Thanksgiving 2010

Reagan's first Thanksgiving! It was a bummer that she couldn't join in the eating part, but she still looked cute!
Jocelyn tried all the food. Last year she ate cranberry sauce and loved it. This year she hated the cranberry sauce. She liked the rolls the best. She does NOT like mashed potatoes or stuffing, she liked the turkey at first, but then refused to eat the rest.

Papa and Meme were here!

Great Grandma, Anna & Aunt Di (and Grandma not pictured)too!

Jocelyn had fun watching movies (The Polar Express & Santa Paws) and snuggling with Reagan and Meme.

Dara came to visit as well! It was the first time Reagan met Dara. Oh, and take note...look who can sit up!!!!!!

We had a great Thanksgiving!! We have SO much to be thankful for!!

Todd's 29th Birthday!

This year for Todd's birthday we went to Gran Agave for dinner, then came home and celebrated with a mini party (as per Jocelyn's request--she's too cute). Jocelyn wanted daddy to have balloons and she also picked out a festive table cloth. We gave daddy his present, sang happy birthday and ate cake and ice cream. Perfect!

Jocelyn helped blow out the candles.

Yes, I have seen the warning on the side of the bumbo seat that tells you not to use on elevated surfaces. Reagan likes to be a part of the action. On the table. We were right there. I promise!

One year closer to the big 3-0. I've already started planning the party! :)

Happy 29th Birthday Daddy!!
We love you!

More Rolling!

I have to document this here, on my blog, because the calendar where I write down all of Reagan's milestones is stuck in a place where I can't get to it. So, until Todd moves the piece of Furniture I need him to move...

Today, Monday, November 22, Reagan rolled over onto her belly from her back for the first time!

My Little Chub-a-Lub

One of Reagan's favorite places to be is on the changing table! That may seem silly, but I think it may be because she always has my undivided attention while she's laying there, or maybe she just likes to be naked! Either way, she always gets really happy and does a lot of smiling, laughing, and talking while she lays there.

She "plays" this game with me every time I change her diaper: She reaches up and grabs her toes, then I say, "You've got your toes." then she promptly slams her legs down as hard as she can and waits for me to say, "Boom!" Then she laughs and does it all over again. She's just so darn cute (and chubby).

Just look at my bald beauty in her favorite spot!

A little closer...

Grabbing those little toes!Like the title states: My Little Chub-a-lub. A little chub looks too cute on a baby!

Light-Up Night

Every year Todd looks forward to Light Up night in downtown Pittsburgh. He MUST go. It's the start of his favorite season--the Christmas season. I wasn't sure I wanted to go this year. Todd calls me a humbug, but I just find the whole thing more frustrating than fun. It's crowded, and cold, and pretty much the same thing every year. It's really hard to push a stroller around with all the people, plus this year Reagan is just a little too small. Nursing outside in the cold isn't too pleasant. Neither is changing a diaper. I always complain that I don't want to go, but then when it comes down to the time to go, I also don't want to miss out. I was going to go this year, but when it got to be time to leave, Reagan was still sleeping and also needed fed, plus I was in the middle of making 24 dozen cookies. I told Todd to take Jocelyn and have fun, and they did just that! Jocelyn came home telling me about all the cool things they saw! I'm so glad they got to go and had a good time together!

Here are a few pictures they managed to take despite the crowds.

Todd said this year was the most crowded he has ever seen it. Next year we will venture out all together as long as the weather is okay, but for this year, I think I'm happy I didn't try to drag Reagan out in the crowds!

Jumperoo!

We finally got the jumperoo out for Reagan!

Lets see if she likes it as much as Jocelyn did!

Reagan is 4-months-old

Our baby girl is no longer a newborn. She has grown so much so quickly and we have been enjoying every second of her! Her latest development is sitting up. She can sit up for short periods of time, but she still will push herself backwards or fall over sideways, but she's well on her way to sitting independently. I can't believe it! Where has the time gone?

Here are some of her newest snapshots!

The cheeks are getting more and more kissable!

Loving the baby in the mirror!

"She's cute!"

She is still blowing bubbles like it's her job!
Enjoying tummy time!

I can't believe how fast these first 4 months have gone!

Reagan's Baptism

On November 7, 2010 we celebrated Reagan's Baptism at Saint Sylvester Church.

It was pretty chaotic, as there were 5 other babies being baptized at the same time. This is the best picture we got of the actual baptism.Reagan was an angel for mass and for the baptism.
Jimmy (the Godfather ) & Reagan

Kristen, Reagan's Aunt & Godmother

Parents & Godparents

Dad, Reagan & Me

Lots of people traveled to be with Reagan on her special Day!

MeMe & Papa

Grampee (and Gramay too)!

Grandma was there too!

We can't forget about Big Sister!

Afterward, we all went to Armstrong's Restaurant for a luncheon!

It was a great time with great friends and family!!! Thanks to all who celebrated with us!!!

Mommy of TWO!

A friend posted this as a comment to one of my blog posts during my pregnancy with Reagan:

Loving Two

I walk along holding your 2-year-old hand,
basking in the glow of our magical relationship.
Suddenly I feel a kick from within,
as if to remind me that our time alone is limited.
And I wonder, how could I love another child as I love you?

Then she is born, and I watch you.
I watch as the pain you feel at having to
share me as you have never shared me before.
I hear you telling me in your own way,
"Please love only me" and
I hear myself telling you in mine "I can't".
Knowing in fact that I never can again.
You cry, I cry with you.
I almost see our baby as an intruder
on the precious relationship we once shared.
A relationship we can never have again.

But then, barely noticing, I find myself attached
to that new being, and feeling almost guilty.
I'm afraid to let you see me enjoying her
-- as though I am betraying you.
But then I notice your resentment change, first to curiosity,
then to protectiveness, finally to genuine affection.
More days pass, and we are settling into a new routine.
The memory of days with just the two of us is fading fast.
But something is replacing those wonderful times we shared, just us two.

There are new times -- only now we are three.
I watch the love between you grow, the way you look at each other,
touch each other. I watch how she adores you, as I have for so long.
I see how excited you are by each of her new accomplishments.
I begin to realize that I haven't taken something from you,
I've given something to you.
I notice that I am no longer afraid to share my love openly with both of you.
I find that my love for each of you is as different as you are,
but equally strong.
And my question is finally answered to my amazement.

Yes, I can love another child as much as I love you, only differently.
And although I realize that you may have to share my time,
I know you'll never share my love.
There's enough of that for both of you --
you each have your own supply.

I love you both and I thank you both for blessing my life.

Author Unknown


While I was pregnant with Reagan, I really struggled with how I would feel having another baby to love and having to divide my love and time between two children. I could not imagine being able to love another person as much as I loved Jocelyn. I worried so much about how Jocelyn would handle having a sister and sharing her Mommy. That worry continued, even in the weeks after Reagan was first born, but it has slowly faded as I have come to realize everything is fine. Jocelyn has not been adversely effected. New routines have formed. Our family has become even better with the addition of Reagan. I love to watch the girls interact with each other! I love the way Reagan looks at her big sister.

This is one of the best pictures. I could look at it a thousand times a day, but I don't have to because I have them here with me in real life, and I get to see Reagan look at her sister like this every day! What a Blessing!
I'm still amazed that it has been possible for me to love another child just as much as I love Jocelyn. Everyone was so right. Your heart grows. It's still growing as I find new things every day that I love about my girls.

Thank you, Maria, for posting that poem it is so true and I can relate to every sentence in it! Thank you, God, for blessing me with these two precious little girls.

Trick-or-Treating

This year was the first year Jocelyn was truly excited about trick-or-treating. I think most of the excitement came with knowing she was going to get some candy. Dressing up was okay, but the candy was the big thing!

Jocelyn picked her own costume this year! She was looking through a Halloween magazine and I asked her what she wanted to dress up as. She went back and forth between a M&M and a crayon. In the end, the crayon won out. I was worried that by the time trick-or-treating came along, Jocelyn would be sick of wearing her costume. She had a lot of Halloween activities in the week leading up to the actual holiday. She went trick-or-treating where she has speech therapy, at PALS and at a local shopping center. She also wore her costume to the library Halloween party. To make the actual day of Halloween a little different, I decided to paint her cheeks purple for a little extra fun. I think she made a pretty cute crayon!

Reagan celebrated her first Halloween as a Lady Bug. I was a little annoyed that some people still wondered if she was a boy or a girl while she was wearing her costume. I guess people just get nervous about saying the wrong thing, but would someone really dress their little boy up as a ladybug for Halloween? I doubt it, but I guess it is possible.
She was mostly annoyed with her costume, but I thought she looked cute! The pictures don't give the cuteness any justice. It's hard to get a good Halloween picture of an infant who can't sit up yet! Reagan left me a little treat after trick-or-treating: When we got home and started stripping her of her costume, she had one of her normal explosions in her diaper. Daddy got her ready and forgot to put one of her bigger diapers on!

Here's a picture of the girls together. I guess I'm not one of those parents who wants her children's costumes' to coordinate. Not this year anyway. :)

Jocelyn is finally on her way to trick-or-treat. It was really cold, so we had to add her coat under the costume. Grandma and Aunt Di came over to celebrate with Jocelyn and Reagan. Her bucket was filled at least 3 times over. Jocelyn was so cute. She said trick-or-treat at every house, and then thank you!

This one is dark, but you may be able to make out that Jocelyn would not allow anyone to place the treat into her bucket, she took each and every one from the giver's hand and put it in herself!

It was a fun day and a fun week of activities! Next up, Reagan's baptism!

Costumes

These are the best photos I have gotten of the girls in their costumes so far. Luckily, there will be more opportunity for photos soon!

Jocelyn insisted on posing with the watermelon!

It doesn't look like Reagan is enjoying the hat very much, huh?