Christmas-1

Grandma Montgomery and her Great Grandchildren

We had 1 of 4 Christmas' this past Sunday with the Montgomery extended family. Reese had a great time running around with cousins and enjoying eating all the yummy food (as did I!) We my immediate family, Kyle's immediate family, and my mom's side left for Christmas'. Lots of food and cheer!
We also had Kyle's Dubuque office work party this past Saturday. Reese stayed with Nana and Poppa so Kyle and I enjoyed a night out at Diamond Joe Casino. It was nice to meet all of his Dubuque office workers (Kyle works at the Madison office.) After dinner, they had two tables set up with dealers to teach you how to play craps or blackjack. I chose blackjack and thought I caught on rather quick. When they were finished, we headed down to the casino and tested my skills. At one point, I was up $60, but didn't listen the old advice of "stop when you are ahead" and quickly blew that money away. Oh well, we had a great night out!

Mine

Yep, I have already heard enough of that word! Reese's new favorite and most annoying word yet. Pretty positive she learned it at daycare because we have not spoken that at home to prevent this moment as long as possible. Everything is "mine." Whats mine is hers, what hers is hers, and what is everyone else's is also hers. So our word of the week was "Share." When she says mine, we say we share, and that helps her to understand we can share our things.
We had a super busy weekend. Dinner with friends on Friday night, as luncheon on Saturday, visiting Santa Saturday afternoon, and a 30th birthday party for our friend last night. The Santa visit went as I thought, she was ok looking from a distance, but there was NO WAY she was getting up on his lap. He was a pretty cool guy from afar, but up close, kinda scary for her! Kyle could at least hold her next to him for me to get a picture, but this is as good as we got!

Saying "WHOA" to the moving gingerbread men!

Another attempt with Daddy, but not going for it!

Blog?

Blog? Where has my time gone to blog anymore? Well, lots and lots has been happening over the past few weeks and I just haven't found the time to sit down and reflect. I am home today with Reese, she has pink eye, so while she naps, I think this is the perfect time for some catch up.
Between sinus infections, ear infections, head colds, coughs, and now pink eye, I think the Montgomery house has hit the gamete of winter sickness and it is only Dec. 7th. I pray for a healthy few weeks ahead so we can all enjoy the holidays.
Reese is now talking more than ever. This is by far, the most fun age I have encountered with her yet. She learns SO much everyday, and comes up with things that I have no idea where she learned them! This morning we were reading and she pointed to a crocodile and said "hiss". She surprises me everyday with things like this. Her newest thing is every night when we get home, we go over to the Christmas tree, count to three, and then plug the lights in. She always says "WHOA" and claps and it is the cutest darn thing!
I have also been busy launching my own small business as an Arbonne Independent Consultant. I had party for one of my friends in the beginning of November and fell in love with the products and philosophy. For those of you unfamiliar, it is an all natural, botanical based skin care and health and wellness line of product. They use no animal bi products or mineral oils, no toxins or chemicals, and all ingredients are derived from nature and botanicals. I have been successful thus far and hope to grow my business. My calendar is already booking out past January, so that is a great sign!
This past weekend we had our Christmas card pictures taken and had fun with those. Now to get them ordered and sent out, that's a different story! This weekend we will be helping a friend celebrate his 30th birthday, I have an Arbonne party, and we will hopefully be taking Reese to see Santa Clause if we can fit it in!
For details on how we spent Thanksgiving you can visit my sister's blog at www.finnlandnewsandnotes.blogspot.com.

12

The approximate hours I worked this week -12- (supposed to be 24). Why? Poor Reese and I just cannot get healthy! I went to urgent care on Saturday and have a sinus and ear infection. Reese spiked a fever Saturday afternoon and did not break it until Monday morning. I took her to the doctor on Monday and she has a sinus infection also. The doctor put her on Augmentin this time and fore warned me of some dirtier than normal diapers as a side effect. Today while at work I get a call telling me Reese is having a reaction to her medicine. Luckily I am only about 500 feet away from her, so I went over and sure enough, hives all over her chest and back and super puffy eye lids :( So, back to the doctor we went and she has a temporary allergy to Augmentin. He wants to wait until she is older to have her tested before we declare it an allergy but she will not be given Augmentin in the mean time. Man, what a week. I am so thankful that it is a 3 day week and we have 4 while days to relax and recover. I am feeling much better, and I hope now Reese will begin to also. Kyle started coming down with what he thinks is a cold last night, so hopefully it does not progress into anything but just that.
Tomorrow we are headed North to my sister's house for Thanksgiving weekend. I just love watching Reese with Aidan and Aubrey now that they all like to play together. We will be eating and drinking our fair share, making Christmas cookies on Friday, and going to the Illinois V. MN football game on Saturday. Sounds like a perfect weekend to me! We have so much to be thankful this year~Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Grandma

Grandma and Reese (September 2010)

My sister recently did a very nice blog about my Grandmother's passing and shared some wonderful memories she had about her while growing up. Mine were not the same as hers, so I wanted to share a few of mine also.

Each summer my sister and I would spend a week down at my grandparents farm (many of these memories originated during those weeks growing up).
They always had a ton of barn kitties, and each summer I would name one and pretend it was mine the week I was there, helping grandpa do chores with his draft horses, going grocery shopping with grandma and getting to pick out one toy (usually a stuffed animal), grandma making me eggs sunny side up with a piece of wheat toast almost every morning, helping grandma with her huge garden, going to church on Sunday and thinking it was "pretty cool" to get to kneel during their church service (they were Catholic), going out for lunch at Dutch Diner after church and getting the best piece of strawberry pie (still my favorite!!), and watching Wheel of Fortune every night before bed (and man, was Grandma good at it! She always got the puzzles right before Grandpa and I)! Grandma was known for her beautiful afghans she made as well as her skilled moves playing cards. She will be missed by our whole family and her friends as well. See you in Heaven, Grandma!

To view my sister's blog, click here:
www.finnlandnewsandnotes.blogspot.com

Yea

Reese's new word. Yea. She actually uses it in the right context and answers questions appropriately now. It is kinda cool to know that she "knows" what we are talking about now, and can answer us with her feelings (yes or no.) I can tell already is has helped her "tantrums" since she is better able to tell me if she wants it or not.
We also had her 15 mo appt last week. She is a healthy little girl that is growing like a weed.
Either Kyle or I threw away her appointment paper, but I remember her percentiles for her age and not the exact numbers:
Height: (94%tile)
Weight: (61%tile)
Head: (54%tile)

This past weekend we had my high school girlfriends and their significant others into town. Reese had fun going down to spend the night with Nana and Poppa and was worn out last night! We had a great time, touring the downtown area of Madison and hitting up some local bars that we have wanted to before but have never gotten to. It was a great weekend and was much needed!
We also received some sad news on Saturday that my Grandma Mosher (my Mom's mom) passed away Saturday morning. She will be greatly missed by our family and many others but she is now back with my Grandpa, and I'm sure that makes her happy.

