Halloween 2009

It has been too long since I have updated! What a fun Halloween with my little ballerina! She had a blast at the neighborhood party. Unfortunately, it started to pour down rain, but we still had time to trick or treat or "tic or teat." Reilly Jane has not figured out that she can actually eat the candy. She seems happy to put it in and out of her bucket...I guess I am a little like my mom. We were only allowed raisins and candy apples on Halloween. Anyway, what a fun weekend!

Our first family hike

We took a little family trip to the mountains last weekend and took a little hike with Reilly Jane. It was a short one, but I did not know how she would do. She is a little busy body now and I did not think she would love being in a carrier, but she was great! She loved the hike! We saw two different waterfalls and lots of interesting bugs! Anyway, we had a blast and Reilly Jane was asleep within 5 minutes of the car ride home! We are truly blessed with such a joyful and fun little girl.

Early Beach Trip

Reilly Jane and I stole away with some friends to Ocean Isle Beach for the week. It was a relaxing week, but busy with a 15 and 19 month old. I am not sure why I packed a magazine and book in my beach bag?? I found myself running after Reilly Jane hoping my bathing suit was still intact. By the end of a beach trip, I was just as covered in sand as Reilly Jane and probably more exhausted. What a joy it is to see your little one enjoy life explore the newness of the beach. However, I forgot what day of the week it was and got lost in the gleaming sun during nap times! The only regret is that I did not stay longer!

Reilly Jane's 1st Birthday

I cannot believe my little girl is one!! We had a perfect day for a birthday. Considering there was snow on the ground on Monday, we felt blessed for it to be 70 degrees. It was a beautiful day! We had a "Pinkalicious" party for Reilly Jane. As you can see, she was not shy with the cupcake! We had barbeque, mac & cheese, green beans, and Gina's (Frank's mom) homemade sourdough bread...it was a feast! What a joy and blessing our first year with Reilly Jane has been!

Daddy time!

The holiday rush is over...and now we begin 2009! Reilly Jane is now 11 months. I am overwhelmed at how fast the year has gone by. I truly do not believe my little girl will be one next month. As for the picture above...I came home from work on a Saturday after Reilly Jane's day with her daddy and this is what I found at the door to greet me! What a fun mess after a day with daddy!

Cmas 2008

It is Christmas night and I finally have a chance to sit and reflect on the holiday. I think about the year in past and realize how blessed I have been. Yes, it has not been perfect nor has it been an easy one, but I am blessed. Reilly Jane has been my joy of Christmas. Her sweet and perfect little smile as she played with all of her new toys and gleamed in all the attention. It was a wonderful Christmas to say the least. I often miss the "home for Christmas" feel without my parents. It is hard to have a first Christmas celebration without them. However, God has blessed me with a wonderful Llaneza family. Gina (mother-in-law) cooked incredible meals, bought lots of gifts under the tree, and spoiled us with her love. I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Reilly Jane was dedicated on November 2, 2008. It was a very special day for us. Of course, I have been thinking and planning for this since before she was born. I am not sure why I have always loved a baptism or dedication...it is such a sweet and joyful celebration. I planned for a luncheon for about 40 people following the ceremony. The day started off with a "bang" when the caterer decided not to show at all! I went into a panic, but did find another caterer at the last minute to do the fried chicken (it was a southern meal...fried chicken, mac & cheese, green beans, & biscuits). I owe my life to Bojangles!! It all turned out well and I think everyone had a great time. Reilly Jane skipped her afternoon nap because she did not want to leave the party! My only regret was not having my parents there. I missed them terribly, but I am so thankful that I have a wonderful family to share this memorable time with my daughter.

Happy Halloween!!

Well, I hope all of you had a wonderful Halloween! After putting my exhausted little girl to bed, I am thinking about all the cute little costumes we saw tonight...ladybug, bumble bee, several pumpkins, power rangers, and even a homemade golden retriever. Reilly Jane was a little pumpkin. I think everyone should be a pumpkin at least once in their lives. (Frank was one not too many years ago, but we will not share that photo!) After battling an ear infection and a bad cold, Reilly Jane was a great little trick-or-treator! I hope all of you had a great Halloween too!

RJL is 7 months!

Wow! How quickly 7 months has gone by. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was running in and out of Destination Maternity preparing for our little girl to come. Now we are sitting up, babbling, and eating solids! Time is precious. It does seem that in the last 2 months Reilly Jane has reached several milestones. She started sitting up to play @ 6 months. She is now eating a large diet of 5-6 foods! She is developing her own little personality and her own routine. Our day from 5pm until 8pm is the same each night...feed RJL sweet potatoes and peas, race to bath time, change into PJ's, somehow cook and eat dinner for ourselves, then off to bed by 8pm. She is a very content baby and does not cry often. She loves to cuddle in the morning and wrap her little arms around my neck...my heart melts! She is just a constant reminder of God's perfect grace and love. It is funny how such little hands and feet can change every area of your life...your sleep...your grocery shopping...your personal time...gym??(not sure where it is anymore!) Yet, I would not want any of it back for my precious little girl.
October is a busy month for us. Frank turned 27 on Oct. 2nd, our 2 year anniversary is Oct. 7, and my 29th birthday is on the 11th! We like to celebrate big for the month. My dad used to tell me that my birthday was the whole month of October, but I guess I have to share now. We both realized that we have not gone out to dinner for 7 months, so it is way overdue. When you have a little one, a night out on the town for dinner sounds glorious! I am hoping for a steak, great glass of wine, and ice cream to top it all off!

Creating a Family Blog

It is our first family blog!! I have loved reading everyone else's blog and decided to start one for our family. I only wish I had started sooner. So here we are...Reilly Jane is now almost 7 months and Frank & I will celebrate our second wedding anniversary next week. Life has been full of God's grace and fun surprises along the way. We hope to share these with you.
We welcomed Reilly Jane into our family on March 3, 2008. I did not know how much you could love another little person. We have cherished every minute with her. She is a joy to my heart and brings a smile to my face each morning I pick her up from her crib. I hope to share some of life's blessings with all of you. Welcome to our family blog.