3 of my favorite things...

His curls...

 His eyes...

 His crooked smile...

I just adore him!

Sunday Funday!

We had a fun day today!  Mom, Alli, and I had lunch together and then went to Pinot's Palette!  We had such a great time!  It had been a long time since we had done something together as just the three of us.  Our beach paintings made us really excited for Florida in a couple of weeks!  Yay!! :) 

 This evening we had a Memorial Day picnic with our small group!

 Such a precious bunch of boys!! :) 

 Reid is now taking his baths in the regular tub without his blowup duck!  I know he was probably in that for WAY too long!  Bath time is even more fun for him now that he has a little more freedom!  

We are looking forward to some pool time at Mumsie and Popsie's house tomorrow!  

12 months!!!

I've done a lot of updating lately, so I'm just going to do a quick 12 month post! :) 

We went to the doctor this morning and got Reid's official 12 month stats!  It was a long appointment and Reid had enough by the end!  

Length: 30 3/4 inches (83%)

Weight: 23 lbs 5 oz (79%)

Head Circumference: 19 inches (95%)

Mumsie came with us, which was a big help!  

Waiting, waiting, waiting! :)

Reid wasn't really cooperating for pictures yesterday, so I took a few with his cars as well! :)

Reid at 12 months...

*He is a great eater!  He has transitioned easily to whole milk and loves it almost as much as he loves his water!  

*He is a great sleeper!  He goes to bed around 8:30 or 9:00 and wakes up somewhere between 7:30 and 8:30.  He is still taking two naps a day.  I am thinking we are moving towards one nap.  

*He is getting more confident in his walking and is getting stronger by the day!  It's really fun to see his smile when he takes steps alone.  

*He loves to lay his head down on things and wait for us to say, "Awwwww!"  He does it in his high chair and comes up with food stuck to his face! :) 

*He loves animals (real and pretend).  He is still pretty much obsessed with Chloie and Annabelle.  He likes to hug his stuffed animals, specifically his battery powered, little, stuffed bunny.  He always has 2 of his magnetic puzzle piece animals in his hands at all times.

*His favorite restaurant is El Jarito and gets excited when we go on Friday nights. :) I think it's safe to say we've trained him to love Mexican food.  

*He is starting to have a little bit of separation anxiety and is in a really cuddly phase.  I love it! :) 

Here's Reid's 1 month pictures!  It's amazing how much they change!  

ONE is already so much FUN! :)

May 23rd!

Whew! The birthday celebrations are over and we officially have a one year old!  After the emotional roller coaster I got myself on while blogging last night, I'm happy to say I made it through today with only one teary moment!  Reid and I spent the day together, just the two of us.  That's exactly what I wanted to do and I'm sure he would say the same! ;) We only left the house one time to go to Chick-fil-a.  I figured since it was his birthday I would spare him the torture of sitting in a shopping cart. ;) I probably sang "Happy Birthday" to him 30 times throughout the day!  I just couldn't help myself! 

Good morning, birthday boy!

 Daddy made Reid some teddy bear pancakes before he left for work!  

Reid and I spent the morning doing his favorite things.  We played in the living room, looked at the deer in the study (this is seriously his favorite thing ever), and got to swing in the backyard!  Grandma and Grandpa got Reid a swing set for his birthday!  He actually got to see it last night .  This will provide lots of fun for years to come!  

 After our morning playtime, Reid gave me the best gift ever.  He fell asleep in my arms while I was rocking him before his nap.  This hasn't happened in MONTHS.  I think he knew his mommy needed a little extra cuddle time on his birthday.  I just soaked it up.  He slept with me holding him for about 30 minutes and I loved every second of it.  (That was my teary moment of the day.)  After his nap he ate his favorite lunch consisting of  2 chick-fil-a grilled nuggets, pears, and blueberries.  He LOVES blueberries right now.  Since Reid loves bath time, I thought it would be fun to give him an extra bath time today and let him have a bubble bath in our tub, which he has never done!  He was a little unsure at first...

 Eventually he warmed up to the idea and we had so much fun!  We played some more and then Reid went down for a short afternoon nap.  He woke up screaming after about 40 minutes.  Those back teeth are not fun! :( We had a little photo shoot in the front yard while we waited for Daddy to get home!  I wanted Reid to wear his birthday party outfit again today because I love it so much!  

 Tonight our families came over for dinner, cupcakes and ice cream, and presents!

It is totally normal to wrap presents to match your baby's outfit, right?  

 He was just as amazed when we sung "Happy Birthday" today as he was at his party.  Precious...

 This time he just picked the whole thing up and went for it!  

 He got a little taste of ice cream too!

 Then it was time to try out some of his new wheels!  

 What a wonderful day loving on our wondeful boy! :) 

Reflecting - Part 2

I never really did a "birth story" post, so I am doing that now!  This is LONG and I ramble.

I remember everything like it was yesterday!  I was induced on the morning of May 23, 2011, but we checked into the hospital at 7 pm on Sunday, May 22.  We went to church that morning and then came home and did a few things around the house.  On the way to the hospital we stopped at Texas Roadhouse to get a big, filling dinner!  I remember thinking how funny it was that the rest of the world was just eating their dinner like normal and we were about to go have a BABY!  The drive to the hospital was really exciting.  For some reason I remember hearing Blake Shelton's new (at the time) song "Honey Bee", so now every time I hear it I think of us driving to the hospital and smile. :)  When we got to the hospital, parked in the parking garage, and started heading for the hospital with our (entirely too much) luggage, it really hit me.  I remember every single feeling I had as we walked in.  Once we got inside we had to wait a few minutes to check in.  Eventually we got to our room and I changed into my robe to settle in.  We had a really sweet nurse that night who did my IV, hooked up my monitors, etc.  The IV was the thing I was most nervous about.  After all of the initial things were done, Chris and I watched a little Fox News and talked baby names.  We still hadn't 100% decided on our girl name and we were still going back and forth on the spelling of Reid's name.  The anticipation of finding out if we were going to have a son or a daughter was SO EXCITING.  I just had butterflies every time I thought about getting to hear those words the next day!  Before falling asleep that night (with the help of a sleeping pill), I remember praying that God would take away all of my anxieties and fears about the next day and just help me to be completely in the moment during the entire process.  He completely answered that prayer and so  many more!!!

When I woke up the next morning I was ready to get things going!  I had told myself ahead of time that I would have no expectations about how things would happen.  I knew I couldn't control it anyway.  In the back of my mind I think I assumed I would end up having a c-section.  The nurse started the pitocin and shortly after that Dr. Levin came in and broke my water.  That was BY FAR my least favorite part.  Goodness gracious.  I want to cry just thinking about it.  The contractions eventually started, but were manageable.  Our families started arriving mid-morning.  I was glad to have my family there to talk to and help pass the time.  I got my epidural around 10 am.  I was nervous about that too, but it wasn't bad!  I was not a fan of the anesthesiologist at all, but loved everyone else we came in contact with all week.  My epidural kicked in, but it was very uneven!  My right side was so numb that it almost hurt and the feeling in my left side kept coming back.  She kept coming in to adjust it and eventually it almost evened out.  Dr. Levin had come in a couple of times to check me and I wasn't progressing.  She came in around 2:00 and said that if I hadn't progressed when she came back at 3:30, we would plan a c-section for 6:00.  I did cry when I heard this, but I also completely trusted my doctor.  When she came back in at 3:30, I hadn't progressed.  She said we were going to head straight to the OR because they had a no-show for a 4:00 c-section!  Can you imagine just not showing up for your scheduled c-section???  What in the world?  Anyway, I started crying at this point because things just happened really fast!  They ordered my parents to leave and threw (literally, across the room) Chris his scrubs.  I know they were just trying to be efficient, but to me it felt kind of dramatic when it didn't really need to be.  Once we were on our way to the OR, I felt a peace come over me.  I was about to meet my baby!!! I closed my eyes as they wheeled me in and didn't look at anything until the curtain was up.  That was some great advice from a friend!  Once Chris got to come in, I was READY!  I couldn't wait.  I didn't even know when she started.  I couldn't believe how fast it happened!  Dr. Levin's exact words as she was pulling him out at 4:09 were, "Why didn't you want to come out?  You aren't even that big young man!  Yes, it's a young man!"  Hearing those words was absolutely AMAZING.  Reid Preston Sciba was here and he was ours.  I was able to talk to Reid and kiss him for a couple of minutes before going to recovery.  Chris got to take Reid to meet our families.  I am so happy we have video of their reactions.  My family came back to check on me and tell me all about Reid.  I hated that I had to wait three hours before getting to see him again.  

Our families stayed for a while loving on their grandson/nephew.  I know they couldn't wait to come straight back the next morning!  The rest of the night was kind of a blur.  While I don't remember every single detail about our first night as a family of three, I do remember how absolutely, over the moon, happy we were.  I will never forget that feeling.  That first night was spent getting to know each other and it was so, so special.   

We had a lot of sweet friends and family come visit over the next couple of days.  I was so proud to get to introduce them to our SON.  I actually really enjoyed my stay at the hospital, but the day we came home from the hospital was one of my very favorite days ever!  It was a really wonderful day.  Our first night at home was exhausting and a little stressful, but so much fun.  I laugh when I think about how clueless we were!

