Mobility

Goal: run a half marathon.

Training plan: eat right, hydrate, and chase a newly mobile infant. Whew!

That's right friends, the peanut has learned to crawl..... backwards at least.

It's quite amazing how much ground a 13 pound girl can cover going backwards / rolling in just a few minutes. Perhaps walking is overrated after all.... One of her latest discoveries is the couch. The 1990s fabric has an interesting texture, and an approximately 2 inch gap beneath it which E likes to shove her arms in. We've looked and looked, and other than dust and inevitably some hair, there's nothing under there for her to grab. Maybe it's just the excitement of reaching? 

One recent venture took us to the hallway.... here is what she found:

Who needs toys??

Just in case you haven't seen it all over facebook, we've entered E into a "cutest baby" contest. the winners get a trip to NYC for a cover shoot for this magazine, and a scholarship prize. Help us win! (since we all know there's never been a cuter little girl) . You can vote daily, check out:   http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/1442322?esrc=nwphotofaves_abyccfy13 

Other news, Jarrod is taking midterms this week. I am so proud of him and how hard he has worked this semester. He's ahead in his reading schedule, learning a ton and has been around so much! E and I are definitely blessed to have such an awesome man in our lives. This next week is fall break, aka start-working-on-your-huge-papers week. He's started a computer training gig on the side, Get Geeked. And, as a true "geek", he now carries his business cards everywhere, want one????

Last weekend we attended a marriage conference at our church, Dr. Danny Akin spoke. It was fantastic, and funny, as all good marriage conferences should be. I praise God for the godly men He has raised up in the SBC to lead our seminaries and churches, men who keep Jesus in the focus and remind us to have fun with our families, all to the glory of God. 

We've become Costco members. (What good Reeds aren't??) Even Eliaya had a good time walking around the warehouse and partaking in the ENORMOUS amount of free samples. Perhaps the coolest event of the day was all the freebee's we got sent home with: water, batteries, granola bars, and a chicken. This is, most definitely, my favorite picture of Eliaya... pretty much ever. You can bet this will make it's debut at her wedding someday :)

hahahahaha.... ok, ok, catch my breath... whew..... best face ever. I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.


Well, nap time is quickly ending and the laundry is beckoning.... Thanks for checking in. Have a blessed day!

Love,
the Reeds

Surgery in the Parking Lot

All is well in the Reed house!

I know with the lack of updates you must have been wondering. I kept sitting down to start writing... only to be pulled away to edit a paper, change a diaper, or discover our daughter had lodged herself under the kitchen table. Ah, the joys of seminary-motherhood.

Another semester is underway, and as always, the first week was filled with schedule changes, school supply shopping, mild panic attacks and overwhelming praise the the God who is faithful. Jarrod is signed up for New Testament 1, Greek syntax, missiology, and an applied ministry course. Intense, but he's really excited about them.

Perhaps the most exciting update is with Eliaya (of course). She's growing like a weed; I finally went through her clothes to sort out what doesn't fit anymore, and the last of the newborn onesies have been put away! Yesterday she turned 5 months old! We started her on rice cereal and a new nickname has developed: little birdie. Check out the video of her first taste!
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............. (6 tries and an hour later)....... okay, so that wont load. Here's a picture instead!

The grape: she and I have been through a lot. She's been around for almost 20 years, accompanied me on road trips too numerous to count, saw me through college, and stretched gas to unheard of limits. In case you were wondering, the grape is my car. Or rather, it was my grandma's car and then mine. She's been on her last leg for quite some time. Mechanics laugh when I come to pick her up from getting an oil change as they hand me the ream of paper listing all her illnesses. Poor girl.  Well, her alternator died. Jarrod was feeling like quite the surgeon, so with the help of a good friend, he attempted to revive her. Hence the title of this post, our parking lot became the site of a car "code blue".

IT WORKED! I think another facet of seminary is becoming a "jack-of-all-trades". Regardless, it was cause for much celebration. The grape lives on, at least for another season :)

Next update I'll throw in a bunch of pictures, Eliaya's getting so big!

Thanks for reading, have a blessed day!

-the Reeds

Our New Normal

 I read in various pregnancy books about reaching the "new normal" once baby comes. The authors talked a lot about making time for your spouse, adjusting schedules, sleep, and making activities baby friendly. We hit 11 weeks this past Friday, and not that we don't still have trying moments, but I think we've reached that point. And it's good.

Jarrod is taking elementary Greek this summer, it's tough but he's doing so well. I think he finds it easier than Hebrew, praise the Lord! He's putting in lots of hours at geek squad and God continues to give him favor there. It's neat when ever Eliaya and I come to visit him and all the customers pause to ooo and aww over her. We've gotta be careful once she can understand.. wouldn't want her to get a big ego or anything :)

I've started back at work part time. We were really nervous about this transition (more so me I think), but the Lord has been so faithful to carry us and give us grace with each other through the stressful moments. It helps that my coworkers let him bring her up to visit so I can get my fix. I am officially off orientation and haven't been fired yet, so things must be going well, haha.

Okay okay... so now the part you're really interested in: Eliaya's pictures!

puppy love (10 weeks)

10 weeks

11 weeks, diaper changes can be SO tiring!

Proof we're not always happy ...

Cutest baby I know! 

At our 2 month appointment, she was 22 3/8 inches long, and 8lbs 14oz. Pediatrician said she would like her to put on some more weight (since birth she's dropped from 15th to 5th percentile) but that she looked absolutely perfect, we know that already of course :).  We go back for a weight check next week, and I'm sure she's done her part: we've been in a huge growth spurt the past few days.. all the kid wanted to do was eat!  She's talking up a storm, I'll try and post a video of that soon. Every day I am so blown away that God would bless Jarrod and I with her. More and more she reminds me of Jarrod: she's definitely a morning baby, loves to talk, and gets so excited when people come over. It has been a great joy to see Jarrod and E bond. She gets the biggest grin on her face when he comes home and snuggles her :)

We are so excited to get to spend some time with family this week, Jarrod's grandparents, mom, and brother are driving up from FL as we speak! We've prepped Eliaya, telling her she'll be spoiled big time and not have to lay on the floor at all this next week....

Please continue to pray for us. We're in a good routine now, but the fall schedule is a bit daunting. Pray that we (me especially) would trust the Lord to provide what we need and to show us what all can fit on the plate, and what's okay to take off. The Lord has not failed us in any way, we've been blessed far beyond what we deserve. He's growing us individually, in our marriage, and as a family.

"I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe, first for the Jew, and also for the Gentile. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith" " --Romans 1:16-17

Thanks for reading! Love,
the Reeds