Reese's Half Birthday!

Reese wasn't really sure to make of the half birthday situation!

But Wyatt wanted some cake!
A little skeptical.

But actually, it's pretty good!

And even the pickiest eater on the planet ate his!

Eighteen Months Old!

Today is Reese's half birthday! She is now closer to her second birthday than she is to her first. That is incredibly depressing. I can't believe how big she is getting, how quickly she is learning new words, and all the personality I've seen from her over the last few months.

I made a list of the words she knows and can use, and the list is well over 100! I'll probably publish them later (like I did for Wyatt at 16 months), but the words run the gamut from knowing and saying all the parts of her body (fingers is the latest), to about 10 different animals and what they say, to regular conversational words, and of course, different types of clothing!

We had her half birthday celebration this year, just like we did for Wyatt at one and a half. The thing that stands out to me the most about the differences between them is the hair! Wyatt has always had this thick head of hair, and Reese's hair is just gradually coming in.

She cracks me up everyday with the little things she does. When she and Wyatt sit at the table together at lunch or breakfast they have little "conversations." These conversations mostly go like this:

Wyatt: "Hey Reesie, do you want to watch the Wonder Pets?"

Reese: "No!"

Wyatt: "Hey Reesie, do you like your grilled cheese?"

Reese: "No way!"

Wyatt: "Hey Reesie, do you want to play hockey and I will be the goalie?"

Reese: Vigorous nodding of the head.

5 minutes later: Wyatt hockey checks Reese up against the couch and she screams (understandably).

5 minutes after that: Wyatt runs past her and she screams (for no reason other than the fact that he came near her, and she knows that if she screams he gets in trouble).

She operates on a firm schedule, just like her brother, and knows just what to expect throughout the day. When I put her to bed every night she shouts "Show! Show!," because she wants me to turn on her crib toy that projects images onto the ceiling. She knows she has to give me a kiss and and a squeeze first and then shouts "It's showtime!" before I turn the toy on.

This little girl brings so much joy into my life everyday (along with her big brother of course)! She can be sweet, demanding, loving, mean, inquisitive, funny, charming, bold and smart all within 10 seconds of each other...as you'll see in her 18 months pictures....

Newborn

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

Five Months
Six Months

Seven Months & Seven Months in Pictures
Eight Months

Nine Months
Ten Months

Eleven Months

One Year

"No Mommy! No pictures!"
"R, R" (except coming out sounding a little more like "Awe. Awe.")

Sitting pretty!

So serious!

Laughing at Wyatt

Using her outside voice!

Silly girl!

More Weekend Fun!

Sunday was even more beautiful than Saturday. We got up and out to Target first thing (seriously, not addicted or anything) for necessities. After the trip to Target, we decided to take the kids to the park. The park we went to is the park in the neighborhood I grew up in (it's right by Target), but they updated the park a few years ago. While it looks completely different, it's still so funny to know that it's where I used to go with my friends and brother and swing and play on the slide. Both of the kids had a really great time.

Reese running to catch up to Daddy and Wyatt
We couldn't believe that Wyatt climbed up here all by himself, with virtually no fear. He even started challenging Brian to race him up!

They LOVED riding the slide together

The boys racing up the wall

Swinging together!

The Zoo!

We were fortunate enough to have beautiful weather all weekend for the first time in FOR-E-VER. Yesterday we had a few errands to run in the morning, but we decided to take the kids to the zoo after they woke up from their naps. They were both SO excited to get out and go to the zoo, especially since we haven't been able to go in months!

We haven't been able to check in on the baby giraffe since he was born a few months ago, and he has gotten really big. This time he was even separated from his Mommy. We got there late in the day, so a lot of the animals were going in for the night! Wyatt and Reese both thought the baby giraffe was "cute."

This was the first time that we let Reese walk with us around the zoo. Wyatt started walking with us at 12 months, but with two of them it just gets so hard sometimes! She really loved being able to walk, and she definitely let us know when she wasn't happy about being in the stroller. I can totally tell that she approaching (this Thursday!) her 18 month "birthday." I've noticed with my kids that they become a little more "difficult" around their half birthdays. It's happened to Wyatt, and now I can see it approaching with Reese. Anything I ask her gets a response of "no," and she's starting to throw a few temper tantrums. Fortunately, Wyatt's birthday is approaching, and I'm noticing that he's getting a little easier to handle.


The lion family was out getting some sun yesterday. I was beyond happy when Wyatt became concerned about where the Mommy Lion was. He kept asking and asking and we finally found her when we went to a different spot. Of course, the only reason we had to move was because of the family next to us. You seriously would have thought they were taking pictures for National Geographic the way they were talking about lighting and screaming out lions' names. I'm not kidding when I say that every member of the family (including the kids) had their own digital camera.

