jenna

2009-10-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

It's obviously time for new pictures...for the few blog followers who haven't given up on me (my mom and grandmother). Reese has been super busy the last few months. She started a preschool one day a week...switched to a big-girl-bed...and no more diapers! My baby girl is getting way too big for me!

Our first haircut!

She loves to help bake...especially if it's something sweet.

Laying out her clothes and backpack for the first day of school.

She likes to sleep in the strangest outfits... Pajamas are way too boring. On this particular night she chose 2 church dresses and a pair of shoes. On most nights it's a dress or a tutu or a "tard" (a.k.a. a leotard).

Here she is showing of her UT t-shirt... We were on our way to Chick-fil-A to get a free sandwich for wearing a team logo... She was proud of her new shirt and shoes from Riley's hand-me-down box. Older cousins are the best!

Summer Snapshots...

2009-07-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

Always ready for a swim...

Reese loves MoMo and Josh. She's sad they had to stay in Abilene.

My bathing beauty

Sweet cousin time...

More cousin time...this time with Avery.

Loving on cousin Lauren. Notice the pink tutu. It's been on her body for a month now.

So happy to see Jenny and Chris... We can't wait to meet baby Jude!

Family time on the 4th of July...

You can never have too many pacifiers...

Angelic Singing

2009-05-29T22:03:00.001-07:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

2009-05-12T20:15:00.001-07:00

It's definitely time for some new pictures! Our computer is slower than dirt (is that even a saying??), so it's been hard for me to find the motivation/time to sit and upload pictures on blogger... But I've been told by a few families members to get busy posting...so here you go.

Pretty girl and pretty azalea bushes in our front yard. I went outside to take some pictures of our spring flowers and Reese wanted to be in every picture...with that cute cheesy smile.

Twirling in her Sunday best...

Singing and dancing and eating a popsicle in the rain...minus a pair of pants.

Playing basketball at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Reese loves to say, "Go Duke!"

Candy!!

Happy Easter...

Enjoying the day at Duke Gardens

Birthday Girl

2009-03-29T11:17:00.001-07:00

Singing with Aunt Jor...and eating a little ice cream...Life is good!

2009-03-09T22:03:00.001-07:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

A few more pictures for the family...

2009-03-05T20:49:00.000-08:00

Check out her new tap shoes and leotard... Thanks cousin Sarah for sharing! She loves to dance like "Annie"...which is her new favorite movie.

A Valentine's Day ponytail... Her hair is such a mess 99% of the time, and she'll only let me put her hair up occasionally...and then 5 minutes later, she rips out the rubber band. And her hair is a mess again.

She loves these 2 puppies... They go everywhere she goes.

Going "night night" with her babies...

Her beautiful new ballet costume from Pops and JoJo...

So glad to see MiMi!

Tutu Fun...

2009-02-10T19:06:00.001-08:00

Reese has been a little obsessed with dancing and tutus the past few weeks. She goes on these kicks...where she'll ask to watch a sing-a-long movie non-stop for a few days...then she'll switch to dancing...then back to sing-a-longs. (I promise I don't let her watch movies all day long.) So every morning for the past few weeks, we've had to put her tutu on right when she wakes up...usually just over the pajamas...cause I'm lazy like that. And she spends a lot of her day running around the house dancing to the ipod or watching her new favorite dvd, "Zoey's Dance Moves." I need to get a video of her dancing with Zoey...she's pretty funny.

Early morning dancing...

Dancing at a friend's birthday party...

Exhausted after all that dancing...

It's always a good idea to wear your Dora knee-pads when dancing.

Working on a few spin-moves...notice Elmo's eyes in the lower left-hand corner. Elmo likes to watch the dancing. And this purple tutu has survived many years of dancing...starting with Aunt Jor (also known as Aunt NoNo...not sure why Reese calls her that...but it has stuck).

Reese's favorite song...

2009-01-25T14:29:00.001-08:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Holiday Happenings...part 1

2009-01-08T20:28:00.001-08:00

I'm a little bummed that the holidays are already over. It was a whirlwind of travel and family fun. But now we're back in NC trying to detox from 2 weeks of non-stop entertainment for Reese. And we're missing everyone already! Reese and I flew to Abilene the week before Christmas and spent a few days with both sides of the family. Then Matt flew to Austin and we spent Christmas with my mom's family in Smithville...and by family, I mean A LOT of family...which I love. I know there were over 30 people at Poppi and Nana's house on Christmas day...including 5 great-grandkids all born the same year as Reese. Such precious memories... So happy to be in Abilene!!

So happy, indeed...

Reese loved this inflatable in Hollie and Justin's yard...so we had to dress her up in Riley's old costume... She wanted to stay out here all day long...even though it was freezing outside!

I just thought this was a funny picture of Reese and Riley...

Sitting with Macy listening to a lovely rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" by cousin Mitch...

A full-body shot of the Christmas pajamas...

Sweet cousins digging in the presents...

Christmas Eve with dad...

Christmas morning with Elmo...

I have to take a break from blogger. It's entirely too slow posting picture. I have more I'll try to upload later...

My Little Dare-Devil

2008-12-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

We made our first trip to the ER last weekend... Mom said it was bound to happen sooner or later with this sweet girl. She is busy and fearless (and still a little clumsy...like most toddlers, I'm sure). Last Saturday, after a wonderful Thanksgiving with Matt's family, Reese and I went for a walk. When we got back to the house, I unbuckled her from the jogging stroller, and at the same time our neighbor dog, Molly, came by to say hi. Of course Reese was so excited to see Molly...but as soon as Molly left, Reese leaned over and tipped out of her jogging stroller...head first onto the concrete. Poor baby!!! She had a HUGE egg-shaped bump forming on her head...and of course Matt was at work. So I called him, trying not to be hysterical and he said to bring her in to the ER...so he met us in the ER...and we were thankfully in and out in an hour (I think that might have been a perk of having Matt still in his white coat). She's fine now...just a big bump and some scrapes on her nose.

So actually, the fall was not a result of her being a dare-devil...more like mom's carelessness. But she is a little adventurer, and I'm sure there will be many more bumps and bruises. In fact, tonight she split the tissue that connects your lip to your upper gums... there was so much blood!! But thankfully no trip to the ER. Her dentist had complained that her upper lip was too tight against her teeth...well not anymore. She took care of that with a fall tonight.

2008-11-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

We've been busy this month...and I've been meaning to update my blog. But you know how that goes... So here are a few pictures of Reese to give you something different to look at...besides her Halloween costume. And then maybe this week I can get my act together and post a few more.

Taking a walk around some of the Duke walking trails... This was right as the leaves were starting to change. It's been a beautiful fall in NC!

Pretty trees...at a stoplight on our way to Target.

Somebody please give that girl a cookie...

I couldn't say no to that pitiful face...

This girl LOVES puppies...

Evidence of a trip to see the grandparents...

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures from Reese's trip to our church's fall festival. She had a wonderful time and was so excited to get a pumpkin full of candy. Matt was unfortunately on-call that night so we went up to the hospital later that night so he could see Reese in her costume. And Reese was very nice and shared most of her candy with dad.

Icing sugar cookies...yum!

Checking out the firetruck that dropped by church.

Yum! Yum!

So glad to see daddy!

Sneak Preview

2008-10-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall!

2008-10-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

I love this season...my favorite time of year! The air is cool and crisp...the leaves are starting to change. I think I might actually get to experience a "real fall" in North Carolina. We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend and have our pumpkins and mums on the front porch. Reese is ready to go trick-or-treating next week, and our church is having it's Fall Festival this weekend. We went to the Duke football game last weekend and had to bundle up to stay warm. We even had to turn the heater on this week. Fall is officially in full swing!

Too many pumpkins to choose from...

Reese finally chose this pumpkin...

And then we made her carry it all the way to the car...okay, not really.

Of course we had to go on the hay ride.

On a walk to find more pumpkins. Notice the shoes are missing. The shoes I brought wouldn't stay on her feet. So she did all the activities in only her socks. Aren't I a good mother...

Hiking through the corn-maze.

So excited to finally have pumpkins on our porch!

Waiting for daddy to get home...

2008-10-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

45 minute naps????? No thank you!

2008-10-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

We're on our 2nd week now of Reese only taking one 45 minute nap a day. It's killing me! Over the weekend she went back to taking 1 1/2 hour naps....but she quickly reverted back to a 45 minute nap on Monday. I'm so tired of hearing about other toddlers Reese's age taking 2 hour naps...or longer. Why won't my daughter sleep???? I think I'm going to blame it on Aunt Jor and Uncle Justin... She got her sleeping habits from them...and probably from her daddy too.

2008-10-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

The last 3 weekends have been extra exciting . We've enjoyed visits from out-of-town family and friends... Living so far away from "home" makes these visits even more precious! We LOVED having Chris and Jenny in town for a few days in the middle of Sept... They are some of our favorite people in the world! And I really think Reese remembered them from all of our late nights together in Houston...she loved on Jenny (and gave Chris a few high-fives too). MiMi was in town the next weekend (Matt's mom), and Papa came the weekend after that. He made a quick visit after the Zoe conference in Nashville. And needless to say, Reese can't get enough of her grandparents.

Saturday morning trip to the Farmers' Market

Giving Jenny some sugar...

Reese gave her those kisses because Jenny let her play in the water. She's such a pushover.

Reese taking extra special care of our mums that the Thompsons left for a housewarming present... I love fall flowers!

Enjoying a nice hike through the forest... I especially like Reese's head poking out of the backpack.

Thankful that daddy finally let her out of that backpack.

So glad to see MiMi!

We took MiMi to our favorite museum.

And we were excited that daddy even had the day off and could join us at the museum!

Feeding the ducks with Papa.

Picking out a few treats at Barnes and Noble with Papa...the girl knows how to work the grandparents. We are now the proud owners of this Clifford backpack.

So who's next? We're ready for a few more visitors! We have a bed with your name on it... That was one of my conditions before moving to NC...a place for people to sleep...so they might actually enjoy their visit and want to come back again. And Reese is ready for more visitors... She's always sad when Monday rolls around and our company has gone home and she's stuck with me...and only me.

The bed with your name on it...which was so nicely painted by Pops...as was all the furniture in the room. Thanks, dad!

"Don't Mess With Me"

2008-10-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

Make sure this girl has plenty of space when she wakes up from her nap. And don't mess with the paci or the baby either. She gets her perky wake-up attitude from her mother.

My Little Busy Bee

2008-09-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

Lots of excuses for my lack of blogging....trips to visit family...relatives in town...play-dates with new friends...messes to clean up...books to read...parks to visit...yada-yada-yada... So here's a quick picture recap of what we've been doing this past month...

Resting with daddy...after a long night at the hospital...

Leg-wrestling with Uncle Chris

"Just a little bit" of grapes for our night-snack

New Elmo house-shoes

Riding the rides at Abilene's mall...so exciting

Cooking with JoJo...thanks for letting us borrow the apron, Riley!

Lounging in Aunt Jor's soccer shorts

Our first pig-tails...and they haven't happened since. She's a rascal and won't sit still long enough.

Somebody buy this poor baby a bigger stroller.

Target popcorn...Yum!

She loves her baby papasan chair. I wish she had loved it when she was actually a baby.

Too much dancing...

2008-08-06T19:56:00.001-07:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Dancing Girl

2008-07-22T11:18:00.001-07:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Talk about a bad case of bed head...

2008-07-20T12:02:00.001-07:00

More beach photos

2008-07-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

Jordan came to visit last week... And we had SO much fun, of course. Reese loves her Aunt Jor. Somehow the name "Jor Jor" became "nun-ya" (as in "nun-ya business") to Reese. We filled up our week with Jor working on the house, running errands, playing at the park, writing with sidewalk chalk, going out to eat... And for her last few days here, we headed to Carolina Beach. It was beautiful, and we had so much fun! So here are some fun pictures of Aunt Nun-ya's visit to North Carolina. And I'm too lazy to add captions...but I think you can figure them out.

My beach baby

2008-07-12T21:34:00.001-07:00

I'm easing my way back into the blogging world...a one-picture-post. I've had too much to blog about lately...so I basically avoided blogging altogether. Does that reasoning even make sense?

So more pictures and posts to come soon...about our move to North Carolina...life with a 15 month old...a trip to the beach...and fun visits from family.

Dr. Cope

2008-05-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

It's official...We have a doctor in the family. We drove to Houston last week to watch Matt graduate from medical school. It was a great night...and we loved seeing grandparents and a cousin all the way from Missouri! Here are a few pictures from the big event...
This is how Reese spent the evening...in the foyer with JoJo...rolling around on the floor...playing with gum...and making friends with the other kids who couldn't make it through the graduation.

All in a day's work...

2008-05-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

We're enjoying our time in Abilene before we move to North Carolina in June. Reese has LOVED the attention from grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. Those first few weeks in North Carolina will be a rude awakening for Reese. Here are a few more pictures of Reese's day-to-day activities...And I just noticed that she's naked in most pictures...which is a true representation of how we spend the majority of our day. I have more pictures to post soon of Mother's Day weekend with Reese's cousins, Brooks & Riley...but I have to upload them first.

Recipe for a fun-filled dinner

2008-05-06T19:07:00.001-07:00

1 Silly one-year-old

Lots of yummy lasagna (which is the one-year-old's FAVORITE food right now)

1 sippy cup to throw on the floor

1 pair of mom's sunglasses...be sure to mix this with the yummy lasagna

3-4 smushed up grapes

Mix all ingredients together and serve while making scary faces...

This recipe is a sure-winner!

New Jammies...

2008-05-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Walmart tonight to get groceries...and Reese fell in love with some Elmo pajamas. I wish I had a picture of her face when she saw them on the rack. It was similar to the face she's making in the 2nd picture. JoJo couldn't say no to that sweet face...so now Reese is walking around the house in her new pajamas showing everyone where Elmo is...

And I'm not sure where this face came from. She's been doing this for a few days now...when she gets excited she makes this face and starts flexing her muscles...she's a mess, I know!

Road Trip

2008-04-28T18:32:00.001-07:00

We had a great weekend visiting some of our best / oldest friends... Reese, mom, and I took a trip down I-20 to see Sarah and her mom, Sharon. Reese was in heaven...because Sarah had a dog, a swimming pool, ducks to feed, pizza, and a swing set. Thanks Sarah and Sharon for such a great weekend!

We started with just getting our feet wet...

Then we took the dress off and started splashing a little more.

Then Aunt Sharon let us ride in her "boat".

We finally gave up and just put our swimsuit on. The water was freezing! But she didn't care. And Sarah Ann was the brave soul who put on her swimsuit and took Reese for a swim in the icy water. We love the new bathing suit from Aunt Jor...we definitely needed some swim diapers. Poor girl had too much junk in her trunk.

Reese is a picky eater...but she'd eat pizza at every meal if I let her. A girl after my own heart...

So sweet...she fell asleep snuggling with her baby doll.

We're ready to do it again next year!

2008-04-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

You have to go over to my sister-in-law's blog to see Riley (my niece) singing a precious and hilarious song for my mom...

www.reeseramblings.blogspot.com

That girl is talented!

A few of our favorite things...

2008-04-20T20:11:00.001-07:00

Puppy dogs... She LOVES dogs... Her voice goes up an octave when she sees a dog. I don't think she got this from her mom... I was scared to death of dogs when I was her age.

Playing the piano...

Sweeping...this girl loves the broom. Also something she did NOT get from her mom.

And anything small she finds on the ground, like these pecans. I really just thought this was a funny picture. I love her hair... It looks so much like Matt's hair.

Sweet pictures...

2008-04-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

Click on my cousin Ashley's photography blog to see a few of Reese's one-year-old pictures.

http://ashleyallenphoto.blogspot.com/

How lucky am I to have such a talented cousin! She took Reese's pictures while we were in Smithville for Spring Break. Here are 2 of my favorites...

The Birthday Girl

2008-03-30T11:52:00.001-07:00

Reese had an exciting weekend. Friday was her 1st birthday, and we had a little party on Saturday in Abilene. Reese loved being the center of attention...but she was a little unsure about the cake. Here are a few pictures of our one-year-old...

Getting ready for the party...

Reese LOVES balloons!

Not a big fan of the cake...

So she'll give a bite to Aunt Jor instead...

We love our new toy from our grandparents...

Birthday smiles...

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

2008-03-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

Match Day = We are moving to North Carolina!!

2008-03-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Thursday was the day we've been waiting for... Matt found out where he "matched" for his residency. We were excited when he opened his envelope and saw that he matched with Duke! In a few months we'll be on our way to Durham, North Carolina where he'll be an internal medicine resident. We will definitely miss our friends and family in Houston... but we both loved our visit to Durham and look forward to 3 years in another part of the country. After being in Peru and Guatemala for the last few months, North Carolina doesn't seem that far away from home!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig...

2008-03-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

That's right! WE'RE HOME! Can you tell I'm a little giddy? We flew back to Houston Wednesday morning. It was a 6 1/2 hour, overnight flight from Lima to Houston... And I was so happy to finally see that sign at the airport that said, "Welcome to Houston!"

Forgive me for not posting sooner. I've been a little busy enjoying our time back in a familiar place. I've had a list of things to do once I got back to Houston...of course going to Target was on the top of that list! I've also loved spending time with friends...driving around my old neighborhood...getting lemonade from Chick-fil-a...speaking lots of English...drinking water from the faucet...etc...etc...

I'll try to post pictures soon...but for now you can go to my father-in-law's blog to see pictures of the last leg of our trip to Machu Picchu.

http://www.preachermike.com/

And on another note...my daughter is almost ONE!!! Where did this year go????

Weekend Update

2008-02-24T17:32:00.000-08:00

It´s always great to have Matt around for the weekends. It definitely makes the days a little more exciting. And I appreciate having him to lug her around the city. I´m a wimp when I have to carry her around...I only make it a few blocks.