Halloween

Reese celebrated Halloween by dressing up as a Ladybug. She had fun going house to house to get candy and say hi. By then end of the night, she had the hang of it and wanted to knock on the doors all by herself :) We had a great time.
We then celebrated Kyle's birthday on Tuesday, well I should say Reese and I did. Kyle came down with a 102.7 degree fever on his birthday and was sick and in bed. I did manage to get him to open a couple presents, before going back to bed again. He is starting to feel better, but the nasty virus is still lingering around!

Mekenna, Maddy, and Reese (cousins) starting the pumpkin carving!

HAPPY BIRHTDAY!!

Happy Birthday to an amazing husband and wonderful father, Kyle. Reese and I wish you a day of happiness and can't wait to celebrate with you tonight!! Enjoy your day!!!

Feeling Better

Reese and I are back to being healthy. We have conquered our illness and are on the right track. We both headed back to work/daycare on Wednesday and had a short three day week. Daycare had a Halloween parade on Thursday so Reese was able to wear her costume and march around the daycare as teachers/admin. passed out treats. I am excited to take her out tomorrow night for her first "real" Halloween experience. Last year (she was 3 mo.) she dressed up as a cow and was sleeping before we had our first trick-or-treater. I know she will LOVE walking to houses this year, more so wanting to say HI to everyone than actually getting some candy! :)

?

I have no clever title for this blog, mainly because I am living in a house full of germs and sleep deprivation. Hence, my brain cannot function past its normal ability to be clever. Our weekend started out great, with Reese and I going to a local pumpkin patch with our school. We had a fantastic time taking a hayride, picking out a pumpkin, and eating apple cider donuts. Things went down hill from there. I started to get a very sore throat, and new right away it wasn't a "normal" sore throat. So, I put Reese down for a nap, Kyle stayed home, and I headed to Urgent Care. After TWO AND A HALF hours of waiting (UGH!?!?) I finally saw a doctor who diagnosed strep throat. I am pretty sure I could have prescribed medication to myself based on the condition and looks on my tonsils :( I got some antibiotics, lots of sleep Saturday, Sunday, and started feeling better yesterday finally. Only to be awoken last night with a child with a fever and in discomfort. After being up 4 hours with her in the middle of the night, I knew I would have to miss work for the 2nd day in a row and get her in to the doc. The result was a sinus infection, and the babe is on antibiotics too and sleeping soundly as I write. Here's to hoping we can get through the night pain and fever free and be ready for our day back to reality tomorrow.

A little of everything

Just a quick re-cap blog:
Last weekend our trip to MN to see my sisters family went great. 4 hours alone with her in the car went very well (thanks also in part to a handy DVD player.) Reese had so much fun playing with her cousins and testing out all their cool toys.

This week Reese and I got our first colds of the season. Nothing too major, just the sniffles, congestion, and cough. 'Tis the season!

Yesterday Kyle and I went downtown with some friends for the Badger football game. We did not go to the game, but enjoyed the atmosphere down there on game day (crazy Badger fans wearing all sorts of Red and White). Entertaining at its finest I must say :)

Reese's teeth all popped through and her two in the back are her molars (I thought they were on the sides). She is not in as much pain now that they are fully though the skin, thank goodness!!

Teeth times SIX?!

Yep, that's right. 6 teeth coming in at one time. They all just broke through the skin, thank goodness. We have had a whiny, crabby, teething toddler on our hands, and I hope she now has some relief. She has been chewing on everything lately, a sure sign of teeth. I opened her mouth today and saw 4 coming in on the bottom sides and two coming in on her top sides. I think I might be grateful 6 are coming at once to get the process done faster :)

Baby to Toddler

I know, I know, Reese turned one in July. But, I had the "ahhh ha"moment last week where I looked at Reese and saw her as a little girl now, no longer a baby. She is this walking, taking, fiesty little girl who is developing a big personality. She has added many new words to her vocabulary including: "uh oh", "bop" (drop), Nana (my mom), tatee (Jackie-our cat Jack), bana (banana),and peas (please). She can also do sign language for all done, please, and more (thanks to her daycare teachers!!) This alone makes communicating with her a lot easier. I am in the process of trying to teach her thank you.
We have been very busy during the month of September and cannot believe fall has already arrived. We had a wedding last weekend in western Iowa for a close friend. Nana (my mom) came up to Madison and got to hang out with Reese all weekend. They must have had a blast considering Reese cried when she pulled out of the driveway!
Kyle is liking his new job and is a tad overwhelmed with all the new information that has to sink in. Typical new job learning curve that he is working through! I am still loving my job and look forward to going to work each day to see the kiddos. I do miss Reese now that she is in a different room, but I sure do get a HUGE hug when I pick her up in the afternoon :)
We have no shortage of events in October either. Reese and I will be making a trip up to MN to visit my sister's family. I am always SO excited when I can get up there to see them! We will also be hitting up some pumpkin patches, celebrating Halloween (costume in the works), and attending my school's fall party/barn dance at the end of the month. A busy, but fun fall!

Testing, Testing, 1...2...3...

Except for Reese the counting does not stop there. It goes something like "test, test, 1...2...3...4...5...6...and so on." We have entered the stage of testing limits and pushing boundaries! What an exciting time in our lives, not. She will repeatedly do something we tell her not to, only it comes with a smile on her face and a devilish look like "Hey, look at me. I am not listening to you!" :) The little stinker is getting into everything and exploring all aspects of her world, while learning what is ok to do, and what is not. We have a low mantle on our fireplace in our living room, and she tries time and time again to climb up on it. We tell her "no, that's hot" (b/c in the winter, it will be when the fireplace is on), and she looks back at us, smiles, and climbs right on up. Over and over again. Patience, patience, patience. Mine grows each and everyday. It would be a lot easier if she didn't look back at me after I already told her to stop and then smile and do it again :)
This morning I saw her do the sign for "more" for the first time. I was pretty excited as I have been trying to teach her this since she was 7 mo old. She got the hang of "all done" right away, but "more" was harder for her because she just wanted to clap everytime.

Family Photos

A few more shots from our family pictures on Saturday. More to come when we get to see them all, these are just sneak peeks from the photographer: www.nmbphotography.com

Tantrums, teeth, and more...

Wow, haven't been on here to catch up in a while! We have been busy, busy. Labor Day weekend we celebrated with friends and family back in Pearl City. It was so good to catch up with my high school girlfriends and their significant others! This past week was Reese's first week in the toddler room. Not only is she not with her mommy anymore, but she also has to sleep on a sleeping bag at nap (as opposed to a crib.) Tuesday and Wednesday were a little rough. The teacher said she was pretty whiny and stood by the door a lot looking for me. Thursday and Friday were MUCH better. Not one tear was shed and she was a happy girl. She adjusted much quicker than I thought. She is also napping wonderfully on her sleeping bag (about 1 hour 45 min on average), MUCH longer than I ever thought! :)
Since moving to the toddler room, Reese's tantrums have become very exaggerated and they are mostly with me. She will throw her body to the floor and act like the world is ending, all for a diaper change! I think she is taking out her frustrations of not being with me everyday. I didn't know a 1 year old could throw such a tantrum!! I think I am really in for it when she hits her "terrible twos". Must be karma calling for all the tantrums I threw as a kid, right Mom? :)
She is also getting one of her molars, which is causing her a little bit of pain. Nothing a little tylenol can't help though.
We headed to Freeport yesterday for family pictures with Kyle's family. We had Nancy Barker (NmBPhotography) out of Freeport do the pictures. She was GREAT! Below is the sneak peek we have gotten, I can't wait to see the rest! We also headed to the Lena Fall Festival in the late afternoon and met up with my parents as well. I think Reese had a great time, before diving head first into the duck pond! Gross carny water all over her body. Let's just say a bath was needed after that.
Today is a day of relaxation and joy as the Bears kicked some butt against the Falcons. I am busy making some homemade salsa as we speak and hope to get outside this afternoon and enjoy this gorgeous day!!

