Baby Names

 Back when I first found out I was pregnant, Reilly and I had a conversation about what new little baby's name should be.  Here is how it went. :)

Me: Reilly, what do you think we should name the baby?
 Reilly: REAGAN!

Me: Reagan?
Reilly:...Is Reagan going back in your belly?
Me: No, honey, it's a new baby! So what else do you think we should name the baby?

Reilly: REILLY!
Me: Reilly?! We already have a Reilly baby silly!
Reilly: OH! HOW ABOUT ADEENA?!
(Adeena is her little BFFs name)

Me: (laughing) That's a good idea.
Reilly: GASP. We have to name the baby Ariel!!
Me: I love that name.  What if it's a boy?
Reilly: It's not gunna be a boy.

Well, I'm glad we settled that.  Ariel it is. :)

Farmer Girls!

 Recently, a farm by us had an open house, allowing families to come and interact with the animals.  It is normally a therapy farm, used specially by children with disabilities and Special Education classes for field trips.  Such a wonderful farm!

Clearly, we had to dress the part.  I mean, you didn't think we'd go to a farm and not dress like a farmer, do you? ;)

 It was actually pretty funny, because there were SO many other families and kids there, and I tell you, not one other child was dressed like a farmer.  I had to laugh.  It seemed so natural to me. Oh, we're going to a farm.  Grab your hats!  Time to wear those cowboy boots!  Pull out your gingham romper!  But apparently, nobody else thinks this way, and we ended up looking like our girls were auditioning for a play, in which they would play the part of farmer-babies. :)

But there was a newspaper there, who tracked us down and said, "I had to get a picture of the girls in the hats!" :)

 Reilly attempting to milk a goat!

 You go, girl! 

 Petting the donkey!  (Which initially made her nervous, lumbering around as it did.)

 I just love that smile.  She was so proud of herself. She is not super comfortable around animals - and I don't blame her.  It's hard to reassure her when in actuality - animals are wild.  They are unpredictable, I can't tell her they are so sweet and they won't bite or kick.  They most likely won't, but I think her nervousness is smart.  Should she feel perfectly safe around animals she has never been around before? No.  She is absolutely right to be cautious at first.  But then when we told her it was safe and she pet the little guys so bravely, her pride and joy was so contagious.

 Here comes  a "Reagan donkey"! (a baby one)

 

She LOVED him.

 This is her saying, "You're so cuuuuute!"

So serious petting the big goat!

 Petting an extremely obsese piggy. :)

 Here's Daddy encouraging Reagan to participate.  I wish I could get a picture of her face, and what her hand is doing on the other side of Daddy's shirt.  When she is nervous she GRIPS your shirt (or hair), like saying, "Don't you even THINK about putting me down right now!"  It's so funny.

 Chasing a chicken!

 Reagan hiding from the teeniest goat known to man. ;)

 Getting a little braver...

 YAY!  She did it, and liked it!

 Sweet little giggle. :)

My girl and I!  I refrained from wearing my cowboy gear, and so did hubby.  It was difficult.  But we would have been That Family, so it was a good decision I think.

 Here is Daddy teaching Reilly how to feed the donkey!  She was obsessed, it was so cute.

 Look at that giggly little girl!  Love her.

 Trying it herself!

 Daddy and Reilly were distracting the big ones so they could give their grass to the baby one.  So sweet.

 

Hiking the path with Daddy, looking for the perfect grasses for the goats.

 

It was such a nice day at the farm!  I'm so glad to live in a place where these experiences are ones our kids will grow up with.  And so glad to be able to dress them up for the occasion against their will. ;)

Sissy Time

I truly love every stage my babyhood and toddlerhood that I have experienced so far.  I am a sucker for a newborn...man, I love that stage.  I love being in our little newborn cocoon as a family, tending to baby, breastfeeding baby, and not wanting to do anything else but stare at them while they sleep.  \

But I also love the new things that each growing-up stage brings.  Reilly's new 3 year old age has brought maturity that is new, an ability to be a helper and want to help, a mothering side that loves tending to her Rea Rea, and a big girl who truly loves and appreciates special outings and surprises. 