We decided this weekend that we were going to get out a lot more...even if it meant having Reese in a restaurant. Matt was sick for our 2nd week here...and we also got tired of chasing Reese around restaurants...so we´ve eaten at the house a lot over the last few weeks. Here´s a recap of our weekend of ¨getting out more¨.

On Friday we went to get pizza and walked around the park. Peruvians are night owls and the kids´playground was packed at 9 o´clock. It was a little frustrating because they only had 1 baby swing for 200 kids. So basically Reese just crawled around and tried not to get stepped on. But it was kind of fun seeing so many families out that late at night. Reese fits right in with this culture...so do I! Matt, on the other hand...

On Saturday we walked down to the cliffs overlooking the ocean and let Reese play in another park. It´s summer here in Peru...so it´s been strange having such hot days in February. We went back to the house and put Reese down for a nap, and then I walked a few blocks to the movie theater to see 27 Bodas (27 dresses). The movie was in English with spanish subtitles, so that was nice to hear a familiar language... But I did have to say, ¨Me gustaria un boleta para viente siete bodas, por favor¨. That´s about the extent of my spanish...and I have to practice in my head before I can say it aloud. For a few dollars I saw a great movie and had a diet coke and popcorn. It was wonderful to get out of the house by myself...and I always love going to the movies. Here´s a confession...I went to the same movie last weekend too! It was the only movie that looked good to me...and I had so much fun last weekend that I decided to do it again this weekend. Thanks, Matt for being such a nice husband and babysitter.

Today we walked back to the cliffs but actually walked down to the beach this time. It was a long walk down...and an even longer walk back up. I´m exhausted just thinking about all that walking. The beach was semi-pretty... it was a rocky beach...and crowded...so we didn´t stay long. And we didn´t want Reese´s gringo skin to get burned. We also ate at a great hole-in-the-wall restaurant. I had soup, steak, potatoes, rice, and a drink for under $2. Not bad...

Matt´s upstairs putting Reese to sleep right now. She was exhausted from our busy day! The girl only took ONE 45 minute nap today. That´s the least she´s ever slept during the day. On the way back from the beach we bought a delicious fruity drink. Ever heard of a guanabana fruit? It was new to me. .but very good. Reese had to have a few sips, of course. And I think she was on a sugar high this afternoon and never got tired enough to nap. So tonight at 8:30 her head clunked over in the baby carrier on the way back from the store. Maybe she´ll actually sleep through the night tonight...probably not, though. Yep, that´s right. My child is almost 11 months old and still isn´t sleeping through the night.

Here are a few more pictures from this week... Enjoy! Oh, and the countdown has begun. We leave Lima on Saturday to travel around Peru for a week and a half... Then it´s back to Houston on the 12th!! We can hardly wait...

And once again I can´t spell check...so sorry.

Enjoying our walk along the coast...

Here I am asking Matt to come help... The rocks were slippering and Reese was a little scared of the waves. So of course he takes a picture... Thanks, Matt.

What a cute beach baby...and her mother is the winner of the whitest leg award...and the award for best ¨mom bathing suit¨. I think I was the only one there not in a skimpy bikini. The Peruvians are not known for their modest dress code.

Eating is always a challenge with Reese...especially without a high chair. Here she is eating black beans...which is one of the very, very few things she´ll actually eat. Black beans and bananas...

And Reese would like to end this post by screaming, ¨Have a wonderful week!¨

Life in Lima

2008-02-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

We´ve been in Lima for a little over 2 weeks now. We´re enjoying our time here...but also looking forward to being home in a few weeks...wherever "home" may be these days.

Peru is definitely a different experience than Guatemala. Guatemala felt more like a vacation. We traveled around a lot more...and saw such beautiful places. Right now we´re sharing a house with several other people in a part of Lima called Miraflores. It´s a fun part of the city and we like the people we´re staying with. We have an upstairs bedroom and share the kitchen and downstairs.

I think the hardest part for me is finding things to do each day with Reese while Matt´s at work. It´s easy to be stuck in our small room upstairs for hours...while she naps or plays. We try to walk to the park or go get coffee...or ice cream. Which means I´ve eaten way too many desserts here...it´s an easy excuse to get out of the house.

Reese has done great...and seems content playing with the same 5 toys each day. I, on the other hand, am sick of reading the same 3 books to her over and over again. Mama needs some new books for the baby!

Here are a few pictures to show you a typical day in Reese´s Peruvian life ...

Reese did get a new toy for Valentine´s Day... She loves her new ball from dad.

She usually spends a little time each day in the suitcase. It´s become her toychest. She´s always ready to help fold clothes and unpack and repack.

And of course the day wouldn´t be complete without a game of peekaboo...

Or a good game of patty-cake...

Enjoying a nap with dad...

And here she is sleeping in her pop up tent / blow up baby bed...which actually was a good purchase. It´s nice because I can zip her inside and not worry about her crawling away or anything crawling on her.

There´s nothing like ending a busy day with a trip to a nice restaurant. This picture is a little deceiving. While it might look like she´s a perfectly well- behaved baby...sitting politely and looking over the menu. ..looks can be deceiving. Actually, 98% of the time she´s not sitting quietly in her highchair. She´s crawling under the table eating whatever is on the floor...or crawling all over me because she´s ready to go somewhere else. Eating at restaurants has definitely changed with a 10 1/2 month old.

I´ll try to do better about posting! I found a computer with a faster connection. I know you can´t wait to hear more about my exciting days here in Lima... Thanks so much for all of your prayers and encouraging comments! They were so great to read...

PS - The spell check isn´t working...so please forgive my mispellings... I´m sure there are a few. I did mispell "father" in the 1st grade spelling bee.

Greetings from Guatemala

2008-01-27T14:28:00.000-08:00

It's taken a little bit longer to post than I planned. It's been hard to find time to blog. We've been in Guatemala for a little over 2 weeeks now. We've had a great time so far. It's beautiful and Reese has done great traveling... Of course there have been a few adventures traveling with a baby...but we're very thankful for an uneventful trip so far. Here are some pictures from the last few weeks. Our first week was spent in Montellano with a surgical team. Last week we were in Chichicastenango where Matt worked with local clinics. This week we're on a beautiful lake and then spending a few days in Antigua before we leave on Friday for Peru...

Making friends at the clinic...

Reese's Guatemalan grandma, Marta. She pushed Reese around on this stool for hours.

Working at the clinic with dad...

Hiking in the mountains...

Shopping with dad in ChiChi

Making friends at church

The view from our hotel in ChiChi

The view from our room on the lake

Holiday greetings from Reese...

2007-12-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

I printed Christmas cards...but they haven't made it to the mailbox yet. I'll blame it on the recent travels and lack of housing. So here are a few pictures of Reese...courtesy of cousin Ashley.

A quick update from the happy travelers...

2007-12-09T21:25:00.000-08:00

I know I've been a horrible blogger lately. Things have been a little crazy in a our household this past month... Here's what's been happening in our lives these last few weeks...

* We moved out of our apartment on Dec. 1st... It was sad! We've lived there 3 1/2 years...our first household as a married couple...the apartment we brought Reese home to...and some of our best friends, the Thompsons, lived right across the grass from us. So I shed a few tears over this. The week before we moved was crazy... I hate packing! A very big THANK YOU to cousin Heather who came 3 days to help pack and play with Reese. I couldn't have done it without the help of family and friends. We put our stuff in storage because we'll be traveling the next few months... Matt's doing rotations in Central and South America... I'm sure I'll blog more about this later... but we're still not 100% sure about all of the details.

* Right now I'm typing from a hotel in New Haven, Connecticut. We're spending 2 weeks interviewing for Matt's residency. Matt's interviewed in Houston, Dallas, & Temple already... On Friday he interviewed in Nashville...tomorrow's interview is at Yale...Wednesday he interviews at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. Then next week we fly to North Carolina so he can interview at Duke and UNC. We're trying to decide where we want to live for the next 3-6 years... Any advice????

* Reese has been sick this week...poor baby has bronchiolitis...so traveling with a sick baby has been quite an adventure. I think she's starting to feel better... and hopefully we'll be able to enjoy our time in the Northeast.

I'm sure I have more to type about...and I have pictures to post...but I should probably go check on my sleeping baby. Keep us in your prayers these next few weeks as we travel around the country!

2007-11-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my friend, Lori's blog...and I thought it was pretty funny. Just in case you were wondering who Reese looked more like... And I'm sure this is 100% accurate.

I have lots of pictures to post...but no camera cord...I guess that's what I'm getting for Christmas this year.

Have you seen this?

2007-11-07T14:03:00.001-08:00

I saw this video for the first time this week... I think I've watched it 10 times since...and it's brought tears to my eyes everytime. I'm sure I'm one of the last people on earth to see it...but in case you haven't, here it is. I think it's beautiful.

And on a side note...I tried singing opera to Reese today while she was trying to go to sleep. And it worked like a charm! She's such a cultured baby.

Happy Halloween!!

2007-10-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hope you're all having a lovely Halloween day. Here are a few pictures from our weekend with friends... Reese loved her first chance to carve a pumpkin.