Reese and cousin Mekenna

Pete and Repeat

Reese has entered the phase of repetition. And I know this is only the beginning. She is constantly repeating her actions, words, and points to us to repeat our actions multiple times in a row. She is also insanely obsessed with covering her eyes with her hands, and then pulling them away quickly while Kyle and I say "Peekaboo". It never fails that she giggles each and every time.

Kyle took the day off to spend with Reese since he will be at a bachelor party this weekend north of Madison. He took the liberty of entertaining our daughter this morning with various YouTube videos he likes to watch as well; including, but I am sure not limited to, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Kiss videos, and well as some Stevie Wonder. At least my husband has decent taste in music :)
Reese and I are looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home. We will be going to a play group tomorrow morning, and hopefully getting some swim time in with this nice weather! We might even have to make a "necessary pit stop" at the mall :)

Adventures

This past week was a busy one, for both Kyle and I. On Thursday, I celebrated my 26th birthday. Kyle made a DELICIOUS dinner (steak, shrimp, and asparagus.) We enjoyed an "adult dinner" after putting Reese to bed and had good wine and good conversation. Also this week, Kyle made the tough decision to put in his resignation at his current job, Aova Technologies, which is a small biotechnology company. There he was the VP of Marketing and Sales. He has chosen to move forward with his career and took a position as the General Manager for Globalcom, here in Madison as well. Globalcom is a technology company and specializes in security (installing security cameras, doing door passcodes for hospitals/daycares,etc.) Here he will be the Manager of the division, and will oversee operations while trying to boost revenue and writing business plans. He will be the manager of 6 others in the division. I think he is excited, but torn with the decision to leave Aova. He will dearly miss his co workers who he has spent the past 5 years with, but he is ready for new challenges and obstacles with this job. It will entail more hours in the beginning, but he will no longer be traveling outside the country (which I am happy about!)

In the world of Reese, she is becoming a little toddler now. She is a complete walker, and likes to babble and talk.
She says Mama, Dada, bubble, Jack (our cat), hi, bye bye, baba (bottle), tata (water), and puhh (for please).
I am also now referred to as Kay-eee (Kali) by her. I am no longer Mama. It is quite comical to hear her walking around the house calling out my name! She moves upto the toddler room at daycare on September 1st, and I am looking forward to her being in a new room, learning new "big kid" things, and meeting new friends!

Is it over yet?

I have to say this has been the "week from hell" for me. Generally, weeks fly by, and I seem to wish they didn't go so fast. Not this week. I am overjoyed that it is Friday. My reasons being on Tuesday my phone broke, on Thursday, my car got damaged, and today I managed to sleep in (and yes, i DID have to work!) Needless to say, you can see why I am so happy this week is done.
On Tuesday during the middle of the day, the screen on my phone went completely black. It is still covered under warranty, so I was able to get a new one at no charge, but went without a phone from Tuesday until today. It sure would have been useful to have on Thursday when a piece of wood went flying off a semi, hit a van, bounced off the van and hit me, and then hit the car behind me. REALLY?!?! I was positive it was coming through the windshield, but I managed to maneuver my car so it just hit the front right bumper/fog light. Damage totalled at $1750. Thank goodness for our $500 deductible. As if my week could get any worse, my brain decided to turn off my alarm this morning without waking up. I rolled over to a clock that read 7:45 am. Hmm..."is it Saturday" I thought to myself. NO! I am supposed to be there at 7:30. I called work, threw on clothes, and flew out the door. UGH. Let's just say I hope my bad streak for the week is done.

Flip It!

Yesterday was a busy day for the Montgomery household. In the morning, Reese had her 1 year pictures taken. Kyle's co-worker takes wonderful pictures so we invited her over to do Reese's. She did a GREAT job! To see the pictures, visit www.froseth.com and click on "Children" and then "Reese is 1". I can't thank her enough for doing them!

Kyle then headed down to IL to drop Reese off with his parents for the night. We were holding the 2nd Annual Swan Creek Flippy Cup tournament last night in our garage (Swan Creek is our neighborhood). We had 4 couples, 1 could not attend, and many games were played. I will say, the girls did dominate the majority of the games, and my new nickname became the "one flip wonder" :) I must say I was pretty proud of my skills which have not been polished since college! For those who do not know, flippy cup is a beer/drinking/race game with 2 teams. The team to drink their beer and flip all of their cups over on the table, wins! We had a great time. It was odd to wake up this morning to a quiet household, and to look at the clock and see 9:49 am! I almost had a heart attack. But, figuring we didn't go to bed until around 2am, I got in my 8 hours of needed sleep, and I must say, I feel wonderful today!

1 year check-up

We had Reese's 1 year check up today. We celebrated by...having pink eye! She got pink eye yesterday and was off from daycare today due to a goopy, nasty mess in her eyes. They were swollen shut this morning, so Kyle took the day off and stayed at home with her. But, since she had 3 doses of drops, she is no longer contagious and we made our 5 o'clock dr's appt for her 1 year check up. She got three shots and had minimal crying with them.
Height: 31'' (95% tile)
Weight: 22 lbs 10 oz (73% tile)
Head Circumference: 44.2 cm (23% tile)
She is a tall, healthy baby!

Tomorrow Krista (my sister in law) and the girls are coming up to spend the day with Reese while Kyle and I head to the Cardinals/Brewers game in Milwaukee with Kyle's parents. We were going to take Reese with, but now that she has pink eye she is going to stay back (Kyle is quite disappointed about this as it would be Reese's first Cardinals game). There is always next year!

Reese is ONE!

Last Sunday we celebrated Reese's first birthday with a birthday bash at our house. We had around 30 people in our house and we all had such a great time. Reese opened up WAY to many presents! We are so thankful to have such great family and friends that spent the day with us. Reese was not too fond when we were singing her Happy Birthday. She broke into tears and then wanted nothing to do with her cupcake. She was in awe of having 30 people stare and sing to her. We then had a little water party outside for all the kids, complete with a swimming pool, slip and side, and tents to play in. They were all worn out by the end of the day. Here is her birthday song meltdown :)

Happy Birthday Reese Isabelle!

