We're back! Seems it has been a while since we last updated. As it turns out, time flies when you're having fun, and extra time doesn't exist when you have a child!

Sweet Reagan Reese is now 5 months old (5 months old!!), growing like a weed, and smart as a whip. She's now a whopping 15 lbs. in weight and remains in the 90th percentile for height ... I mean, her parents are two of the tallest people you know, I'm sure. (Right!) She is doing some pretty incredible things developmentally. Well, we think they're pretty incredible; she's right on track, and even advanced about many things, according to good old Dr. Jayne! Parents get very excited about that sort of thing, while everyone else no doubt thinks they're annoying for constantly bragging about it. It is so hard not to once it's your own kid, though! She sits up alone in her Bumbo seat, she stands to play in her fabulously fun Exersaucer, and she is developing the dexterity she needs to put EVERYTHING into her mouth (toys, binkies, blankies, Tucker's ears, our fingers and her own), as well as a slew of other things my brain isn't acknowledging at this sleepy moment...

We began feeding solid foods to Reagan shortly before she turned 5 months old, however, her appetite has since tanked and we are pumping her full of all the formula we can at this point to get adequate calories in her. So we have laid off the solids for a minute to give her a chance to regain her appetite and to ensure she's getting a sufficient amount to eat for the time being. I anticipate it won't be long before we're back to solids.

Perhaps one of the most exciting developments is that she has cut her first tooth! It's a tiny little guy poking through her bottom gum, and it is so, so cute, but it is certainly causing her a bit of a headache. She has been in a good deal of pain throughout today. I will be okay with it when we are through this difficult piece of her growth!

We had a scary little evening last weekend on Saturday as Joe and I were preparing to go out for the night. Aunt Erin arrived to babysit and I was waking Reagan from her nap, and at first she was bubbly and smiling and all was well. Within a matter of minutes, however, we noticed that her lips looked blue and her skin was pale, she began to shake and her mouth was chattering, and she went limp in my arms - just totally unresponsive. My child, you see, is not a still nor quiet child, so this was frightening for us, especially once we got her temperature and discovered it was at 101.7. Even worse still, once we arrived to the pediatric clinic here in Grand Rapids known as Grapes, her fever had spiked to 104.2. We got through that night anyway (needless to say, we did not go out!) and saw her doctor just yesterday, at which point she was given an antibiotic shot to finally bring her fever down for at least the next 48 hours. So far, so good, which puts me at ease some, as her fever had been running between 100.5 and 103 for around 6 days. Additionally, she is being treated by oral antibiotics for the urinary tract infection that is responsible for this recurring fever. In two weeks she will have an ultrasound on her kidneys to monitor size and growth, then she will be catheterized and prepared for a "VCUG," whereby they dye the contents of her bladder and take x-rays of her bladder and kidneys to check for urinary reflux. My gut tells me all will be well once her infection has cleared up, but we are nonetheless praying that it is so.

On a brighter note, it sounds like Joe is itching to bring her highchair up from the basement, so she may be moving into her big girl chair for meals once she is back to eating solid foods. By the way, it amazes me that eating is something you have to learn to do. She does very well though swallowing the meals that come in the jar, so I am excited to begin making our own jars of food once we are back to that point.

She is pretty much a peach and we are absolutely nuts about her.