As I think back over this year, I have such sweet memories from each stage.  When I remember the first month, I think about the outpouring of love from family and friends.  I think about not leaving my house for three weeks (except to the pediatrician) and spending all day lying on the couch with Reid on my chest.  I think about sitting in bed in the dark with my baby and thinking how blessed I felt to get to be a mother.  I think about how I cried ALL THE TIME because I was so happy.  I think about how Chris was, and still is,  such a precious new daddy and wanted to be right there doing everything with me.   I think about how I would just look at him in awe of every single inch of his body.  I think about how many times we laughed until we cried during a diaper incident.  I think about what proud parents we were when we took Reid on his first outing to Target. :)  I think about how time seemed to just stand still and we forgot that the rest of the world was going on around us.  When I remember the next couple of months, I think about how relieved I was when we finally got the hang of feedings.  I think about how nervous I was to take Reid anywhere by myself.  I think about how I would spend all day just staring at him and talking to him on the couch.  When I remember the next few months, I think about how I slowly but surely started to gain confidence as a mom.  I think about how I was actually a little sad when he started sleeping through the night at 7 months because I would miss him at night.  I think about how fun it was to watch him learn or do something new.  That will ALWAYS be fun!  Finally, when I remember the last couple of months, I think about wanting time to slow down!  I think about how great it is now that we are able to really play together.  I think about how much I have loved seeing his personality come out.  When I look back, I can honestly say that I cherished every single day of this first year.  Not every day was easy, but it has been a ball learning to be Reid's mommy! 

Reflecting - Part 1

My baby is going to be ONE tomorrow.  What a year it has been!  Of course I have the normal sad feelings about how fast this year has gone by, but I am also filled with JOY.  As I think back over Reid's first year of life and my first year as a mommy, I am just THANKFUL.  I've been doing a lot of reflecting over the last week.  I didn't have this blog when I was pregnant, so I wanted to write a post about my pregnancy with Reid.

Our road to a pregnancy wasn't completely problem free, but compared to what so many go through, we were definitely blessed.  We found out I was pregnant on a Friday morning in September of 2010.  I actually took a test before work and then went outside to jog without even looking at it.  I assumed it would be negative and just figured I would just look at it when I got back.  Well, Chris got up a few minutes after I left and saw the test on the bathroom counter.  He thought I had already seen it.  He came outside and stood in the driveway (it was still dark at this point) waiting for me to get back.  I was actually still on our street and I looked back and saw him standing there.  I decided to turn back around and go see what was going on (although I had a sneaking suspicion at that point).  When I got back to the driveway he had the biggest smile on his face.  The whole thing was kind of funny because he didn't know that I didn't know.  I knew instantly what his smile meant though! :)  We were SO happy, but still cautious and a little bit guarded.

I promise we were SO excited, despite this awkward picture (it was 5:45 am).  

We told our parents and my sister and brother over the next few days.  I had a previously scheduled appointment with my doctor the Monday after we found out, so I wanted to wait until after that appointment before telling them.  We told my parents that we wanted to come show them our new car that we bought that weekend (lots of changes in one weekend for the Scibas)!  We put pink and blue balloons in the back of the car and were going to show them "our favorite part" of the car first, which was the automatic trunk.  We had planned to get there around 6 before it got dark, but then my dad called and said that they ran to grab a quick dinner and that they would be a few minutes late getting back to the house.  By the time they got back it was dark!  We decided to show them the trunk anyway, hoping they would be able to see.  When we opened the trunk, my dad said, "Brittany, balloons are flying out of your car!"  Oh my sweet dad...always a little clueless! (I love you so much, Daddy!) Once I told them to look closely at the color of the balloons, they figured it out pretty quickly.  My mom screamed and my dad just shook his head and smiled.  It was such a FUN, FUN night.

We told Chris' parents a couple of days later.  They had helped us car shop and got us a great deal, so the next time we were at their house, I handed his mom "a little thank you note for helping us shop".  When she opened the card it said, "You are going to be grandparents in May!"  They were SHOCKED.  It was so, so fun to see their reaction!  I hate that I didn't get any pictures.  Alli came by at some point that week too.  We     tied balloons to our dogs hoping that when they ran to greet her she would see the surprise.  Sometimes a little clueless herself, it took her a few minutes to get it.  She kept saying, "What in the world?  Why do you have balloons on the dogs?" She was sooo excited to be an aunt!  I sent my brother a picture of the dogs with their balloons on.  He had the same reaction most college boys would have..."Cool. Congrats." He loves being an uncle now! ;)

  My pregnancy with Reid was so easy.  Other than a tiny bit of nausea, gigantic ankles and feet, and some major lemonade cravings, I didn't even feel pregnant until about week 40.  I was comfortable and able to keep up with my seven year olds until my last day of work.  That was a huge blessing.  It took a while for it to actually sink in that I was pregnant.  The whole concept was kind of strange to me!  I took off work the week of my due date to give myself a few days at home.  Once I actually slowed down and just relaxed in bed, I finally felt really connected and in awe of the miracle of pregnancy.  It wasn't that I didn't appreciate being pregnant because I did.  I remember being so THANKFUL throughout my pregnancy to have been given the gift of a baby.  I was literally surrounded by friends that wanted the same thing so badly.  I didn't take a single second for granted.  It was just such a new experience and I really struggled (especially in the beginning) with how to balance my excitement and joy with my worries and my sadness for friends experiencing infertility and loss.

