Paci on the Ground

Reese and I made up a new song today when she was sitting in her highchair, and proceeded to spit out her paci. It goes a little something like this...

(to the tune of the oh-so-famous "Pants on the Ground" from American Idol tryouts this year)

paci on the ground
paci on the ground
what we gonna do
with the paci on the ground

Reese just cracks up when I sing it to her...now I can't get it out of my head and JP is walking around the house singing it too!

A 105 Year Difference

We headed out to the ranch once again to celebrate the Easter holiday this year.  As always it was a great time with family and a great chance for a little R&R.  Aunt Cornelia came out for a visit on Friday and since we missed her the last time we were out there, it was her first time to meet Miss Reese, and it was so special!

Before I go any further, I need to give you all a quick history on Aunt Cornelia.  She turned 105 years old on January 18--WOW!  Yes, that is just 4 days difference from Reese's birthday, so they are almost exactly 105 years apart.  Aunt Cornelia never had any children, but her 16 nieces and nephews were the stand-in, and then the great nieces and nephews, and great great, and so on are all truly like her grandchildren and great-grand children to her.  PawPaw (my moms dad) was one of her nephews and they were always very close, so it was so special to see her with Reese and see another generation get to meet our matriarch.  Aunt Cornelia, along with her late husband, Albert, are also the party responsible for giving our family "The Ranch".  It is such a special place to us and we are so thankful for it!

5 generations (with Grandma standing in since PawPaw isn't with us)

Now, I have to tell you a bit about her visit and some of her remarks.  As can be expected with 105 years of life, she is a bit confused these days, so she did ask me a couple times, "is this your baby?".  She was really in awe of Miss Reese.  It was a fairly warm day and Reese was dressed in some play clothes (a onsie and pants), but Aunt C harped on the fact that she needed to be covered up with a blanket so that she would stay warm and not get sick.  Well, Reese is a little heater, and we kept a blanket on her to make Aunt C happy, but I have a feeling Reese was quite steamy.

On to her swing.  For part of the visit, Reese was sitting in her carseat, with it attached to the SnugGlider and swinging away.  She loves it and I do to!  Aunt C kept asking, "Is she getting dizzy?"...so cute...we kindly replied, "no, it's just like if we were rocking her in a rocking chair".

I just thought it was all quite humerous to hear her remarks and what was going through her mind pertaining to a baby and such and how it differes from my thoughts and the way we care for babies on a day-to-day basis.  What a difference 105 years makes!

A Lady Who Lunches

It's funny...I always admired the "ladies who lunch" when I was working hard and grabbing a quick bite somewhere before heading back to the grind.  Well, during my time off with Reese we've had a few chances to go out to lunch with friends and I must say it is quite enjoyable to have a nice little lunch outing in the middle of the day.

Last Thursday Reese finally got to meet Michele.  She had just flown in from NYC, Marita picked her up from the airport, then headed over to meet Reese and me for lunch at Hula Hut.  It was a beautiful day and Hula Hut was the perfect place to catch up on the patio, enjoy the awesome weather, and for Michele to get some much needed queso and a marg.  Thanks ladies for a lovely lunch!

So, I think I might start calling myself a "lady who lunches"...I could get used to it!

Michele meeting Reese for the first time

Marita finally getting to hold Reese

Lake Austin as the backdrop...one of my fave places!

A Beautiful Day

On Palm Sunday March 28, 2010, our baby girl became a part of Christ's family through Baptism.  It was such a beautiful day and extra special since the event was shared with my 28th birthday.  Miss Reese fussed through the majority of it, but as soon as the water hit her head, she was quiet.  We use bathtime at our house to make her happy, too!

with Reese's sponsors Matt Parker and Joe & Pam Lowke

Reese's Christening dress was hand smocked by Honey and made by an employee of my mom's.  It turned out absolutely beautiful--just as I imagined it.

We enjoyed celebrating with several of our local family and friends afterwards at the house and enjoyed the back yard and beautiful weather.  We feasted on chopped beef barbecue sandwiches, baked potato salad, chilled haricots verts (french green beans) with feta, and Emeril's Blue Cheese Waldorf salad.  Everything was so tasty thanks to Grammy and Honey for helping (especially since our Atlanta trip was earlier this week)!

Oh, and how could I forget the scruptious Tres Leches cake (with Reese's monogram on it, of course) !?  I ordered it from Austin Cake Studio and it did not disappoint in decoration or taste.  I was originally going to go with Italian Creme, but considering it was my birthday too, I was a bit selfish and picked my favorite!

