The Medlin Family

Sunday Fun Day.

2012-01-16T14:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Bailey and Boone's cousins came over to play! What a fun time they all had together.

Eight Months!

2012-01-16T13:58:00.000-05:00

Happy eight month birthday to my sweet little Boone! You are growing up too fast! I love you buddy!

A Time of Brokeness.

2012-01-16T10:17:00.000-05:00

A couple of days ago I was introduced to a blog of a mother whose child was dying of a rare skin disease. As I read her blog and her journey with her son I couldn't help but start sobbing. I looked at the pictures of this sweet little boy (not yet 2 years of age) and the skin disease and all I saw was his happy smile. For almost two years he endured pain and suffering, blisters and open wounds. Yet, he fought as hard as he could to communicate and smile and play to the extent that he could. Two days ago he went to be with Jesus. He has no more pain. He doesn't have to be bandaged everyday. He can now walk and talk with Jesus. His Mom, through grief, knows that he is now healed.

It is so very easy to take our life for granted. It is easy to take the healthy lives of our children for granted. Jesus suffered for us. He bled and died for us. He gave us hope and prepared a place for us through pain and suffering. Should we not fall on our faces in gratitude for all He has given us? Sometimes it is more easy to focus on the things we don't have or the things that are going wrong in our eyes. Instead, I am challenged to focus on the positive in my life. The health of not only me but my husband and children. The blessings that God has given us. It reminds me of an old hymn we use to sing in church. "Count your blessings name them one by one. Count your blessings see what God has done."

I am so thankful that my children are alive and healthy. I NEVER want to take that for granted. Thank you, Jesus, for showing me that the only way to live this life is to rejoice and give honor to You for what You have blessed me with than to grumble about things that do not give glory to your Kingdom.

Boone's Friends.

2011-09-06T20:43:00.000-04:00

Boone is going to have quite for clan of friends from our Life Group. I am so thankful that he will be able to grow up with kids raised by Godly parents! What a blessing!!

Together.

2011-09-06T20:37:00.000-04:00

I find it so sweet that wherever Bailey is I am usually the same place with Boone and vice versa. She is the most amazing big sister. Even when she is doing her own thing, she wants to do it near Boone!

DYI.

2011-09-03T20:50:00.000-04:00

With Bailey close to turning three I thought it would be an appropriate time to transition her into a regular twin sized bed from her toddler bed. Her room is her playroom so our only problem was how much space the bed would take up. We didn't want to spend alot of money on an acutal bed. Bobby came up with a great idea for storage under her bed which in turn would get rid of the bookcases and actually create MORE room in her bedroom. He took the closetmaid shelving from Target and secured them together with two by two's. Total cost was right around $100. It turned out amazing! Bobby did this in two hours this morning! I am so thankful for a creative husband. After he created the bed I was able to organize her room! So excited! I love FALL cleaning while watching football!

Storytime.

2011-09-02T21:14:00.000-04:00

Today we went to Barnes & Noble for storytime. The story was about a pigeon who didn't want to go to bed. It is so rewarding to watch her sit very still and listen to the story. Boone, on the other hand, wanted to make plenty of cooing noises while the story was being read. I believe we might just find time to do this every Friday!

Typical.

2011-09-01T20:33:00.000-04:00

This is a typical weekday morning in the Medlin house these days. I wouldn't trade this for a million dollars. I absolutely love being able to work from home and be a mommy all day!

Cheese.

2010-11-05T14:29:00.000-04:00

She loves the camera. Enough said!

Baby Dolls.

2010-11-05T14:15:00.000-04:00

Bailey has really started to show an interest in baby dolls now that she knows she is going to be a big sister. It is so sweet to listen to her play with the dolls at Mimi's. Below are some pictures of her in the storage room. She has pulled out ALL of the baby dolls and accessories and created her own little world.

Lack of Motivation.

2010-11-04T18:21:00.000-04:00

I feel like I have forgotten how to use my blog. My lack of motivation for anything these days is pretty bad. I am hoping all of this passes in the next week! I will be thru my first trimester with Baby "B". My goal is to get back into blogging about my wonderful family and what is going on in our lives. If my brain isn't too fried I hope to have updated pictures and layouts on my blog! YAY!!! I am back! :)

Marbles.

2010-04-08T08:36:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to the Marbles Kids Museum with Natalie and her kids. Best activity in Raleigh for kids. SO MUCH FUN! Can't wait to take my big kid (Bobby). We will definitely be purchasing a family pass for this place.

More pictures to come! There was ALOT to do!

Candy.

2010-04-08T08:13:00.000-04:00

This past week was Bailey's first time trying candy. Never to fear, Mimi is here with ORGANIC candy! Since I will not have anything to do with the real stuff my Mom went to EarthFare and bought several different organic candies for Bailey to enjoy (I am not a fan of chemicals in food for my child). We didn't want to deprive her totally. She loved the chocolate (just like her Mommy) but wasn't too enthused with anything NOT CHOCOLATE. Ha! I know where she gets if from! Of course chocolate makes the biggest mess so we gave it to her in the tub after she ate a chocolate egg and drooled it all over her white shirt (Daddy got it out).

Hunt.

2010-04-07T17:25:00.001-04:00

Spring.

2010-04-07T16:52:00.000-04:00

Easter.

2010-04-07T16:30:00.000-04:00

Family.

2010-04-07T16:10:00.000-04:00

So I really wanted a family picture for Easter before we left for church on Saturday night. Our neighbor helped us out. Even though it isn't that great because of the angle of the sun BLARING in our eyes at least we got one!! What a difference from last year!

Sand.

2010-04-07T16:03:00.000-04:00

Bailey's FAVORITE thing to do these days!

Scoop.

2010-04-01T12:52:00.001-04:00

Bailey loves to scoop anything out of a bowl and into another bowl. She seriously can't get enough. SERIOUSLY!

Boo-boo.

2010-04-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

I recently bought Bailey some new sandals at Stride Rite. She was even fitted for her shoes. Yesterday she wore them during her Easter egg hunt and playing at Mimi's. I had no idea what I would discover when I got home. Blood stained the insides of both shoes and she had horrible blisters on both ankles. Poor thing. She never acted in pain and just kept going. What a trooper!

Toes.

2010-04-01T12:24:00.000-04:00

Today is a special day. Today Bailey had a first! I painted her toenails to match mine. I asked her if she wanted her nails painted like Mommy's and she said "paint!". So we did it. She sat very still and actually let me paint them. It was fun girl time. In my mind I am thinking of the day she is old enough to go get a pedicure with me. I know how much I enjoy going with my Mom and hope that Bailey feels the same way when that day arrives! I love making precious memories with my little sweetheart. What a great way to start April!!

Magazines.

2010-04-01T07:48:00.000-04:00

Bailey loves to go to the mailbox with me each day to see if there are any goodies for her. This child loves sitting and looking at magazines. Especially the ones with shoes and clothes. She gets really excited and yells "Shooooeeeeessss!!". Gotta love it.

Pizza.

2010-04-01T07:44:00.000-04:00

This is Bailey's favorite pizza! It does look tasty doesn't it?!

Nut.

2010-04-01T07:38:00.000-04:00

I have never been a crazy fan of trying any other nut butter other than peanut butter but I had bought this almond butter at Trader Joe's. I will never eat another nut butter again. This almond butter is AHHHHH-MAZING!! My mom tried it when she was over the other day. I ended up going back to Trader Joe's to get another jar and grabbed one for my mom also! Gotta love the crunch and it is so much lower in fat than regular peanut butter.

Pantry.

2010-04-01T07:34:00.000-04:00

Finally my pantries are organized and cleaned out. Good thing my parents have two kitchens at their house. I am definitely going to need room!

Deal.

