The Rumage 3 - Not Your Ordinary Fairytale

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

2010-11-30T10:01:00.001-06:00

Can you believe that Christmas is just around the corner? No? Me either. But is it and I am SOOOO excited. I love, love, Christmas!

In preparation for the season I am trying to create our family Christmas card. Last year, I didn't do a very good job as everything snuck up on me, so this year I have been planning ahead. In between work, potty training a 2-year old, Christmas shopping, holiday parties, wrapping gifts, fa la la la laaing and jingling all the way I have decided to get my Christmas card done...EARLY (as in before December 25th)!

I was super excited when I found out that Shutterfly is giving cards away to bloggers! Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly (want to get in on the fun? Click here)! There are so many to choose from, like these:

and they are so cute! Check them out here: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards

If you don't know about Shutterfly, it is an amazing online photo service (and even better, it is FREE). I upload ALL of my photos there and make a family photo album each year. It costs me about 1/3 of what I used to pay for Scrapbooking and it takes me about 1/8 of the time! Whether you just want regular 4 x 6 prints, photo albums, canvas wall art, calendars, cards, or stationery...they have a little bit of everything. And, it is so easy to use that even your 90-year old grandma could do it! They are even so cool that you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter!
It took me all of 20 minutes to find my card, upload my photos, customize my message, order and have them shipped...directly to my door! They will even stamp and mail them for you!! GENIOUS. PURE, GENIOUS!

(Note to self: big fat checkmark on my to-do-list!)

The beauty is that people will think you hired some fantabulous graphic artist to design your card and that you paid some overpriced printer to print them for you and then slaved over them for days addressing, sealing and stamping those puppies! Sometimes, what people don't know won't hurt them...but if you are like me and want to help your poor, overworked, tired mommy-friends...you'll share this little piece of Christmas joy with them too!

Beach Trip

2010-10-13T16:19:00.001-05:00

This is the last of the series of posts and I am now officially caught up!

We had a wonderful beach trip in the middle of September. We are very lucky because both Bebe & JoJo (Chip's parents) and Poppa & Nana (my parents) got to go with us. We had so much fun and Baileigh really enjoyed the water, sand and especially the pool! This was her first time in a "real" pool and she couldn't have been more at home. She didn't even want us to hold her. She just put on her Puddlejumper jacket and took off like she had been swimming for years. She wore us all out!

Labor Day at the Lake

2010-10-13T16:06:00.000-05:00

Baileigh hanging with Uncle Colin on the "Bubba Tub"

Baileigh catching her "fish"

Just hanging out

Proof that indeed, Aunt LaLa was there! LaLa and Nay Nay (me) are always the ones taking the pictures so it always appears as if we were never really at any family event!

Catherine schooling Uncle Chippy on life lessons.

Cousins Samantha and Alex. Beuatiful girls!

Cousin Avery...a cutie!

Scott & Evan pouring Dawn dishwashing soap on the Bubba Tub. These two would move the float in front of the slide and have contests to see who could hit the float from the slide and sail the farthest into the water!

McWane Center Pics

2010-10-13T15:58:00.000-05:00

So, yes, these are old pictures. From August to be exact...but I am posting them nonetheless becasue I am determined to be caught up on something in my life!

These are from our trip to McWane Center. It is a hands on childrens museum in Birmingham complete with a 3D Imax, but I think that the adults have just as much fun as the kids!

Baileigh catching butterflies

How coll would it have been to have one of these bad boys as your "Lite Brite" as a kid?!

She loved playing at the splash table.

She couldn't wait to pet the sting rays and sharks!

She was mesmerized by the fish.

Digging for dinosaur bones

Petting the sharks with Daddy

Finding hidden treasure in the Egyptian pyramid

Long Time, No See

2010-10-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

So, it has been forever and a day since I last posted. I know, I know - the bad mother award is coming my way!

I'll be putting up a series of posts to try and catch up everyone (who I know, have been waiting with bated breath - HA!) to see what the Rumage clan has been up to.

Hope everyone had a wonderful summer and is ready for the cooler weather (at least those of us who live in the South, where it has been just a few degrees cooler than hell for the past 3 months).

We are full swing back into pre-school and potty training. Baileigh's personality has really begun to blossom. She is super outgoing and has never met a stranger. I took her on my run the other day and while sitting in her stroller, she would wave and yell "hello" to everyone we passed. She loves to be the center of attention and has a whole litany of antics she will pull in order to get it! Lately, dancing and singing rank at the top of that list but she is not below simply climbing into your lap and getting 6 inches from your face to get your attention.

The things she says continue to astound me and many times I have to run into another room so she won't see me laughing at some of them. As of late, when she is told to do something that she doesn't particularly want to do she responds by kicking her foot on the ground, hanging her head and saying, "Ohhh, man!"

She has a new boyfriend at school, Ethan. They have a love/hate relationship. One day she will tell me either she or Ethan had to sit in time out because they hit each other or took away each others toys, or when we pick them up from school before we can stop them they are laying smooches on each other...and I mean right on the mouth!

Potty training has been an adventure to say the least. The girl may be going to her prom in diapers. Some days she does really good and we only have one "accident" on others, she could care less. I have now resorted to bribery to get her to go. We currently are about 85% on "peeing" but we are at about 3% on "pooping", so considering her fascination with dragons/dinosaurs (she loves the dragon on Shrek, and Ethan is a big dinosaur fan - so now she is too) I told her if she would poopie in the potty that I would go and get her a dinosaur and bring him home to live with us. She finally went for the first time last night and we ran around the house and celebrated like we had won the SuperBowl! So, off to Target I went today to fetch a dinosaur. I ended up getting two of them because, get this - they are interactive and they carry on conversations with one another! It is the most bizarre thing ever. So, she gets to play with the dinosaur tonight with the stipulation that if she poops in her diaper, the dinosaur has to go live in mommy & daddy's closet until she uses the potty again - because, as we all know dinosaurs don't like stinky girls!

