Reese 14 mo. and Thanksmas

I totally forgot to write a 14 month post for Reese!
There haven't been just a whole lot of changes since last month. She still eats just about everything, and she wears the same size diapers and clothes.
The biggest change this month is that she has become more confident in her cruising abilities and she also has become aware of her ability to stand without being supported. We have started practicing with her walking back and fourth between Brian and I and she will take one step before diving head first towards us.  We have some work to do!

This past month I have been busy with photo shoots for Christmas cards and getting started in Christmas decorating and shopping. This year we did our family Christmas on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Dubbed as "Thanksmas." This was the year that Ashlee and Michael will be in California and Corey and Rachel will be in San Antonio for Christmas. We will be here as always, but will be having Christmas with Brian's family. The only time we would all be together was at Thanksgiving break, it was only logical we had our Christmas at that time.

We had a great Thanksgiving break. Maddie was out of school for a week and I was very happy to have her home. We had a fun time together playing, shopping and getting ready for Thanksmas.

Before our family got together for Thanksmas, we celebrated Brian's 30th birthday! His birthday wasn't for a few days, but he wanted to celebrate while everyone was in town. His restaurant of choice was Club Schmitz in Dallas. Its actually a pretty well known hamburger bar despite its "appealing" curb appeal. Apparently some famous people have frequented this bar back in the day. So after the girls shopped in Allen all day we drove to meet the boys at the bar after their ALL DAY round of golf. I'm glad he got the opportunity to do something fun like that, especially on his "birthday".

The little girls fell asleep on our way to Dallas after shopping all day. Ashlee was on head reast duty.

Club Schmitz. It's a classy place.

This establishment actually has a special place in mine and my families heart. I have been a patron of this place since I was little when my family was home on furlough. My grandpa used to live on Lover's Lane in Dallas where my dad grew up which is quite close to where this bar is. My grandpa knows the owner and his family and everyone knows who my grandpa is and what he will be eating and drinking when he comes in. When I was little he used to go every Saturday. Since he's been retired he goes on different days during the week to meet his other old retired friends. They eat, drink and play pool. They also have a shuffle board which Maddie tries to perfect her skills when she goes.

The next day we had our Thanksmas celebration. It was fun preparing the food and getting everything ready in my house. Having little kids, its so much easier to host. Plus, my parents house is undergoing a huge remodel so their house was quite out of the question anyways.  

My parents (mom) wanted an impromptu photoshoot.  

 Classy Reese.

 Maddie was excited about The Grinch.

That wraps up November.  Merry Christmas!

13 months and other happenings

Reese is 13 months TODAY!

Reese has recently started cruising along on everything. Even the walls which is kind of funny to watch. She's not confident in walking by herself yet, but she loves her new stage of mobility. Maddie was about 15 months before she was walking independently, and I suspect Reese will be about the same. I am not in a hurry.

I have also started teaching Reese sign language for "more" and "all done". Its very helpful to have this new mode of communication as simple as it is. She's pretty good at it, but she doesn't like to be "all done" so she favors the "more" sign. Even though I can see that her tummy couldn't bulge out any larger she still asks for "more".

Reese's food variety has also been growing. I have been giving her more of the food that I make for the rest of us for dinner. I think I am finally ready to put away my baby food processor. If I cut up the pieces real small and mash them with my fork, she seems to eat whatever it is very well and so far, there really isn't anything she doesn't seem to like.

Reese understands a lot and her personality always makes us laugh. She is such a sweet girl. I love my Reese's to pieces! (this will never get old) 

This past month we had good friends that drove up from Houston come stay with us for a weekend and we went to the TEXAS State Fair which is a tradition we try to keep up with.

 We also had Halloween this month. For the kick off of this sugar infested holiday we walked down Ballard Street in Wylie for their special event called "Boo on Ballard". Several of the store and shop owners gather on the street to pass out candy. They also have a live band and the Wylie fire department come out with their fire trucks to pass out candy as well. Maddie had fun, but I think I had the most fun, because I wondered into a store and bought this:

I could not be more excited about this china cabinet. Its an authentic vintage piece and it has my name written all over it. We are slowly trying to furnish our house so finding this gem was awesome. I know this will be a piece I'll keep forever.

The girls at Boo on Ballard

After we came home that night from down town Wylie, this happened:

My big girl lost her first tooth! It was an ordeal, but she was excited when it finally came out. It was hanging on by a thread, but it took some working to get it completely out. Brian played the surgeon and at last we have a spot where a tooth should be. The tooth fairy visited that night and all was well with the world again. I had mixed emotions though. I think I will always be a little sad when my girl hits a milestone from now on. It seems like from the point of entering kinder and on, these milestones signify that my big girl is truly getting older and no longer in the little girl faze.

