Final Day Pics

Last Day at Disney World!

We got to the Magic Kingdom at about 9:30 or so on Friday morning, not sure what to expect, crowd-wise. Would it be great, like Sunday? Or crowded as a Mumbai street market, like Monday? Fortunately, the crowds, weather, and overall experience turned out to be just fantastic.

The experience was probably helped by the fact that we had very limited goals for this last trip to the Magic Kingdom: we wanted to ride the Jungle Cruise (after being stymied by long waits on Monday), meet Tinkerbell (ditto), and ride It's a Small World. Again. Anything else we could fit in would be gravy.

First stop, Jungle Cruise. While the wait time had been 45 minutes or more on Monday, we just walked straight onto the boat on Friday. I'm not quite sure what the big deal is with this ride since everything on it couldn't have looked any faker. Even Amanda was unimpressed. And if the "big deal" with the ride is all the high-larious puns delivered by the captain, I'm sorry, but it's totally not worth it. If we had waited an hour on Monday for THAT, I'd have had some choice words for Mickey Mouse next time I saw him.

But with no wait, there was no harm done. On to It's a Small World! Again, there was no wait, and we got right on the boat. Reagan assumed the position, this time on my chest. That was the best part. I believe this was our third journey through the magical world of first generation animatronics, so Amanda (and everyone else) was becoming quite familiar with the scenes. The funny thing is, while she talks about how much she LOVES the ride (it was her favorite), you'd never know it by watching her ride it. Rather than laughing, singing, or even smiling, she just calmly looks around at everything. Studying. We fully expect her to see some random object in a few months and say, "that's just like on It's a Small World!"

After Small World, we headed over to Tomorrowland to ride the Astro Orbiter, which I can't help but call the Astroglide (heh heh . . . some of you out there know what I'm talking about, amirite?). Anyway, this is the ride Amanda saw from the race car, causing us to slam into the guide rail. It's like Dumbo on steroids -- rocket ships spinning around a central tower, going much faster (and higher) than Dumbo. I fully expected Amanda to get cold feet when she got a close look at it, but we braved the 20 minute wait, and she rode it with no problems. I started getting a little queasy, but she was a champ.

Then, Amanda wanted to ride the Teacups, so Susan took her on that while I played with Reagan, who was happy to get out of the stroller for a bit. By this point, it was getting close to lunch time, so we headed over to Adventureland to eat at a Mexican quick-serve place Susan had spotted. The food was good, and so were the girls.

After lunch, we went to ride Peter Pan, which we had gotten FastPasses for earlier in the day. FastPass is definitely the way to go for Peter Pan since the lines are always really long for some reason. Amanda wasn't too fond of the ride when we did it the first day (something about volcanoes), but we bribed her to try it again by promising we would ride Small World again if she did. She eagerly jumped at the offer. Yay.

So we did Peter Pan and got in line for Small World. By this time, the line was maybe 15 minutes long, still a far cry from Monday. But it was worth it to have Reagan resting on my chest again.

When we finished Small World, we split up. Susan took Amanda to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (which was to be her first real roller coaster), while I took Reagan to ride Dumbo. Ever since the first day, Reagan would point at the ride and say something that sounded a lot like "Dumbo" every time we walked near it. We therefore assumed it was her favorite ride and favorite character, so we wanted her to ride it again before we left. She was actually a little fussy riding it with me this time, so maybe I ruined her love of Dumbo. Or maybe when she was pointing and saying what sounded like "Dumbo," she was actually using her baby word for either "foreigner" or "morbidly obese person on a rented scooter." Lord knows the park was loaded with both of them.

After Dumbo, we reconnected with Susan and Amanda, only to learn that Amanda was just barely too short to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The park had three different people measure her, but she was too short by about a quarter of an inch! She was definitely going to ride it and had really gotten all psyched up for it, only to have those hopes dashed. She was very disappointed, but she handled it really well and knows that next time she comes to Disney, she'll be big enough!

Not that it's the same thing, but we decided to take her on the regular railroad, which happened to have a stop right there in Frontierland. That was a nice relaxing way to kill 20 minutes, and we got a good view of the huge expansion of Fantasyland that will open in 2012. We've got something else to look forward to now.

After the train dropped us off where we started, we had one more attraction to visit -- Tinkerbell. For some reason, they've got the Tink meet-n-greet set up in Adventureland instead of Fantasyland, but whatever. This line was supposed to take 30 minutes, but it actually took closer to an hour, making it the one thing that day where the wait got a little monotonous. After the wait, we got to meet and take pictures with one of the other fairies (I think she's called Fawn) and with Tinkerbell. I guess Amanda did fine, but she acted really weird around them -- she would stand very still and force a smile for the pictures. She wasn't unhappy, but she wouldn't really engage them in conversation, despite the best efforts of the fairies. You'll see that in one of the pictures I'll upload. Very odd.

After the Tinkerbell experience, it was time to do some souvenir shopping (we'd gotten off remarkably light to this point) and head back to get Reagan a nap to make sure she had a good night's sleep!

After the nap and a quick dinner at the hotel (using the last of our meal plan meals), we started the depressing job of packing to go back home. We wanted to pack as much as we could on Friday night so we could have a stress-free breakfast at the hotel and hit the road right afterward.

It was a good thing we packed most of our stuff the night before because Reagan decided our last morning would be the morning she would give us problems. Beginning just after 5:00 a.m., we heard her fussing pretty good in her pack-n-play in the closet. Even at home, she still cries out for a few seconds some nights without actually waking up, so this wasn't particularly unusual. But she seemed a little more upset than usual, and it went on a lot longer. Finally, after she had cried for over 20 minutes, I broke down and went to check on her. There she was, standing up, wide awake, looking at me with her lower lip jutting out. I couldn't resist such a sad face, so I picked her up. She immediately quieted down and got incredibly happy! I bent over to put her back down, and the crying started. Stood back up, happy again! Amazing how that works!

Since I apparently had no other choice, I brought her to our bed to see how that would work. Let me tell you, she had a grand old time. She crawled around, climbed on the pillows, laughed, got cuddly, etc. Although she would lie down and seem like she might actually go to sleep, it never lasted more than a few seconds. This behavior would have been adorable if it hadn't been 5:30 on the morning we were facing a 500 mile drive.

Finally, at about 6:30, Susan did us both a favor by putting Reagan back in the pack-n-play. She (Reagan) fussed for just a moment or two before going back to sleep. We also went back to sleep and almost missed our breakfast reservation thanks to Reagan's morning antics, but it worked out fine.