Things are good with the Rumage clan. Chip is doing well with his business (knock on wood) and work is super busy for me. I will be gearing up to run the Rock n' Roll marathon in February - it will be my FIRST and my LAST full marathon to ever run. Football is back on again, so Chip is like a kid in a candy store (especially since the Tide has been doing so well).

Guess I should wrap this puppy up and get to the good stuff...pictures! They will follow soon...

Fun at the Lake

2010-06-14T13:48:00.003-05:00

We had a fun weekend at the lake with BeBe & JoJo. Baileigh got to play in the water, ride the jet ski with us, and ride on the boat. She had lots of fun!

In this picture, we were riding on the boat and she decided to get in this collapsable basket...she thought it was hysterical.

Pulling up to BeBe & JoJo's after our boat ride.

Baileigh loves being on the boat. She just sits and takes it all in!

Definitely a daddy's girl!

It occured to me that I have about 5 pictures of me and Baileigh together, b/c I am always the one taking pictures. So, Chip snapped a few.

I was trying to take a picture of us together before Chip realized I needed help. It's not easy trying to take a picture of yourself and a two year old! This is a horrible picture but the expression on her face just cracks me up for some reason

The view from the boat....ahhhh!!

This is a classic "look" of Chip's. Anyone who knows him has seen this look before.

And a pic of the three of us...again, there aren't many of us together since usually I am the one behind the camera so JoJo snapped this one as we were riding along! Can you see she has already perfected the fake smile?!

Summer Slideshow

2010-06-10T15:04:00.004-05:00

This and that

2010-04-30T14:26:00.008-05:00

Finally some Easter pics! We had a wonderful Easter in Memphis with Laura, Scott, Catherine, BeBe, JoJo and Betty. We definitely missed Uncle Colin who was recently activated and is currently serving overseas.

Baileigh is beginning to really take on some serious personality. She definitely has a flair for the dramatic at times and the girl can throw a serious fit from time to time but for the most part she is happy-go-lucky! We will begin potty training this weekend (so I am praying for patience). I have received lots of advice and the consensus seems to be that we should just skip the "Pull-Ups" and go for the gusto to "big girl" panties. Do you think it is possible to train them in one day?!

Baileigh will mostly say anything now and is very independent. She hates when her "tooms" (cartoons) are interupted by "mershals" (commercials). She loves to be outside and loves showing off her boo-boos, for which she always requests "boon-daids" (band-aids). I don't know where she finds all of the energy she has but she is on the go all of the time. She plays like a boy but is very girly too. She hates being dirty and HAS to have her "pwetty toes" (toenails painted). She also loves shoes and my jewelry. She also has an affinity for music and loves to put on a show when she dances. Her favorite thing to watch right now is "The Princess and the Frog". She can say princess and she can say frog, but when she tries to say them together it comes out as "stinky prog". She has learned to open both our front and back door and has now let Smokey escape twice...(aparently, he found a girlfriend and was gone for quite some time but did eventually come back home). Note to self: childproof doorknobs.

Back Again

2010-03-22T14:03:00.003-05:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I last posted! Well, things are good at the Rumage household and Baileigh is growing like those weeds that magically sprouted up in our yard this past weekend!

She had her 2-year checkup today (yes, it is a few months late) and is doing great! She had to have her finger pricked and didn't even cry!! She did have to get one vaccination and she wasn't too happy about that but as soon as nurse Pam gave her a sucker all was well in the world again!

She weighed 27lbs., 12 oz. (50th %-ile) and was 35.5 (75th %-ile) inches long! She has recently moved onto size 5 diapers (although, 4's still fit) and is wearing 24-month clothes (although 18 months still fit...I just can't buy them that size b/c as soon as I do, she will grow an inch and I'll have to buy more!). She wears a size 5 (or 5-and-a half) shoe!

She is really outgoing and has a flair for the dramatic...let's just say she LOVES attention! The girl can also throw a fit. They don't happen too terribly often, but if she is tired, hungry and not getting her way...whew, watch out!

Baileigh will say most any word you ask her to (thank goodness it isn't football season, for those of you who know my hubby, as he gets a bit animated during football games and I am dreading what words she might mimick). She can count to 10 and knows color names but hasn't really grasped the association (so she knows blue is a color, but she may tell you that the sun is blue). Lately, she tells us she sees a chicken outside of our house and if you ask her what color it is she will tell you it's blue and says bok-bok (and, no, for the curious, there is no chicken)! She loves Dora, Tinkerbell, Wubzy, and Shrek.

Baileigh also loves to try and make you laugh and knows how to "work" a siutation to her advantage. For instance, she was in the car with her dad the other day on the way to the doctor and she said, "Daddy, I like play-gwounds" and Chip said, "Me too." A few minutes later she said, "Daddy, I LOOOVVEE play-gwounds." This is her way of not so subtly telling you that she would really like for you to take her to the playground! The girl also has an extraordinary fondness for popsicles (or "sicles", as she calls them) and requests them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Her father and I kindly decline her requests to be served popsicles at every meal. She will also eat most any fruit (and as much as you will give her), except for bananas. She HATES bananas. Not banana flavoring, but real bananas. She isn't as big on veggies as I wish she would be but I guess that's normal. She also LOVES guacamole, which I am glad of b/c she doesn't like meat. So she eats yogurt and guacamole for proteins.

As for Chip and I, we have both been very busy with work and Chip was awesome and gave me some time to "train" for a half-marathon which I ran on February 28th in New Orleans. I hope to do another this year (hopefully Chip will run with me) and to do a full marathon in Spring 2011! We are looking forward to a fun spring and summer and hope to see everyone soon.