Reflections

With Reese's first birthday approaching, I am sitting here reflecting on her first year of life and my first year as a mom. There have been many up and downs, and I have learned many lessons along the way. Reese is such a beautiful little girl in her mommy and daddy's eyes and we cannot wait to see what her 2nd year of life holds. As I sit back and reflect on my "new life" as now a wife, AND a mom, here are a few things I have learned along the way:

1. My love knows no boundaries when it comes to my family.
2. The first 3-4 months (actually the first year!) of Reese's life were all trial and error. I learned it's ok to make mistakes, as all new mom's do. But, I learned from them and it just makes me a better mom.
3. You can read all the baby books, take all the classes, and listen to everyone's advice, but EVERY baby is so different. I learned to be flexible and work to meet my daughter's needs, not what everyone thinks her needs should be.
4. Watching her grow and learn new things is such an awesome feeling. Knowing that I was a part in creating her is amazing.
5. I can have the worst day ever, but her smile and giggles ALWAYS make it so much better.
6. Nothing can come between a daddy and his little girl. She lights up when Kyle is around!

I know I have MANY more, but I'll save those for another time.

Here are a few things that Reese is doing at (almost!) 12 months old:
-Saying Dada, Mama, Jack (our cat), Papa (grandpa's), TaTa (water), and baba (bottle/bye bye)
-She will wave hi and goodbye (actually she will wave all day long)
-She can now take a few steps in a row on her own
-She gives high fives
-She can do the sign for "all done"
-Her favorite foods are peas, meat, and cheese (in that order!)
-Her least favorite are fruit (besides a banana), yogurt, squash, and sweet potatoes
-Open and close doors and cupboards
-Recognize people she has seen before (grandmas/grandpas, people at daycare)
-She still LOVES baths and water
-She is a very strong willed, assertive girl. She can "speak" her mind :)
-She has 6 teeth- top 4 and bottom 2

Pre B-day Bash

This past weekend my college girlfriends (3 from Chicago area, 1 from Springfield, IL) made the trip up to Madison to have a pre-birthday bash for Reese! Reese LOVED all the attention the girls gave her, and I had a great time seeing my friends interacting with her. We had a yummy lunch and then had cupcakes to celebrate. We sang Happy Birthday and opened presents too. She got such cute things! Some outfits, shoes, sunglasses, and a Taggy stuffed ladybug.
Kyle was on daddy duty Saturday afternoon so I could take the girls down to the Union Terrace on the lake to sit outside, drink beer, and catch up on each others lives. We joked about how we can tell we are getting older because our conversations 5 years ago on a Saturday would have included things like this:
"Have you guys seen my credit card from last night?" "Uh, I'm so hungover." "Did we seriously eat McDonald's at 4 am?" "Why does my body smell like tequila?"
It just so happens that now our conversations regard children, marriage, & work. Not quite in the same realm as 5 years ago! We had such a great time though and came back to the house to a wonderful dinner prepares by Kyle. We enjoyed sitting on our patio with a campfire that night. I am now in preparation mode for Reese's party this next Sunday. Lists are made and now it is time to start crossing things off!

We Have a Walker!

I am a little sad to see this day come for various reasons:
1. I lost the bet with Kyle
2. I now have to "chase" my daughter around
3. She is no longer my little baby

But I am so happy to see the look on her face when she takes a few steps. She gets so proud of herself! This video was yesterday, her first steps caught on video, and today she has done many more. She did about 12 steps today, towards Kyle's phone :)

Kitchen Project

The tile is finished! Now to get our new microwave in place above the stove!

Tile before grout

Mid way through

Before work

Weekend Re-Cap

This past week flew by since it was a 4 day work week, and before I knew it Friday was here. I'm not complaining about that one bit! Friday night we put Reese to bed and had what Kyle called an "adult dinner". Usually we eat when she does to make our lives a little easier, but we waited to put her to bed around 7 and then Kyle grilled marinated steaks. They were deeeelicious. We had time to catch up, have adult conversation, and actually talk about how our day was.
Yesterday we took Reese to a pool by our neighborhood and let her swim. She is infatuated with the water, and cries every time we take her out of it. It was a great day for it too, nice and warm. We then headed down to a friends house about 20 min away to grill out last night and Reese got to play with her friend Kai, who is 6 weeks younger than her.
We are in the last stages of "re decorating" our main level. We have it all painted now (thanks to my dad), we are in the process of getting a new kitchen table, as well as new furniture for the living room. The final piece is coming together today as we are putting up the back splash tile in the kitchen. Before and after pictures will follow soon!
I am getting excited/sad that Reese's first birthday is approaching (July 24). It has been SO much fun watching her grow this first year of her life, but I am sad that my little baby is now going to be a toddler! Time sure has flown!!!

The "Bells" and the 4th

Whew...what a weekend. So much packed into a three day weekend, but we had so much fun. On Saturday, Tim, Jody (a childhood friend), and Mason (3 mo. old) came up to Madison to spend the day. They arrived nice and early so the boys could get a round of golf in before we began our day. While they golfed, Jody and I headed down to the Farmers Market on the square and enjoyed the nice breeze, warm weather, and Starbucks coffee :) After lunch, we all headed down to the Union Terrace on Lake Mendota. What a nice day! We got a table in the shade, and enjoyed some beverages while Reese napped in her stroller and Mason got lots of cuddle time. We grilled out Saturday night, and had a blast sitting out on the patio and catching up. We had a great time.

Sunday we woke up and packed our bags to head to the Dells a.k.a the "Bells" (according to my 4 year old niece.) We went up with Kyle's brother, his wife, and their two girls (7&4). We had a great time at Noah's ark both days. Reese LOVES the water, so she had a blast. It was a great way to spend our 4th. We didn't see fireworks this year, but hopefully we can next year when Reese can stay up a little bit later.

Even though our weekend was packed, it was packed with fun. Now I need another 3 day weekend to recover :)

Walking Wednesday

A Day in the Life of Reese

Reese is doing new things each and every day. Here is an idea of the day in the life of Reese...
-She greets the cats each and every morning by waving at them as soon as we open her bedroom door. She then giggles and watches the cats run up and down the hallway in excitement to see her as well.
-She LOVES waving at each and every person we see while walking into daycare (which is appx. 20-30 parents/co workers). They all know her name now and look forward to her waves every morning.
-She pretends to be the ring leader of her class. She is the oldest of the 6, and you can tell that she knows it. I am happy she is an assertive little girl, but look forward to when she is a toddler and there are older children in her class to "put her in her place" at times :)
-She gets so excited to see the animals at daycare. They have a barn with horses, llamas, sheep, alpaca, and bunnies. She likes watching them eat and we even got to see a sheep get sheared last week!
-She is fascinated with opening and closing things, especially doors. We say "open", "closed" about 50 times a day now!
-She is definitely a meat eater. She can eat more ham, turkey, or chicken than Kyle and I combined! She does like veggies, but is funny about fruit. I think it may be the texture she still needs to get used to.
-She has her two top teeth in now. That makes a total of 4.
-Within this past week, she lets go while standing up for quite a bit of time. She gets so happy and proud of herself when she does it. She starts laughing, which throws off her balance and she falls down. Kyle predicts a walker by her first birthday (July 24th). I'm not going that far, but think it will be by late August for sure.

Kyle has been in China all week for work, so Reese and I have been holding down the fort. Little "BIG" girl thought a few days this week that she did not need an afternoon nap, which resulted in a 6:15 pm bedtime both of those nights. I am happy to report she got back on track and took one today. It made for a happier Reese and a happier mommy tonight :)

Not much on tap for this upcoming Father's Day weekend. I'm sure Kyle will be busy recovering from jet lag on Saturday, and Reese and I have a special surprise planned for him on Sunday. Hopefully he does not sleep right through it :)

Success

I would deem this weekend as a success. We had our garage sale on Friday morning and today until after lunch, and did a good amount of business. At the end of the sale, we packed up the rest and I made a trip to Goodwill. I also got to do some garage sailing since my mom came up and helped run our garage sale today. I picked up some nice summer and fall clothes for Reese, as well as a new little couch for our living room, a construction table for Reese, and a few other small toys for her. Kyle managed to get a neat, vintage neon beer sign (Coors light) for the garage. It was a very successful weekend.

Kyle heads to China on Monday for 5 days for work, so tomorrow we will do nothing but relax and hopefully the weather is nice enough to get outside. I am looking forward to next Friday already, as it is quite the task to manage little Miss Reese all by myself while Kyle is gone. I always try to remind myself that many parents would give a lot to be with her as much as I get to be (as she is in my room at work/daycare). I guess I shouldn't complain :)

Visitors

Today my sister took off with her kids to head back to MN. We had a fabulous weekend while they were here. They arrived Friday evening, and we spent the night playing outside, and then enjoying some beverages out on our patio after the kids went to sleep. It was so nice to catch up with her, kid free :)

Saturday we jam packed our schedule. After breakfast, we headed downtown to the Madison Children's Museum. The kids had a blast, and their naps proved it! Aidan thoroughly enjoyed painting on the windows and the water room (not to say the girls didn't!) After the museum, we headed back home for lunch,and naps. When the kids woke up, we went down to the UW Union Terrace on Lake Mendota for some ice cream. Such a good day for a nice, cold treat. The weather was fantastic. We arrived home to be greeted by my parents who came up for a few hours to spend with the kids. My mom had to work all weekend, but came up for a few hours to get in some grandkid time :) By the time they left, you could probably see the exhaustion on mine and Courtney's faces. Whew...entertaining 3 children and carting them around all day was sure a task! We had a couple drinks on the patio, and then headed to bed.

Before taking off, we took a walk over to the park this morning for the kids to enjoy the slides and swings. Fun was had by all, and Reese took her longest nap

to date (2 hr and 45 min) after they left. Maybe they should come down more often ?! :)

Nearly impossible to get them all to smile at one time...

Aidan 3, Aubrey 1, Reese 10 mo.

My favorite picture of the weekend. The lighting on her is just fabulous!

Enjoying the water room at the museum.

Bath time!

Bound to Happen

I knew it was bound to happen at some point, and it finally has. Reese pooped in the tub last night while KYLE was giving her a bath...hahaha! I heard Kyle calling my name, and went upstairs only to smell what I was about to see in a few seconds. Poop. Reese was oblivious and had no clue what happened, and it was quite funny looking back on it. I knew at some point the day would come :)

We had a fabulous weekend back home for Memorial Day. Saturday I got to see my high school friends and throw a baby shower for my dear friend, Jody and her 2 mo old, Mason. After the shower, my parents baby sat while the girls and their partners headed to Massbach Winery for an afternoon of drinking, cheese tasting, and a live band. It was wonderful. Sunday we headed to Butson's annual Memorial Day party, and Reese spent the night with Kyle's parents. We then enjoyed a nice grill out with the Montgomery clan yesterday before heading back last night. We had a packed, but fun filled weekend. I am looking forward to this coming weekend when my sister and kids visit us!

Reese is cutting her two front teeth, and I would have never known if Kyle hadn't seen them. I guess that is a blessing in itself. I have heard horror teething stories, but her bottom two teeth (she got at 6 mo) and these top two don't seem to be bothering her. Lucky girl! Nothing a little ibuprofen can't help to take the edge off when they seem to be a little bother to her!

Say What?!?!

My little chatter box is becoming more and more vocal as the days go on. Case in point...

She is on the move and telling us all about it! She will be 10 mo old this week and is right on track. We are enjoying the new center we are at. Reese did fantastic her first days there and so far, so good. I also love my job. Sometimes a change can be such a great thing! Not much on tap this week. Kyle is down in Southern IL visiting his friend (the best man in our wedding) who will be deployed to Afghanistan on Thursday. Our prayers are with his family, wife, and two girls as he heads overseas. Phoebe is only 4 weeks younger than Reese, so I can only imagine how hard it must be for them. We pray he has a safe tour and can't wait to see him in 12 mo. when he returns!

Sassy Pants, too?

I had to laugh last night when I was looking through emails and saw my sister had updated her blog. I opened it only to see the title "Sassy Pants". I immediately started to chuckle. That was going to be the exact title I was going to put on my blog today. Reese and Aubrey MUST be cousins :) To see her blog entry, check out www.finnlandnewsandnotes.blogspot.com

Reese has turned into a little sassy pants this past week. Kyle and I were just talking about it the other night at dinner. Her screeches and hollers have gotten louder and much more exaggerated when she does not get something she wants. Oh lordy. I didn't know these "mini" temper tantrums started as young as 10 months! It really is not that bad, but she has been such a calm, easy going baby it was kind of shocking the first time we heard her "screech" when she didn't get something she wanted. She now HATES to have her diaper changed or to have her clothes changed. It is like wrestling a crocodile to get her clothes on her. She is constantly on the move and hates to be held down for one minute.

This past week I worked less hours than normal since I am just training for my new job, so that offered me lots more time to hang out with Reese and do some things I have been wanting to do. On Friday, we went to the Madison children's museum with a friend and her 5 mo old boy. It was closed all last summer for renovation,and now they have 3 floors of activities for kids. They even had a rooftop where they keep chickens, doves, and a fish pond. Reese LOVED it. So much that I bought a one year membership so we can go as often as we would like. It is amazing. They have so much for kids ages 0-10 to do. It will definitely come in handy this winter when we are searching for activities to do. I am very happy we finally went and can't wait to go back again.

I took this video this morning, of Reese and our cat Jack. They are infatuated with each other, and spend most of their days together chasing each other and playing games such as this one...

Welcome Summer!

