Day in the life of Reed

I guess I just can't get over that the fact that Reed is growing up so fast. I am fascinated that he can communicate now. Looking back over the last almost-two years, I realize that I don't remember a lot of the things that I swore that I could never forget--when he reached certain milestones, etc. So I am trying to be better about documenting things...even the little stuff (maybe even especially the little stuff.)

So here is a little playback of my observations today.

When asked what he wanted for breakfast, Reed said, "pizza." (This is his response for every meal and when we do serve pizza he just picks off and eats the black olives and green peppers.) But in respect to "breakfast pizza" he is referring to Eggo waffles with jam. We have a bottom freezer drawer, so as I opened the freezer, Reed spotted the sherbet and grabbed it. I told him no and that he could have some after dinner tonight and forgot all about it.

He likes to sit on the countertop next to the toaster as the waffles cook. As I reminded him that the toaster is hot. Suddenly without touching the toaster he blurted out, "Ouch, that hurt!" Then he looked at me slyly. I was so caught off guard because it was like he was teasing me.

Later in the morning we were in the Kitchen and he saw the popcorn popper in the cabinet. After chanting "popcorn" for a bit, he was calmed by the promise of popcorn after naptime. Several hours later, within the first five minutes of being awake from his nap, he reminded me...popcorn.

After a fun afternoon in the park, we came home and fixed dinner--noodles and broccoli. He started with the noodles but quickly switched over to broccoli after a game of moving the food to the different animals on the plate. The alligator wanted the noodles for a while while the elephant wanted the broccoli, then the walrus wanted everything. Suddenly all the broccoli was gone and Reed shouted, "Mommy, more broccoli!" and then again, "more please!" I was in heaven. I'm so pleased that Reed loves his veggies.

When we cleared the table, Reed went to the freezer and stood there. I couldn't believe it. After a whole day, Reed remembered that I had promised sherbet and it certainly isn't routine for us to have dessert after dinner. I am blown away that his memory is that long. I guess I need to be more aware of what I tell him, because sometimes I think that he'll just forget something when it's out of sight or shortly there after. I guess it was good for me to see and realize because I do want him to trust that I will follow through with what I say. Needless to say, Reed got his sherbet.

Every night at bedtime, we read our books and then say prayers. Tonight one of our books was a Sesame Street book about physical fitness. On one page, Grover is doing push-ups and Reed got very concerned. He pointed at Grover's arms as they bent and said "Broke" and then "Grover break arm." Such compassion :)

Each night I ask him who he wants to pray for. Usually it is family members, the daycare providers, and friends from daycare. Tonight he switched it up a bit and we prayed for the cats (at daycare I presume, maybe cats of the world?). Maybe they need a special intention. Everyone keep that in mind in your prayers tonight.

All the little things

Tonight as I picked up Reed from daycare, the provider Sue warned me, "Are you ready to see your baby is now a big boy?" Sue cuts Reed's hair for me and so far she's only done it a few times. She keeps it long and babyish for me, but today it was little shorter and much more boyish. It looked great, but the fresh, new "big boy" haircut got me a little sentimental so I decided I should document some of the daily encounters with Reed and the new little quirks he is developing.

• Tonight when I told him that I was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He pulled out the thimble berry jam from the fridge. This is his jam of choice...handpicked thimble berries from the Upper Pennisula of Michigan, canned by his Grandpa Mihelich. After he handed this to me, he went back and pulled out the Smuckers. That's for Mom...he wasn't sharing the thimble berry.

• Reed and I were each eating a piece of string cheese. In between every bite he made certain that we bumped our cheeses together and said "Cheers!"

• In the spirit of March Madness, Reed will randomly yell, "Basketball!" I'm not exaggerating when I say he is yelling. He shouts it at the top of his lungs. I think this is representative of the fact that he took interest in basketball in the last couple weeks...when the Illini had some close losses. I think he may have noticed Bob getting heated and associated this with how you are supposed to talk(passionately, shall we say) when a basketball is involved. It's a shame that Illinois didn't make the Big Dance. Reed had just learned "Illini" and "Oskee Wow Wow!"

• Reed has taken a shining to the number 2. If anyone is having a birthday and you ask him how old they are turning, he quickly response with "Two!" He likes to find two like objects in a book or hold two like objects in his hands so he can announce, "Two _____!" Tonight he picked the seeds out of the apple core, buried a seed in each fist and then dramatically opened both hands at once, boasting "Two Seeds!"

I could go on and on with little interactions. Reed never ceases to amaze me and sometimes I can't believe that he is talking already. In some ways, it seems like we just brought him home from the hospital, and in others, it feels like he has been with us forever. In a month and a half, we'll be celebrating his second birthday, and in two and a half months, the birth of his little brother or sister. Life is only going to get more interesting from here!

Reed's new favorite game

The following is a video of Reed's favorite game to play with his Daddy. I have to sit on the couch and watch while they do synchronized movements from behind the Dining Room walls. I think it's pretty cute.

Goodbye Second Trimester!

As I bid the second trimester of my pregnancy adieu today, I think about how lucky I have been to have another great pregnancy. With the exception of just a rocky week or two with a little morning sickness early on, I have been feeling pretty darn good.

I'm thankful to Bob for carving the time out to watch Reed every Saturday morning so I can go to yoga. It served me well last pregnancy and I am enjoying it again this time around. Somehow I always get stuck in the front row and I feel slightly like a spectacle since it's a regular yoga class, not a prenatal class, and I'm the only pregnant lady. I'm sure the spectacle will only grow as I continue to, and I get more and more questions...'and when are you due?'


Here is a photo of Reed and me. It a very poor picture of me (excuse the crazy hair), but I realize that this is the only photo that we have taken that really shows off the belly. I feel a little bad about it since we were so much better documenting the process last time. So now we find ourselves at the beginning of the final trimester and this is the first shot.

Reed has shown varying degrees of excitement. He says hi to the baby a lot and will even give it kisses. It is very sweet. He thinks if he talks to the baby that my stomach must be bare and that the baby will hear him best if he speaks through my belly button. I look forward to seeing how he will react to his new brother or sister. He is great with the babies at daycare, bringing them toys and popping their pacifiers back in when they get fussy.

With just twelve weeks remaining, it is beginning to feel more real that our lives are going to change in a big way again. While I am scared that I have no idea what I am truly in for, I am also very excited because I think about the countless ways that Reed brings joy into our lives daily.

Reed, the fire builder

Reed enjoyed a little quality time with his Daddy last weekend doing a very manly activity--starting a fire! Reed is becoming quite the little helper and just wants to be doing what we are doing. When we decided to settle down with a nice fire on a Saturday evening, Bob had the peace of mind to include Reed in the activity. We bundled him up in his boots, coat, mittens, and hat and gave him a little box to help collect firewood outside. Bob came back with a stack of logs and Reed came in with a box of kindling. He was grinning ear to ear; he was so proud of himself.

As Bob arranged the logs, Reed huddled behind him observing and waiting for instructions. Reed had a blast helping on such a big boy task. He understands fires are hot and dangerous and that he needs to stand back. It was a very proud moment for Reed and for us as parents, seeing Reed follow instructions, be helpful, and enjoy doing things as a family. I also applaud Bob's patience and composure. It was a wonderful father-son moment.

Dancing boy

Reed is quite a dancer. Once he hears music (and even sometimes when he doesn't), he is dancing around the room. The latest example was the musical card that his grandma got for her birthday. As soon as the card opened for the first time, he was grooving.

We finally captured some of his dancing on camera. He is playing a musical fridge magnet that often leads to a family dance party in the kitchen to the tune of "I've been working on the railroad."

A belated Valentine greeting

Here is a little clip that I forgot to post at Valentines Day. It's Reed and his lizard after bathtime. He tries saying a few things like 'lizard' and 'Happy Valentines Day' for the first time with varying levels of success, but it was very cute either way. I can't believe how fast he seems to be growing up!