I didn't really do "bump pics", but I do have a few...

30 weeks (on our "babymoon" weekend to Lost Pines)

 33 weeks (at my first baby shower)

 40 weeks and 2 days (right before we left for the hospital!)

Here are some of his ultrasound pictures...

10 weeks...

20 weeks...

I love thinking back to my pregnancy now that I know who I was carrying! :) It's so sweet to think that Reid was the one I was feeling that whole time!  Looking at these ultrasound pictures reminds me what an absolute MIRACLE every baby is.

Sidenote:  Has anyone seen the Pampers commercial that's always on TLC (it's been on for about a year) that shows lots of babies and the different ways babies become part of a family?? I STILL tear up when I see it now and used to SOB every time I would see it those first few weeks after Reid was born when I cried at everything.  It's my favorite commercial!  That is some seriously smart marketing, Pampers.  

Reid's First Birthday Party!

Warning: TONS of pictures! :) 

Reid, Reid, 

What do you see?

I see friends and family 

Looking at me!

The talented Candace Parker at http://thedesignmama.me/ created our invitations! 

I absolutely loved them!!!

Reid's actual birthday is on Wednesday, May 23rd, but we had his birthday party yesterday!  We celebrated with family and friends and it was such a special day!  Reid's favorite book has always been Brown Bear, Brown Bear, so I knew that is what I wanted the theme to be for his party!  I had a lot of fun planning his party!  It was fun getting to let my teacher side come out a little bit by making some things.  I even got to cut out some laminating! ;) I was SO thankful for all the help from our parents and my sister!

We had the party at a park near our house.  Chris' parents were so great and got there at 9 am to stake out the pavilion since we couldn't reserve it!  One great thing about not having it at our house was that I didn't have to make sure my house was super clean in addition to preparing everything for the party.  One downside is that I couldn't set up the night before.  I definitely underestimated my set up time a little bit!  Between that and the wind blowing things over, I was a little stressed while setting up.  I quickly realized though that the look of the party isn't what is important at all.  The most important thing was getting to spend time with those we love and who love Reid and celebrate our precious boy!!!  I was sad that we didn't get pictures with everyone that came.  Reid was SO happy all day, even though he had no clue that it was all for him! :) 

This table had the guest book (guests signed a copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear), party favors, a newborn picture and a 1 year picture of Reid, and a basket to collect teddy bear donations.  Our guests were so generous to donate teddy bears for our police department!  

 The party favors were Brown Bear, Brown Bear I Spy Bottles and Teddy Grahams.  

The banner says "Happy Happy Birthday Reid".  Chris didn't get why I used the word happy twice.  It was to go with the repeating word theme of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, of course. :) 

 For lunch we served sliders, rainbow fruit kabobs (made with love by Alli), potato dip, brownie batter dip, chips, and goldfish.  My mom made the delicious cupcakes.  That was a huge help!

 I was really excited about these centerpieces.  The wind, however, wasn't so into them. :( My sweet dad was holding them up for the picture!  I got a Brown Bear, Brown Bear bulletin board set and attached sticks to the animals.  Super easy!  

 Our little family of three... :) 

 My silly little birthday boy!  

Reid's birthday outfit was made by his Mumsie!  I LOVE IT.  

 With the precious Morris/Beeman ladies... Reid was so happy to have his best friend, Clara Beth, at his party!  He was showing off for her a little bit. :) 

 We love the Myers family!  

 Reid LOVED sweet Tiffany.  He just sat with her and stared at her.  It melted my heart!  

 Thank you Alli and John for helping me so much! 

 It's cupcake time!!!  Sweet boy watching everyone sing to him... I definitely got a little teary eyed while we were singing.  I can't believe he's ONE! 

 His first taste...

 Reid is so blessed to have wonderful grandmothers that adore him!! 

 Reid and his great grandmother, Guinny...

 Popsie took Reid to the playground for his favorite activity, swinging! :) I love these pictures...

 We had lots of little duck friends at the party! 

 Two of Chris' aunts got to meet Reid for the first time.  

 Cheers to our first year of parenthood! :) 

 Reid and I are excited to deliver the teddy bears to the police station this week!  

To continue the theme of the day, Reid chose his favorite book to look at after his nap.  

We had a wonderful day celebrating our precious boy!  I can't believe he will be ONE in just two days!