Reese Catherine turns 1!

Stats 'n' Stuff:

Weight:  24 1/2 lbs - 92nd percentile

Height:  30.75 inches - 93rd percentile

Hair: So white and so soft with such pretty curls!

The Schedule:  

7:00-8am -- We are up for the day!  
Between 8-9 east some breakfast (could be pancakes, french toast, waffles, banana or whatever her brother is having!  

Around 10:30, down for her morning nap.  Usually an hour to an hour and a half as long as we don't have the sniffles or teeth coming in!

After the morning nap is lunch time!  She girl isn't picky and anything that is small and soft will go down the hatch.  She likes fruit, veggies, hot dogs, lunch meat, cheese sticks oh.... and COOKIES!

In the afternoon she  may or may not take another nap!  Her afternoon schedule isn't as predictable.   

6-6:30 is dinner and she consistantly eats more than her brother!  

8pm - 9 oz. bottle and  she is out for the next 11-12 hours :-) 


new stuff:

She is walking!  This girl is off and to the races.  She really started walking good about 11 1/2 mo.  Just in time to make her big debut at her birthday party. 

She has 8 teeth - 4 on top and 4 on bottom. 

She isn't saying to many words -- her favorite by far is "DADDA" and "DAADDDDDY"  -- but she also calls me dadda so I think that is just her favorite word and everyone she loves is dadda :-)  She also says "DREW" and I think I caught her saing "Ouchie" the other day.  But hard telling! 

Favorite things to do: 
Playing around with Drew, jumping on Drew's Anywhere chair, pulling on the drill on the toy work bench, dancing, laughing and just lighting up everyone's day.  This girl is so full of joy - she can make any bad day a good one with her sweet little giggle and funny faces!

Below are some pictures of both her and Drew that we took a couple weeks before her brithday.  Funny because I made the session appointment for "Reese's 1 yr" -- but ended up with just one good one of Reese (pic at the top of the post) and SO MANY great ones of the two of them!  

We have lots of fun pictures from her 1 yr. party!  Grandma Lori flew down from Iowa and lots of Reese's favorite people were over at the house for her big celebration -- Grandma and Grandpa Merrill, mommy, daddy, Drew, Titi Raquel, 'Nando and Ali.  It was such a fun day! 

The night before Grandma Lori busted out her baking skills from 30 years ago!  She used to make us kids the most fun birthday cakes, so giving her the task of making a pink star cake for Reese was a challenge she wasn't affraid of! 

Twinkle Twinkle Little Start Theme........... 

Here comes the birthday girl -- FULL OF IT!

Drew was a good big brother  - helping her open the presents but not frustrated that he wasn't getting all of the attention.  

We got so many wonderful gifts from family near and far!  You all really made this such a special day :-)

Love you Ali!

Hey guys - this party thing is so much fun!

Posing......

Her very own Elmo!

Wait - what's going on over there?  And I don't know about these shoes mom.  My feet are probably too chuby for them!

Loving her new grocery shopping cart!  Pushing it around just like mommy!

Now we have a baby in the cart. 

Hurry up - we don't have a lot of time (just like mommy never has time!)

Hugs and snuggles from Titi

May have been her first real connection with a balloon :-)

The Smash Cake scene was one that we probably could have put on YouTube and gotten 1M views.  She killed it.  Started out no hands.  Stuck her face in it....

This is SOOOO good!  Back off, Drew. 

I think I'll keep going.......

Feels so good between my fingers!

Family Pic - what a fun day with these loves.

Grandma Lori's turn!

Next up -- Grandma and Grandpa Merrill

Now it's Titi, Nando and Ali's turn -- we were missing Brandon!

More party pics.... out of sequence but so beautiful I have to include them all!

Drew - I love you, but back off.  This is my party!

YEAH!!!!

WHOA.  What. Is. This?.

Feels so good on my nose. 

Really?  I can do this?

