Flu Shots

Unfortunately, it's that time of year again. Today I took Bailey to get his flu shot. Since he is almost 2 1/2 I thought it would be mean not to prepare him for what was about to happen. So, I told him he would get a shot and that it would hurt, but just for a minute. That mommy would be holding him and after his shot he would get a sucker, which luckily, I had remembered to bring.

So, I sit down with Bailey in my lap and when the nurse holds down his legs he starts saying "don't hurt me!", "don't hurt me!" He gets the shot and from the second the needle goes in his leg he starts yelling "OW! OW! OW!" "that hurt!" It was sad and funny at the same time. He said this during the shot, while he is picking out a sticker and when I give him his sucker. Tears are rolling down his face and he is crying "OW! That hurt" out of the office, through the waiting room and to the car.

Happily, afterwards we went to his haircut, where he received another sucker and then we went to play at the park. Somehow suckers and parks fix everything! So far, I haven't even had to give him tylenol. Hopefully his constant movement today will keep his leg from getting sore.

Here are some random pictures of Bailey. We are going to the Pumpkin Patch on Saturday, so hopefully I will have some cute pictures to post.

A great book

I just finished reading a book for my mom's group book club. It's called Reconstructing Natalie by Laura Jensen Walker. It is about a 28 year old woman who is diagnosed with breast cancer and follows her through the decisions she has to make. It is a very quick read and it tackles the subject of breast cancer with lighthearted humor; although, it does have some very serious moments too. I both cried and laughed while reading this book.

If you are looking for your next book to read, I highly recommend this one. It was Women of Faith's 2006 novel of the year, so you know it's a good one! If you get the chance to read it, let me know what you thought! Have a great Thursday!

Bailey has an announcement...

Yup, we're expecting! As you can tell, Bailey is very excited:) Actually, he has no idea what's going on & we aren't really talking about it with him. His world will change soon enough. For now, we want him to be blissfully ignorant to this life altering event that's just around the corner.

We are 16 weeks along & the due date is February 28th. If the baby cooperates, we should know the sex on October 9th. We have not yet decided when/if we will be sharing this news. :)

So far, everything is going well & my doctor is very pleased. As most of you know, I have a history of ectopic pregnancy. So, my first visit was at 6 weeks & things looked good. At my 7 week appt. we had a little scare, but at my 8 week appt. my doctor was confident that things looked "better than perfect". We are very blessed! Please keep us in your prayers as we go through the next 5 months.

First Day of School

Yesterday was Bailey's first day of school. This year he is going twice a week. He had a great time on Tuesday! He got to paint and learned how to walk down the hallway (at his school the 2 year old class walks with one finger on the wall and sing a cute song while they do it). I'm sure he did much more, but those were the two things he told me about. Next week they will start going to chapel. I am excited for him and all of the fun things he will get to do!

We had to get Bailey 2 new pairs of tennis shoes for school because he went through a growth spurt. 3 months ago I bought him 3 pairs of summer shoes in a size 5 1/2 and his toes had started to hang over the sandles and were squished in the others. We went back to the mall and had them measure his foot again. 6 1/2! I could not believe that he had grown an entire size in 3 short months. I am hoping these shoes will last the entire school year. He also got a new haircut for school and he looks so grown up!

Getting So Smart

Bailey is always telling me stuff. What he did that day (when really it was last week), who he had fun playing with, etc. Sometimes he says stuff that never even happened. I am sure all of you with 2 year olds have experienced this.

However, Monday night we were in the car on our way home from the gym and out of the blue Bailey says: I hurt my knee at the gym. Bailey cried.

Mommy: You did? Did they kiss it and make it better?

Bailey: Yes. All Better. Bailey's ok.

I wasn't sure if this had really happened, so I looked at his knee and sure enough, it was skinned! When did he get old enough to tell me about real things that happened to him? I am glad he can tell me about things that happen when I am not there. Especially, since he is about to start back to school.

Missing his cousin

Conversation with Bailey

Mommy: Bailey, are you playing with your Legos?
Bailey: Yes, Bailey's Legos. Nora's Legos too.
Mommy: Oh, those are Nora's Legos too?
Bailey: Yes. I want to go to Nora's house.

Bailey is going through Nora detox. At least he was willing to share his Legos:)

Summer Vacation

***UPDATE***



Here are the pictures I promised.











I know it has been FOREVER since I have posted (thank you, Dallas for the reminder). We have been so busy (of course I couldn't tell you what we've been doing), and it's just slipped my mind.
I don't have time to upload pictures tonight, but I will add them tomorrow.

