The Riddells

They better stay blue or ELSE

2010-05-28T12:10:00.002-05:00

James' eyes are very blue. But I guess because I am not a professional photographer in a nice white studio with great lighting, his eye color sort of gets lost in the photos I take. Well here is a random one of him eating and for once you can see how blue his eyes are!

Sorry I have been so bad about posting lately. James is a little over 7 months and just got his first tooth and is crawling everywhere! His favorite person is Reese and he can just watch her all day long. Reese is talking in sentences now (although she is pretty shy so you will probably not hear it if you aren't me, Jeff, or Mimi!). Everything is "AMAZING!" and she just discovered carrying her baby around the house in the Bjorn. She loves to swing at the park on her tummy, blow bubbles in the pool, and play with "baby jaze" (as she calls James). Every time she gives kisses she has to kiss you once, then hug, then kiss again. It's hilarious!

It's Not Working...

2010-05-14T15:03:00.002-05:00

Reese's new thing lately has been to point out things that are not working.

*Every time she colors with the light beige crayon, she runs it over to me and says "Mommy it's not working" (it is just so light she cannot see it color on the paper).

*We have several toys out of batteries and she is always quick to point out to James, "It's not working" (said in a cute childish voice with an emphasis on "wor" in working).

*Our neighbor Deanna gave Reese a ring that lights up and when Reese cannot turn it properly, she brings it to me saying "it's not working".

Well this next story, I am sure Reese will kill me when she is older and sees I blogged about this. Today she told me she wanted to use the potty. I put her on the potty and she sat there a minute. She usually pee pees right away. Well this time, she pointed to her private part and exclaimed, "It's not working!". She says it a few more times all the while pointing in between her legs and I am pretty much dying laughing. I told her to push real hard and then she started to pee pee with a huge smile across her face. I guess she got it working again...:)

6 Months!

2010-04-15T17:36:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it - our Sweet Baby James is 6 months old today!

And not to be outdone, here is Reese's new trick - Ta daaaa!!!!

Flirt

2010-03-09T21:37:00.001-06:00

Morning Muffins with Reese!

2010-03-09T21:12:00.004-06:00

We had a little birthday party with muffins to celebrate Reese's 2nd birthday. We had a blast with kids running all around with tons of banging on the piano. My friend, Jennifer Van Zant took professional photos but I do not have them back yet. Here are some photos I stole from Alison's blog that she took on her iphone (thanks Ali!).

Pin the tail on the donkey! Jack was the only one that played blindfolded!

Our beautiful 2 year old. Her dress had an "R" on it like Laverne.

Yes, I am wearing an apron. You want to make something of it?

The best part of the party! I LOVE Aslynn and James crying hysterically on the floor!

We can't believe our baby girl is 2! She is no longer the tiny petite thing (goodbye 10th percentile weight!) and is just right about average (and hey, we are proud of that!). She is 40th percentile weight and 60th percentile height. She's just right!

We are also happy to report that she is not allergic to peanut butter and her new favorite lunch is crackers with peanut butter and raisins on top. The entire lunch she says "more reese peas" which means "more raisins please".

She has also started calling Daddy by his first name "Jeff!". When we tell her his name is Daddy, not Jeff, she promptly starts calling him "Daddy Jeff Dell". Kids!

She also has started saying "oh" when you ask her things. For example, "Reese, would you like some milk?". She then says "ohhh yeshh". It cracks us up! She is also Reese the Repeater. She repeats everything we say these days and is making the cutest sentences. She also knows all her numbers and can point them all out at random and knows the letters A-E perfectly and several others like J, K, O, P, etc. Just a few weeks ago she was calling everything blue, but now she can distinctly pick out orange and yellow. It is so fun to see that head filling itself with knowledge!

Reese is quite the budding artist and LOVES to color and draw. She can color for pretty much an hour without stopping which is nuts. Her favorite thing to draw is an apple :) She also draws an awesome picture of Daddy which pretty much looks like grass. We are so proud.

Our favorite part of our 2 year old are the hugs and kisses we get. She seemed too busy just a few months ago to hug and kiss us but is back to snuggling. She LOVES butterfly kisses and those long lashes of hers are killer! She is so sweet and loving to "Baby Jas" and is always bringing him a lovey, paci, etc. She is "mostly" a joy to be around and is such a happy girl!

Reese is 2!

2010-01-29T14:43:00.002-06:00

Presenting....Reese Dell!

2010-01-29T14:12:00.004-06:00

We have started telling Reese that her name is Reese Riddell. Reese begs to differ and is going by "Reese Dell" these days. We have to get it on video it is so funny! We will say "what's your name?". Reese responds, "Reessssshe" (with the ssss drawn out on the end and pointing to her chest). Then we say, "Reese what?". And she says, "Reese Dell!"!!!

Here are some super cute photos of Miss Reese Dell at her pal Jack's 4th birthday party taken this late Summer. Jennifer Van Zant, our good friend from Coppell days, is an awesome photographer and works at Vim Studio in Dallas. Check them out and use her for all your photo needs! She took my favorite photo of Reese to date - one that captures her so well - hair a crazy mess, frosting on the face, and the lashes that go on for miles. Such a beautiful portrait of my beautiful little girl! She is going to take James' photos soon so I will post some good ones of him when I get them.

My favorite photo of Reese - God gave us such a perfect girl!

Our little ham LOVES sunglasses!

She also loves pretzels...

James the Cutie Patootie

2010-01-21T14:22:00.003-06:00

When Reese is down for a nap, James and I love to have photo shoots. It is great to actually have a child that will A. Look at the camera B. Smile and C. Doesn't try to grab the camera out of your hands with grubby fingers. Lets just say there aren't a whole lot of photos of Reese right now because she refuses to look at the camera or attempt a smile. James is a great subject though! He is all smiles and giggles and cooing these days. And what a cuddler too!

Who couldn't love that face???

News Flash!!!

2009-12-22T13:39:00.003-06:00

Reese pooped in her potty for the first time today! I don't think I have ever been more proud, and of poop of all things!!! If anyone has suggestions on the best way to clean up the potty after dumping the poop in the toilet, let me know. I am a little grossed out on the best way to clean it up.

Naughty and Nice

2009-12-21T23:20:00.005-06:00

Our friends took part in a fundraiser in which you can get Santa to come to your house for 30 minutes. I was so happy they asked us over because I just knew after the great, happy photo we got with Santa when Reese was 10 months old - we would not get the same from the 22 month old Reese of today. So glad I didn't wait in line for hours to get the following photos...although James of course was a gem. But he has no fear of the white beard....yet...

We decided we needed to get them both with Santa. Reese jumped off his lap and I snapped this photo as she was running away! Merry Freakin' Christmas!

Lets take a look back at 2008 - So young, so innocent, so not afraid of the big man in the red suit...

Still happy..

2009 - James looks pretty happy

We thought Reese would cheer up a bit

She started chewing on her hand in crazy desperation...

Then it got so bad we stopped laughing and thought she was going to make herself throw up. Yeah, we are great parents...

Call me Suri...

2009-12-18T22:07:00.002-06:00

I kept fighting back the urge to cut Reese some bangs because I knew they would be about a 5 year commitment before we would go through all the awkward growing out stages with clips and headbands. Reese's hair was always in her face as she stubbornly refused to keep a bow or hair twisty in her hair for more than about 5 minutes. I finally gave up and got her hair cut. It is so cute I don't know why I didn't do it sooner! Of course, about the time I got her hair cut and wanted to share the cute photos, Reese is refusing to look at the camera or smile. So this is the best I could get. But I promise she looks super cute!!!

Chillin'

2009-12-18T21:59:00.002-06:00

Brother and Sister

2009-11-21T18:40:00.004-06:00

Bath Time. For the first time in awhile it is Reese that is happy and James that is upset.

So sweet...

I love this photo, Reese with her lovey patting James' head and James saying "hmmmm".

Hanging out in the rain forest together!