We left the Wilderness Lodge at 10:40 a.m. and made remarkably good time. We had expected to make several stops to calm down a fussy child (or two), but both kids did really well for almost the whole drive. We actually made it in about eight hours, which was about two hours less than we had prepared ourselves for. Reagan was happy for most of the trip, even though the sun was in her face for virtually the whole time. She even made up a little game where she would take her pacifier out and put it on top of her head. Then she would laugh until it fell off, at which point she put it up there again. It was actually pretty impressive that she was able to balance it there repeatedly, and her squeals of laughter really cheered everyone up.

Amanda was just wonderful, too. She didn't whine at all and was very helpful keeping Reagan entertained by retrieving dropped toys, feeding her cheerios, etc. Toward the end, Reagan got tired and hungry, so the last 30 minutes were a little rough for her, but overall it was a very pleasant end to a wonderful vacation.

EPCOT and Hollywood Studios Pics

Days Four and Five

Okay, imma get caught up now!

Wednesday was EPCOT day. We got there a little late, just because it is difficult to get the gang moving in the morning. We started in the Finding Nemo ride since it was right near the entrance. It was a simple ride which was geared toward preschoolers, and I guess Amanda liked it okay. We also did an interactive movie thing with the sea turtle from the movie, but it didn't really excite her much.

We then made it over to Norway to ride the Maelstrom, which sounds way more awesome than it actually is. It's a water ride with a little drop, but Amanda really liked it. Se got a little scared by some trolls that made an appearance, but she is at the point where she likes the drops in rides like this.

After Norway, it was Mexico time, and they have a little water ride with no drops. What it DOES have is some little dancing dolls reminiscent of It's A Small World, so Amanda liked it a lot. In fact, Small World will probably end up being her favorite ride here. Oh, well. There's no accounting for taste, I guess.

After Mexico, we got some fish n chips in England and went to ride Soarin', which is a hang glider simulator where you fly over California. Amanda was a little cautious going in, but she seemed to like it ok, even though she declined the opportunity to ride it again.

By this point it was time to head back to the hotel for naps since we planned to come back that evening for dinner and fireworks. And after Reagan's nuclear meltdown the night before, we were taking no chances. The naps went well, and we went to catch the bus back to EPCOT. We must've waited about 30 minutes for a bus, which completely sucked. I could go on about the bus service here, but apparently I decided to make this a family blog a while back.

Anyway, dinner in Mexico was really good, and we had time to ride the Mexican river ride again before fireworks. Yay. We watched the fireworks/light show while walking around the big lake. It was okay, but nowhere near as impressive as the Magic Kingdom fireworks were. I got a funnel cake, which was also nowhere near as impressive as I was expecting it to be.

When the fireworks ended, we wanted the crowds to die down a bit, so we went into The Land to ride their boat ride tour through the fascinating world of agriculture!!!!!! I mock, but it was actually pretty cool. Amanda had all sorts of questions about the weird produce they were growing, and I was able to crack wise about hydroponic pot farming without her knowing what I was talking about. Disney actually uses the produce grown there in some of the restaurants, which may explain why I saw something called "Swiss chard" on several menus. From the taste of it, I'm guessing "chard" is what the Swiss call grass clippings.

By the time we left The Land, the throngs had dispersed enough where we were able to catch a bus back to the hotel with relative ease. It was another late night, but both girls did great.

Now might be a good time to mention something cute that Reagan has been doing on most of the rides, especially on the boat rides. Susan usually holds her on her lap, and as soon as we get settled in our seats, Reagan just lays her head on Susan's chest and keeps it there. She keeps her eyes open, but you can just see how secure she feels. It's really sweet.

Thursday was Hollywood Studios day, and again we had a bus from Heck. It was packed and probably took us about 45 minutes to get there, thanks to having to stop at the Fort Wilderness Campground to pick up a bunch of unshowered, inbred smokers. Ew.

Hollywood Studios was probably the park that had the least to offer Amanda, mostly because she hasn't really ever watched the movies or the Disney Channel shows that feature prominently in the attractions. We saw a live stage show that had puppets of Mickey and some others that she seemed to enjoy, and a live, 17-minute Little Mermaid stage show was pretty cool. Amanda knows a little about the movie, so she was at least interested in it, even tough she got pretty scared of the villain.

We had a character lunch at Hollywood &Vine, and the characters were from TV shows Amanda hasn't really seen! Still, she liked a character named "June" from a show called "Little Einsteins," primarily because she was a girl. I guess we'll have to start watching that one.

After lunch, it was time for Star Tours (the Star Wars ride) which was my main reason for wanting to come on this trip. Ha ha. Just kidding. Kinda. We decided Susan should ride first to see if Amanda would like it, and if so, Amanda would ride it with me. Turns out it was probably too intense for Amanda, so I rode it with Christi, Robert, and Jackson.

But while Susan was on Star Tours, I took Amanda (and Reagan) to a "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" playground, and Amanda rode a little slide there about 900 times. I only mention this because of a thought I had while she was doing it. I had seen a boy who was probably 6 or 7 go down the same little slide very, very cautiously, and the thought I had was that, while Amanda can be very timid in the face of some activities, at least she's not a wimpy little boy.

After Star Tours, we came back to the hotel so we could finally use the pool here. While Reagan napped and Susan got ready to go to the Sugarland concert with Christi, I took Amanda swimming. The big pool here has a short water slide, and Amanda has been saying she wanted to ride it all week. While the slide is short, it has a few turns and goes through a tunnel, so I fully expected her to change her mind when the time came, especially since I had to be at the bottom to catch her and wouldn't be at the top to "encourage" her. But I sent her to the top like it was nothing and waited at the bottom. And waited. And waited. Then she come barreling around the last turn right into my arms. And she loved it. In fact, she loved it so much that she didn't want to do it again. I ultimately rode It with her (against the rules, it turns out), and it's pretty intimidating from the top, so I am absolutely stunned (and proud) that she actually did it the first time by herself.

Ok, I'm gonna wrap this up now. After the pool, the evening was uneventful, except that Reagan absolutely lost it during her bath again, but she recovered pretty quickly. Not sure what's up with that, but I hope it stays in Florida.

We've got one more day at Magic Kingdom tomorrow before rolling out on Saturday.

Day Two and Three Pics

Days Two and Three

Ok, so I was late on my Day 2 update, but it wasn't my fault. We were totally expecting Tuesday to be a washout, with storms in the forecast all day. I figured that would give me plenty of time to do the Monday write-up, so I slacked off on Monday night. Then, Tuesday arrived, cloudy, but dry, and my best-laid plans went awry.