2010-03-30T07:58:00.000-04:00

The other day I was at Michael's Craft Supply buying some colored paper for our new "chore" list and "to do" lists for Mimi's house. All of you crafty women know you can't go into Michael's and get one thing without shopping around. Now Michael's has this lovely dollar section like Target. They have some pretty GREAT THINGS in this section not only for kids but for girly girls also!! I found some really simple stationary and a cute journal with an initial on them. They had lots of different colors and letters. ONE DOLLAR ladies!!! I also saw these really cute tiedye bags with a peace sign on them. They were fifty percent off of twelve dollars. I could definitely see spending six dollars on these bags. The great thing is they are lined on the inside for wet things or beach stuff!! I was very pleased with my deals. I did get my paper but it wasn't as exciting as stationary and totes!

Baskets.

2010-03-29T19:25:00.000-04:00

Today I prepared Easter baskets for Bailey and her three cousins, Will, Lilly & Ava. We are having an Easter egg hunt at Mimi's house on Wednesday. I also stuffed eggs for the hunt. It is going to be a beautiful day. I found the cutest "hunting" basket for Bailey to use when she is searching for her eggs. It is a big, purple tulip. How adorable!!

Patch.

2010-03-29T19:08:00.000-04:00

I have been blogging alot about my Granny. Well, she did it again! Bobby and I have been going thru clothes and weeding out junk that we have. I was having Bobby go thru his jeans and pick out his favorites for when we move. He doesn't need to have thirty pair of jeans at my parent's house. One particular pair that he LOVES had a huge hole in the upper, front thigh of the jeans. I am not a sewer or patcher so I brought them to my Granny's. I left to go to Trin's baby shower and when I got back Granny had already sewed in a patch. What a woman! Bobby was very happy that he didn't have to give up one of his favorites!

Hats.

2010-03-29T18:56:00.000-04:00

Bailey's new hats for the spring and summer months. She is definitely going to need her ballcaps for this week's crazy HOT weather! YAY!!!

Honor.

2010-03-29T18:49:00.000-04:00

A couple of pictures of us with Trinady at her baby shower for her little girl, Honor, due May 16th. I can't wait!!

Quilt.

2010-03-29T18:43:00.000-04:00

Back in December I blogged about the quilt my Granny made me for Christmas. Well my friends I am blogging again about a quilt. This time it is Bailey's quilt!!! My Granny started working on my sister's quilt after the holidays and had extra squares left over from hers and my quilt. She sure enough made her great-granddaughter a quilt! It is so beautiful. We picked it up when we went to see them yesterday.

Today I opened the quilt to take pictures. Low and behold Bailey comes running in the living room to sit on her quilt. I thought I might as well get pictures of her posing with her quilt! What a ham. When I began to fold the quilt up she got very upset. I told her we were going to take it into Mommy and Daddy's bedroom and lay it out so Mommy could work while she played. The minute I layed the quilt out Bailey started rounding up pillows to lay on it. We had to keep it out all day today. Literally EVERY TIME I went to fold it she came over and said "DOWN!". Bahahaha! Thank you, Granny for all of your hard work and labor! She will cherish this forever!

Visit.

2010-03-29T18:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we went to Greensboro for my friend, Trinady's baby shower. We also decided to visit my Granny and Paw-Paw. We had such a wonderful time. Toby, my grandparent's rat terrier, is now Bailey's best friend. They both wore each other slap out yesterday. It was so sweet to see how relaxed and comfortable Bailey was. She made herself right at home reading Granny's magazines and taking Toby's ball right out of his mouth so she could throw it. They even ran to the door at the same time when Mimi and Pop's got back from the baby shower.

I am so thankful for such wonderful grandparents. They love my Bailey so much! When we got to their house the first thing Bailey did was run up to Paw-Paw and put her hands up for him to pick her up! SO STINKIN' PRECIOUS!! Memories that will be cherished for a life time!

Cardboard.

2010-03-29T18:06:00.000-04:00

We have been cleaning out the attic and discovered our Christmas tree box from this past Christmas. Since it was empty we decided to make it into something fun for Bailey to play with. She enjoyed it very much!!

Inspection.

2010-03-29T17:54:00.000-04:00

A couple of Fridays ago the buyer sent an inspector to our home for the normal routine inspection when selling a home. I didn't know what to expect but was told that they will look for anything and everything possible to have you repair or fix. My realtor and Dad both said that it is normal to have a LIST. It is then our responsibility to say what we plan on fixing. Much to my surprise, last Tuesday we received the list from our realtor, Brad. We were both excited. We had THREE things on the list. That's it!!! THREE!!! Patch a sheetrock hole and fix a threshold between doors and make sure there is nothing wrong with the catch pan for the refrigerant line. DONE! No stress there! Now the appraiser will come from their lender and then we just wait until closing. The actual closing date right now is May 7th. YAY!!! We are getting super excited!

Boat.

2010-03-22T07:28:00.000-04:00

Friday we went out on the boat for the first time in 2010. It was seventy-four degrees outside and beautiful blue skies. The weather was perfect. Last year we enjoyed the boat with Bailey. The funny thing is we would bring her pack-n-play on the boat and stay out ALL day with a six/seven month old. Friday was even more fun. Last year she was only crawling and now she is wanting to explore the boat, wave to all of the other boaters (good etiquette!) and talk about the water.

Most children her age have a hard time wearing a big, bulky life jacket but Bailey didn't even wince when I put it on her. It was funny trying to watch her adjust to the weight of it when she was walking or trying to bend over. She seemed so content. However, the boat couldn't even compare to when Bobby took her out on the jet ski. I was terrified because he was picking up speed on the jet ski, but she loved it. She was waving, blowing kisses and eventually she started to fall asleep.....ON THE JET SKI!! Apparently she was that relaxed. I can't wait for a fun season of swimming, tubing & boating this year! What a blessing!!

Dress.

2010-03-22T07:07:00.000-04:00

This Easter I have really been looking forward to shopping for an Easter dress for myself! Usually I wear white pants and a pastel top. I wanted a dress for this year. I am very much into yellow and had just bought Bailey quite a bit of clothes that have a lot of yellow for the summer. Then my friend, Kara, posted about trying to find a yellow dress for Easter. Ha! Kara, I found one. I got a killer deal at Banana Republic outlet in Smithfield (only 12 miles from my house...but not for long). The dress was $90.00 with 40% off. I also had a 30% off coupon. I paid $37.00 for the dress. Woohoo! I love it. It looks much better on me than hanging, but I will post some pics anyways! Hope you find your dress Kara!

I am going to wear it with a white cardigan!!

Disaster.

2010-03-22T06:59:00.000-04:00

Oh how I love the little messes toddlers make. Bailey is so happy getting into her drawers and mimicking Mommy. When I go to put clothes away and start cleaning she immediately runs into her room to do the same thing. You can't help but love such an honest worker even if she is making a mess!!

Offer.

2010-03-17T07:36:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a whirlwind. We had a couple around our age (maybe younger) look at our home last Thursday while Bailey and Bobby were trying to get over being sick. I made sure everything was clean and we sat in our car in the neighbor's driveway while the potential buyers looked at our home. At one point the guy walked outside to his car, picked up his camera & took it back inside. The next day we received feedback from the realtor that the couple had narrowed down their search to two homes on the Clayton area and one of them was ours. WOW! We weren't expecting that. The real estate agent was going to do a market analysis and get back with us by Tuesday (yesterday). I honestly didn't think much of it until Monday night when our real estate agent called us. He wanted to let me know that he was pretty sure we were going to get an offer on Tuesday because he had just gotten off the phone with their real estate agent asking tons of questions.

You can imagine how I was yesterday. I have never done this before so I was anxious to see how things were going to play out. Bobby and I had already discussed that we were not going to go under a certain amount. Bobby called around 12:15pm to ask if I had heard anything and I said no. The minute I hung up the phone my real estate agent called to tell me we had an offer. He gave me the breakdown and I said no way and counter-offered. They immediately came back and counter-offered again. Their counter-offer was the price we said we would take and go no lower. WE ACCEPTED! The papers have been drawn up and now we and buyer have to sign them and get this home under contract. They want to close no later than April 29th but they are pushing for April 15th now. Are you kidding me?! Amazing.