Impromptu Photo Shoot

2009-11-21T18:32:00.003-06:00

One of my bffs Jessica R. was over a couple of weeks ago and was playing around with our camera and got some awesome photos of James! She was being all funny acting like James was a model and kept telling him to "work it" and funny phrases like that. I got a good laugh while she was taking the photos and some great photos of him. Thanks Jess!!!

I think after this one Jess said something like "ok let's try this again, your eyes were closed". James listened and opened his eyes and she snapped the photo above!

James's or James'?

2009-11-21T18:30:00.001-06:00

I think modern grammar prefers James's but my old school ways prefers James'. What do you all think - James' or James's as in "Here is James' room" or "Here is James's room"? Leave me some comments and tell me what you think is proper.

Happy Halloweenie!

2009-11-21T18:00:00.005-06:00

Sums up our 2009 Halloween experience...

Reese with pals Cooper and Peyton, she was weirded out that Peyton was Elmo

We found James in the pumpkin patch :)

Reese with her Mimi

After the first and only house Reese trick-or-treated at...

I am calling this one "Total Meltdown Whilst Clutching A Snickers"

Happy photos from the day before (trial run with the costume)

Call it lack of sleep, but I am so confused where I post photos now with it being the Facebook age and all. Sorry I am just now blogging about Halloween! Halloween seems to be Reese's least favorite holiday. She cried last year at the Baby's 1st Halloween Party we took her to and this year, because of total lack of sleep (woke up 2 hours early and only napped for 45 minutes that day), she only made it to one house for trick-or-treating before we had to take her home and put her to bed. Of course, the one piece of candy she received was a Snickers and the poor thing has not had peanuts yet! She was clutching the Snickers and I kept whispering frantically to Jeff, "she hasn't had peanuts yet! don't let her have it!". When he got her home, he was able to pry her claws off the Snickers and replace it with a Starburst that she never even ate.

Even though Halloween was full of tears, we got some cute photos of our little bumblebee the day before trying on her costume, sweet photos of our sweet lil' pumpkin James, and some pretty hysterical crying photos of Reese on Halloween!

Funny Conversation

2009-11-09T17:49:00.002-06:00

Reese's favorite phrase lately is "What's that?!". She asks it very excitedly and about 100 times a day. I was getting ready in the bathroom the other morning and the bedroom TV was left on. The View came on and I overheard the following conversation between Reese and Jeff:

Reese: What's that?!
Jeff: That's Joy Behar.
Reese: What's that?!
Jeff: That's Whoopi.
Reese" What's that?!
Jeff: That's Elizabeth Hasselbeck.
Reese: What's that?!
Jeff: That's Joy Behar again...
Reese: What's that?!
Jeff: That's the girl whose name I don't know.
Reese: What's that?!
Jeff (laughing pretty hard now): That's Joy Behar!
And the conversation was over.

Our First Walk in the Double Trouble!

2009-10-28T13:56:00.003-05:00

We ventured out on our first walk in the "Double Trouble" (aka double stroller). It was great! I just completely laid down James's side and let Reese sit up so she could see out. They were champs in the stroller and Reese loved looking at her baby brother. It pushed like a breeze and a neighbor at the park even showed me how to make the front wheel switch from stationary to swivel-mode (MUCH better!). I had to post some pics because they were just too cute all cuddled up in the stroller together.

Oh, there's a baby in the house?

2009-10-20T18:32:00.004-05:00

So James has been home since Saturday and Reese just discovered that there is a little baby amongst us. She is very curious about him. She likes to give him pats and kiss his head (well, she rubs her head against his when we tell her to kiss his head). Overall she has been very sweet, although I did walk out of the room for a second to come back to find James crying with his hat pulled over his face and Reese standing there with a look of, "what? i didn't do it" on her face. So I can tell you that the two will not be left alone for a very long time! Here are some photos of the past few days:

Brother and Sister...

Our little hobbit

Grumpy old man after a bath

We looked over and Reese was sitting on top of the table! She sure loves the new Halloween cups Megan and Shalei brought her.

Welcome to the World Baby James!

2009-10-19T10:48:00.003-05:00

At 12:10pm, Thursday October 15th, 2009 we welcomed our sweet baby James. James Bradford Riddell. 7 pounds, 14 ounces, 21 1/4 inches long, head full of light brown or sandy blond hair (we will know better after his first bath, but are shocked it is not jet black like Reese's hair was!). Looks like a very cute grouchy old man! He is very sweet and already loves to be held. Big Sis Reese did very well at the introduction although we could not get her to kiss him yet. We're in love with our family of four!

Bittersweet goodbye to the only child.

2009-10-14T14:52:00.003-05:00

Dear Reese,

It has been just you and me for over two years now (including when you were in my tummy for 9 long months). I've loved our time together, just the two of us. You figuring out life, me figuring out how to be a Mommy and how not to screw you up.

But I sensed you needed more fun and enrichment and love in your life. More than just me and Daddy could provide for you. So we prayed and hoped and came up with a solution. A baby brother. We are going to leave you with your grandparents for a few days while we go to pick up Baby James, your new baby brother. We just hope you like him.

I am a little sad today. Sad that our days of just the two girls, you and me, Mommy and daughter, are over. It has been so fun and there have been so many laughs and sticky kisses and walks to the park. We can still do all of these things together, just with a bigger stroller and an addition to our perfect little nest. I promise to still have time set aside for just the two of us. And I promise that you will always be my baby girl, my first, my Reese's Pieces.

I love you so much and I am so excited to give you a baby brother. I know you will be a great big sister and that you will be a good influence on James (like eating your vegetables, hint hint). Just remember how much we love you and how you are the only YOU in the entire world!

Love,

Mommy

Can someone please show me the way to the Kentucky Derby?

2009-10-14T14:47:00.002-05:00

Now where is that Mind That Bird horse I like so much????

Don't look at me like that just because my Mommy chooses to never dress me!

Taking a little nap, too many mint juleps...

really too many mint juleps....

The Countdown Begins!

2009-10-08T14:28:00.004-05:00

Only one more week and Baby James will be here! I am being induced on Thursday, October 15th (that is if he decides to not show up before then). I have not posted preggo pictures this time around because honestly, I am just not a cute pregnant person. But this could be the last time I am pregnant, so I had Jeff snap a few photos of my belly (fully clothed, don't worry I wouldn't subject you to my bare belly!).

Here I am with some photo editing to make myself look all heavenly and maternal...

Reese isn't sure about this...

Reese touching the tummy

Leaning in to kiss baby James!

A Letter From Dad

2009-10-07T16:58:00.002-05:00

I was putting away some things in my bedside table today and came across a letter from my dad. I keep some letters and cards from people in the top drawer that I go to when I I need a little pick-me-up, but sometimes I'll just randomly read one. My dad wrote this to me the day we packed up and left for Austin for me to attend UT as a Freshman in August 1998. It's funny, because it is just on the back of some pad of paper he must have gotten from work. It has a calendar down the side from 1996... Casual paper but some serious letter writing...

"Ladybug :)

I love you very very much and am so happy of your successes and bright future. The great adventure begins today! Enjoy, good luck, and have fun!!!!

It can be evasive for most, but you will quickly find the delicate balance that enables tremendous personal joy and growth with high achievement WHILE HAVING INCREDIBLE FUN.

You will love UT and Austin. You have done an excellent job assuring yourself limitless opportunity. The next 5 to 6 years (did he know I was going to be in college 5 years???!!!) of wise investment will yield the great rewards these efforts will enable.

I am a Dad baby, so I will worry. I envision a remarkable future ahead for you. A future where your dreams will be fulfilled, your outstanding potential can be tapped, and where you can make a difference.

Sure, I'll worry. Yes I know you perhaps in some ways even better than you know. I do not need to worry and that I am very grateful.

Although you are and always will be my baby, my ladybug, you are a powerful, fun, and good person and I am so proud!

Seize the future, claim your destiny!!! Think ahead as always, be wise, not just smart.

Great friends, great times, and great memories are so close. You are a great kid, a wonderful young woman.

Baby - will love you always & forever. You fill me with pride and joy and great expectations.

