Birthday parties for Reed!

Last week our boy got to celebrate his birthday, well, most of the week! Since Tuesday was his actual birthday we had a special dinner, cookie cake and presents from Casey and I. He got fun cards and gifts in the mail all week from family! Then Saturday was his "Elmo" party! It was a blast with grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousin...Brody! Thanks for coming and celebrating our boy's special day everyone! We were so happy to have you come and share it with us! I know he had so much fun and you all helped make it so special.

Blowing out the "2" on the cookie cake Tuesday with Daddy. He loved the cookie cake and asked for more of it everyday! I ate too much of it myself!

Decorating my first cake! I can't believe I made it through but I did!......well, as you can see from the other 2 above pictures...Casey and Uncle Rusty helped, seriously! I had a hard time with "smoothing" the icing, probably easier than the hand cramp from star making, but they intervened and took over....and did a great job! Thanks for the help guys!

Reed loved his Elmo cake, and was very ready to eat it!

Working on the workbench with Brody! I think they had loads of fun together Saturday!

Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Reed!

Reed you are such a sweet big brother, and I know that Emery-Claire will grow to love you and be so thankful for you!

I can't believe that exactly 2 years ago today (9:47 am to be exact) our sweet baby born came into our lives! He has been such an unbelievable precious blessing.We have been in awe of the Lord's gracious goodness to us through him! Sweet boy we love you so much, and are so thankful for the things that you continue to teach us, and that we have the privilege of being chosen to parent and raise you. We know that we will continue to fall short, but pray that most importantly we are able to point you to the One who constantly remains faithful to us when we are not. We continue to pray that as He uses two sinners to show you that Jesus is the only hope and only way in a world tainted in sin. We pray that your heart of stone be turned into a heart of flesh, and that you will never remember a day that you didn't know our Lord and Savior Jesus! We love you so much sweet, sweet boy, but Jesus loves you most of all! Happy 2nd Birthday little Reeder!

4 Months Old!

Above picture in her UT attire, but almost an embarrassment after Saturday's pitful game!


I know I say this every 20th day of the month, but how is it our sweet girl is 4 months old today?!! She continues to be such a precious joy and blessing to our family! Some of the fun new things she is doing..........

• squealing and laughing
• bringing her hands together
• lots and lots of smiling! especially now at big brother!
• she holds up her head so well; she is very strongly and wiggly at times
• she pushes up also on both arms when on her belly and will hold it for a good brief amount of time
• she continues to roll often from her belly to back (which she's been doing since like 5/6 weeks old)
• blowing bubbles and making almost the raspberry-like sound
• just an all around sweet baby, and so joyful all the time!!

She has her 4 month checkup on Thursday, so we'll see how this skinny little girl is gaining some weight. I still feel like she is smaller in comparison to where Reed was at this time, skinny that is, but probably similiar in length. We've started wearing some 3-6 month size clothing as she is getting longer. She eats well (much better in the past month than the first couple months, where sometimes she just didn't seem hungry). Oh she is just sooooo sweet!!!

Reedisms.....

Reed has really had a verbal explosion in the past couple of months! It's so exciting and fun to see him attempting to talk so much more. I thought I'd write here some of my favorites, I just don't want to forget any of them.

luv lu: love you
egga: eggs
Go Dawga: (this is daddy's favorite) for Go Dawgs!
fweet baby: sweet baby (as he pats EC on the head or gives her a kiss)
take Teddy, take Mo: he constantly wants to take his Teddy and Elmo when he leaves his room!
sak: snack (which seems to be requested quite often throughout the day; the boy loves to eat!)
see kruk: see truck
see cycle: see motorcycle (sometimes it is mocycle)
call my: Call My Name (most requested song.....it's by Third Day and he loves it)
sik: music (lately he is wanting to go to his room all the time to play and hear his music I have in his cd player in there)
fader/faber: Father (Reed will imitate us in prayer; usually just 1-2 words at a time, it's the sweetest thing ever!)
ta tu: thank you

It's late, so this is all coming to mind right now. I need to write down some other cute ones as I hear them so I can remember them as well. There are just so many new things he is saying lately, he really is such a parrot. We have to watch what we say or we hear it immediately, yikes! I can't believe my sweet baby boy will be 2 years old next week! How is he almost 2??!!! I just want to savor and remember every little thing he does! Oh and I'm just even so convicted right now as the petty, little things frustrate me way too easily. Oh how I need the Lord's mercy and grace so I can parent graceful to my children. They are such sweet blessings and what a privilege it is to be entrusted with their impressionable little hearts, how I don't deserve it at all. But my prayer is that the Lord will continue to equip me, as I look to Jesus for the strength to love them and point them to their need for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Thanks Gigi and Nana!

Our double jogger finally arrived last week, yeah! Finally after Emery-Claire is almost 4 months old now we have one! We were so excited to take it out for a test drive. She loved it! She just sucked that paci and had such big eyes taking in everything around her, and of course Reed kept reaching over to see her next to him. It was sweet! Thank you so much Gigi and Nana for getting this for us, we love it! I know it will get lots of use!!

If you notice the red marks on Reed's face that is from his accident last week when we was carrying around his toy cars and a train (all matchbox car size) and of course fell on the train! It cut his right cheek and below his nose. He is just our accident prone boy, constantly! But this week it looks much better and you can barely tell, so all is well until the next accident!

