Happy 2 month Birthday, Reesie Pooh!

The numbers are in...and so far Reesie Pooh is growing like a weed! 

At his 2 month check-up, he weighed a whopping 13.6 pounds :)  He's our little chunker.  He's already doubled his birthweight, and our doc says that most babes don't do that until they reach 5 months.  Needless to say, Reese is in the 95th percentile in weight. 

And...he's in the 30th percentile for height...which, for one of our children, is pretty dang good! 

Although he laughs a lot, he's not much of a smiler...he's more contemplative.  When he does smile...his dimples are deep...and we can tell that he'll have a gap in between his two front teeth like big brother, Emmanuel.  

My goal is to get one of his gummy, gappy smiles on camera before his 4 month check-up....I have a feeling that he will cut a tooth around 4-41/2 months...so I need to capture his gummy grin while I can.  

Thanks for all of your prayers for our chunky man! 

Emmanuel...the rockstar!

Emmanuel LOVES music...and he especially LOVES the guitar (go figure, we move to Nashville, and the little one falls in love with guitars!) 

"Baby Reese" got Emmanuel a guitar for being the best big brother in the world.  Eli and Emmanuel opened the guitar when Reese came home from the hospital. 

After church on Sundays, Emmanuel and the other little ones run up front to bang on the drums. 

(He also preaches!)

Wherever there is music, Emmanuel will find it, listen to it, and start dancing. 

The Country Music Hall of Fame hosts a Petting Zoo for Instruments.  We have been to two of them...

We even got to take the two little cousins so that they could play instruments, too. 

And, we are starting Baby Reese out young...he was tired of all of the loud music in this picture...and made sure to tell us it was time to go home. 

Below is a video of Emmanuel practicing his guitar.  I guess it's a good thing that we live in a city where the stores, downtown, and even some parks are decorated with guitars.  E feels right at home! 

Don't Worry...They Will Be the Best of Friends..."

If I have heard any advice since having a second boy, the aforementioned phrase takes the cake. People are constantly telling me that even though it's hard right now, it will all be worth it because my boys will be the "best of friends." 

In typical Carmen fashion, I struggle with this statement.  I struggle because I want so much more for my boys.  I don't want them to be the best of friends.  I want them to be better than that.  I want them to be spiritual friends...I want them to be so captivated by God's love that they challenge one another, that they encourage one another, and that they pray with one another...that they are truly brothers. 

Notice I said, "pray with" instead of "pray for."  Anybody can pray "for" you...but those with whom you are truly spiritually intimate pray "with" you.  They know your hurts, your struggles, the thorns in your flesh...these are the select few that pray "with" you.  

So, my hope and prayer for Emmanuel and Reese is much more than calling each other weekly and playing ball at family gatherings...my desire is that they would be on their knees together...that they would approach the throne of grace not just on behalf of the other, but with the other...that they would hold one another accountable...that they would lift one another up...

Will they be friends...probably...but we want them to truly be brothers.

Squishable, Huggable, Lovable

that's me!

Hi, everyone, I'm Reese.  Also known as Reesie Pooh, Baby Reese, and Eli's look-a-like.  Since it was taking my mama a long time to update the blog, I figured that I would help her out a bit. Mama says that I'm so squishable.  I'm only 7 weeks, but I don't think that's a word!  

Here are some pictures of me from weeks 5 and 6 of my life. 

Mama likes the pictures of James IV and me because she's amazed at how I "look" at him.  I look at him like he reminds me of someone...I don't know who, but my mama says he looks a whole lot like my late granddaddy. 

I love classical music.  Like, seriously...anytime I'm fussy and my parents can't figure it out, they turn on the classical music and all is right in the world. 

Mama doesn't want to forget that my little ankles went from really bony to chubby, so she keeps taking pictures of them.  She keeps saying I'm growing so fast that she can't keep up with me. 
And sometimes when it's just me and her, she will look at me and start crying.  Then she mumbles something about how I'm her last child and she wants to cherish every moment. 

Most of the time my big bro is pretty nice to me.  He likes to read to me and hold me.  He also talks to me in this language that he created himself.  When he is tired, he doesn't want much to do with me.  This drives mama crazy.  He starts crying, then I start crying, and she runs back and forth.  Poor lady. 

Another trick Emmanuel and I like to play on mama is this:  when mama gets Emmanuel down for a nap, she thinks, "Aaaahhhh...now would be a good time to get some rest myself."  Just when she lifts her legs to put her feet up, I begin to cry!  LOL.  Or...in the morning when mama thinks she can get in a quick run before we both wake up, I start to grunt so that she can take me with her.  The best is at Emmanuel's bedtime...just when he closes his eyes to go to sleep...I scream bloody murder...then she has to focus on me.  What can I say, I just like my alone time with mom.  

For the most part, I'm a pretty content newborn.  I do love to eat, and I spit up a lot.  That's one thing that is really different from my big brother.  He did not spit up much at all.  I, however, should enter a newborn baby spitting up contest!  I spit up on myself, mama's clothes, and my favorite is to spit up in mama's hair.  It takes her forever to wash and retwist her locks...so when I spit up in her hair...she has to pray for extra grace.  

People keep asking my mama if she's giving me formula to make me grow so big and strong.  I don't think they believe her when she says it's just breastmilk.  She is anxiously awaiting my 2 month check-up to find out how much I weigh.  

There you have it, folks:  an updated blog with pictures of me!  I'll try to make sure to give mama a little more rest so that it doesn't take her so long to update the blog again, and Emmanuel and I will be a little sweeter and try to get on the same schedule in a few months...well, or years...it's funny seeing mama run around crazy trying to keep up with the both of us! 

A visit from the West Coast

Aunt Heather came to the East Coast to visit family, and she made a trip to Nashville to spend some time with Baby Reese and Emmanuel.  She was joined by Grammie Judy and Uncle Wil. It's always a nice challenge when Heather comes to visit because she is a vegetarian and I have to think outside of the box when preparing meals.  She's also a great guest to have because she not only loves on the kids, but she also takes time for herself and engages with us old heads.

Reese might look a bit fussy in this pic, but don't be fooled he eventually fell asleep as she rocked him from side to side.  

Emmanuel in all of his creative glory took Aunt Heather's crochet hooks and made them his drumsticks for the day! 

And a visit wouldn't be complete without some sort of sibling competition! 

I think that Heather and Emmanuel beat Wil and Eli...but this is just a guess! 

Heather, thanks for coming into our chaotic-newborn/toddler world.  Next time I'd like to take you to the nature center that's down the street from our house so that you can school my boys on all of the colorful birds that we see.