Jason takes a fall, Rebekah nurses her baby, and other random stories...

Awesome! I just realized that I posted ONE time in January. Nice. Well, I guess I can say I told ya that I wasn't going to be too great at keeping up. But I hate that because I'm on here all the time looking at other people's blogs. It's just time consuming to do my own!

Anyway I posted a slideshow of Christmas photos and another slideshow of Noah and Rebekah at the bottom of this.

As for Reese family news, things have been pretty crazy around here.

This is probably the boring way to do it, but here is the past week in review for us.

Last Tuesday, one of our icy days last week, Jason fell down the stairs outside that lead up to our apartment... that's right... all 13 stairs! He was in full uniform on his way out for work and slipped on the icy first step. Thankfully, he had his radio on him and called out for EMS to come out and check him out. He has a big bruise on his lower back, was really sore, and they thought he might have broken his thumb. It was ugly and swollen and he could barely move it. So he called in for work (of course) and I drove us all to the CareNow clinic. Our parents and J's sister met us there to help with the babies (plus they were concerned and that's just how we roll around here) and we were able to find out that he was not broken after all! Just a sprain! Woo hoo! So we ate dinner at Cotton Patch (love their rolls and butter!) and came home in the icy mess that was the weather. We saw so many accidents and were so thankful that we were not a part of any of them! Funny side note: Jason freaked out the x-ray tech when he asked her if he were to have a gun with him, would that affect the x-ray machine? lol She was like, "Why would you have a gun?" in a really creeped out voice. He didn't really think through how to ask her that simple question before alarming her.

Wednesday Rebekah threw up something fierce while we were at my mom and dad's house. We had eaten dinner at Chipotle and it had been awhile after that when it happened(and after having a little bit of ice cream for dessert). Funny thing was - and sorry in advance for those who are squeamish - it looked completely whole and undigested! My mom nailed it when she said it looked like the garbage disposal. Whole rice and beans and everything else she ate. So weird and really gross. She was fine after that.

Thursday we ate a fabulous dinner with Granna at OTB and were able to have some great food and conversation with just her and our little family of 4. The kids behaved wonderfully, and we found that Bekah likes chips and salsa now! ha! She's surely daddy's girl!

Friday I'll just say that I got sick to my stomach and couldn't sleep that night for all the trips to the bathroom. Noah was spitting up big time so I think it might be what I ate.

Saturday we took Rebekah to play at Green Valley park before church. We only got to stay about 30 minutes. It's been a long time since we've been to the park with her - she's so deprived. She cried when we left, saying "Doys!..." (which is "Toys!") because she liked playing on the slide and climbing the stairs so much! But she did not like the swing! lol! After that we ate at Quiznos (where the nice lady thought Bekah was cute and gave her a free cookie - yum!) and went to church. That night Jason got sick with fever and throwing up and going to the bathroom a lot.

So Sunday he couldn't go back to work as planned. But we did manage to go over to my parents house and watch the Superbowl...ok, really Jason slept in my parents room while my dad watched the game and my mom and I played with the kids, drank coffee, and watched commercials and the last part of the game. :)

How is it that each of us got sick and with each of us it got progressively worse? I have no idea.
But now I am happy to report that we are all feeling better - Thank the Lord- and Jason was finally able to go back to work last night.

In other news, Noah has become Mr. Smiley all the time and is such a happy baby. He's also become more animated when he cries. He shrieks and gets so loud now when he's really hungry or when we're in the car too long. Fun stuff. He will be two months old tomorrow! Crazy how fast time is flying by!

And here is a funny story about Rebekah: We were playing in her room on Sunday and I told her to feed her baby because it was crying. I swaddled the doll and gave Bekah the baby bottle. She thought about it a minute, put the bottle down, and then lifted her shirt up and put the baby there! I had to really work hard at keeping a straight face! Haha!

Oh and my birthday is this Saturday and I'm so excited! 26 ya'll! I can put that on here because I am still young enough to be excited about that. LOL. Just kidding. Anyway, hopefully on Friday my mom and my sister and I are going to go to a movie and hang out together - just us girls. I can't wait. And I think Jason and I are going out on Thursday night if we can find a babysitter, since that's his day off and he won't be able to go do anything on Saturday. So we shall see!