The 80 degree weather has finally come! Luckily, I have today off and get to enjoy this wonderful weather with Reese. We plan on heading to the zoo this afternoon to take full advantage of it.
I started training for my new job yesterday, and so far I am still really excited. Today I did not have to go in becuase the director had a meeting all day and would not be able to train us. I was not complaining, I like to get as much Reese time as I can :)
We celebrated mother's day this past weekend with both grandma's. Saturday Kyle and I met my parents and headed to Cirque de Soleil in Rockford. It was a neat show. They can do some amazing things. On Sunday, we hung out with Kyle's mom before heading back up to Madison. Again, it was a gorgeous day outside, so I got some planting done in the garden. It was a great first mother's day!
I know I have been slacking on pictures, but I can't seem to locate the charger for my camera. Once I find it, more will come :)

Bittersweet

The day has come. My last day at my job is tomorrow. I am so excited to be taking on a new adventure and meeting new kids and families, but I am also so sad to leave behind some great co workers and some fantastic families. After working there for 3 1/2 years, I have become so close with some of the families, treating their children like my own. I have already had 2 parents cry about my departure, which makes me so sad! But, I have to do what is best for my family, and hat means making the move to a new center. Tomorrow will be tough, saying goodbye to my 8 little kiddos. I assured them I would be back to visit before too long!

In other news, Reese is growing and learning each day. She loves to clap at basically anything, shrieks in terror when bath time is over (she LOVES water), and chases the cats around on a daily basis. She has begun "walking" along something while holding on. It is so neat to watch her learn new things, but is a little sad watching her get big SO fast! I am also excited for her to make new "friends" at our new center, and I hope the transition goes smoothly for both of us.

Vacation

I have taken a vacation from the blog, as well as my actual vacation to Florida. Lots of changes have been happening in our lives, thus the blog has been left behind. We purchased a new car, I accepted a new job, took a vacation, celebrated Easter, and Reese turned 9 mo old. All within the last week!!!

My vacation was amazing. Wonderful weather and great girl time. It was nice to catch up with my college friends since we don't get together as often as we would like.

I ended up taking a new position at another center not far from the one I am currently at. With better benefits, and cheaper cost of daycare for Reese, I could not pass it up. I am excited to start a new journey, but sad to be leaving behind some families where I am at now.

We had Reese's 9 mo appt today. She is right on track. Here are her stats:

Height: 28.5" (80%tile)

Weight: 20 lb 6.8 oz (76 %tile)

Head circumference: 44 cm (49%tile)

She is crawling, pulling herself up onto things, talking up a storm, and has started eating table foods (in combination with bottles and baby food). This weekend we plan to have no plans :) Kinda nice for a change!

The Power of 3 (well, actually 4)

Reese has been a busy bee lately, learning new things each and everyday. This week, she started crawling around on Sunday. On Tuesday, she said "Ma, Ma" for the first time, and actually meant it when calling out for me (this melted my heart!) :)On Wednesday, she mastered the skill of clapping, and now applauds at almost anything. And today, she showed us that she knows how to roll her tongue. This little girl is doing so much it is hard to keep up with! 4 new things all in one week. We are both fighting off a cold, it seems as though we have been since November. I hope mine clears up before my Florida trip on Wednesday. Nothing needs to hinder my ability to lay in the sun and sip on cocktails with my girl friends :) Since I won't be around, and will be busy this week, I hope everyone has a happy Easter next weekend!

Crawling

Reese is now crawling. On Sunday, she all of a sudden took off. It is so neat watching her move around, but now it's time to baby proof the house :)

C'Mon already....

Come on spring!! Please get here fast. I say this for many reasons. 1. I am sick and tired of being stuck inside. 2. I love rainy days and flowers blooming. 3. It is my favorite season. 4. But most of all, I am sick and tired of my baby being sick :( Yesterday at daycare, they called my class to tell me to come and check out her eye. When I got in there it was quite goopy, and by the time I had called the dr's office and got back in there, it was pink. UGH! We just got over her 3 day fever last week. So, we got eye drops and are doing them 4 times a day for 7 days. Today, I was able to take her back to work at 10 am (24 hr since starting her drops), and they called me at 1:30 pm. I didn't even want to hear it, now what? Well, she had a fever and had to go home. Here we go again.... This time I feel it might be due to teething, but I have no clue. Just a guess. By 4 pm, she didn't have a fever anymore. Let's hope it stays away. This weekend we are staying in Madison and getting around to things we have neglected the past few weekends. Spring cleaning is in order, as well as car shopping (my car is taking a crap), meeting a new neighbor who has a 3 mo. old boy (Kyle met him through work), and getting Easter pictures taken of Reese through a friend of mine at work who is trying to start a photography business. Should be a fun weekend if we can all stay healthy!

Look out!

Reese is feeling much better finally! Her fever broke on Wednesday night, and she got a stay at home day with me on Thursday to rest up. Back to daycare she went on Friday, and is all healthy now.

This weekend we went home and packed our days full of family. Saturday we went to Great Grandma Montgomery's house and chatted with her and Grandma and Papa Montgomery. It was a nice (but windy) day outside, so we got some fresh air. While we were there, Gary got out one of his pedal cars (he collects old engines and antiques) for Reese to ride in. Each of his grandkids now have a mode of transportation. Maddy (almost 7) has a "Maddy Wagon", Mekenna (3) has a pink and purple tractor, and now Reese has her pedal car.

Look out for this wild driver!

Sunday we headed down to Prophetstown to celebrate my Grandma's 95th birthday. We had good food, good company, and warm weather! It was 79 degrees there (where as it only got to 41 in Madison) We experienced a 38 degree difference within a 2 1/2 hour drive home!

Sick as a dog

Reese came down with a fever yesterday at daycare. They called my room to tell me it was 101.5 under the arm (then you add a degree, so really it was 102.5). I went and picked her up and called the doctor's office when we got home. With her history of ear infections, they wanted me to bring her in. All checked out ok. No other symptoms besides nasal/head congestion and a fever. I was so thankful she didn't have another ear infection. I really don't like putting her on antibiotics. Last night was a little rough. It took almost 2 hours to console her to get her to sleep, and she ended up sleeping in bed with me, because she was so uncomfortable and only wanted to be touching me. I pretty much did not sleep, but cat napped on and off throughout the night. When she woke up this morning, burning hot again, her temperature was 102.5 (again, 103.5 since it was under her arm). I gave her more ibuprofen, and headed to work while Kyle stayed home with her. He called me around 1 and said he took her temp again and this time it was 103.3 (104.3). I told him to call the dr. right away and I headed home. They advised us to try to keep fluids in her, and really watch her. If she still has this high fever tomorrow, then we will need to do something more and have her seen again. Hopefully it breaks tonight. She has taken many naps today, so I hope her little body is fighting it off. Poor baby :(

Can You Hear Me?

Reese's thoughts exactly. We have entered the screeching phase. I have never heard such a high pitched screech come out of a baby's mouth before (well I probably have, but it didn't phase me because I didn't live with it) :) Anytime we set Reese down, don't pay attention to her, or don't do something fast enough (i.e. feed her, change her, etc.) she screeches very loudly at us. So basically, most of the time. To keep from needing to take aspirin everyday, Kyle and I have learned to look at each other, and just laugh. It is quite comical, and when she sees us laughing, she usually does as well. Such a little stinker. She is also becoming more "needy" it seems. Every time I play with her, she wants to be touching me, or sitting with me. She is always wanting us to be paying attention to her, and her every move. When we set her down and walk away, we hear a loud screech behind us. I remember my sister telling me when her kids were going through this phase, so I think it is normal, right? I hope so, and I also hope that it passes. Once she gets some words, I hope she learns how to use an inside voice :) She turned 8 months old last week. She is just about crawling, but not quite there. She tries and tries, but still just goes backward. She is also still chatting up a storm. She is very entertaining, and I just love watching her learn new things each week. She changes so fast! She just figured out that if you bang two things together (such as blocks) it makes a loud noise, and giggles and giggles while repeating it. This next weekend we head home for my Grandma's 95th birthday. Can you believe it?? I hope I can live to 95 and still have the mind she does. Looking forward to seeing our family and watching Reese be entertained by her cousins.