At this point I am coming to grips with the fact that I am moving. Don't get me wrong. I want to move closer to work. It is just overwhelming. I don't know why? Maybe because I have never had a big move like this or maybe because I have to pack everything?! But we have lived here for the first six years of our life together and brought our baby to this home. God is so good and I can't wait for this journey he is about to take us on. My prayer is that he gives me a peace in packing and he lights a fire under me.

YAY! We are moving!!!

Mimic.

2010-03-16T07:56:00.000-04:00

Bailey is just like her Mommy! Every time I go shopping Bailey has to help carry the bags. She loves to hold them on her arms and walk around. My mom had given me some "swim diapers" for the pool recently. She put them in these little paper gift bags for me. Yesterday I had opened the cabinet in Bailey's room to get some regular diapers and she came running. I told her she was allowed to play in the cabinet while Mommy got some things together. The next thing I know she is walking into my bedroom saying "Shopting" and carrying the two bags on her arms! YOU GO GIRL! I love it!!!

Bunny.

2010-03-16T07:47:00.000-04:00

The past couple of years at Easter Ashley has dressed up as a big bunny for the kid's Easter egg hunt. This past year (Bailey's first Easter) we decided to dress Bailey up as an Easter bunny also. It was so adorable seeing a big and little bunny laying out in the yard while the bigger kids gathered eggs. When the bunny costumes went on sale I decided to grab one for this year. They were only five dollars. While I was pulling out spring clothes I came across it the other morning. Bailey was in the room with me and yelled "BUNNY"!!! I asked her if she wanted to put it on and she said yes. I needed to know if it was going to fit her anyways since it is a 9-12 month outfit.

IT FITS PERFECTLY! Once again we will have two bunnies hopping around the yard this year. This time the little bunny will be able to gather her own Easter eggs. I can't wait!!!

Multi-color.

2010-03-15T16:57:00.000-04:00

We decided to try lots of different colors of paint a couple of days ago. It got a little messy. But she was so excited. She saw her other painting in the cabinet and brought it too me and said "PAINT"! I couldn't resist. However, we had to be very careful around Daddy because he doesn't like watching Bailey make a big mess. It is a good thing I stay at home with her!

Recovery.

2010-03-15T16:48:00.000-04:00

Bobby and Bailey hanging out in the bed during recovery. Bailey was feeling much better but Bobby was still a little under the weather!

Pajamas.

2010-03-15T16:44:00.001-04:00

Bailey was getting too big for her pajamas so we took a trip to Target to get some new ones! I love these PJ's. She looks so grown up in them though. I love the green polka-dot pants! Definitely my favorite. I will have to post pictures of the little elephant pajamas we purchased. They are blue and adorable.

Diet.

2010-03-15T16:34:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of the diet Bobby and Bailey enjoyed during their lovely sickness. It is amazing that anything they tried to eat would come right up, but give them bananas and crackers and it stays down! Weird!!! I would think Bailey would be sick of bananas at this point but she ate all of her banana today for lunch. I am actually glad that I am COOKING again!!!

Plugs.

2010-03-15T08:16:00.000-04:00

A couple of nights ago we were giving Bailey a bath. I can guarantee that this is her favorite part of the day! It seems like she is always doing or saying something new in the bathtub. This is why Bobby and I both make it a point to give her a bath together. We don't want to miss anything. She put both index fingers in her ears and I mean they went deep. At first it scared me but then I realized it wasn't going to hurt her. Bobby and I started talking in our normal voices. When she would unplug her ears she would hear our voices resignate. It was so neat to watch her little smiles like she just discovered something AMAZING!

After we got her ready for bed I started to breastfeed her. We had our windows opened in the bedroom. A huge gust of wind blew thru the wind chimes outside the window on the patio. It was pretty loud. While breastfeeding, she immediately covered both ears and stayed like that until the stopped. I guess she wanted a little peace and quiet.

Isn't it great to watch your children learn new things?! I love every minute of it!!!

Schedule.

2010-03-13T07:23:00.000-05:00

Since last Saturday when Bailey got sick it has been a week for the books. Her schedule for sleeping is off, she wakes up two and three times a night, she wants to eat at odd hours and then doesn't. She still has horrible diarrhea! All I can keep thinking is "This too shall pass". I can't wait. Last night I was so irritated that I told Bobby not go and get her. She needed to scream it out. Eventually she got quiet but within an hour she was back to screaming. I know she has been sick, but my fear is that she is starting to adjust to this whacky schedule. It's not even a schedule really.

Please help me pray that my daughter and husband get their appetites back. My husband looks as if he has already lost twenty pounds. And if it weren't for breastfeeding, Bailey would have lost more weight than she already has. Bailey tried to eat a normal meal last night for dinner. She started screaming towards the end and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I get her out of her high chair and she went over in the corner and "blew out"!!! POOR THING.

Schedule, schedule, schedule!!!!!!!

More.

2010-03-11T06:56:00.000-05:00

If some of you don't know already my husband was attacked by the same virus as Bailey. This stomach virus has been one for the books. I have NEVER seen two people in my adulthood life so sick. I know from stories that my siblings and I have had the stomach virus, but nothing compares to your child and husband being sick at the time. Bobby told me last night that there is NO WAY I could handle this virus at home by myself with Bailey. Thank you God for allowing me to make it through virus free!!!

So this morning I am sitting at the bar in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying the smell of rain! It has been a week since I have been able to actually sit and drink coffee in the morning without any distractions. Bailey has been getting up quite early this past week. It is so quiet in the house. What a nice thing to happen to me after what has been a crazy week.

By the way, I don't know how much weight my poor little boobear has lost but all of her twelve month pants are extremely baggy (she is almost sixteen months). And Bobby, poor thing hasn't had a MEAL since Monday lunch.

Hopefully we are on the mend in the Medlin house!!! I feel like I have been out of the blogger world forever. I will definitely be posting pictures today if we get a chance to play!!! I am sure we will.....we definitely can't go anywhere!

Sick.

2010-03-08T08:44:00.000-05:00

Isn't it ironic that I am posting about sickness after Bailey's well check-up. Absolutely not! It is totally expected when you take your perfectly well child, in great health, who has NEVER been sick, to a germ-infested pediatrician's office.

On another amusing note, when we went to Bailey's well check-up on Friday they told me I needed to fill out some paperwork to update their files. That meant I had to put my child down in the waiting area to TOUCH the toys (because she is going to do that at fifteen months) while I filled out paperwork that had not changed since the last time I was there. My Mom made a great point when she said that doctors should make house visits for well check-ups. I couldn't agree more!!!

Enough of my soapbox. Onto the matter at hand. My child has never been sick. I have never had to deal with any child throwing up or having diarrhea that smelled like death. I am very NEW to all of this. But this is how it all started. Saturday I went to the grocery store around 2pm and left Bobby and Bailey in the sand box on the patio. I wasn't gone an hour. When I was bring the groceries into the kitchen I noticed they were not on the patio. I walked in the bathroom and Bobby had Bailey in the bath?! Why is she getting a bath at 3pm? Surely you knew to shake the sand off of her! And he did. Bobby proceeded to tell me the awful stomach pains she was having and then she blew out in her diaper. Ok....so it was a blowout. She wasn't acting any different and she hadn't pooped that day anyways. No worries. We finish our evening with a great dinner, play for a little while and then go to bed. Bailey usually gets up once during the night for breastfeeding but did not get up Saturday night. I got up around 6:45am and heard her moving. I made my coffee and went to get her to breastfeed with all intentions of putting her back to bed until around 9am. I never expected what would happen next. I walked in to her room and was hit by a smell that was all to familiar. SICKNESS!! It smelled like vomit. I quickly ran over to her crib to find vomit up one end of the bed and down the other. It was in her hair, it covered her new pajamas and it coated the bumper.