And Reagan's age has brought something that I have never gotten to experience before- the budding relationship of these little sissys. (That's what Reilly has starting calling Reagan - Sissy. I can't even.)  She really understands Reilly when she says, "Come in the playroom, Sissy, let's do a puzzle." She follows her right in and plays so calmly like a big girl!  When Reilly plays pretend and makes her a little bed to sleep in on the fireplace hearth, she climbs right in and lays down, like a perfect little playmate.  On another note, if Reilly tries to take a toy out of her hand, she will swing that toy around so fast that even I would barely be able to grab it.  :) She's a smart cookie, that one.

I just adore recently how they interact, and how it's becoming less one-sided.  Reagan can participate with Reilly now, and Reilly just loves it.

(Reagan is posing in this pic.  Learning this from her Big Sissy as well!)

Reilly asked if Reagan could sit in her lap and have milk before naptime.  I about died, the two of them cudding.  (Sidenote: Look at Reagan furrowed-brow face.  This is her exhausted face.  When She is tired, she doesn't get cranky, she just furrows her brow and stares at you, like she is just so annoyed that she is not already in her bed.  It CRACKS me up when we are in a store, and people tell her how cute she is, and she gives them this look.  I always say, "I'm sorry, we skipped her nap and she's mad at me." Haha!)

Reilly just loves doting on her.  She already asked me if she could "hold the new baby standing up like Mommy does, not sitting on the couch."  Goodness gracious. Let the lectures commence: "We are never to touch the new baby unless Mommy says so" will be discussed daily for the next 6 months! Ha.

14 weeks!

 

Baby number three is 14 weeks along!  I'm feeling very good most days, and am so thankful for that.  Just some fatigue, headaches, and of course always the hunger!  But this is definitely a feel-good time for me and baby.  :)

 And somebody couldn't possibly be more excited. ;)

She told me yesterday, you better finish your Lucky Charms mommy, or baby will be sad.  We don't want baby to be hungry!  And she is always the first to remember to pray for baby every night when we say prayers. 

Love you already, little baby bean!

A Few of my Favorite Things

These are a few of my favorite things, the little things, in my day to day life with the chickies.  These are the things that make me smile the most and give you that feelings inside that makes you feel like your heart is glowing.  You know that kind of happy?  The really content kind that always makes you smile. 

When Daddy comes home and the girls start SCREECHING and running around the house in complete uncontrollable joy.  I mean, it's the best thing ever to witness. 

 After Reagan goes to bed, or while she's napping, Reilly and I have our special reading time in my bed.  Always under the covers.  Always with tons of books.  Always ends with yawning and Mama way more tired than Reilly.  (True story: Today's ended with Mama needing a catnap and Reilly re-reading the rest of the books out loud to me for 15 minutes. Sweet girl.)

When Reilly does adorable motherly-big-sister things for Reagan.  Here, she went in the cabinet, got 2 bowls, went in the fridge, got 2 bunches of grapes, went over to the table, and took each grape off the stems.  She separated them into both bowls.  She said, "Mama, I'm just getting a little snack for me and Rea Rea."  Then they sat together giggling and snacking.  She was SO proud to have taken such good care of her sister, and making her smile so much.

When Reilly becomes so overwhelmed with love and affection for Reagan that she just squeezes her and hugs her. And Reagan always looks kind of uneasy with the whole deal, but bless her heart, she let's it happen.  Love that baby.  LOVE her cheeks.

Reagan and her little thumb sucking.  The angel instantly puts that thumb in her mouth when it's time for her nap, and goes right to sleep.  She is such a little snuggler, and will nestle on my chest until I put her to bed.  No greater feeling than that. (And Reilly loves it too. She will ask me all the time to get Reagan's blankie so Reagan can lay on her chest. So cute.)

Those are just a few of my favs lately!  Off to enjoy the sunshine today.