After Boo on Ballard we had Trunk or Treat at church (which I forgot my camera so I only have phone pictures) and we also did this to our kitchen:

We painted! We will be picking up the china cabinet on the 15th this month and it will go on the wall behind the table. I have also started chalk-painting the kitchen table and chairs. I'm really liking this chalk paint. I think I'm also going to paint the tables in the living room. Since most of our furniture is what we had in college, its nice to give it a fresh new look.

After that, we had our first Halloween in our new neighborhood. Maddie had a lot of fun trick-or-treating and we will have candy to last us all year long. Brian dressed up as Gumby and stayed home to pass out candy and I took the girls in the wagon and we went around the neighborhood. Maddie was Izzy from Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Reese was a Reese's Pieces. But it got cold so I changed her into her pink glow-in-the-dark skeleton shirt.

Earlier that day I carved a pumpkin and Maddie watched because it was too "gross" to do anything else. She picked out the Hello Kitty for me to carve. I however, have never carved a pumpkin, (I grew up in Brazil, so don't judge) so I didn't know there were actual carving kits and what-not. I'm pretty sure I'll develop carpal tunnel after this endeavor, but I made memories, and that's all that matters. Right??

That was October in a Nutshell. I have a feeling November will be just as crazy. 

Reese's first birthday

REESE IS ONE! 

Now I have a one year old and a five year old. Life is crazy, but I'm really enjoying the stage we are at right now. I think I've even said that before. Reese is such an easy baby. So complete opposite of her first 4.5 months of life. We were all so miserable back then, its amazing she has such a sweet disposition at this time.

We got our check-up at the Dr. yesterday. (Maddie also missed school for the first time. She was running a fever and had some cold-like symptoms, so I took her in for a sick visit with Reese's well visit. It turns out she has strep throat. A first for Maddie.) Reese weighs 22lb's 75% and is 29 in. 75%.

A few things to add on to last month, Reese can now go from crawling to sitting to standing while holding onto furniture. She can move her feet a couple of steps, but that's about it as far as cruising. She will move her feet a little bit if I hold her hands also.

She plays well by herself, even if she is getting into EVERYTHING. Her favorite is to mess with the TV sound system and turn it off and on. Reese also imitates well. I am trying to teach her sign language starting with "more" and "all done". I am actually impressed at how well its going.

Reese also has a new game she learned. When you ask her "where did Reesey go?" she will cover he eyes with her fists, hold for a couple of seconds then show her eyes again.

Reese still loves to cuddle - especially before bed time and she still loves her lovie giraffe. I don't usually let her play with it outside of bed time, but when its with her, she will take him wherever she goes.

She is still in size 4 diapers and wears 12months clothes (not for much longer) and mostly 18 months.

For her birthday we had a small gathering and the Theme was Reese's Pieces. I had a lot of fun with that. I will probably be doing that theme again in the future. This theme was also easy to do at this time of year. Everything is orange and black, so it wasn't hard to find.

We did some crafts

This is Reese's classic face

Reese had her own smash cake, a large Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (only it was a vanilla cake with chocolate icing) 

Reese's monthly photos on the mantle. 

Kindergarten

School. It has begun. At least this time its not for me. Although it might as well be since I'm also the one having to wake up at the crack of dawn to get sister fed and ready to go. Maddie has to be there at 7:20 a.m. and it's been rough on all of us. She has told me before "Can you not wake me up and just let me wake up by myself?" oh how I wish I could let you do that.

Her first day was an exciting/terrifying day. We had just moved into our house the Friday before, so this was a lot of change in just a 3 day period. Brian had taken off of work for the move, so we all went together to drop Maddie off. The Kindergarteners were gathered in the cafeteria and that's where we were supposed to drop them off. (new system, not quite happy about how they decided to do things this year) We stood there with her for a while, but melt-downs started happening when the parents where dismissed. Brian was holding Reese and Maddie had her arms wrapped around my leg as if her life depended on it. She was almost hysterical. I could not let her go. I had to call Brian for re-enforcements. He gave me Reese and peeled Maddie off of me so he could try talking to her. I took Reese and walked out of the cafeteria before I went hysterical like some of the kids. I did see other moms crying as they were walking away too, so I wasn't alone.

It went kind of like how I imagined. I had been gearing up for this day since May, so there where no surprises. According to Maddie, the day went really well and according to Brian, (who takes her to school on his way to work) drop off for the rest of the week went well. On Friday of that week we where finally able to meet her teacher (Maddie didn't get her teacher assignment till Thursday afternoon) We ALL once more dropped her off at school, saw her classroom and met her teacher. She again had a minor melt down, but this time her teacher was able to comfort her and she had a great rest of the day.

Maddie is loving school. She still comes home tired from the long day and still misses the fun special activities she did at preschool, but I just have to remind her shes in kindergarten now and shes doing things she didn't get to do in preschool. I am nervous about the high expectations they are placing on kids these days - its amazing the academic expectations they have for these little kindergarteners already. Its forcing them to grow up to fast and that's sad.

 I look SO tired!!

  

 

Maddie and her teacher

Second week of school.