11 Months

Height: 30ish inches (Yes, I know the last few months have said this, but I honestly haven't measured him)

Weight: 21 lb

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Blue

Food: Still a big eater. He can eat more in one sitting than I ever thought a child his size could. Since he finally has teeth we have been trying more types of food, like sausage for breakfast and pulled pork. He still really likes peas and carrots and fruit, but yogurt and cheese top the list.

Sleep: Still doing pretty well. He will occasionally wake, but goes back to sleep quickly after Daddy goes and simply lays a hand on him. 

Temperament: What a good boy! He's getting to the point where he wants to walk around ALL THE TIME with help, and if you don't do it he'll fuss. That's why we bought this bad boy:

He can toddle around the house with it leaving Mommy free to do other things, like eat and do laundry. He LOVES his motor.

Reed loves:
-Motoring around the house with his new toy.
-Yogurt and goldfish
-Bath time: can't wait to get him in the pool this summer
-Grabbing your fingers and pulling you around the house. It's an every 5 minute occurrence until I steer him to his motor. Visiting the grandparents was GREAT! Grampa was a sucker and walked him pretty much everywhere.

 

-Bubble Guppies: We had to find a way to distract him on the recent plane rides, so we got some episodes of Bubble Guppies on the iPad. Big hit. Loves watching with Daddy.

 

-Dogs: After our trip to NC, we figured out Reed really likes dogs.

-STAIRS! Thanks to Grampa Chuck, Reed loves stairs. Good thing we don't have any in our house.

New adventures: Dragging someone around the house so he can walk and motoring with his toy.
We have 4 teeth now! It took what seemed like forever to get 1 tooth, but he's going crazy now. Both top front and bottom front teeth are in. He has this really cheesy toothy grin now. But don't stick your finger in there!

Okay, I'll say it, I can't believe my little boy will be 1 in a month. A whole year will be in the books and I don't feel like I know anything! I guess it counts that we are all still alive, right?

On to birthday planning!

Enjoy!

The Turners

 

Last North Carolina post, I promise!

One of the best things about this trip was getting to see my brother, who I hadn't seen in years. We live far away from each other now which makes it harder to get together, so I was thrilled that we would be at our parents house at the same time. We enjoyed just hanging out together over the weekend.

And Jason and Ty got to meet Reed for the very first time!

Reed with Uncle Jason!

Ty is very talented and made the sweetest blanket for the new baby in perfect gender neutral colors (since we don't know boy or girl yet).

 And the softest, most adorable bear for Reed! All hand-knitted. 

I'm not sure he's taking orders, but he may consider it for a small fee. :)

Reed had fun dragging them around the house (literally), but I think they liked it.

What a great visit. We can't wait to see them again, which hopefully will be November-ish for a certain new baby Turner's arrival.


Enjoy!

The Turners

 

Trip to North Carolina: Family Visit

The day we got there we got to see my dad "graduate." He has been a part of a leadership group the area has to teach people more about Statesville, NC and let them give back as well. They got to see lots of things the city does and they built a playground for the local children's home. He had a lot of fun being a part of it and we were glad we could be there to help them celebrate the culmination.

Way to go Grampa!

The next day we planned to visit Wes' grandparents. We got to see his Grandma and take her to lunch. She had a fun time seeing Reed and he LOVED her walker.

 

Then we went to see Wes' other grandparents. They also had a great time with Reed, and he had a great time playing outside!

Loved being outside

Chillin on the porch

 Reed hanging out on Papa's tractor

Granny and Papa

The next day we went to visit Wes' aunt and uncle at their mountain house. We had a cookout and Reed had a great time playing with Ivan and Molly.

Reed SERIOUSLY loves dogs. He giggles like crazy when one gets close or barks at him. No, we will NOT be getting a dog, despite what my husband says.


Enjoy!

The Turners

 

Trip to North Carolina: Travel Details

Last week we took off (literally) for a visit to North Carolina. It was the last time to visit my parents there before they move back to Texas (yay). We planned it so my brother would also be in town, who we haven't seen in YEARS.

I'll give some info/tips from our three round trips with Reed:

We have flown with Reed twice before and he did great, but he is much more active now, so we were a little skeptical. Reed is always on the move. He wants to crawl, pull up, and walk everywhere (with assistance) so being cooped up on a plane seemed like a bad idea. So we had a plan, and a lot of supplies...