By the way, anyone have any good suggestions for good places to eat? I just want a yummy, middle of the road on moolah, fun place to eat. Can't wait to hear your ideas!

Hope you are having a Happy Tuesday!

4 Years

4 wonderful years ago, on New Year's day, Jason and I promised the rest of our lives to each other. I am in awe of where God has lead us and taken us on this journey called marriage in four years. We couldn't have even dreamed of the blessings we'd receive or the things we'd accomplish as husband and wife, even if we really wanted to. This reminds me of Ephesians 3:20 where it tells us that God is "able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." This is so true! Anyway, as I reflect on where we've come over the years, we have a lot to be thankful for. We have two beautiful children, families that have welcomed each of us into theirs and treat us as their own, we've owned our own home, have lived in 5 different places (crazy, I know), have seen each other through so much, and have watched each other grow up a lot.

This year was really low key for us in celebrating. We were not able to afford much, so we decided to spend the day with the lovely people who brought us into this world - our parents! We had a yummy lunch with them at Applebee's - we both tried the steak with parmesan and shrimp topping! It was so good! Then we went to a few stores to find me some Skechers that I've been wanting forever! We found two pair that I liked, but had to order one of them in my size.


And then lastly, we went to Walmart and bought Jason something called the "perfect pullup" bar...because stuff like that makes him happy. =)


So, even though we weren't able to get away or do anything crazy for each other, we decided that just being together was enough. And as cheesy as that may sound, it's the truth! I am so proud to call Jason my husband, and I can't wait to see what the next 80 years will be like with him! =)















On that note, I wanted to share this video I came across. The song is called Love Is Not A Fight by Warren Barfield and I'm sure most of you have already heard it. I LOVE the lyrics. By the way, I just bought the cd and it is very good!

Anyway, I also wanted to let those of you interested to know that Ashley, a blogging friend of mine, is leading a 10 day prayer time called "Take Your Man to Jesus". Click here to get more details and to join us in praying for our husbands (or boyfriend, fiance, etc.) I think it is a great way to share accountability in praying for our husbands and to start off the new year on a positive note for our marriage. The first and second day is already posted on her blog.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!

I'm back!!

...well.. sort of.

So, I'm sorry you've had to wait so long for an update, my friends.



It's been way too long since my last post. I've been on the computer and reading other people's blogs, but it's been so hard to find time to actually put new pictures up and keep this thing updated! I have thought about you though in my absence! =) But I make no promises to stay as on top of it as I have in the past.... at least until I can figure this whole being a mom of two thing out!

And just to warn you, since it has been so long, this is going to be a long post, so you might want to just get comfy! ... or skip to the bottom.. whatever!

Well, Noah turned 3 weeks old yesterday, on Christmas Day! And by the way, I hope you ALL had a very wonderful and blessed Christmas! We got to celebrate 5 different times when it was all said and done over the course of 3 days. And we are exhausted, but it was so fun and so worth it! Our babies were loved on beyond belief! We have amazing families!

(these pics are from Christmas Eve at Jason's grandma's house - at his 2 week check, Noah was already 7lbs 9oz!)

So far, life with two babies has proven to be... well, an adjustment. A very blessed adjustment, but challenging, nonetheless.

Jason was able to be off work for two glorious weeks to help me out with everything during my "recovery" period. And I must say, that I was pretty good at listening to my wonderful midwife Ann, and my super awesome hubby, and stayed in bed for the first week. (We're talking only getting up to pee and shower and that's it, ya'll!)

