Quick Trip to Charlotte

Since Ryan and Hailey didn't get to go to Charlotte just before Easter, we made a trip there over the weekend. We left Friday morning and went to Ryan's parent's house. Hailey was SOOOO excited to see her Mimi. Ryan and I drove separately because we were leaving the truck in Charlotte to be sold, and Hailey and Ryan arrived first, so she had a few uninterrupted minutes with Mimi. In fact, when Reece and I arrived Hailey wasn't too happy to have to share Mimi. She was glad when I went to feed him and wouldn't even let Ryan come out on the patio to play with her and Mimi.
We actually left both kids at their house and ran the truck down to my parents then we got to have a lunch date! It was so nice to just sit and talk without being exhausted at the end of a day or interrupted by a million other things. Thank you Mimi!
That afternoon we went to visit PawPaw (Ryan's grandfather). Hailey has been really into puzzles lately and I told her that PawPaw loves puzzles so she insisted that we bring her pony puzzle for them to do together. It was so sweet!

That night Rebecca (Ryan's sister) came over for dinner and she and Hailey had the best time! They played play-doh, ate dinner together and then disappeared into the back of the house and all I know is I heard lots of laughing and talking. Then Rebecca ran home to get her dog so Hailey could play with him. She got to stay up late outside with Mimi and Rebecca which made her day.

Saturday morning we ate breakfast and then went to my parent's house for the day. It was Julie's birthday so she and Trey brought the boys over to play and hang out. Let me tell you, those three had the BEST time together. It took them a little while to warm up and all figure out how to play together but once they did it was hilarious!

three monkeys relaxing after lunch

 Grams and Das have these storage ottomans in the living room and they decided they were going to ride in them. This is something that my dad has done with them several times but this time Tucker pushed.

 They are a mess!

Hailey also had some book reading time with Das.

Hailey was not ready to go when we had to leave. Seeing them all play together makes me excited for them growing up and getting to do it more often. It was be really crazy when Reece and baby Cheeley get in on the action too! Get ready Grams!

After singing Happy Birthday to Julie and eating some cake, it was time to head home. It was a quick trip but such a fun one! Can't wait to do it again soon!

...and since there are no pictures of Reece, here you go...first time in the bumbo...real boys use pink

Reece 2 months

I feel like I just wrote Reece's 1 month update and we're already at 2 months. Time is flying by! He actually turned two months old on Sunday but we went to the doctor Monday so I waited for the official stats. ;)

Reece weighs 12 lbs 1 oz (46%), and is 22.5 inches long (28%). His head  circumference is 39 cm. (62%).

He is wearing size 1 diapers, but about to switch to size 2, and 3 month clothes. He nurses about every two to two and a half hours during the day. If he takes a bottle, it's usually about 4 ounces. At night he goes to bed around 8 or 8:30 and generally wakes up at midnight and, if it's a good night, then again at 4:00.

 

Reece loves to smile at Mommy and Hailey, but doesn't like to smile for the camera. He likes to "talk" to Mommy. Daddy gets his fair share of smiles too but I think Reece is just a ladies man. ;) This Sunday at church he was smiling and talking to all of our friends that were girls too. We haven't heard a giggle quite yet but I'm hoping they aren't far off.

He loves to watch Hailey and is quite entertained by her. He also loves to watch the fan and any light. He loves to just lay on his back and stretch. He is quite content to just lay on a blanket and look around and stretch. He also doesn't hate tummy time, in fact he often falls asleep. :) He has rolled from back to belly twice but they were a few weeks ago so I think they were a fluke. But who knows, he could surprise us and start doing it all the time.

We love you Reece! I can't wait to see what you surprise us with next month!

NC State Farm Days

Every year NC State puts on Farm Days where they have some of the farm animals out for kids to see and pet, tractors for them to climb on and demonstrations about farm life. I've wanted to go ever since we moved to Raleigh but it's never worked out until this year.
Hailey was SO excited to hold a baby chick. It was all she talked about for days...and of course that is the longest line. So as soon as we got there, right when it opened mind you, Reece and I (he was in the Moby wrap) went to stand in line for the baby chicks and Ryan and Hailey looked around at everything else. There was already a really long line because I learned that even though it says they open at 9, if you get there at 8:30 they will let you in. Things I learned for next year...
So while I was standing in line Hailey got to pet a goat and a lamb,

"milk" a cow,

and saw all kinds of other animals like real cows, a horse and foal, turkeys and pigs.

Then for the main attraction...This girl was so excited.

standing in line

 Her day was made!

And Mommy's day was made with the free Howling Cow ice cream! (NC State's own ice cream made from the milk from their cows) SO good

 Hailey got her own chocolate ice cream, but then decided she liked Daddy's strawberry better. I stuck with my chocolate. :)

Hailey got this "pig crown" as she called it from one of the tables there. She wore it the rest of the day. Hilarious.

We had a great time at Farm Days. Can't wait for next year!

What We've Been Up To

My mom came up to Raleigh this past weekend to visit and babysit the kids while Ryan and I went to an event at the church Friday night. While she was here, we spent lots of time playing!
Hailey discovered these "caterpillars" on our tree in the backyard. Of course they aren't really caterpillars but that's what my sisters and I used to call them. I showed them to Hailey and she immediately started collecting them and made a caterpillar family.

Mom brought Hailey her own shower cap since Hailey is in love with hers. Silly girl thought it was the best!

Friday morning my mom took Hailey on an "adventure" (to get her hair cut and play at Barnes and Noble) while Ryan and I took Reece to a doctor's appointment. Doesn't she look so big?!

That night my mom kept both of them for our first night out! We went to a worship night at the church but it was still a night out. We may have gotten dinner first too!

And here are a few other random pics from our everyday life:
Hailey helped by giving Reece a book to look at. Too bad it was almost as big as he is!

Ryan was so excited to show Reece his first Opening Day of baseball. He may have had on his baseball pajamas too!

Hailey "fishing" from her "boat". I was on the floor and was named the octopus. Reece was a scuba diver. :)

Hailey has been really into drawing with sidewalk chalk lately. She always wants me to draw our family. This day she asked me to draw Mimi. So I drew the body but Hailey added the hair and Mimi's purse.

Silly girl passed out one night while reading books after we had put her to bed.

And Hailey had been asking us for an umbrella for months. I don't know where she got the idea that she needed one but every time it rained she would remind us that we need an umbrella and she needs her own. So for Easter I found a My Little Pony one and put it in her Easter basket. She was thrilled. She even got to try it out before we left for church that morning...in the sunshine.

We had a tea party one morning while Reece was napping and after I taught Hailey to wash the dishes. She loved playing with the soap and wash cloth. She looked at me and said "Look! I'm a mommy!"...Well, yes. I do wash a lot of dishes...

 We went to visit a friend who just had a baby. Reece is on the right and baby Azariah is on the left. He was as long as Reece, just not quite as many rolls. :)

We're looking forward to more springtime adventures!

Reece's First Trip to Charlotte

We were all planning to take our first family-of-four trip to Charlotte the first part of Easter weekend. But unfortunately, Hailey got sick Thursday morning. A stomach thing had been going around and poor girl caught it. She only got sick the one time but complained of her stomach hurting for three days. Well, my knight in shining armor husband told me to take Reece to Charlotte as planned (even a day early) to escape the germs and he would stay with Hailey. I absolutely hated leaving my sick baby but knew it was best for Reece and I to be far away from the germs so that we didn't catch it too.
So we loaded up and headed to Charlotte! Reece got plenty of quality time with Grams and Das, even though I don't have any pictures of that. Oops...But I do have some cute ones of him with his cousins! Tucker and Mack asked to hold him about a thousand times and just got so excited when he sat on their laps. Reece even gave Tucker a little smile!

One of my best friends, Jackie and her little girl Charley came over to visit too. I hadn't seen them in way too long and it was such a special treat!

Saturday morning we headed over to Mimi and Poppi's house to spend the day. Reece got to meet his great grandfather, PawPaw

and of course got lots of snuggles from Mimi and Poppi. He was throwing out some pretty serious smiles for Mimi. I may have gotten a little jealous ;)

That afternoon we headed back to Raleigh. I was so thankful to have some time away in Charlotte, but hated that Ryan and Hailey couldn't be there with us. That just means we have to make another trip back soon!

Easter Pictures

I actually got a few good pictures of Hailey and Reece on Easter morning!
Well...Hailey had to get the sillies out first.

 This one is my favorite!

 We tried to get a good family one after the kids and I got to church that morning (Ryan was already there) but this was the best we got. Oh well, we at least have documentation of Reece's first Easter.

Easter Fun

The week before Easter one of our friends in the neighborhood had an Easter Egg hunt at her house. We decided to make it a "Girls Night" for me and Hailey and leave Daddy and Reece at home.
Hailey was so excited to wear her Easter bunny dress.

 She saw several of her friends from church at the hunt and lots of kids we didn't know too. This girl was serious about finding some eggs. Last year as soon as she found one that was enough...not this year. She was a girl on a mission!

 And of course loved checking out what was inside!

Just for perspective on how much she's grown, here is last year's hunt.

Where did my baby go?