Shout Out

2010-01-24T13:23:00.002-06:00

We haven't seen BeBe & JoJo in a while so Baileigh decided to send a shout out to them!

What's A Girl To Do?

2010-01-11T15:04:00.004-06:00

How does a princess eat her birthday cupcake??

Step 1.) Oh this looks yummy!

Step 2.) Try to lift with both hands...and for heaven's sake don't get anything on you!

Step 3.) If Step 2 cannot be completed without getting any icing on you, simply stick out your tongue and lick the icing off - See, no mess!

Step 4.) If you can't lick the icing off quick enough for your own liking, simply lay your face on your plate as close to the cupcake as possible until someone comes to your rescue!

Day at the Zoo

2009-11-16T12:49:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago we took Baileigh to the zoo for the first time. She really loved the tiger, ostrich and giraffe and she SO wanted to catch the peacock!

Busy Little Bee

2009-11-02T14:42:00.002-06:00

This is what she wanted to do most of all...run! Such a busy little bee.

She totally dug the candy...she would hand you a piece and say "op it" (open it)

Daddy planned a surprise datenight to Ocean...what a good hubby!

Climbing the walls (literally) at BeBe & JoJo's

With JoJo at the Pumpkin Patch in Cullman

She insisted on "carrying" the pumpkin she picked "for daddy" to the car - the thing weighed almost as much as she does!

A little of this, a little of that...

2009-10-14T10:01:00.005-05:00

In her "game day" outfit playing football with daddy.

Just being cute!

She loves to pick flowers!

I walked into the living room and found her and Smokey like this.

She went to play in her room and this is how she ended up...played so hard she just passed out!

Just a few pics I have collected over the past 2 months. It's been busy and I haven't had much time to post but here are a few cute ones!

Baileigh is growing and learning lots of new things...most of which get her into trouble!

She loves to hide things (usually in plain sight) and then look at you and say "Wha dee go" (Where did it go). She is also very fond of bathtime and anything pertaining to bubbles. She is also fascinated with opening and closing things, especially things that snap or buckle. She has mastered the snapping things together but not how to open them and gets frustrated when she can't. She will look at you and say "Op it" (open it). She loves dogs (all dogs are "puppies" to her and she pronounces it "poppies"). And if you ever ask her a question to which you require a yes or no answer, she ALWAYS responds "NO".

She recently had the hand-foot-mouth virus, and of course came down with it the day before Chip and I were supposed to head to ATL for the U2 concert. Luckily, it wasn't that bad and Poppa and Nana kept her for us. Chip and I had a great time at the concert (one of the best ones I have ever been to).

Pics from U2 concert in Atlanta

Hopefully more posts to come soon!

Where has the summer gone?

2009-09-01T14:46:00.015-05:00

At the Lake...

Just Clowning Around...

I seriously cannot believe that summer is almost over! Where did the time go?

It has been a busy one...that's for sure!

Baileigh is growing like a weed these days and at her 19-month check-up (which should've been her 18-month check up) she had the following stats:

Height - 33 3/4 inches

Weight - 24lbs. 3 oz.

She is still jabbering away and tries to say most words. Chip and I understand most of them (but others probably wouldn't if we didn't tell you what she was saying.) For instance, she will clap her hands and say "kor-kate". In Baileigh speak, that means Strawberry Shortcake (one of her favorite DVD's as of late). She is VERY active too. The girl literally never sits still when she is awake! Lately, she is also throwing some serious tantrums. It seems as if she throws them mostly with me though. Rarely does she do this with Chip. And when she throws one it is full on dramatics...throwign herself in the floor, screaming, tears, hitting the ground with her hands, kicking. Whatever she can do to add flair...she does! Is this normal?? What do you all do? I have tried several things: ignoring her, walking out of the room, speaking clamly to her to explain why she was told no, taking her to her room and telling her that she can come out when she decides to be a sweet girl. Mostly, the fits just go on until she gets bored. Last night she threw one that lasted a full 17 minutes! I would LOVE any advice if any of you have any to offer! :)

Also, exactly when do you begin potty training? Baileigh really shows no interest at this point, nor does she really indicate to us when she is "going" to the bathroom. Curious to see what you all say!

We are looking forward to cooler weather and some Alabama football (Roll Tide...yes, Baileigh can say that!)

Whew - What a summer!

2009-07-20T10:13:00.005-05:00

Oh wow... I am so behind on my posts. I guess I should start with the end of June. We went to BeBe & JoJo's at the lake to visit. Aunt LaLa, Scott, and Catherine were all there and we had so much fun playing!

For July 4th, we went to Nana & Poppa's house for a BBQ. Baileigh got to play in her baby pool and we had lots of good food. Uncle Matt and Aunt Lauren also came by for a visit and Baileigh had a lot of fun showing off for them.

We went to Sandestin July 9-13 and took Baileigh for her first trip to the beach (thank you Uncle C-Cat). She loved the sand and the ocean and took well to both. She did not like to stand in the sand where the tide would roll in and out. I don't think she liked feeling the sand rushing out from under her feet. But she was perfectly content for us to take her out into the water and let her "ride the waves". She was even knocked down by one wave and was completely unfazed by the whole thing!

This past weekend we had a "normal" weekend (which we haven't had in about 6 weeks). Chip was home all weekend and we just rested and played (and did a little housekeeping, too). We went to Spain Park on Saturday morning and played on the playground. It was SO nice outside. I don't think it has ever been a breezy 80 degrees with zero humidity in the middle of July in Alabama! But it was on Saturday and Sunday and we soaked up every minute of it! Baileigh really enjoyed the park, and of course, just HAD to play on the "big kid" play gym. I am not sure why, but she has an aversion to playing on things designed for children her age.

