The one where Reed's Aunt Jessie comes to visit

Reed sure did love his Aunt Jessie! She came for Easter, and what timing that was!  Since my sister was coming from Wyoming, I was excited that she could leave her frosty weather behind and join us for some 80 and sunny days.  However, that's not what happened. Of course, the day she flew in we had a sharp turn in our weather pattern and our days were grey and rainy.  Not only did the weather disappoint but Reed had come down with the croup and his cranky twin took his place for the weekend.  He still found some reasons to smile, but over-all I was heartbroken because I was searching everywhere for my happy baby, but he was nowhere to be found.
Sunday, I wanted to go to church in the morning and show my sister Reed's Sunday School classroom and the song they do for the kids at the beginning of second service. But Reed was too sick.  We accepted an Easter Sunday lunch invitations from our neighbors across the street, but Reed's cough was out of control.  The Easter egg hunt at church was planned for 2 o'clock, but he didn't have the energy and I didn't feel right having him around other kids. I took him back to the doctor on Monday and learned he'd gotten an upper respiratory infection so we got his antibiotic and a couple days later, after Aunt Jessie had gone home, he was back to his joyful self!  
He sure loved her.  When she was packing up and getting ready to leave he was fussing and I knew he was tired but he wouldn't wind down. He climbed into her arms, buried his head into her neck, and fell fast asleep.

We did sneak in some fun activities! We had dinner at Saturn Grill (a tradition) and dropped in at the horse track for some live racing!  Jessie and I made a couple bets and cheered our horses on.  Reed was snuggled into the Baby Bjorn on Mike's chest and absorbed the whole thing.
We had lunch with Mel and Ty at the bagel shop- her final weekend of pregnancy (baby Kinley was born the following Wednesday.)  And we attended a friend's going away party, too.
I love having my sister here.  I wish I could just call her up at the drop of a hat and ask her to run and get pedicures with me.  I'd love to be able to drive a few blocks and have lunch with her, or drop Reed off for an evening every once in a while.  I think about her moving here quite often and picture her living in different neighborhoods around town and how convenient it would be for me and wonder what the cost of rent is...
I know I'm the one who moved away, but can't everyone just follow me around?

The one about latching on to the affirmative

I love my life.
Sometimes it feels like I'm not completely in control, which is hard for me.  Sometimes I catch myself wishing something here or there was different. However, when I just sit back and take it all in, I realize how totally blessed I really am.  Where I came from, where I've been and where I'm going- it is so completely obvious what an amazing and wonderful journey my life is!
I am acutely aware of the forks that I came to along the road of my life and I can see where I could have chosen a different path which would have led me to a much darker place of struggle.  I've made choices, worked hard and tried to direct myself to an enjoyable life.  Of course, I have been lucky, too.  Lucky but also blessed and I'm thankful to The Lord for rewarding me the way He has.
Just because I'm happy with my life doesn't mean I am going to set the cruise control.  I continue to challenge myself, continue to bring a sense of "newness" to each day, because I don't want my life to go stale.  If you know me, then you know how I love to have a plan.  You also know that I'm a bit of a perfectionist. I feel that if I'm going to put my name on something then I better be proud to represent it.  That applies to my school grades, my projects at work, my home, my family and most of all myself.  I'm a firm believer in the "love yourself first" motto.  It surprises me how this can be something so hard for some and then so easy for others (which is a negative thing at that point.)  I struggle with it, I always have.  I doubt myself, catch myself doing some negative self talk, and I argue with people who believe in me.  When I find myself doing that I have to grab a trowel and start digging my way out of it.  I love positive affirmations!  What a great idea!  Oh yes, I totally buy into it and I have a couple.  I will share a sample:
"I am strong and able enough to attain my goals."
"I am loving and affectionate to my deserving husband."
"I am a patient wife and mother."
"I am a generous and loyal friend."
"I have a kind heart and am nice to all whom I encounter."
I recite these to myself as needed.  It's a good way to remind myself to be the person I want to be, because it's easy to forget, let me tell you.  It is easy to go about your day just totally wrapped up in yourself and not thinking about how you're treating other people.  But, I can do something about it.  And if I tell myself something enough times and really focus on it and believe it then I will BE it.

It works, if you've never tried positive affirmation, you should give it a shot.  Remember to create "I am"s and not "I will"s.  The key is believing that it IS true, not that it CAN BE true.

Judgement day

Were you aware that when you have a baby you not only signed up to change your life by adding the sweetest kind of love God created, but also you get to be judged on a daily basis.

