Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Baby Rea!

So much has changed over the last year, but one thing is for sure: we would be lost without Reagan.  When I found out I was pregnant with Reagan, we had no clue what an amazing addition she would be to our family.  She's the perfect feminine balance for Ashton, and finally, Jimmy has a kid who loves him more than me.  I secretly wanted a boy, because I get boys; they like sports, they eat a lot, and they love their mamas. Simple. I figured girls require more work because you have to comb their hair and make sure their outfits match. Plus, they're emotional and cry at every turn.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  I love having our little girl SO much. Thank you, Reagan, for teaching me that all of my trivial, preconceived notions were totally off base.

What makes Reagan so great; she is one pleasant surprise after another. 

I'm a big fan of nicknames, ask my sister Lauren, who I refer to as Al or Ken, and my brother, Trevor, who I call Beau.  For posterity, I thought I'd post the nicknames that we came up with for Reagan this year:

~Naynee: As Ashton started talking better, this was what he first called Reagan.  Even though he can now say almost any word, he refuses to call her anything but Naynee.  And we don't mind at all.

~Rea Rea:  My mom doesn't care for this perversion of Reagan.  She says, "with such a pretty name like Reagan, why would you call her Rrrraaay Rrraaayyy?"  However, it has stuck around and is most used by Jimmy.

~Nayners:  This is a Chelsea adaptation of Naynee.  Something about Nayners is cuter to me than Naynee.

~Sweet baby Rea: Reagan is joy personified.  I don't know how we originally came up with the nickname, but it stuck  when we would sing it the tune of Niel Diamond's "Sweet Caroline." Ashton would even do the "Bum, Bum, Bum!"  Then a teammate asked us why we named her after a BBQ sauce.   That was unintentional, but it suits her completely, so we will keep saying it anyway.  Plus the BBQ sauce is delicious!

~Swiper:  As I shared in a previous Blog, Reagan cannot be trusted!  She is very resourceful and despite her small stature, she can reach almost anything in the house. 

~Peanut Brittle: I am the only person who calls her this because she is such a little peanut.  Ashton has always been ginormous, and we've enjoyed having an average infant around.  She seems so tiny!  A normal person would just call her "Peanut," but I added the "brittle" for some reason...It stuck, well for me, anyway.

~ Reagan Grace: This isn't a nickname, as it is her first and middle name, but I like using it when she's being precocious.  It is so sophisticated and such a pretty name, that I would hate for it to go to waste.  The southerner in me hopes that she starts using a double name when she gets older!