Her vocabulary is really increasing these days and she will attempt most any word you ask her to say. She is putting a few words together now as well. For instance, the other day she said "Daddy no...top it" (Daddy no, stop it). She is infatuated with Tinkerbell. It is almost borderline obsessive! She requests to watch "bello" (aka, Tinkerbell) every morning and every night. She also has a Tinkerbell "cell phone" on which she carries on full 2-minute conversations. We have no idea what she is saying when she is talking, but she is chatting away nonetheless. She is also big into climbing onto things. We walked into her room the other day to find her sitting on top of her dresser. Apparently, she used the rocker in the nursery as her climbing apparatus and went right on top of her dresser. She has been caught there 5 times now, the last 2 of which she got spanked for (well, more like tapped on the bottom thru her diaper). After I spanked her I explained to her why she was in trouble, telling her that she cannot climb onto the dresser because she could get hurt. She looked at me, pointed to the dresser and said no-no owie. And then she leaned over and kissed me. She also refuses to let anyone feed her these days - she wants to do it all by herself. So, dinners are quite messy around our house, but she is getting the hang of how to use her sppon and fork and now I think that more food actually makes it to her mouth, than onto the floor!

(Click on the collage for a larger view)

Oh Say Can You See??

2009-07-02T09:52:00.007-05:00

This blog was designed for family and friends to keep up with us as we grow. That said, I don't normally use this a a forum to boast my thoughts about social or political issues - but today, that rule is going out the window. I know, I know. You shouldn't discuss politics or religion in mixed company. But this is my blog and I think it should be reflective of my life and my thoughts!

Many of you may know that I have both a Bachelor's and Master's degree that are centered in politics and government. You may also know, that I do not work in government and at the current time, am somewhat put off by even the idea of working in government. Why? Because I do not want to perpetuate the feeding of a beast I think is slowly consuming the very ideals of which this country was founded on. No, this is not a left-wing, right-wing thing. This is an American thing. I have friends that range from the far-left to the far-right on the political spectrum. I have straight friends, gay friends, white and black friends, religions and non-religious friends. My ability to have a relationship with an individual does not reside in my political views. And with that, my ability to discuss my political views is not inhibited or prohibited by those relationships. I am a firm believer that political discussion is healthy for this country; no matter what your thoughts are.

As far back as the second grade I can (surprisingly) remember learning the Preamble to the Constitution. It is we (the People, remember?) that give and take power from our government, not the other way around. I am fortunate enough to have been born in a country where I have the freedom to voice my opinion and to make my own choices, my own way, my own mistakes. And quite frankly, I kinda like it! There is a reason I don't live in a socialist country...it is because I have tasted what it means to be free. I don't think anyone can live my life for me, better than I can live it for myself. I don't think the government can make better choices than I about my family, my career, my healthcare, how I raise my child.

I think that if change is to be had it should come from the People. Blindly following the few at the top who make decisions (again, on either side of the aisle) hasn't historically turned out very well. Do I think that people with moral and religious convictions should govern this country? Yes. But, to steal a few (well-written) words from MckMama, "...in the name of following God, should we desire our government to disallow homosexual unions, criminalize premarital sex or forbid people to worship anyone but Jesus, just because we may believe that the Bible is clear on those topics? Absolutely not! However, it is unequivocally, in my opinion at least, not the government's job to put any such rules, laws or restrictions on its people. I firmly believe, in those instances, it should be left up to individuals to act in accordance to what they personally believe. That certainly doesn't mean that I don't think there is an absolute truth about those topics, because I certainly do! It's no secret that I believe in an absolute truth. Am I also of the opinion that there is a right way for our country to be run? Of course! I would hazard a guess that most people hold opinions because they believe that particular opinion to be correct or true and not for a different arbitrary reason. And I am no exception! I am simply saying that I do not think it ought to be the government's place to intervene in such personal matters."

Yes my friends, the winds of change are a blowin' but do we know exactly what it is they bring? Being apathetic about your freedom, avoiding political discussion because it is uncomfortable or impolite, sitting idly by saying to yourself, "I am only one person, what can I do" accomplishes nothing. We have the freedom to voice our opinion, on whatever the matter may be. Thousands upon thousands of men and women have given thier lives and their service to safeguard this freedom. Regardless of your beliefs, exercise your freedom to make your voice heard; for if you don't, the day may come that you will no longer have the freedom to do so.

Summer Fun

2009-06-30T10:01:00.005-05:00

I am trying to catch up on my blog posts, so there will be more to come in the next few days.

We hope you are all having a wonderful summer!

Playing in the Sprinkler!

Poor baby...

2009-06-29T13:28:00.001-05:00

As you know, Baileigh had synovitis 2 weeks ago. Thankfully she is back to her normal self now...here are some shots of the poor thing while she was down and out.

On the way home from Children's Hospital

She sat on the couch for 4 hours and did not move from this position...this is when I knew something was wrong!

Babies, Babies...everywhere!

2009-06-23T14:22:00.006-05:00

New posts are to come (when I find a few minutes) but in the meantime I had to congratulate all of my sweet friends on the arrival of their little ones!

Clayton Charles Cox - June 1st - Son of Courtney and Daniel (aka Dr. Dan) Cox (Courtney and I worked together for several years. She is just a sweetheart and will be a fantastic mother. Her husband, "Dr. Dan" is in his residency. If you want to hear about pretty birth/labor stories...Court is NOT the person to ask. She was definitely a trooper!)

Ellie Grace Reese - June 10th - Daughter of Kellie & Todd Reece (Kellie and I are childhood friends, and were college roomates. Kellie is quite possibly one of the most genuinely kind AND hysterically funny people I have ever known. Her husband, Todd, runs a close 2nd! There will NEVER be a dull moment in their house! On a side note, Kellie choose the name "Ellie Grace" sometime while we were in high school and always said she would name her little girl that. Ellie Grace is their "miracle" baby...but Kel always knew she would come to be!)