See you Friday. Enjoy Rush. Enjoy your first very own room and place. Enjoy your freedom and independence. Enjoy life, live it.

Love you,
From a proud Dad!"

And now I am in tears....I guess I need to start working on my letter writing to Reese and James right now! I think my favorite line that I never even noticed is "enjoy life, live it". He always enjoyed life, even long car rides that I thought were so boring. I need to stop complaining and start living. I need to enjoy all the things that Reese has to offer, even if it is growling at this point. Just thought I would share since his letter inspired me today!

Can someone please return Reese?

2009-10-07T12:28:00.002-05:00

Paging the universe to return our sweet, silly, 19 month old Reese. She has been replaced by a growling alien. She growls at us every time she gets mad or something does not quite go her way. It is really pretty scary. Not to mention embarrassing in public when people look over at your child growling at you...

House of No and Other Funnies

2009-09-17T12:47:00.003-05:00

Reese has turned into quite the funny girl lately with all of her new words and expressions. We went on a family outing to Half Priced Books recently (the original is right near our house on NW Hwy and is HUGE, it's awesome!) to pick up some child rearing books. I will be honest and say I kind of stopped reading up on milestones and parenting skills at a year. Now that Reese has decided to start having tantrums, I decided I needed some advice on how to deal with them (ignore, take out of the store, soothe???).

One thing I read was about how many times a day they hear the word "no". In our house lately, it is quite a lot. So Jeff and I have tried to stop using "no" so much and redirect her towards other things or explain instead of just shouting "no ma'am!".

The other night I was loading dishes in the dishwasher and Reese decided to climb INTO the dishwasher and stand on it. Well, I was just NOT going to have a broken dishwasher! So of course I exclaimed, "NO MA'AM! This is NOT a toy!". Well, she got the point and I felt like I had turned into my mom. Next thing I know, she walks up to Logan (our dog) and says "No no NOOOOO!" and then she starts saying something that sounds like "no means no!". Poor Logan, he is the lowest on the totem pole these days and even Reese bosses him around. With the "no means no" phrase I have fully realized that I have turned into Roxy (my mom) and I am sure the next phrases out of my mouth with be "money doesn't grow on trees" and "well then I am a monkey's uncle".

It isn't all bad in our house though. Reese is very sweet most of the time and is saying her "peas" and "tank coos". She is not always quite right on when to say "tank coo". For instance, she'll give us a toy and say "tank coo" instead of the other way around. I asked for a kiss the other night and she smacked one on me and said "tank coo". Of course my heart melted into a huge puddle of love right then and there.

Reverting to babyhood

2009-09-16T12:56:00.003-05:00

So we have a baby on our hands and it isn't Baby James. Reese has reverted back to being a baby. Every time we go to a friend's house with a baby, she manages to find and climb into every baby piece of gear. For example, we were over at our friend Alison's house. She just had a sweet baby girl Nora. I think Reese likes trying out Nora's baby carrier and bouncy seat more than she likes the baby!

We were over at our friend's house last weekend and Reese decided to climb into their bouncy chair, sit back, and relax. The funniest part about all of this baby business is we could never get Reese to like her jumperoo or bouncy chair when she was a baby, now we can't keep her out of it!

And she is caught!

1.5 Years Old!!!

2009-08-20T16:52:00.004-05:00

Reese turned 18 Months old today or for you non-parents, 1.5 years :) She's hit all her milestones according to the doctor (sigh of relief) and weighs 23 lbs (35th percentile), is 32 inches long (60th percentile), and her head is still big (80th percentile, at least a slight drop from 90th percentile last month!). It was funny because we could barely get her tank top off over her HUGE CRANIUM (to be said in the So I Married An Axe Murderer Scottish accent).

On the way to the doctor, she kept saying "WHOA!" over and over and over. I guess that is the word of the day! She also still loves "uh-oh!" and "ooohhhh". It amazes me how they pick up on the little parts of speech you do not even catch yourself saying.

Here are some shots of our little lady taken today on her year and a half birthday. She was not all smiles for the camera, but I think I still got some good ones. She still has those gorgeous long lashes!!!

Trying to grab the camera out of my hand

Kicking and throwing a ball

Reese's First Day of School!!!

2009-08-19T13:07:00.004-05:00

It was a wonderful day (for Mommy and child) when Reese started her first day of Mother's Day Out at a local church. She did so well carrying her backpack and lunch bag. She also did not even cry when we left her in her new room with her teachers. She went straight for a baby doll and music station. Bon Voyage Mommy and Daddy!!!

Reese loves going to school one day a week. She cried a few times but now never a tear! Every week when I pick her up, she and her lovey are covered in blue, yellow, green, etc. I finally asked what was always on her and one of her teachers remarked, "all of the other kids like to paint themselves but Reese likes to paint her clothes and lovey". Fortunately, it is washable!

We are very proud of all of the art projects Reese has completed this Summer. Most consist of her hand print turned into a fish or American flag. We think they are all masterpieces and proudly display in our kitchen for all to see our budding artist's work.

Reese also made a friend in class that she talks about ALL the time. Gabby, god love you. Reese sure loves you more than us these days!

Putting her backpack on for a trial run at home

Backpack and lunchbox - what a big girl!

Getting a hand from Daddy

Her knew classroom! Happy as can be!

mmmmm yogurt...

2009-08-19T12:43:00.003-05:00

Reese loves her yogurt, that's for sure. Jeff and I started getting into Mad Men recently (if you haven't seen, you must Netflix, so good!) and there is some 1950s ad man trying to pick up a girl saying she must "bathe in milk for hours" for skin like that. Well we do not give Reese a milk bath, but she definitely keeps her skin like ivory snow with all of the yogurt she smears all over it.

You must keep your neck and chest looking young too, ladies!

Our ambidextrous child - is she a lefty or a righty? Mommy's a lefty and Daddy is a righty.

Looks like she used her right hand this time!

Welcome to the World Baby Nora!

2009-08-19T12:34:00.003-05:00

My good friend Alison had her baby on Monday. She is a beautiful little girl named Nora Jane and just as lucky as Reese (love those 7 lbs 7 oz babies!). Reese wasn't too crazy about me holding her. She kept wanting to hold Nora herself or climb in my lap and push her out, I couldn't tell which...

Baby Nora and Me!

Reese either gnawing on her fingers because of her 4 molars coming in or because she is so mad Mommy is holding another baby...

strawberry shortcake.

2009-06-22T21:18:00.004-05:00

I'm sorry, I just refuse to let the bubble onesie die. Reese will be turning 18 and I will still be dressing her in them. I thought she was too big for bubble onesies and then I found Carters makes them to 24 months. I may ask if they can make them until 24 years or a matching one for me.

Happy Daddy's Day

2009-06-22T21:01:00.004-05:00

It was a great 2nd Father's Day for Jeff and when I asked how he wanted to spend it, thinking he would say watching the US Open or getting away from us, he said he wanted to spend it with his baby girl. Reese and I let Daddy sleep in and made him coffee (usually his job). I then broke out her first big box of crayons (thank you Andy and Miranda!!!) and we made Daddy a "Happy Daddy's Day!" sign.

Reese had so much fun coloring and then had even more fun taking the crayons out of the box, putting them back in the box, and holding each one up to me while saying "gbish bobby aubey!" which I can only think was the color of the crayon.

We then snuck into the bedroom to wake Daddy up and Reese even carried the sign! Daddy had to get his glasses on because being a daddy, he is getting so old he is near blind. We then took him to brunch at Mommy's old favorite brunch place Breadwinners (I know what you all are thinking but Jeff happily cleared his plate, so he must have liked it too!) and Reese surprised us by eating almost all of her own kid's meal. She apparently is a big fan of scrambled eggs with lots of cheese and fruit mixed in ;)

You all know I think the world of Jeff and so does Reese. He is such a good Dad and loves Reese more than anything. Lately he gets home from work and sneaks around the corner and surprises Reese. She of course giggles and squeals and runs away looking for Jeff to chase her. It is the favorite part of my day and I am sure the same for Jeff and Reese. We love you babe!