This violence went on from both ends all day yesterday. Every time we would give her some rice or banana it would come up with in five minutes. Much to our surprise she breastfed last night before bed and in the middle of the night with no problems. But at 5:45am it struck again. She has thrown up four times since then. I have been trying to blog this for the past three hours. She fell asleep in my arms just a short bit ago. I am doing the best I can to keep her hydrated but I do have my fears. This morning she seemed vibrant after each vomit like she was grateful to get it out. But the last vomit was bile and since then she has been laying on the floor. I have called the doctor and hopefully will get some answers.

Sidebar....Bobby said he was going to go into work today and quickly get things done and leave because he wanted to be home with his little girl. I almost cried but told him I have everything under control. Although right now with the vomit laundry, a sick little girl, work to do and house that is showing at 1:30pm is becoming a stress.

I would have loved to capture "the mess" yesterday in her bed but was trying to get her in the shower and clean her off. Below is a picture of the first load from her bed. This was followed by four more loads yesterday and two today so far. In the midst of all of this she still has the energy to say cheese for the camera.

This next picture is this morning!!! Definitely a difference in how she feels today verses yesterday!! PITIFUL!

Stats.

2010-03-05T12:40:00.000-05:00

Today I took Bailey to the doctor for her check-up. It has been a long time since she has had a well check-up. We skipped the twelve month check-up and went straight to the fifteen month check-up. Her weight is 19 lbs. 4 oz. She has only gained three ounces since her nine month check up and doesn't even make it to the tenth percentile. I know she is a little thing but I thought for sure she had gained some weight. Especially the way she eats! Her height is 31 inches. She has grown five inches in five months! WOW!!! She is right on track for height. During her first year she was in the twenty-fifth percentile but now jumps to the fiftieth percentile for height. Her head circumference is 46 1/2cm (normal).

We have opted out of vaccines for Bailey. So she has never, ever had a shot. But today she had to get her finger pricked. She didn't cry when the nurse pricked it, but she did not like when the nurse took five minutes to squeeze out the blood. My question is why do they do that before the child sees the doctor? Why don't they wait. I think it makes the child more scared when the doctor comes in with a stethescope and medical utensils to look in your nose, eyes & ears. Just curious who thought that was the best sequence of events.

The doctor's conclusion is that Bailey is very active and there is no problem with her weight. She could afford to take in more calories though (I wish I had that problem). Dr. Woods also said that Bailey is one of the most vocal fifteen month olds she has seen. Bailey was talking so much that Dr. Woods lost her train of thought and finished up the visit. I was dressing Bailey when Dr. Woods came back in and said she was sorry but she forgot to ask her normal day-to-day questions about bowels, stomach, teeth and soforth. We were both laughing.

Yes.....I brought my camera to the doctor's office for pictures. Don't judge me!! I just had to get a picture of Bailey and her bandaid before we had to take it off. We did actually make it home before the bandaid needed to come off!

Fuzz.

2010-03-03T07:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a cloudy, rainy, snowy, busy day! That is a lot of adjectives to descibe one day but when the day was over we were exhausted. We showed the house twice yesterday and had a samll window of opportunity to come back home in between showings so I could shower and Bailey could hang out of a little bit.

I had recently purchased little fuzzy balls to put in my craft closet. I like to buy things on sale and store them for a rainy day for crafts and something fun and different to do. Of course most of the things I buy are for when Bailey gets older and can glue and cut with scissors. I was trying to think of something idfferent to give her to do and remembered the fuzzy balls. She is really good about NOT putting things in her mouth that don't belong so I figured it would be fine for her to play with them. I put them in a big cup and handed them to her. For the rest of the day, as we were in and out of the house, she had a blast!

Park.

2010-03-01T22:01:00.000-05:00

After we had fun painting today we decided to get some fresh air and head over to the park. It was so beautiful outside. The local news station even showed up at the park while we were playing in the sand and shot video of us for the local news that aired tonight. It was a very memorable and fun day!!!

Green.

2010-03-01T21:39:00.000-05:00

Today we had a lot of fun with green and white paint in honor of St. Patrick's Day coming up. Bailey absolutely loved getting her hands green. It was fun watching her create her masterpiece!

Noodles.

2010-03-01T07:38:00.000-05:00

I was reading one of my friends blogs the other day and she had shared a great activity she did with her son. She took a bowl, noodles and some scoops and let him play with them. The object is to scoop the noodles out of the box and pour them into the bowl. What a great idea. It is something completely different from the norm. And its food. What toddler wouldn't be excited about playing with a box of noodles from the pantry?!

Bailey enjoyed scooping and pouring. I believe her favorite was to pour the noodles out of the box or bowl onto the floor and then pick them back up. Overall, it was fun watching her play. Thanks Sara for a great idea!!!

Crayons.

2010-03-01T07:24:00.000-05:00

I bought these bath time crayons at Target the other day. I am very OCD when it comes to making a mess. I am trying to ease up on that with a toddler running around. It is going to happen so deal with it, right?! But I do try to have boundaries. I figured it would be fun to have her color on the walls of the shower because there is really no limit of space (meaning she doesn't have to worry about going off a tiny sheet of paper onto the countertop). She loves it. It has been fun watching her color the walls. I was a skeptic at first, but it wipes off VERY easily. Now, every time she gets in the bath she says "crayons".

Curling.

2010-02-28T07:17:00.000-05:00

Our home has watched an incredible amount of the winter olympics this year. It has been very enjoyable. The one thing that I have NEVER watching before this year is curling. Let me just say that I have absolutely fell in love with this sport! Throughout the duration of the olympics I have seen crude and mean comments about curling on Twitter and Facebook. After watching almost every game they aired I can honestly say that other than hockey, curling is the best olympic sport to watch. It is definitely a game of strategy, concentration & major skill. Hats off to the Canada team for getting the gold. They were alot of fun to watch!!

Update.

2010-02-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

Bailey is growing so fast. It is so hard to keep up with and record everything she is doing. Everyday something new happens. She is becoming very active and more curious now that she has hit the toddler stage. I can't believe my baby is a little over fifteen months.

I am going to attempt to list words that she is saying on a regular basis. We are very consistent working with her on names of family members and everyday words to communicate but there are some words that she can say much better than others. She pronounces her "c" words with "t". And she has trouble with "g". She is really good with her "w". Mama, Dada, eat, boo boo, baby, Bailey, mail, bath, hot, hat, hair, knee, elbow, toes, ear, eye, eyeball, nose, mouth, teeth, shoulder, feet, shoes, clothes (with a "t"), shirt, sit, pants, down, up, out, bubbles, fish, cat (with a "t"), dog, bear, open, water, more, please, thank-you, pop-tart, cracker, truck, car, food, beans, pizza, blueberries, pancakes (pantates), pillow, duck, horse, happy birthday, Jesus, Mimi, Pops, Ashy, Adam, Natty, Nana, "D" for Daniel, Will, Lilly, Ava, Paw-Paw, socks, phone, hello, hi, bye, Bible, Fifi, Barney, spoon.....ok really, I didn't realize how many words she actually says. I am stopping right here because the list goes on and on. Put it this way, she can copy everything you say and do!!!

Bailey's teeth are coming in quick. She has eight full teeth (four on top and four on bottom) in the front. But all four "eye" teeth or "fang" teeth have already broken thru all the way. She also has a molar on the left side of her mouth. Altogether thirteen teeth. Wow!!! She is cutting another molar on her right side. Talk about drool!!! She has had a clear, runny nose and drool for the past two weeks from teething. This has been a challenge. She chews on her pointer fingers ALL day long. Yesterday I decided to put my finger in her mouth on the side where she is cutting a molar so she could give her finger a break. She loved it. It was quite funny. She got the biggest grin on her face and continued to chew.