The zoo set up this cage for the "wild animal" children. Wyatt had a lot of fun standing in the cage pretending to be a monkey...until the same family of kids came and starting swinging from the top of the cage like actual monkeys.

Wyatt wanted me to take this picture of him with Daddy. They were checking out the plants or something!

After looking at the garden, Wyatt decided he needed to go potty. I knew he was going to run out of the restroom to shout "Mommy, Mommy! I went pee pee in the potty!," so I was ready for him!

The boys wanted to stand on the train tracks for fun!

Reese was very concerned about the giraffes and ostriches!

We all had a really fun weekend! I am looking forward to this week because we get to have Reese's big (not really) half birthday party! Tomorrow I'm also planning on taking the kids to their first story time at the library. Brian is probably going to go with me the first time for support, but I'm excited about the possibilities. I've wanted to take them for awhile, but our "old city" never had a story time schedule that fit in with my schedule. Tomorrow I'll be able to take them and get a grasp of what to expect from the two of them, and get my new library card. In the last two weeks I've finished Nicholas Sparks' The Lucky One and The Last Song, so I know I'm starting to find the time to read again. I just have to figure out what to read next! I like fiction, but I'm also a non fiction junky (although I tend to only finish biographies if I like who I'm reading about) so suggestions are appreciated!

Now I have to go break up a late night hockey session. Wyatt is now completely obsessed with hockey and being a goalie, so he is totally into the Team USA/Canada Olympic Game. He keeps running in and shouting "They scored! They scored!," and wanting to know when the guys are going to "fake fight." He also keeps "checking" the couch. I totally don't get boys sometimes!

Sometimes...

Especially on Valentine's Day

You have to stop
And smell (or laugh at)

The roses!*

*No children were allowed to stand on tables by themselves while shooting these pictures.

The Sod is Coming! The Sod is Coming!

Tomorrow our sod is being delivered and put down in the yard. To prep for the sod all we really needed to was rake the yard where the sprinkler system was installed last week. Brian stopped on the way home to pick up a few necessities (milk, orange juice and string cheese) and to get little rakes for Wyatt and Reese. Wyatt was so excited to go outside and rake with his Daddy!

Getting to work.
Stopping to ask if I would please bring the shovel for him to dig!

The boys raking in the backyard!

An exciting feature of our new house. There is a train track that runs right by our neighborhood. It only passes by a couple of times a week and it isn't that loud. It's not in our backyard or anything, so sometimes all we really hear is the whistle! And that's nothing compared to jet noise, or the loud train that used to run through the campus at JMU!

Girls' Night!

On Friday Night the boys went to the hockey game and we stayed home and watched The Little Mermaid. I got Reese dressed in her Ariel jammies (the product of a shopping trip with Daddy) and cuddled up with her Ariel baby, and turned the movie on. I seriously love this movie. I remember the first time I ever saw it when I was little, and even went to a sleepover with a bunch of friends in high school and watched and sang along. So fun! I am so excited to have a little girl that I can do all these fun things with!

SO excited!

" Okay Mom. The opening credits are really boring."
"Ruby? Ariel? Are you guys watching?"

And so it begins....

Happy Valentine's Day!

Some pictures of our day...

Weekend Half Time Report

So far this weekend has been pretty low key! Last night the boys went to the Hockey game with Dave while Reese and I stayed home and had a "girls' night." Except, it was really a "girls' hour." We watched The Little Mermaid while she wore her Ariel jammies and curled up with her Ariel doll. She lasted about 25 minutes and then went to the playroom. I'm not gonna lie though, I totally kept watching. I love The Little Mermaid, it's my second favorite Disney Princess movie (behind Beauty and the Beast)!


This morning we went on a Target run and they were out of Reese's diapers! I never used any "store brands" with Wyatt, but I started using the Up & Up Target brand with Reese over the summer and fell in love! We went to our favorite Target, which is farther away from the house, but we'll probably go to the closer store tomorrow to see if they have the Target brand. But I guess I'll take some Pampers coupons just in case!

We spent the rest of the day hanging out at home. I was in major pain after picking Wyatt up (I pulled a muscle in my arm and it's killing me). I know Brian thinks I'm being dramatic, but I've had major abdominal surgery twice...and this hurts more. I couldn't do anything all day. Except watch 16 and Pregnant. I swear I don't watch MTV anymore, except that I do. But only to watch 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom. Such good shows (for being trash TV).