Here is what we took on the plane:

-I like a backpack instead of his usual diaper bag. It's easier to throw on my back and not worry about it falling off my shoulder, or hitting people on the plane as I pass by. It's worked really well the last two trips we have taken.
-The usuals: diapers, wipes, changing pad, burp cloth, change of clothes, pacifiers (with straps: don't want to know whats on an airport/airplane floor, do you?), sippy cup, cheerios
-The Extras: baby food pouches and bib (I never buy baby food, but it's worth it for a trip like this), travel size diapering products in the required plastic baggie, hand sanitizer and various baby meds (no I did not give Reed medicine to be calm/sleep on the plane, but you never know when you'll need Tylenol), quiet toys, Mom's wallet, iPad (WOW was this a life saver when loaded with a few cartoons; Bubble Guppies is Reed's favorite), tag for your bag and baggies to put soiled diapers in.

All of the supplies we took were perfect. We weren't wanting for anything. But, by far the most helpful thing was the Moby wrap. SERIOUSLY, this was awesome. We've taken it on our other trips and it was great, but Reed is bigger now and I wasn't sure how it would work. But we decided to use it and it was the BEST.

Let's talk security for a minute if you haven't flown with a baby/child:
They didn't make me take the wrap off through security which made it really easy. I understand some kinds of baby carriers must be taken off and put through the scanner, so double check beforehand.
You don't have to take your child's shoes off if they're under 12. Good deal.
You cannot take the stroller through the metal detector. It has to go through the scanner, so you have to carry your child through.
When carrying a child/baby you can just walk through the metal detector (not the x-ray machine or whatever it is). They do check your hands after you go through. No big deal.
They DO allow formula/milk and baby food in larger than 3 oz amounts, but, in their words, "in reasonable quantities." It says they may ask you to open it to test some. I haven't had this happen, but safety first, right?
That's pretty much it. Our three round trips haven't had any problems.

Back to the wrap: Reed loved being able to see everything and was perfectly content. He stayed in the wrap from our car to the plane. Once on the plane I had to take him out for takeoff (which led to a few squirmy moments) but once I put him back in the wrap he immediately calmed down. After a few episodes of Bubble Guppies, he eventually fell asleep. YES! He stayed in the wrap most of the flight and through landing (this time they didn't bug me to take him out and I was grateful) so he was snug until we got picked up by my mom.

We have been blessed to only need to bring the bare minimum with us because my parents lived there. They have a pack-n-play and bought a carseat, so we have only brought a lightweight stroller which we have gate-checked each time. Very easy. Next time we go it'll be a little more difficult since my parents won't be there with all the supplies we need (oh, and the fact that we'll have another child!).

It'll definitely be interesting. Next post is the fun stuff: family!

Enjoy!

The Turners

 

My First Mother's Day

This year was my first Mother's Day and it was very special. The Lord made me a Mommy and I am thankful every day for my precious gift and promise from God.

My sweet hubby made me french toast for breakfast (which is really saying something because he doesn't know how to make french toast). It was really good, though. Reed and his daddy got me a sweet card and some chocolate! In true ME fashion, I bought my own present. (I am a bit of an impulse shopper, so when I saw it, I snagged it). I did OK it with Wes first. I had to do a bit of haggling, but my "I'm the mother of two now so my present should be twice as good" argument won out. I'd been eye-ing Vera Bradley bags for a while, specifically the large duffle/weekender bags, so that's what I got. Now I don't have to put my stuff in a gross boy bag for trips. I have my own super cute one to take. I still give Wes the credit, though.

So after a fun church service we went to the in-laws for lunch. My parents were there as well so it was really nice that we could both be with our mothers.

Reed loved playing with his grandmothers, BB and Nana.

I consider myself not just a mother of one or even two, but the blessed mother of THREE!
Not only am I a mother by the grace of God, I am a godmother as well to this awesome little man:

 We love you little Nate and pray all of God's blessings on you and your sweet family!

My first Mother's Day was a really wonderful day. It's hard to believe next Mother's Day I'll have two kids!





Enjoy!

