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!

Mike's Triathlon

Yay Daddy! About a week ago Mike was able to do his first triathlon!! Steven and I couldn't be more proud of him :)

Mike's parents and his brother also did the tri.

Swimming 350 meters...

Biking 11 miles...

Running 3 miles with your brother cheering you on and sister-in-law taking pictures?...

 Priceless

Mike worked so hard and did so well! He's end time, I can't remember exactly, but it was around 1:35 I believe. I'm so proud of you honey! Can't wait till next year when we do a triathlon together! :)

Steven is ONE!

 

Today is the munchkin's birthday...can't believe its been a year! It was fun to think last night, "Okay and now was when we went into the hospital, and now my water was broken..." etc etc etc :) I feel like we had him just yesterday, and yet it feels like we've always had Steven. All I know is that life wouldn't be complete without him and I'm so glad that we are blessed enough to be his parents. Once again, don't know how we got so lucky but I sure am glad!

 

Mike did all of the decorating and I think he did a great job! He got all the plates and stuff when they were discounted right after the movie came out, or sometime around then.

If you couldn't tell from the opening picture, this year's birthday party had the theme of "The Avengers". Guess who picked the theme? :) This shirt is still a little big, but for an 18 month shirt I think it looks pretty good huh? And of course I had to show off his curls :)

The fam sporting our super hero shirts.

I know he's not an Avenger, but Spiderman was the easiest cake to decorate so yea., don't judge

Opening presents...Thanks again everyone!

This boy LOVES his balls! He always has one in his hand, or hands. His favorite thing to do is take the harder ones and throw them on the wood floor because of the noise they make...unfortunately that's not so nice for the wood floor. So we got him some soft balls! Problem fixed right? Nope! He's already taken a few chunks outta these balls...he also loves to eat and chew everything :)

What else do you think he'd get besides super hero toys? ;) He actually loves his little people...he carries them around with him a lot, usually one in one hand and two in the other.

Cake time! I need to put up the video, but we need to figure out how to get it off the video camera so enjoy the pics for now and then the one video I got from my phone

 

 The kiddos decorating and eating their super hero cakes

Me, a mess? What? :) 

 

All cleaned up and playing with his toys...thanks for a great birthday everyone! 

 

I'm sad that this picture is blurry, but today, on his actually birthday, I had the fridge open and Steven came running over and grabbed a pear. He walked around all morning with it before we went to church, eating away. Yep, all he wanted on his birthday was a pear to eat :) Don't mind his top nakedness...I just didn't want his Sunday shirt to get all sticky.

 

 Friday we were invited to go bowling with Rob and Tamar, so we went of course! We ended up putting the back of the stroller down and sitting Capri in it...they actually did really well! I'm so glad that Steven has a cousin his age, only 1 month older! They're little partners in crime and its so fun to watch them play together. Although Capri and his other cousin Ryan are scared of him I think. He gets so excited and will go up to them all smiles of course, and grab their shirts and not let go when they try to run and away, or he'll keep walking and bulldoze them over, so either way they all end up on the ground usually. Kinda funny and cute, but we're trying to teach him boundaries. He use to do that when he was crawling, he'd put his head down and while laughing put his head down and crawl as fast as he could into other kid's legs. Even Parker and my visiting teacher's three year old would get scared of him because he's strong an wouldn't stop! No fear right? Anyways, back to bowling. Steven really does love his cousins and it was fun to see him...he'd keep leaning back and putting his head on Capri and smiling or laughing at her. Capri was such a good sport. As you can see from the pictures she also used him as a foot rest so he was a pretty good sport as well :)

Remember when I said Steven was crawling on top/into everything? Here's the proof!

 

  

(in this one he crawled on top and then got stuck, poor kid :)

 And here's the proof that he's learned how to open the dresser drawer

 And here's more proof that he loves balls :) And BYU, compliments of his Uncle Elder Ryan.

And last but not least, my baby boy's curls...love them so much! We're going to be getting his 1 year old pictures this week and then probably cutting his hair...makes me kinda sad but I think it needs to be done. When its wet it goes down past his shoulders and a few people have mistaken him for a girl, and we don't do his hair every day and then he just looks like a ragamuffin so yes, I think the time has come. 1 year old and wiser too...Happy Birthday to you my handsome baby boy! Thank you for coming to our family, we love you so much!!