Showin' some Leg

Here is Reese this morning in the parking lot of the day care just before we went inside.

You know when you come across some random article of clothing that your child has only worn maybe once (if at all)? And you know when that article of clothing has already been outgrown?

Well that is how Reese came to wear this little red number. I saw it in the closet, didn't really recognize it and realized it was for a 12 month old. Reese outgrew 12-month-old-clothes when she was about 6 months old...oops.

Sure, Reese is showin' a bit more leg than normal, and those shoes may not quite fit that well anymore (I brought her Crocks just in case)...but darn it, I'm gunna get one last use out of that thing before it joins the copious amount of other ill-fitting clothes stored in one of the ten-thousand big plastic bins at our house.

The Bathing Beauty

We did dinner, we hit up the park, we came home and played with dog in the back yard, now we're taking a bath. Next we'll throw on some PJs and get ready for bed. That's a solid three hours for a Thursday
evening.

We'll see you in the morning.

Dinner Time

At Schlotzsky's for dinner...mommy's working late tonight.

Good Morning

Up earlier than usual today. Reese is waiting for me to finish getting
ready so it will be her turn.

Reese wants to say something...
Hb. CSgdszzz mjv zVv m b b .&)76)!&@!!?!)?$)787)fhmkjh

... She likes the way it "clicks" when you type.

Ouch, That Smarties

The unfortunate side effect of the antibiotic that Reese is taking for
her sinus infection is a raging diaper rash that brings her to tears
at the very mention of a diaper change.

The most effective cure for the unavoidable melt down from said diaper
change is roll of Smarties.

On our way to school

Another morning, another ride pointing out "koo bus" (school bus),
"big poo" (YMCA pool) and "big truk" (18-wheeler).

After school play

Reese had a great day at school today. No effects of last weeks fever.

When I picked her up today, she grabbed my face, looked me in the eyes
and assured me she took a nap today (something we stress to her on a
regular basis), "DADDY, I took nap...DADDY, I took nap!!!"

Mobile test

In light of the underwhelming amount of new posts on this site, I will
be attempting to update you on the latest Reese info via my iPhone.

If this works...y'all can expect a much more steady flow of postings
(allbeit short).

Fingers crossed.

This was how Reese looked the moment she woke up this
morning...literally THE moment.

Enjoy...

Buy our House!

We've run out of room in our great little starter-home that we've loved for the past 6 years. Just like hitting the drive-thru at Micky-D's, we've supersized our living space with the purchase of a palatial estate just a few miles north (by palatial estate I mean a bigger house). We are now left with two mortgages so our little gem with great location must go.

A friend and I have just put together a web site that sings the praises of my newly listed property. Stop by and check it out...be sure to scope the built-in grill on the back patio that I built a couple of years ago...great for entertaining!

Palmetto Woods Home dot com

Coming soon:

Palmetto Woods Home dot com

Get yer Christmas On!

Currently...

We rarely sift through digital photos quickly enough to deem them current by the time they are posted. This is a rare exception.

Most all of these pics were taken this past weekend...enjoy.

It's hard getting motivated in the morning without your coffee

Rockin' out at the Westside Park

Tryin' on a new lid at Target

Enjoying the cool temps and the warm sun at Possum Creek Park



All bundled up to enjoy the Christmas lights at North Florida Regional Hospital

A Photo Comparison

Here we are, almost 20 months into our lives with Reese. Sure she's grown, but it's always interesting to see photographic evidence. We re-created a photo that had been candidly taken in June 2007 when Reese was a mere 2 months old. Same position, same TV tray, same pose, NOT the same size kid!

June 2007
November 2008

Poster of the Day

Sappy? yes...but it seemed to fit the image.

The Gator Family - photo of the day

On our way to one of the Gator Volleyball games at the O'Connell Center a couple of weeks ago.

A moment of spaz...

I know it must seem like we only take photos and shoot videos at Gator Volleyball games, but we just happen to catch these great Reese-moments when she is surrounded by the excitement, energy and fanfare that comes with an arena filled with orange and blue clad Gators.