This was her Halloween outfit to start the night...but she soon ended up like the picture below. And I'm not sure why this picure looks like I cut someone out of the right side...I didn't...

Having a little bite of pumpkin...

Our pumpkin is on the left... We went for the easy design. The Rosses and Thompsons were a bit "showy" with their designs.

Jenny and her kids...

Our month in pictures...

2007-10-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

Enjoy some random pictures from the past month...including an exciting trip to Abilene to see lots of family and friends.

Studying with dad...and sharing a cup of water. I like this picture.

Snuggling with Aunt Kate... This doesn't happen very often, so we had to get a picture.

Congratulating Uncle Chris on a great game...

Saying hi to Pops after the game... My dad is Chris's coach. It's a small world in Abilene!

Reese and her favorite soccer player, Aunt Jor...

This girl LOVES dogs. She gets super excited whenever she sees one. This is Jor's dog, Bella... Reese had fun playing with Bella at the soccer game. And here's a shout out to Emily and Seth for helping Reese "ride" Bella.

We've also had some lovely playtime with cousins Brooks and Riley.

And now for some sad news... October has been a hard month for Reese. She's getting over her first ear infection...and her first cold. So eating has NOT been as much fun for us. Poor thing...

Swimming in October...always fun with dad!

We're not crawling yet....but Reese has learned how to do push-ups. What can I say? She's brilliant.

Here's one of our favorite fall outfits. I think leggings on little kids are precious...and I loved these little socks.

This is what we see every time we come get Reese after a nap. Her bumper pad is permanently pushed down like this. I love seeing that little head peeking out of the crib.

And finally, I'll leave you with this picture... My sweet daughter with a strainer on her head.

Look what I won!!

2007-10-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for a contest. I love entering a drawing...and I always secretly think I'm going to win...whether there are 5 contestants or 1,000. Well last week I read about a contest on my friend Allison's blog (http://www.allisonmullins.blogspot.com/). Her friend is the lovely owner and designer of this website - http://www.fabulouskblogdesigns.blogspot.com/. So I entered the contest for a new and improved blog design. AND I WON!!! You can go to her website to see the exciting post announcing my win. I was so excited when I saw my name, I actually ran into the living room to tell Matt. I shouted, "I WON!"...and I think he thought that meant I had won an exciting trip...or $1,000. He was a little underwhelmed when I showed him my prize. He doesn't understand...he's not a blogger.

So as you can see, I have a new, beautiful blog design. Isn't she wonderful and super talented? You can click on her website and see lots of her other designs...and I think she's having more contests for new blog headers. You just never know...you could be a lucky winner too!

And here's another picture of my daughter...in case you only come to this blog for an update on Reese. She's still a cutie at 7 months!!

A few fall fashion tips...

2007-10-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

Short skirts are so in style...especially with ruffles!

No need to wear tights this fall (especially since it's still 90 degrees outside). And please make sure your leg rolls show!

This is also a good look for the season...big polka dots on the bottom and a nice headband to match.

It's always a good idea to get your fashion advice from a 6-month-old.

In case you needed a few more baby pictures...

2007-10-10T20:42:00.001-07:00

My 6-month old baby...

2007-10-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

Reese and I went to visit cousin Avery last week. Her sweet mother, Ashley, took some pictures of Reese...and I thought they were pretty cute. She's a wonderful photographer...

Look at those 2 front teeth!

This might be my favorite...

Did you know my daughter could roar like a lion?

Check out those arms!

Our first visit to the pumpkin patch... Poor girl...it was about 100 degrees outside...in October. I'm ready for a cold front!

2007-09-30T13:45:00.001-07:00

Here are 3 of my highlights from last week:

1. My sweet daughter is now six months old! Hard to believe she's been here for 1/2 of a year. She's brought so much joy...and what else can I say about her? She's precious, and we love her so very much.

Here are a few of her 6 month measurements...and they're not exactly the most accurate because they were done at home. She's 27 inches long...and a little over 19 lbs. She's definitely a healthy, growing baby girl!

2. My new stroller came in the mail...the Maclaren Triumph stroller. I actually bought it on ebay, and so far I love it! It's not one of the strollers I mentioned in my previous post. But I tried it at the store and really liked it...and I had read great reviews about the brand. It was a little out of our price range in the stores, but I finally decided to buy it because I found a good price on ebay.

Here are a few reasons I like it:

* very lightweight

* easy to open and close

* reclining seat

* has a basket that holds her diaper bag

* has a strap to carry the stroller

* Reese seems to like it

* I can steer easily with one hand (which is a must because I'm sure I'll end up pushing the diaper bag and carrying Reese with the other arm).

* the seat cover is removable and washable

* and I think it's semi-cute

3. My other highlight of the week was watching the season premiere of The Office...and I loved it!

A few more pictures from the last month...

2007-09-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

We loved having Matt's grandparents in town for the weekend. Reese was thoroughly spoiled...and so were we!

She loved sitting with Grandma.

Papa taught Reese how to walk.

Getting ready for church...

Reese went to her first soccer game. She loved all the action. And loved getting to see her Aunt Jor play for the Wildcats...

Nana and I made the trip to Austin... I loved this picture!

After the soccer game, we came back to Smithville to give Poppi a kiss goodnight.

Even though Poppi was asleep, we were NOT! This is our favorite time of night. She played under this chair for at least 30 minutes.

Hidden among the pillows on our bed...

And she's tired of playing this game.

Reese gives the best sugar...

And she's also the messiest eater I've ever seen!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-09-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

2007-09-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU for your helpful comments and fantastic stroller advice. I think I'm close to making a decision...and I'll be sure to share the results of this agonizing process when I've made a purchase.

And speaking of purchases, I did make a high-chair purchase today. Reese is now eating her green beans and sweet potatoes in this lovely contraption. I was hesitant to buy a high chair for our small apartment...but after a week of trying to feed her in her bumbo chair, I gave up and bought a high chair. Like I've said before, I have a spirited baby, and food was flying everywhere.

While we're on the subject of baby products, I'd like to share my new favorite...an exercise ball!!!!

I wish I had thought of this when Reese was a newborn. I think it would have been a great way to calm her down. Reese has never really been a rocking-chair baby. As a newborn, sometimes the only way to calm my crying baby was sitting on the edge of the bed and bouncing up and down for (what seemed like) hours. This is also her favorite way to go to sleep...And now instead of trying to bounce her on the edge of the bed...while Matt tries to study in the corner, I have a portable bouncer which is great for any room in the house. It's also a workout at the same time. And as someone at church pointed out this week, I'll need to make sure I'm exercising my back muscles everyday to keep up with this baby...she's a growing girl, for sure!!

I'm sure you're ready to see pictures of Reese...instead of hearing about strollers, high chairs, and bouncy balls. I have a million pictures to post, but I'm still having issues with my computer. Every time I plug in my camera cord, it starts beeping and freezes up. I hope I can get it working this week...we'll see.

This girl needs a new ride...

2007-09-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

My sweet little 5-month old is outgrowing the carseat stroller. She doesn't like to be looking up at the sky when she rides. She wants to be in the middle of the action. So I think it's time to get a big-girl stroller. And so I'm trying to make a decision...there are too many options. Anybody have a great stroller they'd like to recommend?

Here's are things to consider... I'd like the stroller to be:

1. lightweight and easy to travel with - We'll be traveling overseas in a few months, and I want a stroller that I can use easily on an airplane or in a city.

2. comfortable - I want her to actually ride in it...unlike my recent trip to the mall where I pushed with one hand and held my 20 lb baby in the other hand.

3. big enough for her to grow into - I don't want to have to buy a new stroller in a year.

4. somewhat cute

5. I would like a place to store the diaper bag.

6. And I don't want to spend an arm and a leg. Or do I?

Am I asking too much???

Okay, so here are a few options I've found so far. I'll copy and paste the descriptions from the websites.

Stroller # 1 - The Kolcraft Contours Lite Plus Stroller - $70

Has a lightweight frame and low resistance sporty front swivel wheels which makes getting around town trouble free. i-Pod Dok allows parents and baby to enjoy their tunes anywhere.
Lightweight frame
Includes iPod Dok with Speaker to Play iPod & iPod Mini
6" Front Single Swivel & 8" Rear Wheels for Easy Maneuvering
Free-stand fold
Easy trigger fold is convenient and quick
Multi-position reclining seat
Three-tier canopy
Removable parent cup holder keeps your drink close
Removable infant head rest with soft micro fleece fabric
Large under carriage basket for storage
Height adjustable 5 point harness with reflective trim

Stroller # 2

Here's another option. It's by the same company. You can look at the features. I like it because it's reversable. But it is more expensive ($130) and heavier

Stroller # 3 - Combi Cosmo EX Stroller- ($100)

• Ultra-light, portable stroller, Quick and easy tri-fold design makes it perfect for busy families• Deep recline, air-mesh ventilated seat and canopy for Baby’s comfort• Safe 5-point harness and easy-maneuvering front double swivel wheels• For children ages 6 mos. and up; weight limit: 45 lbs.• Blue

Most of the reviews were good...but some people didn't like it because they kicked the wheels when walking and the basket is really small.

