Ode to Emmy

From now on we will be referring to Emmy as Lassie and to Reagan as Little Timmy. Emmy got her badge of honor and courage last night (aka a sweet dog bone) for her heroic act of saving Reagan. Okay, so maybe this is a tad bit exaggerated but Emmy did help in saving Reagan yesterday. I also want to clarify that this "incidence" happened while Ben was watching her....love you honey! :)

When I got home from work I felt like our house turned into a confessional booth and I was pulling the partition back looking at a nervous Ben as he confessed his sins of the day. He started by saying well, we had a little "incident" today with a nervous grin on his face. This is never a good way to greet a mom when she gets home from work. He had left Reagan propped up in her Boppy pillow on the ottoman and then had gone into the kitchen to grab something. He heard a small thud and went to investigate. Reagan had rolled off of the ottoman and Emmy had caught her (or she just happened to land on top of Emmy while Emmy was napping..). Ben assured me that Reagan was not crying and was actually smiling and laughing while laying on top of her sissy.

So, Hip Hip Hooray Emmy Lou!

Creating a pattern..one small step at a time.

When Ben and I became parents we realized that the lifestyle we live today will create a pattern for the rest of Reagan's life. That's a pretty big responsibility that we definitely don't take lightly. We started brainstorming on different areas of our lives that we could improve now that would benefit Reagan in the future. We created several items that we want to implement/change over the next year. Some items take more planning and effort than others. To give myself a fair shot, I want to allow an adequate amount of time to adjust to avoid frustration and ultimately failure.

Our first was our health. So, we created a weekly meal plan and decided to give up sugars and carbs for a month. Not only did we feel great but as a result but we also lost weight in the process. Double bonus! With our new found energy, we started going for walks every night. Of course Emmy and Reagan loved this part of the deal! We are both committed to eating better and avoiding fast food. My goal is for Reagan to never experience a Happy Meal....it may sound cruel but I just don't feel good about her ingesting that crap. While I know I still have years until this becomes an issue, do any moms have advice on how to handle the Mickey D's (or other fast food restaurants for that matter) craze? What do you do when a friend has their birthday party there? Not go? Bring your own food? I'm so Type A that I'm already planning and thinking how to handle.

This past weekend we had friends over and one asked if we recycled.....ugh. I begrudgingly replied no....although I have always intended to....I just never got around to it. I am happy to say though that Ben called the city this morning and our recycling bin is ordered and should be on its way to our house within two weeks! I'm excited to teach Reagan about recycling when she gets older. I still remember learning the 3 Rs in elementary: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Twenty years later, and I'm finally putting it into action. Shame on me but better late than never.

We already use cloth diapers (which I would totally recommend!), but I've been debating for months now about making my own wipes. I've had the recipe ready to go but have been held up on the convenience factor. While I'm honestly still not 100% committed to this step yet, I am willing to give it a go. Seeing how much money we spend each month on wipes as well as how fast our trashcans fill up with them, is motivation enough to give this a try. I'll let you know how it turns out.

This isn't a huge step and again, something I've been intending to do for quite some time now but just haven't....get rid of my plastic bags and use reusable bags for my grocery shopping.

Having a young one has also made us aware of chemicals in our house and the products that we use daily. We keep our cleaning supplies up on a top shelf in our laundry room but it's still a scary thought to think about her ever getting into them. I also now worry about the stench that is left behind when I clean while she's in the same room. If it's a strong smell for me then it must definitely be intrusive to her. While I'm not going to go crazy and throw away all of our cleaning supplies (I'm way too cheap to do that!), my goal is to begin making my own all natural cleaning solvents as I empty our current ones. I've already found several great recipes but am open to any recommendations or tips.

I'm excited to begin this process and feel good that I'm working to create a better future for our daughter. Like I mentioned earlier, this is going to be a slow process (I'm giving myself a year!), but I'm planning to blog throughout the journey. Any advice, tips, recommendations and suggestions are welcome to make this green walk a success!

Our Friday Night Fun!

5 Months!

How in the world has it already been 5 months? It seems like maybe 2 months...but certainly not 5. As much as I do miss the newborn phase where you were so small and were perfectly content being swaddled and held, I do love the 5 month age. We finally have a feeding, nap and bedtime schedule (Hallelujah!) and I enjoy seeing your personality develop more every day. I thought I'd take a minute and make a list of all of my favorites about you right now.

I love picking you up from your bed when you wake up. Sometimes you wake up crying and screaming but calm down when you open your eyes and realize Mommy is holding you. The best time is when I walk in there and you start smiling and blowing bubbles the minute you see me. When I pick you up you arch your back and stttrrrrreeettch!

You love naked time! When you get fussy at night, we put you on a blanket with your toys and let you have naked time for 30 minutes. You roll around and laugh until it's bath time.

