Reece - 2 Years Old

Reece is now a big 2 year old!! And wow is he a little character that wins over the hearts of almost everyone he meets! 

Reece weighs about 24 lbs and is 32.5 inches tall. He still takes a 2-3 hour nap around 1:00 each day. He goes to bed around 7:30 and wakes up in the morning around 7:00-7:30. And this little guy is still nursing if I am here when he wakes up in the morning, when he wakes up after his nap, or when he goes to bed for the night. 

Although Reece is still small for his age - he is mighty! He is constantly trying to lift things and carry things around that are much bigger than him. And this boy loves to eat. There isn't a huge list of things that he likes but he will eat and eat and eat the things that he does like. His favorite foods right now are waffles, grapes, scrambled eggs, sausage, pineapple, hot dog (which he asks for every day for lunch), macaroni and cheese, peas, sweet potato, cheese, and fig bars. 

Reece is finally beginning to really pick up speed in the vocabulary department. He is definitely learning how to communicate better which has been really nice for him and for us. He loves making train and car noises. And he also loves singing - with or without a microphone. His favorite songs are Twinkle Twinkle, the Moana theme song, and "Oh Oh God, Forgive Us" (by For King and Country). I have to sing him Twinkle Twinkle every night at bedtime. And every time he sees any of the Disney princesses, he starts to sing Moana. Every time that he sees a white car he says "Daddy's car." And the he says "more Daddy's car" when he sees another. And on and on it goes! 

Reece is still as affectionate as ever when he is in that kind of mood. He usually wants Mommy (coined "The Special One" by Daddy) to hold him and cuddle him after he wakes up in the morning sometimes but especially after nap. He will randomly run up and give us or Ember a hug. And even to other family and friends there is often unexpected hugs and kisses. When I take Reece to pick up Ember from preschool, he will run full speed into the classroom and practically tackle her with a hug. We love his displays of affection. He will also say "Mommy home" and "Daddy home" while giving us hugs. It is one of the sweetest things. He often will run over to Maci when we are about to leave and give her a big hug and say "bye doggy."

When Reece isn't being affectionate and cuddly, he is usually looking for trouble. Whether he is trying to play with electronics that he isn't supposed to touch, or trying to get into whatever his sister is trying to do - if Reece isn't around us it usually means he is up to no good. He is thankfully doing better with not hitting or biting and is learning that that is not how we treat others. It is also very very obvious when something isn't going as Reece planned because he has the highest pitch scream that he will let out. He has a shirt that says "Little but Loud" and that is a perfect description for our little guy.

And man oh man is this little guy silly! There are so many things he does that I can only shake my head and laugh at. He loves to sit down and put things in his shorts - like rocks, plastic toy frogs, woodchips, etc. And then he stands up and they all fall out. He loves it! He also loves saying "knock knock" jokes. And he actually is getting pretty good at them. He loves to imitate funny lines or funny voices like "yoo hoo." And every time after he wakes up in his crib he throws his Tigger, his stuffed elephant, and his blanket out of his crib across the room and then says "uh oh" and points at them when I come get him. 

Since Ember is so into crafts, Reece likes to do them with her as well. He loves to color with colored pencils, crayons, and Color Wonder markers. He will make a few marks on his paper and then run over with his paper to show us. Then go back and make a few more marks and bring it back to us again. Reece is also very polite. He says "thank you" unprompted to almost everything. I take a picture of him - he says "thank you." I turn his sound machine on at night - he says "thank you." I hope his manners continue in such an abundant fashion. 

Reece really loves to play and is always very busy! Some of his favorite toys are cars, balls, balloons, building Legos or blocks, playing with Ember's camera or baby doll, and making food in the play kitchen. Reece still loves books too. Some of his favorites right now are "Little Blue Truck," "Slide and See," "Zip It," and "Growl, Growl, on the Prowl." He is starting to be interested in movies and shows for short periods of time. His favorite is "Vroom Vroom" (Baby Einstein's On the Go). He also likes Elmo's World and Sesame Street. And he still loves doing what his big sister is doing. He is constantly copying her and following her around trying to do big kids things.

Reece loves being outside - whether we are walking or he is riding his Strider bike. He loves taking baths, playing in the water table, and being tickled fiercely. He loves to pick up Ember from preschool and Daddy or Mommy coming home from being gone. He can't wait to play outside of the church after the service is over. He has a thing for a little girl friend named Kierra. He loves eating snacks and having ice in his water. And we found out for his 2nd birthday that he loves EVERYTHING about Legoland. 

Reece keeps us on our toes and gives the sweets hugs! He is oh so loveable and I am so grateful that two years ago God made him ours! He adds such a perfect dynamic to our family! We love you, Reecey Pie! 

New HAPT Trainer!

I have always liked the idea of becoming a personal trainer at the gym very part time once the kids were in school. But in August, a need for subs came up and a trainer was leaving so it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to jump in and be trained up, get some good experience and than drop down to being a sub! It has been a HUGE change but a good one! And bonus - Dustin got to train me up and teach me the ropes :) 

Easter!!