Stroller # 4 - Graco Ipo Stroller in Latte - $80

This stroller also got good reviews... and looks like it would be a good one.

Is this overwhelming for you too??????

Are you even still reading???

And finally, # 5 - Silver Cross Micro V2 Stroller ($130)

Ideal for transport and maneuverability, the Micro V2 Stroller from Silver Cross® features an extremely lightweight aluminum frame. This stroller compacts with one hand, perfect for the parent on the go. The 6in dual swivel front wheels are superior for ease of motion and child comfort. With a padded, spacious seat and reinforced backrest, the stroller also features UV-protected fabric and a Silver Cross® monogrammed carrying bag.

Okay...well those are 5 that I've looked at...and there are 1000 more just like it. Any others that I should look at? Or should I just buy a $10 umbrella stroller and be done with it??

The next blog will be about high-chairs...so start thinking about those too!

My Spirited Baby...

2007-09-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

I've been reading The Baby Whisperer today...trying to get ready to introduce solid foods to our 5 month old. Can she really be ready for that already? Matt and I were laughing because I was reading about the different types of babies....angel babies, touchy babies, grumpy babies, textbook babies, and spirited babies. We definitely have a spirited baby. Here's what it says about spirited babies:

ACTIVITIES: High energy, feisty, and very active. They are ready to jump into almost any situation, and exercise little impulse control or caution when they do. They are highly reactive and can be aggressive with peers. Because they're usually more cooperative in the morning, avoid afternoon play groups so they can wind down.

EATING: Babies can get impatient. If mom's too slow, she'll bob on and off, as if to say, "Hey, what gives?"

(**No picture of her eating...I know you'll appreciate that decision.)

SLEEP: As babies, they hate being swaddled, but you absolutely need to block out any visual stimulation. They tend to be resistant to naps or nighttime rituals, because they don't want to miss anything. If you're lucky, even though they sleep less in the morning, it will be followed by a long afternoon nap.

MOOD: When they want something, they want it now! Opinionated, very vocal, and often stubborn, their moods are mercurial, going quickly from happy to sad and back again. They love the action but also tend to overdo it, which can lead to a meltdown.

HOW THEY'RE OFTEN DESCRIBED: A handful. Always into something. I don't have the energy to keep up with her. She's fearless.

The author also goes on to say that spirited babies when handled properly are born leaders. They can become captains of sports teams in high school, and as adults, explorers and entrepreneurs who are fearless about plunging ahead where others have dared not go.

So there's a little insight into our daughter's personality... Sound like anyone else you know?????

Fun Family Photos for Friday

2007-08-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

We've had a busy couple of weeks....full of lots of family time! Two weekends ago, Matt's family came to visit on their way back from Florida. We also were so happy to see Aunt Pam and Uncle Randy...along with cousin Crista, Tatum, & Van. They were so cute with Reese...and we're sad they live so far away! Last weekend we were in Smithville visiting Poppi & Nana...for their 65th anniversary celebration and Poppi's 85th birthday. We had a full house! Cousins and babies were everywhere...that's the way I like it! Thanks to cousin Ashley for taking these cute pictures...

Birthday kissses for Poppi...

Reese family - minus Jordan (she loves soccer more than her family...not really)

I love my Cousins...

Getting very sleepy...

And crashed...

And a party wouldn't be complete without a little monkey dance from Riley...

We came back home on Monday, and I think Reese was a little bored. She loves lots of attention and would be happy having someone walk her around all day long. I think she's also working on her first tooth. She's been a bit of a grouch this week (shocking...I know!) and she's also running a low fever. Poor baby girl... I hope this passes quickly! I'm ready for my perky pumpkin to return.

2007-08-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to post...but our computer is being annoying. I had to wait until I was at Justin and Hollie's house last night to upload pictures to snapfish. Here's a few pictures of our last few weeks... Reese is now 4 months old!! She's getting so big...as you can tell.

We had a great trip with friends to San Antonio. Here's Reese saying hi to everyone from the zoo... Why are all my pictures miniature?

And a few more pictures of Reese hamming it up for the camera...

Here she is next to her life-size picture...thanks to Chris and Jenny for this lovely photo.

One of Tamara's cute bows...

Jenny and her favorite babies...

Well...I'm sorry you can't even see those pictures!! That's frustrating. I copied them from snapfish, but I don't know how to make them regular size. I'm open to suggestions... Until I figure this out, just get out your magnifying glass to get a good look at the cute babies.

Bring on the pictures...

2007-07-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

Reese learned a new trick... We're so proud of her...

She might be a grouch when she's trying to go to sleep...but she sure is a cutie when she wakes up...

We've loved having aunt Jor just a short drive away this summer. She came to visit last weekend... And we had fun watching "Phantom of the Opera" and eating pizza...and brownies...and playing with Reese.

Before - Adoring the child...

And after...notice the spit up on the black dress. Way to go Reese...

And...I saved the best for last... Best Actress of the Year goes to...

My beautiful sister...she was quite impressive in a recent production of "We're Off to See the Savior"... She played a rock-star version of the tin man. That's what she gets for not commenting on my blog...and for posting pregnant pictures of me on facebook.

A quick game of tag... (I always hated that game)

2007-07-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Jenny... I'll see what I can write before Reese wakes up...

First memory- I don't know if this is a memory or a memory of a picture... Disney world when I was 2...and mom and Justin got to ride the Dumbo ride...but I had to stay behind and watch...so sad.

First kiss- Andrew Andress at the age of 2....behind the Christmas tree...pictures to prove it.

First love- My husband...I mean, we did start dating when he was only 16.

First concert- Amy Grant!!! I love her... She was also my first CD.

First thing you think in the morning- Which time in the morning? 2 AM? 5 AM? or 7 AM? Okay, it's not always that bad...but I usually think, "Is it really time to feed her already???"

First pet- Winnie...I named her after the girl from The Wonder Years. She was a wild dog...so I never went into the backyard. I was scared of her...so we eventually gave her away.

First book you remember loving- "Johnny Lion's Rubber Boots"...it's a classic.

First thing you think of when you hear the word vacation- to the beach...so I can soak up some sun...read a book...drink a diet coke...and watch my sister ride the waves. She can stay in the ocean for days at a time...she's cool like that.

First best friend- Sarah Ann...we could play for hours...through many of our brothers' sporting events. I miss her...and hope our kids can play together too some day.

Last time you dressed up- (or in my case...last time I got out of my pajamas) I'm planning on dressing up tonight...for my sister's big acting debut. I can't wait... I'll have pictures to post. She will love me forever for sharing...I know.

Last time you told someone you loved them- about an hour ago when my mom left... She and Brooks came to spend the night, and I miss them already.

Last really funny thing you did- had a baby...it was funny.

Last thing you watched on TV- Ellen

And I tag anyone that is related to me...all those cousins and aunts out there...it's you I'm talking to!

And my daughter is still asleep!! Oh wait...no she's not. I typed too soon...

More pictures...

2007-07-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

Things are always more exciting when dad babysits...

We love our new toy!

A visit from grandpa...

Fun at the beach...

2007-07-05T11:24:00.001-07:00

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting Scroll down to see more pictures from our last few weeks...

Fun pictures...

2007-07-05T10:36:00.001-07:00

She's such a good swimmer...

Enjoying time with cousin, Riley...

Relaxing on the beach...

We have too much fun with these 2 babies... Once again, it looks like Reese might try to take a bite out of Truitt's head.

We love our bumbo chair... I love that you can't even see her diaper in this chair. And when we pull her out of the chair...her legs get stuck. I love those rolly-polly thighs!

Watching the fireworks...on TV. We didn't make it out to the fireworks this year...oh well.

But don't you worry... Our holiday was extra festive after Jenny came over all decked out in her 4th of July attire.

Reese relaxing on the 4th of July...with her favorite new dress from best friend, Kanyon. She was so happy to hear that he went home from the hospital on the 4th of July!!

Week in Review...

2007-06-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

Reese and I had a busy week! My mom flew to Houston last weekend, and then we all drove to Tyler for my friend, Mary's wedding. Reese finally met most of her aunties that she's heard so much about...

After Longview, we headed to Smithville to visit family. Reese was thoroughly spoiled by Nana and Poppi, and she loved playing with her cousins ~ Avery, Reid, and Macy...
Then back to Houston for a few days with Matt...and a day spent cleaning out my classroom at school. What a mess! Could NOT have done it without JoJo's help... Thanks, Mom!

On Friday we picked up JorJor and drove to Dallas for Riley's birthday party. We made "nink and white" cupcakes and had so much fun watching Riley entertain with song and dance... She's the cutest 2 year old in the world...but I'm not a biased aunt at all.

Reese and Brooks were so happy to see each other...they even held hands.
Finally we came back to Houston Saturday night...and had Reese's baby blessing Sunday morning. We were so lucky to have both sets of grandparents in town...and Reese was able to share her baby blessing with BFF, Truitt...such sweet babies!

