Christmas

As I said before, holidays are so much better with Jack. Christmas Eve was spent with Granny and Papa and they said it was the best holiday they had in years. It was pretty special for us too. Adam and I decided that it was important to have holiday time with just us, so Christmas morning is reserved for celebrating at home. Adam made breakfast while Jack posed with his favorite gift, Goodnight Gorilla. Later that morning, we headed to my parent's for more gifts(my Dad is a sucker for playing Santa) and a HUGE feast (my mom is sucker for holiday cooking). It was pure chaos, and pure joy.

Happy holidays...and birthday

This is my favorite time of the year! I love the hustle and bustle of downtown, crowded stores, busy airports, family gatherings and annual events. While the old traditions warm my heart, the new ones add excitement for the future of my own family. For the first time ever, we spent Thanksgiving in Oregon with Adam's dad, stepmon and his stepsister and her family. It was a wonderful trip. Bend is a pleasant town and the trip was very relaxing. We celebrated both the Thanksgiving holiday and Christmas (due to weather we are not sure if Clem and Robin will make it to Chico) and found time to do a little shopping. Upon return to Chico, we celebrated my birthday (the last year of my 20's...yikes!) Adam gave me a beautiful nativity scene sculpted by a Mexican artist and thanks to Granny and Papa we had a long over-due date night. As our tradition gos, the weekend following my birthday we bought and decorated our tree.

We began yet another new tradition this year: a holiday play with my parents, sibs and all the kids followed by dinner and much too long at the Tree Lot to get the best looking tree for the big house. This year's play was A Christmas Story and no one gets me in the holiday spirit quite like Ralphie! Adam and I have attended both company parties and are now looking forward to the big day. All the shopping is done and just one last gift to wrap....I sure hope Jack likes big empty boxes!

Tis the season for travel

Jack took his first plane trip this week. Our destination was North Carolina where Adam interviewed for dental school. We originally decided not to tag-along, then thought Adam might like the moral support. Plus, who can resist the opportunity to see the south-east during Autumn. This last minute decision caused Jack and I to have a separate flight than daddy, a task I was not looking forward to. Again, there was no need for worry. The photo above was taken after 13 hours of travel! We had a great trip. Chapel Hill reminded us of Chico and the UNC campus was so beautiful. We've been back for two days and tomorrow we're off to Oregon to spend Thanksgiving with Adam's dad. Happy Holidays (and travels)!

Happy Halloween

Jack was unsure what to think of the monkey suit we put him in for Halloween, but boy did he look adorable! Carl dressed as a dog with CRAZY eyes! No Trick-or Treating for either of the boys this year...we all know where they candy would have ended up and I'm still working on the baby weight!

Tuckered out

Ain't it great to be a baby!

Baby Carl

While I was pregnant I had many people ask what was going to happen with Carl once the baby arrived. Adam and I didn't really think too much about it since we were both certain that Carl would be just fine with sharing our attention. As many of you know, we complain an awful lot about our beloved dog. We realize he is crazy and can understand the concerns of others. But as predicted by us, Carl has been ecstatic with being an older brother. He does have his moments where he would like to be the baby, but it is obviously something that you just have to laugh at.

Three years ago...

October 09, 2004

Happy Harvest

The annual Raftery/Stephens trip to Books Family Farm. I must admit, events like this are so much more fun and special with the little guy! We found three perfect pumpkins, ate delicious snowcones and we were sneezed on by a ewe. It was a great day!

Here we go...

Crawling??! I thought we had a bit longer before the joy of mobility! Jack has somewhere to go and he wants to get there fast! A quick trip to IKEA and we are ready for his next adventure. Outlets are blocked, drawers and cupboards are locked and Jack is all over the place...and so very proud of himself.

5 months and counting...

New discoveries this month include a love for carrots and pears (not together of course) and furry brother Carl. The picture above was taken just as Carl rounded the corner and walked in eye shot of Jack. I have never seen a face light up so fast! We expect crawling and teeth in the near future and hopefully a full night of sleep (one can hope)!