Maybe you didn't realize this, I sure didn't, but it's true. When you procreate, you are telling the world that it's their responsibility to narrow their eyes at that pacifier you picked up off the floor, to roll their eyes at the books and articles you read and then go by, to shun the way you discipline.

Mike and I try to make the best decisions for our family. We read a variety of information and we seek advice from friends we trust, then we form our opinions and go with our choices. I'm not saying that my way is the only right way and anyone else's way is wrong. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and brings their own experiences to the table.

So yes, I've been told that I shouldn't believe everything I read. If I had a nickel for every time someone told me that we didn't have that when we were kids and we all turned out fine, I'd be a wealthy woman. Even when I'm not directly being judged I feel judged through seemingly innocent comments. Maybe I shouldn't take it all so personally, but my baby is as personal as it gets! oh and I play fair. If I'm going to be judged, I'm going to do some judging, too. I'm all ears and very open minded to why someone does things differently than I do. I love to learn now things and people with helpful and knowledgeable insight are judged favorably. People who pop out "accidents" they don't pay attention to and are lazy parents- they can forget about giving me advice.

Toothless days are behind us.

Reed started cutting his first tooth. Its like he has a piece of shrapnel imbedded in his gums, it's razor sharp! He slept pretty well last night, only woke up twice and was easy(er) to put back to bed. Today he's whiny and needy but I'm here for him. He's the cutest little monster ever. Recently I've amazed myself with how hypnotized I am by him. I thought it was supposed to wear off, but here we are more than 7 months after his birth and my heart still skips a beat when he looks into my eyes and smiles. I get a pang of jealousy when someone else is holding him and I miss him when I'm away. Reed is the sweetest boy, he's snuggly and smiles easily. He's so curious about the tiny world around him. With the newfound skill of pulling himself to a stand, he's got a new perspective on life and is motivated to keep busy more than ever. His smiles are pure joy, no holding back. He's got nothing to hide and isn't ashamed of what makes him happy.

Each milestone that he passes, I can't help but think about the fact that there is no going back. Once this tooth breaks, it means the end of the toothless grins. Once he started crawling, it meant the end of the rolling from place to place days.

Last Friday, I was picking him up at school and his teachers told me that he'd pulled himself up using a little bookshelf that day. I didn't believe it! I didn't think he was ready for that, but as soon as I got him home I had to see it. I set him on the floor in front of his music station and after a little while, sure enough, he pulled himself first to his knees- then pushed his butt up in the air and he was on his feet! It was amazing. Then of course, he had to do it again and again and now we can't leave the room because he'll try to pull himself up on virtually anything. He's still pretty unstable so I don't want him crashing on his head. I'm tempted to wrap his head in bubble wrap so I know he's safe. We thought we had more time, but we were wrong - so we had to move his crib that night. His mattress is now safely at the bottom of the crib so he can stand up without doing a swan-dive to the carpet. The pack-n-play was the next thing to modify. Now he has a little play "pen". He's okay in there as long as he can't see us. He'll play by himself peacefully unless he knows you're available to play with.

His favorite song is still "On top of spaghetti." It's my secret weapon because Reed will forget that he is sad just long enough for me to finish out the song. I love his little personality. Last week at book club, he was trying to suck on Piper's face- who is about 3 months older than him. I hadn't really thought about him sucking on other people's faces. I thought he just loved mine! When I asked his teachers at school if he tried to suck on his classmates' faces, they said, "No. It's usually the feet." Silly boy!

The one that's all about Reed

Name: Reed Michael Franklin

Birthday: August 28th

Age: 7 months

Hair color: Golden brown

Eye Color: Hazelish brown

Unique features: My 2nd and 3rd toes grew together.

Freckles?: No. No freckles, no moles. Just clear, soft, baby skin! Tan like my mom!

Height: 26" Weight: 17.5lbs

Clothing size: 6-9 mo Diaper size: 3

Siblings: None Pets: none :o( we gave Cautia away when I was 5 months old.

Hometown: Oklahoma City

Favorite color: White, the color of milk!

Favorite song: On Top of Spaghetti - hands down.

Favorite Book: Gallop! My Uncle Coy got it for me and it's amazing.

Favorite food: Squash, by a landslide. But a new love has come around- cheerios!

Least favorite food: Avocado

Favorite drink: Milk! Water is pretty great tho. Especially ice-water from Mom's straw.

Places I've been: Tulsa, OK. Ft Worth, TX. Mineral Wells, TX. Phoenix, AZ (Cornville, Jerome, Cottonwood, too!) Next week- Indianapolis!

