Words.

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)

Curls.

I hope they stick around for a while!!!

Stinky.

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.

Relaxing.

Chips.

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.

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.

End.

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!!!!!