Talking with Nana...

2007-06-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

Off the charts...

2007-05-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

Reese went for her 2 month checkup yesterday. I was excited about seeing how much this girl has grown...because she is outgrowing all of her clothes! Well, Reese weighed in at 13 lb. 15 oz! And she's 23 1/2 inches... For a 2-month old baby, Reese is OVER the 100% mark on the weight chart...and she's in the 95% on the height chart. I'll admit I was a chub-chub baby, but we don't know where she's getting her height! The doctor basically said that we have a 4 month old baby... Should I be sad that I've missed 2 months of her life? We actually think it's pretty funny...and she's still a such a cutie...we think she's absolutely perfect! The doctor has always said, "You can't over-feed a breastfed baby." Matt thinks we might be giving that doctor a run for her money.

She's a growing girl!

2007-05-24T12:51:00.001-07:00

Reese is almost 2 months old... Oh, how time flies when you're having fun! As you can tell from pictures, this girl is an eater! She is getting so big... I think she's almost 13 lbs now, but we go back to the doctor next week, and we'll find out for sure how much she's grown. She's already wearing 3-6 month clothes. In fact, she's too big for her new bathing suits... I'm going to have to back to Old Navy and get the 6-9 month size... I'm so proud of my growing girl! Those other kids better watch out for her!

Back in Houston

2007-05-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

We've enjoyed our week back in Houston...getting to see our friends again...trying to unpack...doing laundry...all that fun stuff! Reese finally got to meet her friend, Truitt. She enjoyed trying to give him a kiss and sucking on his fingers. She also went swimming for the first time today! Reese loved the water...and looked pretty cute in her bathing suit.

2007-05-12T10:27:00.000-07:00

We're having such a great time in Abilene... Matt's working with a doctor in Abilene for his family medicine rotation. I'm enjoying time with family and friends...and so is Reese! We're going to both be so spoiled! Here are a few more pictures from our weeks in A-town.

Reese had such a great time at her cousin's birthday party. She even got a new pair of sunglasses as a party favor. We love our cousin Brynn!

Hanging out with the other girls at the party...

Playing with Uncle Chris...

This is our favorite way to sleep...with the head slung over the side.

Loving on Memom and DadDad...

We love our Aunt Jordan...

Hanging out with dad...in our bunny outfit...

Looking cute with Pops and JoJo

Loving our bathtime with JoJo...

A few more...

2007-05-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

One Month Old...

2007-04-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

We had Reese's picture taken on Saturday... I can't believe she's already a month old. Hannah Vickers did a great job...these are a few that were on her website(http://vickersdigitalphotography.blogspot.com/). We're waiting to see the rest. I'm sure I'll post more once I see those.

A few more pictures...

2007-04-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

She's getting a lot bigger! On Monday she had already gained a pound since she was born...This girls likes to eat...

She's a sleepy girl...

Look at those cheeks!

One week old!

2007-04-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

It's exhausting being the baby...

Daddy decided to give Reese a little check-up.

Reese has a lot of questions like her cousin, Brooks.

Playing with JoJo...

Sweet girl...

Getting ready for bath-time...not her favorite time.

She's here!

2007-03-31T16:08:00.000-07:00

Reese was born Wednesday, March 28th, at 4:31 PM. She weighed 7 lbs 11 1/2 oz., and was 21 inches long. She's doing great...and we're so glad she's finally here!

No news...

2007-03-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

We're still playing the waiting game! But I shouldn't complain. I'm still feeling fine...huge...but fine. I had 2 different due dates because they did 2 different ultrasounds in the beginning. I was going by the first date, March 19th, but I think my doctor's are using the March 22nd date. So technically, I'm not really overdue until tomorrow. I went for my appointment on Tuesday, and there wasn't anything too exciting to report. I'm still about the same as last week. She said we would talk about inducing next week if Reese still hadn't made her appearance.

I'll keep you posted!

Waiting...

2007-03-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

Can't believe Spring Break is almost over! Where did this week go? I've kept my mom and sister busy this week... They've been decorating, cleaning, shopping, and cooking. I couldn't have done this without them! I went to the doctor on Tuesday, and she said she thought Reese would arrive within the week...so we'll see!

Here are a few pictures from our week so far...

Matt's 25th birthday!

A very pregnant me...at 39 weeks...showing off Matt's birthday pie.

Reese's room... Still not sure what to put on this wall...

SPRING BREAK!!

2007-03-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Only 3 more hours until a break! I can't wait... My mom and sister are coming this week to help get ready for Reese's arrival. I can't wait to have them around. There's only so much I can do by myself. Matt's been a great help, but there are certain things (like hanging pictures and organizing clothes) that I've been waiting to do until they come. Hopefully we'll finish the nursery and other odds and ends this weekend. My list keeps growing!!

Reese is due to arrive around March 19th...but I guess she could come any day now. The doctor says everything looks good. I've started to efface and dilate just a little...so now we're just waiting! I'm trying not to get my hopes up that she'll arrive over Spring Break. That might be way too convenient for my family and me.

And I finally bought a new camera cord this week so I'll be ready to post pictures of the nursery and the baby. We're excited!

Sweet boy...

2007-02-15T15:57:00.001-08:00

It's been a long time since my last post...I know!!! So here are a few pictures from the last month. The big news is that I have a new nephew...and he's precious. I'm sure you've seen Hollie's blog already...but here are a few more pictures of Brooks James Reese. I can't wait to get to hold him!!!

And here's his sweet sister giving him some love...

Last weekend my church had a baby shower for Reese...it was wonderful. I had lots of family in town...both moms came, my Nana, aunt Lynn, cousin Ashley, cousin Kedra, cousin Krista, Aunt JoAnn, and cousin Sarah. Here are a few pictures from the festivities...

Jennifer drove in from Sugar Land...and my sweet friend, Kayci helped throw the shower.

Pregnant cousins...Kedra and Ashley
Nana and Krista

My belly at 35 weeks... Only 5 more weeks!!!
Sweet friend from church... She made that blanket... I was very impressed!

The sweetest hostesses ever!

26 weeks and counting...

2006-12-13T20:08:00.000-08:00

Here's the first "belly picture" for my blog... This was taken over the weekend at my school's Christmas party. I can't imagine what I'm going to look like at 40 weeks.

Cold weather and baby names...

2006-12-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

I just want everyone to know that I actually wore a coat to school yesterday. It was cold outside! I love cold weather... And that can be a sad thing when you live in Houston. We enjoyed 70-80 degree weather for most of November. So I'm hoping the cold weather (and by cold I mean cold for Houston...50 degrees) will stick around for awhile. I think I'm about to make hot chocolate and watch White Christmas...or Meet Me in St. Louis...or Elf...or some other wonderful Christmas movie.

I think we've finally decided on a name. We're about 98% sure her first name will be Reese. And probably 97% sure her middle name will be Kathryn. We both like the name a lot...I guess I'm just hesitant to decide on something 100%...I know that comes as a shock to most of you...that I'm indecisive. Reese is my maiden name, and Kathryn is my sister's middle name...named after my sweet aunt Kathy. We're not really talking about any other names...so maybe I should just be brave and say that her name will be "Reese Kathryn Cope".

And there are other hard decisions to make too...like what colors to do in the nursery...or what we should do with all of Matt's books and junk in our study. Our child might be sleeping in the hallway...or on top of a desk. We need to work on that.

Sweet kids...

2006-11-16T19:15:00.000-08:00

I've really enjoyed being pregnant and surrounded by little kids every day. My class has been so excited about the pregnancy. Every day I receive countless belly touches, hugs, and kisses for the baby. I usually have several comments every morning about how much I've grown since the day before. The girls in my class were thrilled when they found out it's a girl. The boys were disappointed because they were planning on teaching my boy how to play baseball.

I've also already had several name suggestions...Isabella seems to be a favorite among the 2nd graders. Several weeks ago as the kids were walking in, I had a little girl ask, "Mrs. Cope, did you get your baby over the weekend?" Too bad it's not that easy. I also have a boy who enjoys telling me each week that I "don't look that fat yet." Actually, he hasn't said that in awhile. I'm definitely looking pregnant these days.

Today I had a tiny kindergarten girl come up and touch my belly... She was just staring at my stomach and finally asked, "What's that?" I told her it was my baby. And she looked up at me with the sweetest smile and said, "That's beautiful!" Then she asked, "Is she a boy or a girl?" I told her it was a little girl... And she said, "That's so precious."

Too cute...

2006-11-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

I just clicked on Cousin Matt's blog...and he has the sweetest video of Jack singing. You need to see for yourself.

www.mattpinson.blogspot.com

IT'S A GIRL!!

2006-11-07T18:34:00.000-08:00

We went to the doctor today and saw the ultrasound...pretty amazing. Matt and I were happy to see that everything looked fine on the ultrasound...and we're excited we can finally start calling our baby a "she". I wish I had a scanner so I could post our first baby picture...but I don't. Just use your imagination! I think we might have the name picked out...but I'll post as soon as we're 100% sure on a name for baby Cope. It's such a big decision. Jordan suggested Cola A. Cope - So when her name was written in reverse, it would read "Cope A. Cola"...get it? But I think we'll probably go with something else.

And in honor of a baby girl...I thought my blog background should be pink.

Weekends are the best...

2006-10-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

The following post is over a week old. I've been trying to post pictures all week, and stupid blogger won't let me. What am I doing wrong???? So here's what I wrote last weekend...minus the pictures I promised.

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I spent last weekend in Abilene visiting family and friends. I love going back to Abilene. It just seems like there's never enough time to see everyone you want to see...and actually get to talk to them...for longer than 5 minutes. My mom and sister and I went maternity clothes shopping on Friday night. My bump is definitely growing...it's more like a large mass now...rather than a bump. And the maternity clothes have been very useful! You can only wear the same stretchy skirt for so long. The next day we enjoyed the ACU Homecoming parade... Jordan was walking with the soccer team. I had lunch with my friends from college...so fun. And then ate dinner that night with family again...in-laws, grandparents and cousins. Here are some pictures from Sunday...before I had to go back to Houston. Its such a long drive, but I had 2 wonderful, younger cousins to keep me company! I'm ready to go back...

Happy Friday!

2006-09-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a few highlights from my week:

* The Office premiered on Thursday night! I LOVE that show... It was hilarious. We taped the show if anyone needs to borrow it.

* We ordered pizza Monday night. Pizza might be my favorite food...sad, but true.

* My jeans don't fit anymore. This really isn't a highlight at all...just thought I'd share. I actually had to rubberband the button closed so I could wear my "jeans and spirit shirt" today. I need to go buy some new jeans...I know.

* Found out my friend Katy Ann's coming to visit soon... Yeah!

* Matt and I watched "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" and "Madea's Family Reunion" this week. I thought both movies were hilarious.

* Found out Justin and Hollie are having a baby boy! I'm so excited for them... Now we just have to wait about 5 more weeks to figure out what we're having...

* It actually felt like fall for a few days in Houston. It's back in the 90's already...but it was beautiful for a few days... Fall is my favorite season!

* And of course, visiting my sweet family in Smithville! We had so much fun...being lazy, shopping, eating, and playing with younger cousins.

I think that's about it... That's a glimpse into an exciting week in my life.

2006-09-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

I'm 14 weeks pregnant...and feeling great. I guess I have a few of the typical pregnancy complaints...tiredness, ability to cry at every commercial on TV, and strong aversions to certain smells. Several weeks ago we ate dinner with some friends...and Jenny showed up at the front door wearing a really amazing invention. It's called "The Pregnancy Belt"... It's quite handy...and hilarious. It's perfect to wear around the house...and you're able to solve every one of those pesky pregnancy problems... For example:

1. A can of febreeze helps fight strange smells coming from the apartment below. For awhile Matt and I were worried that our apartment smelled horrible...but then we realized our neighbors below like to cook with VERY strange spices. I usually have to go sit on the balcony when I smell something cooking below. I've never smelled anything like this before...gross.

2. A nice box of Kleenex... I've been crying at every movie I've seen in the past few months. I usually don't cry during movies. I knew it was bad when I started sobbing at the end of Apollo 13...it's a good movie, but I don't know why I was crying.

3. A huge bar of chocolate...this is great even when you're not pregnant.
4. And some anti-bacterial wipes... I can't remember how this helps with pregnancy...but these are always good to have around.

Thanks, Jenny and Chris! You two are quite the inventors...

Old news...

2006-09-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

After surviving the first few weeks back to school, I realized I had run out of excuses and needed to post again. Lots has happened since my last post...

* Started back teaching 2nd grade. I've really enjoyed my first few weeks of school, and I think I have a sweet little class.

* We've had a lot of fun hanging out with friends... Josh and Kayci and Chris and Jenny moved to Houston this summer. And we're SO glad they did! Josh is the new preacher at our church... Chris started medical school and Jenny started graduate school here in Houston. We're very thankful they're all here!

* And then...like most of you already know...I found out I was pregnant!! A big surprise for everyone...probably most surprising to Matt and me! Matt's been great about it and was very encouraging when I found out. But I think the words "panic attack" were muttered by him a few times in the weeks to follow. I'm 13 weeks along and feeling great...just feeling a little pudgy around the middle. My due date is March 19th... And we're getting excited. I love that I get to be pregnant with my sister-in-law, Hollie, whose due in February. It'll be fun to have lots of cousins running around!

I'm sure I'll have more to post later about pregnancy and babies...But I think right now I need to go take another nap...since I'm pregnant.

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Here's my first official pregnancy photo... We took this at the end of July in Fort Worth with my college girls... This is one of our favorite traditions..."pointing pictures". I LOVE these girls!

And hopefully I really won't have that pointy of a belly when I'm pregnant.

2006-07-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

Since I can't find my trip pictures right now...you can enjoy seeing Riley in her ladybug bikini...pretty cute! There are more precious beach pictures on Hollie's blog.

www.reeseramblings.blogspot.com

2006-07-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

I can't find my camera cord! My pictures are all still on my camera, and I haven't had a chance to get any developed yet. I'm still wanting to post more pictures from our trip...But I need to find that stupid cord first!

It's already July... Where did my summer go???

2006-07-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

I guess that's what happens when you spend a month traveling. Matt I were gone most of June traveling through Europe. I've started to blog about it several times, but I get a little overwhelmed...Where do I even begin? We went to so many great places...saw amazing sights, beautiful castles, famous works of art...and lots more. I'm about to try to post pictures. I hope it works...pictures are more exciting than words anyway, right?

This is our first day in Paris...after I'd been sick with the stomach bug. I let Matt climb to the top without me...
After Paris, we went to the south of France and then to the Italian Riviera... This was in Italy...probably my favorite part of the trip. This is the small fishing village of Vernazza.

Not my favorite town to visit...but I saw the tower and we got the picture... That's about all there is to see in Pisa. Or maybe I didn't enjoy this town as much because we couldn't find a place to stay. We walked around for about 3 hours looking for a hotel with the backpack on...but the day we were in Pisa just happened to be an Italian holiday and everyone just happened to be visiting Pisa...we're still not sure why. We finally took the train to Florence and found a hotel there at about 1:00 AM. I didn't care how much it cost...I was so happy to have a place to sleep!

After Pisa and Florence we went to Rome and enjoyed several days there...

I loved the Trevi fountain... We both made wishes and threw a coin in the fountain. Has anyone else seen the movie "Three Coins in a Fountain"? It's a classic...

That's only about half of the trip...so I'm thinking I'll start with these pictures and add a few more each day... It's a little overwhelming all at once, I know!

Happy Mother's Day, JoJo!

2006-05-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

This might be my first Mother's Day without my mom. I guess that's what happens when you grow up and get married...and live 6 hours away. So I'm missing my mom today and wishing we were together...to grade papers, go to Target or go for a late-night walk. A family friend emailed these pictures a few months ago...and I loved them. My mom is beautiful...for so many reasons. She's my best friend...and the woman I most admire.

And I'm sure she really appreciates me posting these pictures.

I love you, mom! Happy Mother's Day...

My mom and her sisters... My mom's in the middle...isn't that a wonderful Kojie face?

My mom (on top) with her older sister (Aunt Lynn)... And she'll have to explain this picture...no idea what's going on here.

2006-04-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

Not much happening in H-town. My blogging hasn't been very consistent lately. Part of the reason...lack of motivation. The other reason is probably because my sister introduced me to myspace. I'm now one of those scandalous people who has a myspace page. It's actually pretty fun...and addictive if you're not careful. Here's my page if you get bored:

www.myspace.com/jennacope

I saw my cutie pie niece over Easter. Here are a few pictures from that day. And as of yesterday, she took her first 3 steps. Yeah Riley!

2006-04-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

My mom told me I needed to post tonight...and I always do what my mother says...

I meant to post several weeks ago about my wonderful Spring Break...but I think I was sad when my mom and sister left, that I didn't feel like posting. But yes, we did have so much fun over spring break. They came and helped me clean out my closets, hang curtains, plant flowers, go to Target, watch movies, eat chocolate cake...and so much more. Cleaning out closets might not seem like a fun spring break, but I really do think this was one of the best spring breaks ever... I'm ready for them to come back...my clothes in my closet aren't exactly color-coordinated anymore. Jordan would be so disappointed.

Matt's been busy with his rotations now... He's enjoying being in the hospital so much more than sitting in a classroom. Right now he's up at the hospital working an on-call night for his general surgery rotation. Everyone keeps asking what kind of doctor he wants to be...and I don't think he's sure yet. But I think he has ruled out surgery...too many long hours. And I agree with that decision...

School is flying by...I don't feel like my kids are ready to go to 3rd grade yet. I'm always scared that my kids will move onto 3rd grade, and about halfway through the year, the 3rd grade teachers will have a meeting to talk about kids that are struggling and so far behind...and shouldn't be in 3rd grade...and then they'll talk some more and figure out that all 20 of those kids came from my 2nd grade class. It's silly, I know. Matt's new favorite word is "relaja"... I don't know if I spelled that correctly. But basically it's "relax" in Spanish. It drives me crazy when he says it...but it's probably true. I stress and worry about things that I shouldn't... I need to learn to "relaja"...

