How many balls?

How many do you think the little munchkin got in the hoop?

(answer is at the end of the next post-leave a comment with your guess :)

Steven update

I figured a post was about due, and who else do you think I'd post about but Steven? :) Love my little man...he is growing up so fast and I can hardly believe it! Shirts that around Christmas time I thought were way too big when I looked at them are now becoming belly shirts and Steven is starting to be able to reach up onto the counter and even up on the stove to almost turn it on! The controls are at the bottom...luckily there is a control lock knob that we have put to good use. He can now make baskets in his hoop and almost slam dunk it :) The answer to the above post is down below by the way. Anyways, enjoy the pics of my little man! 

First time with brain freeze eating frozen yogurt.

Looking out the plane window on our way to Idaho (it was such a fun, but short, trip! I love my sisters and family and can't wait for another sister weekend!)

Picture perfect :)

Even in Idaho without Daddy's influence the boy managed to find a wii remote :)

This boy sure loves his stuffed bears!

Back to Texas...he doesn't just throw balls...he throws EVERYTHING!! Including his silverware (and food) at dinner time. He had good aim this time and broke my plate :-/ Don't worry, I didn't try to glue it back together like I have some of our other plates in the past. This one went in the trash :)

I was cleaning up his room and had put all his stuffed animals in the rocking chair...he then climbed up and sat himself right in the mist of them and just sat there for a long time smiling like a co-conspirer or something :)

While cleaning up our room-Steven found Daddy's backpack he usually takes to work (he'd forgotten it this week) and wanted in on

He wore it for quite a while playing before he decided he'd had enough :)

Also when cleaning, Steven got all the books and some of his toys from our bookshelf and threw them up on the bed. Then he climbed up and this is how I found him when I came out of our closet-reading :)

I'm so glad he has a love for books! He will often just sit and look through them by himself, and a lot of times when I'm sitting in the chair reading he'll bring over his book, throw it on my lap, climb up, and sit there and read while I read-its the cutest thing :) And he'll even point out things he knows or just point and jabber like he's reading to me, makes it hard sometimes to read to him because he gets mad and tells me, "No!" which I take to mean he wants to read to me :)

And the answer is....

11 balls! Ha! Silly goose...he thought he was the funniest thing ever going up and putting more and more balls in. He'd turn and look at me and put his hand over his mouth while laughing hysterically after each ball :) What a cutie...I think we'll keep him :)

Introducing...

McKenzie Stacie Reese!! We found out Friday that we have having a little girl join our family around June 9th and we couldn't be more excited! I always thought I wanted another boy, but for most of this pregnancy I thought we might be having a girl but then I really wasn't sure. When we found out I squealed and was way more excited than I thought I'd be to be honest. If anyone knows mike than they know and can imagine his excitement and the huge proud grin on his face when we found out. He can now say, "my girls" and already calls her his little princess and daddy's little girl. So yea, he's not excited at all ;)

Steven just laughed when we asked him if he knew it was McKenzie who was coming down and said, "yea!" (btw he says yea all the time and to everything) and he was just laughing ad smiling when we talked to him about it and how he better be a goo big brother and protect her from all the boys and share his toys with her. This poor kid has no idea whats about to happen. He is going through a super jealousy phase where we can't hold any kids without him freaking out. We can't even hug each other or have me sit on mike's lap without him coming over and insisting he be on our laps too or join in the family hug. It's cute and we love it but I really wonder how he is going to do when McKenzie comes :-/ I guess we'll see!

Below are a few pics of our sweet girl and then a photo shoot where I was trying to get Steven's haircut and he was being goofy an silly. I just loves his personality and wanted to post all of them so you all could see it too. Just imagine an infectious little laugh and him saying "cheese" through the pictures because that's what he was doing :)

Mike's Internship

This is a non-picture post...but for those who are curious, Mike got an internship! He's shadowing his older brother Kevin who is an administrator at a nursing home facility called Ensign which is in Paris, Texas. He's going on his third week now, but really he's only been on site for a few days due to Kevin being out of town for training or different things. But during those times Mike has stayed busy reading the policies and procedures and getting familiar with the company. We're both hoping this could lead into a job after the internship, and so far the possibilities are looking good!