Of those orange and blue clad Gators is Reese's absolute favorite attendee of said Volleyball games...Alberta. NOTE: for those of you not in the know...Alberta is the female mascot of the University of Florida.

Reese can spot Alberta from across the arena, and when she does...she let's everyone around know it. The video below does a good job of illustrating Reese's reaction to seeing Alberta.



Although her excitement for seeing Alberta is palpable, her willingness to actually go down and have a face-to-face is much, much less enthusiastic. As we approach the lovable overstuffed alligator, Reese's eyes are solidly fixed on our big green target. Her focus is undeniable, but the closer we get, the more timid our little Gator fan becomes. By the time we are at an arm's distance, Reese usually has put the death grip around Mommy's neck and has her head buried in her clavicle as if to protect herself from certain abduction.

With much coaxing, Reese'll momentarily lift her head but she's careful to not take her skeptical eyes off of the shifty Alberta. Our first trip to Disney ought to be fun!

Gettin' Jiggy...Take #2

Reese Gettin' Jiggy

While at the Gator Volleyball game (08-29-08), I caught Reese getting caught up in the excitement of the time-out...hilarious!
Enjoy...

Reese, being Reese

filmed on Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Week 4 of Swimming

Last week Reese finished her swim classes. She can definitely swim short distances, but I am more impressed with her floating ability. She had to swim-float in her "summer" clothes (as seen below) and in her "winter" clothes. Among a variety of techniques used to ensure Reese would be comfortable in any situation, the teacher flipped her into the pool and put her in vertically. Each time Reese would flip onto her back and float. Sometimes for what seemed like hours!

Picture of the Day:

15 Months Old Today!

After 2 weeks of lessons, Paul and I are shocked every day by Reese's ability to master swimming. Today she did the following exhibition, over and over and over again.

Climbing Mountains

Last week we first discovered our baby learned how to climb up onto her changing table. While walking by her doorway, I found her sitting indian-style on top of the table, grinning sheepishly at me. Below is a video I managed to capture today.

Swim Lessons - Day 4

A bit of a breakthrough today at Reese's swim lesson. No, she didn't swim the length of the pool unassisted...no, she didn't shave any time off of her PR in the 50m...no, she didn't retrieve all of the dive sticks from the bottom of the deep-end in a single breath...BUT, she did go through the whole lesson with barely any crying! It's all relative folks.

Reese actually appeared to understand what it is she's supposed to be doing. Her kicking was much more spirited. She reached for Ms. Kelly and the wall with equal amounts of determination, she didn't swallow any water and she looked soo darn cute throughout the whole thing! With only 4 lessons under her belt, I imagine that at the end of the 4th or 5th week there won't be any dive sticks left at the bottom of the deep end.

Kicking, but not screaming


The fear has been replaced with fun


She's gettin' it now



"Last one"


Gettin' ready for Daycare in the back of the car


stay tuned...

Swim Lessons - Day 3

Our little girl has begun her journey into the world of aquatic self-sufficiency. With summer in full swing and a pool just beyond the kitchen door, the need to have our curious, fearless and daring baby swimming has become a necessity.

Enrolled in the Infant Swim Resources (ISR) program at a local club pool, Reese will be hitting the water every morning at 7:30 for a 10 minute, one-on-one session with her instructor — Kelly Kirkpatrick. By the end of the 4-6 weeks of classes Reese should have gone from sinking like a rock to swimming like a dolphin.

To this point, with only three classes under her belt, Reese is just trying to get the hang of finding the wall, reaching for it and holding onto it. She almost has the "hold your breath" and the "don't drink the water" part down.

We'll try to update you periodically throughout her swim progression so you too can witness the evolution of our 2024 Olympic swimmer. Here is some visual representation of how today's lesson went:

Before the Lesson Began:


During the Lesson:


Ten minutes after it begins, Reese is wiped out:


A bit of the Action: