The New Recommendation

Wow!  I knew it was coming, but didn't realize it would be a less than a week after I posted rear vs. forward facing.  I turned on my TV this morning and before I could turn it to my go-to, The Today Show, CBS's The Early Show was introducing the new recommendation from AAP and NHTSA.  Then I turn to NBC, and there I watch the same discussion.  This is big news, folks, and it's not just for the car seat crazies like me anymore, it's what everyone should be following!

I guess Reese won't be watching that DVD player in the car anytime soon...at least not forward-facing.

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Rear vs. Forward Facing

In my time working for Graco, I did quite a bit of volunteer work with various car seat safety organizations as a certified car seat technician.  Yes, I had to complete a 40 hour course to get this certification, and I've had to renew it twice.  This last time I renewed, I no longer worked for the company, but it was just something I wanted to keep up with.  I have become quite passionate about car seat safety, especially since a majority of the time, parents are using them wrong. 

Of course, in the end, we do have laws, which don't even begin to cover the ins and outs of car seat safety, but it's the parents that make the decision of how long their kids ride in car seats and whether they are rear or forward facing.  With Reese celebrating her 1st birthday almost 2 months ago, it got me thinking that maybe it would be helpful for parents if I provided just a little bit of education on why it is so important to keep them rear facing longer than the 1 year AND 20 lb mark.

The American Academy of Pediatrics set the guideline of 1 year AND 20 lbs before you could move your baby to a forward facing seat in the car.  However, I hear they are looking to change that recommendation to 2 years old.  I know that seems absurd to a lot of you, but think about it...when our kids are riding rear facing in the car, the seat is actually doing the work on impact.  They are facing the rear, which keeps them cocooned and pretty much free of whiplash, whereas forward facing our bodies feel it all.  And considering their little bodies and spine are so small and delicate, they can only benefit from staying in their rear facing seat longer. 

I know a lot of it comes down to convenience, and I get that, but at the end of the day, it should be about safety, not convenience.  Heck, in Sweden, they keep their little ones rear facing until 3 or 4 years old.

Reese has definitely reached the 1 year AND 20 lb mark, but she's still rear facing, and will be for quite a while yet.  She doesn't know the difference, and I know we don't ever "plan" on being in a crash, but I know I'm doing what I can to keep her protected in the event that we are in a crash.

So, I will get off my soapbox now, but being educated about these things is a good thing....it can only help us make better decisions, right?

On the Walk

So, about 3.5 weeks ago, Reese finally decided to "let go" after 3 months of "cruising" and only taking a couple of steps between furniture to hold on to.  We happened to be at Grammy and Grandpa's where she decided to take about 6 steps completely unassisted.  Since then, she's been on the loose!

And already ready to head out the front door!

The Zoo

Reese and I have been trying to do whatever we can to get out and enjoy this beautiful weather we've been blessed with lately.  So we got together with Baby Neuhaus, and headed to the Austin Zoo.

I honestly wasn't expecting too much, considering most people aren't even aware that Austin has a zoo, and actually it's darn near to Dripping Springs.  JP even joked before we went, "oh, ya'll are going to see some goats, cows and birds today?".  But, all the same, I knew it would entertain Miss Reese.  Of course, it's nothing like a big city zoo, and definitely not like the San Diego zoo, which I hear is the ultimate, but did provide some entertainment looking at common and not-so-common creatures.

We saw monkey's, tigers, peacocks, jaguars, wolves, parrots, cheetahs, goats, pigs, deer, chickens, and more.  I was especially impressed with the tigers.  I think the zoo has about 5 total and we had the pleasure of witnessing a little tiff between two of them.  I say "a little tiff", but I sure wouldn't want to be involved in it.  They were scratching at each other, roaring and pushing each other down.  And I forget what large animals they are.  I don't think Reese even blinked, but Lindsey and I were quite entertained.

So, anyway, not really an "above and beyond" zoo, but definitely a place I will take her back to.  Oh, and I forgot to mention, given the fact that it is a bit out of town, some of the views of the hill country are absolutely amazing!

And, of course, while we waited to ride the train, the girls were entertained best by playing in the dirt and picking up leaves and rocks.  It's keeping them out of Reese's mouth that is the challenging part for me!

Happy Valentine's Day

Uno.

So, the 1 year celebration has come and gone, but I can't forget to post how we are growing!

weight: 22 lbs 2 oz (70%)
height: 29.75 inches (75%)

Reese took her 4 shots like a champ.  Of course, there was a little drama while she was getting poked, but by the time we walked out of the room, she was just fine.