I wanted to post pictures...but blogger is being weird... I'll try later. Click on Hollie Lyn's blog if you want to see hilarious and precious pictures of my niece...

IT'S SPRING BREAK!!!

2006-03-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful feeling! This week arrived just in time. I think the kids in room 29 (my classroom) had a worthless teacher this week. It's been a crazy week. The kids are of course excited about Spring Break. We also had Jump Rope for Heart on Tuesday (always fun and exciting. I didn't win the teacher Jump-A-Thon though...I'll keep practicing and try again next year)...and then we had Open House on Thursday. We packed it in before Spring Break. And then today after school I lost a kid. That's always a great way to end the week...

Thankfully everything's fine now...but it was a scary 10 minutes. In addition to not knowing where this child was, we've received e-mails and letters all week about 2 attempted abductions at a school down the street. I've had to read books to my class about "staying away from strangers." Today as I was reading, I heard a little boy turn to another child and say, "If a stranger tried to get me, I'd just kick him in the balls and run." Not sure if that is appropriate for the blog or for a 2nd grade classroom, but I thought it was funny...

So all that to say...we've all been extra cautious at school when dismissing our kids at the end of the day. Well, my poor boy forgot he was going home with a parent. Instead, he walked to the bike-rack to meet his brother. But then when his brother wasn't there, he decided to walk down the street and wait for his brother at the stop-sign (which is a long way from the school). Meanwhile, we're running around the school, calling on the loudspeaker, and can't find him anywhere. Thankfully, his brother told us that he sometimes goes to wait by the stopsign. Another teacher walked down and found him waiting by the stopsign. I don't think that child will be walking without his brother again. He heard an earful from several teachers, and I'm sure his parents will have something to add. That's a teacher's worst nightmare...losing a child. I'm thankful my nightmare was short-lived...and turned out to be fine.

I hope everyone else has a fantastic break...for those of you who are lucky enough to enjoy a Spring Break. If you're stuck in school or at work next week...I'm sorry! Everyone deserves a Spring Break... Maybe you should just take one even if you don't officially have one. That's a good idea. I'm excited that my mom and sister are coming to visit this week! Yeah!!! I miss them sooooo much! I can't wait... Moms and sisters are the best (brothers and dads are great too...they're just not visiting this week).

2006-03-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

I survived my first flat tire today! I drive quite a bit each day...to and from school on busy highways. Most days I drive past cars stranded on the side of the road and wonder..."What would I do if that happened to me!" Well...it happened to me today. I was driving home from school and heard a loud noise...I couldn't figure out what it was. I thought maybe it was the big truck next to me. My car was driving fine...so I didn't think it was my tire. Then about 10 seconds later, I felt it. My tire blew out, and I was swerving across the road. Thankfully, I was able to pull off to the side of the road without losing control.

Then came to tricky part... What do I do? I tried calling Matt, but figured he couldn't answer his phone. He's now on his surgery rotation and can't take many calls in the middle of the operating room. Then I called my mom...and thought about crying. Then I called the number on the back of the driver's license. It was busy. I'm sure there are other people I could have called...but it's not like Abilene. You hate to ask someone to drive an hour to help you change your tire. So then I just sat there and prayed that somebody would take pity on my poor demolished tire, and help me change a flat. I don't have much confidence in my tire-changing abilities. I could probably do it...but I was already flustered and I was on the side of a busy highway at 4:45 in Houston, TX...not fun! Thankfully a man drove by and was nice enough to change my tire. Thank you...whoever you are!! You saved my day! And I'm especially thankful that he didn't throw me into the back of his car and kidnap me...I live in Houston and have heard too many stories like that.

So now I have a tiny tire on my little red car...but I'm home and safe and so thankful God took care of me today.

2006-02-27T17:20:00.000-08:00

A few highlights from last week...

* My mom, JoJo (her grandma name), had a birthday! Happy late birthday mom... I love you! We had fun celebrating the weekend before when I was still in town. I LOVE any holiday...so I always hate to miss birthdays and celebrations with families...so I made sure we had a birthday party while I was still there.

* We also had a little excitement last week and spent a long 2 days and 1 night without electricity. Somebody accidentally switched electricity companies on us...without letting us know...not really sure how this happened. Matt came home and found an electricity-less apartment. It was such a quiet night...a little weird, but nice (for one night). I went to bed so early because I couldn't read, watch TV, check blogs or listen to music. Matt had to go up to school to study because he had tests that week. I had to call my mom to make sure I was awake for school the next day...no alarm clock. I did set my phone alarm clock, but it usually takes 2-3 alarm clocks to wake me up in the morning. It's all worked out now...we're back to an electronic-filled world.

* We spent part of the weekend helping with the "Sweetheart Banquet" at church. The youth group has a dinner each year for "Keenagers" of our church. We had fun helping the girls decorate on Friday night and then get everything ready for the dinner on Saturday. The youth group kids did such a great job planning, cooking and serving the people...lots of fun hanging out with them. Matt and I really enjoy hanging out with the youth group. We're one of the youngest couples at our church, so I guess we consider them some of our closest friends...we relate well to this age group! I still feel like I'm 16 most of the time...

* And here's one more picture of sweet Riley...I missed seeing her this week! She might look a little scared in the picture...but she really does love me. I'm sure my sister was doing something behind the camera to scare her. She's the scary aunt...not me!

Sing Song Fun...

2006-02-20T14:02:00.000-08:00

I had such a great weekend in A-town with my family and friends... I'm sad it's already over! I took a personal day on Friday and drove to Abilene Thursday night with my Houston-friend, Jennifer. It was exciting leaving Houston in a short-sleeved shirt and stepping out into 30 degree weather in Abilene. I miss cold weather!!

I slept late Friday and spent the day with my sister and family... Justin and Hollie came that afternoon with Riley, and I had so much fun playing with her. She's crawling and pulling up on things... She kept us entertained for hours. I enjoyed seeing my girlfriends Saturday for lunch. Then we celebrated my mom's birthday over dinner...and went to Sing Song that night.

We enjoyed the show...my silly Siggie sister did a wonderful job as a penguin. And I even cheered loudly for her club...even though the Kojies in our family far outnumber the EOX's (She's a traitor, I know!) They were really cute and I thought they were obviously the best girl's club... So I was glad they won after the whole judging mess...pretty crazy! Here's a picture we took w/ Jor before they found out there was a mistake in the results... She's doing a lovely job smiling even though they thought they had just lost. I'm sad Matt couldn't come to Abilene this time. I know he was disappointed too... He has a test this week and can't study well in Abilene. There are far too many other things he'd rather be doing...like playing Pig with his brother.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2006-02-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in my room while my kids are at lunch...so thankful for a few minutes of peaceful solitude. We haven't even had our party yet, but my kids are out of control! They are so very excited about Valentine's Day. Kids get excited for any holiday...but for some reason, this seems to be their favorite day of the year. Our school sells and delivers carnations today...so every few minutes a student delivers a handful of carnations and the kids go nuts hoping they'll be for them. This is also the only day in the year that parents are allowed to send flowers, balloons, gifts, etc. for their kids. So you can imagine that some parents go all out... I have kids that have balloons, candy, bears and flowers lined up by their desks. And then some kids don't get anything. I hate that!! I make sure each kid at least has one carnation... But one pitiful carnation doesn't compare to a huge singing teddy bear and balloons. The kids have to learn a hard lesson today...life's not always fair.

And of course today was the day that a college student came to observe our class all morning. I apologized several times... She was really sweet and I saw her laughing several times throughout the morning... But I don't think she saw what she came to observe today. Mostly she just heard me saying again and again... "Let's all find our seats" (as they go rushing across the room to see what's being delivered)... "We don't need to yell across the room" (they may be small, but they can yell)... "It's not time to roll around on the floor." I've really had several kids rolling on the floor and under the desks for some odd reason. As you can see...my class has been overcome by Valentine Fever. The party should be fun...

More pictures...

2006-01-30T16:38:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed another weekend with my ACU girlfriends...well some of them, at least. I went with a group of girls from our church youth group to a girls' conference at First Colony Church of Christ. My friend Jennifer was one of the organizers... Beth and Tamara came into town to teach a class...and Jaymie brought a group of girls from her church. I also saw Leah on Friday night at the conference... It was a wonderful conference, and I'm so glad I was able to connect with these girls...if just for a little while!

Speaking of girls...Here are more fun pictures from my trip to Longview with my friends from ACU...a group picture and a few pictures from the dance party, which turned into an airplane flying party.

Well I was able to post one picture... I'll try the others again later...

Riley's Bathtime

2006-01-19T08:23:00.000-08:00

Isn't she precious!?? I loved this picture of Riley in her robe with her rubber ducky... I miss seeing her. And she's getting so big! If you click on Hollie's blog you can can see pictures of her pulling up on the toilet. Pretty funny...