Summer celebration. They had jump houses, junk food, face painting, and fireworks.

Reese got a glow necklace...she was so proud.


Sweet Baby Jocelyn just hung out (literally) while the big girls ran around. She was so good the whole time and never fell asleep. I don't think she wanted to miss a thing.

Lance "kidnapping" Maddie...she wanted to show him her moves but instead she just giggled the whole time.

Reese loves to take Daddy's hat and wear it.


Reese couldn't wait for the fireworks to start. She kept asking about them over and over. She was so excited once they finally started.

We had such a great time celebrating the end of summer. Reese had her first funnel cake and her first experience using a porta-potty! Eww! It was a good thing it was dark when we went so I couldn't actually see how nasty it was!

Happy Game Day

Today was GT game day. Daddy, of course, went to the game bright and early this morning (not nearly as early as he used to though...he is getting old).



While he was at the game, I went to visit my uncle in the hospital. He had a triple bypass on Tuesday and is doing amazingly well right now. I can't even imagine what he is going through but I am so glad he is getting better day by day! After the visit we had lunch at the mall and then went shopping. I bought Baby Cupcake some clothes. I feel better now that he has some things in his closet and ready to wear! My mom and grandmother also bought him a bunch of clothes! This was the first time I have ever been to Carter's and not bought Reese anything!! I was so lost on the boy's side and would catch myself glancing over to the girls looking at all of the cute clothes! I did get BC some cute things though! If he is born tomorrow at least he will have some clothes...that is about it though!

Adventures in Potty Training

Reese is still having trouble going "#2" on the potty. She HATES it! Sunday was her last time going and I promised her a cupcake if she went...she finally did at bathtime...and we still gave her the cupcake. A promise is a promise. Today - Friday - she finally went again...in her undies. We had lunch at CFA and ran in to some other friends there too. So all four of our kids were in the play area. Reese was the only one in the play structure and I just had a feeling she was doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing. I called up to her and told her she better no go potty in her Princess panties. She came down a few minutes later and I could smell her...#2 in her panties. How gross! That is not a fun cleanup! And those panties got thrown away!!! I don't know how to get her comfortable enough to go on the potty. At home I never let her be alone because I need to see when she gets "that look". Since she was alone and it was quiet she took that opportunity to go. What to do, what to do?

Besides #2, Reese is doing great with going tee-tee in the potty! Most of the time she doesn't even ask for M&Ms afterwards (we made the switch now that she is doing so well). I am so proud of her! And am so glad to have a break from diapers for a couple of months!!

Mommy project

I decorated a simple pink jacket for Reese today with her initial. It is definitely not perfect but I think it is super cute. And no one else at school will have one just like it!

She cracks me up!

I love talking to Reese about school when I pick her up. She always has the funniest things to say! Today when they put her in the car she was standing up looking back at the school while I pulled over to buckle her up. She kept saying something that I couldn't understand so I asked her what she was saying when I was buckling her.

Reese: "My forgot somefing at school."
Mommy: "What did you forget?"
Reese: "My yoyyipop!"
Mommy: "Oh no! We will get you another one at home." (knowing it was probably in her bag)
Reese: "Ok, Mommy."

When we got home we were still talking about school while we were eating lunch. I asked her what friends she played with and she ALWAYS says she played with Micah. I need to meet this little boy! All of a sudden a light bulb goes off in her head and she looks up at me.

Reese: "Cayeb broke Thomas."
Mommy: "Uh-oh, he did?"
Reese: "And then say, poor Thomas." (with a sad look on her face)

I love her stories!

Today Ms. Sharon brought Reese out to the car which is not normal. Usually it is just an assistant that brings them out. She was carrying Reese with out any shoes on. Apparently they had been playing on the playground and Reese got mulch in her shoes. She told Ms. Sharon it hurt her feet...oh she snowed you Ms. Sharon! That girl just wanted her shoes off so she said they were hurting! She has been wearing her Crocs all summer everywhere and has never said they hurt her feet. Just yesterday she wore them to the park! She is a mess.

Another story not to do with school...We have been getting her big girl room ready to move in to. This past weekend Lance and I were cleaning in her closet and she asked, "What you doing?" Lance told her we were cleaning her big girl room so she could sleep in there. Today the painter came to paint her room and she asked, "What guy doing?" I told her he was painting her big girl room so she could sleep in there and she said, "My not sleep in cyoset!" I think she thought Lance was telling her she was going to sleep in her closet the other day! She cracks me up at how literal she is...and I love it!

Wordless Wednesday

Reese's teacher sent me some pictures from her first day at school...

What a great first day! Cupcakes!!

Riding Her Horse

One of her many examples of turning things in to a horse. Yeehaw!

A Day of Firsts

We have had a lot of firsts today. Some eventful, some fun, some fussy!

*This afternoon when we had been home from school for about 15 minutes Reese said, "Come on Mommy. Time to go upstairs. Take map." I told her it wasn't nap time just yet but we would go upstairs soon. I put her down just before 1:00 and she just played and talked in her room for about 45 minutes. I was cleaning in the kitchen when I hear a big thud and then Reese start to cry. She figured out how to climb out of her bed! When I asked her what she was doing she said, "Ride horse" (which is her new favorite thing to do...she will pretend like anything is a horse and pretend like she is riding on the horse). I saw in her crib that she had stacked her pillow on top of some toys and was able to kick a leg over the side which in turn made her fall out of the bed. I was sure she would NEVER be able to do this because her legs are so short. Well, she proved me wrong. It is a good thing we are getting her big girl room painted this week. We will have to start the transition in to the new room soon!

*This morning after I dropped Reese off at school I met two of my mommy friends for breakfast. It was the first time the three of us have been together with out kids. We almost didn't know what to do with ourselves. We talked and talked and talked much to the waiters dismay. We had to ask him to come back for our orders because we hadn't even looked at the menus. It was such a great time and I can't wait to do it again! Pedicures, next time?

*I sent Reese to school with her big girl panties on today. Each school day before I have sent her in her pull-ups because I didn't know if she would tell the teachers she needed to go since we are so new to this potty thing. Each day at school she has wet her pull-ups but NEVER has an accident at home. So I thought the pull-ups might be hindering her. And they were. She didn't have an accident at school but she also didn't go. Her teacher said they sat her on the potty five times with no luck. She really didn't have much to drink this morning so I wasn't worried about that. But then she didn't want to go when she got home either. She didn't finally go until I took her when she climbed/fell out of the bed. We will try again Thursday to see how she does.

*Reese has been kind of cranky lately and since Saturday her nose has been runny. I thought maybe she just caught a little cold. But today I noticed that one of her two-year molars has cut through so now I don't know if she has been cranky because of that. There is no sign of any of the other three molars so I will have to keep an eye out for them...and maybe try a little Motrin for the cranky girl!