Peanut butter has become an obsession with my child. Every time I open my pantry, whether she is in the kitchen with me or in another room, she comes running in there and literally shoves me out of the way and grabs the peanut butter jar, looks at me and says "peet but". Hahaha! Then she goes to her drawer to pull out a spoon. Just today I had given her some peanut butter and she went and got the jar and brought it to me and said "more please". At least it is organic! She loves peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwiches for lunch. She also loves Late July saltine crackers. We will give her one and before she has even had it in her hand for two seconds she wants another one. We have to tell her she has to finish that cracker first and then she will get another one. She immediately crams it in her mouth and reaches for another one. It always makes me laugh.

We are so blessed to have such a vibrant, active girl. She is very balanced. I am praying this continues thru toddlerhood! Especially with her sharing. She loves to share right now. Her favorite to share with is her life-sized tiger. Everything she gets, whether it is a cracker or her cup of water, she shares it with her tiger. She puts the cracker in his mouth and turns the cup for him to drink. It is so precious.

I could go on and on but I'll save it for a different post. My baby is growing up! :(

Bubbles.

2010-02-25T08:42:00.000-05:00

Thank you Mimi for the awesome bubble machine!!! It is so much fun!!!

Books.

2010-02-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

Bailey's Great-Granny and Paw-Paw ordered her some books and had them shipped to the house. They are in the shape of eggs and came in an egg carton. They are so adorable. Each book has chick on it and a story inside about the the chick. All of their names start with a "B". Bailey has enjoyed carrying these little books around and pretending like she is reading. She also says "bock bock" when she is looking at them (that means chicken). She likes to spread them out across the bottom of the stairs to look at them. Thank you Granny and Paw-Paw for the wonderful gift!!!

Warm.

2010-02-22T08:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was so beautiful to not be outside. So we got Bailey dressed and played in the sandbox with her for a while. The sand was wet and her backside was soaked by the time we finished playing, but we enjoyed the warm weather for bit. It definitely sets in spring fever.

Tractor.

2010-02-22T08:02:00.000-05:00

Ritual.

2010-02-22T07:29:00.000-05:00

Bailey's Great-Granny (My Dad's Mom who makes the quilts) has given her two very plush, toddler size stuffed animals since she was about nine months old.Bailey has always loved sitting with them and playing with them. "Bear" and "Dog" sit in the corner of her room underneath her hanging stars. For the past couple of weeks, every morning and after most naps when I walk into her room to get her out of her crib she stands up and runs over to the right side of her crib where the animals are and says, "Dog....Bear"! I then have to take these humongous stuffed animals and place them in the crib with her.She gets so excited she starts running back and forth with the little room she has and throws her arms up and starts dancing. Her smile is so priceless when I put Dog and Bear in the crib with her that it is too cute not to capture. Yesterday she actually said "share" and was giving Dog her blankie. It's moments like this that make being a parent so worthwhile!

Anxious.

2010-02-21T12:48:00.000-05:00

Where has the time gone? I have been really great about blogging but now that our house in on the market it has become crazy!!! I have been so wrapped up in cleaning, meeting with our realtor, Bailey's swim lessons & looking through magazines on designs for our new home that I haven't even thought about the computer. There's a first.

I am so anxious to sell our house. But I know my prayer needs to be what God's will is for our family. We truly feel like God is directing our path. He is already blessing us beyond belief. From places to live after our home sells to helping me manage my time and balance my relationships with my husband and Bailey while maintaining a spotless home.

God is good all the time and all the time God is good. These next two weeks will be a test of the weeks to come with our home. We pray that people will get there feet in the door and realize what a great deal they will actually be getting! PRAY BIG!!!

29.

2010-02-18T08:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I turned twenty-nine years of age. Wow! Am I really one year away from 30? Scary. My birthday was absolutely wonderful. I had alot of cleaning left before our house goes on the market. For some reason it was very enjoyable. Most people would have thought it a chore. Especially on my birthday. Not for me! I loved every bit of cleaning with my little Bailey by my side. Everything I wiped down she came in right behind me with her rag and wiped also! What a team!

My mother also came to visit me yesterday with a balloon, card and gift and a rotisserie chicken for lunch. It was so nice to enjoy my mother's company while Bailey napped. Even more fun when Bailey woke up. She was so happy to see her Mimi!!! She was definitely showing off her recent dance moves and new words.

Bobby & Bailey got me two long-sleeve t-shirts from Bert's Surf Shop, emergency tool thingy for my key chain & more K-cups for my Keurig along with some very sweet cards. Mom and Dad got me my perfume (more to come on this), lotion (in my perfume scent) & a Pandora charm for my bracelet! Love it! It's orange!!! Ashley got me the sweetest sister card and a special song (bahaha). Daniel had his guys come and clean up my yard, cut my crepe myrtles and put fresh pine needles down! I also received cards from my Granny & Paw-Paw and Bobby's Grandma.

What a great day! I am cherishing every bit of this year. Next year is the BIG #3-0! No turning back!!! I can say that I definitely don't feel this old. It's a good thing! I do need to working on having another child before I am thirty though. :)

364 days and counting........

Selling.

2010-02-16T08:08:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to announce that we are putting our home on the market. The paperwork should be completed by next week so we can move forward. We built our home and closed in January '04. We have truly enjoyed living here. However, the drive has really become a burden for my husband. We also want to build closer to work for Bobby and me and school for Bailey. Clayton has always been our home and our church is here but being closer to Youngsville is ultimately what we are striving for. We also need more space if we plan on having anymore children! Our plans are to sell the house and get an apartment for a bit. We would like to save a little more before we start looking in a different area.

Our prayer is that the house sells quickly for our asking price. Our goal is to be debt free and this is our step in the right direction. Please pray with us that the perfect family will find our home and fall in love with it and that our move will be a smooth one if it is God's will for our house to sell.

Speaking of selling, I have been getting everything in order. I finally cleaned my microwave and oven yesterday. I also cleaned all of the kitchen cabinets and our closets (except the Master bedroom). Today I will be busy cleaning baseboards, bathrooms & vacuuming every nook and cranny! I need to dust the ceiling fans and blinds. What a task!! I am hoping to get some pansies planted this week also. WOW!! I want this home to feel very inviting when that family walks in.

SO THE JOURNEY BEGINS.......

Valentine.

2010-02-15T08:27:00.000-05:00

For Valentines Day we decided it would be fun for Bailey to do a little craft. She is very into stickers right now (that phase will probably last a while...mine never ended) so I went out and bought some foam board and Valentine stickers for her to decorate. I enjoyed watching her put the stickers on the foam and then pound them to make sure they stuck. Doing crafts with your children is so much fun!!! Especially at Valentines!

Happy Valentines Day to the most wonderful husband and sweetest child a Mommy/Wife could ever ask for!!!

Beach. (Family)

2010-02-13T15:28:00.000-05:00

Beach.

2010-02-13T14:34:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much to the McKoy family for allowing our family to use their beach house. We had a wonderful time and made some lasting memories. This was Bailey's first trip to the ocean. There will definitely be many more! This little girl was obsessed with the sand and shells. She kept wanting to roll around on the beach.

There are too many pictures to post on this blog. I will be uploading ALL of them on Facebook but here are a few of my favorites from our trip!

Packing.

2010-02-13T13:38:00.000-05:00

Before we left for our beach trip I had quite a bit to pack. I decided to pack the morning before we left and let me just tell you how much Bailey enjoyed the suitcases. Usually we pack our things in my big Vera Bradley bags but this time I figured I would take our suitcases. It is so much easier to get things in and out of the suitcases!!! Even toddlers!! :)

Football.

2010-02-13T13:28:00.000-05:00

Below was our set up for the Super Bowl. Even though we didn't have a party (because we don't pull for either team) we thought it would be fun to set up the projector in the garage and wear our jerseys. We had alot of fun!!!

Chill.

2010-02-13T13:23:00.000-05:00

Apparently they were watching something very interesting after Bailey got up from her nap. If you notice, Bobby was napping also. What a pair!!!

Bed.

