January fun and other pics

So, like I have said in the past...this is not so much a blog as it is a place to put some of Reese's pictures and some of these are just too cute to pass up. Some are a few weeks back...

Reese and Uncle Jonathan

Reese heading down the big slide in our neighborhood park
Reese and James getting ready for dinner together

Reese and I went to Altanta and got to meet up with some of our friends, Gina and Noah; Lindsay and Bryson. Reese was the the only girl on this playdate!
Reese and Aunt Bethany taking a quick break on the floor
Reese trying to help daddy get out the door for work...someone loves their daddy!

Reese and Bebe in the very big Bouncy thing...Reese just ran back and forth laughing
Lindsay, Bryson, Reese and me

Things I have learned...

Ok, so with Reese being about one month away from being two years old it has got me thinking. There really are a lot of things that I did not fully understand until I became a mom…here goes!

1) People who leave grocery carts in the middle of a parking space! I mean it used to make me so mad…I used to think it is not that hard to just put the buggy in the buggy rack…until I was unloading a car in the freezing cold, or blazing hot and had little one with me as well. We have been in the store long enough and the idea that I would have to leave her in the car by herself…or roll her to the buggy rack then carry her back…to much! So, for those of you who just leave the buggy there…I get it! Now I just try to get the space right next to cart place.
2) People who said that taking a shower was their few moments of peace? What? I mean that statement alone made me sad for those people until I realized how true it is…
3) Mini vans…I am sorry, I know it sounds like a shallow thing…but honestly I never got them. I did not like them and I did not understand why people said they liked them. They are still not my vehicle of choice…but I totally get them now! All of the room…your child can get into the car themselves (unlike hiking up into a SUV) and they are just more accessible.
4) The love of a drive thru anything. I mean, I now imagine a world of drive thru post offices, drugstores, grocery stores, you name it…I want it.
5) Watching Sesame Street(or another pbs show)… I originally just thought that TV for children was wasteful and not educational! Ok, say what you want…but now I get it and I do think there is some value not to mention the value of my sanity for 30 minutes.
6) Pop Ice as a staple…for our house it has become that quite often. Now everytime Reese has a busted lip, here comes the pop ice…and pop ice chills the lip, stops the bleeding and Reese is in heaven.
7) Hand Sanitizer. Ok, so I have never been one of those germ-o-phobes until Reese turned about 6 months old and she began to touch everything and then put it, or her hands into her mouth and mine. Now as we approach 2 years old not much has changed…so we need stock in Purell.
8) Carrying wipes with you at all times. Who said wipes were just for dirty diapers. They are great for wiping hands down after playing and eating. They are actually great stain removers (fyi) for a lot of little spots on clothes and to clean of any place you may be going that needs a little touch up.

Well there it is. I know that all of you with 2, 3, 4 or however many children are reading this and thinking just wait until she has more than one. Well, all I have to say it you are probably right…but for now these are some things that I am finding new appreciation for as I continue to learn what being a mom is all about! And here is a picture of Little Miss Mischief herself!

Petting zoo fun

Well, I am a little behind...oh well. A little after Christmas we had the treat of getting to see the Parnell Family! It was so great to see them since they live even farther away than they used to...and Reese had not seen Avery or Griffin in quite awhile.

We went to the Oak Moutain petting zoo on the first available dry day here and had a blast. I would recommend it as a cheap (but stinky) thrill for little ones! They literally get to walk along with all of the donkeys, goats, ponys, and peacocks. Reese loved it and was not afraid of anything...she got a little too friendly with some of the goats as you can see.

Four Christmases...maybe five, six...

Well to go along with the theme of the movie that came out, Four Christmases (which by the way was so funny) we too celebrated four Christmases...actually about 50 or that is what it felt like. The celebration began when my mom (Reese's Bebe) came to visit the weekend before Christmas. Reese was so excited with her new table and chair set to have tea parties at and all of the presents she was able to open. We took a trip to the ZOO and it was way too cold...but really fun. It was a great way to start off the Christmas celebration spree!

We began our traveling Christmases by flying to St. Louis to celebrate with Jason's Dad, Barb, Parker and Kaitlyn. Reese loved opening the presents (the vaccum was a huge hit), playing with Parker and Kaitlyn, but most of all chasing their dog patches around the house.

Then, we all got in the car to drive to Kansas city where we celebrated with Jason's mom (Reese's Grandma Shirla) and all of her family. Reese's highlight was throwing the ball with Fritz, opening presents and her new baby doll and stroller.

We left to head a little further north to celebrate with Jason's grandmother, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Reese had a blast playing and opening more presents. As you can see below she really enjoyed trapping patches in the baby bed.

The last stop was to fly home to Birmingham and then drive to Atlanta to celebrate with my dad (Reese's Pop), Uncle Jonathan, Aunt Ashley and Bebe! Again presents were so much fun and having her dogs Ellie and Bailey with us was a blast for her.

All of that said...it was a wild and crazy Christmas but we enjoyed it all! Reese loved seeing everyone and LOVED opening presents! It was actually a little scary the way her eyes opened upon seeing any sort of wrapped package! We have had to slowly let her realize that Christmas is over and that there are no more presents to unwrap!

And now, after taking a few days to catch our breath we can realize how truely blessed we are to have so much family and the opportunity to see as many of them as possible. We are truely looking forward to 2009 and all of the excitement and joy it will bring as Reese continues to light up our lives in every way and as we continue to follow the direction that the Lord has for our family! Happy New Year!