Zzzzzzzzz....

Falling asleep with Daddy at the computer...Love this picture!

Reagan's Growth Stats

Because I included Madilynn's growth statistics, I also wanted to share a post about Reagan's growth.  It is fun to compare the two sisters since they are so close!

Birth: 6.7 pounds and 19 1/4 inches
Coming Home: 6 pounds
One week: 7 pounds
One month: 9.3 pounds and 21 inches
Two months: 10.11 pounds and 21 3/4 inches
Three months: 12.9 pounds and 23 inches
Four months: 13.3 pounds and 24 1/4 inches
Five months: N/A
Six months: 16 pounds and 26 inches
Seven months: N/A
Eight months: 18 pounds (N/A for height)
Nine months: 19 pounds and 27 3/4 inches
Ten months: 20 pounds (N/A for height)
15 months: 22.6 pounds and 31 1/4 inches
18 months: 25 pounds and 33 inches
Two years: 27 pounds and 34 3/4 inches

6 Month Check Up

Today Madilynn had her six month check up.  And, thank God, she is healthy and growing perfectly!  She is meeting all of her milestones and overall is thriving.  She weighs 15 pounds 5 ounces, which is the 35th percentile.  She is 25 1/4 inches, which is just under the 50th percentile.  I am a little suprised by how little she is, since at her 4 month check up she had almost the same exact numbers as Reagan at that age.  But comparing the two today, Madilynn is 3/4 of an inch shorter and 11 ounces lighter than her sister was at her six month check up.  But I am just blessed that my little peanut is healthy!

Here are Madilynn's stats since birth:

Birth: 6.4 pounds, 20.5 inches
Came Home: 5.11 pounds
One week check up: 6.1 pounds
One month: 7.13 pounds and 21 inches
Two months: 10.5 pounds and 22 3/4 inches
Three months: N/A
Four months: 13.3 pounds and 24 inches
Five months: N/A
Six months: 15.5 pounds and 25 1/4 inches 

6 Months Old! (Already?)

I cannot believe that today my baby is six months old!  I thought time flew with Reagan, but it is going even faster with Madilynn.  She is growing and learning something new every single day.  She is almost sitting up on her own.  She can sit supported for long periods, and she is lasting for longer and longer stretches on her own before becoming wobbly and tipping over.  She is reaching for everything in sight (including Reagan's toys, much to Reagan's dismay!).  Madilynn is still such a calm, relaxed, laid back baby.  She loves to smile, coo, and laugh.  I know it is only a matter of time before she and Reagan will be running around together!

So Happy Six Months, sweet girl!  I am so excited to see what the next six months bring!

Sweet, sweet girl.

We had just finished reading the last of the books before nap time. Reagan snuggled up to me, put her head on my chest, looked up at me and said, "We have such great days together, don't we Mommy?" Yes, we do, sweet girl. And to think it is all coming to an end when the new school year starts in just two weeks. I am one blessed Mama.  Every single day spent with my girls is a "great day". 

Beach Vacation!

This year we took a (sort-of-last-minute) beach vacation to North Myrtle Beach.  We hadn't planned on going anywhere, but then a great deal on a condo fell into our laps, so we knew we had to get away.  We left Friday, August 5 (Happy Anniversary, Trey!) and stopped in Raleigh.  After making a quick getaway in the morning due to crazy rains and flash floods in the area, we arrived in North Myrtle Beach on Saturday afternoon.  We had three full days of fun and sun before returning to Virginia on Wednesday. 

By complete coincidence, Jon, Sarah, and Emma were also staying in North Myrtle Beach that week, so we had a great time visiting with them.  And of course Reagan and Emma had an absolute blast playing on the beach, swimming in the pool, and flying kites.

This was Madilynn's first trip to the beach, and she did great!  We were on the beach every morning by about 8:30.  We played outside until lunch and nap time, returned to the beach in the afternoon, and then went out to dinner as a family.  It was a much needed, relaxing family vacation.  We have a ton of great pictures to remember it by.  Here are just a few of my favorites...

Yummy Yummy in My Tummy!

We fed Reagan her first rice cereal right around 4 months old.  However, at Madilynn's 4 month check up, the doctor told us that the guidelines had changed.  Experts now recommend waiting until the baby is 6 months old to try solids.  However, Dr. Pastore told us that if Madilynn seemed not quite full or not quite satisfied with her formula only diet, we could try them before that time.  Well, lately Madilynn has seemed VERY interested in what Mommy, Daddy, and big sister are eating.  She stares at us intently, moving her gaze from the plate to our mouths.  It's as if she is saying, "Hey guys, what's that?  Why don't I get some?"  So this past Sunday, at 5 months and 13 days old, we gave the baby her first taste of rice cereal!  Her reaction?  Well, you be the judge...

Is it time for something real to eat???

Here it comes!  The time has finally arrived...!

This isn't all that it's cracked up to be.

Hey, Reagan, is this as good as it gets?

Vintage Reagan:  A few pictures of Reagan's first time eating rice cereal.  Call me crazy, but these sisters look just alike!

Summer at the Library

This summer, the girls and I have spent a LOT of time at the library.  It is free, has air conditioning, and Reagan loves to rent books (and DVDS!).  We take a trip there two or three times a week, so we have developed little rituals.  Reagan wanted to include Daddy in a trip to the library at least once this summer, so we took him on Saturday. 

Here is the Tunnel of Trees we walk through to get to the library.  (Reagan became fascinated with tunnels on our trip to Ohio, so this is our own little tunnel in Virginia.)

After the Tunnel of Trees, Reagan loves to open the door by pushing the automatic button.  Once inside, she unloads all of her books and DVDs one by one to the return bin.  Many times she will announce every single title as she is putting it back, almost as if to say goodbye.

Once the books and movies are returned, our first stop is always the DVD rack where she chooses a few more titles (favorites this summer have been Barney, Clifford, Dora, and Elmo).  Then we move on to the racks and racks of books.  She usually chooses between 5 and 10 titles, placing all of them in our orange bag. 

Finally, with our library card and purple summer reading slip (after visiting five times and receiving a signature at check out from the librarians, Reagan gets a prize from the treasure chest) in hand, we head to check out our books and movies.  Again, Reagan places each one individually up on the counter and hands the librarian our library card.  After check out, Reagan pushes the automatic button to open the doors, we walk through the Tunnel of Trees, and we climb back in the car to go home.  Another successful day at the library!