Last day of skiing

Well, the snow is quickly melting around here as it's currently in the middle 70's (what the heck?). We figure that easily next week will be the end of skiing so we wanted to try to get Reed up skiing one more time before Snowbasin closes. We headed up this morning in the very warm and slushy snow. It was a great day for a toddler to ski as it was easy snow, no wind, no precip, no cold temps. Reed did great for his last day. Definitely has improved from the beginning of the season and next year we hope that he can ski off the bigger lift, if not the Gondola. He can stop and turn really well, though he still has the edgy wedgy (the rubber thing on the front to help him with his wedge). I think we'll work on getting that off at the beginning of next season before he graduates to longer and steeper runs.

Anyway, here are a few videos of Reed skiing today. My flip ran out of batteries at the end of the last one, hence the abrupt end. We did two runs, he did great. Fell a few times the second time cause the slushy snow started to build up a little and he would get caught on it. He told me at the end of the second that he was "all done skiing." He ended on a happy and encouraged note so we called it and were pulling out of the parking lot at 10:30 (after some treats and asking again if he wanted to ski anymore). A successful day!

Personality

I feel like there is so much to update on but never get the time to do it! Most of my thoughts are rambling but whatever.

Nora got to be a fit model for our new backcountry.com branded infant clothing. Here she is trying on a onesie and loving her model lifestyle.


Speaking of which, she is starting to develop quite a personality. She knows her name now and she loves it when she gets attention. Anytime anyone - even a stranger - smiles and talks to her, she just lights up, gets a huge open mouth smile and thrusts her hands in her mouth. When she smiles she opens her mouth as big as it goes, it's really funny. And when she gets really excited, she will shove her fist in her mouth and use the other hand to push it in. She has the cutest little laugh you've ever heard too. She also has started to snuggle. She will put her head on your shoulder and nuzzle in. I love it. She flaps her arms when she is excited to see someone - usually dad. Today she waved three times! Is that coincidence or just plain smarts? My little girl is starting to melt my heart even more!

Reed is getting very particular about what he wears (as described in an earlier post about cozy pants). Anyway, this is his outfit the other day - his football shirt (as he calls it) and cozy shorts. He was so excited about looking like a football player that he went to get his football to throw around. Then, he went into my closet and tried on my cute Missoni heels. Isn't he fabulous?

Nora is also starting to get really good at sitting up in addition to eating solid food (well baby food). She can sit up unsupported for quite some time and only falls over when she starts to get fatigued. We went to visit Nana Branch yesterday and she sat on the floor a long time playing with this toy. She was trying to eat the blue bird on top.
Looks like I might have a little red-haired girl!

Nana also got Reed and Travis (her grandson, who is a few months older than Reed) this tractor to play with at their house. They have a sand trap for Papa to golf over, but it's become quite the awesome sandbox. This is a huge tractor (as demonstrated by the dwarfed one in the background). It has two seats, one for the front loader, one for the backhoe in the back. You can lower and swivel the front loader to actually pick up sand, same with the backhoe. It has peddles as well. Reed was loving it, he barely stopped to smile for the picture. This will be a fun toy for the summer time at Nana's house!
Reed continues to say the funniest things! I try to remember them to write down for me to reflect on in the future, but there are so many good ones, it's hard to keep track! Here are a couple that I do remember.

• Reed needed a diaper change the other day so as I was changing it, I was talking to Fogg about how we can work on potty training more. Reed said "I don't want you to talk about me" with a scowl on his face. He is really starting to understand more than we know, time to really start to filter!
• On the way to preschool the other day, he asked if we were going to Costco. Then he said "I like Costco". We must go there a lot...
• When talking about his 3rd birthday coming up, he stated that he wants balloons - an orange one and a Lightening McQueen one - and to open presents. And that he wanted to invite his Daddy.
  
• I scolded him for something so he was upset with me. I asked him a few questions (I don't remember what but it was probably something about what he wanted for lunch or what clothes he wanted to wear for the day). He gave me the silent treatment for a minute then told me that he "couldn't talk".
  
• He came into our room this morning at 6am and got in bed with me and fell asleep for a little bit. When my alarm went off, he rolled over and said "I love you mommy". Seriously, can you think of a better way to wake up?
• At school, he walked in the other day and a little girl dropped what she was doing and ran over to him saying "Reed's here!". I asked the teacher if this little girl liked Reed and she said that all the girls really like him. A girl named Grace had told Molly (the teacher) that she like a little boy named Keian (sp?) and when Reed came along she told Molly "I don't like Keian so much anymore, I like Reed." I little ladies man already - oh man!
• Reed frequently tells me words and things that I was unaware that he knew. He must be learning a ton at school. If he doesn't know the word, he will often make up his own that is pretty accurate (the ladder is called a climber).
  

My baby girl is rolling over very consistently now and is starting to reach for everything. She focuses on something and gets her hands to find it and grab it. She rolled over yesterday and wanted to get her pacifier which was just out of reach. She kicked and wiggled for all she had (never got it though). Won't be long before she figures out how to though.