Reese Catherine Merrill - words cannot describe the love you have brought us this year.  You are a charmer that is silly, sassy, fun and sweet.  We absolutely love everything about you and every little piece of you!  We thank the Lord every day for the joy and love you bring to our family!

Happy Birthday Reesie Piecie!

Iowa summer... Love.

Yes, it's really August 1st and I am posting about a trip from June 18th -- where has this summer gone??? 

Anywho... last year we were unable to make our annual trip back to Iowa over the summer because I was too pregnant to travel.  Now...a year later we made a trip with a family of 4 back to the heartland for some beautiful Iowa weather and see our family that we love so dearly! 

Just before the trip (a few days I would say), Reese started taking her first steps. I bought her these little silver sandals and she started wearing them all around.  She is loving her independence!

Where is daddy in this picture???  Oh yeah... he's sleeping too :-) 

Grandma Lori picked us up!  Big hugs from both Drew and Reese!

Afternoon snack at Grandmas!  

Our first night there, we got the firepit going and Drew caught lightning bugs for the very first time.  This was probably one of the top 3 highlights of the entire trip!  He thought it was soooo cool!  We did it everynight we were home!  

In the pic below Kelby and him are putting their catches in a jar... Kelby was REALLY good at getting them -- definitely the fastest of the boys!

Catchin' lightning bugs!  

Moving from thing to thing...becoming very mobile!

On Friday, my dear from Becky Brandt (Rebecca Thomas) came over to the Holstein park to see me and the kids.  She brought 2 out of 3 of her own.  Reese and Kylie had fun (well, Reese was hugging and attacking her all at the same time) but Brody and Drew had a blast!  Drew loves playing with other boys that are just a few years older -- so Brody was right up his alley, he brought is baseball helmet, bat and ball.  

LOVE her little face here! 

Lunch at Great Grandma Butchers! 

Getting her balance with Grandpa Butcher

Grandma Betty's chocolate pie???  Uh, YES PLEASE! 

My heart is smiling. 

Drew was also introduced to a Slip'n'Slide for the first time!  Ethan and Luke of course showed him how it was done! 

Aunt Melissa getting her baby fix!  She is due with #2 in just a few weeks!  We can't wait!

Look at these boys - they are growing up so fast!

Oh boy!  Now it's time for another "Top 3" --- driving the payloader with Grandpa Butcher!  I think Grandpa had just as much fun as Drew did... especially when he pretended to dump Ronnie and I off into a pile of wet corn!

Learning from Grandpa...

If the payloader wasn't enough... then this big JOHN DEERE TRACTOR would be! This one made the top of the list. Grandpa let Drew sit in the cab and help him drive it from Uncle Ben's up to his place.  Drew's was in silent awe.  He has a miniature one at home that he drives around the neighborhood - so doing the "real thing" was pretty awesome!

MMmmm....I love my milk Grandpa!

All snuggled in with a movie, some popcorn (filled with sweet treats) and lots of cousin love!

Love this picture of a TRUE dirt road.  We used to ride this dirt road with Grandpa Butcher on his motorcycle as kids.  We would ride out and pick mulberries and visit "The Spooky Old Tree".  I have some great memories as a kid out on the farm and it just brings me so much joy to be able to share it with our kids. 

Lookin' for the baby kitty cats in the machine shed -- we know they are hiding in here somewhere!

Checkin' out the little piggies in the barn!

Back to Grandma Lori's for Sunday lunch and one more round of bounce house in the yard! 

Freese Pops -- YES PLEASE!

Now this is one proud Grandma!

Nothing makes a trip to Iowa better than a stop by in Ames!  We flew home out of Des Moines, so on Sunday night we stayed in Ames at dad and Connie's apartment so the journey on Monday morning wasn't so long traveling home.  It was great to be back in Ames -- one of my favorite places on earth!... And I think Ronnie likes it too :-) 

Reese loves Ames too!

We have committed to going to Okoboji to the lake next summer as part of our annual Iowa trip and I am already thinking about all the fun things we can do with Drew and Reese -- one more year older.  It just keeps getting better and better.