Anyhoo, Monday was our second Magic Kingdom day, and it was a good bit different from the first, primarily due to the crowd size. Apparently the crowds on Sundays are notoriously small since it's a travel day, so we had been spoiled without realizing it. Well, Monday was insane. Even the crappy rides (e.g., Peter Pan) that we walked right onto on Sunday had long waits.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. The day started fine, with us sleeping in a little bit and having breakfast in the room. I'm telling you, getting the villa with the kitchen is key - we can do breakfast and snacks in the room with no problems.

By the time we got to the Magic Kingdom, it was probably 10:30 or so, and we had plans to meet family (Kati & Chris; Justin, Mindy, and Landon; and Chrissy) for lunch at Tony's, an Italian restaurant on Main Street at 11:45. That left us just enough time to ride one ride in the crowded park, and we did the Aladdin magic carpet ride, which was just like Dumbo. The girls really liked that, especially Reagan.

By the time we had our nice lunch, the lines for everything were insane. We ended up doing Pirates of the Caribbean, which took close to an hour. Reagan was scared by the darkness and the cannons, and so was Amanda. The little drop in the ride scared Amanda a little, but she later said that was her favorite part. Right after we left Pirates, Amanda said, "I don't want to ride any more boy rides!"

So off to the Tomorrowland Speedway we went to race cars! Amanda and I did the speedway while Susan and Reagan rode the Peoplemover. I let Amanda steer, which was hilarious. Right after we left the loading area, she takes her hands off the wheel looks up, points to another ride and squeals, "Daddy, look at THAT ride!" The result was that the car slammed into the little guide rail, throwing us both hard to the side. The rest of the little track was much of the same, but Amanda liked it. Even though it was arguably a "boy ride." [insert obligatory women drivers joke here]

After the speedway, we headed back to the hotel for a rest break, since we wanted to come back that night for the Main Street Electrical Parade and fireworks. When we got back to the Magic Kingdom, we wanted to have dinner, but the park had gotten even MORE crowded in anticipation of the parade. Robert and I waited forever to get hot dogs and fries, then we fought the giant crowds to get to where the wives and kids were. We were all pretty frazzled, and the meal was less than satisfying. Oh, well. The electrical parade was just fantastic, and we ended up watching at a really good spot. Amanda was mesmerized. The fireworks were also impressive, but I was actually more impressed with the effects they projected onto Cinderella's Castle. It's hard to explain, but whatever they did with the lights and the colors made the castle look like it was alive. Well worth seeing, in my opinion.

Okay, so after a good night's sleep, we got up Tuesday expecting it to be raining. It wasn't, so we headed to the Animal Kingdom as planned. I wasn't sure what to expect, but like most other Disney projects, it was really well done. We started with the African safari, and it was great. Unlike at a zoo, there was really nothing between us and the animals. Our truck even had to wait for a couple of rhinos who were butting heads to get out of the way before we could move forward. Amanda seemed to enjoy it. Reagan looked and pointed at the animals, so I guess she did too!

The walking tour through Asia's animals was also really cool, especially the tigers. I feel like at every zoo I've ever been to, the tigers are either hiding or sleeping or both. These tigers were walking around, jumping on things, scratching a log, etc. it was great. Reagan really liked them!

Susan wanted to ride the Kali River Rapids, but neither Amanda nor I did, so I watched the girls for a few minutes while she did that. Then, when we met back up with the Luskins, Amanda suddenly wanted to ride the rapids since Jackson wanted to. While Christi and I kept the babies, the others rode the ride and got absolutely drenched. But I'm impressed that Amanda was willing to do that. She's getting braver and braver, which is great to see.

Christi and Robert were then kind enough to watch the girls so Susan and I could ride Expedition Everest, the big roller coaster in the Animal Kingdom. Apparently the girls never even knew we were gone. The coaster was really good. I had forgotten how fun real roller coasters could be.

After some face paint and carnival games (I beat Amanda at whac-a-mole 150 to 30) it was time to head back to the hotel since Amanda and Jackson had to get ready for Mickey's Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom. Susan took her to that, so I don't Know much about that, except it rained. Also, the parade was good, Jafar got in Amanda's face and said "boo!", they got some candy, yadda yadda yadda.

The real action was back in the hotel room, where I was struggling with Reagan. After two-plus days of doing great despite the weird (or non-existent) schedules, she melted down for me right after Susan and Amanda left for the Halloween party. Nothing would console her - not food, not a bath, not toys, not hugs. It was a rough 45 minutes, but I finally decided to just put her to bed. That did the trick, and she slept for about 14 hours.

Wednesday was EPCOT day, but you'll have to read about that tomorrow. Or maybe Friday.

Sent from my iPad

Day One Pics

Day One In the Books!

Well, our first full day at Disney is complete, and overall it went very well. The day began with the alarm going off at 5:50 a.m. to ensure we would make it to our 7:10 a.m. breakfast at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Hotel. That's what we get for waiting so long to book a character breakfast. Anyway, we took a boat from our hotel to the Contemporary, and the girls loved the boat ride, even though it was literally still dark outside. Breakfast was a great buffet, and the girls saw Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Donald there. It seems Amanda is finally over her fear of people in giant animal costumes, which is a relief!

After breakfast, we took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, which was another fun ride. We actually got there before the park opened, but that meant we got to see the little opening number the cast puts on every day. That was fun to see. Once.

In the park, we basically spent most of our time in Fantasyland riding all the kiddie rides -- Dumbo, Peter Pan, Teacups, It's a Small World, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, etc. both girls really enjoyed all the rides, but Reagan got a little scared during Snow White's Scary Adventure, and I don't blame her since that creepy witch kept popping up over and over again. I'm frankly amazed Amanda did as well as she did through it all.

For lunch, we had reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table, which was really great. We got the girls dressed in little dresses and got to go inside the castle, which Amanda had been asking about all day. It started with a photo of Amanda and Cinderella, which turned out really well. We then went upstairs to the dining room, where we (the grown-ups) had a great meal, and the girls had the usual chicken fingers, etc. But they got to meet Snow White, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, and Belle, which Amanda just loved. Even Reagan smiled at them and got fussy when they left the table to move on. It was really cute, and the princesses were just great with the kids. And they were also easy on the eyes, even though I feel like a creepy old man for saying so.