You love bath time! You especially like when Daddy gets your bath ready because he puts extra bubbles in it. Daddy and I both pat your buns before putting you in the bath and after we get you out. Seriously...you've got the cutest buns ever! (I'm sure reading this in years to come will totally embarrass you...get used to it sister)

You have learned to laugh and nothing makes Daddy and I happier. You crack up when Daddy blows raspberries on your belly. It's the sweetest sound and makes our home so full of joy.

You adore your boy cousins and they absolutely adore you. They are all so fascinated with you and are so gentle around "Little Baby Reagan." You just beam when they come around you. (I think you enjoy being the center of attention).

You like being outside and watching Mommy and Daddy work in the yard while Emmy runs around. You started having allergies (my fault!) so we've had to limit our trips outside. You also love going on walks around the neighborhood.

You attract attention wherever you go. We have never been out in public without someone (usually multiple someones) stopping us and commenting on how beautiful, how happy or how adorable you are.

You are so loved and you exude love back to those around you. You are so blessed to have people who love you take care of you while Mommy and Daddy are at work. Here's your current schedule:
Monday: Daddy
Tuesday: Mamaw
Wednesday: Nanny Rachel
Thursday: Grandma
Friday: Nanny Rachel

You LOVE to talk...ALL the time! When we went to see Dr. Hampton for your 4 month check-up, I was a bit concerned because you hadn't rolled over yet. She was laughing and asked if you always talked this much...the answer is yes. She said that you were more interested in socializing then focusing on rolling over. I think you may be taking after me.

You did finally roll over! The secret is you will only roll over while naked. Apparently the cloth diaper is too bulky and too much work for you to overcome. You now can roll from tummy to back like a champ and have rolled from back to stomach 1 or 2 times.

You loathe cereal! Seriously...loathe it! I've been trying to get you to eat ceral (oatmeal/rice) for a month now. I've tried it cold, warm, with water, with formula...nothing! You gag and make a face like I've just fed you a lemon everytime. We have one more month to conquer this before introducing vegetables. We better get to it!

I just stopped nursing you...and it makes me tear up to think about it. My initial goal was to nurse you until you were 6 months, but I felt that the timing was right to stop at 5. It's been difficult to nurse while being back at work and it was becoming more stressful to keep my supply up than what you were actually getting. It has been such a gift and a wonderful experience to share with you.

Songs we sing daily: a million made-up songs about whatever activitiy we seem to be doing at that time, This Little Light of Mine, Jesus Loves the Little Children and Jesus Loves Me. When Daddy is at work on Saturday, we crank up the radio and dance and sing around the house. I'm sure you think I'm crazy (and I doubt that will be the last time you ever think that...) but we have so much fun.

You love looking in the mirror at yourself. You can be super fussy but when you see your reflection you just give a big grin. We've introduced oursleves quite a few times to our friend in the mirror.

You watch ESPN Sports Center every morning with Daddy. I'm not a fan of letting you watch TV, but the one morning I tried to turn ESPN off, you had a total meltdown. So, you won and get your 30 minutes of Sports Center time with Daddy each morning. He props you up in your little Boppy pillow and y'all hang out together. I need to remember to grab a picture of the two of you.

Happy 5 month birthday my sweet Reagan Abby. Every night when we say our prayers, I thank Jesus for letting me be your mom. I don't think I can ever communicate enough how proud I am of you. How much I adore and love you and how much joy you bring to Daddy and I. We love you beyond words!

Auntie Sarah Visits/Easter/Baby Dedication

Ehh...I've been slacking a bit in posting all of the happenings in the world of Miss Reagan Abby, so here is a long post to catch up on our exciting lives.

First big event...Auntie Sarah, Isaiah and Alex came to visit! Hooray! Reagan was finally able to meet her Auntie Sarah and even marked her within the first 30 minutes by peeing all over her. Good thing Auntie Sarah loves her so much. Auntie Sarah spoiled Reagan like crazy and I don't think she put Reagan down the entire week she was here. She even timed me..the mommy.. on how long I could hold her during a brief break. Oh, and big news in the Tusing family. Sarah is pregnant! Come on baby girl...Reagan needs a Barbie playmate!

Other big news, we celebrated Reagan's 1st Easter. Aunt Jen and I went shopping and got Rea the cutest pink dress, little cardigan, pink shoes and little tights from Macy's. Simply adorable! We celebrated with the Murray clan since Sarah and the boys were in town.

This past Sunday we had Reagan's baby dedication at church. This has always been a touching moment for me when I attended dedications in the past. I would always tear up knowing how proud those parents must feel and being anxious for when my turn would come. I could not have felt more blessed up in front of the congregation with Ben's arm around me, holding Reagan in my arms, pastors of the church praying over us while all of our family proudly looked on from the congregation. I continuously thank Jesus every night while putting Reagan to bed that he chose Ben and I to be her parents. We are blessed beyond measure!

Artisan Photography

Robin at Artisan photography took amazing pictures of Reagan and our little family a few weeks back to celebrate Rea's 4 month bday! She did a wonderful job. You would never know our sweet little girl was screaming the entire time.