look who's two months!

We can't believe another month has passed by!

weighing in at...

Well today's been...a little rough. We took Reese in for her two month check up. And thankfully, she is completely healthy. She was weighed and measured. And get this. When she was born she weighed 7lbs10oz. I was shocked when they told us because none of my mom's babies were nearly that big. (Dan weighed almost 10 pounds so it could have been a lot worse! Bless you Kristy!) Since then, she's been an eating machine. This was confirmed at today's appointment when the doctor told us she weighed...drum roll please...12 and a half pounds! She weighs more than 95% of babies her age!

Then came the tough part.

At the two month check up, babies get their first round of shots. I have been dreading it all week. Thank goodness Danny was there. He has been at seminary this week and didn't know if he would be back in time. My sweet friend Sarah was on call in case I needed her to be there to hold my hand. (And she would have too!) But he made it back.

I'll never forget the look on Reese's face. She was laying down on the table, looking at me and smiling. No clue as to what was about to happen. All of the sudden, her eyes got really big and she started screaming. The nurse did a great job and it was over pretty fast. Just not soon enough for this mama. The stinging sensation I had in fighting back tears had to have been the same pain my precious baby was feeling up and down her beautiful, Michelin, 95th percentile legs. Oh, I could cry right now just thinking about it. She was so strong. And she stopped crying within minutes. The doctor came back in to check on her, but I think he was ready to admit me. I tried to be strong, I really did. But as soon as we were in the car, I stopped fighting and the tears started flowing. Of course by that time, she was passed out in her car seat with a boo-hooing mother and three colorful band-aids as the only evidence of the ordeal.

I guess this is just a small taste of what's to come, huh?

a new cousin!

Congratulations are in order. Manda and Josh are expecting their second child in November. And it's a boy! We are so excited for them. Reese is going to be a big cousin! Woohoo!!!

houston, we've got a smile!

We did it! Baby has been smiling everyday and today, we finally captured it! I was the designated photographer and Dan was the target audience. It took us about 3 minutes of coercion...and mission completed. Check it out!


Will she or won't she? Not so sure...maybe, maybe not...



And....THERE it is!!

How 'bout those dimples? :)

more pics

I have a confession to make. I've turned in to one of those crazy moms with an insane amount of pictures of their kid. And Dan is just as bad. Between the two of us we've taken probably 400 picture of Reese in her first month of life. I admit it, I've got a problem. But she's just so dang cute I can't help it! I chalk it up to the fact that she's the first born. That makes it ok, right? Surely we aren't the only new parents who have done this. Anyways, if you'd like to enable our habit, check out these pictures! :)

At the beach.


With her Nana.


Awwwww.


Now do you understand why I have a problem?


With her Hinton family on her first day at church.

swim suit

Check us out on the beach! We only went out early in the morning or later at night. But I just had to show you her in her very first swim suit. Is it fabulous or what? It was a gift from her Aunt Debs, sent with love. And I do believe she is rocking it!

a SMILE!

Our precious baby girl is smiling! Yesterday after I fed her I had her on my lap. I was saying nothing in particular while using my goofy baby voice. She made eye contact, and there it was. A big, beautiful smile! I thought for sure it would be followed by gas, but when it wasn't, I yelled for the best is this a real smile judge I know...my mom. She ran over, examined the expression and verified that it was indeed a responsive smile. I couldn't believe it!! But throughout the rest of the day, she would break into a cute, crooked grin. Now I just have to get a picture!

ocean front

Well for crying out loud it's been so long since I last blogged, I'm surprised they didn't shut me down! Right now, I'm sitting in the kitchen of an incredible vacation house right on the beach. As I type, the back drop to the laptop is the blue tide of the Gulf of Mexico. No, Dan and I didn't get a raise. :) Rather, Reese and I are on a vacation with our family. It's the last week of my maternity leave and unfortunately Dan wasn't able to come. So Reese and I hitched a ride with my sister's family and man, are we glad we did! We have had the best week! Besides going to the beach, we've spent several of our days at the outlet mall (help us all!) And I've eaten so many crab legs, there may very well be a shortage right now. Of course being with family has been the best part of it all. We can sit here and do nothing and be perfectly content. Last night Aunt Sara and Uncle Tom stayed with Reese so I could go mini-golf with the rest of the family. It's the first time I've left her and I'm proud to say, I didn't cry once! (I did tear up when I started getting 4's, 5's and 6's at the golf course, but that's a different story.)

Well it's been almost five weeks since baby arrived. It's been the most challenging yet fulfilling time of my life. Everyday we love her more. And everyday we figure her out just a little bit more. I can't help but wonder what God was thinking entrusting us with such a precious, beautiful little life. I don't ask why, I just praise Him all the more.

These past couple of weeks, Reese's likes and dislikes have become very apparent. She is a woman who knows what she wants, and she does not hesitate in voicing her desires. She is an excellent communicator. And with parents who are so clueless, it is a blessing she is! :) Here's what we've learned so far.

Things Reese Likes:
*Eating
*Sleeping
*Mommy's voice
*Taking baths
*Ceiling fans
*Daddy's guitar
*The sound of the ocean and the sound of rainstorms
*Her swing
*Bouncing, rocking and swaying (and she prefers all simultaneously)
*Burping
*Her binky

Things Reese Doesn't Like:
*Her car seat
*Gas
*Getting her diaper changed
*Getting her clothes changed
*Being hot
*Holding still

All our love from sunny Gulf Shores,
Rach & Reese