the Chico life Reid style

I know, I know…

I’m not even going to look at when the last post was. Excuses, excuses. I don’t know how all these moms have these blogs and post everyday with photos and all. And my house isn’t even clean.

Here’s a little photo update of the fall (my dear friend Lindsay’s wedding in Lake Arrowhead, Jeff and Dawn’s wedding, Halloween, Wiley’s Baptism), and mostly our day today in the snow–Maia’s first real trip–cutting down a Christmas tree with Jeff, Dawn, and Kaden (our newest in-laws!).

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Summer time for us has meant a more chill schedule, camping, swimming, and a lot of naked time! Wiley is getting so chubby and holding him and nursing can make us quite sweaty.  Maia is resisting our attempts to persuade her that the potty is where it’s at, so more naked time lets her notice a little more what her body is doing…plus it’s hot and dressing is always a battle anyway.  (PS today, she came and told me, “Mom, I peed on the drum!” It all stayed on top because of the ridge around the edge.  I am trying to see these things as positive steps toward potty training!)

Here are some shots from camping with Luke’s family at Butt Lake. (No, I didn’t leave off an E). Cousin Lauryn carried Wiley around in the baby carrier a lot and future cousin Kaden (son of Dawn, Jeff’s fiance) and his friend caught crawdads and wrapped the tails in bacon and basil. We also drove up to Yellow Creek and hiked along the beautiful meadow and freezing cold creek.

While Luke went to a work convention in SF, the kids and I spent the week (getting help) at my parents’. We went to Clovis Lakes (or I guess what they’ve been calling it for 20 years, Wild Water Adventures) and Maia enjoyed the water slides. I got scolded after going down a slide with her, then I sent her down alone, not realizing the pool below wasn’t shallow enough for her.  The lifeguard pulled her up and I ran down to meet her, apologizing for a horrible mother moment! Wiley chilled out in the kiddie pool with Papa.

Finding things to do at home. Naked. Notice Wiley in the bouncer behind.

Enjoying a new hobby, painting. Note to self: need to monitor this better!

Some of Wiley’s new buddies, Austin Gravette and Jacoby Nevens, both about 2 months and the same length as Wiley (uh-oh, he may have the Falk-Weeks height). Luke says the second picture is just like what they’ll look like hanging out when they are old men!

Maia sometimes gets jealous when we’re holding Wiley and just climbs up and sits in between. Wiley doesn’t mind.

For my 30th b-day, my friends took me to a great houseboat in Lake Oroville (near where I’ll be back to work part time in the fall). Of course Wiley came too, lucky guy with ten girls!

One more shout out: our dear friend Katie Raley has been living in our basement this summer as she just finished school studying abroad in Germany and is now getting ready to move to Australia to start a non-profit in Malaysia with a friend, IAEDF. She has been great help and company, and the kiddos love her!

While we are still working on “gentle touches” with her brother, Maia is lately enjoying holding Wiley and making him laugh.  He is cooing and drooling up a storm and stealing our hearts with his chub. I love summer because I get to see those rolls spilling out of the onesie or diaper!

Check out Maia at the same age…July 2008:

They both had the same little tuft of newborn hair on top left at this time…I just cut Wiley’s (shhh, don’t tell Luke).

Maia loves to sing and read books and has had to do more of that alone these days to entertain herself while I’m nursing or frantically cooking, doing laundry or picking up while Wiley is napping (it never ends!). Here she got to entertain Wiley and I by singing the ABCs (Maia-style) after reading one of her favorite books from Papa, The Sleepy Little Alphabet.

We left Maia for three whole days and flew to Pittsburgh for our dear friend’s wedding. Dave married Karen and it was quite a cool wedding, all green (as in sustainable!) and very unique.  We will also forever sing the song Excellent Trouble by their friend Brad Yoder as it was a theme song of sorts. We got to see some of the city although Wiley and I were a bit sick. Here are a few memorable pics.

We ate some legendary Primanti Bros. sandwiches–they have fries and coleslaw in them and are HUGE! Jeff had one with kolbassi or some meat I had never her of and egg. There was also a Pens game (Penguins, hockey) going on, Stanley Cup finals, so we were among some rowdy locals.

Here are some wedding shots. I didn’t get enough of that sweet pair!

While we were helping set up, Luke had Wiley in the Moby wrap and discovered something yellow splattered on the stage. He looked down and his pants, the wrap, and Wiley were covered in poop!  We washed them all down, but to no avail, as you can see…

So Luke and I went up onstage to read a prayer, with his pants just as bright as you see them there!  Wiley had three more blowouts during Sunday’s travels and went through all the outfits I brought!

I had to throw in some photos of Maia and her friend Dylan as they discovered each other’s different “parts” and what that means for outside peeing! Kelly and I were dying laughing.

Woa, check out that stream!

Maia tries to find something to hold too.

Then Dylan spreads too as we tell Maia that’s what girls do.

Isn’t she precious? (I have to remember that when I am giving her the 18th timeout of the day for hitting her brother!)

Wiley is a sweet baby. Maia adores him!

Gotta love the zerbert! (although lately she is exploring her power by hitting too…)

We celebrated at the Chico State Wildcat  baseball game, thanks to all Luke’s work hookups. It was a blast!

Willie the Wildcat made an appearance…Maia loves him!

All the kids loved Willie

You don’t think my dad is overdoing it with the Chico State fan stuff, do you?

“knuckles”

Maia loves the Happy Birthday song being sung to her!

Yum!

ONe of her favorite presents was a harmonica…yeah, we are all really loving it, especially Wiley when he is asleep on the couch.

And all our favorite people there!

Mom held Wiley the whole time…will get more of him on here soon!

We’re excited to announce the arrival of the newest Reid, Wiley Scott, born Jan 27 (his cousin Lauryn’s birthday!) at 10:50 pm. 6 lbs 12 oz. 19 3/4 in.

He looks a lot like Maia did, and so far is eating and sleeping a little better than her…knock on wood. We are really thankful our families have helped with Maia and all the transition this week. The next few months especially will be an adventure adjusting to two little ones!

I’ve been waiting for the baby to come (due this Sat), but it’s also super rainy and yucky outside, so here is a sampling of some activities we’ve been doing to distract us inside:

Lots of “dishes”

Pudding finger painting with friend, Rosalind

Hide-and-seek (she often wedges herself between tables and walls and you hear, “Where’s Maia? Have you seen her?”

Coloring…we are still working on where colors go…on paper!

And dancing with Luke and Dylan!

A lot has happened in 2009! Our little Maia is now 21 months, we moved, Luke graduated from the Master’s program, we moved, and Baby Reid #2 is due January 23!

I realized the last post didn’t have enough good shots of Maia or her smile, plus our camera is on the fritz so the good ones weren’t even ours…here are a few more.