Flat Reed: The First Shower

This morning a few of Abbey's students threw her a shower. They have been meeting in her classroom this year for a Bible Study. They bought her several gifts and had donuts with chocolate milk.

They bought her a few onesies, some washcloths, a little stuffed giraffe, and a towel with a little hood on it. It was extremely thoughtful of them.

They asked Abbey to bring Flat Reed today, and amazingly Abbey remembered! So Flat Reed got to go to school again today with Abbey and he came out with some really cool gifts.

Flat Reed: Upstaged

Flat Reed got his mommy something very special for her birthday. He got her a WillowTree statue of a mom holding her baby. I already have mine, so it was certainly time for Abbey to get one. I think that she liked it a lot. It was very thoughtful for Flat Reed to get his mom something so meaninful and neat, but ...



I was completely upstaged by the gift. Flat Reed didn't tell me that he was going to do something that special. Although I should have known when we were in Hallmark and I was paying for it, that he was going to get her something great. I have been known as a pretty great gift giver for the nearly 6 years of our marriage, but now it looks like my son is going to get all of the attention!

I got Abbey something that she has been wanting for a really long time. Flat Reed's Lola has a hanger thing in her laundry room that she keeps all of her plastic bags from Wal-Mart, Target, and Kroger in. That way they are more organized than the normal way that they are stored around the house. So, when I was in IKEA, I found the thing and bought it for her! I think this is one step closer to a kitchen faucet for her birthday!



That's not all, I also got her a handy little dish towel holder, also from IKEA. You hang it on the wall in your kitchen and pop your dish towel in it and then it is set to go!

So, that friends and blog readers, is how Flat Reed upstaged me on Abbey's birthday!

Birthday FAQs:
1. Went to church.
2. Sang in choir.
3. Ate at El Mocajete with friends (Brandon, Tamara/Britton (she's still pregnant with him) and Jonathan & Jillian) for lunch.
4. Wahsed the cars.
5. Went to Red Lobster for birthday supper.
6. Target (come on, you don't think we missed Target on Abbey's birthday do you?)
7. Cracker Barrel dessert to go (although it took forever for it to be completed)
8. Home to Veg out and watch TV

Flat Reed: Daddy is Home!

I have been dreaming of the day when I would come home and my son would be waiting on me at the door. Tonight when I got home, Flat Reed was there waiting. I am not sure if he was excited to see me, or if he was he was just ready to see what I bought him last ngiht at IKEA.



Flat Reed got a plastic bib that catches the food that doesn't make it into his mouth, AND it is in the shape of a frog.



Come on now, you really didn't believe that was ALL that I got him did you? Actually this all came in one set for $2.99!!! Whoa! Why am I just now discovering this place? The little bowl has a suction cup on the bottom and so it was stay put when Flat Reed is digging around in it for his favorite piece of Mac-n-Cheese.

Flat Reed: Daddy Discovers IKEA

Okay, I am in Houston and my family is home in Nashville. Abbey and Flat Reed were not able to come with me on this trip. Tonight after supper, we went to IKEA because I had never been. Oh my goodness! Abbey and I MUST plan a field trip to Atlanta soon! I cannot believe everything that they have! That place is huge!

I just got really excited because when I looked at the IKEA Web site, I saw that there was a store in Portland where I am going to be next weekend! Well, I clicked on the link to see how far it was from the church that I am going to be teaching at and wouldn't you know it, the store is open yet! Blah!



On a good note, I found what I think will be a couple of good options for a rug for Reed's room. There are also some incredible organization things. If I ever talk Abbey into letting me buy and old building on our town square and renovating it into our home, this will be a great place to find furniture for loft-like living.

I did buy Abbey a couple of goodies and I bought Reed a little present. It's really neat. I'll takea picture of Flat Reed using his new goodie when I get home.

Flat Reed: Mommy's Birthday Party

Tonight, we had Mommy's birthday party at Genghis Grill. Mommy loves to eat there. Some of our friends from our Sunday School class got to come and eat with us. It was very nice of them to come and eat. Flat Reed got to come along with us. Since we don't have a car seat yet, we did make sure to buckle him in.



Flat Reed enjoyed watching the cooks at GG fix the food. It is a very interesting way of cooking. Lesia is our Sunday School teacher's wife. She got to ride with Flat Reed to the restaurant.



I think that Flat Reed is going to be one of those who "makes change in the offering plate." He needed to make change for something. I don't even know what a flat child would need with money.



Flat Reed spilled his drink! Well, actually, his dad spilled his drink and Grace thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to teach Flat Reed how to scold me!



A family portrait at Mommy's birthday.

Flat Reed: "Mommy's" New Books

We've been collecting children's books ever since Abbey and I have known each other. My mom, Flat Reed's "Enna," sent Abbey a couple of new books to Abbey for her birthday. They are really neat books. I always love getting new books. Children's books are the best ones to read because they are short and have pictures!



I've not had a chance to read over this one, yet, but the title intrigues me, "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes." If ever there was a child who will be loved like "crazy cakes," it is our son!



Flat Reed's Aunt Ava has started an online business selling her hand-painted canvasses. She is making personalized ones for people who request them. Here's one that she made for Reed.



The artwork is great for hanging in an office, bedroom, or wherever you need a splash of color. They are really neat. You should go to Ava's Originals link to the right and check out what she has for sale. I love this quote about adoption. It's really neat.

Flat Reed: Helping Daddy Work

I am traveling a lot in the next few days, and there are some things that I have got to get finished. Flat Reed wanted to be like his dad, so he got to help me come up with some life application statements for the Sunday School.



As if I could love this little guy any more, look at the Life App that he wrote! Man, you just gotta love him.



Working on these outlines required a lot more thought that I had originally anticipated, but Flat Reed was very quiet and patient. He was a great help.



We took time out for a quick photo with each other. He is the cute one on the left, like you didn't know.



By this point, I was thinking, "Okay, it's 8:30 PM, I am at home working on work, and I'm getting a little frustrated!" So, I quit working for the evening and I spent some quality time with Flat Reed.

Flat Reed would like to give props to Melinda Doolittle and Jordin Sparks for their stellar performances tonight on American Idol.

Flat Reed: Cleanin' Up the Kitchen

Abbey wasn't home tonight, so Flat Reed and I cleaned up the kitchen. We also did laundry and cleaned the garage, but there aren't any pictures of that. Flat Reed helped me to unload the dishwasher. For those of you who know me well, you know that I HATE the kitchen, so it was a real stretch for me to do anything in there! Much less, clean it up.



"Wow, Daddy, we sure do have a lot of plates!!! Are we rich?" HA! Flat Reed didn't realize that our plethora of plates (well, really, it's not that many, there are only 12) didn't mean that we were rich. They aren't fine china or anything.



"Daddy, thanks for letting me put up the glasses. Mommy won't let me touch the breakables!"



"Clean up, clean up. I can help clean up!"



"Daddy what are all these big, ugly brown things? They sure are ugly and BIG!" I promise, if I didn't know our son wasn't biologically related to us, I would BELIEVE we were genetically linked! Flat Reed doesn't like the "stones" from Pampered Chef either. Maybe with two of us that can't stand them, Abbey will finally agree that they aren't that great!



Note to self: Always know where your kids are at, lest they jump up and swing on the pot rack!

Flat Reed: A Spend the Night Party

While Daddy was out of town, Flat Reed and Mommy spent the night with the Sprinkles. Flat Reed was a little scared of this new surroundings, so Mommy let him fall asleep and then she put him in his bed. It didn't take him long, because the Sprinkles have a very comfortable guest bedroom—complete with comfy sheets (they must be 300-thread-count, clean white spread, and nice, soft mattress—not to mention a baby bed, changing table, and glider! Man, they have the hook-up.



Once Flat Reed was fast asleep (he likes to sleep with his eyes open!!!), he slept quite well. Abbey said that he slept through the night without a peep. He didn't wake up until 7:30 AM. Wow! I sure hope the real Reed or as some like to refer to him, 3-D Reed will sleep that well.



Flat Reed took the opportunity to try out the glider in the Sprinkles guest room. Daddy thinks they need to get one with a more neutral color, so when Flat Reed's sister, Flat Ava comes along they can just use the same one. Mommy thinks that a blue pin-striped pattern will be better. I think this is all a ploy by Mommy to get Flat Ava a gross PINK one!

Flat Reed: Construction Site

Flat Reed got to visit his first ever construction site this weekend, while Abbey spent some time with the Sprinkles. His first order of business was to go dumpster diving. You know every two month old needs to be able to dive in a dumpster. It helps build up the ole immune system.



I was a little concerned that Flat Reed's mom allowed him to go dumpster diving in a clearly marked dangerous dumpster. I was a wee bit concerned with the fact that the Sprinkles are housing a "dangerous" dumpster on their new property. What if Walty and Flat Reed got hurt while dumpster diving? I think they should only have safe dumpsters on their property.



"Wow, Nana Sprinkles, this window has a really pretty view. Is this where I get to play?"



"Putty look at me! I'm way up in the air."



"Nana Sprinkles, this view is awesome. Now all you need is a hot tub for Putty to relax in, while you go shopping in your new Lincoln MKZ. I think that Putty is going to buy you one for Mother's Day!" (note: I believe this is the first time that we have shown the backside of Flat Reed, so you can see, we didn't give him hair!)