She continues to pretty much eat anything in sight.  If someone around her has food, she's on her way to belly up to them and beg just like a little puppy.  We put a plate full of food in front of her at meals and 90% of the time it is clean (and 50% of the time she wants 2nd's).  She's got a mouth full of teeth--12, I think, so she is becoming more and more of a pro at mealtime.

She is beginning to take a few steps here and there between things to hold on to, but continues to cruise for safety or uses her walker to get places.  She's still a scooter, but has begun to crawl a little bit, especially on carpet.  I guess she figures on the slick floors, she can get to where she wants to go quicker if she just scoots.

She can tell us where her tongue, nose, mouth, teeth and ears are.  Her favorites are Pink Bear, Monkey, and all of her new dolls.  And she absolutely LOVES her new chair and stays in it for the duration of Your Baby Can Read and Praise Baby.  It just amazes me sometimes what all she knows, and I know this is only the beginning!

She Had Her Cake and Ate It Too

TWICE!  I mean, it was her birthday and all, and she didn't eat it all the first time, so we let the sugar settle, then brought it back out for round 2.

Round 1:

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I want her to wear her cute shirt again throughout the year, so I thought it best to just take it off of her...I'm sure she'll be loving me when she sees these in 15 years.

She pretty much did exactly as I thought and had the icing spread all around.  She did start off a little slow though, by picking the green icing dots off the edge, but it didn't take long for her to get down and dirty with it.
Round 2: (a bit on the tamer side)

Happy 1st Birthday to Our Sweet Little Monkey

Wow!  What a glorious, magical, amazing and beautiful year it has been.  I can hardly believe the 1st year landmark has already come and gone.  We have been so blessed this year to have our sweet little lady in our lives and we thank the Lord everyday for what a blessing she has been!

Of course, we had to commemorate the joyous occasion with a par-tay, and what a glorious, magical, amazing and beautiful day it was.  Since Reese's birthday landed on a Saturday this year, the actual day was the perfect day to celebrate with our family and friends.  And, thank goodness for the beautiful weather we had so that we could enjoy being outside--otherwise we probably would have been a bit cramped in the house. 

I enjoyed every minute of planning this soiree and I was just thrilled with the way everything turned out, so of course, I'm going to have to share some of the details.

These adorable invites were an inspired by a design I found online, but I'm totally into doing my own invites because I can do them exactly how I want them and a lot cheaper!  So, with a little help from JP, Snapio (and Illustrator, of course!), the end result couldn't have been cuter!

You are probably starting to see a trend here of all things pink (and green).  I just think gerbera daisies are the perfect fresh flower for a little girl's day.  And I was able to reuse the paper lanterns from our wedding to add a little flare.

I decided to go with cupcakes rather than a cake, because they are just too easy to deal with, and you can't beat the tasty ones SAMs makes.  Then I went one more step and ordered these ADORABLE toppers from threekidspartyshop on Etsy.  I have to say, I'm a bit obsessed with Etsy right now and it was the perfect go-to spot to put some personalized touches on this party.

Of course, the birthday girl had to have her own little smash cake too, and she loved every minute of it (pics and video to come).  Threekidspartyshop did this topper too, and it was just perfect!

And, if you're a Parker grandkid, you're sure to have the cutest, and tastiest cookies at your party too!  My MIL (Grammy) is so stinkin' talented and creative and everyone went home with one of these adorable monkey cookies.

And here is a glimpse of the birthday girl in her party frocks.  Again, all ordered from Etsy.  MaddieBugBaby did her adorable shirt (which we plan to wear all year!) and her pettiskirt came from TwoAngelsBoutique.  If you're in to pettiskirts, they have EVERY color you can think of at really reasonable prices.
 

A Little Game of "Boo"

An Adult 24 Hours

This past weekend we had the joy of attending one of my pledge sister's weddings in Houston.  Reese was not invited, nor would I have even considered taking her if she was.  It's events like these that make a great excuse to make it an adults-only day (and buy a new dress, of course).  It was so great to reunite with all my Theta ladies and enjoy a beautiful reception at The Rice.  Everything was beautiful and congrats to Elizabeth and Kyle on their I-Do's.

Thanks to Grammy and Grandpa, we thorougly enjoyed our adults-only day--it does a body (and a mama) good!