Last night we got back from a week long family vacation in Florida. Now, when I say family vacation, I mean it. We're talking 16 people. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, parents, siblings. You name them, they were there. We had a great time! We went to the beach & the pool every day, ate at some great restaraunts, took naps, and hung out. We all had a wonderful time. Bailey got to play with his cousin, Nora (who is 11 weeks older) from sun up to sun down and could not get enough of her. They got along so well and really enjoyed being together. Even though they don't see each other much, I talk frequently to Bailey about Nora and Nora's mom, Dallas, talks to Nora about Bailey, so when they are together, it's like no time has passed.

While we were in Florida my cousins informed me that I am the only person on the planet not on Facebook. Therefore, they signed me up. I am still trying to figure out how everything works, but I like being "in the loop". I didn't realize how many people I knew where on Facebook. I have only been on it about 5 days, but already I am catching up with highschool friends I haven't talked to in 10 years! It's been cool. Thanks cousins!

We survived the 15 hour drive home and even made it to church this morning. Unfortunately, our air conditioner froze up while we were trying to cool the house off last night (quite a task after being off for 8 days) & the temp. never got below 80. We turned the heat on & defrosted the unit, so hopefully that will take care of it.This afternoon, we took Bailey to our neighbor's house to swim. We had a nice little 45 minute swim and when we got out of the pool, Jay realized that he had his phone in his pocket the entire time. His $500 dollar phone! Think it's ruined? Luckily, we were smart enough to purchase the insurance on it, so for a mere $50 they are sending him a new one.

I have not even begun to unpack or do laundry, but I did get a pedicure today, so I have my priorites in order:) I promise, tomorrow I will post pictures, so be sure to check back.

Deceptively Delicious

I had heard about & seen this cookbook, but was reminded of it on Oprah the other day. So, yesterday, I went to the store & got a butternut squash. Cubed it, steamed it & pureed it. I was a little nervous about putting it in his mac & cheese at lunch today, but figured it was worth a try. I added a tablespoon to his individual serving and stirred it in where it promptly melted into the hot mac & cheese. He had NO CLUE there was squash in his lunch! I am thrilled! I know she has a brownie recipe that uses spinich that I can't wait to try. Hpefully, we can get back on track with a well rounded diet. I will let you know how it works!

Over the weekend Bailey had a little accident. He was jumping on a bed at Jay's parents house and kin of bit the headboard. He bit a pretty good hole in his lip & knocked his front tooth back a little. He was very swollen & the underneath side of his lip was purple. His little gums were bruised & swollen too. Luckily, almost all of the swelling is gone & his tooth has started to shift back into place a little. I have never seen Bailey cry so much & there was quite a bit of blood. The first night he woke up every hour crying. I felt so bad for him! Luckily, mouth wounds heal quickly & he's back to his old self.

I also wanted to mention that on July 6th, Jay & I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary! The past six years have been the best! Thanks, Jay for being such a great husband & daddy!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July!

We are taking it easy today. We turned down a couple of holiday parties and instead have decided to spend the day as a family. Just the three of us. It should be fun! Tomorrow we have the annual Newton family reunion in Dublin, Texas. We have not been able to go for the past several years, so we are anxious to show Bailey off and eat all of that good home cooking!

We have been so busy since summer began. Bailey had his music and gymnastics classes, which he loved. And the week after next he starts swim lessons. We have been getting together with friends for spray park visits and lunches at Chick-Fil-A. Last week was VBS and I taught 5th grade storytelling, so Bailey was able to attend VBS (it is officially for kids starting kindergarten and up, unless your parent is working it). As you can imagine, Bailey is still recovering!

Last weekend we went to my dad's with our neighbors and went water skiing. Everyone had a great time! We spent all day Saturday out on the boat and Bailey loved every minute of it. He loves to feel the wind on his face. If the boat would stop moving he would say "more boat".

Each day I am amazed at how much he is learning. He is really able to express himself (for example, he just said "mommy, what are you doing?").

Unfortunately, my grandmother has been in the hospital for 11 days. She fainted in her front yard and it seems to have gone downhill from there. They think it was caused by a medication combination that affected her sodium level, but it seems more problems keep popping up. We are all ready for her to be well enough to go home. My aunt has been with her practically 24/7 and when my mom isn't at work she is up at the hospital. Everyone is exhausted! Please keep her in your prayers.