Since we had narrowly averted a Reagan meltdown before lunch, we decided to head back to the hotel after lunch so she could get a good nap. Sure enough, she went right down for over two hours. While we hoped Amanda would also nap, it was not to be. She just played and played and played. I don't know where she got the energy. Susan and I napped for a little, but not long enough!

We had a special treat for dinner, as Aunt Terri and Uncle Rick came over from Cocoa to visit. We took the boat to Fort Wilderness Campground and we all (including the Luskins) ate at a country buffet. The food was good, but our luck had run out with Reagan. She got fussy early and was pretty much inconsolable unless she was being held and/or carried around. It made for a difficult and less than ideal dinner for Susan and me, but thank goodness Terri was there to occupy Amanda (who was still going strong). She was a lifesaver.

We got back to the room, got the girls bathed and in bed, and pretty much got ready for bed ourselves. Tomorrow is another Magic Kingdom day, and we're meeting some more family from the Space Coast. The best part is we get to sleep in!

I'm gonna try to upload a few pics, but I'm not sure how that'll work on the iPad. Here goes...

We made it!!!

Well, after departing home last night and stopping overnight in Valdosta, we arrived at Disney's Wilderness Lodge this afternoon. Last night's driving was fairly uneventful. Reagan didn't sleep much in the car, but she was generally happy. And at the hotel in Valdosta, both girls slept in the same room without incident. They even slept in until about 9:15, which is unheard of for them!

The trip today was, shall we say, less smooth. After a breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we hit the road about 11:00 or so. Less than an hour in, Reagan was screaming her head off for no apparent reason. Susan even climbed back to try to console her, but her presence seemed to make Reagan worse. She just wanted to be held (she's maybe a little too used to being carried!), but we weren't willing to take her out of the car seat at 82 mph. Instead, we made an unscheduled stop at a Florida rest area. Getting out of the car seat (and having some Frito's and water) did the trick since she was much better when we got back on the road. After a quick lunch break at a turnpike service center, we were at Disney in no time!

The resort here is fantastic. As with everything they do, the Disney folks really delivered with this place. Our 1-BR villa is just perfect for the family. Amanda has the fold-out sofa, and Reagan has a pack and play (provided by the resort) in the walk-in closet. Okay, so maybe Reagan would complaint if she could, but it's working out great so far!

This place thought of everything. In addition to the pack and play, they give us a high chair. And there's a little kid-sized bar to feed them at. Even the light switches are lower so more kids can reach them easier. Our only quibble is that the toilet paper roll is inexplicably far away from the commode. Still, after being here for a few hours, I can't imagine staing anywhere else. This villa is the perfect set up!

Afert getting settled, we toured the property a bit, and it looks fantastic. The pools are great and appear to be heated, which is nice. Amanda enjoyed the faux geyser. Reagan did really well, partly because the double stroller we borrowed from a neighbor (thanks Heather!) gives her a great view of her surroundings.

After a quick dinner at one of the restaurants at the resort, we came back, put Reagan down (she was very tired since she slept very little in the car), and just unwound. Amanda played a little with some toys she brought before going down without incident. We've got an early day tomorrow (character breakfast at Chef Mickey's at 7:10), so we'll be turning in soon. Tomorrow should be fun since we will spend the day at the Magic Kingdom and have lunch at Cinderella's Castle!

Sent from my iPad

Summer Update in, um, October

I'm going to rely on the age old adage that "no news is good news" as an excuse for going four months between posts.  Basically, since the kids recovered from the plague discussed in the previous post, things have been going well, so there hasn't been anything to report.  Now, they're both sick again, so it seems like a good time to update everyone on our summer.

Beach Vacation

A couple of years back,we (along with some other friends) enjoyed some cocktails at a tennis event and ended up "winning" a silent auction for a week at a condo in Hilton Head.  Our growing families meant we had to wait a while to take advantage of our purchase, but we finally did so back in June. The experience took me back to when my family used to vacation there in the '70s.  In fact, I think this condo had not been updated since the '70s, so it really felt like the olden days.

Carter-era accommodations notwithstanding, we had a great time.  Our beach time was a little limited, but we made up for it by spending loads of time at the pool.  We also rented a bike with a little trailer for the kids, and they loved it!  The most memorable part of the trip, however, has to be Amanda's on stage performance with the guitar player in Harbour Town.

A little background . . . back when my family used to vacation in Hilton Head in the '80s, I remember seeing a guy playing kids songs and conducting a singalong under a big tree in Harbour Town.  Well, it turns out the same guy (Gregg Russell) is still there, doing a great job entertaining dozens of kids every night during the summer.  When we first stopped by on Tuesday, Amanda was absolutely entranced by his performance.  Ordinarily, she is very shy and clingy in crowds, but she quickly left me and sat in the midst of the other children.  When I pointed to an empty spot closer to Gregg, she got up, moved right past the spot I was talking about, and plopped down right in the front row.  After that first night, she kept talking about wanting to see "Gwegg Wussell" again, so we resolved to get back there one more time before we left.

That Friday, we went back to Harbour Town, and Amanda went right up to the front row.  The rest of us hung back and watched and tried to tolerate the kids music.  When Gregg asked for volunteers to come up and sing, Amanda raised her hand.  We assumed she did so because so many (much older) kids around her were raising their hands.  A couple of other kids got picked and sang their songs, and he asked for volunteers again.  Again Amanda raised her hand, and this time she got picked.  I got ready to go and retrieve her as soon as she cried and/or froze up, but I didn't have to.  Instead, she sat on Gregg's lap, talked to him, told him her name and where she lived (she gave the name of our neighborhood, which left Gregg confused), and said she wanted to sing the ABC song.  Then, she actually did it!  It was amazing!  She was so happy, and we were so proud of her!  It felt like she took a big step toward being more independent and more willing to try new things.  Naturally, though, I forgot to film the performance even though I had our camera in my hand.  I was too worried trying to get a good photo that I completely forgot to try to film it.  As you can see, my quest for a good photo ended in failure; this was the best I could do:

We'll be going back to Hilton Head for Thanksgiving, and we're going back to Harbour Town to see if she will perform an encore.  Should be interesting.

Reagan's First Birthday

And now back to the nominal subject of this blog, Reagan!  She turned one on July 27th, and we had some friends (our friends, not hers . . . she's too young for friends!) over to the house for a water-themed party with baby pools and a slip-n-slide-n-bust-your-ass.  She didn't cry, so . . . success!  She enjoyed her smash cake, too.