"Putty look at my sliding. Nana said you couldn't because she was scared you would fall and break an ankle or something, AGAIN!"



I really question my wife allowing my precious little Flat Reed to walk across a piece of wood by himself!

Flat Reed: Greatest Hits

I am out of town and Abbey is staying with the Sprinkles tonight, so there are not any new pictures of Flat Reed. I decided that I would make a picture of each of Flat Reed's outfits. Two of them have been sent to Taiwan and the package should have arrived today. I would be able to tell you that, but I left the tracking number at my office.

Since we sent two cameras, we are really hoping that they take a picture of the real Reed in his Easter outfit, since that was such a cute outfit and Easter is such a meaningful holiday.

Abbey did tell me that she got some EXCELLENT pictures while Flat Reed and she visited with the Sprinkles. I can only imagine what they will look like. Abbey forgot to bring the camera cord, so she couldn't upload them.

Flat Reed: BREAKABLES!

We don't have a bonus room, for that matter, we don't have any good room to put children's toys. So, we had built-ins made for our dining room wall that has been big and empty since we moved into our house. We had really no idea what to do with the space. Then, we went to Jason and Leslie's, they had put in built-ins in this odd space in their house. We figured that would be a great place for our odd spot.



This is the first time since we have been married that we have had a good place to display all of our Gail Pittman and our Peter's Pottery. But, getting back to space issue, we now have 4 cabinets which will be the perfect place to put Reed's toys. Flat Reed was thrilled with the new built-ins. He quickly scaled the wall and took advantage of a photo op with the GP.



Ooops! Flat Reed got his fingers stuck in the doors. He didn't cry a bit. We're going to have to get some more of those protector things. We're not putting only toys in those cabinets. We'll store our wireless router and cable router in the cabinets, our printer, and we store the laptop and Macbook in there.



Flat Reed just loves playing in things. All of the toys we will buy him will probably be a waste as he will be content just playing in a cardboard box! Isn't that the way most kids are?





Flat Reed is going to be spending the weekend with just his mommy because I have got to go to Atlanta to teach a conference. Flat Reed is going to get to go with me to teach a conference in Portland, OR in a couple of weeks. We thought we would take advantage of a photo op with the adoption agency that has coordinated this addition to our family. I have already emailed our caseworker who is excited about getting to get a picture with Flat Reed.

I am not sure if Flat Reed is going to get to go to Houston with me next weekend for a conference. After we figure out how we are going to arrange the furniture we'll let Flat Reed get some pictures with new arrangement.

Flat Reed: He's Gone! He's Gone! Oh Yeah!

Flat Reed is so happy, he's doing the dance of joy! Really, it's amazing how much our son is like us. He has such great taste in everything, especially good singers! Can we say, "Melinda Doolittle!!!"

Isn't it exciting! We don't have to listen to Sanjaya anymore! Now ... who will be next?

Flat Reed: My First Puddin' Pop

Flat Reed was so excited when I got home from work and it was such a beautiful day, we decided to go hang out in the backyard. Since I've heard it's not so safe to let a baby have ice cream in the house, I decided to let Flat Reed have his first puddin' pop.



Flat Reed is still too young to feed himself, so I had to hold his puddin' pop for him.



After we finished our afternoon snack, we decided to go lay out in the hammock for a little while. Yesterday when I came home from work, there were two deer and a rabbit in our backyard. It was the first time that I have seen deer in our yard. I've seen them in the neighborhood before, but never in our own yard.



I have always liked feet. Abbey's not so sold on feet. So, I decided to take a comparative look at my feet versus Flat Reed's feet. Generally, there would be no socks on, however, in Taiwan, they really believe in keeping their babies completely covered. So, I decided it would be best for us to keep our socks on.



You know babies don't have a long attention span, so we had to go play in the woods for a few minutes. Flat Reed was hoping to sight a deer like I did yesterday, but there was none to be found. We've got to get some more birdseed for the feeders so that the birds will at least hang out in our backyard.



Flat Reed was also amazed when he found out that he had fans! Check out "Dumplins, Three" listed under the Taiwan Adoption Links in the margin. LandLife is featured as their "Sight to Savor" in its first attempt to highlight a sight they like to watch. That's cool!

I better get off the computer now, Flat Reed and I are supposed to start supper since Abbey had an appointment this afternoon. I have to get supper ready to go so that we will have it ready to eat when we get home from church tonight. Flat Reed, Abbey, and I are excited because we are sure that Sanjaya will be voted off tonight. Can you believe that we were out last night so we didn't get to see Martina McBride (who by the way, is my favorite country singer and Abbey's least favorite - the song about buying a gallon of milk for some stranger really irks Abbey)?