2010-02-10T07:37:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that ever since I had Bailey I have always laid a little blanket on our bed to change her diaper. I used her changing pad on her dresser maybe twice. I have always found it easier to change her on something lower than a dresser or table because of my height. Anyways, she has always been accustomed to be being on the bed to get her diaper and clothes changed.

Lately I have been getting her up in the mornings and turning on her favorite channel, Sprout, and sitting her in the bed beside me. The funny thing is she actually sits there with me holding her little baby. I absolutely love this cuddle time. Bailey is not much of a cuddler in bed. She has never slept in our bed and she will not fall asleep ANYWHERE other than her pack 'n play and crib. So you must know that I cherish every bit of her sitting beside me in bed and leaning against my shoulder.

Apparently she likes this too much now! :) You know the saying "Too much of a good thing will kill you." Yeah.....now when she walks into our room she comes over to the side of the bed and says "UP PLEASE" and gives me a big grin. If I tell her no ma'am she goes to the other side of the bed and starts all over. She likes to test mommy by standing on the bed. Of course it's not funny. However, when she does stand she yells "SIT" and plops back down in the sitting position on the bed. That is funny! Maybe she got that from me. I tend to yell "SIT" when she starts poking her hiny up in the air. The last thing I need is for her to run clear off the bed and injure or break something. But at least she knows that she will get in trouble.

I love how verbal and physical Bailey is getting with affection. It makes me smile everyday!!!

Swim. (continued)

2010-02-08T16:21:00.000-05:00

Sign.

2010-02-08T08:01:00.000-05:00

I think it is so neat how God works in our lives. Today my devotional reading came from 2 Peter 3:1-9. The devotional was talking about how this world is at such a fast pace and how we can sometimes get caught up with that pace and wonder why God seems so slow. God is just trying to teach us patience. Everything is in His timing.

While this was a great devotional I messed up with my reading this morning. I accidentally read 1 Peter 3:1-9 instead of 2 Peter. Let's just say that once again God is confirming submission to my husband. Lately I have been really frustrated at Bobby's eating habits. I just want my WHOLE family to be healthy and Bobby doesn't eat vegetables or fruit. Instead of being quiet about it I become verbal and completely irritated with him. This happened yesterday when I cooked some baked chicken for all of us. He put the chicken in a bag after Bailey and I had ours on our plates and began to get out another pan to make FRIED chicken nuggets that are processed. I wasn't happy. But this attitude is WRONG! Peter says to submit to your own husbands.....that they may be won without a word but instead by the behavior of their wives. He says to let it be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and QUIET spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

Wow!!! To some women this is translated about winning their husbands to Christ. My husband is a Christian so this passage spoke to me in a totally different way! God doesn't want me to be angry with my body language or my words. Instead he wants me to be encouraging and find things that work for Bobby. Because one day that will be rewarded and my husband will take notice.

I find it amazing that God's timing is impeccable. He knows the very longing of our hearts. And He knows how to speak to us through His word and to give us wise counseling. For me it isn't about God changing my husbands eating habits, it's about God changing MY heart!!!

Clarify.

2010-02-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

In my last post I may have come across to harsh when I mentioned the whining and screaming children in Bailey's swim class. I ,in no way, meant to offend anybody and will choose my words more wisely next time. The intention of my blog is to document what goes on in Bailey's life so I have a compilation of written stories to share with her when she is older.

For the record.....my child screams and cries until she breaks out in hives when I drop her off at her class at church. I am very sure that the workers cringe every time I walk through the double doors. They end up calling my number EVERY time and week by week I spend quality time in the lobby watching the TV and letting Bailey run around. Hopefully this is just a season. However, this season has lasted quite a long time. PRAYER!

Swim.

2010-02-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

This morning I got up early to get everything packed up for Bailey's swim lessons. Her lessons begin at 9:10am. She usually sleeps until 9:00am. Since her lessons are in North Raleigh we have to leave at around 8:30am so we have time to get there and de-robe. I realized the night before that I had packed away my bathing suits. I really wanted to wear my speedo suit. This mornign I got up in the attic only to realize that Bobby had taken my "summer clothes" bin and put it in our storage at work in Youngsville. That meant we had to leave even earlier to run by Target and pick up a swim suit. Because I was in such a rush I picked the crappiest suit. I wanted to be modest and they don't have much modesty with their itsy bitsy bikinis. So I found a black top that I thought would be fine. The only problem was they didn't have my size. I got the next size up thinking it would be fine. Yeah....no!!! I felt and looked like grossness. I will definitely be prepared before the next class. You can be sure of it. But enough about my short-comings.

Bailey absolutely loved it. It was funny to see all of the other toddlers holding onto their parents and crying. If I would have let go of Bailey I think she would have taken off and done a couple of laps. No joke. This chick loves the water. This comes as no surprise. Bobby and I both have always enjoyed being in the pool, lake, ocean, whatever. I am just glad my child was excited and loving it. I am not going to lie, some parents needed to take their kids and leave. Do you really want to be in the water teaching your child to swim with a screaming child next you clawing the skin off of his parent. Really?! Your kid doesn't like the water, get private lessons or start giving him more baths at home. NOT IN PUBLIC PLEASE!

I will post pictures but Blogger is not letting me right now!!!

Purple.

2010-02-06T12:48:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I decided to get Bailey out of the house and attempt to go do something fun. I thought taking her to Monkey Joes again would allow her to run around unihibited and let out some energy. It has been pretty nasty and cold all week and we needed a change of scenary.

When we arrived at Monkey Joes I was disappointed to see that the toddler playground was not blown up. Are you kidding me? She is too tiny to climb on the big blow-ups. I was ticked but figured I was just going to have to take her down the slide a thousand times and climb in the big kid areas with her. They told me it would be about twenty-five minutes until they patched a hole in the toddler unit. I don't know about you but twenty-five minutes is a long time with a toddler who wants to be able to run around by herself!!! So we waited and God blessed our patience. They got it fixed and Bailey was able to do her own thing. She did keep saying slide though and running over to the big slide. I definitely got a work out!

It doesn't end there. Monkey Joe (their purple mascot) decided to come out and visit all of the children. Now most children Bailey's age aren't to excited to see a furry, purple thing walk around and try to give them high fives. Bailey was a different story! She RAN over to Monkey Joe and threw her hands up to be held. Seriously!! She wanted her purple buddy, Monkey Joe to carry her around. And he did. Let's talk about how unhappy she was when it was time for me to give Monkey Joe a break. I never thought my little girl would dread coming to a real human.

Morning.

2010-02-04T11:44:00.000-05:00

I know what you all are thinking. I mean, what mother goes into a "not quite awake" child's bedroom to snap photos of them waking up? Was I asking for a cranky day? Of couse not!!! I just wanted some morning pictures of my sweet little girl. So she isn't too fond of the flash first thing. But after she realizes I am snapping pictures she was quick stand up and strike a stunning, morning smile for me!!! What a ham!!

Words.

2010-02-03T07:38:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness. Bailey amazes me more and more each day. This little girl is just bursting at the seams to start talking full sentences. The "jibbering" has got me in stitches everyday. But now she can almost repeat every word you say. She is trying to work on her "C's". Everytime she says something that starts with a "c" it ends up coming out of her mouth with the "t" sound. So cup is tup. And Clay (my friend) is Tay.

Ever since she was two weeks old Daddy and Mommy have always sung the song "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" to Bailey. She also hears it on "Your Baby Can Read" everyday. Now she is singing it by herself with ALL of the motions. She has had every motion down for quite sometime except "shoulders". Now she goes around saying "shoulders" all day and holding her shoulders. She is very proud of her shoulders.

Her new word this week is "ELBOW". Funny and random word, right? Well, this is a word on her video and she has really picked up on it. Last night in the bathtub she would stand up and come over and grab either mine or Bobby's elbow and say "elbow". This word is as plain and clear as a sunny day. I don't know why this gets me so tickled. Maybe because you don't see many fourteen month olds running around and shouting elbow.