Amanda's Fourth Birthday

A month or so later, it was time for Amanda to have her own birthday party.  We had it at a little studio where she has been taking a dance/gymnastics class.  The staff there took the kids through a bunch of tumbling, balancing, etc.  Everyone had fun, and I think "kids gymnastics party coordinator" is possibly the hardest job in the world.  Sorry, "Bering Sea crab fisherman;" you're now in second.

Current Update


As mentioned above, both girls are sick right now.  Amanda got her cold first, probably because she went back to preschool about a month ago.  Fortunately, she feels fine most of the time except for the sneezing and the runny nose, which she has had for about a week or so.  It's annoying (to her and to us), but at least she knows how to blow her nose.


Reagan's started with the sneezing and runny nose a few days ago, but her cold has been more troublesome.  Since she can't blow her nose, it just runs and runs.  After wiping it a few times (which she hates), the area gets all irritated, making additional wipings even more unpleasant.  To combat the irritation, we have to apply lotion which, guess what, she hates.

To top it all off, Reagan is also cutting her fourth molar, so there's a lot of drool to go with the snot.  Awesome.

And all of these problems have meant that her nap/sleep schedule has been thrown into disarray for a few days.  Some days, she hasn't wanted to nap at all and cries at the top of her lungs if we try to make her.  Other days, she naps with no problems.  Susan and I agree that we can't wait for her to get better so we can be reminded of what she is really like.

Milestones

You're probably all assuming that Reagan is walking by now, but you'd all be wrong.  Just like with crawling, she is taking her sweet time with the next method of movement.  A couple of weeks ago, she took her first steps, and we try to practice with her every day.  Usually, though, she just stands there for a second before dropping to the ground and crawling to us.  It's just so much faster for her to just crawl, and I for one commend her on her preference for efficiency.  That said, just within the past few days, Reagan has taken more steps at once (maybe 7 or 8?) and has also turned around while standing.  She also loves pushing around one of her little walking toys. so we are sure she'll be bipedal full time in short order.

Here's a snippet of her (almost) first steps:




Upcoming Events

We will be taking our first family trip to Disney World in a couple of weeks, which should be a lot of fun.  Please don't rob our house while we're gone.

Also, I'm working on another photo album and I plan to post that within the next week.  And maybe I'll post from Disney World, too.

The Plague Sweeps the Household

When we took Amanda to the Emergency Room last week, we hoped her bug would spare the rest of the family, but we weren't that lucky.  No sooner had Amanda recovered when Reagan spiked a fever herself.  We think it started overnight on Friday since she didn't sleep well, and by Saturday morning she had a temperature around 101 or so.  Fortunately, we were able to get some infant's Motrin in her without her throwing it up (she has in the past had a very sensitive gag reflex for medicine), so I think we were able to control it.  As a result, the fever never got up in the scary 103 to 104 range.  Also, she never vomited.  Still, it's tough to feel so helpless when your baby is clearly suffering.  By Sunday afternoon, Reagan had basically recovered, though she still isn't eating all that much or taking as much formula as we would like.  Hopefully the appetite will return soon.

Of course, now that Reagan has recovered, Susan has a fever, headache, and a sore throat.  I don't have to hold her down to get her to take medicine, so she's been able to minimize her symptoms somewhat.  If the lifespan of the illness holds true, she should probably be better by late this afternoon.  At any rate, that's when my sympathies will expire.

The question becomes, then, who and when will the dreaded 36-hour plague strike next?

Spring Update

The past couple of months have absolutely flown by, and it's hard to believe that Baby Reagan is already ten months old.  Where does the time go?  I've actually got a lot to cover with this update, so let's get on with it, shall we?  A few pictures are embedded, but there's also an album over yonder >>>>>>
with more photos (and captions!).


Overall Development

Let's see . . . what milestones has Reagan hit since the last update . . .  Well, she got two more teeth, bringing the total to four!  And she's been drooling a whole lot for the past week, so we're expecting some more activity along the gumline any time now.

Reagan had her nine-month check up, and everything was pretty good.  In fact, the only source of concern was that she wasn't crawling yet.  But since she was otherwise so normal (i.e., not lethargic), and since I've heard of plenty of kids that go straight to walking, I wasn't really concerned.  Still, the pediatrician asked us to check in with her if Reagan wasn't crawling by two weeks later.  Two weeks passed, and there was no change.  However, we still thought everything with Reagan was good enough that we just ignored the pediatrician's directions.  Shhhh . . .

Finally, one day short of her ten-month birthday, Reagan shuffled forward enough toward an identifiable goal that we officially called it a crawl.  And since I happened to be home that day (self-employment can be awesome), I got some footage of one of her earliest attempts:

She still much prefers being held, but she can squirm her way toward whatever she wants, which is usually the remote control (not her toy one, mind you, but only the real one).  Life just got more complicated.

Easter

As usual, our Easter weekend was busy with multiple egg hunts, along with brunch at the Athletic Club. Amanda seems to have finally gotten over her abject fear of people in animal costumes.  Now, it's merely a healthy distrust.

Mother's Day

In keeping with our Mother's Day tradition, we did brunch at the club.  Yes, again.  A good time was had by all.  And a cute picture was had by me:

Baptism

We had our little baby girl baptized on May 15th at Johns Creek United Methodist Church.  Heading into the ceremony, we were worried we had waited too long to have it done.  Rather than being oblivious to her surroundings, Reagan had gotten to the point where she was afraid of strangers (in a healthy way).  And with the pastor doing the baptizing also having a full beard, we were expecting the worst.  Imagine our surprise, then, when I handed her over to Rev. Big Beard and she just went along without complaint.  She did fantastic during the little ceremony itself, even waving to the congregation!  Then, she let the pastor carry her around the sanctuary to show her off, and she even let out a few squeals during the rest of the service that got the whole place laughing.  We were so relieved proud!

Code Brown

Reagan's ability to sit up without wobbling, combined with her inability to fit comfortably in the small plastic baby bathtub, led to our bathing her in the big bathtub in our bathroom.  Ordinarily, I would agree that such a simple achievement wouldn't qualify for inclusion in her blog, but the big tub had an unusual effect on her -- it caused, shall we say, extreme relaxation.  In other words, she pooped.  Three of the first four times we put her in the big tub, she let loose.  And for two of those three times, Amanda was in there with her, so we had to do an immediate evacuation of both kids, followed by a good Comet scrub down.

Projectile Vomiting

In keeping with the theme of bodily excretions (aren't you glad you waited so patiently for this?), I've got another wonderful story.  And, it's a two-parter!

