Reese Does Vegas

So for the past 6 months, I've been working for Graco, teutonia, and Aprica via contract to plan the their show space (equalling a whopping 8200 sq ft) at the 2010 ABC Show.  Once again, the show was held in Vegas and since I needed to be out there for a full 7 days, I asked Honey and Grampy if they would be willing to bring Reese out, so that I didn't have to miss her for a whole week.  They had been wanting to make the trip anyway, since so much has changed since they had been out there 20 years ago.  It was a long week, but I'm so glad my little lady was there for part of it, because I think I would have been miserable without her.  Here are a few pics of the booths, which turned out looking absolutely spectacular!

I asked Honey to write a little bit about their trip with Reese to share on the blog...so here it is:

Earlier in the month, Honey and Grampy had the occasion to spend some quality time with Miss Reese. Her Mother was on a project in Las Vegas so we took her out to so she could be with her Mother part of the time. The airplane ride was uneventful---she took two naps, one in Grampy's arms and the other in Honey's arms. Reese was awesome---wooing the hearts of those around her. In Vegas, she was sighted at multiple high end restaurants. ( Her Honey and Grampy love fine dining.) Reese enjoyed the likes of Emeril's, NOBU, Mario Batali's, and Michael Mina's Nob Hill. She was soooo good at all these places, taking in the sights. She really enjoyed strolling through the casinos seeing all the flashing lights and hearing the sounds of others hitting the jackpot.


Reese adjusted well to PST from CST. She made up an hour every night so by the time it was time to go home her body adjusted to the 2 hour time difference. The first morning she was up and ready to play at 4:30 am.

It was an awesome trip both for the grandparents and Reese. There was a close bonding, something that Honey and Grampy will never forget.

I'm a bit sad that the only pics we have from this excursion were taken on our iPhones, but here is one of Reese and me getting ready to watch the water show at the Bellagio...it never disappoints!

Giggles: My Saving Grace for the Next Few Days

In my opinion, watching and listening to my little one giggle is one of the best things about being a parent.  It's sheer delight for both of us!

I'm leaving for a week-long trip to Vegas early tomorrow morning and will not see Reese again until Sunday when my parents bring her out there, so this will be my saving grace until then!

Long Time, No See

Itsy Bitsy Parker aka Reese's Pieces has been neglected lately.  I hate this because I guess this blog is my way of "scrapbooking" the happenings in our life, and the fact that it has been neglected means I'm not doing a very thorough job of documenting all the goings-on.

But, what it comes down to, is that there has just been a lot going on for us.  This is not to say that everyday isn't crazy busy for the Parker's, but my work is getting crazier, considering this tradeshow I'm planning is just over a month away.  I also had the opportunity to pick up another job with Graco last week filming more videos for 2 new Graco car seats.  The trip to Atlanta was a fast and furious one, but I wanted it that way so that I could get back to my little lady (she didn't join me on this one, since we didn't use babies in the shoot).  Besides that, Miss Reese just keeps getting better and better, so dropping everything to play with her, hug her, kiss her, laugh with her, and snuggle with her is an everyday occurance that can't be missed.

I was apart from her for 2.5 days while I was in Atlanta, which the initial thought of was a bit daunting for me since she has only been on a couple of overnights away from us.  But, in the end, it wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be.  Of course, I missed her tons, but I was so stinkin' busy, that I didn't have time to let it consume me.  It also reaffirmed for me that I need this work/life balance in my life and that going back to work in the next several months, is the right thing for me to be the best parent I can be.  Plus, the grandparents did a great job of keeping me up-to-date by sending these great glimpses:

swim diaper made it in the bag, swim suit did not

say it, don't spray it, Reese

my kids for the day on set

Reese split her time between my parents house and Grammy and Grandpa's, staying with Grammy during the day, then with my parents at night.  It sounds like she had quite the time--playing in her own little pool, playing with her cousins, baths in the kitchen sink, and swimming in the big pool at the Cramer's.

So, I think this was good preparation for our next time apart, which will be in October when I go out to Vegas for the tradeshow.  We will have 3 days apart, then thankfully my parents will bring Reese out to Vegas for the remaining 4 days of the show, because a full week without my little lady would not be a good balance for me.

Atlanta Shoot

The trip to Atlanta was a great one.  Reese was such a trooper!  I will write more about our travels soon, but this is about what we went to Atlanta to do.  Many of you guys know how passionate I have become about child passenger safety and part of it is because Graco is so passionate about it, I couldn't help but be immersed in it when I worked for them.  They go the extra mile to provide consumers with how-to videos to assist in the installation process, because we all know how overwhelming it can be for new parents trying to get this new contraption into their vehicle correctly.

So, Reese and I set out for Atlanta to film the installation video for the SnugRide, our most popular seat.  Of course it is top-rated and more moms rely on the SnugRide to protect their little one than any other seat. 

We started the day on location at 9 am...well, let's say 9:15 for us since traffic was horrific and we were a tad bit late.  I'm so glad I don't have to battle that mess everyday...my commute took me almost 2 hours that morning.  Thankfully, Reese had a full belly and slept through it all.

First thing was hair and makeup.  Considering they shoot with hi-def cameras and such, you're normal everyday mask usually isn't enough.  Then once I got dressed it was onto the demo part of the series.  We shot outside in a mini-van and went through the steps of how to install the seat using the seatbelt and LATCH. 

We had Reese buckled in the seat to show putting the baby in the car , but as soon as I clipped the seat into the vehicle she began to fuss because the bright lights were shining directly into her eyes.  We did several takes of it though, so hopefully there is a take that works.

The actual demo took a majority of the morning, so we finished up and then broke for lunch.  During the short hour or so timeframe Miss Reese had two blowouts and went through the two pink outfits we had, so the majority of her camera time was wearing jeans and a yellow sweater...our last option since dresses don't really show well buckled into a car seat.  You never know what you're going to get with a baby on set!

Then we moved on to shooting the informational/Vanna White-style video.  I had done the installation demo videos before, but never this one, so I was a little nervous at how I would do.  Of course, our producer along with the Graco staff that was there were great coaches and the teleprompter made it so easy, so I feel fairly confident that it will turn out ok.

We wrapped up the day recording the voice-over for the installation demo.  It is amazing that two simple videos lasting less than 2 minutes can take a whole 8 hour day of filming.  Like I said earlier, Reese was such a trooper and had several naps throughout the day.  When it was her turn to be on camera as we were showing how to adjust the harness around her, she was really hamming it up with the camera guy...hopefully we'll see a few smiles in the finished product.

Final videos to come...as soon as they are edited and in their final state online.  Thanks, Graco for a great day!  I look forward to recapping this again with Reese one day when she can really appreciate it!

Oh, and check out the Graco blog for their take on the day.