Best feature: My smile and my laugh. That is pure joy!

Skills: Sitting unsupported, crawling, pulling myself to a stand

Favorite sport: Jumping or swimming

Favorite sport to watch: Football (Go Giants!)

Things I think are funny: Dad's mysterious smile, Mom's barking hand, fake sneezes, Mom jump squatting with me, Dad bouncing me on his knees.

Personality type: Fun loving, easy to smile, pretty chill

Favorite time of day: morning!!

Price of a gallon of gas: $3.69 (3.99 for the Cayenne!) Milk: $3.39 (Mom & Dad love Braums)

And we boogie woogied all the way to Arizona and back!

Our trip to Arizona was so wonderful. Of course it's a beautiful area and there is so much to see, but mainly I just have such a great family that you could put us in a padded room and we'd have fun.

Reed did very well on both the flight out and back. He slept most of the way and the woman in the seat in front of us even commented as we deplaned, "I completely forgot he was even sitting there! He was so good!" That was nice of her, maybe she did forget but the man in 11D was quite aware the whole time. He sat in the aisle seat next to Mike in our row and I know he was very nervous about it. He was probably pleasantly surprised as well, but he didn't let his guard down. We made sure to give Reed bottles as we took off so he could pop his ears and not become uncomfortable. On each decent he was sleeping, so we tugged on his ears a little and put his pacifier in. No problems.

My brother, Coy, had plenty of ideas to entertain us when we got into town. Jeep tours, hiking, haunted hamburgers, a circus, and more. We were able to get around to something each day, but there were quite a few people to coordinate and it didn't always move quickly. We hiked up Bell Rock in Sedona with Reed in his new hiking carrier, which was as entertaining as it was beautiful. My brother and his girlfriend Cory Lyn crack me to pieces with their joking around. Coy warned us about snakes and pointed out "rockstackers" to which Cory Lyn replied, "snakes don't have hands!" Reed was hanging out on Dad's back the whole time and I'm glad neither of our mom's were there because they each would have had heart attacks. Mike was of course extremely careful and would never do anything to put Reed in danger, but there were some precarious looking positions he got into during the hike.

My next favorite highlight from the trip was the mountain biking excursion! Originally Mike and Coy had planned to go and make it a guy thing, but in the middle of the night before, as I was up soothing Reed and trying to make him sleep again, I started to consider going. After a couple hours I thought to myself, "Self? You should go! If you're ever going to try mountain biking then you should definitely try it in Sedona!" So when Mike woke up I told him I wanted to go and he was excited! Hopefully Coy was excited too. He was worried that we'd kill him out there, but he did great and kept his energy going and pushed through the gruelling two hour ride. He's an active guy and doesn't sit still, but this was a high intensity endurance activity! I never knew that I was a vocal mountain biker. We all found out at the same time when, three minutes down the trail we were bumping down the rocky terrain at such a high speed that I was screaming, "We're MOUNTAIN BIKING!.... WE .... ARE.... MOUNTAIN BIKING!" Along with all the "Woop! Woop!"-ing as I hit each bump. I was out of control the majority of the time, I really should have broken something, but I think I just got lucky. I also did a bit of what I call "mountain bike hiking" and "mountain bike running" because I spent some off-the-bike time. It was a lot of fun and a memory I will cherish forever.

My grandma really enjoyed her time with her first great-grand baby. It was sweet to see her holding him because he's gotten so big and she's so tiny. We left a couple of things of Reed's with her for her to hold onto. A onesie and a pair of socks. I just hope it always brings happiness and joy to her and not sadness.

Having my mom around is so awesome. Each morning when we would wake up, I would text my mom and let her know we were up and she'd come get Reed so we could sleep an extra hour. When we wanted to run off and do something -she was happier than a pig in mud to keep Reed with her. She traveled down from Wyoming with her close friend, Autumn, and my little brother Chris. My sister Jessie couldn't make it, and my heart felt it.

Some long lost family was able to meet up with us on Sunday for some play time in the park. Dora, who I used to adore as a child- but haven't seen in a million years, came with her sister, Nan, and two daughters (Alicia and Nicole). We had a fabulous reunion!

We left the park in Cornville and headed up to Jerome, the "floating city", for haunted hamburgers. I played it safe and got a chicken salad. I'm not exactly sure what would happen if you ate a haunted hamburger. Do you get a ghost in your stomach?

Monday morning Chris joined us for a trip to the award winning diner where we had breakfast and from there we went into Cottonwood and then out to the Tuzigoot Monument where we took these pictures.