Part I begins on the evening of Friday, May 6th.  Susan had a "girl's night" at a concert, so it was up to me to get the girls fed and put to bed.  That responsibility in itself is no big deal, as I have handled those tasks without incident on many occasions.  Dinner went fine, and a little while later it was time for Reagan's last bottle of the night before putting her down.  After finishing the bottle at about 7:15, I tried to burp her, but something didn't seem quite right.  Then, instead of burping and being happy within about a minute after finishing the bottle (which had been her m.o. for weeks if not months), she threw up all over me like a freshman during fraternity rush.  Here's what my clothes looked like:

Not pictured:  My look of disgust

At least Susan enjoyed the concert.

Part II of the story took place the following Tuesday.  Again, Susan was conveniently away, this time traveling for work (a likely story!).  Well, I gave Reagan the last bottle, and the little critter vomited all over me AGAIN!  And again I had to shower and change clothes!  Okay, so maybe that wasn't so much a Part II as it was a sequel which simply recycled the plot of the original.  Still, it was very disconcerting to see throw-up that close, and to see it twice in five days is something I'll not soon forget.  Neither will Susan, as I intend to regularly remind her of the fact she missed both of them.

And Reagan?  She was fine.  We decided we had been trying to cram too much food into her in a short amount of time -- basically, within about three hours, we were giving her two full bottles sandwiched around baby food and whatever finger food she could shove down her gullet.  We ratcheted back the size of the bottles, spread out the timing a little more, and everything has been fine since then.

Solid Food

We've been gradually scaling back Reagan's formula intake since we've been able to add baby food and some solid food to her diet.  So far, we really haven't found anything that she doesn't like.  Her favorites are ham, cheese, beans, cantaloupe, pasta, and avocado.  That said, we're not naive enough to believe she'll always eat whatever we put in front of her, but hope springs eternal!


First Day at the Pool!

Our neighborhood pool opened in mid-May, and Amanda could not get in there fast enough.  Though it took about a week and a half for her to be as comfortable (swimming, jumping in, etc.) as she was at the end of last summer, Amanda is now planning a summer of almost daily swimming.  And we're dreading a summer of facing the daily choice of either going swimming with a three-year-old or disappointing a three-year-old.


The bigger question, of course, was how Reagan would react to the water.  Since she loves her bath, we hoped that would translate to loving the pool, as well (albeit with fewer bowel movements).  Well, after a few minutes with a "what's going on here?" look on her face, she settled in and now really enjoys it herself.  In the little ladybug floaty, she'll stand on the steps and kind of jump toward the pool, which seems pretty fearless for a ten-month-old.

I guess that's about it for now.  As I write this, Amanda has been battling a pretty high fever which led to an Emergency Room visit last night.  Not only did she have a fever pushing 104, but she threw up a bunch of times yesterday, too (only a little got on me or Susan), so we thought it made sense to get her checked out.  Fortunately, it's nothing serious -- probably just a virus -- and we're just supposed to try to control the fever with Motrin.  Unfortunately, Amanda absolutely will not take medicine, so she's had to kind of suffer some today.  We've kept an eye on her fever, and it hasn't been as high as it was yesterday, so hopefully she'll be her old self again soon.

Sisterly Love

Lunch Outing

Well, the girls are feeling better today (except for Reagan's runny nose), so we went out for lunch to Steak & Shake. The guy who seated us brought a kids menu, toy, and silverware for both Amanda and Reagan. I'm guessing the host didn't have any kids if he thought it appropriate to give a knife and fork to an infant. Or maybe he has kids but is just a really crappy parent. I tell ya, It's nice to be a flawless father. Now watch the girls end up on the pole.

Sent from my iPhone

Illness Update

We just finished Day 3 of the girls' illnesses.  Reagan doesn't struggle breathing anymore, but she is still coughing occasionally.  But when she does, it's not as "barky" as before, so I guess that's good news.  She hasn't had a fever since yesterday, and even then it was very slight.  This improvement in her symptoms is obviously good news, but she had a very fussy day today anyway.  She slept a lot and cried a lot for no apparent reason.  I'm wondering if maybe she's teething at the same time, and the symptoms are all kind of running together.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be better for the little munchkin.

Amanda, meanwhile, has consistently been running a slight (99.6-ish) fever for the past three days.  She's had a bit of a runny nose, but no other real symptoms that I can detect.  And my earlier comment lauding the virtues of deception as a parenting technique?  Well, forget about it.  Amanda refused to drink any more milk-medicine that day, and it was a chore to get her to drink any milk at all yesterday (even without the medicine).  So, our deceptive practice almost drove our daughter to stop drinking milk.  Outstanding.

Tomorrow will be better.

Long-awaited update . . .

Leave my daddy alone!  I love him.

As usual, I've been getting a lot of flak from some quarters (I'm looking at YOU, Coverdell people), about the infrequent posts.  While I'm honored that some folks out there believe that every one of Reagan's BMs is a noteworthy event, I would simply prefer providing meatier, though less frequent, updates.

All that being said, here are the high points since my last update in January:

Let's see, about a week after the last post, Reagan cut her first two teeth -- the ones in front on the bottom.  That event almost warranted a blog post itself, but not quite.  After those first two came in, we thought she'd have a lot more come in pretty quick since she continued to be fussy and kept trying to bite everything.  But here it is, three months later, and we have had no further breakthroughs.  By now, there are probably a half a dozen ready to cut through all at once.  When they finally do, she'll look like she has antlers in her mouth.

Also, Reagan is now sitting unassisted, which is a nice milestone.  Even better, she stays where we put her, and as long as there are toys within reach of her tiny, tiny arms, she's pretty happy.  In addition to sitting, she spends her days in the exer-saucer, in the door jumper, or in someone's arms being carried around like royalty.  And we're suckers, so we tend to be all too happy to let her get away with it.

Here's the most current, up-to-the-minute update available:  On Sunday, (4/3), Reagan was a bit wheezy in the morning and coughed occasionally, as well.  Since the pollen has been bad lately, we thought she might be suffering from seasonal allergies, and since she otherwise seemed relatively happy, we were content to wait until today to take her to the doctor.  The nurse took one listen to the breathing and the seal-like coughs and basically diagnosed her on the spot with croup.  That diagnosis was kind of alarming at first since I've always heard of it as some sort of dreaded childhood illness, but it turns out to be (apparently) not too big a deal, at least not in Reagan's case.  In fact, it should run its course after three days.  To treat the inflammation of the trachea, she got an oral dose of steroids at the doctor's office, which promptly triggered Reagan to throw up all over Susan (heh!).  In fact, the vomit episodes (there was another one a little later while she was eating puffs) were probably the most alarming part of the experience.  We ultimately got her to successfully 'roid up by using another form of the juice, and she only needs two more doses before the symptoms should be gone.  As a side effect of the steroids, she'll develop terrible back acne and also be able to lift a car.

Even as Reagan has been battling croup with performance-enhancing drugs, Amanda has also been sick.  She was fine on Sunday but woke up with a 103 fever on Monday.  Since we were already taking Reagan to the doctor, we just schlepped Amanda along to get her checked out, too.  The doctor (or PA, or whatever) seemed to think Amanda had the same virus as Reagan, but it just affected her differently since she's older.  Instead of inflaming the trachea to the point where it affects breathing, it basically just gave Amanda a fever.  We tried mightily to get Amanda to drink a little children's ibuprofen to knock the fever down, but she would have absolutely none of it.  We tried reasoning with her by explaining that it would help her feel better.  When that failed, we (actually, I'll take credit/blame for this brilliant idea) took away her favorite stuffed animals as punishment (!) until she took the medicine.  Strangely, that didn't work, either.  Finally, we settled on the strongest weapon in the parental arsenal -- deception.  We put the ibuprofen in a half a cup of milk and encouraged Amanda to drink it since she "needs to drink fluids."  She bought it!  So, the moral of the story is, reason and logic are no match for deception.

And now, Susan is on the verge of a week-long trip to Chicago, and I'll be home from work tomorrow with the girls.  At least I get to join her in Chi town on Friday, and hopefully, Aunt Terri won't have two illnesses to contend with while we're gone for the weekend!

Plus, see photos on the right . . .

We're having a lazy Sunday afternoon, so I thought it made sense to put up a little recap of the week that was.  It was a fairly routine week, which was a nice break from living on Hoth the previous week.  With one exception, the changes in Reagan this week have been incremental.

Reagan continues to grow stronger, and can really push up so her entire chest and head are up in the air.  She often lifts her feet at the same time and kind of rocks on her tummy.  The front-to-back rollover happens pretty regularly now, but she can't quite figure out how to go back-to-front.  She'll make it to her side and just stop there.

We keep adding new baby food to her diet every few days, and she has now experienced carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, and green beans in addition to the rice cereal and the oatmeal (her favorite).  So far she hasn't had any indication of any allergies, but it's clear the addition of food to her diet has an effect on her digestive system.  Let's just leave it at that.

We also brought out the old door jumper for Reagan, and she seems to really like it (notwithstanding the expression in the above photo).  But, like most things she really likes, she still only tolerates it for about ten minutes before we have to move her to a different activity.

The biggest change this week has been Reagan's discovery of a new vocal range.  Out of the blue on about Wednesday, she just squealed really loudly, and she's been doing it regularly ever since.  It's adorable since she's usually smiling when she does it, but if I'm holding her on my hip, the screech goes right into my ear.  Along with the squeal, we've noticed her making a lot more multi-syllabic sounds, too.  Our concerns that Reagan wouldn't talk much because her sister talks all the time appear to be unfounded.  Instead, it's shaping up that both girls will be chatterboxes.  Can't wait for those long car trips.

Snow Day!

Reagan officially got her first exposure to snow today, after almost eight inches fell overnight.  Don't ask how I measured that.  The worst part of it for Reagan was getting into the super-warm fleece outfit -- she really hated that for some reason.

After Reagan and Susan went inside, Amanda and I went tubing in the front yard (with Jackson & Robert) and walked the neighborhood.  Amanda didn't much care for the uncertain footing, but overall she did great.

We have added the delightful-smelling carrot baby food to Reagan's diet the past two evenings, and she seems to like them.  Last night, she had maybe 1/4 of the little container, and we tossed the rest.  That seemed like a big waste to me -- why does Gerber insist on using these relatively giant containers for their so-called "First Foods"?  What kind of baby just starting to eat is going to eat all of this goop, even if they actually like it?  Well, the answer to my question is:  the Reagan kind of baby.  Tonight, she killed the whole thing.  Sure, there was a fair amount of it on her face and (mixed with drool) in the little pouch on her bib, but we're counting it as a finished container.  Is it possible those Gerber folks know a little more about the eating habits of babies than I do?

And just in case that little bit of minutia wasn't insignificant enough for you, she also rolled over again during her afternoon nap today.  And again, Susan and I missed it.  Also, it is snowing here for the second time this season.  When did we move to Buffalo?

Finally!

Reagan rolled over today, tummy to back.  She did it not once, but twice, during her morning nap.  We couldn't be prouder.  Thus, it was a good day, despite the fact she had a "Code Brown" after she was already bathed, in her jammies, and ready for bed tonight.  Jammie change ensued.

What's New

I can't believe it has been over two months since I updated this blog.  But with the new year comes my resolution to update more often so I don't need to write massive entries like the one your about to read (or lightly skim).  First, a warning -- if you're one of those people who hate when parents go on and on about how great their kids are, you may as well leave now.  Otherwise, enjoy!

October

I believe I left off last time right before Halloween, so I guess I'll start there.  Our neighborhood put on its annual Fall Festival, which is always a good time.  A lot of the neighbors hadn't seen Reagan yet, so we had plenty of help in looking after her, holding her, etc.

After the festival, Susan took Amanda trick-or-treating while I volunteered to man the front door and look after Reagan.  Turns out I got the better of the deal because taking a three-year-old trick-or-treating is not as easy as it sounds.  Even though they didn't go to too many houses, Amanda got way more candy than she could ever eat.  Fortunately, she basically forgot about the Halloween candy after a few days.


November

We visited my parents in Hilton Head over Thanksgiving, which marked Reagan's first trip away from home.  She did really well for the most part, but she got a little fussy at the end of the drive.  Reagan's fussiness, however, wasn't the problem.  Rather, it was Amanda's reaction to Reagan's fussiness that gave us grief.  Basically, Amanda was in a phase where she got extremely upset whenever Reagan started crying a little bit.  So when Reagan got a little cranky when we were five minutes from my parents' house, Amanda started acting like we had set her (Amanda) on fire.  It got so bad that we had to pull over and try to help her get herself under control.  And I learned a valuable lesson -- crying children won't stop crying if you yell at them.  Good to know.