Anastasia & Aurora Cochran - June 12th - Daughters of Mary & Travis Cochran (Mary and I were in grad school at UA together, she was working on her doctorate and I on my master's. She and Travis had a son (Anakin) on April 28, 2008. Anakin was born with a form of dwarfism (TD) and had only a short time here on earth. He passed away on June 1, 2008. Eventhough he only had a short time here, he touched so many. Mary and Travis were fantastic parents to Anakin and will be to their twin girls as well.)

CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL!!!

Catching Up

2009-06-08T14:17:00.007-05:00

I haven't been very good about updating the blog lately, so I am trying to catch up!

Let's see...Baileigh is doing something new almost every day now. She is now at the point that she will mimick almost any one-syllable word and most two-syllable words that you say. She has put a few words together, like "thank you" and "yes ma'am". Although none of her words come out exactly right...for instance, outside is "side" to her and school is "s-ool" and please is "peas". As you can see below, Baileigh's hair is getting really long and full, and it's getting a little bit of curl on the ends. These pics make it look a little darker than it is in person.

She also has a new trick...she likes to stand in her crib at night and flip her light switch and fan off and on... for now, I taped down the switches but the crib is getting moved to the other side of the room! She has also figured out how to retrieve her own snacks...she will go to the pantry (which is a lazy susan in our house) will grab a box of cheerios, pull out the bag, cop a squat in the floor and proceed to eat straight from the bag! It's great to knwo she is so self-motivated but not so great to walk into the living room to find her eating out of the cereal box and sharing it with Smokey!

Baileigh has moved up another class at school and now does art projects every other day and is learning to sleep on a nap mat instead of in the crib.

She still tells us when she wants to go "nigh-nigh" (yes, we know how lucky we are) and she calls the bear she sleeps with "beer" (I can forsee that being a problem)! She loves to sing and dance too. You can see that running through the sprinkler while daddy is watering the grass is also a favorite!

Chip and I are doing well. We got the chance to go see a Coldplay concert with some old friends and it was a lot of fun - We are looking forward to the next one...U2 in Atlanta in October!

(Chip and the guys before the Coldplay concert)

We have a vacation planned for the end of June and are looking forward to it. It will be Baileigh's first trip to the beach and I am hoping she loves the beach like her momma does! :)

More Pics...

(Before school...wearing her dress that JoJo bought her and playing with her fake cookie)

(Post-Sprinkler Run)

It's just not always that pretty...

2009-05-18T09:55:00.004-05:00

I've decided to post some photos that I took (a week ago). I was attempting to get some cute shots of Baileigh, but cooperating for the camera wasn't exactly high on her priority list. Eating dirt, leaves, and looking at bugs outranked the photo shoot that day!

I wasn't going to post these because, let's face it, they aren't very good...but I thought, what the heck. That's life! It's easy to make balancing children, family, friends, home, and a career look simple on a blog - but let's face it, that's just not reality. So, I've decided to let my illusions of maintaining a "perfect" life go and just get on with it!

ooohhh...is that a bug?

But why do I have to open my eyes?

Let's try one with nana...(and maybe a chip as a bribe?)

Trying to get one with mommy, since mommy is usually behind the camera...ummm, no, I'd rather eat this tasty leaf off the ground (as she shoves leaf into her mouth)

And, below, you will see what a "normal" dinner at our home really looks like! Please notice that she insists on feeding herself (but only when she eats "pasketti" - as it would be the messiest of all meals).

At least I didn't get one of her "sharing" her food with Smokey (our dog).

So, warts and all - this is our "perfect" life!

16 Months Update

2009-05-01T09:52:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that Baileigh will be 16 months old tomorrow. Time sure has flown by!

We went to see Dr. Joe yesterday to have her ears re-checked and to get her 15 month shots and checkup (we were a couple weeks late on this...but it was because she had the ear infection when we originally schedule the appt.). Her ear had cleared up and all looked good.

Here are her latest stats:

Height - 31.5 inches - 75th %-tile

Weight - 22 lbs. 8 oz - 50th %-tile

She is still in a size 3 diaper...although I have bought size 4's because we are borderline!! She wears size 12 months in clothes (and again, although I have bought all her summer stuff in 18 months...I was so afraid she'd hit a growth spurt and grow out of them all) and wears a size 4 shoe (finally!).

She is FULL of energy and never sits still. She loves being outside...rain or shine. And, she is fascinated with water! (she loves to do anything if it involves water)

Here are a few pics I got of her yesterday. As you will notice, she has a spoon in all of them. I was unloading the dishwasher and she decided to help herself to a spoon...no idea why. She carried that thing around with her all afternoon!

The culprit...

2009-04-22T10:38:00.004-05:00

Looks like I figured out the reason Baileigh was so "whiny"... I'll spare you the gross details, but she had some not-so-nice drainage from her ear on Monday and then just walked around with her finger stuck in her ear. So we figured something was up - although she never once ran fever or acted like she was in pain.

Apparently, she has an ear infection that got so bad it ruptured her ear drum.

So, she is now on the Omnicef and anitbotic ear drops to help make sure the ear drum heals properly. Only one dose, and she already is acting like a different child. No more whining. The girl must have a high threshold for pain b/c Dr. Joe said it was highly unusual for a child to get an infection so bad that the ear drum ruptures without being in screaming pain.

Made me feel like a crappy mom...here she is with a raging infection that gets so bad her ear drum ruptures and I just think she is being cantankerous!

Live and learn...