Here are a few recent pictures of Bailey

Summer Fun

This week, my cousin, Dallas & her family were in town. Bailey got to play with his cousin, Nora, who is just 3 months older than he is. They had a great time together. Even though they don't get to see each other often, when they do, they pick right up where they left off.
Monday we took the kids to the zoo. It was hot, but we packed a picnic lunch & the whole family came for the fun. The kids had a blast watching the animals. Dallas got some great pictures of Bailey & Nora, but I forgot my camera. She is going to email them to me, so maybe I can upload them later.
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, my Aunt (Dallas' mom) invited us to her country club for fun filled days of swimming, lunch & lots of ice cream. Let me tell you, that is the life! Both Bailey & Nora had swim lessons this week. The first day they did great! They were jumping off the edge of the pool & going under the water! We were so impressed! Today; however, they both cried for most of their lesson. Oh, well. Maybe they will progress as the summer goes on.

We were sad to see them leave today, but look forward to August when we will all be meeting in Florida. 19 of my family members will be going for a week & all staying together under one roof (a very large roof). It will be a great week!

Well, we have moved Bailey into his full sized bed. So far, he seems to love it. He really likes laying on his pillows & snuggling up under the covers. Not to mention, all of the stuffed animals you can fit in that great big bed! He loves being able to easily get in & out of his bed. And he loves showing his new bed off. Whenever someone new comes over he takes them into his room & shows them how to get on & off his bed.

This summer Bailey is taking music class & gymnastics class. Both classes have met once so far, & I think he is going to enjoy it. If it goes well, I might try to continue at least one of them throughout the school year. In July he will take swimming lessons again, so I hope to have him in the water frequently between now & then so that he can get comfortable with the water. If the past week is any indication of how our summer will be, then we are off to a great start!

Mother's Day & Bailey's Birthday

This was my 3rd mother's day & it was the best one yet. This year Bailey's birthday fell on mother's day & I can't think of a better mother's day gift than my son's birthday! I can't believe Bailey is 2! The time has just flown by so quickly!

The day before we had Bailey's birthday party. It was a hot day, but breezy, so it wasn't too bad. The kids had fun playing at the park & eating cake. Bailey got some great gifts, including a little car, a tricycle, a picnic table & a swingset! They are all big hits, but Bailey could swing & ride his "I-iycle" all day long!

Yesterday we had Bailey's 2 year check up & everything looks great. The doctor even said it is time to begin potty training (I was actually thinking about waiting 6 months before we started... oh, well), so I guess I'd better start reading up on how to potty train. We don't even have a potty chair. I have heard that boys are harder to train than girls, so it should be fun. However, considering I recently purchased a large box of diapers from Sam's, I intend to get my money's worth & wait until we use all of the diapers.

Here is a short list of Bailey's accomplishments at 2 years of age:

-can count to 14

-knows all 26 letters

-can spell his name (I will ask him which letter comes first, what's next, etc. & he knows!)

-knows all primary colors

-knows the following shapes: triangle, circle, oval, square

-talks in very short sentences (mommy, come here. no bed. no mommy)

-has FINALLY, after a year of rejection started eating meat again. Yay! A major accomplishment!

Our trip to Washington D.C.

We have been so busy lately! Between birthday parties, church events & our recent vacation, we are rarely home!

We left on Thursday afternoon to fly to Baltimore where our friends, Justin & Amy picked us up & we headed to their home in D.C. Justin is a Captin (soon to be Major) in the Airforce JAG & they are currently stationed in D.C. (quite a change from their last location of Italy). Jay, Justin & Amy were in law school together
We jam-packed a ton of stuff into 2 1/2 days. Justin & Amy did a great job of being our tour guides. We saw all of the monuments, the Museum of natural history, the archives, the Capital, the White House, Holocaust museum, pentagon, arlington national cemetary, the zoo, the National Cathedral, & Mt. Vernon.


Bailey was such a trooper! He was in a great mood overall, with very few breakdowns. He caught a few cat naps in his stroller, but basically missed his nap for 3 days. Justin & Amy were life savers! They were so hands on with Bailey & he absolutely loved them! They took turns carrying him, pushing his stroller, etc. Justin & Amy made it possible for Jay & I not to miss out on anything. For example, you have to be silent for both the changing of the guard & the JFK eternal flame at the cemetary. They volunteered to sit back with Bailey so Jay & I could see both of those things. Those are just 2 examples. They did so so so much to help. It was like Bailey had 4 parents that weekend! They only thing we couldn't get them to help with was diaper changes:)

We had such a great time & really enjoyed getting to see our friends. Hopefully, their next assignment will be a great vacation spot too!

Prayers Needed

My sister-in-law, Julie, has asked me to post a blog on my website. The woman's name is Taylor Stapleton & Julie works with her mother-in-law. Taylor is pregnant & her baby has a genetic defect. The little boy will either be stillborn or may live a short time. It is a very sad situation & at this time they are trying to decide their birth plan & what/if any medical intervention to take, should their son be born alive.

On Taylor's blog (which is to the right of my blog under "blogs of peopel i think are cool") is another website titled http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/ . I really recommend visiting this site. They were on the Today show also.

Please take the time to visit these sites. I know all prayers are appreciated.

Scary!

Did anyone see the Today show this morning? Apparently, a new study shows the cost of raising a child from birth -17 years is $204,000 per child! Although, if you have 1 child you spend 23% more than that & if you have 3 children you spend 23% less. Keep in mind, they said this only covers the basics. It does not include college. They said by the time our kids reach college age it will cost $124,000 to send your child to a public college (Go Tech!) &; $294,000 to send your child to private school. 2 is sounding like a nice round number:)

I did not do an Easter post because I just now downloaded the pictures off my camera. We had a fun-filled & BUSY day. Here are a few cute pics of Bailey.

22 Months!

Today Bailey is 22 months old. It's hard to believe he will turn 2 in just a few weeks!

A funny thing happened yesterday that I had to post about. Bailey hit Jay in the face, so he had to go to time out until he was ready to tell Daddy "sorry". So, he sat in time out, screaming at the top of his lungs....after about 1 minute I asked him if he was ready to tell Daddy "sorry". He gets up, walks right up to Jay, looks at him...then, promptly turns around & goes back to sit in time out. Talk about stubborn!!! I'll admit, we were tempted to laugh, but stuck to our guns. Even though we were due at our neighbor's house for dinner, we made Bailey stay in time out until he was ready to apologize. Usually, Bailey is quick to say "sorry", but last night he wanted nothing to do with it. I think he was in time out nearly 5 minutes before he decided he was tired of being there.

I shared this story with the nursery workers at our church this morning & they were shocked. They said Bailey is so laid back & never would have characterized him as strong willed. I am thrilled he is so well behaved at church, but would love for that to overlap into our home life.

I got a new camera over the weekend. My cousin, Dallas got this camera recently & loves it. My sister-in-law got the same camera after reading about it on Dallas' blog. So, we got it too. I am loving it! We were really starting to miss some great photo opportunities because of the delay on our camera & "hey, Bailey, do that again" wasn't really working. He is so active & I really want to capture all of that.
.We have converted Bailey's crib to the toddler bed. The first week went well, come to find out he was using the time to plan his escape. It sarted with naptime today. He pushed on his bed protecter thing so hard that it, Bailey & half of his mattress ended up onthe floor. It scared him bad enough that I was pretty sure he wouldn't try that again. I was right. He soon decided he needed a new plan. He has somehow managed to sqeeze himself through the 6 inch space between the headboard and the protector. And boy, is he quick! One one hand, it could be a good thing, he can learn to stay in his bed & that will help later on. That being said, I am open to suggestions on how to keep him in his bed.

The good thing, is that his changing table has been converted to a dresser, so there is more room for cute stuff:)

February Update

I feel like I say this a lot, but I am constantly amazed by how much Bailey is learning every day! His newest acheivment is counting to 10. It is so cute. He has also been working on his shapes. He knows circle & oval really well & can recognize square & triangle, but can't pronounce them.

We are definitely into the "terrible two's". Even though officially, he has 3 months to go, we are seeing very clear signs! He loves to throw temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. All he wants to eat are cheetos, fruit loops & cupcakes. I can not tell you how many nights he has gone to bed without dinner because he could not have these items. Time out is what we are using as our main type of punishment. It seems to work well. He has a "time out" spot & will actually sit there until he stops crying or is ready to comply with our request.

Here are some cute pictures that I took of Bailey.

God is Good

Jay has a new job! It is at a firm in Ft. Worth. The interview process moved very quickly (3 weeks. Which is very fast in the legal world). He had a phone interview, an in person interview, then on Friday, 4 of the partners took Jay & I to dinner at the Reata, after I was given a tour of the offices. We had a really nice time & spent about 4 hours with them. We were able to get to know them on a personal level & they made a point to ask me if I had any questions for them. I thought that was nice (especially, since I had a few). They called Jay Saturday morning to offer him the job. We are very excited. For many reasons, this is the perfect fit for us. They are, by their own admission a "family first" firm. They treat their employees excellent, & rarely lose them. This firm has everything we've been looking for, plus SO much more.He will begin at his new firm in 2 weeks.

Bailey is doing great! He is still throwing temper tantrums, but for the most part, they aren't too bad. He has to go to time out whenever he throws a tantrum, which he hates. He knows where his time out area is, & knows to stay there until he quits crying. He follows the rule pretty well. He has a major love of books. He loves to look at books & has us read to him many, many times each day. He is working really hard on his colors, letters, & starting to show an interest in numbers. He just soaks up information like a sponge! He has a few songs that he likes to sing a long to. It's cute to see him sing the words he knows. His vocabulary is really expanding. It seems like every day he learns a new word!

We're Back

We made it home from our cruise! We had a wonderful time, had perfect weather, ate WAY TOO MUCH food and got nice tans. I definitely think 7 days away was too long. I think my limit for being away from Bailey is about 4 days. One thing that made it hard was not being able to call each day. Also, he got sick while we were gone. He got the bad cold that's been going around. The very congested cough, stuffy nose, runny nose, etc. He is on the mend, thank goodness.

While we were gone Bailey got accustomed to some things he is not allowed often at home....watching t.v., drinking coke, & sleeping with the adults. It has been major baby boot camp around here the past 5 days. That being said, I'm sure you can imagine all of the temper tantrums that have gone on. Now, I know he is not feeling his best, but Jay & I firmly believe being sick is no excuse for bad behavior! Today, Bailey did not get his way & threw a pudding cup across the living room, hitting the wall. He was promptly rewarded with a spanking. After his spanking he marched to the wall & stood facing it crying for 5 minutes. He thinks we can't see him if he faces the wall.

He has been very ugly to Jay this week. He doesn't want Jay even looking at him. When Jay comes near him he quickly turns & faces the nearest wall, stands there crying "no"

Right now, he is in his bed where he has been crying for 51 minutes. This has become our new routine. I am very ready for things to go back to normal! He wins, he has punished me for leaving him!

There have also been some posititve things this week. We are back to working on our letters (he is up to 14) and today for the first time he showed some interest in colors. Today we learned red, green, yellow, blue, & orange. I was very impressed with this new found knowledge. Also, he can count to 3 (my sister has heard him count to 4, but I have not, yet). He is learning new words every day & makes a real effort to try new ones.

...okay, we are up to 58 minutes of crying.....

Even though this has been a very tiring, trying and frustrating week, we are so glad to be home!

Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas! Bailey really enjoyed ripping the paper off the presents and he loves all of his new toys. Santa was good to him this year!

My cousin Dallas and her family came to Ft. Worth for a week, so Bailey was able to play with his cousin, Nora several times. She is 3 months older than him, so they make good playmates. He also got to see the "baby" (Nora's little sister, Elyn). We are still working on sharing, so that was a challenge. He is more than happy to share his "old" toys, but doesn't want anyone playing with his new Christmas toys.

Last week we had our Sunday School class over for dinner. Any child who sat in his new table and chair set did not go over well. Jay said that Bailey would try and pull their chair out from under them. I am sure we will be working on sharing for several years to come.

Bailey is learning more everyday! He can now say "please" and we are working on saying "help" and "yes ma'am". He knows 11 of his letters. He can pick them out and say what they are and make their sound. I am constantly amazed by his ability to pick things up so quickly! He has this shape bucket and he can put the blocks into the appropriate shape slot. He really is a genius:)

On Saturday, Jay and I are leaving on a cruise with 5 other couples. We are excited, but feel very sad about leaving Bailey. I can only imagine all of the things he will learn during the 8 days we are gone. He will turn 20 months while we are away. The hardest part will be the limited calls home we will be able to make. Last time we went out of town he got sick, so I think I am a little paranoid. I know he will have a great time with his Mimi, Grammy & Pop and Aunt Jill & Uncle Jarod.

Here are some pictures of the past 2 weeks.

A crazy few weeks

I can't believe it has been almost 1 month since I last updated. Things have been pretty busy around here the past few weeks. I am enjoying all of the holiday hustling and bustling, but am also looking forward to things settling down.

Bailey's newest thing is being obsessed with Elmo, or Nelmo, as he likes to call him. He has already begun playing with his Hokey Pokey Elmo doll, which is supposed to be a Christmas present. He found out that I had hid him in the guest room, so he would constantly go to the door, knock and whine, "Nelmo, Nelmo". I admit, I have given in a few times and let him play with it. I found a temporary replacement and it seems to help. It is a small Elmo beanie babie that goes with him most places. Tonight I was rocking Bailey and he was calling out in his sleep "Mama, Nelmo", "Mama, Nelmo" It was really cute!

We also got Bailey this Mickey Mouse stuffed animal that is as big as he is. He really loves it! He calls it "hot dog" (for any of you whose child watches the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, you are familiar with the hot dog song at the end of each episode).

Saturday, we went to brunch with Santa at the Fort Worth club. We had a great time (thanks Jim and Barbie!), but the kids were not crazy about Santa. It was pretty funny!