Anyway, Amanda ultimately settled down, but it has been an occasional problem with her since then.  She may have thought that she was responsible for Reagan crying, and it took some talking to (not yelling at) for her to understand that babies simply cry sometimes and that Reagan was not crying because of anything her big sister had done.

The remainder of the Hilton Head Thanksgiving trip was uneventful.  We had a good visit, saw some family and friends, and ate too much.  We took the girls to Harbour Town and to the beach.  We also went to a children's museum, which Amanda enjoyed immensely.  I ate cotton candy for the first time in about 30 years, and I thought my teeth would explode.  Good times.

December

Early-December brought Reagan's four month pediatrician appointment, and she did great as usual.  She was up to 13 lbs. 10 oz. (50th percentile); 24-3/4 inches (75th); and a head size of 16 inches (25th -- still astounding).  We had thought she was starting to teethe because she had been drooling a lot more, but the doctor felt around and didn't think she was there yet.  I was skeptical that her years of education and medical experience would prevail over our uninformed gut instinct, but the doctor was right -- still no teeth yet.

On December 5th, we went to a Christmas party at Atlanta Athletic Club, which was the site of Amanda's traumatic encounter with Santa last year.  This year, she did marginally better -- whereas last year, I had to hold a crying Amanda and stand between her and Santa, this year I got to hold Amanda next to Santa while she merely looked scared.  She also managed to mumble to Santa that she wanted a scooter and a Barbie Jeep for Christmas.  Progress!  (Santa held Reagan, and she did fine, not yet knowing how terrifying the right jolly old elf can be.)

Amanda had her first dentist appointment on December 8th, which was an experience.  Though the pediatric dentist office was really well set up for kids (lots of toys, whimsical paintings, etc.), Amanda was still a little overwhelmed by it all.  She still ended up doing great, all things considered, and we've been flossing and brushing every night since then.  All is well with her teeth, according to the dentist.  And I agree.

Amanda's preschool had their Christmas Music Program on December 14th, which was really cute.  The place was packed with parents pointing cameras at children displaying varying degrees of interest in what they had been practicing for weeks.  Amanda was adorable (of course), smiling and waving at us and occasionally singing.  I won't offer a review of the concert, but it looks like there is a tremendous increase in focus (and volume) between age three and age four, so next year's program should be even better.

Our church puts on a live nativity every year, and we went again this year.  Amanda was watching the show from my shoulders when she saw the three kings (far to the rear, awaiting their cue) and said, "I see kings!  I see the three kings!"  I love that she's already learning the story of Christmas, and I credit her preschool (at church) for helping that along.  Speaking of preschool, Amanda just loves it, and it's great to hear her talk about her day and her friends.  We're enjoying this now because in no time, she'll be a teenager and refuse to talk to us about school or friends.

Just before Christmas, we figured it was finally time to get Amanda her first haircut.  We love her long curly hair, but it was just looking rattier and rattier.  I had feared another dentist-like reaction, but she had no problem at all.  The kids-only haircut place did a great job making her feel comfortable and making it a special occasion.  We only took a couple of inches off, but it looks a lot better.  It can still get knotty, but it's better than it was.  Perhaps most importantly, the curls are still there!

For Christmas, my whole family got together in Atlanta, including my sisters who live out of state and who had not yet met Reagan.  Naturally, everyone loved her, thought she was adorable, etc. etc. etc.  Yawn.  Regarding Amanda, Santa proved to be a complete pushover and got her both the scooter and the Jeep.  She was thrilled with both, but the cold weather and our traveling have meant she has only been able to drive the Jeep once (on Christmas).  And those two-seater Jeeps aren't light, so every time I have to haul it up and down the driveway, I'll be silently cursing Santa.

As an added bonus, we actually had snow on Christmas day for the first time since 1882.  It forced us to cut Christmas dinner at my brother's house short so we could get home before everything froze, but Amanda, Susan, and I were able to get out and make a snowman in the dark.  (Reagan was inside being monitored by relatives.)  We then made another snowman, which promptly fell over.  Apparently I'm a little out of practice at building snowmen.

My family left on December 26th, and the next day, we drove to Merritt Island, Florida to visit some of Susan's family.  It took about 8 1/2 hours, but the drive went really well.  Both girls were great and really easy this time.  And traffic wasn't as bad as it tends to be in south Georgia, which was an unexpected boon.  In Florida, we got to see lots of family, including the girls' second cousin, Landon Ramirez, who will turn one in March.  He's adorable and is totally fearless, just like all boys.

When we visited the Florida family last year, we had gone fishing but failed to catch anything.  We didn't even get a bite.  This time, I promised Amanda we'd catch something, so I was starting to sweat a little bit when we were shut out for the first hour.  But then Susan's brother Hank found where the fish were hiding, so we ended up hauling in about a half dozen redfish, all of which were far too small to keep.  Still, Amanda didn't care -- she thought it was great to catch the fish, but she wouldn't finish reeling them in, and she sure wouldn't touch the fish once landed.

Also last year, we visited the Brevard Zoo, and Amanda was absolutely terrified of the monkeys, of all things.  After that experience, we explained to her that when she turns three, she won't be afraid of monkeys anymore.  Eager to put that little bit of seat-of-the-pants parenting to the test, we returned to the same zoo this year.  And this time it was a completely different experience -- Amanda loved the monkeys, saying afterward they were her favorite animals!  This parenting thing is a piece of cake, I tells ya!

New Year's Eve began with the lousy UGA team playing lousy in a lousy bowl and losing to a team from a lousy conference.  Worse yet, some of our Florida family actually went to UCF, so we expected to get an earful when we saw them later at a New Year's Eve party.  Fortunately, Billy and Robin were very gracious in victory and were proud of their team's first ever bowl win.  We Dawg fans can just try to pick up the pieces.

Developmental Milestones

While in Florida, we started Reagan on rice cereal, and the results were predictable -- lots going in the mouth, almost as much coming out.  She has been getting better at it each day, though, and we'll be introducing carrots and sweet potatoes soon.  Oh, goody . . . now the mess will be ORANGE!

Reagan still hasn't rolled over, but we expect that to happen any day now.  She used to get fussy after being on her back for about five minutes, and she absolutely hated "tummy time," probably because she usually face-planted whenever she tried to pick her head up.  Gradually, however, she has gotten stronger and stronger and can now hold her head up with no problem.  I think we did her a disservice by swaddling her for naps and bedtime for as long as we did (we didn't stop until just after Thanksgiving), but we're sure she'll catch up in no time.

In fact, by the time I post a new update, she'll probably be walking!