Impromptu Splash Date with Momma

Reid and I were downtown recently and came across the Liz Carpenter Fountain near Zilker Park.  It was a HOT day in Austin (surprise!)…And even though he didn’t have a swimsuit or a swim diaper……I couldn’t resist letting him play in the water!  He LOVED it!  And I loved watching him run around and play!  He was asleep before we left the parking lot. 

Ten Months Old!!

Sweet Little Reid is ten months today!  Can you believe it?!  We can’t!  We last updated you on his stats at 8 months.  Here’s the latest from Baby Reid…He’s now about 23 lbs and 29 inches!  He’s still bigger than most of his friends his age, but he’s getting leaner with all his activity and more picky eating.

On the Move:  Reid is a champion crawler!  He pulls up on everything and we’ve even caught him standing a few times!  He’ll push his musical table around the room and has started doing downward dog – which seems to be a step closer to standing on his own.  Check out this link to a video and you’ll get an idea of what I mean.  Sadie’s lazy days are over!  :)

Talking:  Well, “yapping” is more like it.  He babbles throughout the day and sometimes seems to know what he is trying to say.  By far, his favorite thing to say is “Da-da-da-da-da!”  And “Ma-ma-ma” also makes an appearance a couple times a day.  He knows what Momma, Dada, milk, water and Sadie are, and we are introducing signs to him for more words.  One of the most fun noises are the raspberries he gives to the baby in the mirror in the car.Eating:  Mr. Meatball is a pro at eating puffs!  If it is sticky or mush, he’d rather mash it up and throw it on the floor to Sadie.  (She’s now banned from eyesight when Reid is eating.)  But if it is a dry puff or a chunk of cheese, down the gullet it goes!  We start his meals with some finger foods and try to encourage him to try new things, but he is still mostly interested in his pureed meal.  We’ll keep trying!   

Playing:  He’s learned how to “play ball” with Sadie.  Which means he mostly holds the ball over his head, smiles, tries to hand the ball to SB, then (finally) throws it and screams.  Reid has lots of favorite toys but the loudest, and therefore most fun, is his ball popper.  If this photo had a soundtrack it would be a loud and happy screech. Sleeping:   I can’t tell you about Reid’s sleeping habits.  I’m too afraid I’ll jinx it.  Let’s just say that we don’t have anything to complain about now, and everyone – especially Sadie – is getting their beauty sleep.  He’s still super cuddly and often falls asleep in our arms.  We love it.

Future Outdoorsman:  On New Year’s Eve we took Reid on his first hike in the backpack to our favorite local trail, St. Edward’s Park.  (The backpack was a gift from our friends Jay, Brenda & Declan!)  He enjoyed it so much he decided to take a little nap. Throughout January he’s been outside a lot!  Bundled up for a walk when' it’s cold…

…just a hat when it is cool out and he needed to explore……or on an especially warm day, a coat or hat would get in the way of a good meal of leaves and dirt.Enormously-Huge-Genius-Brain:  Okay, maybe this is a *slight* stretch, but we were pretty impressed when he matched up the colors and pieces in his ball puzzle (from the Gentle family!)  We got so excited that we screamed and clapped and scared him!  But luckily, we didn’t scare him too much because he was back at it again this morning!

 

And believe it or not, Jer taught him to clap his hands for “If you’re happy and you know it…”  We have got to get it on video because it is awesome.  Guaranteed to make you happy!  :)

Mr. Personality:  Reid is a happy, loving little guy.  He is great at giving hugs, laughing and squealing with joy.  Just the other day, a man who saw Reid happily squawking and waving his arms said, “I wish I had something to be that excited about.”  That was yet another great reminder that we have an extra-special Little Dude.  We love our happy little Reid!!

Guatemala Vacation!

Last year, our friends George & Mariana “made it legal” in Las Vegas.  It was such a fun vacation that we could only imagine that their “real” wedding ceremony in Guatemala would be fantastic.

It was.

G & Mariana planned a wonderful week-long vacation in three different locations for their American friends and family before their amazing wedding on the final day. 

We had such a nice time relaxing, hanging out with friends,  enjoying beautiful Guatemala and celebrating the marriage of G & Mariana!

Guatemala CityLake AtitlanAntigua None of my (very few) pics from the ceremony turned out very well well, so go to her photog’s web site and check out the stunning bride and happy husband.  The full collection of our photos are on our Picassa Web Album.

GREAT VACATION!  Congratulations George & Mariana!  We were so happy to celebrate with you!

So….where was Mr. Meatball during his parent’s little adventure?  He was at home with Ammy & Papa (Jer’s parents).  (More to come on that in a future post.)

Four Happy Years…

Four years ago, I married my best friend in Key West.  It was a great day and one we will always remember!

Jer told me last night that the traditional gifts for the fourth anniversary are fruit/flowers or linen/silk, and the contemporary gift is appliances.  (Thank you, Wikipedia.)  Right on schedule, we added this guy to our kitchen just a couple weeks ago:

Funny, I thought the fourth anniversary was diapers.  We’ve got those, too!  :)

Happy Anniversary, Jer!  I love you!!

Reid Meets Gramma!

If you know me well, you know how much I adore my Gramma.  She’s a phenomenal woman and a loving mother of 13, grandmother of 21, and great-grandmother to six (and counting!) 

Reid had the honor to meet her and spend the afternoon with her on a day-trip while we were in Cleveland visiting.   I feel so lucky that Jer’s family lives so close to Erie, PA, where Gramma lives, so we visit her a couple times a year.

Reid and I drove to visit Gramma’s new home in Fairview, just outside of Erie.  She lives in a very nice community with her husband Boyd.  We had a really nice visit there, and discovered that Reid really likes Boyd’s voice!  Boyd kept Reid’s attention throughout our visit!We had a nice lunch with my Aunt DiDi and Aunt Mary Pat.  Reid showed off his table manners by grabbing for everything in site and putting his feet on the table.  :)It was really special to see Gramma with Reid and to talk with her about when her babies were babies.  I only wish our visit was longer and we’d had more time to sit and talk.

We had a wonderful visit and I can’t wait for us to get back to see our family in Erie again soon!

Cleveland Trip – Photos, Photos, Photos

Okay, back to our Cleveland trip with more photos (a lot more!).

On our vacation, we did a lot of cuddling babies…  We went to Jack’s football game and then Will’s football game the next week...

Reid met so many friends and family members!  We got pictures with Aunt Theora, Janice, Uncle Billy, Julie, Pa, Lizzy and Uncle Dan.  Reid “watched” golf and backyard football with Papa…

…read stories and cuddled with Ammy……enjoyed mornings on the porch with Momma… …laughed with Aunt Holly… …played with Uncle Jeff, Will, Jack & Sam… …hung out with Baby Alex… …and walked the Big Boys to the bus stop…

We all had a great time!!