Dells

This past weekend we went up to the Dells with my mom and dad, and my sister's family. We all had a great time, and Reese took a 2 1/2 hour nap Sunday afternoon; she was wiped out! Reese loved being entertained by cousin Aidan (almost 3) and watching Aubrey move and groove (almost 1). Reese loves the water and had a blast splashing and playing in it. Here are a few pics from our weekend.

The best picture I could get!

Celebrating Birthdays 1 & 3 with fish cupcakes (kudos to my Mom!)

Playing in their diapers

*note* Aidan is in underwear now, but this was after a nap-so proud of him!

Floating with dad

Mom's Night Out

Well, sort of. That is how is started :) Last night some of our friends had a dinner party. Kyle decided to stay home with Reese and I went with a girlfriend of mine. It was nice to get out and be "baby free" for a few hours, and I was looking forward to some yummy glasses of wine and a delicious dinner. During dinner (around 9 pm, I had been there since 7), Kyle called my phone. I answered only to hear Reese screaming in the background and not being able to hear what Kyle was saying. All I could make out was "there is puke everywhere" and I told him I'd be right home. We only live about 5 minutes away, so I packed up a "to-go" bag of some delicious prime rib, and headed home. I didn't know what I was walking in to!
Kyle was bathing Reese and I went into her room to find her crib sheet covered in puke. UH! When her bath was done, I was holding her, and she began to puke again, over the tub this time. I don't think I have ever felt more helpless, there was nothing I could do to make her feel better :( Kyle then rocked her while I called a nurse on-call. She told me it was actually perfect timing for her to get sick, because they recommend waiting one hour from the last vomiting to put anything in her stomach, and then spoon feed clear liquids 1 tsp every 5 minutes for 8 hours so she doesn't get dehydrated!!! If she fell asleep though, let her sleep it out and don't wake her to feed her.By the time I got back upstairs, she was asleep in Kyle's arms. I laid her in her crib, and there she slept, the rest of the night. Thank goodness. She awoke this morning with a smile on her face, and ate some rice cereal for breakfast. She is not quite back to herself today, but no puking. She did have a little diarrhea, but not much. Now I'm just praying Kyle and I don't get it!

Down 3

Down 3....lbs that is! 1 week into Weight Watchers and I have lost 3 lbs. I have been watching what I eat, and been running for 20-30 minutes 5 days this week. I like the program thus far, and hope it keeps working!

In other news, Reese has been a sleepy head this weekend. She got a nasty cough on Thursday and was up for about 2 hours Thursday night coughing non stop. Friday at daycare she was not feeling so good, and took a 2 hour morning nap yesterday and today (she NEVER does that). I think she is on the mend, but her nasty, green, snotty nose is still sticking around (gross). Hoping she is getting over this now. She had lots of rest this weekend as we stayed home and relaxed. Just what all of us needed!

She is getting closer and closer to crawling. She gets up on her knees and rocks back and forth, but doesn't quite do it yet. She scoots backwards, but does not go forward. I fear the time is coming soon that we have to baby proof the house. No more immobile baby!

Now or Never

The time has come to shed the last of this baby weight I am still holding on to (about 8 lbs). Things have definitely fallen into different places since Reese was born :) With a little motivation from my cousin, Elyse, who is doing weight watchers and is very successful, I have decided to jump on the wagon and do it as well.

I researched in online, and for a VERY affordable price, I became a member. I signed up for 3 mo, and hope to reach my goal weight by then. I actually hope to lose most of it in the next 7 weeks in preparation for my Florida trip :) I also went for my first run (outside) yesterday in about a year and a half. YIKES, I sure have gotten out of shape! I am not looking to lose a ton of weight, just want to get back to my pre-baby weight and hopefully feel good again in my clothes (and bathing suit) :) I debated doing weight watchers or just joining a gym, but with this I can actually track what I eat, get healthy, affordable recipes, and work out on my time when I have Kyle to be here with Reese. It just makes more sense for me (and it is actually much cheaper per month than a gym membership). So, let the quest begin. Wish me luck!!

Chatty Cathy

Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba, Baaaaa....this is what I hear non stop from Reese. She has turned into Chatty Cathy, talking alllll the time. This morning she just said Da, Da, Da for the first time, and of course Kyle jumped right on that (even though she was not referring to him) :) I also, was a very talkative child, if you can believe that!My mom said she always knew where I was b/c I was talking non stop, and if I was quiet, that is when she needed to come see what I was doing. I have a feeling it is going to be the same way with Reese.

Reese turned 7 mo.this past week. She is now:

sitting up all by herself
grabbing everything in sight
rolling over multiple times
eating oatmeal cereal and baby food
fascinated with our 2 cats
talking up a storm
has her two front, bottom teeth
getting up on her knees while lying on her stomach, trying to crawl (god help me!)
loves her bath and being in the water
recognizing her name, looking at us when we say it
weighing about 18 lbs and wearing 6 & 9 mo. clothes

Obsessed

So I have a little bit of a new obsession, taking good pictures. I have been learning how to really "use" my camera, and do things manually...like setting the f-stop and working on finding the perfect shutter speed for each picture. Whether she likes it or not, Reese has become my little model :) She does quite well, and actually enjoys the camera! I have always liked photography, but now, it is SO much fun when you get a great picture. I am really looking forward to getting better and better with it. Practice makes perfect!

This weekend we went to the Children's Expo at the Alliant Energy Center. Reese was in heaven watching all the kids run around and looking at all the booths and demonstrations. She met Elmo, danced along to a kid band, watched a Karate demonstration, and gawked at a firetruck. It was a nice family outing.

Last week Reese went though a growth spurt (or at least I think so) and was waking up in the middle of the night to eat. Finally, she slept the entire night again last night, and it was awesome. Hopefully she keeps it up!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures I have taken this weekend..

Our kitty, Jack

Jolly Green Giant

Aidan, Reese, and Aubrey

2 little cutie pies :)

Aubrey 10 mo., Reese 6 mo.

This past weekend (while Kyle was in Nicaragua for a friend's wedding) Reese and I headed North to visit my sister and her family. We made the trek with my friend Jennie, and her almost 2 year old daughter, Ada. Jennie's parents live about 10 min from my sister, so it worked out nicely. We had no major meltdowns or catastrophes, and the girls traveled great.