After the attack of the allergies, mom's pneumonia, and ear infections and ruptured ear drums...what a yucky couple of weeks. I am ready for everyone to be well again!

April Showers Bring...wet kids!

2009-04-20T15:13:00.003-05:00

I took this a couple of weeks ago, but I have been bad about getting my posts up lately.

Anywho...I was getting ready to take a shower on a Saturday morning and accidentally left the bathroom door open as I was running around the house trying to find some clothes to put after I got out of the shower. When I returned to my bathroom I found Baileigh standing in the middle of the shower (fully clothed). I pulled her out of the shower and snapped this pic. She wasn't crying b/c she was wet, but rather because I made her get out of the water!

She is so fast and FULL of energy. She doesn't stop unless it is naptime or bedtime...you'll rarely catch her sitting still for anything. I wish I could bottle some of that energy up!

Sorry we missed our sweet friends who were in town this weekend visiting. I know you all had a blast and hate that we missed all the fun. I saw all the pics today...what sweet girls they all are!We look forward to next time!

Oh, and here is my Mommy Help question: Baileigh has started to throw some major tantrums (we're talking full on wailing, throw yourself on the floor and kick and scream) as of late. She also "whines" whenever she wants something (this is new, she used to point to what she wanted...now it is a point & whine).

We've been ignoring the tantrums (and we don't give in to whatever it is she is having a fit about) and on one occasion when she got really out of control, I picked her up and took her to her room and told her to stay there until she could be nice (like she understood what I was saying). When we have done this, it has worked and the tantrums usually end in a relatively short amount of time. Any suggestions on how to prevent them from happening in the first place? On the "whining" issue - I have no idea what this is about. We have tried to encourage her to use words she knows, or we ask her to show us what she wants because many times I know she is frustrated that she can't express what she wants to. Is this a "phase" or is there something else I should be doing? Such a drama queen, that girl!

Easter Fun

2009-04-13T13:02:00.005-05:00

Easter morning collage (remember to click on the collage to see a full view of the pictures)

This is an Easter Egg hunt...not a Baileigh hunt!

Oh...I just wanted to eat the flower!

Thanks Mr. Larry for the fun Easter jewelry! We hope that you, Ms. Renee, Angie, Avy, and Roman had a "Hoppy" Easter!

All this playing will make a girl tired...Juice break!

We had a fun Easter. We got to spend some time at the Lake with Bebe and JoJo on Friday and they had some Easter "happy's" for Baileigh. Then on Saturday, despite the illnesses, we tried to get some fun pics and a little time outside. On Sunday, we got to celebrate Easter (again, despite the illnesses) and see all the grandparents.

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Just hangin' around

2009-04-08T09:42:00.004-05:00

Not much new to post...mostly just because I haven't been good about taking pictures lately.

The past two weeks have been good for us. Two weekends ago Chip and I had a night out to celebrate a belated anniversary. We went to Ocean for dinner and then to see Jackson's NLA play. We got to see some friends who we haven't seen in a long time and it was good to catch up. We had such a wonderful time!

Last weekend it was so beautiful on Saturday so Baileigh and I went for a run at Nana & Poppa's in Old Cahaba (Kristen, if I knew where your new place was we would've stopped by to say hey!)...well she slept in the jog stroller while I ran...5 miles!! Afterward, she played outside with Nana & Poppa and we tried to show her how to hunt Easter eggs. She hasn't quite gotten that down yet. Then we played outside all afternoon with daddy and some friends who were having a little wiffle ball game! Baileigh just wanted to steal the ball! She played so hard that she fell asleep at 6:45 pm and slept until almost 9 am on Sunday. That NEVER happens!

Baileigh has picked up a few new words: Deuce (juice), shoes (pronounced - chews), socks, and she now calls Smokey "woof-woof" - which is fitting b/c that's all he does!

She is also being moved up to the next class in daycare! I am not sure if it is because she is getting older or b/c there is a child in her current class who likes to bite her and they want to seperate them. But, I think it will be fun for her because they get more playtime outside and in the "playroom" in her new class. They also get to begin doing art projects which I think she will enjoy - if they can keep her from eating the crayons.

We are looking forward to a long Easter weekend and plan to visit with JoJo & Bebe on Friday. Then hopefully we'll get some time outside on Saturday and take some Easter pics since it is supposed to be rainy on Sunday. We hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Luke 24:46-47 - (46) and (Jesus) said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, (47) and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Baileigh loves to climb up onto the couch...she thinks it is so funny!

Enthralled with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...anytime this comes on you'll find her sitting in her rocking chair!

Our night out...you would've thought it was pre-prom or something, but we never get pictures of us together anymore so we took advantage of the opportunity!

Funny thing...

2009-03-25T13:22:00.003-05:00

As you all know, Baileigh keeps us highly entertained these days. The other day, she was playing in the Living Room. She was being so good too! She walked around babbling some nonsense and then went to her toy shelf. Whe she got there, she looked over at me, squatted down, and then...well (again to my horror), I heard a noise come from her that just didn't sound like it should come from such a sweet little girl. She then got the biggest grin on her face, grabbed her diaper, and said "uh-oh!" Uh-oh was right...and mommy got the pleasure of cleaning up the "uh-oh"!

Some of the other wonderful (and not so wonderful) things Baileigh does these days:
She says: baby, Ba-we (for Baileigh), pee-pee (for puppy...we're working on it), bye-bye, ball, do-do (for no), dah (for yes), dandy (for candy), eat, nose (pronounced no-zzzz). She will also tell you the sounds that the following animals make: lion, cow, doggy, bee.

The girl also likes to eat toilet paper (c'mon, give me more credit than that...it is fresh toilet paper). I have tried to explain to her that is gross...but she seems to love it. I have a fear that she is going to be "that" kid in kindergarten who eats the glue. Oh, geez!