The Turners

 

Safety comes first

The time has come. Reed is officially everywhere and into everything; like my tupperware cabinet. (Much better than the cabinet with the knives). 

So off to the store we went to purchase cabinet locks. We found what we needed very quickly at target.

Because we have no pulls and handles on our cabinets,  it required a little more effort on our part. Thankfully, my husband was more than up to the job with some help from my dad. He is awesome and incredibly handy. Reed had to supervise.

Reed was REALLY into the drill. He would just stare at it. Proud Daddy moment.

So Reed is safe and I don't have to chase him around the kitchen to stop him from getting into dangerous stuff. Next step was the TV.

Please ignore all the dust. I'm a mom. I focus more on loving and playing with my baby than cleaning behind the TV. Can I get an Amen?

Anywho, it literally took him like 5 minutes. Check that one off the list! Gotta keep this little love safe!

Enjoy!

The Turners

Bedtime story musings

Reed's bedtime story is Goodnight Moon. It's a classic (first published in 1947) children's story by Margaret Wise Brown. It is really great for little ones. The bright colored pages alternated with black and white pages keeps visual interest while the story itself rhymes and has the right amount of text on each page. Reed loves turning the pages and looking at the pictures. If you haven't read it, sneak into the kids section at the book store and read it. It'll take you about a minute.

Over the past several weeks of reading the book, I have had some nagging thoughts. While reading it the other night, I had this interesting conversation with my husband.

Me: So, I have a few gripes about this book.
W: Ok?
Me: Well, first of all, what baby needs a phone in their room? "In the great green room there is a telephone and a red balloon..." I mean, if anything, it'll be a nuisance. And this room is huge! It's the size of a small house. What spoiled child has THAT large of a room? (Yes, I know it says 'the GREAT green room' but still, it is abnormally large)
W: THOSE are your concerns with this book? What about the food that's just left out on the table? Or the mouse running around the room? That doesn't seem sanitary. And that lady that keeps shushing everything is creepy.
Me: You're right, those are very valid concerns.

This prompted a tour through the book to find all the other ridiculous elements. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this book and can quote it verbatim, and yes I am ignoring the fact that the characters are rabbits, but what do you think about these things?

1. Phone in the room: As previously stated, that's just dumb.
2. Ridiculously huge room: Maybe they're really rich and EVERY room is huge. Unlikely, but still.
3. Bowl full of mush just sitting out: Not particularly smart on the parents behalf to leave food out overnight
4. Mouse: gross and unsanitary
5. A toyhouse with electricity: I have not in my life seen a toyhouse with lights on the inside; nor do I see a reason for it. Now, maybe it is some kind of over-sized nightlight. Maybe the little one needed more than the standard night light. Did they even have night lights in 1947?
6. More about the mouse: There are two kittens in the story; how is this mouse still alive? And on one page the mouse is actually posed next to the bowl of mush. It's probably eating the food and contaminating all of it. Maybe the food attracted the mouse? Gross, right?
7. Fire: Okay, so the fire is probably for warmth on a cold night, but it seems like a HUGE safety hazard to leave it burning all night in a CHILD'S ROOM with no protective grate. I hope he's wearing flame resistant jammies.

I'm sure this room is all to nurture his gifted talents. I mean, he's got great artwork on the walls and NOVELS on his bookshelf (seriously, look at how big those books are). I'm sure he has read up on how to train cats and mice (his trusty "lab-rat") to co-habitate peacefully, and learned how to wire a toyhouse with electricity. He probably uses the phone to contact his mentors or college professors. I'll even bet the mush is part of a science experiment he's doing. You can't tell me he's not advanced.


Anyway, it really is a great book. You can buy it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Goodnight-Moon-Margaret-Wise-Brown/dp/0064430170


Enjoy!

 The Turners
 

More "Firsts"

Well we have had many firsts in the last few weeks.

First tooth. No pictures because he wont let me, but he has a razor sharp one on the bottom and another on the top. I think the other incisor is coming in as well, which explains the fussy baby I've had lately.


Learning to stand up in his crib. Yikes! Which means he has been waking up in the middle of the night to stand up and cry. Laying him down 10 times later, he is finally asleep and we are zombies. I think after almost a week he may have learned to just go back to sleep. ZZzzzzzzz.