And the pregnant lady goes in search of cooler weather...

2009-06-19T12:05:00.004-05:00

It was so nice to get away for a few days to visit my good friend Sara and her 5 month old Caroline (and her husband Brandon of course!). It was also great that my good friend Beth came too so we could have good girl catch-up time. The weather was soooo nice and everything was green and in bloom for me (I put in my order for the biggest hydrangea and roses out there and I got them). I think we would all agree that the best part of the trip was cuddling and spending time with Caroline and girl dinners on Sara's back porch.

Caroline is the best baby I have ever seen. She makes Reese look like a fussy Mcgee. She is also ridiculously cute and chubby and all smiles and hand chomping these days. It was love at first site! With all their worries of first-time parenting, Sara and Brandon are doing a great job. They couldn't be raising a happier baby!

I came back well rested, maybe too relaxed seeing as I left my cell phone and charger on vacation for the first time ever (blame it on the pregnancy). I am ready to be back at home and missed my Reese's Pieces and Jeffrey (I call him that when I want to be sophisticated) so much! This should hopefully tide me over for my next girl trip sans baby and hubby which will probably not be for another 2-5 years...

little c and me hanging out

the group of us. i pleasantly referred to brandon as the "manny" the entire trip. what a trooper! and yes, i am pregnant, not fat!

beth and little c chomping on those fingers!

Mullet = Need for Pigtails

2009-06-19T10:32:00.003-05:00

Reese's hair has been growing like a weed in the back and somehow the top and sides just aren't filling in. I hate to say it, but she has a mullet. I did not want to cut her hair so soon, so I thought I would try out some pigtails. If she wasn't cute enough already, these pigtails pretty much sealed the deal. Daddy couldn't stand how cute she was!

Getting a pigtail headache...

It's a boy!!!

2009-06-18T13:19:00.002-05:00

Most of you have already heard through the grapevine or over facebook but we are having a BOY!!! We could not be more thrilled and excited to mess up yet another sex! Just kidding, we think Reese has turned out pretty good ;)

Lots of News

2009-05-19T11:16:00.005-05:00

I know I have not been blogging regularly and I had no idea so many people checked this blog until I would hear over and over, "update your blog!". All you sly lurkers never leave comments so I didn't know so many people followed The Reeseburger.

I haven't been blogging because in the last month we:
A. Sold our house in Austin and had to be out in 2.5 weeks.
B. Bought a house in Dallas and did a quick close in 2 weeks.
C. Switched doctors because we are PREGNANT with Baby Riddell #2 (or deux or deuce)!

Needless to say, we have had a lot going on. Be sure to vote on if the next baby is a boy or girl. We find out June 2nd!

We love our new home in Dallas! We also love having visitors! ;)

Our little Baylor Bear

Look at that cute belly!

In her Easter dress

Getting her bag ready for church. Reese LOVES to carry her bags herself!

Carrying her Easter basket all by herself!

Pool at our new house!

Our new home in Dallas

The Cereal Killer

2009-04-10T14:48:00.004-05:00

In every house, there is one that lurks and waits until Mommy and Daddy are distracted. Then they prey on Fiber One Honey Clusters Cereal and gorge themselves getting 100% of their daily fiber intake. They get drunk on the delicious high-fiber cereal and have to lay back and enjoy their full belly. Proof is in the photos...and their diaper...

mwah ha ha ha, relishing in her cereal glory

and the cereal killer is caught!!!

I Love Cousin Lyndee!!!

2009-04-07T17:36:00.004-05:00

Reese's cousin Lyndee competed in a track meet (the Texas Relays at UT) so we got some good time with Cousin Lyndee and Aunt Christie. We love them! It was so fun seeing Lyndee run and even more fun seeing Reese ham it up with her. Here are some photos of the day (don't miss Reese's cute hat and shades!):

Birthday Party!

2009-03-11T21:25:00.008-05:00

There were so many photos we loved from Reese's 1st Birthday Party shot by my good friend and photographer extraordinaire Stacy Cross, that I just could not narrow it down. So get ready to look at a ton of photos of Reese! For more, visit the gallery at stacycross.smugmug.com, password riddell. Is it me or is Reese just the cutest???

First Birthday

2009-02-23T15:04:00.003-06:00

Well, we all made it to your first birthday and we could not be more happy! Our little family of 3 has learned quite a bit in the last year.

In the last year, you learned to:

Roll over, hold your head up, sit up, pull up, stand up, cruise, and take a few steps
Laugh and giggle
Play peak-a-boo
Wave hello and bye
Say Mama (first!), Dada, Hi, Bye (your favorite), Ball, Boo, and "Ba-uhl" which we think is bottle
Point at objects you want
Pinch Daddy's nose and stick your fingers in our eyes and mouth which we just love
Hold a telephone up to your ear and say "buh bye"
"Pat" Logan instead of pulling on his ears and hair. You now "pat" Daddy when he holds you
Hold a spoon and pick the food out of the spoon with your other hand and feed it to yourself
Depend on Mommy and Daddy a little less everyday...

In the last year, Jeff and I learned:

You are never fully prepared for how your life is going to change when you bring your baby home, and that it somehow was always for the better
How to install carseats, put together strollers, toys, jumperoos, and countless other items we never thought we would be reading directions on how to put together
You are truly a parent when you have been spit up on, pooped on, peed on, AND thrown up on. The vomit is a right of passage...
Our hearts grow a little more each day with room to love you even though we thought it couldn't be more full the day before
How to get you to laugh - usually hiding behind doorways, blankets, and beds and popping up saying "HI!" gets the biggest giggle. You also like us jumping up and down (great exercise) and ballroom dancing
That lack of sleep makes you crazier than any alcohol, medication, or drug you could be on
The perfect way to rock you when you are fussy - swinging you side to side with a little bounce
That tupperware and wood spoons make better toys than the $50 bright light and music objects
That your favorite music is Tejano
You pull on your ear when you are starting to get sleepy
That your toothy grin can make us melt
You aren't much of a cuddler now that you are so busy all day long, so we sneak you out of bed every so often when you are asleep to cuddle
That we depend on you, our little precious baby Reese, every day a little more and more. You are the greatest gift God ever gave us and we hope we raise you to always know how much we love you. Happy 1st Birthday Reese's Pieces!!! Mommy and Daddy love you so much and are so proud of you!

12 Month Checkup

2009-02-23T14:58:00.004-06:00

I've been a bad picture-taker lately so I decided to take my camera with me more often. I am sure the doctor's office just LOVED me as I was shooting a very fussy Reese being measured and weighed....the photos are pretty funny though! 28 3/4", 19 lbs 3oz. 50th percentile for height, 25th percentile for weight, 75th percentile for head (we are pretty proud of that one). She also got the OK to eat everything except for honey and peanuts. We immediately gave her scrambled eggs when she got home and she gobbled them up.

Messy Eater

2009-02-13T15:58:00.003-06:00

First Steps!

2009-02-11T19:31:00.003-06:00

It is official, Reese took her first unassisted steps last night! Of course it had to be when Mommy was at a meeting but Daddy witnessed it all. She was standing at the fireplace and wanted to get to Daddy, turned around and took 3 steps towards him! Way to go Baby Girl!!!! She took a few more steps later in the night while holding her soccer ball but would not repeat the exciting feat today. Oh well, I'll just have to patiently wait for some more steps!

Sorry no photos or video but you know how it goes....Jeff broke out the camera and she dropped and started crawling... I can't stand blog posts without a visual (yes, I am a "visual" learner if you were wondering) so here are some cute photos of Reese with her pals Caroline and Aubrey when they were over a few weeks ago :)

Sugar and spice and everything nice...

2009-01-23T10:00:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-01-16T13:37:00.004-06:00

It is Jeff's birthday today and Reese went and gave him a birthday hug when he got out of the shower. We then made a sign for him but Reese was being a little stinker and was upset that it wasn't HER birthday. I assured her it would be her birthday next month and we would make a big to do about it. Now hush and smile for the camera...

Such a great daddy and husband and what a handsome devil!