You have to promise to go to my picasa album and view all of our pictures from the trip. They are marvelous! Click Here to go straight there

It's all about planning and preparation

We have taken Reed on a few trips in his six months of life, but they've all been road trips. He has slept in hotel rooms, spent hours in his carseat watching the trees race past the window, and eaten his cereal in a few roadside Subway restaurants.

We had intended to fly with him earlier, but it just didn't work out that way. So here we are thinking about airport security, baggage policies, in flight entertainment and the like. Reed will take his first plane trip in two days!

Mike and I have learned a lot from our Road trips such as what to pack and what not to pack. Of course it always happens that Itake a pile of things that we never use and find myself wishing I had brought a whole list of oher things. We think we are as prepared as we can be. I'm sure when it's all over I'll wonder why I was so anxious about it but as of right now, I just want it all to go smoothly.

We plan to spend some time in Sedona exploring their hiking and mountain biking trails so we purchased a hiking backpack/baby carrier that we hope to get tons of use out of this summer. Mike carried Reed around the store in it for about 30 minutes to test it out. Reed totally dug it, so we're exited to try it out on a real hike! We, meaning Mike, haha! I'm teasing. I carry the little man around all day, it will be a nice break to be able to carry him on my back, where the weight will be distributed easier.

Reed loves to give me a bicep workout. His favorite way to be carried now is on my forearm while he's facing out.

We also ordered our bike trailer. Since it's not safe to pull him around out here where we live and LOVE to bike- we would need to drive over to lake Hefner to ride with him. I used to think that would never happen, but since I get off work and pick him up at 3 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I find myself wishing I had my bike and a trailer so we could go ride around the lake. Especially since my office and his school are within a mile of the lake. Now it makes plenty of sense!

Here is Reed trying on helmets- we didn't buy this one because I don't like the color.

Here is a cute picture of Reed at Ross the other day. He looks so big in the cart! (Ross has small carts)

I planned to take Reed down the streed to this pretty tree area to take some pictures for the March Album on Picasa, but it started pouring! So, I'm off to the Just Between Friends sale! I will be looking to stock Reed up on his summer attire and accessories. Its not like he doesn't have enough stuff- but the sale is too good to pass up.

The one where Reed has his 6 month check-up

It really hit me the other day that Reed is 6 months old. Half a year since I gave birth to him. It's amazing. In some ways it feels longer and in some ways shorter. I competed in a bike race this past weekend, two actually - one Saturday and one Sunday, and I had to remind myself that I'd only just had a baby 6 months ago. Its hard to have realistic expectations because I know what I have been capable of and I want to be performing at the same level- or better. Of course it takes time, boy if I had a nickel for every time I have heard that in the last 6 months! Which reminds me, I wanted to get back into my old pre-pregnancy jeans- it takes time! My doctor told me not to be too hard on myself and said it usually takes 6 months. Of course I knew that I would cut the time frame in half. Ha! Well, I was wrong and grossly overestimated my "bounce back" time. I think it was 6 months to the day! It wasn't the weight necessarily, but just my hips were still coming back together or something. I'm still working on toning everywhere, but now that I can't rely on the calorie burning of breastfeeding I have to be a little more watchful of my calorie intake!
Reed's daily nutritional needs have really changed. Just check out the before and after of the freezer.

First it's all milk, then it's all veggies! Squash, carrots, peas and green beans. He also has bananas in his oatmeal with breakfast now.

So, about his wellness check-up. I have taken him to all previous appointments and all shots up to this point, but this week it was Dad's turn. Mike took him Monday morning as I left for work. What a way to kick of spring break! Even tho going to the doctor can never be considered a "fun" thing, I knew that Mike would enjoy it because the doctor is always so full of praise. I don't know if it's just his thing- you know, telling parents that their babies are so strong, so healthy, so this and so that. I wouldn't blame him, it's a sure fire way to make sure people like you! However, I like to think that it's genuine. He always seems so impressed at Reed's strength and I knew Mike would love to hear that. Plus Reed recovers from his shots so quickly that it's hard not to brag.

Reed measured at 26 inches and 17lbs 7oz. Doctor says he's following his growth curve just fine.

Its hard to believe that he'll be 7 months at the end of this month. Next week we leave for Arizona, where we will finally be visiting my brother, Coy! He moved there several years ago and I feel terribly guilty that I have never been to see him but he's been to Oklahoma City to see me twice. Also, it's exciting to be able to go see my Grandma. She's so anxious to meet Reed. He is her first great grandbaby! Its a shame we didn't get out there sooner so she could see him when he was a tiny little bundle of mush. I love to look back at pictures of people holding him and he's just so small and fragile-looking in their arms.