We had a nice weekend with the family. I always get a kick out of Aidan and all the new things he has learned since I have seen him last. This time, it was his ability to question everything, even a question :) He has a very inquiring mind and wants to know how everything works and the reason anything happens. Aubrey is a little chatter box and is on the move, crawling about and watching Aidan romp around the house. When I say Aubrey is little, I mean it! She is this little cute petite girl, and this is why I reference Reese to be the Jolly Green Giant (not quite a Giant) but bigger than Aubrey. Aubrey is 4 mo older than Reese, and Reese is more "solid" that Aubrey. Her hands are twice the size, and I even feel like she weighs more.

I got the chance to take Aidan to Kyle's hockey game on Saturday afternoon while Courtney stayed home with the girls. I had a blast with him. He was so funny, telling me about all the "rules" of hockey, of which I have no clue. It was neat to hear his interpretation of the game.

Little Miss Reese has not been sleeping well since this weekend. At first, I attributed it to being in a different place over the weekend. Then we we were home Sunday night, she was up multiple times, crying and hard to console. I know she can make it through the night w/out eating, so I figured she was not waking up due to hunger. Monday night and last night were just as hard. We were up about every hour and half last night. I would let her "cry it out" for about 30-40 min, and she still was not going back to sleep. We just stopped her ear infection medicine this past Saturday, so it had me wondering if it could be another one. I took her to the dr. today, and both ears are just fine. Thank goodness. Her bouts of night waking must be due to either teething or growing. She has her two front bottom teeth popping through, and she has also gained about 1 lb. since Feb. 1st. (She was 16 lbs 7.5 oz on Feb 1st, and was 17 lb 5 oz today). I can just hope that tonight goes a little smoother. I have become "afraid" of the night again like I was the first weeks of her life when she woke every 2 hours to eat. In the words of my mom "Oh the joys of parenthood!" :)

Poor Baby...

Reese has had an interesting week I must say. We had 3 (well 4) things happen this week that made it a little tough on her. First, she had 4 shots on Tuesday at her 6 mo appt. Then on Wednesday, she woke up with a really runny nose (part of an existing cold) but it was hard to stay on top of it since it was runny non stop. Then on Wednesday night, I put my finger in her mouth to check around for teeth, and sure enough, her bottom right tooth is popping through. To make matters worse, she just was not sleeping well on Friday, and was VERY crabby Friday night, and was tugging at her ears a lot, so I had Kyle call urgent care of Saturday morning so we could get her checked out. Sure enough, she has another ear infection, in her left ear this time. He said it was not too bad, but he wanted to get her on antibiotics right away since she just had one in her right 4 weeks ago. My poor baby....what a rough week. The doctor put her back on medicine, and hopefully she will start feeling better soon. We have had lots of cuddle and snuggle time with her these past couple days. I can't imagine having an ear infection, a cold, and a tooth coming in all at the same time :( Praying for a better start to this week...

SNOW DAY!

I'm sure ALMOST all of you reading this have in some way been affected by the blizzard (as it took up almost half of the U.S!) Snow in Madison started yesterday around 4:00 p.m., and was very heavy. Thank goodness I got home around 3:45, because the Interstate and Beltline were a mess! Reese was supposed to have her 6 mo. appt. yesterday at 4:30, but they called and asked to move it up, so Kyle took her at 3:15. She received 3 regular shots, and the first round of her flu shot. We have to go back in a month for her second flu shot. According to Kyle, she did pretty good (I think it was harder on him). They both got home around 4, when I did and she drank a bottle and went to sleep for almost 2 hours. Here are her 6 mo stats:
Height: 27" (87%tile)
Weight: 16 lbs 7.5 oz (56%tile)
Head: 42 cm (33%tile)
She is getting longer and losing weight, but still within normal range.

Kyle spent the majority of the morning digging/blowing us out. It took almost 2 hours of snow blowing and shoveling to get it clear. I was sure not heartbroken that I had to stay inside with Reese. It looked nasty out there! The snow has stopped now and we are bracing for below zero temps.

In conjunction with the blizzard, our hot water heater went out (of course). After Kyle got done shoveling, he then tackled the task of fixing it. After 2 hours, lots of cuss words, and a blow dryer to melt the ice away from the exhaust outside, he managed to fix it. So much for a relaxing snow day!

On or Off?

Reese has decided off, with her socks that is! Last week, she discovered the little game all babies discover, taking off their socks. It is much more fun to play with her toes than to keep her feet warm, according to her. I think pretty much every mom has at one point struggled trying to keep socks on their child's feet, and that struggle has begun for me :) She will pull her feet up to her mouth, grab on to her socks, and then kick her legs down, pulling off her socks in the meantime. She gets this huge grin on her face, and looks at me like "Look what I just did" and giggles. It is actually pretty cute, for now :)

We have been skyping with Kyle the past couple of days, as he is in Toyko, Japan for work. Reese does not quite get the concept of looking at him on the computer screen, but she looks all around when she hears him talk, trying to figure out just where he is. He is planning on returning to Madison tomorrow, if the snow holds off. Let's hope so!

Reese has begun to battle another cold. It seems as if they come one after another. All those germs at daycare will do that. We just finished her medicine for her ear infection on Friday morning, and by Saturday morning, she woke up congested with a runny nose. I am ready for Spring so she can be healthy for once!

We had a good weekend down at my parents. We caught up on some R&R and had fun playing with Nana and Poppa. In two weeks, when Kyle is in Nicaragua, we are heading up North to visit my sister, brother in law, and the kids. Should be a fun filled weekend! We have Reese's 6 mo appt (with shots) this Tuesday. I'm interested to see how long she is. She seems to be growing like a weed!!!

6 mo

Here are some pics from the Dells...

Reading with cousin, Mekenna (4)

Reese is 6 months old today! I'm sure her dad sang her Happy Birthday this morning :)

We are so blessed to have such a great baby who has been with us the past 6 months. It has flown by and she has changed SO much since the day she was born. Recently, she has begun eating "solid" foods. She is not so fond of peas...as she spits them back out and makes a face od disgust :) But, she has become accustomed to pears and enjoys them now. We have yet to try the carrots and squash, they are next on the list once the pears are gone.

Dells

We went to the Wisconsin Dells this weekend with Kyle's family. We were joined by his parents, brother, sister-in-law, and nieces (ages 6 & 4). We headed up to the Wilderness Resort on Friday after work, got some dinner, and headed down to the pool before it was Reese's bed time. Daddy was so excited to get her in the water he just could not wait until Saturday morning :). Much to our surprise, she loved it! Well, I guess you could say that. I'm not sure if she realized she was in water due to all the action she was observing around her. I don't think she looked at Kyle or I once while we had her in the water. She was watching everything going on around her and was in awe. She sat completely still on the side of the pool, eyes wide, and mouth open taking in the sights around her!
Saturday we headed back to the water park, and again, Reese was indifferent. She didn't mind being in the water, and was happy out of it as well. She people watched and was quite content. With sensory overload, she took a 2 1/2 hour nap on Saturday, which is unheard of for her. Usually her naps are between 1 -1 1/2 hours. I think fun was had by all. Everyone was wiped out today, but not enough to skip the outlet mall on the way home :) We had a great weekend, but are a little disappointed at this point as the Bears are down 14-0 at halftime to the Packers...c'mon BEARS!!! I'll post pics from this weekend later in the week.