I thought EC looked so cute sitting in her swing. If you look closely you can see she has elephants on her sleeper. Just thought I'd throw that thought out there!

A laughing girl, and GO VOLS!!!!

Finally! I did get Emery-Claire laughing on camera, yeah! But yes it's the annoying clicking camera (still can't figure out the real video camera as I said earlier this week) so bear with us in the sound, and my poor filming ability as I'm trying to get her to giggle and holding the camera at the same time!

Listen closely, for yes, a "GO VOLS!" (sounds like "go bawls")And then of course I did (to be fair to Casey) get a "GO DAWGS" (sounds like "go dawga")too. Then I tried to get him to sing this song he loves to sing constantly, "Jesus, Jesus" but he wouldn't do it. He only said "Jesus" and precedes to bang the yogurt cup on the table while whining to get down b/c he was "done." Funny story yesterday......I went to get Reed from his nap and was trying to get him to say "go vols", and he did. So when we got downstairs Casey was in the office and I had him say it again, and he did. Then Casey preceded to get him to say "go dawgs" and Reed responded with "NO!" I couldn't help but laugh hysterically! That's my boy!

Soccer mom

Ok, I know I've posted way too much today....I guess I'm making up for over the past week of not! So one last post for the day.....As I was talking with some friends last night about the greatest shorts ever, I thought I should post it so all can see! Some of you may think I'm crazy, but yes I guess 2 kids, a minivan, and being at home somehow turns one into a soccer mom. Some days you are lucky to get dressed, and if so I usually end up in workout clothes since we usually have run or at least walked to get out of the house for a brief period of time. If you know me I am so not a fan of shorts, I actually really hate them! I usually wear pants/jeans or skirts. So when Casey found these Nike shorts for me last fall I put them on and loved them! And since then we've bought 2 more pairs! They are the most comfortable and I suppose stylish (if a soccer mom looks stylish :) to have on for just being at home or brief errands here and there. Apparently, I guess it is somewhat stylish b/c I have seen so many college girls wearing them also to workout and just wear around to class, errands, etc. So little did I know us 30somethings are somewhat trendy! My first pair I bought at Hibbit Sports (not sure if that is a KY store or nationwide) but I know the other 2 pairs we found at Dick's Sporting Goods, usually in the $25-28 range.

Just for you Aunt Nee-Nee.....

This was our sweet little outfit from Aunt Nee-Nee after Emery-Claire was born! I am so terrible I don't even remember if we sent an official thank you note to you......if not, then this is definitely our "THANK YOU!" We love you!! It is so sweet and finally fits her now! She too will be turning 4 months next week.....she's just growing and changing so fast! Look at those hands clasped together. And she's been giggling too! I hope if I can ever figure out how to download our good video camera (I usually use the videos from our old camera and it always makes this annoying clicking noise in the background) I hope to download her laughing. But I spent forever trying to figure it out the other night and still can't get it.
I thought this was a sweet close up of her! She is the sweetest, most laid-back baby! I guess #2 has to be to go with the flow, and she definitely is so far! She too is such a precious little blessing to us!

Just like Daddy!

Since we are all about Daddy these days....I thought this was a very fitting picture. Casey called me upstairs after Reed had a bath to show me the "towel around the waist".....and of course Reed loved it, he was soooo proud of himself! He seems to be becoming such a BIG daddy's boy these days. From the minute he sees him come home shouting his name with joy and running to the door to greet him, to telling him he loves him. Casey said one night last week as he was putting him to bed and told Reed he loved him, Reed responded with "I love you too Daddy!" (I'm sure Reed's actual version was: "luv lu too Daddy")....which of course brought my sweet and sensitive husband to tears he said. And I can't believe that in less than 2 weeks now my baby is going to be 2! On one level it has gone by so fast, but then on another I feel like he's always been with us and I barely remember life without him! He is such a sweet, sweet boy, and such a blessing in our lives!

Just a day in the life....

at the Willis household, that is.......

Morning, yes, we are still in our pjs......on a good day we're dressed by 9.....

EC finally relieved that brother has left her alone for a few moments.....he is constantly kissing, touching, just on her! Poor thing, I'm sure she is finally relieved when it's naptime and we either go for a run (while Casey is with her, as he is downstairs usually studying/planning; I don't leave her alone :)
or Reed gets room time and I shower or just try to do a few household things

Ahhh, around 1ish Reed takes his nap, and usually EC is still sleeping.....so alone time for me, to hopefully be productive and not procrastinate all the things I "should" be doing! Then around 2ish EC wakes up and we have some "girl time", just the two of us, and it's so sweet! Photo sessions occur often in this time too!

Then there is the late afternoon rush! Trying to get dinner, etc. As you can see I usually have a "friend" with me in the kitchen. At this moment he is happy on his "bycycle" as he calls it since he is eating a tortilla chip! Unless he is occupied he tends to have a hard time waiting for dinner to be ready!

And now there is more quiet/alone time for me here in the evening. Since Casey has gone back to the campus and all are in bed sound asleep by 8:00!

Happy Birthday to.....

Grandpa! We wanted you to know you we love you and wish you a very happy birthday! We hope you have a wonderful day, and look forward to seeing you soon!!

And Aunt Jess, too! We hope you have a wonderful day today! Yes, my sister was born on our dad's birthday, so every year we get to celebrate the two of them together! We love you guys!