Bobby was playing hide and seek with her when he got home from work last night. Every time he would hide she would look at me, throw her arms out and say "Doooeeeee?" Translation: "Where'd he go?" So stinkin' cute.

I count my blessings everyday for the ability to stay home and watch my child grow right before my very eyes. I am very fortunate to be able to work from home and never want to take it for granted. I would hate to miss all the fun and new things Bailey does everyday!!!

Snow. (day 2)

2010-02-01T12:08:00.000-05:00

Curls.

2010-02-01T11:49:00.000-05:00

I hope they stick around for a while!!!

Stinky.

2010-02-01T07:44:00.000-05:00

Everybody has specific terms for pottying that they teach their children. Bobby and I are those parents who have not wanted to teach anything slang to Bailey so we used words my parents used with us when we were little. When you pass gas you either "fluff" or "bust buttons". If Bailey has a dirty diaper we call it a "shoo shoo" (I don't think that is how you spell it, but I never have to write it so for you English majors, get over it) or "stinky". Now that we have clarified the terms I will proceed to tell our story.

Last night we got home from Mimi and Pop's house around 7pm. We had gone over to play in the snow. When we got there, I had to change Bailey before she could play because she had a "stinky". We did the same before we left their house. Her normal is three stinkies in a day, but we had not fed her dinner until we got home. Therefore she did not have a third stinky.

Bobby prepared Bailey's bath and put her in the tub. They were playing and having a good ol' time. I always go into the bathroom about half way through bathtime to give Bailey her liquid vitamins and play also. She was very busy last night. Her new thing in the bath tub is to lay on her stomach with her head poking out of the water and slide from one end of the tub to the other. Last night she was doing this and then decided to stand up. She walked to the edge of the tub where I was sitting and "busted buttons". Then she looked at me and said "shoo shoo". I looked at Bobby and said "Wouldn't that be funny if she really pooped instead of passed gas. She must just be saying shew because it stinks or something. I don't think she understands the difference yet." Bobby looked at her and then looked at me and said "Uhhhh yeah....She knows the difference." Poor thing really was doing a "shoo shoo" right in the bath tub. We quickly scooped her up and cleaned her up. The funny thing was she stood up to do it. I know it is gross to some of you, but it is really quite funny to bobby and me. It is just another story we can tell about her to embarass her when she is a teenager!! Ha!! My mom did it to us!! I love watching my little one grow. What a blessing!!!

Snow.

2010-01-31T08:19:00.000-05:00

Relaxing.

2010-01-29T21:50:00.000-05:00

Chips.

2010-01-28T08:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had to work at Majestic's showroom for several hours while the sales persons had their monthly meeting. This would make it two days in a row I would have to get up before 6am and get ready and have Bailey out the door for either appts. or work. Needless to say my body has definitely adjusted to being a stay-at-home Mommy so this getting up early and going to bed late hasn't really worked out for me. Anyways, Mimi (my wonderful mother) kept Bailey yesterday while I worked. This is the longest I have actually left Bailey with anybody other than Bobby.

I finally leave the showroom at 2pm. I head over to Panera Bread at North Hills with the intentions of stopping by REI to pick up Bialey some ski pants for the possible snow we might get Friday night and early Saturday (a whole other story). I called Mom to see if she wanted anything from Panera and she didn't really talk when I answered. All she could say was "Bailey, you want to tell your mama what you've done?". Oh my goodness, I could only imagine.

Bailey loves Mimi and Pop's pantry. Especially all of the goodies that are on the bottom shelf. She is constantly going in there and touching all of the boxes and cans trying her best not to grab them or knock them off the shelf because she knows she will get in trouble. This time she took it to a whole new level (Mommy wasn't there to say "NO"). She got the bag of Trader Joe's corn chips and dumped them out in the floor along with grits and oatmeal. Them she sat in the middle of the construed mess and just started talking up a storm. Yes, my mom got all of this on video. Even the part where I called and was asking Bailey what she had done. Bailey was just shaking her head.

What a great memory!!! This is only aloud at Mimi and Pops! :) I will try and steal my mom's video camera so I can post the footage on here!!! Love you mom! Thanks for making memories with my daughter!!!

Quad.

2010-01-25T12:50:00.000-05:00

For all of you who don't know, I am playing in a dodgeball league with my sister and several friends this year. Our second game was last night. We play every Sunday night for nine weeks and then have a tournament. Last night I was very excited because we had won our previous game and I didn't realize how much fun it was actually going to be. I mean really....I am a mommy now that seems to have lost all athleticism. When you begin play in dodgeball your starting position in on your stomach facing the balls in the middle of the court. The ref shouts "DODGEBALL" and you literally throw your body up and sprint towards the balls so your team can have the first throw and total domination. This is some people's weakness and some people's strength.

This happens to be my strength (the only strength I have in dodgeball). I get the ball every time we race to get the balls against the other team. Well, last night I did the same thing I did the previous game. However, I must have wanted that ball really bad! I have pulled my quadracep. I have never done this before. I have pulled a hamstring but never a quad. I continued to play despite the injury. Well let me tell you how I felt last night. I have a huge bulge on my thigh (great when you are trying to wear some skinny jeans the next day), I am walking like a pirate with a wooden leg and did I mention I have a fourteen month old that loves to sit in Mommy's lap to read books?!

Pulling a muscle seems so different these days than it did back in the athletic days of high school and college. It really makes me feel my age. I am one year from the BIG 3-0 and today am feeling every bit of it. So for now I will R-I-C-E my quad in hopes that it heals before next Sunday. Because if one thing is for sure, I haven't lost my competive dirve so I will be playing next Sunday. Maybe I just want go so hard for the balls.

Monkey.

2010-01-23T14:29:00.000-05:00

End.

2010-01-23T08:32:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 12.

This last chapter is the most important chapter of this book for understanding all that you have read. Solomon has gone through the whole book telling us how to live our lives with enjoyment but to be weary to the world and seek God's face and wisdom. I love how he concludes this book. He says "fear God and keep His commandments.....for God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it be good or evil."

Solomon could have written these two verse and be done with it. However, I believe he felt he needed to place doubt in people about how awful this world is. How depressing your life will be without God. But Solomon did not say to walk around during this life moping until Jesus' return. He said be glorious and thankful for this life God has allowed you to live. ENJOY your life. But do it with God by your side. It will be a lot more enjoyable!

How sad that people spend their lives looking in the wrong places for the enjoyment that God gives freely, as a gift!!!!!

Beach.

2010-01-22T11:41:00.000-05:00

I am getting really excited about spring and summer. Yes, me!! I have never been a warm weather person. I have always enjoyed the cold, snuggle weather. I have to admit having a fourteen month old running around the house makes me long for perfect spring days where we can be outside in the fresh air. I feel like there is so much to do outside. Even if it just consists of running through the yard.

Bailey has never been to the beach. I know she is still young, but she LOVES sand! My sister and I have been talking about planning a weekend trip for the family and heading down to the beach. Even though the plan is to go in February, I think it would be fun for Bailey to sit in the sand and see the ocean. And with this unpredictable weather, who knows, we might hit the jackpot and get beautiful weather!!!

My goal this year is to actually go to the beach for at least a week this summer! First we have to find a place to stay and book it. This seems to be the hardest part considering things seem to be so expensive these days. Once I can get that behind me I would love to spend countless hours in the ocean, pool, sand & doing fun beachy things with Bailey.

Involvement.

2010-01-21T07:51:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 11.

I am not very good about having my quiet time. In fact, I am praising the Lord for how he has ministered to me during this fast. I am thanking Him to opening my eyes to how IMPORTANT it is to pray for specific things each and everyday and to read His Word. This is vital for our flourishment on earth in the days that we have here.