Well, that's all for now - have a great weekend!

Funny words and 5 Months

Reed has been saying the funniest things lately, here is a sampling of my favorites.

• In the bath the other night, he was pretending to have/make cake with cups. He was saying over and over again "mommy, it's a cake" as I was distracted. I finally responded to him and said "oh yeah buddy, it's cake?". He goes "no, it's a cup.". Hysterical.
• Today in the car he said "I'm not happy mommy." I said "why are you not happy?" "I'm sad". "Why are you sad buddy?" "I need to take a break." I'm not sure where he got that, but Fogg said that he had the exact same exchange yesterday with him.
  
• I asked him to clean up his toys. I said to pick up his Jeep. He asked where it was (it was right in front of him). I said "right there buddy". He goes "That's not a Jeep! That's a truck mommy! Here is my Jeep" (pointed to the actual Jeep).
• He did not finish his dinner and wanted a cupcake (muffin). I asked him finish his plate first and he grabbed two handfuls of food left on his plate and put them in the sink and said "all finished!".
  

Nora turned 5 months old yesterday. Here we are at Nana and Papa Branch's house. Reed also wanted to get in on a picture.




Reed is getting particular about what he wears. Usually, it's "cozy" pants (he doesn't like jeans or corduroy's, only exercise pants or sweat pants. This week it's been unseasonably warm, so I let him put on shorts that he insisted on wearing. In fact, he picked out this entire outfit. Wanted the shorts, the shirt with the monkey on it, the monster hoodie, with the hood up at all times and grey smartwool socks. Silly kid. He is holding two marshmallows because he just used the potty.
Nora girl is starting to use her walker, though she isn't actually walking in it, just plays. She really likes it.

Babies and Toddlers

Gosh, it's been awhile since I've last updated! Luckily, this time I have pictures to share of BOTH of my cutey little kiddos.

Today, I hosted a shower for my friend Michelle. She is expecting her first baby (a girl) in May. I am soooo excited that she is having this baby, I can't even wait! I had a great time planning and hosting the shower. We did a brown and hot pink monkey theme. Her sister in law made amazing cupcakes with handmade monkeys on them. We had a ton of other yummy food too, check out the spread! Michelle got a ton of awesome gifts and a fun time was had by all. I sure do love hosting parties.








Nora is getting better and better at eating food. She most of the time enjoys the experience, if I time the feeding right. This evening she ate more than she ever has, almost a whole container of squash and rice cereal on top of that! She is rolling over pretty consistently now, from both front to back and back to front. She smiles quite a bit now and is getting better at sitting supported. She is getting to be so much fun! She sleeps through the night all the time now (has for quite some time but then she got sick and was getting up once a night for a few weeks, but we are back to normal now).



She is also darn cute to dress up sometimes! Here she is in a cute outfit, wearing shoes that were mine as a baby.



Reed is getting more and more personality all the time. He has said some funny stuff lately. A few examples are "I don't think so." and "I can't remember." He wanted me to take his picture the other day holding his tractor:
He also wanted to take pictures. I assisted him a little in taking a picture of London. Then he wanted me to take a picture of him and London together.

I went to check on him during his nap today. I found him like this:
We sure are staying busy. Fogg went dirt biking this weekend with a bunch of guys. We are both working quite a bit. I'm starting a new position at my company this coming week and I'm very excited about it. I'm sure that will keep me a little more busy as well. Having two little kids at home also keeps us busy - obviously. I've started Insanity workout - been doing it for a week now. It's hard but so far I'm really liking it. When it's over at the beginning of May, maybe I'll post before and after pictures (assuming the after pictures are good...).

Till next time~

Things that make me happy

I've been feeling so grateful lately for the great things I have in my life. I'm lucky to be surrounded by the best husband, the cutest kids, the greatest friends.

• Reed - above. He put all of my necklaces on yesterday as I was getting ready. He just kept pulling them out and stacking them on. He was excited to show me and then obliged to have his picture taken.
• My hubby - he has been so generous to me lately, giving me flowers for no reason, a cute note in my car, taking me out to dinner. He is so protective of me and willing to help me get things done.
• Friends - I have a friend that is so thoughtful to send texts and phone calls when I miss a group activity to make sure that I'm doing alright. She remembers mundane things and follows up on them later. She makes me want to be a better person and friend back to her and others. She has started a "pay it forward" attitude for me. Still other friends that are there to listen to me complain (all the time!), give great advice, offer condolences. Others that will be super sad and in pain but ask me about my life instead of complaining about theirs.
  