I've seen the "ad" for this free canvas on a few blogs now and I decided to do it today. I was scouring through our pictures, from our wedding and the kids, and I couldn't decide. There are a few things to consider, like how the picture will look when the canvas gets wrapped, and that excluded some pictures that I liked. I finally decided to get this picture canvased (is that a word?):

The first time that Wyatt and Reese met! I think it's so precious, and it says a ton about the two of them (especially the shiner that Wyatt is rocking about his eye). When the canvas comes in I'll be sure to give a review.

Going through the pictures was also helpful because I have a hair appointment Wednesday and I'm trying to decide what to do!

I really like the longer layers in this one, and I like the color,

and I'm not a fan of this cut, but I do like the darker color I've been sporting since May.

So my basic issue is that I've decided on the cut, but not on the color. My natural hair is darker now than it has ever been, but it's not as dark as the bottom picture. I really like the dark, but I think I'm ready to lighten it up. It's about to be spring (or so I hear, I can't tell with the snowy weather around here), and I hate to spend the money on my hair and then have it fade. Thoughts? Is anyone out there?

Brain Dump

Reese has been obsessed with brushing her teeth lately. She constantly asks to brush her teeth, and if I'm not carefully watching her she will most likely be found trying to grab her tooth brush off of the bathroom counter. She hates to let me brush her teeth because she would apparently rather do it herself. When I take the toothbrush out of her mouth, she literally has an emotional breakdown. It would actually be kind of funny if it weren't so sad!





Her bangs are my current nemesis. She desperately needs them trimmed (and I really wanted to get it done when I got Wyatt's cut on Monday), but Brian disagrees. For now I'm able to pull them back into her pigtails or ponytail, but I don't know how long that will last. If Brian has his way she'll end up getting her first hair cut at Disney World like her big brother when we go back this December! I'm willing to give it a shot, but I reserve the right to change my mind...even if it was precious and he did get his own set of ears that say "First Haircut" on the back!


The moving in is going well, we're starting to get more organized. One thing that is driving me NUTS though is the fact that the only paint used in the house was "Builder's grade." Basically, they put a light white primer on the wall. But it can't be cleaned, it has to be painted over. So anytime a mark gets on the wall my only option is to paint over it! So frustrating! This entire house will probably be repainted within the year.

Other than that, not much is going on. I switched to three longer days at work this week (instead of my 4 short half days), and it was kind of nice having a lunch today. Like a whole 45 minutes to myself. Tomorrow I'm supposed to start working out during lunch. Yeah. Brian is also back to his 5 day work weeks this week, which was the main reason for my switch. Brian has been staying with the kids on Fridays, but since he's working again he won't be able to. And there isn't really any other option because no one is available to watch them on Fridays.

Eventually they'll both be in school, but I don't like the idea of sending them anywhere (especially Reese) when they're still so small as long as working part time is an option. Sending Wyatt to preschool next year is a huge step, and it's mainly for socialization, which is why he's only going two days a week. Somebody at work asked me why he was only going two days a week next year, and I just about had a fit! He's only three, and he's not going to Harvard when he's four! He already knows his shapes, colors and letters. Two days a week is plenty for him to hang out with his buddies and learn new things. He'll go more the next year, and every day when he's 5! I only get so much time to hang out with him before he's in school everyday, and I want to make the most of it. Plus I think it will be great for Reese to get some one on one attention next year while he's in school.

Anyway, I've got to get the kids to bed, and American Idol is on tonight. Last night I already enjoyed Ellen being on the show. Now if they could just get rid of that awful Kara...

Big Boy!

Today was a big day for the little guy. We had a pretty fun morning of getting his hair cut (and his best buddy Tyler was there at the same time) and then visiting Daddy at work. He had a lot of fun playing in Brian's office, and then Dave's office, and then finding all kinds of toys to play with. We even got to go to lunch with Daddy at Red Robin!

After all that excitement, we stopped by his pre-school to drop off his registration for school next year. He was really excited to walk in the school, and then he rushed to the classroom that he will be in next year. He made a bee line for the toys, and then walked around the room checking things out. The train table didn't have any trains on it and he said, "What did the kids do with the trains, Mom?" He seemed really excited to be there and see where he was going to be going next year.

Neither of them took very good naps today and Wyatt stayed up until 10 last night (he had a friend here for the Super Bowl party too!), so he started asking me to put his pajamas on at like 5! I was gearing up for and early night, but that didn't really happen! He ended up snuggled up in the couch with Monkey and Buzz watching Dinosaur Train....