That's our sweet girl!

Having a slight temper tantrum, I thought these didn't start until 2???

Happy birthday Daddy!!!

Baby's First Christmas

2009-01-14T08:46:00.006-06:00

Reese had a great first Christmas! Her Mimi and Nana came to Austin to spend the Christmas holiday with us. She got spoiled rotten, made her first art project in the church nursery (displayed proudly on our fridge!), and received a ton of fun new toys.

We thought this Christmas she would be more about the wrapping paper and bows but surprisingly, she loved the toys! She shrieked and squealed with delight with every new toy or stuffed animal we pushed her way.

In her new fancy coat and hat, verrry European.

Christmas morning, bows in our hair!

Her gift from Mommy and Daddy was this green and white polka dot chair!

Reese with her Mimi

In her cute Christmas outfit from Grandmarnie

Goes together like peas and carrots...

2009-01-12T11:08:00.003-06:00

I know I haven't posted Christmas photos yet but this was a quick post and too cute not to share right away. Molly and I spent the day in Waco throwing a baby shower for our good friend and left the hubbies home with the babies. They took Reese and Dean to Maudie's for some good Mexican food and back to Dean's abode to play. They sent us these photos to our phone on our drive back to Austin. Molly immediately proclaimed, "That photo will be at their rehearsal dinner." I know we are jinxing them and they will forever feel like brother and sister, but mothers can hope...:)

Swingin' together like peas and carrots!

Blessed

2008-12-18T12:18:00.002-06:00

I know I have been blogging a lot lately, but that what happens when your child is sick and goes back to 3 naps a day. I hate that she is sick, but I can't say I mind the extra nap ;)

I wanted to share a few things I have received from people in the last week or so that have really touched my life. I am so very blessed to have a beautiful, healthy baby girl, a loving (and very helpful!) hubby, and family and friends that are such a positive influence on us. Some very insightful people have sent me e-mails in the past week that I want to recognize. Amidst all of the economy troubles and "end of the world" feelings going on in America right now, I want to be thankful for the positive people in my life that remind me to relish in Reese's childhood and all of the blessings God has given me. Here are some comments from some very wise people:

"Reesey is about to blast off and charge into the future. She is primed and ready and you can tell she is ½ step from jumping up and running around. My day was definitely brightened!" - Grandfreddie's comments, after receiving the "jazz hands" photo of Reese

"Enjoy the fact that right now, Reese’s boundaries are the walls of your house. Because later it will be the fence of your yard, then not past a certain house on the block, and so on. To us, it all seemed to happen in a flash." - Vicki, a previous MOB (mother-of-the-bride) and friend of mine

"Oh my, but this message made me get a bit weepy. So loving and sweet and from the heart.You are a wonderful mother Lindy and my dearest daughter. Reesey is so blessed to have you, as well as Jeff who is a great dad. The greatest gift that parents can give their children is a loving solid Christian relationship, which is what you two have. May this love continue to grow in your home. I'm so proud of your 36th street team. Keep moving forward!
love you,
mom" - My sweet mom who after receiving our 36th Street holiday e-mail wrote in an e-mail to all of us with how well Bethany was doing and how proud of us she was. I wrote her back thanking her for always being such a supportive mom and this is what she wrote back to me. I have to say that I do love that I am her "dearest daughter" but I am her ONLY daughter! ;)

Thank you to all that have touched and continue to touch my life. I am extremely blessed and thank God for all of you!

Santa, Take One

2008-12-18T11:18:00.003-06:00

My Monday playgroup met at the mall to have our kid's photo taken with Santa. I was completely expecting for Reese to freak out. She has had a little separation anxiety lately and I was just waiting for the meltdown (but I selfishly still wanted a photo of her with Santa, screaming and all). I got Reese all dressed up in her Christmas outfit from her Grandmarnie, patent leather shoes and all, and we were on our way! As you can tell from the photos, she LOVED Santa. Or should I say she ignored Santa but loved Mommy smiling and waving "Hi Reese!" and the photographer waving a hand puppet around. She was all smiles and we left happily with our first photo with Santa! Merry Christmas!!!

Totally confused, but fortunately we distracted her...

Looking at Mommy
And for the 1st Official Photo with Santa!!!

Poor Baby!

2008-12-18T10:12:00.003-06:00

Reese has hit another milestone (although one we are not too excited about) - she has her first illness :( Poor baby! It started with a runny/stuffy nose and on Tuesday when she got up from her nap, she was so rosy and flushed. I thought she was just happy to see me and then I got her out of her crib and I instantly new she had a fever. I am not a crazy temperature taker, so I always worry that I may not know when she is running a fever. But I KNEW. She was hot. I took her temp and it was 99.9 degrees. She was happy as a clam but I just thought the world was ending.

I rushed her to the first appointment the doctor's office had. We sat in the sick child side which seemed weird because she was clapping, waving, and laughing at all the visibly sick children. One mother even commented that Reese should be in the well child side, she was so happy!

I am really happy I took Reese into the doctor. It was what I expected - it went to the ears :( I had many ear infections growing up, so I was worried about this. Looks like she got some kind of virus like a cold and it went to her ears. The doctor seemed surprised that she was eating and sleeping as normal. He seemed to think she might not feel too good the next day. He was right! Our normally great sleeper is waking up after 30 minutes into her naps, waking up every hour until about 9pm, and then waking us at 5:45am. This is VERY early to the parents that are used to have to wake her up (she would sleep until 8:30am every day if we let her).

She is still happy during the day, but we are a little house-bound. It is cold and yucky out, so we have just been playing indoors with a quick walk in the stroller here and there. Her fever seems to have vanished, so hopefully she is getting better. I am now kicking myself for exclaiming proudly at her 9 month appointment, "Reese is 9 months old and has never been sick!". Dr. H looked at me and said he was going to ignore that I said that. He knew it, I jinxed myself!

Jazz Hands and A Month of Firsts

2008-12-10T20:39:00.004-06:00

Reese has had a very busy month. She has mastered clapping, waving, saying "Bye" (which at first sounded like "buh" but now sounds a little more like bye), she finally said "Dada" several times one day (and hasn't said it again since - what a tease!), fed herself with a spoon, and stood all alone without the help of a chair or Mama's hand!

She is still our happy, beautiful little girl who still LOVES to sleep more than anything, just a little more active. She is so active these days, I can't even get her to stay on her back for 30 seconds while I put her PJs on. I end up putting an arm in here and a leg in there and taking about 10 minutes until every snap is done. All the while she is happily kicking, giggling, standing, and into EVERYTHING.

36th Street had some new head shots taken because we have added 2 awesome coordinators since our last photos were taken. Resha and I took the girls along and they got into our table of jewelry. The photographer, Jennifer Nichols (who took Reese's super cute 2 month photos with the red chair!!!), couldn't resist snapping a few photos of them. This was also Reese's first time to wear a necklace and practice "jazz hands"...next thing you know I will be telling her to go wipe that lipstick off before leaving the house!

JAZZ HANDS!!!

This cracks me up. Caroline is patting Reese on the head and she is only 4 months older than her! Reese will pay her back one day when she is a foot taller than her ;)

Clapping

This was her finale. Yeah!

Love the scarves!

LOVE this camera angle. Our legs look so long!

Reese smiling in the stroller even though it was freezing outside

Turkey, Georgia Style

2008-12-04T14:18:00.007-06:00

I've been bad about blogging lately. Why is life always so crazy? I know it is for everyone, all the people I talk to when asked "How are you?" respond, "busy busy". I told Resha it is going to catch up to America. Hopefully the result will be longer European-like vacations and siestas and not people going postal.

Sorry, I digress... for Reese's first Thanksgiving, we went to the great state of Georgia to visit her Grandmarnie and Grandfreddie (what we have now named him or should I say he named him that himself when he signed a note that way!). We had a great time, the scenery was gorgeous where they live, and Reese had a ball with their new dog Larry!

They were a little worried that Larry would be too hyper for Reese. Well when we first arrived, we were putting bags down and Larry started running in circles around Reese and jumping up and down. Reese started squealing with delight. It was a match made in heaven.

Reese also got to spend quality time with her Godfather, Uncle Mike and his fiance Barbara. We nicknamed her Aunt Barb. She had a blast playing with Reese and trying to teach her to snap (picture below!).

We also got to see some good friends while on our trip. We saw Shannon and Bryan who live in Atlanta. Shannon is one of my best oldest friends from growing up and her husband Bryan is such a great guy and so much fun to be around. We also took a short weekend getaway sans Reese to Knoxville, TN to see Carrie and Ed. Carrie was my roommate for 3 years in college and lived to tell about it. We had a great time with them and loved Knoxville rain and all. Ed taught us a ton about Bluegrass while we were there and we discovered the Bluegrass music station on our TV!

Here are some highlights from our trip:

The jet setter. We were on TV! We were interviewed about traveling with children. Reese Riddell made her KVUE debut!!

The belle of the ball in her pretty dress that Grandmarnie bought her for the first wedding she would attend.

Reese cuddling with her Grandmarnie

Me and Shannon on The Riddell Deck

Shannon, Bryan, and Reese

Aunt Barb teaching Reese to snap

RR in her Thanksgiving outfit from Gamma Laine and Gampa Ken

Fred proudly displaying his turkey. It was delicious!

Reese LOVED Thanksgiving dinner! She smashed turkey and dressing all throughout her hair.

Me, Grandmarnie, Reese, and Babs

So pretty! We drove to a nearby lake after Thanksgiving dinner for some family photos.

We got this one putting the camera on a tri-pod!

Larry proudly standing by

Reese upset about something

Carrie and Ed in Knoxville

Me and Carrie before the U. of Tenn game

Me and Jeff, having fun with no baby for the weekend!

Our little Ladybug

2008-11-02T22:44:00.005-06:00

The oh-so-talented Tyler and Olivia Schmitt are in one of my play groups. They are amazing professional photographers and had a little portrait party a few weeks ago for all the kids in play group. All of us brought our kids in their Halloween costumes and I of course had to get a photo of Reese sitting in a UT helmet before she got too big. The pretty little flower is Reese's bff Caroline (who said "Bye Reese" last week btw!). Here are some of our favorites of our Ladybug.

Mama for real

2008-11-02T22:26:00.002-06:00

So I am never sure if Reese knows that I am "Mama" or if she just happens to be babbling "Mama" or "Mom" when I am around. Friday night she showed me that she knows I am the real Mama. She was a little fussy and tired after a long day of traveling back from Houston and Halloween festivities. Jeff was holding her and she cried out "Mama" and reached for me. I took her in my arms and my heart about burst with love. She knows me by name, she knows I am her "Mama"! Jeff then grumbled, "She doesn't say Dada and she doesn't want me after not seeing me for 3 days." I think he was a little sad but I secretly loved that she knows my name :)

Happy Fall!

2008-11-02T22:10:00.005-06:00

The Jones took our family photo in the Pumpkin Patch in early October. We thought they turned out great and had a lot of fun in the process!

Being silly

Our happy girl!

Eating some grass...

Sucking her thumb any chance she gets.

Having fun with Daddy

Mommy made me wear this silly shirt that makes me look like I have no neck with football player shoulders. And she said I would look cute!

Happy Birthday Mimi!

2008-10-13T19:44:00.002-05:00

Reese says "Happy Birthday Mimi!" (aka Grandma Roxy). We had so much fun making and then eating the sign. Reese loves her Mimi so much she promised not to tell anyone her age! We love you Mom and we wish you many more years of joy, love, health, and laughter!

It's all downhill from here...

2008-09-30T21:31:00.003-05:00

because she is CRAWLING! Miss Reese Pendley Riddell took her first crawling "steps" on Sunday at Carrie and Ed's post wedding BBQ on the brick patio of the Undersander house. We all hooted and hollared and she even turned her head for a quick photo to capture the moment. Now I am trying to figure out how I am still going to leave her in the house while I go get coffee down the street every morning. Hey, I lock the front door, she's safe. JUST KIDDING. Seriously, I am a good mom.

Mama!!!

2008-09-17T22:24:00.003-05:00

So for all of you people who voted that Reese's would say "Dada" first, I am sorry but you are WRONG. Reese said "Mama" today just 3 days shy of 7 months, and she didn't just say it once, she said it ALL DAY LONG! I do not think she knows the meaning, she was calling me, her shoes, the dog, her bottle, everything, Mama. Or ma-ma-ma-ma-ma! I bribed her with cake, for her first birthday of course, if she said Mama before Dada ;)

New Things

2008-09-13T21:35:00.004-05:00

New swing, new teeth, new Nikes!

Great Uncles Greg and Bob would be so proud that I am brushing after every meal!

Nikes from Sara and Brandon that I can finally wear! These Nikes make my butt look good. Or maybe it is those new Huggies Mimi got me...

Contemplating life.
This rocking is making me sleepy! (to be said in George Costanza's voice as in "these pretzels are making me thirsty!)

Going Green

2008-09-13T21:11:00.002-05:00

Reese just looked so cute in her green Summer frock that I had to take her out on our patio to get some last days of Summer shots. I was so busy taking photos of her, I didn't see that she could fall through the arm of the patio chair. Down she went, flat on her face. Her first big fall and all Mommy's fault :( After a call to Resha who is the expert now on baby falls with her active Caroline, I determined Reese would live fine without a trip to the emergency room. The pictures before the fall are so cute I had to share!

Reese always spits up on herself right when I put her in something nice. That is why this photo was just perfect....

And a photo of her first boo boo on her nose, she does not seem too upset by it!

Peach Puff Connoisseur

2008-09-10T21:33:00.000-05:00

When Reese eats her Peach Puffs, she does not just eat them, she relishes in the sheer joy of the peach flavor and aroma. We give Reese a few Peach Puffs as an hors d'oeuvres to her meals. She has yet to get one into her mouth. She picks it up with her hand, brings it close to her mouth, and then in the thumb goes! She just sits there basking in the scent of the peach puff...see the evidence below if you do not believe us!

Best part of our day...

2008-09-10T21:27:00.000-05:00

Hands down, the best part of our day is when Reese wakes up in a good mood (not always in a good mood, but most of the time now!) after a long nap or good night's rest. She sometimes hears the door open and you immediately hear the feet kicking and her getting all excited to see us. Then her head peaks up over the crib and she is just waiting for us to pull the shade so she can see us. The minute she sees us, it is an all out giggle! I'd love to video tape it once because it is just so great, but I always forget. The other day, I could hear her giggling the minute she heard her bedroom door open, so I ran and got the camera. Here is Reese in all her glory just waking up happy from a long nap, hair all a mess, with a big smile on her face!

Family Vaca!

2008-08-22T15:24:00.000-05:00

We already went through the whole traveling-by-airplane-with-an-infant thing when we went to visit my Grandma Mary Lu in Wisconsin. We decided we didn't want to deal with the luggage constraints and wanted a relaxing family vacation. Our friend Kym let us stay at her family's lakehouse on Lake LBJ. It was perfect! The house was right on the lake, had a great dock for lounging during sunset, and we could pack as much stuff as we could get in the car!

Jeff's sister Christie and her husband Roger and daughters Lyndee and Meg happened to be visiting their grandparents in Marble Falls so they stopped by to see Reese for the first time. She had so much fun with her aunt, uncle, and only cousins!!

Sitting all on my own!

The evangelist...
Jeff caught this fish that just kept getting bigger and bigger with every person he told...
Reese and Uncle Rog!
My bff Cousin Meg
Cuddling with Aunt Christie
I love Cousin Lyndee!
Standin'!

Playing is hard work but someone's gotta do it

Me with both of my cousins
Please don't take my photo while I am busy sucking my thumb...
We do not encourage infant drinking but she would not stop grabbing for the bottle!
Me with Cousin Meg again!
Floating with Daddy

So happy!
Hanging out on the dock during sunset
Awww, so sweet!

Happy 6 Month Birthday Baby Reese!

