David, Reagan, Hank and I traveled to Cincinnati for Reagan's first Thanksgiving, where David's grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins live. We want to thank Uncle Bob and Aunt Pasna for hosting such a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday evening and thank "Grandma Great" Trudy for treating the family to an amazing post-thanksgiving dinner Friday evening at the Orchids Restaurant. It was a great couple of days to catch up with family and to introduce our (already!) 4-month old Rah Rah!
Although I feel like I am a thankful person in general and take time every day to count my blessings, this holiday is particularly special to me because it was last Thanksgiving 2013 when I found out that I was pregnant with Reagan. I did not completely believe it at first. After a miscarriage in April/May 2013 and then another one in September 2013, I just didn't think that I really had a baby growing inside me again, or if this baby would be healthy enough to meet me later on. But, obviously, Reagan is a healthy baby girl who has been a wonderful addition to my life and David's life and has touched many in our families already. We love this baby peach so much!
Reagan and I took a "selfie photo" before we began packing for our trip to Cincinnati. I think she loves taking selfies with her mommy!
My former co-coach of the school cross country teams and his wife donated their children' baby clothes to Reagan, and we found this gem of an outfit in the bin of clothing that they gave to us! It's a Tennessee orange Adidas track suit! How awesome! Naturally, Mommy Peaches took several photos with Reagan in this amazing attire.
Reagan modeled some great poses for me, too!
Reagan takes a break to watch some television, and waits patiently for Daddy to finish packing before we take off on our 4-hour drive to Cincinnati.
And then David came up with this photo collage comparison of Reagan Haase to Rocky Balboa! What a champ! (Of course, her headband has a flower!)
We stop for dinner at Dairy Queen for some delicious hamburgers and Oreo blizzard treats. Hank LOVES Dairy Queen. We arrive in Cincinnati late Wednesday night.
The next day, we are dressed and ready for our first Thanksgiving meal, which is brunch with Grandma Trudy, David's parents and our good family friend, Mrs. Louise T.
I know the headbands with the big, obnoxious flowers get a little annoying, but it does look cute at first, and it saves me the energy to explain that Reagan is a girl every time some asks me if my baby is a he or a she.
Reagan gets comfortable in Grandpa Fred's arms as we watch the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions football game Thursday afternoon.
Then, Reagan decides to get a better view of the game and gets comfortable on the floor to watch with her daddy. This is the only time she was cheering for the Bears, to cheer against the Lions who are ranked higher in the division in which her favorite team, the Green Bay Packers, plays.
Reagan practices rolling over...
But she's not quite rolling over on her own yet. Soon!!!
Later Thursday, we go over to Reagan's Great Uncle Bob and Great Aunt Pasna's house in Cincinnati for Thanksgiving dinner. It was delicious (well, for Reagan's parents!) but Reagan stuck to her classic mommy milk and formula diet. She'll get to enjoy her mashed potatoes next year!
Then, Friday afternoon, we decided to venture out into the craziness of the Black Friday shopping! We went to a Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue to shop for some deals.
Reagan helped me to pick some things out, but then needed some napping breaks in between stores.
AND THEN, after we had some lunch at the Potbelly's Restaurant in the plaza where there was Christmas music, coffee and hot chocolate stands, an ice skating rink, and everything else buzzing about Christmas, we returned to inside the Macy's Store where we spotted SANTA CLAUS taking pictures with children before we left for lunch. So, with fully bellies and ready to calm down an anxious baby when being held by a jolly, white-haired stranger in a red suit, we waited in line after Santa returned from his "lunch break" and let Reagan take her very first pictures with Santa.
It went smoothly at first...
Still okay...
And then, she started to get fussy...
Here it comes...
We thought she would recognize Santa as "one of her own" since she was wearing her personal Santa's helper suit!
Nope, not the case!
WAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! David said that he wanted Reagan to cry because it would be a more entertaining picture. Aww, why does Santa always seem to make babies cry???
We said "goodbye" to Santa Clause, calmed Reagan down and returned home to get ready for dinner Friday before leaving late Friday night because David needed to work Saturday morning in Knoxville.
For Friday's dinner, we dressed Reagan in a special reindeer outfit that her Grandpa Fred picked out. It was a mix of Christmas and Mardi Gras in this green and pink frilly tutu dress and pink striped and polka-dotted leggings. Just perfectly outrageous and on sale!!!
We finished an amazing 4-course meal at the Orchids Restaurant in downtown Cincinnati and took several family pictures before leaving late Friday night back to Knoxville.
Here is a 4-generation picture with "Grandma Great" Trudy, Grandma Nancy, Mommy Peaches and Baby Peaches.
All together in front of the Christmas Tree: Nov. 28, 2014
Reagan is awake and ready for the 4-hour car ride to Knoxville! She slept all the way and most of the night Friday when I transferred her from the carseat to the crib in our Knoxville apartment. I was scared it was going to be an all-nighter, but I got 5-6 hours of sleep that night. Good girl, Reagan!!!
Here are my favorite "Santa's helper" pictures of Reagan, on her 4-month birthday, Nov. 28, 2014.
Below are the two dresses that we purchased during the Black Friday sales at Macy's for Reagan when we take our family Christmas card picture this week. Reagan's Aunt Amy P. is coming Wednesday for the photo session. It will be a challenge, but we're hoping to get a good picture with a smiling baby (and mom and husband) and well-behaved Hank dog!
Below is a cute outfit that Grandma Nancy picked out for Reagan to wear as she "goes back to school" and begins Day Care next Monday!
And, lastly, below is the furry bear cub onesie that Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Fred gave to Reagan. She tried it on Saturday afternoon, even though it wasn't quite appropriately cold to wear this outfit yet in Tennessee. She is preparing for her future trips to the colder habitats of her grandparents in Indiana and Wisconsin! Gotta be warm and cute!
We got it in the 9-month size, so she would have a little extra room to grow in the bear onesie and be able to wear it through March! :)
