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