Update on the puppies...

I've still got to take another picture of them, but they are growing so fast!!! Eyes are open now, and they will probably start eating puppy food in the next week. They are PRECIOUS!! We have one little girl, and two little boys that still need a good home (Cory said I can't have two, so the little girl is available now). They sure would be cute with a big red bow around their necks for Christmas (but they won't be able to leave Mom until Jan 10). Let me know if you are interested!!!!

Like we needed this...

We have a litter of puppies! Cory's Dad has two Border Collies, Tippy and Cowboy. Now that we're "out in the country" Cory wanted to breed them, so that Reid could have a puppy. On Nov. 29th, Tippy had 7 puppies (4 boys and 3 girls). All three girls and one little boy are spoken for, but we have 3 more that need a good home! If you, or anyone you know could be that home, let me know!!! This picture was taken on Monday, and its not the best, plus its not all of them. I will post some new ones soon!

Oh, and as an update to a prior post, our two cats, Bob and Larry...they are boys...we'll get it straight one day...sheesh...

Never buy a little boy a toy...

...because the TupperWare cabinet works just fine. Ever since my son was small, we have noticed that the more lights, colors and noises a toy makes, the less he wants it. From 3 months of age, his FAVORITE toy has been his wooden spoon. No, I'm not kidding. In fact, when he was in the hospital this past Fall...his wooden spoon made the trip too. The nurse was asking me about his routine at home...what time does he nap?...does he sleep in his own bed?...what are his favorite foods?...etc., and then she asked, what is his favorite toy--..when I answered--a wooden spoon--she gave me a very strange look. I quickly responded, if you think I'm kidding, go look what he's sleeping with! This was his latest rendezvous with ALL the plastic containers in his grandparents' home...

Happy Birthday to...

REID! November 9th, Reid celebrated his first birthday with MANY friends and family members. We were OVERWHELMED by the people that came and the sweet gifts each one brought. We give God all the glory for our son's life, and Cory and I consider ourselves blessed to be able to celebrate such a precious soul! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Here are a few pictures from the big day.

Reid and the "rents"

Reid and his Francie Pants were ready to Parytay!

Aunt Rollins came to celebrate too!

Grampa helping Reid open a present.

Francie Pants loved pushing Reid in his new car.

Reid in his "car" from Mom and Dad.

The cake wasn't too big of a hit...at least we got a picture. = )

A Little Reminiscing...

Isn't he the CUTEST Santa you have EVER seen?? The picture up top was taken last December, when Reid was about 4 weeks old. It is so hard to believe that this time last year he was so little. Time literally seems to disappear. I was just updating our blog for the Christmas season, and I couldn't resist. This picture is just too cute not to share! Hope it brings a smile to your face!

A lot of catching up to do...but not right now!

Well, we've had SO MUCH happening in our lives lately! We are packing boxes and getting ready to move at the end of November. Reid turned one, and celebrated with a fun birthday party this past Sunday afternoon. Cory and I are also excited about another baby that will be joining us sometime this summer! We've been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! I have pictures I will post of Reid's bday and hopefully next week, I will have an ultrasound picture of Baby Ellis. Right now, I'm packing because Cory and I are leaving to go on a much needed vacation for three days. I just wanted to let everyone out in the blogging world know that we are still here, Mom is just too busy to make a LONG post right now! Here's a sweet picture of Reid I took last night. You can see all 6 of his teeth! = )

Trick or Treat!!!

Reid LOVED his very first Halloween! You could not have wiped that huge smile off his face! We went to the "Trunk or Treat," at our church, Westview Baptist, where all the different Sunday School classes decorate the trunks of cars and hand out candy. Reid had a ball! He even enjoyed his first Reese's Cup. YUM! Cory and I had even more fun showing off the cutest scarecrow in the world!

Green Beans and Potatoes...

For all you mothers out there, have you ever just sat and watched your child and wondered, "Who are you?" Reid has turned from this helpless, precious, little baby boy, into an independent toddler (well, more independent than I necessarily want him to be). He's walking, talking (his own language) and doesn't want a bottle or baby food. He's so proud of himself when he learns something new, and he literally amazes me every day. Lately, he's started eating all kinds of new foods. He LOVES pancakes, Vienna Sausages (YUCK), green beans, potatoes, french fries and Goldfish.

Oops...

Bob and Larry have officially settled into the Ellis family. They figured out how to get out of the back yard fence, and would greet anyone who drove up in the driveway...so....now they rotate between our kitchen and screened in porch (Cory does not want them to get run over before we move to the country...neither do I). Now that they are in our home off and on, we have been spending more "quality" time with them, and we noticed something quite interesting...they aren't boys. So the Ellis family now has two female cats...named Bob and Larry. In the best interest of our child, and our desire to keep him from growing up confused, we tried to rename the kittens...Barbara and Loretta, Bobbi and Lori...nothing worked. We have called them Bob and Larry for so long, that they will stay Bob and Larry...the girls don't seem to mind. = )

First Jack-O-Lantern Carving...