We had a wonderful time as a family remembering and celebrating our Savior's dying on the cross and rising again! We also enjoyed traditional Easter activities like egg dyeing and hunts!  I am realizing more and more how much I love this season full of life and rejoicing because JESUS IS ALIVE! 

Coloring Eggs

Ember got to wave palm branches on Palm Sunday in front of the church

Ember's Preschool Easter party

Small Easter egg hunt in the backyard

Easter morning tradition of Resurrection rolls

Easter baskets

 All dressed up for worship

Singing praise songs Easter morning

(Ember LOVES performing in front of people!)

FAMILY PICTURE! 

Easter dinner with Dustin's parents and Jared, Hope, and Harper

And yes.... this one was a little overkill but we did our 2nd annual friend Easter egg hunt

Mexico in March

Here are a few more pictures from our trip to Mexico this month! It was a great time as always :) There were a few days that it was party cloudy and windy and the rest of the days were beautifully sunny!! 

Thankful for this wonderful family time that God has provided us with! 

Reece - 18 Months Old

Reece is 18 months already!  I feel like we just had his one year birthday party! 

Reece is currently a whopping 20 lbs 6 oz (5th percentile)  and 30.75 inches (6th percentile) tall. He takes one nap a day which usually starts around 1:00. He sleeps for 2-3 hours and has just started playing in his crib after his nap rather than instantly crying. He goes to bed between 7:00-8:00 pm and usually wakes up between 7:00-7:30 am. Reece still nurses three times a day.

This little guy is a boy of few words. He says hi, mama, dada, and nigh nigh that we can understand and pin point. He is good at jabbering and conversing but just not in a way that we understand yet. He understands a whole lot more than he says though. He can follow simple commands like "go find your shoe" and he runs to his booster any time we mention eating. He eats a whole lot for being so little but his favorites are waffles, dry cereal, banana, pear, Cutie, deli turkey and ham, peas, sweet potato, french fries, veggie straws, raisins, and Larabar. 

I think that all the attention that Reece has not been putting into talking he is putting into moving  around! He runs all over the place, climbs on any and everything, and can actually jump and get a little bit of air. He loves spinning in circles with his sister, throwing balls, and crawling around just for fun (especially if there is a crawling baby around).

Reece has always been and continues to be an affectionate and cuddly little guy. He loves laying his head on our shoulders when we are holding him - especially if he got hurt or is getting tired. He randomly will come up to us and give us a hug. He likes to be held and cuddled right after he wakes up. And he will often just hug a page of a book if he likes what is on it which is usually a picture of a baby or an animal. He will also do this with most toys especially if it is one he hasn't played with or seen before. 

As a newborn, Reece comforted and soothed himself by sucking on his arm near his elbow. He still does this while laying down or standing but without actually sucking his arm. He will just place that same part of his arm near his mouth with his hand on his upper forehead and hair. So he often looks like an elephant or Tim Tebow every time he needs soothing or is getting tired.

He loves being around people, animals, and things and getting their attention. He says "hi" whenever he sees a neighbor cat on our porch and every time he hears a dog bark. He puts his hand in the air and sort of coo grunts every time he hears an airplane or loud car go by. He will laugh if he hears other's laughing or cough when others cough around him. And he loves giving people a scrunchy faced smile which is just about the cutest thing. He has made many a stranger swoon :) I have had to apologize for him socially before too. He has been known to bring our guests their shoes and start waving bye bye to them when he is ready for them to leave the house.

Reece loves to play! He loves balloons, balls, toys that make noise or light up, and reading books. Some of his favorite books are "Usborne Slide and See Jungle," "Where is Baby's Bellybutton?" and "Numbers." But his absolute favorite way to play is with his sister. He is always near her when she is around him. They love riding the Plasma car together, running around the coffee table, trying on mom and dad's shoes, cooking in the play kitchen, and playing in the backyard. He seems to like Ember's toys more than his own but probably just for the reason that she plays with them and he wants to do what she is doing.

Reece also likes to play with and do some things that are not ideal.... like pulling the kitchen towels down every time he sees them, pushing the coffee table (with wheels) all over the living room, getting into Maci's water dish, and dumping out bins of toys just because it's fun. He is getting better at listening when we say "no touch" to something but is also starting to throw tantrums when he does not get his way. He will also hit when he is upset with what Ember, Mom, or Dad is doing. He quickly switches back and forth between being very dramatic one minute back to his cheesy-smiled sweet self the next.

He loves baths, running at the beach, swinging, giving Maci her treat, chasing bubbles, waking up Ember in the morning, helping Daddy brush his teeth, playing with a shovel and washing his hands. Reece loves walks either sitting in the stroller or walking on his own. He is not a big fan of long car rides, getting his diaper changed, and being told no.

Reece is such a perfect addition to our family and we all love him so! It is so amazing watching him grow and develop into who God created him to be. We love you Reece! 

Some other pictures from the last few months!