In Ecclesiastes 11:4 Solomon writes "He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap." This verse is a quick reminder of my human nature and the excuses I make for not wanting to dive in and serve my Lord. If we constantly strive for the PERFECT timing this will lead to inactivity. This is applied to our spiritual life also. If we think we can wait for a perfect time to read our Bible, it will never happen. If we are constantly LOOKING for the perfect church, we will never find it. If we are waiting to serve on the perfect ministry team, we will NEVER serve. Solomon clearly states that if we wait for conditions they may never exist. Which in turn we are doing what Solomon has wrote about in this whole book. We are "chasing after the wind". WE WILL NEVER CATCH THE WIND. No matter what you are doing today realize that where you are spiritually will outlast anything material on this earth. Let's "serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with thanksgiving." We need to give Him all we have. Spirit, soul & body. Let's stop watching and start doing!!!

Outdoors.

2010-01-20T12:21:00.000-05:00

Skills.

2010-01-20T07:54:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 10.

Verse 10 says "If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. Do you have a job that you feel like you could be much better at doing? Are you using a dull tool? This makes me think of my husband. He has been talking alot about helping to design a webpage for our company that is a useful tool for our customers. We all can talk but sometimes we need to dive in and show some effort and action. Bobby has never done this before. Even though he has the "smarts" he needs to become more wise about designing. A couple of days ago he went out and bought a few books to learn more about web design. Instead of playing video games in the evening after Bailey and I go to bed, he has been reading and studying his books. He is sharpening his skills and tools by through training and practice. In the end wisdom will overtake strength.

Do not do your job half-heartedly. God has given us this life as a blessing. We need to dive in and better ourselves in what we are doing. I definitely don't want to use a "dull axe" in parenting. I am constantly finding ways to sharpen my tools to be a better, more Godly and wise parent. Go to God today and ask Him for mental "strength" to help you want to be a better person at what you do.

Wisdom.

2010-01-19T07:38:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 9:10-18.

I can be sure that I get caught up in the outwarrd appearance sometimes. Isn't that what the world wants? Sad. Today the focus of an evil world seems to be on wealth, attractiveness and success. Our twisted and unfair (and ungodly) world allows the wise to go hungry and the intelligent unrewarded. Yet, Solomon states that WISDOM is above all strength. WISDOM is not always heard, but wisdom that comes from God will outlast any of the rich and attractive in this lifetime.

Be wise in the Lord. Seek His hand in everything you do. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind in Christ Jesus." Are you seeking Godly wisdom. I pray that God will allow me to seek Him and allow me to dwell on His word to become a woman of wisdom. For that far outweighs what the world around me is telling me!!! Thank you God for giving us the opportunity to draw close to you!

Park.

2010-01-18T20:07:00.000-05:00

Friends. (continued)

2010-01-18T17:00:00.000-05:00

Coloring.

2010-01-18T16:50:00.000-05:00

Discipline.

2010-01-17T08:40:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 8.

There is alot going on in this chapter, but a couple of verses that jumped out and spoke to me as a parent. In verse 10 Solomon is talking about the evil. When one dies the evil he has done is quickly forgotten and praises are raised to him in the city. Verse 11 says that because the sentence against him was not executed quickly, that his sons are given fully to do evil.

This quickly reminded me of my parenting. Last night Bobby, Bailey and I were up in the bonus room playing and watching some football. Bailey is at the age now where she knows what "NO" means but might not quite comprehend the "WHY?" behind it. I asked her not to play with the phone base or I would have to spank her (she knows what this means). She looked at me then looked at the phone and walked over and smacked the phone off the base. Immediately the sinner in me wanted to burst out laughing. But I told her what would happen and I needed to follow through with my action or she WILL do it again. I spanked her leg and she got upset and walked away from the phone shaking her head no.
As parents, it is our duty to discipline our children just as Christ disciplines us.

We are all sinners. And we will all be disciplined at some point by God. Just because we do not get "spanked" immediately for our actions doesn't mean we can continue to live our sinful lives. We should not think God doesn't care about what we are doing. He has a perfect time for everything and Judgement Day will come.

Growth.

2010-01-15T08:26:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 6.

At first as I read this passage I was confused. It seemed over my head. But once I read the applications and really went back and read the verses I began to understand. Wow....perfect passage for the new year!! (Once again)!

Solomon speaks about death. More specifically that all people die, rich and poor. Everything that you have tried to achieve on this earth is meaningless once you die. Rich and poor are both put in the grave. You cannot take anything with you. So what are you doing in this life to improve the next life you have once you die?

At the beginning of the year alot of people (including myself) made resolutions or set goals for 2010. You may want to be a better spouse, become financially free or get that body back into shape. Do you take precedence in these things over your relationship with God? Solomon says to focus on your spiritual relationship with God because that in the ONLY thing that will last after this life. That doesn't mean you can't better this life and set goals, it just means that we need to focus on our priorities!!!

Friends.

2010-01-15T08:13:00.000-05:00

Today is bittersweet. Our friends, the Durfees will be moving St. George, Utah today. Wednesday we were able to visit one last time with them before they left. Lily, Kiera & Hyrum's daughter, is two and a half months younger than Bailey. However, she is walking and babbling so her and Bailey were definitely busy Wednesday. I have made a dear friend in Kiera and am going to miss her dearly! It was nice to have a girlfirend to be able to get together and have lunch with while the girls played. We might be making a trip out to Utah in the near future so we can see our wonderful, lifelong friends. We love you guys! Safe journey!!
(I will post pictures later....for some reason blogger will not let me right now!)

Contentment.

2010-01-14T08:14:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 5:10-20.

"The love of money is the root of all evil." Sometimes even I catch myself saying I wish I had more money so I could do this or go here or buy this. Our human nature tells us we need more in this life (material things) to satisfy our needs and make us happy. Our human nature is right! We do need more in this life. But the "more" is God.

Solomon talks about the man who loves money. We are not talking about rich people. There are alot of blessed people who actually seek God's face and are good stewards of what God has given them. It is men who love money and only money. He states that "the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep." Huh?! I believe Solomon is talking about contentment. No matter what this man does he will never be content. He will constantly be wanting to increase his riches. He thinks about only himself.

Solomon was a man of great riches. Yet in the later years of his life realized that the abundance of his riches amounted to nothing. "Exactly as a man is born, thus will he die." He realized there must be more to life than the unsatisfaction of never having enough. He found that through God.

God wants us to enjoy life. He wants us to eat and drink and enjoy ourselves in our work. This is the life that God has given us. Whether we be rich or not He has given us this life as a reward. Once we realize that this life is temporary and God has a greater place for us than we can be content with what we have because what we have is what God has given us and that is all we need!!

Promise.

2010-01-13T07:53:00.000-05:00

Ecclesiastes 5:1-9.

Do you ever make promises or vows you don't intend to keep? Do you dictate to God what you want Him to do in your life? In this pasage Solomon talks about our attitudes towards God. He tells us to NOT come into the house of God giving demands or telling God how we want Him to do certain things in our lives. "My God shall supply all your needs according to His purpose." We quickly forget that!! I think this perfectly appropriate for fasting. Fasting properly requires not only giving up something but also reading God's word and praying specifically. This does not mean you have a list of needs you want God to meet and you expect Him to meet them because you are giving up something. We need to draw close to God. Not come to Him with expectations. Imagine in your marriage your spouse never contributing to the marriage at ALL! But always wanting you to give 110%. That's not right! It's especially not right to do this to the ONE who died for you to give you eternal life.

This passage also touches on promises. Verse 4 says "When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!" Sometimes we like to make commitments to God because we are caught up in the moment. Example: You are standing in church, the pastor calls the invitation to come and commit to giving to the building fund and everyone else seems to be filling out a sheet of paper. before you even go to God about giving you are already filling out a card and rushing up to altar. You don't even give a second thought later. Don't make a promise to God that you don't intend to keep. Solomon continues in verse 5. "It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay."

Today, let's think about what we promise to God. Do you promise to be a better parent? To give more to His Kingdom? To draw closer to Him and be in the Word everyday? If so, honor those promises, those vows to God. Pay it to the Lord. He deserves more than we could ever give Him. But what we do give Him he cherishes.