First haircut!

It was a spontaneous thing. I had an appointment to get my hair done and Wes was watching Reed. I thought our hairdresser would like to see him, so Wes brought him up to visit. We got to talking about his hair and before we knew it, he was getting a haircut! To be honest, he was needing it. He was getting a little mullet action going on. Not so cute.

 Daddy did the best he could taking hundreds of pictures for me.

Reed did really really well. He sat in my lap the whole time very still. He wanted to look around at what was going on so he got to see it all in the mirror. He only got squirmy at the very end, but we ended up with a very nice haircut. Thanks Mikala! You are awesome!

Enjoy!

The Turners

 

10 Months

I figured out the deal with the pictures. Enjoy them!

Height: 30ish inches

Weight: 20 lb

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Blue

Food: Reed is an incredible eater, and knows what he likes! He LOVES yogurt. The "I will throw a fit until I get it/could eat this all day long" kind of love. New favorites include toast, strawberries, broccoli (Seriously!), and cheese. He eats a ton! I am constantly amazed at how trim he is. 

Sleep: Good nap schedule. He never fusses when I put him down. After a rough patch and a sickness, we are back to sleeping through the night. Makes Mama feel human!

Temperament: Just a happy little boy. He has his moments, though when he wants Mommy or Daddy to hold him.

Reed loves:
-Roaming around the house.There is so much room for him to explore
-Cheerios and yogurt
-Bath time: he has such a blast splashing away
-Outside: we have recently been going outside every day. He just soaks it all up.

-Everything he shouldn't: nightlights, our artificial tree, cords, electrical plugs, plastic bags, you know, all that really SAFE stuff

New adventures: Pulling up to standing at just about everything he can reach. He especially loves standing right in front of the TV. Safety straps here we come!

Enjoy!

The Turners

Baby #2

To say we were surprised would be an understatement, but we are totally blessed. God knows how to best plan a family.

We are 13 weeks already, and it still seems like a bit of a dream. The lack of a 'belly' plus the fact that I am so busy playing with Reed all day makes me forget most of the time that I'm actually pregnant. The occasional doctor appointment makes Wes and I look at each other like 'wow, this is really happening.'

"Pumpkin" is furiously growing right now, to the size of a peach!


She's about 2.9 inches long and weighs about .81 ounces, and -- proportion-wise -- her head's now about 1/3 the size of her body (remember? It used to be bigger!).

• Can you believe she's forming vocal cords and teeth?!
• And even though she's still teeny, she already has fingerprints.
• Her intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to their more permanent place, in her tummy.

All the "she's" in this description seem very fitting since Wes thinks this one is a girl. I asked him to throw out some girl names and I got things like Mildred, Ethel, Betty. Um, no. Be serious.

Someone asked us if we want to know 'boy or girl' and my gut reaction was YES! I've been playing around with the idea of being surprised, but knowing me that won't happen. I'm just not a patient person by nature. I won't really need to know in order to prepare because I don't really feel the need to get things 'ready' for another baby. We have everything already! If it's a boy, buy newborn diapers, done. But if baby is a girl, we will need some appropriate girl clothes. That seems like an easy fix, though. We've got 7 weeks until the 'big one' as they call it, so I have 7 weeks to decide if I want to know (I mean, WE need to decide if WE want to know).

I was never really sick with Reed (HUGE blessing, yes!), and this pregnancy has been much of the same. No real sickness, just a run-down, puny feeling along with constant fatigue and overall starvation. Growing a baby requires a lot of calories, but I am still nursing Reed, which requires EXTRA calories on top of that. I feel like I am constantly stuffing my face. I can't eat a lot at one sitting, but an hour later I'll be hungry again. Most people would enjoy the freedom to constantly eat, but with first trimester food aversions, it's been really tough. I had to find things packed with protein to keep me fuller longer. Thankfully, the constant hunger is subsiding a little (VERY excited to see the second trimester!). If I can just make it 2 more months I will be very happy. Nursing for a year was my goal, and it's almost here! I think if I wasn't currently pregnant I would be really sad about it, but we have to move on with life. I am not about to nurse 2 babies at the same time. Now if I can only get Reed to drink from ANYTHING else...


Enjoy!

The Turners