Wineries, Golf, and Cousins!

So the past few weeks have been very eventful.....as you can tell by the fact that I have been sorely slacking in the blog postings! I am back at work now and slowly adjusting to life as a working mom. So far, it is going A-OK. We had Maggie, our nanny, start the week before I actually headed back so we were able to get adjusted to how things would be once I actually headed back. This was a WONDERFUL idea as it allowed me to work out many of my tears before I actually had to be function on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong, Maggie is wonderful and Reese seems to really like her, but it is certainly an adjustment for me after 4 months of solid Reese/Mommy time. I am doing OK though and I am sure it will get easier as days go by. For now, I am back at work 4 days per week (I am off on Wednesdays) and working 9am-6pm. Reese is a morning baby for sure, so I get up around 5:30 and get ready for work so that I have a few solid hours with her before I have to head out the door. Then, we have a few good hours together when I get home as well. It seems to be balancing pretty well. It is hard, but it is for the best!

This past weekend, our good friends Pablo and Sarah came up to visit us from Phoenix. It was a good time! We did the wineries, a little golfing (yes, you CAN golf with a baby strapped to the front of you), and all in all spent a great weekend together. I am still not sure if my golf game was helped or hindered by having Reese attached to me, but given a 2 stroke handicap (per hole) I actually won. Without the handicap, well....we won't discuss that.

Last, but certainly not least, we welcome our new niece Sarah Nichole to the world this weekend. Todd's brother Kevin and his girlfriend Val became the proud parents of this beautiful little girl and Reese is so excited to have a cousin so close in age! We are looking forward to meeting her when we head down to Tucson in a couple of weeks! Congrats to Kevin and Val and welcome little Miss Sarah Nichole!

Soccer Games, Hikes, and Birthdays!

All things considered, it has been a busy week for us here in Oregon! Last Thursday we took Reese to her first semi-professional soccer game (mine too for that matter). Portland has a team called the Timbers that play here at PGE Park. Next year, they will actually be joining the MLS, so they are a pretty big deal. Our friends Leslie and Dave have season tickets and were nice enough to give us tickets to a game that they were unable to attend. Reese actually did quite well in her Baby Bjorn and seemed to enjoy the game. It was also helpful that it was so loud that any fussing she did do, was drowned out by the authentic soccer cheers that were sweeping the stadium. Quite the experience for all of us! Loved it though and would not hesitate to go again in the future!

Monday was Todd's birthday and his simple wish was to take Reese for her very first hike. So we ventured about 2 miles from our house to Mt. Talbert Nature Park for a quick 3 mile hike. The weather was a little questionable, but we managed to complete the hike with only a slight drizzle. That is the beauty of the dense woods up here....they keep the rain from actually reaching you on the forest floor! Reese got all dressed up in her "nature gear" and jumped (ok maybe didn't quite jump) into the Baby Bjorn once again for her next adventure! We saw deer, played "hide and seek", and Daddy even picked up a snail....yuck! Not so much as a tear from Reese! I think she thoroughly enjoyed herself!
Being Todd's big 3-2, we of course had a feast that night! Or maybe I should say a "fiesta"! I made him his favorites....Chili Rellenos, Barbacoa Beef, Homemade Refried Beans, Key Lime Pie, and of course, Margaritas!! Mmmmmm....good!!!
Other than that, we are prepping for my return to work next week. The nanny (Maggie) actually started today so that I can have a week to "observe" and get myself and Reese (OK....more me) ready for the big transition next week. It was definitely hard this morning....a few tears were shed (mine...), but all in all, I feel good about our decision to hire a nanny and I think all will be A-OK!!! This is all just part of the process!

New Video Montage

Well, I know we have already shared about a million pictures of our little girl, but I couldn't help putting together a little montage that captures the highlights of Reese's first 3 months all in one place!
It is absolutely amazing how much she has already changed in those 3 short months. She has covered a lot of ground already in her days and this is just the beginning! What a wonderful journey it will be! Enjoy!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Frequent Flyer Miles Anyone??

At 3 1/2 months of age, Reese has been on 8 flights, visited 8 states (including airports), and had her toes in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans....Whew!!! Tiring stuff for both Baby and Parents! Hence the fact that it has been a little long since my last post to the blog here....sorry about that! Now, if only I could figure out how to take advantage of her frequent flyer miles....I guess at least she flys free for now! (Although Southwest Airlines did make me provide a copy of her birth certificate to prove that she was not two years old) But, we are back in full effect and will be continuing my weekly updates for our friends both near and far!

(On one of the many flights in this journey)
(Nanny Miller and Reese had to pause for a quick photo op in the Washington Dulles Airport)

We just returned from our two week journey to New Jersey and Arizona. We were planning on AZ already, but the NJ part was a but unexpected. My Aunt Marcy passed away after a battle with ALS on August 15th. It is so hard to say goodbye to such a wonderful person and loved family member. It was important for me to head back for the funeral. Bringing Reese along was a juggling act, but it was SO good to have her there. There is just something about a baby that helps to make the sadness a little less painful. If there is a bright spot in all of it, it is that Reese had the chance to meet so many of her family members that are so far away....cousins, uncles, family friends. People she may not otherwise have had the chance to meet for quite some time. It is just unfortunate that it was under such tough circumstances.

(Reese with her 3rd Cousins Olivia and Lily)

After the trip to the east coast, we continued our journey in AZ where we spent time with family and friends. Reese even took her very first spin around campus at U of A!!! (Man, did I feel old....) I affectionately call the trip the Tour de Reese! Todd joined us about halfway through the trip, so we were able to spend some time traveling as an entire family. It is amazing how quickly we have acclimated to the Portland weather....it was HOT in Arizona!!! I only wish we would have seen a good monsoon storm while we were there. No such luck. Instead, we had to settle for some authentic Mexican food....bummer!

(Spending time with Grandma and Grandpa Spencer)




(Hanging out with Aunt Holly in Phoenix)
(Meeting Uncle Kevin for the first time)

(Her first piano lessons with "Aunt" Sarah and "Uncle" Ryan)

It was a great trip and a good way to spend some of these last few weeks before I head back to work (September 14th)!