The second week I was still in bed, but I eased myself back into sitting at the computer (for very short periods of time) and sitting on the couch at the coffee table to eat(since we don't actually have a kitchen table), and laying on the couch to watch movies. Surprisingly enough for me, this was something I could kind of get used to! =) I mean, Jason literally waited on me hand and foot, while playing host to the company we had, and being an amazing Dad (and mom) to Rebekah while I couldn't be there for her. (I definitely couldn't have done it without him, and for that, I am forever grateful and blessed.) I totally thought I might go stir crazy** or just not listen, but I really loved being able to just get the rest I needed and soak up my precious new baby - getting to nurse him, sleep next to him, kiss his little neck, and smell his newborn smell .... ahh.. I could just eat him up! And incidentally, the difference in recovery time has been amazing! I feel great, and everything is generally going better this time around! I don't regret slowing down more this time at all!

**update: A little birdie got me thinking today and I suddenly remembered why I did not actually go stir crazy! It may very well have been because I may or may not have gone out to Jason's awards dinner banquet for work, along with a few other errands that second week. But hey - this is still an improvement from when Rebekah was a baby... we took her to church when she was 6 days old! ha!**


But, I know that this part was the hardest part for Jason. He was helping me do most of the things I normally do for Rebekah- like bathing, feeding, diapering, entertaining her, and putting her to bed .... okay, everything I normally do! This part in and of itself was tough for him because she's been such a Mama's girl up until this point and wants me to do everything with her. So there was definitely some crying and whining going on.... and not just from Jason... =) Ha! Just kidding..


But really, Rebekah fought her sleep for the first solid week, and didn't really understand this whole "baby" thing. Especially the part where Mama lived in bed with this new baby and could only kiss and hug on Bekah in the bed. This part killed me. I wanted to help Jason not to stress but I couldn't really do anything about it. Add the "mommy jobs" Jason had taken over to my whiny and needy self (and FYI: I get SUPER hungry as a nursing mama. I'm talkin, around the clock, ravenous hunger!... plus I might have been a little bossy...er.. instructional since I couldn't do anything for myself and I still wanted things done my way) and a crying baby (just at night - when sleep is generally good to be getting) and you get a stressed and sleep deprived daddy! But he was so good and patient and loving about it!
*As a sidenote, we totally had friends and family helping us out with meals and with taking care of Rebekah several times, so not to worry! I'm just saying, that to be completely and totally honest, it was a bit overwhelming for both of us to make this transition!

So when Jason went back to work at the end of that second week (last Friday) it was a little crazy for me to jump back into taking care of Rebekah with our newest addition. However, it's not been too bad considering:

A) Jason goes to work in the afternoon - so he's been helping me by letting me sleep in with Noah (since he still has his days and nights confused) and getting Rebekah fed and taken care of until I wake up and
B) He was back at work for 3 days and then off again for 4 because he had already taken off work for Christmas this week! Score!

So, the real challenge may be waiting just around the corner, when we have a real normal work week. But, it seems like it's getting easier.

I've just had to become more creative at multi-tasking. You know, like nursing Noah while giving Rebekah a bath and then holding both of them at the same time to pray over her and put her in bed, or "wearing" Noah while feeding Rebekah while she's in the bath!... ha!

Oh, but with all that said, there is absolutely nothing on this earth that I would trade it all for. Nothing that I would want more than what I've got now.

And that includes:
1. Jason - my husband - my rock - who has been so supportive, patient, loving, and who's been so fun with Rebekah. He's really stepped up to the plate to help me and to be there for all three of us. He changes both the kiddos' diapers without complaining (most of the time... come on now, he's still human!) and listens to me get emotional about how blessed we are and how much my heart swells when I think about our sweet babies... he eats leftovers and takes me out to eat so I don't have to cook - and he helps me clean! Fabulous! And oh, he even brought me diapers and mint chocolate chip ice cream while he was at work the other night because we somehow forgot how many diapers these little ones actually go through and I ran out! (This is generally not how things go at his work, but he was able to somehow make it happen.) ::Sigh:: Thank you Lord for that man!


2. my Bekah - she's been such a big girl for us lately! She was so good for Nana and Papa and then for Granna when they each had her on different days for us that first week. She actually looks forward to her time with her daddy now (calls his name when he leaves the room for more than 2 seconds and hates it when he leaves for work) and has developed a great bond with him. She helps me with Noah all the time - brings me pacis, burp cloths, and diapers even before I need them! And she LOVES her baby brother - her "bubba", her "Wo-wah". She wants to kiss him all the time! That girl fights her natural instinct of crying when she can't always have me do things for her and you can see it in her face when she is about to cry and then stops herself and takes a deep breath! For how old she is, Bekah is so smart and funny (she makes us laugh ALL the time!) and she is sensitive to things and people around her. I could eat her up, too!


