Reina Bear

I often walk the girls to school mostly due to a lack of car. So this is how I have bundled up Reina. And after sending this picture out to family my 2 year old nephew gave her the nick name of Reina bear. She is now 8 months old and rarely needs to be bundled with spring weather now here.

Reina is 4 months now

Wait what I have a blog and a new baby. I want to do a quick update for those of you who still look at this. We blessed Reina at church last week. It was very special day for us. My brother got to be there which is awesome because we live so far away from everyone. Reina who is in 2 days 4 months old, talked through almost the whole thing. So that is why you bless them sooner then later. I don't even know what was said. She has been a blessing to our family and is the best baby ever. She is so happy and I know everyone says their baby is the best, but I get compliments left and right on how good natured she is. She fits well with our family and the big sisters can not get enough of her. So much that they can't focus on anything when she is in the room. They want to be holding her or playing with her or kiss her to pieces. I don't blame them because I do the same. She is starting to get really active and she loves to be walking around with anyone. She was a really sleepy baby for the first 2 months and then over night she just woke up. She does sleep well, but not straight through the night so I am really sleep deprived. She wakes up twice in the night to eat. Some fun facts about our 4 month old: 12 lbs. 24 inches- which is about the 20%. She is going to be a our really petite child. Which for a girl is great. Her eyes have stayed blue and she has dark brown hair and well she is a striking resemblance of big sister Sophia. She talks a lot which means she knows she has to already compete with her big sisters.

Reina Shepard

Reina was born July 20th at 2:48 in the afternoon. She weighed 8lbs and was 19 inches long. I had a semi natural birth as I forgot to push my epidural button ever and I could feel everything by the time she arrived. Lets just say I am a wimp and not cut out for the full deal. Back to Reina- she arrived with zero complications and is doing very well.

Waiting to have the baby. The girls showed up just a couple of hours before she was born and then waited just outside while she was being born.


Reina after she was bathed and cleaned off. At the hospital where I had her they are really into bonding right away so I did get to hold her for several hours before she was cleaned off. I have never got to do that. She was covered in that white stuff and I really wanted to pick out all the junk from her hair but I resisted.

Getting washed off.

The biggest sister holding baby sister for the first time.

Lane checking out his newest baby girl.

My most wonderful Doctor on the right. He is the best doctor on the face of the earth. I was truly blessed to have found him.

The girls love holding their new sister and at the hospital they enjoyed sharing my bed. At one point I was even kicked out of my bed.

Reina also has lots of dark hair like her sisters had.

My sister flew out to help watch the girls. So grateful for her to be able to do that.

Big sisters doing what they do best: Ooooing and Awwwing at their new little sister.

Reina is now 12 days old and lets just say she doesn't look like either of her sisters at the same age. My mother who is now here says she looks just like me as a newborn. So I think she will be a blend of the two girls. She has been a really good baby so far. She loves to sleep. She still sleeps about 22 hours a day. At night she eats and goes right back to sleep. She loves to cuddle and we love to cuddle right back with her. I think she is blending well into our family. Its already hard to imagine life with out her.

One more week.

My last week of my last pregnancy is finally here. I am scheduled for an induction on the 20th and I couldn't be happier to get this over with 2 weeks early. The heat and humidity have become unbearable and the swollen ankles get worse by the minute. I can't wait to meet our baby girl so I can stop worrying about her.

One Year!!!

So it has been one year since we moved to Connecticut- or since the girls and I got here. But that is what counts right? For a little year in review I will go over some of the highlights.

We bought our first house. Over the last year we remodeled the kitchen, 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, and the attic. We aren't done with the attic, but that is ok with us.


We have visited the major surrounding cities of NYC and Boston.



We got pregnant with our third and final baby. Who is due July 30th.

We traveled to Minnesota for the annual cousins camp.


We flew home to Utah and California for the Christmas holiday.

We shoveled mounds and mounds of snow since Connecticut had their one of the snowiest years on record.


The girls started 1st grade and Kindergarten and have almost finished- 2 weeks left of school thanks to snow days. They also danced in ballet and tap dance this year.

And last but not least Lane finished the first and worst year of PA school.

I am excited for what the next year in Connecticut holds for us. I know a new baby will be in our midst and plenty of more adventures.