2008-08-20T16:44:00.000-05:00

Can you beleive it? Our little girl is already 6 months old! She is growing by leaps and bounds and is more fun and silly every day. She has had a busy week - she got her first tooth, can sit all on her own without her hands supporting her (though still a little unsteady), and she can stand up holding onto things like the couch and coffee table! Her new best friend is our dog Logan. She hardly notices Mommy and Daddy anymore when he is around. She also has started babbling quite a bit. All the sudden one day she said "da-da-ba-da" out of nowhere! She also says "ma-ta" and "ga-rrr-gaa". So exciting!! We are taking bets if she will say mama or dada first...

Didn't want to forget those eyelashes....

2008-08-10T21:58:00.001-05:00

Swimmin'

2008-08-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

So old yet so young all at the same time...

My favorite food - chlorine soaked hair with a side of thumb sucking
Umm, excuse me, but you are starting to invade my personal space!

First toes in the water, next the butterfly stroke!

Swimming is hard work, but somebody has to do it
Dreaming of Michael Phelps....

Baptism

2008-08-10T21:25:00.000-05:00

Reese was baptised on July 6, 2008 at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church (where we are members). We were so lucky to have our family and friends there to witness the start of Reese's spiritual relationship with God. Reese also has the coolest Godparents EVER. Her Godmother is Amanda Schauf who is my best friend and was the maid of honor at our wedding. Her Godfather is Mike Riddell who is Jeff's brother and was the best man at our wedding. We are very lucky to have them as Reese's spiritual guiders and we know they take the job very seriously!

Reese was so cute at her baptism in her long white baptismal gown and bonnet. She was a little cranky while having to sit in church for a full hour of church service before the baptism. We had to take her outside a few times but as soon as she was onstage for her baptism, she was a gem. She made a really funny shocked face when the Priest poured the water on her head, but no cries or tears! Afterwards, Amanda got to walk her down the aisle to introduce her to the congregation. Amanda said she felt like one proud Godmother walking her down to all the oohs and ahhs. We also heard a little girl remark to another child "she is the prettiest one". It was too funny!

Afterwards, we had lunch at our house and were entertained with Reese's giggling. Here are some photos from the day! Special thanks to Jessica and Dave Recht for taking all of the family photos of us!!!

Cheesehead

2008-08-04T20:03:00.000-05:00

We took Reese back in June to Wisconsin to meet her only living great-grandparent, my wonderful grandma, Mary Lu! It was really important for me to capture 4 generations of living Stupar/Cheatham/Riddell girls together at once. Jeff did a great job photographing us!

Reese did pretty good on her first plane rides. We figured if she got fussy, we would just feed her to keep her quiet. Remember we are first-time parents and have no thought process and do not know what we are doing. So we fed her on take-off, once during the flight, and on landing (they say to do that for their ears). She was so happy when we landed and we were happy that she didn't scream during the flight. She was smiling while the plane was taxiing to the gate and then BLEH! She spit up about 2 bottles worth ALL OVER US! And just kept smiling. We have never been so drenched! It took 2 burp cloths and we had to change her outfit, and Jeff wore spit-up damp shorts all day. We learned our lesson...

Here are a few of my favorites from the weekend:

Me with my Great Uncle Greg. He THOUGHT he would never have to change a diaper again, little did he know...

Me with my 2nd cousins, Katie and Sara, and Mimi and Mommy
Me with my Great Aunt Amy!

So far behind yet again....

2008-07-30T16:12:00.000-05:00

Gotta play catch up for the last couple of months! Reese is now eating rice cereal, carrots, sweet peas, and bananas. She likes carrots the most, oddly enough! She loves to be tossed in the air, giggle, flirt, and smile with anyone who will respond back to her, suck her thumb (constantly), and loves her links and rings! She is technically sitting "unassisted", that is, if you do not count her hands holding her up from falling. She is rosy cheeked and a joy to be around and those lashes go on for miles!

Here are some sweet pictures of our sweet baby girl from the last couple of months.

With my buddy Dean

With Carter, he couldn't stop holding my hand! Hubba hubba!

Playing is hard work...

With Mimi!

Grandpa Fred couldn't put me down! I love his rocking me to sleep (he would take a snooze too!).

Me and Grandmarnie in my 4th of July dress from Aunt Vickie
Get in my belly!

Just cute!

Squeaks!

2008-07-27T22:27:00.001-05:00

Reese (a.k.a. Squeaks) has become very vocal (I honestly do not know where she gets it). She talks in these high pitched rants that are sooo funny! Here is a video of it that truly does not give her squeaking justice.

First Photo Shoot!

2008-05-29T16:43:00.000-05:00

Here are some of my favorites from Reese's first professional photo shoot with my friend and oh so fabulous photographer, Jennifer Nichols! www.jnicholsphoto.com. They turned out sooo good! I love the bright red chair and the aqua walls of her studio. Jennifer took my hooter hider (not explaining what that is, just guess) and folded it and stuck it in the chair. The bold flowered print looked so cute as a background! I can't pick my favorite so they are framed all over our house!

Momma Pics!

2008-05-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

So I always post photos of Reese and Jeff on here, but I am rarely in photos with her. Mainly because I either haven't showered that day or if I have, I ran out of time to blowdry and it dried in a crazy, curly, frizzy mess. At Reese's first professional photo shoot with my friend and awesome photographer, Jennifer Nichols (http://www.jnicholsphoto.com), she shot some photos of the two of us. Even though it was the end of the shoot and she was super fussy, she managed to get some beautiful shots of the two of us. Thanks Jennifer!!!

I can sit!

2008-05-07T22:29:00.000-05:00

Well, kind of... Your Aunt Molly loaned us Dean's bumbo seat since he can sit on his own now. I put you in even though you are kind of young. You were a little unsure at first and then started beaming from ear to ear! If I had only seen everything laying down, I would be pretty excited to see everything right-side-up too!

I just love the romper you were wearing that day too. It reminds me of something my Grandma Mary Lu would have made me. You look just like strawberry shortcake in it! She was my favorite growing up and I can still smell her face just thinking of her!!

Momma's Artsy-Fartsy Photos

2008-05-07T22:25:00.001-05:00

The light coming in the window over Reese's changing table is always so pretty that I end up snapping her photo a ton of times even in the middle of a changing. Here you can see some photos where I had not even gotten her pj's all the way off! She just always looks so cute and soft on that changing table, I can't resist breaking out the camera and taking some artsy-fartsy shots.

So far behind

2008-05-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

I have gotten so far behind in posting so I am going to do one giant catch-up post. Then I'll be back on track.

Since last I posted, Reese has grown to being a happy, smiley 2.5 month old! We love trying to make her smile and cannot wait for the first giggle! We can tell she is getting there, any day now. She holds her head up really well and even held her own bottle a few nights ago! We thought that was pretty spectacular but it may have been a fluke, we haven't seen it since. She rolls over a lot, pulls on my necklaces, oh, and her new thing is tugging at lady's shirts exposing their cleavage. Grrrreeaaat. Don't you wish there was something you could do so that your child never did or said anything embarrassing to others? I guess this is their way of making it up for all of the years their parents will embarrass them...

Here are some photos of our happy gal!

I'm so big, yet so small all at the same time...
Me and the Godfather
I'm not allowed to wear dresses anymore because I like to expose and scratch my belly

mmmwah!
i broke into the pantry and got all the nuts i could fit in my cheeks!
It's hard work having tummy time
Oh Logan, you are SOO funny!

my milk coma in my preppy outfit. notice my collar is up and everything.
first photo of me, mommy, and daddy with me in it (i was cut out of the photo last time from Nana's superior photo skills!)
me and nana on her new couch! watch out, i like to spit up on new things...
meeting jack for the first time. we warmed up to each other later...
Just call me Reese Peanut Butter Cup!!!

It's Official - Call her Mimi!

2008-04-28T16:16:00.000-05:00

After much contemplation, my mom decided to have Reese call her Mimi. You do not know how long we have been waiting for this...;) My mom has been discussing, changing her mind, going by different names, etc. since she found out I was pregnant. Here are some pictures of Reese and Mimi! My favorite is the last one because every time you kiss Reese, she opens her mouth like that. She is so cute!