3. Noah - our early Christmas present. He makes the cutest noises all the time. Right now he may only know how to eat, sleep, and dirty his diaper, but that baby is our blessing!

(after his first bath on Christmas Eve! He's so happy to be clean!)

So, I know I'm getting all sentimental and all, but thanks for allowing me to share with ya'll how things have been going around here lately! I know that I can be honest and you will understand where I am coming from without judging me. Although there have been frustrations these last 3 weeks, the change that has come with a new baby has definitely been for the better.

And I'll add this: God has definitely been putting things into perspective for me and has reminded me of so many things lately. I have been reminded to be more of an encourager and a supporter than I've been to my husband who has chosen to be the provider for our family; to be more patient with Rebekah when she doesn't understand something instead of scolding her for doing it wrong or for not listening; to not sweat the small stuff - it's okay if the dishes aren't done all the time! God has also shown me what Love really is through Jason and through what He's doing for us. As a couple, Jason and I have come to really just depend on Him to provide lately, and boy has He! Without giving specifics, I'll just say that when we've least expected it, God has really blessed us with different things and in different ways lately in exactly the way we've needed it.

So, I'll end this tonight by saying that we are in awe of what God is doing in our lives right now and we are anxious to see what is in store for us for the future! If you are still reading this, thank you for sticking with it! =)

Now, I think I'm off to try to get a few hours sleep before this little one wakes up again!

*By the way, my birth story is in the works and I'll post it soon, along with some more pics from my new camera I got for Christmas! =)*

Noah is finally here!

I am sorry that it has taken me this long to tell you about our sweet baby boy!

Noah James was born Thursday, December 4th at 10:52pm and was 6lbs 14oz and 21in! We fully believe that everything went according to God's perfect plan and we are doing wonderfully!

I will have to get back on here and post the whole story, but for now, I just wanted everyone to know that we have a healthy baby boy and we're home!

Here are some pictures to hold you over!

40+ weeks and a day with Granna

Self shot, in the bathroom mirror. 40+ weeks!

*******************
Don't you just love when you find something you didn't remember you had? How about money or giftcards? I know I do! I'm the type that will put something away for safe keeping or just forget that I have it, and then surprise myself when I do find it months later!

Well, I had a gift certificate that I received from my awesome sister-in-law, Julie, to the salon that she works at - European Skincare Institute . I received it for Christmas last year and used part of it in February. Then I put it away. And then my mother-in-law used part of hers as well and then gave me what was left of hers since she didn't think she'd use it soon. Well then I put that away. Finally, I was going through some things a few nights ago when I found them both and realized that they were going to expire on the 7th of this month! I'm SO glad I found them. But I was a little nervous that I wouldn't make it that long without having the baby and then I wouldn't get to use them! So I immediately made an appointment for this morning for a spa mani/pedi and man, it was SOO so nice to be able to go get pampered! It was definitely an unexpected treat. I, of course, joked with the lady who did it, telling her that she needed to push the magic "button" or massage my feet or legs so Noah will come! But nothing yet! Ha!

Anyway, when I got back, we ate a quick lunch and then Jason went to work and his mom(Granna) came over to visit Rebekah and me. We went to Kohl's and looked around and Granna bought some really cute Keds for Bekah. That girl LOVES shoes! We went back to the salon after that to say hi to Aunt Julie and let Rebekah meet all the nice ladies that Julie works with. (I'm sure they've heard all about her, they just hadn't had a chance to meet her yet!) And then off to Whataburger to eat dinner with Jason on his lunch break. We had lots of fun with Granna today!


R, showing us her new "shoe shoes"


Granna and Bekah






My manicure (I went a little boring and got my nails cut shorter for the baby)


My pretty feet!