It's officially Reid's first Halloween! I remember always loving to carve pumpkins when I was little, so I decided to carry on the tradition. Reid didn't care too much for the festivities this year...he was only interested in the shiny, sharp knife that he could not have. But once the pumpkin was finished, he seemed to find the finished product pretty interesting. Here are some pictures I caught this afternoon...the weather was PERFECT...and so was Reid's sweet smile...which strongly resembles that of the Jack-O-Lantern = ).

Active Baby Boys and Hospitals Don't Mix...

Well, it's been one of those months! We thought we were finally in the clear when we had the adenoids out, but boy were we wrong! About 3 weeks later, Reid was put in the hospital with Pneumonia...YUCK! After 36 hours in the hospital, breathing treatments, IV antibiotics, a lot of walking for Mom, Dad, and Grampa, Reid finally came home a much happier and healthier baby. Here is a picture of him in his hospital crib....

And He's Off!!!

Reid can walk! Well...he CAN walk, he just doesn't CHOOSE to. He's still a little unsure and can move faster on his hands and knees, but he has taken SEVERAL steps all by himself, and he will grab either mine or Cory's hand and walk beside us. He's such a big boy! I haven't managed to catch him in the act with my camera, but here are some close calls and a few "just cute" pictures.

Rough Night?

Well...we don't really know what happened, but Reid was obviously up all night tossing and turning. Cory went to get him one morning, and this is what he found! Bless Reid's heart...I just thought these pictures were HILARIOUS!!! Look at that hair!

Tubes in...Adenoids out...

After 7 ear infections during his mere 9 months of life, Reid survived his very first surgery. Actually, survived probably isn't the best word. He sailed right through the procedure, and doesn't even act like he ever had surgery! Dr. McQueen put in bilateral tubes and took out those pesky adenoids. Once the anesthesia wore off, he was up and running...and he hasn't stopped since. Do you think they could put the adenoids back in so I could get some rest? HA! Just kidding. Its nice to have a healthy and happy baby boy again! Here are some pictures of Reid with his new puppy "Fiddle," and his balloon sent to him from his Sunday School teachers Mrs. Carrie Buckelew and Mrs. Sonia Kilpatrick.

Two new redheads

Well, the Ellis family has grown in size, and there are officially more animals than humans...its ridiculous. We now have two male kittens, which we have become quite attached to. Reid thinks they're funny, Ellie thinks they are annoying because they try to nurse her and Blanche is thankful for them because she enjoys finishing off their leftover food. Cory, who wanted the cats, has very little to do with them, while I have become their surrogate "Mom"...and I have actually fallen in love with them (the only cats I have ever owned). Here is Larry Boy, named for the cucumber on VeggieTales (left) and Bob, named for the tomato (right).

Lots of Firsts

Well, we've had many firsts over the past few weeks. Reid is now officially a cow farmer, and the owner of two of his very own Hereford cows. He also has a new baby Jack (a donkey). He is already a farmer and doesn't even know it!

This past week our entire family had a first...our first family vacation. We went to San Destin for a week...and well...Reid decided he doesn't like vacations very much. After several days of a disturbed routine, we THANKFULLY made it back home, and our sweet baby boy returned. The most exciting and enjoyable part of our trip was that Reid learned to say "Dada." YAY!



Now that his 8th month is nearly over, Reid has decided he is very excited about all of his new endeavors...see?

Look Who's Talkin' Now!!!

Well, little man is growing up! 8 months old! He's officially EVERYWHERE, and into EVERYTHING! He thinks he is much bigger than he is. On July 7, he started making the sweetest sound that I have ever heard, "Moma." WOW! He doesn't say it too well on command...usually when he is mad, has a dirty diaper or wants out of his crib (he's learned how to work me), however, I managed to catch it on video...listen closely!!!

Long Overdue...

Well, because of overwhelming demand (mainly from grandparents) I broke down. Instead of sending millions of pictures through email, I guess it would be easier to blog. In November, the Ellis's became 3 (and two dogs), and Reid or "Little Man," as we call him, is now 7 months old. In the past month, he has gone on his first vacation, started sitting, crawling, pulling up and is the proud owner of two bottom teeth. I have the joy of staying at home with him, and he amazes his Mommy everday...literally. The entire time I was pregnant, I was ready for him to "be here." When he "got here," I was ready for him to sleep through the night and be able to put his pacifier back in his mouth. Now, not only can he put his "popeye" in his mouth, he can take it out again, and throw it across the room. He has become a little person with his own laid back personality (all from Daddy) and his red-headed temper (all from Mommy) all while Cory and I sit dumbfounded as to where time went. Take note, as cliche as it may be, time flies...fast.


Here is a slideshow of everything Ellis leading up to Reid's big 7mo.

And here is a slideshow of the last month: