Back by (sort of) Popular Demand

I realize that I have not blogged in nearly 5 months. There are several reasons for this:
1. Our lives are just not that exciting
2. We have been really busy (although, not with exciting things)
3. I really didn't think anybody actually reads this thing.
This past week, however, I have been asked by more than one person if I am ever going to blog again, to which I replied with one or all of my previous three reasons of why I had stopped. I was surprised to hear these people say that a.) they checked my blog daily, b.) they were not concerned with the excitement of my life, but were interested in what Reed was doing, boring or not, and c.) it only takes a few minutes to jot something down and upload a few pics. So, having been humbled about this issue, I am now back by (sort of) popular demand.
When I look back on the last 5 months I realize that there are some exciting things to share.
 In October, Dane's sister Devan gave birth to her first child, Liam Alan. It's so much fun to spend time snuggling with this sweet little boy. I'm afraid though that when we visit I become a baby hog. I see this as a win-win though. I get a "baby fix" and Devan and Chadd get some much needed break time free of the demanding need for attention that babies have. So, really, it's an act of service. I'm such a great sister-in-law ;)
Reed is super interested in "baby Liam" (said "we-um") and loves to hold him for about 5 seconds at a time as well as pet his face.
My family is also expecting another little one in late February. My brother and wife will be welcoming a baby boy to their family. My niece is super excited to have a little brother and the rest of us are looking forward to loving on another little Lamb.
In November I accepted my dream job at Greenville College (my alma mater). I am now the Associate Dean of Counseling Services on campus and I love it. It was amazing to me to see God's hand in the whole process and I couldn't be happier at how things turned out. Currently I am commuting 50 minutes each way every day, but the plan is for us to eventually move to Greenville. We would like to put our house on the market this spring (April, maybe?). I am not worried at all about this because I know it will sell for asking price within the first week. If you know me at all, you know that last sentence was in fact a lie. In reality I am actively in denial about the fact that we will be attempting to sell a house in a market that is down more than when we bought it and then trying to find a house to rent/buy in a small town nearly an hour away from the comforts/convenience the city provides with hardly any money to put towards a down payment. It's all good. No need to worry. This is certainly a continued act in trusting that God will continue to provide for us as He always has.
But, as I have been told, you all don't necessarily care about the details of our lives and are more interested in what Reed is doing.
On December 2, 2012, Reed turned two years old! We had a lovely little get together at my aunt's house and Reed got some pretty awesome gifts.
In October we saw the pediatric orthopedic for the LAST TIME!!! Reed had an x-ray and they determined that he is no longer bow-legged. This may seem trivial to you, but it was enough to make me cry. Praise God for His work in our son. Reed continues to be pigeon toed, but this has gotten a lot better and the doctor assured me that this will continue to get better. She also said that it's really not a big deal and he may always turn his toes in a little bit.
Reed went to the eye doctor just this past week to check-in on the status of his eyes (we do this every few months as follow-up care for his surgeries). His eyes continue to be fine. He uses them together, tracks objects just fine, and this time they even did a vision test (which he passed) using pictures of objects for him to identify instead of the letters you or I are asked to point out. We will go back this summer and he'll meet with the doctor and have his eyes dilated.
Reed can count to 10 and sing the first half of the ABC's. We're working on identifying colors now. He loves to watch Little Bear, Max and Ruby, Backyardigans, and Curious George. Some of his catch phrases right now are:
"I'm coming too!"
"No, I do it."
"No! I don't like that!"
"I muv you."
"Come on in!" (used when opening the door)
He is certainly expressing his independence and it's neat to see him figure out how to do something or how something works. He throws more tantrums now, but from what I've read/been told, this is common at this age since they are realizing that they can be independent and want to be given the chance to have some control over their world. I guess that's where the term "terrible two's" comes from.
He still loves to read and ask questions. I love that he is so curious about the world around him.

Reed on his birthday. He doesn't look thrilled in these pics, but I promise he had a good day. 

 Reed loves to help. Vacuuming is one of his favorite chores. 

 Thanksgiving 2012.

 Just hanging with mom.

 Christmas Eve 2012. Santa came! 

 Christmas at Papa's. 

 Excavating at the Science Center with Pat and Pop.

 Hot cocoa!

Zoned out with dad. 

Moving forward I will do my best to post at least one blog a month. We've got some exciting changes coming down the pike! 

Maggie, No!