Finally, the Grandpa's saying goodbye before heading back to B-town...so sweet!

Happy Easter

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.

On the Run

So with Reese's 2 month birthday came her first ride in the jogger.  This was one purchase I was really picky about.  I love to run and be outdoors and I was determined to continue this once the little one arrived too.  So I decided on the BOB Ironman, which is supposed to be the primo for runners.  I have to admit after using it for the past two days, I really don't have any complaints.  From my time in the baby gear business, I did learn that to be a true jogger, you have to have a fixed front wheel.  I know you might be asking yourself, "well how do you turn it?".  Well, this thing is so lightweight and maneuverable you simply put a little weight on the back and move the front tire where you need to go...I love it!  And, no, my Graco loyalty has not gone out the window...they don't make a stroller suitable for running, however I did get in contact with one of our sales reps to get me the best deal on my BOB, so it does help knowing people in the industry.

Now on to the run itself.  Let me just put it this way, if you want burn some extra calories and work harder on your normal run and route, simply put a baby in a jogger and you've got yourself a pretty extreme workout.  First of all, you have to push the thing, so that leaves only potentially one arm free to run with.  That in itself is an adjustment.  And for me, my iPod is also in one hand, so it does become a bit of a juggling event.  Hills of course are much harder when you are pushing a stroller.  Reese, of course only weighs 11.5 pounds, but that's enough to keep me huffing and puffing.  Throw in the crazy wind today, and I found myself having to take a walk in some parts of my route.

So, I look forward to mastering my runs, stroller and all...wish me luck!

Wide awake and ready to go

Must have fallen asleep at the very end...out like a light!

2 months

We had Reese's 2 month checkup today...my how time flies!  She is long and lean weighing in at 11.5 pounds and 23 inches long.  We have been battling her reflux and are now on our second medication to try.  Beyond the reflux making her uncomfortable, she really is a great baby.  I think her favorite place to be is in her car seat, considering it makes her upright enough to feel some relief.  It sure does make it easy to go-go-go..which is really all we've done lately, so that is a plus!  She's really getting into the interacting stage where she smiles, coos and laughs at us when we talk to her (videos to come soon)...it is truly one of the best things to see that beautiful smile and it just makes my heart melt.

We had all of her vaccines done a couple weeks early since we are headed to Atlanta on Wednesday.  We figured we should be on the safe side for her first plane ride.  I'm saying my prayers that she does well and is not "that parent and child" that I always used to be so frustrated with on my plane rides and tuned out with my iPod.  Oh, why are we going to Atlanta?  Well, we are filming a car seat installation and demo for Graco on Thursday.  I will be sure to keep you updated on how it goes and the finished product of course, but it's going to be one like this and this that I've done in the past.  I'm looking forward to the trip and seeing some of my work friends while I'm there, too!

Here are some of my favorite recent pics of my lovely little lady.

Family Photos

We also used the Sip n See to get some family photos taken...here is our first attempt.

Reese with the Mama and the Papa

trying to get set for the 4 generations pic

Here we are...Reese still not looking at the camera

even though this is with the paci...I just love it!

with Grandpa and Grammy...so cute!

With Honey and Grampy...we have a trend here of the grandpa's looking at the baby

A Busy Brenham Weekend

We were in Brenham last weekend once again for a weekend filled with festivities.  On Saturday morning we helped host a bridal brunch for Karla along with Vicky and Melissa.  I sure enjoyed seeing everyone and it was great for Reese to meet all the lovely ladies!  Unfortunately, Reese decided to spit up all of the guest of honor.  Sorry, Karla...hopefully we will be growing out of this sooner than later.

Vicky and Rosemary with Reese

Karla and Leslie with Reese

all the ladays (and Reese and Madalyn)

Saturday was also Rob's birthday, so we celebrated with the fam and Reese got to see some of her cousins...Beckett, I hope you are feeling better and we'll catch you next time!

Emma sharing the love

Reese and Finley--4 months apart

 

Then we get to Sunday and Reese's Sip N See for all the Brenham peeps that had yet to meet her.  It was a beautiful day and I know Reese enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people that have been such great family and friends to us! Thanks so much to Honey and Grampy, Grammy and Grandpa, and Bill and Dana for hosting.

Reese with the Betty's

Jana and Dana with Reese

Edna and Aunt Helen with Reese

Jamie getting her practice...we can't wait to meet Baby Rankin!