She loves to play with Smokey these days too. He is warming up to the idea of playing with her. She will play chase with him and just laughs hysterically when he runs around with her.

She has also taken to climbing. She has attempted several times to climb out of her crib...guess it's getting to be time to go to a "big girl" bed. She has also learned to climb up on the couch and chair. It is a constant battle of wills to get her to sit on furniture and not stand on it. She got in trouble for this the other day and after being reprimanded, and told no about 15 times, she got spanked. Well, apparently she thinks that if she runs and jumps in Smokey's bed she is protected from getting in trouble...I am waiting for her to yell "Ollie, Ollie, Oxen Free" like his bed is home base or something. She ran from Chip after getting in trouble and jumped in Smokey's bed and when Chip got to her, she looked up at him and just smiled. It was all we could do not to crack up - I had to walk into the other room to muffle my laughter.

She is definitely a handful, but is so much fun!

New Pics...

2009-03-25T13:17:00.003-05:00

Her first time to play on the swings!

The look she gives when she wants something...

The look she gives when she is up to no good!

ohhhh.....TOES!

Just a few pics I snapped of Baileigh at the park in Helena...the girl truly loves to be outside!

Who Ya Gonna Call....

2009-03-19T12:43:00.005-05:00

I have decided to start sprinkling in a few posts about the random, funny, and strange things that happen in my life. Mostly because my husband would probably rather read the phone book than to hear me ramble on about the things that happen in my daily life..and well, sometimes a girl just needs an outlet to gab. And, since I don't get to phone my girls as often as I'd like (14 month olds make phone time difficult), I decided that the 6 of you who follow this blog would be the lucky ones to hear it all!

For my first post...
Do you remember Slimer from the Ghostbusters?? You know the one that was on the Hi-C Ecto-Cooler juice boxes back in the day? Well, today I had a blast from the past. Now, you may be thinking...what has this girl been smoking - but hear me out. I was on the way to take Baileigh to daycare this morning before work. I heard an ever so slight noise come from the back seat but thought nothing of it...Baileigh had just sneezed. When I got to a redlight I pushed the rearview mirror down to look at Baileigh. When I did, to my horror, I realized my daughter had been slimed with what looked like ectoplasm!

Apparently, that tiny little sneeze I heard cleared out the poor girl's entire sinus cavity. I gagged a little. Then pulled over at a gas station armed with a handfull of wet wipes. I ended up having to change her shirt too...we may burn the other one - I can't handle snot!

Wish I could've called SnotBusters!

God's Blessings

2009-03-10T11:46:00.006-05:00

This past weekend we went to the Lake to see JoJo and Bebe. Great grandmommy Pauline, Great Aunt Jane, cousin Samantha and Dave were all there too! We had such a grood time visiting with everyone. Grandmommy Pauline also made Baileigh a quilt - she does this for all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. The quilt was beautiful and I know Baileigh will treasure it forever, knowing it was made with such love!

Baileigh had a slight cough and was a bit hoarse over the weekend, but she was in a great mood with no fever so we thought nothing of it. On Sunday, Nana came over so I could get a little work done and Baileigh played. Sunday was also mine and Chip's 6th anniversary! Although we had already decided to postpone our celebration until the coming weekend, Chip went to Fresh Market and bought Chilean Sea Bass to cook so we would have a yummy dinner. The dinner was fabulous...however, Baileigh was not. At about 5:30 pm on Sunday, she woke from a nap and when I picked her up I immediately knew something was wrong. She was burning up and was like a limp rag doll. She had a fever of 104.8. We dosed her with motrin and stuck her in a cool bath. On top of this our airconditioner froze up so the house was 80 degrees! The doctor advised us that the Children's Hospital after hours clinic was already on a 3 hour wait and the best thing we could do was to keep her cool (with our non-working AC) and dosed with fever reducers until the next morning, so long as her fever didn't go over 105. At about 2:30 am the fever came down and all Baileigh wanted to do was play. And play, she did for the next 4 hours. We went to see Dr. Joe and it turns out she has croup. She had to get a shot and they gave us a prescription for steroids to knock it out. She seems to be getting better though.

Although there are times, where we want to scream "can anything else go wrong" (which at this point we know it can) we are so fortunate to have each other, a beautiful daughter, and loving friends and family. It is sometimes difficult not to get caught up in the day-to-day things keep us so busy, so from time to time we have to remember to stop and enjoy life...the chores and "to do" lists will still be there when we are done and in the grand scheme of things aren't the things that are important. God is so good to us and always leads us where we need to go and gives us exactly what we need to make things work. Chip and I have learned to pray that God will give us what we need to fulfill his work because sometimes the things we "want" aren't really the things we "need"!

Snow in Alabama??

2009-03-06T10:03:00.003-06:00

This past weekend we actually had snow! I snapped a few pics early in the morning when Chip grabbed Baileigh up and ran outside with her...still in her PJ's! It was fun to watch the snow...Baileigh liked to watch it but wasn't much for playing in it. We would put snow in her hand and all she wanted to do was eat it. Smokey had a great time in it...he loves snow!

Bathtime Fun!

She would seriously stay in the tub forever if she could!

A little of this, a little of that...

2009-02-24T19:45:00.007-06:00

Visiting BeBe and JoJo at BJCC during BeBe's Pro-Show. Baileigh had so much fun running around the place and was highly entertaining!

After our visit to the Pro-Show...she was wiped out!

Climbing on things...a favorite pasttime that gets her into a lot of trouble these days!

Sitting in her mini rocking chair that Nana & Poppa got her for Valentines Day.

Baileigh loves brushing her teeth!!

It's been a while since I last posted, but we have been on the go!