Firsts

First Smile (at Mama of course)


First Shots. Ouch!!!


First Taste. Rice cereal, yum!


First Girl's Night Out. Farewell Mema!


First Friend


First Baseball Game. Go A's!!!!


First Sick

Look who's 4 months old...

We have had so much fun with our baby Jack! It is hard to believe that he has been part of our lives for only four months...The time has gone by in a flash, with all the exciting new things that come with each day. His most recent "firsts" include laughing (he actually cracks up) and rolling over. It won't be too long before he can keep up with Carl!

So long Ol' Red

We had to bid a sad farewell to the red pickup. Adam's uncle Darryl purchased a new vehicle and offered up Pa's old Toyota to him. Adam happily accepted and began the search for a new home for Ol' Red. Shockingly, this pickup turned out to be a hot commodity with calls coming in at all hours to set up a time to see this beauty in person. Finally a suitable driver was found and on July 21st we watched the keyed up tailgate drive off for the last time.

Cambria

We set off on our first road trip since becoming parents. Ironically, our destination was the same as our final pre-parent trip (babymoon) last January. My brother's girlfriend was graduating from Cal Poly SLO and so my parents rented a coastal home in Cambria. Adam and I drove with the baby (Carl had to stay behind this time) and arrived in time for a BBQ honoring the graduate. The following day was the main event followed by dinner with family and friends. The best part of the trip was that Sam and Sarah our now engaged and a wedding will soon be underway!! Jack was great on the trip. He seems to adapt well to situations and places and is always up for a new adventure. He is perfectly continent just as long as Mama and Daddy are close by.

Happy Father’s Day

If you give a guy an entire day to do just about anything he wants, what does he choose to do? Absolutely nothing! Above, three of my favorite dads (plus one guy in training) doing what they love most.

My Boys

Someone is starting to look an awful lot like their daddy!

Not a Newborn Anymore

All of a sudden Jack has become a baby and not a newborn. What's the difference, you ask. Sleep! Jack is no longer sleeping his days away. I am finding it fairly difficult to be my "old" self without his constant pattern of naps. A few weeks ago Jack would need to nap after every feeding, smile, coo and so on. The slightest bit of effort would lead to an exhaustion that could only be cured with a 2-3 hour nap. This gave me plenty of time throughout the day to get both house and R42 work done. I am now forced to choose "the what absolutely must get done" over the "it would be nice to have done." A nice rest on the sofa however, trumps all. I will say that the new faces that come with babyhood are priceless and make the long days worth it.

Easter

We spent Easter with my family on the Farm. Jack is still asleep and taking on slight resemblance to his Papa Bill. Adam has this thing for fake mustaches (who knows). Last Christmas, Adam stuffed all the stockings at my folks' with them. They are now a staple at all Reynolds Family gatherings. I once saw a porn-stach on a Barbie coloring taped to the fridge.

Jack Robert Eldon

What a guy! This baby is great...and so adorable! As you can see, Jack has been sleeping away the days. They say (you know, the they that know it ALL) to sleep when your baby sleeps. I have yet to abide by this sacred rule. Who can sleep with such excitement??? Obviously Jack is not performing any one-man-show acts to keep me entertained, but I am just so excited by the fact that he is here, he's healthy and so far, pretty darn happy! I am also glad that he is a he! Adam and I were pretty certain it was a girl in there. The surprise of having a boy has been a pleasant one and I already can't imagine my life without this little guy. Life is good!

A Family is Born

Beautiful Boy - Proud Papa - Tired Mama

Welcome Jack

At 7:05 am on March 27, 2007 our little Jack arrived!
Weighing in at 8 lbs 5 oz., our guy was eager to arrive. The whole labor, from start to finish – 8 hours!

The Making of a Mom

About 2 hours after Adam took this picture, my water broke and Baby was the way!