It's been a while since I've blogged, but not much has happened. Reed is talking up a storm and probably learns at least 10 new words a day. He's putting together sentences and repeats just about everything he hears. His newest book obsessions are Little Critter and Corduroy. The Little Critter book we have is actually a collection of 5 books in one...and you better believe that I have to sit and read them all. Sometimes I have to read it several times in a row and I get a little tired of it...but, really, I don't mind. I love having him sit on my lap and cuddle and I love that he loves to read. Plus, one of the books ("Just for You") ends with Little Critter giving his mom a hug and kiss and now when we get to that page he says "Mommy, hug and kiss" and then he gives me a hug and kiss. Such a sweet boy. (For any family that reads this, Little Critter books would make excellent birthday or Christmas presents for this special little boy--if you're interested, consult me on which one's we already have).
I've been working on counting with him for a while now and yesterday he had a handful of pretzels. I would count them out with him each time he ate one. When we got down to three pretzels, I asked him how many he had and he said (pointing to each one) "1, 2, 3!" I'm telling you, he's a genius.
Last weekend we went to Springfield, IL to visit the in-laws. Devan (preggo sister-in-law) was having her baby shower and Darci (engaged sis-in-law) had a birthday. My father-in-law has a rather rambunctious dog named Maggie and the phrase, "Maggie, no!" was yelled a lot that weekend. Reed picked up on it rather quickly and now, 3 days later, is still yelling it at random times. I guess he's remembering his weekend ;) He also talks about his Aunt Deuci (Darci), Aunt Deban (Devan), Uncle Trebor (Darci's fiance Trevor), and Gampa. He must have had a good time. Devan's little guy is almost here! Just a couple more months and I'll be holding my sweet nephew.
Dane is running his annual 5k this weekend and the St. Louis Balloon Race is scheduled too. I'm trying to get Reed in a gymnastics class, but we missed the first one because we could not find the place and can't find a good weekend to reschedule it for. We've just been pretty busy lately. Hopefully I'll get him in soon. I think he'd have fun getting to run around and play like that for a little bit.
And that's really about it....Here are some pics.

 A life long dream realized--he finally caught the cat.

 

 Just riding around.

 

 This isn't a chair?

 

This is what you do when you're in the country I guess...

 

Dane's birthday is right around the corner....he's such an old man. And Christmas seems so far away, but when I think that Reed will be 2 in 3 months, I know it will be here before we know it. Crazy how time flies. I will have a 2 year old soon. Crazy. 

Kind and Gentle

A couple of weeks ago Dane and I worked in the nursery at church. It was quite crowded and the toddlers seemed especially high energy that morning. But I saw some things that made me really proud of Reed. If he ran into another kid (as I've found toddlers often do) he was quick to stop and give a hug or offer an apology (Saw-ry!). And when I gave him a fruit bar to snack on, he was quick to share it with another little girl who was staring at it longingly. He was gentle with the babies (bay-be) and often stopped to give them a soft kiss on the head. Don't get me wrong, he is a toddler and can be aggresive at times, but on this morning, he was kind and gentle. It was so sweet to see this bit of his spirit. I just love this kid.

Reed goes through phases with books. I love that he loves to read. I want to raise an avid reader. This is a mission of mine. I read to him every day, most often multiple times a day. For weeks at a time Reed will have a favorite book that I will have to read to him several times in a row. Some of those books have been: "Good Night Moon", "Love You Through and Through", "How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Cats?", and most recently, "Love You Forever." This last one is killing me. Most of you know that this book was my mom's favorite and she couldn't make it through without crying....and I must say that I carry on this tradition. And Reed LOVES this book right now. Dane finds it quite amusing, but I don't think it's very funny :/



Me struggling through "Love You Forever"

Now for the other reason that this blog is titled "Kind and Gentle." Dane lost his grandpa earlier this week and he was the definition of kind and gentle. He had such a sweet spirit and will be greatly missed. However, we rejoice in the fact that he is running on streets of gold in a youthful body praising his Father in Heaven. How wonderful it is to know that we will see him again. 

We look forward to Aunt Jeanne and Uncle John coming for a short visit and to celebrating my grandpa's 80th birthday!!! It's so great that Reed can share in the love of multiple generations.

Summer Break

Petting a "doggie" at Grant's Farm.

This week and last was my summer break from work. Reed and I have had a lot of fun, but being a stay at home mom is definitely not a walk in the park. Phew! For example, currently Reed has been in his crib for about an hour fighting a nap. We went to the zoo this morning with some friends and had to leave because Reed threw a huge fit because he needed to share with another child and did not want to. I realized it was time to get him home for a nap, so we headed out. He almost fell asleep on the way home, so I thought, "great, he's gonna conk out for like 2 hours"....wrong!
If he doesn't fall asleep in the next 30 minutes, I'm gonna have to give in and forgo the nap because it will be too late and he won't go to bed. And I hate giving in when it comes to naps. Let's face it, they are not only something the toddler needs, but the parent's need them too. At least we had fun at the zoo though :)
Last week Dane took a few days off and we went to Grant's Farm (one of his favorite places). We had planned on going to Cahokia Mounds also, but took Reed to the pool instead. He has so much fun and we just love wearing him out there. Dane and I also got to go to our first Cardinal's game of the season, thanks to my dad who had tickets that needed to be used while he's on vaca in Canada. It was a 7:15 game and the temperature was only a measly 103 degrees. I think it got down to 93 by the time we left around 9:30pm. Crazy!
We also spent the weekend in Springfield with Dane's family. His Uncle Scott and fam were in town from California and Dane's sister's and I had planned a girls weekend. It was great to see Scott/fam and spend time with my sisters in law talking about babies and weddings, eating s'mores and watching chick flicks.
Now, LOTS of pictures!

Goats at Grant's Farm

Swimming all day makes for a tired boy.

While taking a break at the zoo to eat some fishies, Reed made a new friend. 

Just splashing around at the zoo.

Sporting his shades. 

1st Card's game of the season. It was only 103 degrees at 7pm. No big deal.

Girls Weekend!

One of his favorite seats.

But, it's back to work for me next week. Glad I get to have time off like this to spend with my ever growing little guy. Oh, and you'll be happy to know that Reed finally fell asleep about 5 minutes before I was going to give in. Sa-weet.

19 Months

Today, Reed is officially 19 months old. That's only one month away from 20 months and only five months away from 2 freakin' years old. How can that be?!?!?! Oh my goodness.

Some of Reed's favorite words now include:
Shower
Ooo-ie (this is what he says when he's poopy)
Thank-you
Eat
Cheese
Car
Beep Beep
Kiss
Hug

I'm sure I'm missing something. This list does not do justice to his every growing vocabulary. I swear, he learns at least one new word a day. He's pretty amazing.
He loves to sing and dance. Turn music on and he starts grooving. The other day I was with him in the car. I was listening to NPR (yes, I'm a nerd sometimes) and I realized that he was in the backseat singing a song to himself. He loves to play the piano at Papa and Pat's house and he sings along with the "tub time" song we sing before he heads to the tub each night (it's really creative...the Batman theme song with "tub time" inserted for "Batman!"). My dad--who is a minor expert on the multiple intelligence theory ;)--says that Reed most definitely has some sort of musical intelligence. I guess this means I need to teach him new things in song and he'll learn it faster. I'll have to put that one to the test.
I'm on my summer break for two weeks and am so looking forward to spending some quality time with my ever growing 19 month old.
Here are some pics:

 Working hard at the puzzle. 

 Stained Glass Butterfly. I think it's beautiful :)

 Just rockin' out. 

 I don't even know what to write here....

This is not a cute picture of Reed, but something I wanted to brag about anyway. Newest addition to the dinning room. Pretty nice, if I do say so myself. 

Peace!

Oh boy, oh boy!

I meant to write a post on Father's Day...but obviously didn't. We had a very nice day though. Dane got a coffee mug that says "Daddy's Mug" on one side and has a picture of Reed on the other. He also got a book he's been wanting. We ended up spending the day at my dad's house, just enjoying the company of family. When I got to work the next day I asked some of my students how Father's Day was for them and many of them replied with something along the lines of their dad's not being around for them to celebrate. This was a reminder to me of just how lucky I am to have been blessed with such great fathers: my own awesome father, two wonderful grandfathers, a sweet father-in-law, and an amazing father for my son. Sometimes it's easy to slip into feeling sorry for myself for not having my mom around anymore, but I should remind myself more often of just how blessed I am in the dad department ;)
Yesterday we found out that my sister-in-law, Devan, is expecting a BOY!!!! My first nephew and Reed's first boy cousin. We're anxiously awaiting little man's arrival in late October/early November.
A week or so ago, we found out that my cousin is expecting too! (I don't know if she has made this public knowledge outside of family and close friends, so she shall remain nameless for the time being). She's due in early December, so her baby could share a birthday with Reed. That would make it easier for us to remember the dates :) Babies are so exciting.
Today marked our first pool day of the summer. Reed is such a freaking water bug! He ran right into the baby play area and then kept trying to make his escape to the big pool. When we got in with him he was all smiles. He didn't mind going underwater and when we put him on his belly he began kicking and even threw in some arm strokes. He's a natural! Do I smell swim team in his future?
Tomorrow is mine and Dane's sixth wedding anniversary!!! Can't believe it's already been that long. We'll be celebrating year 10 before we know it. I'm so glad I married him. He still makes me laugh and he is such a great dad. I'm excited to see how our relationship grows in the coming years. It's great to be on this adventure with him.
Ok, here are the pics you all want.

18 months

So, Reed is a little over 18 months now. We had his 18 month check up and he is 25 pounds and 33.5 inches tall. The doctor says he is over average for his height and in the mid-range for his weight. Still long and lean like his daddy. Reed also had quite the shiner on his forehead to show off to the doctor. I was really hoping he wouldn't contact social services after seeing it! Apparently Reed did a face plant on the sidewalk at the babysitter's that morning. At least he wasn't sporting it the weekend before when we had the wonderful Amy Woodrum take Reed's 18 month pictures.
I realize most people don't take 18 month pictures, but since Reed's birthday is in the winter it's nothing short of torture for him to have to stand outside for an hour in the freezing cold (however, don't think this will stop me from taking 2 year old pics...it will just toughen him up right? good for his character.) so I thought that if the weather was warmer he'd be happier and we could get some more/better shots. I think my plan worked. And Amy is amazing (did I mention that already?). We took the pics at a farm. It was beautiful. I haven't gotten the CD yet with all of the awesome shots, but she did post some teasers on facebook that I can share here.

I should enter him in a cutest baby contest. He would win. Hands. Down.