Mike has said that he loves the challenging business aspect where its almost like a game trying to cut costs while providing the best care, but he still gets to touch lives and interact with lots of people and feel like he's making a difference. Its long hours, but that doesn't seem to bug him. And when I say long hours, I mean LOOOONG hours. Each day he's gone he has left before I'm awake, and gets home after Steven's asleep. Some of that has to do with the process of his brother (who's his ride) turning a failing facility around and so it needs a lot of TLC right now. The other reason is its in Paris...which is 1 1/2 hours away. Because the days have been spaced he's still been able to come home some, but starting this Wed Mike will be staying up there to save on gas and time. This week will only be two nights, but normally he'll leave early Monday morning and get back late Friday night. There's a studio apartment that he's brother stays at off of the facility so he'll be bunking with him and on the occasions when Kev comes home, Mike will be able to as well, but I'm trying not to count on that so I don't get disappointed when/if it doesn't happen.

As far as work for me, I've moved my days to be Thurs, Fri, Sat nights so that Mike can watch Steven for most of the time I'm sleeping, we'll just need help Friday's when I sleep. So yes, if you've done the math you'll have realized that Mike and I will only have Sundays together which really kinda stinks, and it makes me really sad just thinking about it, but both of us feel really good about him spending this much time up there and its only for about 5-6 weeks. Anything is doable, and we want to raise Steven and be there with him so its a sacrifice we're willing to make. I can't wait till the time I can stay home full time and that day is fast approaching-especially if he gets a job right after graduating this April! Wow what a blessing that would be!

I'm so proud of Mike and all that he does for our family. He has really stepped it up this pregnancy when I really didn't feel like doing anything most of the days and became such a slop. He cleaned, did laundry, took care of Steven, and did school. I did help...just not as much as I normally do but Mike stepped up and helped where I lacked. Thankfully I"m over all of the annoying tiredness and nausea for the most part-I actually want to eat again and can drink water more than a little at a time! YAY!! And now that I'm better, Mike has taken to the long hours, sacrificing and learning/doing more just to ensure our family's security and well being. He is a hard worker, the love of my life, and such a good daddy. I couldn't ask for a better man...I love him so much! So thank you Michael, for all that you do and being a worthy preisthood holder, hard worker, and dedicated daddy to our children...Love you!

Steven's hair cut :(

Wow...I didn't realize how attached I had gotten to my little boys curls, but when it came down to it I cried before, I cried during, and for a few days after when I'd think of it or look at pics at work I'd start crying again!! I blame the pregnancy :) but really, for not even wanting to grow his hair out in the first place, I really grew to love them. Mike wanted him to be Thor for Halloween and so of course we had to grow out the hair. I would've never known he had curls if it weren't for that. And then I came to run my fingers through them when singing him songs, or loving and admiring how they formed little ringlets! My girls need that hair :) it was beginning to look scraggly though and we got a lot of comments about him being a girl. In fact when I took him to the doc when he had strep the nurse took us into a Cinderella room and then while swapping kept saying, "Hold still pretty girl, we're almost done sweetie. There we go you doll. She's just so cute!" I didn't have the heart to correct her, I was laughing inside no worries, but yes I decided after Christmas pictures it was time. And so it happened. I was a mess and cried like crazy ad mike had to cut the first curl. It's okay though...my little man is still cute, has the same fun loving attitude as I just love him. He has gotten to where he says cheese for the camera whenever he sees it which I think is cute :) anywho...enjoy the pics of Steven with short hair. Oh and ps, mike misses the curls too but likes that Steven looks more like him now :) okay one last funny story about the last two pics. So I have discovered that washing Stevens mouth out with soap will be an ineffective discipline. The silly boy likes to eat it!! Gross!! I had to scrap the soap outta his mouth and he got so
Mad when I took the bar away and wouldn't give it back. Silly silly goose :)

Last of Stevens curls...

This is the last post of containing pics of Steven's curls :( well I guess of I ever put up Christmas pics those will have them still. The pics are a mixture obviously from before, during, and right after our visit to idaho. I know you cant really see the curls in the one of Steven and Angela but i love that pic showing them looking out the window together and thought Angela would enjoy it too. I also realize the one of him on the bunk bed doesn't show them off, but i wanted to document how Steven loves climbing up the ladder and onto the top bunk that is in his room. It scares the begeezes outta me because he'll go in there when we are all talking in a different room or if I'm in the shower and then start crying because he's stuck! Thankfully he has never tried getting down by himself and we've had many time outs and he finally has stopped doing it for the most part. Anyways, hope you all enjoy!

Halloween

Wow super late right? Sorry...better late than never and these aren't going to be the longest and best posts since I'm only using pics that are on my phone but if you don't like it than deal with it because that's just how's its gotta be right now :) Steven was Thor for Halloween and I made the costume!! Super impressed? You should be :) haha jk, but I was excited and Mike approved so all was well and good in the Reese house hold for Halloween :) So anyways, enjoy and hope your Halloween forever ago was just as fun as ours!