• Motivational material - I love reading about different subjects to make me a better wife, mom and employee. I feel motivated to make a difference and be a better person. I love when I can apply these concepts to every day life and grow as a person. I love hearing a great sermon at church that makes me realize how lucky I am to have a Father who takes care of me, whether I know it or not - He makes my life better every day.
• Nora - there is little else in the world better than your baby girl smiling at you and laughing. You know at that moment that she is happy and content and taken care of. I'm so anxious to watch her grow and learn. I'm maybe too anxious to see who she is going to become. Because I love Reed more every day and enjoy watching every moment of his growth, it makes me even more excited to see Nora go through those same stages.
• Stability - I have an amazing house, a great job, a fantastic family, incredible friends, financial means to live comfortably, yummy food to fill my belly, and plenty of toys to enjoy every spare moment I get.
  

More pictures of my cuties to come!

Happenings

This week has been busy but then again not so much.

Monday, Nora celebrated her 4 month birthday:
Tuesday was Valentine's day. My hubby was great and made reservations for dinner 3 weeks ago. We got a sitter and went to dinner without kids! He also got me some beautiful flowers and a little gift. I also treated myself to a nice cheesy dinner, a cocktail before dinner, and a glass of wine. All of these things would really bother Nora, so I went home and did the pump and dump. Here is my valentine girl all dressed up for school:
The next day, Nora had her 4 month check up. She weighs 13 pounds 8 ounces. During the appointment, the doctor determined that both kids have double ear infections. In order to figure that out for Nora, he had to dig out a bunch of ear wax. She screamed like he was stabbing her. Then she calmed down and got her shots. She was not thrilled with the whole thing. She was pretty fussy the rest of the day. I stayed home with the kids all day Thursday and Friday to help them get better.

Reed has been having a little trouble staying in bed for his naps and at night. He loves to turn on all his lights and play. I didn't check on him the other night until I went to bed and saw his light was on. But then when I checked on him, he was asleep with his light on and barely in bed. Mickey seems to have figured it out though...
We went skiing on Saturday morning, but Reed only did one run. He was having too much fun playing with Jane in the lodge. Then we ran a couple of errands in the evening. Nora was pretty upset in the evening, so it was a challenging outing.

I stayed home with both kids all day today while Fogg patrolled. I decided that Nora should start baby food as she has been having some trouble with sleeping through the night lately. I'm getting pretty tired getting up every night at least once then going to work all day. The doc said that the best food to start would be meat! I was shocked! This is a new thing as when Reed started on food, he had rice cereal. But there is new research that meat is the best first food as it's easier to digest, has protein, potassium, iron. Rice cereal is fortified with DHA and other things that make it harder to digest. As Nora already has digestive issues, we will start with the meat - much to my chagrin. Fogg did the honors, here is Nora having her first food.






She did pretty good. She seems a little shocked every time that spoon came toward her face. She would flinch when Fogg would try to clean off her mouth with the spoon.

And here are a couple more pictures from the week. Nora rarely sleeps on anyone anymore, this was just too cute.
Reed wanted me to take his picture. He is holding a puppet that cousin Gabby made. I love his "cheese" face.

Hope these kiddos are recovered and don't get sick again anytime soon - it's exhausting!

Till next time~

Crayon on the Wall

Fogg and I had a true parent moment yesterday. Fogg was in the basement working on his dirt bike in the shop. I was upstairs getting dressed and making beds. Reed was in the play room watching a movie. This is a very typical situation. Reed will very nicely stay in his play room, watch a cartoon, whatever. He knows how to come find us if he needs something. Everything that can do any damage is put away so theoretically, he can't do anything other than make a mess of his toys. I came downstairs and went directly into the kitchen (via past the laundry room). Reed was in the dining area and said "look mommy, I color you!" I look over to the wall and see this:

I said "oh buddy, we don't color on the wall!". He was very proud of his drawing of me on the wall. I figured not to get too mad cause it wasn't much, but I still told him that it was a big no-no to color on the wall. I have all the crayons in a bin up high, no way he could get it. He must have found a crayon somewhere else. Anyway, I went to get Fogg to show him and went around the corner toward the basement door and found this:


I called Fogg up and he saw it with shock. He disciplined Reed (for really the first time) with a spank. Fogg asked Reed what his punishment should be and Reed said "time out". Fogg said he needed two spanks. Reed was shocked that Fogg actually spanked him. Then we had him help to clean it up. Mr. Clean magic eraser is truly magical. It took it right off. Reed has is own eraser and helped me clean it off. Reed then thought that he should have a "special treat" for helping to clean up. Yeah - no. As we recovered from that, we settled back into the day and found many more places that Reed colored. He colored on an end table, a chair, his boots, his lawnmower toy, the tv stand and Fogg's computer. Luckily it all cleaned up easy. But classic, right?

Nora has been doing better with her tummy times. Here she is holding her head up pretty good (this is actually a little fatigued, I got the camera out after she had been doing better for a few minutes). She really had her eye on the zebra print.


And here is a picture of Nora's first time up the Snowbasin gondola. We went a few weeks ago and she fell asleep on the way up and slept the whole time we were at the top. She's so cute right?That's all for now, happy valentine's day this week!