Reed recently fell in love with his tongue. It is quite adorable.

He's a pro at getting himself into the all fours position and is working on his crawl still. He gets this look of complete concentration on his face and tries to jump both knees forward after rocking for a bit. He ends up in a pike position with is legs straight and his butt completely up in the air. I enjoy watching his little body move and discover new strengths and abilities!

He doesn't sit on his own but he can turn himself in all directions and even has a little tripod thing he does when he wants to look up at you while he's playing on the floor.

He still loves to stand, his little legs are pure muscle. His balance is improving and he can stand at his little music station and pound on the keys. Don't interrupt tho, because he's very busy.

He started using his highchair and likes it pretty well. Good thing, too, because his legs are getting to big for the bumbo. I'm not giving it up yet, tho. It's so convenient!

Tomorrow I have a post that I know you're going to love! Stay tuned!

The one with Reed doing yoga

This is for all those babies out there who need a little visual instruction for yoga. Mommies, please print this for reference.

Start with your basic plank:

Lower down into chaturanga ...

Scoop up into updog

curl your toes under and push back into downward facing dog...

and finally we do a little cat and cow stretch. cow first:

Then cat:

Do this every day for maximum flexibility and strength!

The one where Reed turns 6 months old!

6 months is a pretty big deal. As far as milestones go, this one seems to be way up there! I mean think of all the baby gear that is labeled 6 months +. Maybe there is something magical about 6 months, and now that Reed has reached it, we've got it coming at us from all directions!

Thankfully, we kind of headed a few of them off. For one, I had originally planned to breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months, but Reed is a little man, as I have mentioned before, and he's a meat and potatoes kind of guy. So although its recommended to wait, we started the rice cereal, carrots, peas, squash and oatmeal as soon as his pediatrician gave us the thumbs up.

Sippy cups are another 6 monther. He loves to gnaw on it, but doesn't really tip it up for the water. And actually he prefers daddy's sport bottles over his own sippy cups. Water, is another one. Pre 6 months, water can dehydrate a baby!

Sunscreen can be used at 6 months, a variety of medications (if needed) are now safe, and I'm sure there are even some that I don't know about yet!

Along with the lifting of all these restrictions comes the pressure of baby's physical abilities. Is he sitting up? Is he sleeping through the night? Is he scooting? Does he roll over on both sides? I try not to be too concerned about these things, of course that would be a lot easier if he were just way ahead of the game. Then of course I wouldn't worry about it!

He sits for a few seconds at a time on when he's flat on the floor. He sits for minutes at a time on my lap, without touching me or me touching him. The difference is just amazing. His sleeping habits are pretty erratic. Sometimes he sleeps really well and other times he's up every hour in the night. Mostly I guess the deciding factor is his sinuses. He's been on antibiotic twice and he'll be perfectly fine and feel great while on them. However, just a couple short days after they run out, he has turned back into a mucus factory. Mike and I want to keep things clean and safe, but we're not anal about it. He plays on the floor at home and whatever he can get his hands on goes right into his mouth. We want him to have fun and play and enjoy normal activities. On the other hand, we're starting to wonder if allergies are the problem and I'm also very suspicious of Cautia. Cat hair is everywhere, she walks around in her cat box and then walks around on the rug where he plays all day... that can't be sanitary. So, sadly, we are returning her to the humane society this weekend. Of course, this is on top of all the destruction that befalls our belongings on a daily basis due to her malicious claws.

Enough is enough. Its just not working out.

Over the weekend, we traveled to Texas for a stage race in Mineral Wells. We stayed in Ft Worth two nights and Reed and I were excited to cheer for Mike for 3 whole bike races! The Crit was first, and I was cracking up at Reed as he watched the stream of cyclists fly by. He was stunned, there is no other word. I imagine he was thinking, "I've never seen so much spandex!"

He was a trooper and traveled better than we expected. Reed racked up his car seat time and luckily for us he's been doing so much better in his once-thought-to-be torture device. He blew up a couple times, but just to let us know that it was time to eat or be changed.

Things that make him laugh:

fake sneezing, looking away then looking at him with a sudden shocked expression, "the barking hand", tickling his tummy or neck, jumping squats (so he drops fast), peek-a-boo.

Happy Half Birthday to Reed!!

(on 2/28/11)

Yes, I sang to him :o)