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T21:30:00.000-05:00

Reese's "other" grandma and grandpa Elaine and Ken Schauf got her this cute Eater get up. We had so much fun taking pictures of her outside. I could just eat her up she is so stinking cute!

Our baby girl is a month old!!!

2008-03-23T21:04:00.000-05:00

We cannot believe you are a month old! On March 20th, we went to the doctor for your 1 month appointment. You were 8 lbs. 5 oz (still not to your mommy's birth weight and you are a month old!) and almost 21" long. We think you look pretty tall and skinny but you are only in the 25th percentile in height AND weight. You are just a tiny thing!

This has been the best month of our lives. We have had so much fun getting to know your quirks, the way you hum when you are in a good, deep sleep, the sound of your burps and toots (diaper change needed or just a toot), and how to rock you in our arms just right to put you to sleep. You have made us a family. We love you more than anything! Trey McDougal said it best on the rattle he got engraved for Charlotte on Sex and the City - "First we had each other, then we had you, and then we had everything". There is a lot of wisdom on that show if you look for it...

First Play Group Outing!

2008-03-23T21:00:00.000-05:00

I took Reese to her first play group. She liked it very much. From what I could tell - she was asleep the entire time. I think it was more of a play group for Mommy now that I think about it...

My Little Irish Girl

2008-03-23T20:49:00.000-05:00

St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays. I love any excuse to wear my favorite color, drink green beer, and talk in a horrible fake Irish accent all day. Since I am a full grown adult now with this little lassie, I did none of that! Instead I dressed her in green and forgot all about myself and took her to a play group. I saw Tyler Schmitt at the play group for a minute and he remarked about how back in the day we would have been drinking green beer almost passed out by that time and now we were at a play group. My how life changes ;)

BFFs

2008-03-23T20:36:00.000-05:00

Reese and Caroline

Reese and Dean

It is so cute having Reese's friends over. Caroline was so sweet and used "soft hands" to touch Reese. You can tell they are going to be BFFs! Reese and Dean look like little jailbirds together. He is in stripes and she is a prisoner in her swaddle...;)

Smiley

2008-03-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

Reese's first official smiling photo! Granted she is asleep and it was probably caused by gas, but ISN"T SHE JUST THE CUTEST?!!

Reese's First Dress!

2008-03-23T17:52:00.001-05:00

We had company over to meet Reese so I decided to put her in her first dress. She is so tiny still that every dress I have for her is huge. Resha's mom, Gwendolyn, did get her a newborn dress (that was still pretty big). We put it on her anyways and she looked so cute! I guess she liked it so much she thought she was a puppy dog! Or she just looked like Amanda's famous childhood pictures with the funny hand...

Visitors

2008-03-23T17:37:00.000-05:00

Reesie and Momma Jessica (the original Momma)

Reese and Alyssa

Reese and Pop (Grandpa Fred)

Reese and Grandmarnie

Reese and Mommy! ignore the double chin...

Milk Coma

2008-03-23T16:42:00.000-05:00

Reese gets in a milk coma for about 5 to 10 minutes after she eats. It is probably when she makes me laugh the hardest because she is SO out of it. Here are some photos of her while she is in her milk coma after eating. She also likes to practice her Tai Chi and Yoga after she eats but I haven't caught that on film yet...

My Two Favorite Peeps

2008-02-26T22:11:00.000-06:00

Jeff is such a good daddy! He was worried he wouldn't know how to handle a newborn, but after a few hours, he was holding her and swaddling like a pro. It is so fun for me to watch them together. I can tell how smitten he is with her and she just gazes adoringly back at him!

Squeaky Gets a Bath!

2008-02-26T21:23:00.000-06:00

We now refer to Reese as "Squeaky" or "Squeaks" because she makes this super cute high pitched squeak a la Mariah Carey. My mom (Mimi or Grandma, she can't decide which) and I gave Squeaks a bath for the first time. She was a little upset at first but loved having her hair washed, being towel dried, and having lotion rubbed on her arms and legs after. I just loved how clean she smelled! Props to Granmarnie for the cute monogrammed hooded towel!

A Portrait of a Lady...

2008-02-26T21:10:00.000-06:00

Sun Bathing Beauty

2008-02-24T19:38:00.000-06:00

Reese is slightly jaundiced so her doctor said to put her in a window to get some good indirect sunlight to help get rid of it. We have put her in the window of her bedroom the past two days and she LOVES it. She is our little sun bathing beauty!

It's in the genes...

2008-02-23T19:11:00.001-06:00

We have tallied the votes and here is the consensus: nose of Fred in picture #1 + eyes and lips of picture #2 = cute and cuddly picture #3!

Welcome to the World Baby Reese!

2008-02-23T18:56:00.001-06:00

I loved the line that Resha and Bethany used in the card that came with their flowers so much I stole it for the title of this blog - Welcome to the World Baby Reese! Here are her stats:

Reese Pendley Riddell

February 20th, 2008

10:48 PM

7 pounds, 7 ounces

19 1/2 inches long

Full head of dark hair, pink cheeks, and red lips!

Reese's Room!

2008-02-18T16:25:00.000-06:00

We are almost finished with Reese's room! One of my good friend's, Katie (who just got engaged lucky woman!), is an artist. She came over and drew this cute bird family above the crib and we painted it together. Well I filled in the birds with paint and she did all the details :) It looks so cute! I have also been scouring antique and craft stores for any bird themed item I can find. Our last thing to do is to hang the mobile over her bed and hang a bird cage in the corner from the ceiling with a cute family of birds inside (fake of course, I am not dealing with birds AND a baby!).

I still need to figure out how to arrange things in the shelves, but it is all coming together. Thanks to Molly for giving me the idea of the Roman shade and coming with me to pick it out!

Reese's Future BFF

2008-02-18T16:12:00.000-06:00

This is Miss Caroline Grace Zazueta, Reese's future BFF! She is 4.5 months old and so happy and adorable! I got to babysit her today while her momma, Resha (my bff and "business" partner!), went on an appointment. Jeff came home for lunch and we had so much fun teasing her and making her smile. I just couldn't resist grabbing my camera and getting one of her cute smiles!

Happy Birthday Hubby!

2008-01-21T21:05:00.001-06:00

Only my favorite hubby Jeff would let me abuse him this way by putting on a birthday hat! He is 28 years old now and 2 months younger and sillier than me! I love you so much. More than I could ever put into words. I know you will be an amazing Dad. I can tell by how excited you are when talking about holding your baby girl and seeing her for the first time.

Talking like this makes me all sappy and lovey dovey. I was thinking about you yesterday and I remembered when I first realized how much I liked you. We were friends and watching football at The MAT (McKinney Avenue Tavern for you non-Dallas folks). I was there with Amanda and we told you we liked your shoes. You got all cute and bashful and looked down at the floor and said thank you. Then you beamed from ear to ear. Your smile melted me then and it still does :) And you haven't stopped wearing those shoes ever since...

Funny Pictures

2008-01-21T20:59:00.001-06:00

So apparently I am not too cute when I am A. Pregnant B. Fat and C. Do not know the camera is on me. 3 pictures from my baby shower in Austin prove this.

Reese's Friend Dean!

2008-01-21T20:54:00.001-06:00

Dean Jones is Molly and David's son. Molly and David are our good friends in Austin and have known Jeff for most of their lives (little league, church choir, etc.). Dean is the cutest thing! He smiles and smiles. He came over to our house because Molly was throwing a baby shower for me and Reese with some other girlfriends. Dean doesn't normally look this pink cheeked. You might have thought he was fresh outside from the cold but as David informed me, "he just took a crap in his pants." Well at least he looked happy doing it!

Artsy Photo

2008-01-21T20:51:00.000-06:00

I was trying to take a cool artsy shot of myself while avoiding my fat face. I used my reflection in our patio door. I am soooo talented.

New Glider

2008-01-21T20:42:00.001-06:00