Since the last post Baileigh has changed so much. First off, she now has FOUR molars. I wasn't aware of this but happened to be talking to Wendi one night and she was telling me about Braelyn getting a molar. So, I thought, maybe I should see if Baileigh had anymore coming in. Wouldn't you know, that all four had actually already broken through the gums (guess I get bad mother of the year award on this one...I didn't even know they were coming in!).

She also is beginning to "talk" more. Mostly, it's pure nonsense but she does say: "Nigh-nigh" (night-night), bye-bye, eeee (for eat). She will also tell you that the dog says "woof-woof" (which she pronounces "boof-boof"), that the cow says "moooooo", and that the lion says "rarrrrr". She also "sings" which is mostly just a bunch of nonsense words that she says without any breaks in between. She is also learning to sort her shapes. Although she doesn't know what the names of the shapes are she can put them where they go in her shape sorter...kinda like a puzzle. If she gets stumped, she tries all of the openings until she finds where it fits!

Another favorite activity these days is CLIMBING...on anything she can find (as you can see from the pictures). She also loves to brush her teeth. She thinks it is the most fun thing ever!

We had a fun time this past weekend. We went to see Mam-Maw at the nursing home then we went to the mall and Nana bought Baileigh her very own New Balance tennis shoes (in pink, of course) and then we went to Nana & Poppa's, where Baileigh got some playtime and Mommy got to go for a 3 mile run, all by herself!

On Sunday, we went to see BeBe & JoJo at the pro-show at the BJCC. We also saw Mr. Charles & Ms. Sharon (BeBe & JoJo's neighbors). JoJo brought Baileigh some cute little clothes for the Spring, that we can't wait to wear! And of course, Bebe made sure Chip's company (Paint Chip's) was well stocked on supplies (having family in the business is the best!).

Baileigh was so tired after a long weekend (with very few naps) that she slept for 13 hours straight!! Thanks to everyone for a fun weekend.

1st Haircut

2009-02-04T13:09:00.006-06:00

Baileigh had her first haircut on Tuesday. She wasn't so sure about it though. Luckily Missy is quick and good! We just had the back cut so we can get it all to one length. She looks so much older now that it has been cut! I will post a pic of her with her new "do" as soon as I have a spare minute...these were all the pics we were able to snap of her since she wasn't real fond of having her "hair did"!

Braelyn's 1st Birthday

2009-02-04T13:00:00.005-06:00

Tissue Paper Heaven!

We went to Braelyn's 1st Birthday Party last weekend and had lots of fun! Braelyn and Baileigh played together some and even got to ride in Braelyn's new wagon - which they both loved!

Who needs a chair?

2009-01-26T09:41:00.002-06:00

Baileigh has been as active as ever lately. She is into everything she can get her hands on!

She loves to get into cabinets, so we put these lock things on them to prevent her from getting into them and I PROMISE you that one night I sat in the floor on the verge of tears because I worked for 30 minutes trying to get the lock undone to no avail. I finally got the darn thing open (with Chip's help) - but wow, what a hassle!

There is one cabinet we don't have a lock on, and that is the cabinet that houses her sippy cups and her snacks (fondly known as "nums" to Baileigh). The other day she went into the kitchen and I just knew she was getting into her snack cabinet. I had moved her out of there at least 30 times in a period of an hour so this time, I just waited (as I knew there was nothing in there that could harm her). To my surprise, she pulled out her bag of "nums" sat them on the floor, shut the cabinet door, picked up her bag and walked them over to me and handed them over and said "num num"! Now, when she gets ready for a snack she goes to her cabinet picks out what she wants, shuts the door back and brings them to you. Smart girl!

I also think she is cutting more teeth, as this weekend was a trying one. She would be completely fine one minute, playing with her toys, and the next she was in a full-on fit! This has been going on for about 5 days now. She goes from grinning to grumpy in a matter of seconds - and for seemingly no reason at all. And she has been very clingy - but when you pick her up she doesn't want to be held (so for all you other moms out there who have been through this am I on the right track thinking she is teething?!) . God bless her daycare teachers today! :)

As you can see below, I snapped a few shots (I haven't been as good about taking her picture as I should be). In one you can see she has robbed the clothes basket yet again of her beloved socks. In another you can see she has found the "popcorn pusher" (many thanks to Aunt Laura for that lovely little number). And lastly, you can see that for some odd reason, the girl still loves to climb into her toy bins. I have no idea why she does this as it can't be comfortable. We are looking into purchasing her a "child-sized" chair...I can't have her climbing into baskets the rest of her life!

1 Year Checkup

2009-01-22T13:18:00.003-06:00

Okay...so I am a little behind on posting - hopefully I will catch up this weekend.

We did go for Baileigh's one year checkup last week (eventhough we were a couple of weeks late). She was 20 lbs. 14 oz., and was 29 3/4 inches long (that puts her into the 40%-ile for weight, and the 75%-ile for height). She HATED being at the doctor's office. Well, she was good until he wanted to look into her ears and she had to lay down - girl hates laying down and being still.

Dr. Joe said that the fluid had actually disappeared from her ears, which we were thankful for. We were actually about to have tubes put in b/c we had been advised that in about 90% of kids who keep fluid on their ears, tubes are necessary. But I guess she was in the lucky 10% who have it clear up on their own!

He also advised us that the reflux is still there (which is why she continues to "spit up" some) but he thinks that is because the flap (there is some technical term for it, but I can't remember it) still hasn't fully matured and doesn't close fully. He says he thinks that as she continues to grow it will mature on its own. And, since the "spitting up" bothers us more than her he said we could continue to go without the medicine.

So, she was given a clean bill of health and we were told we could move off formula. Baileigh isn't crazy about milk, so we have to put either a teaspoon of chocolate or some vanilla extract in it to get her to drink it. But she LOVES table food.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, she is walking (everywhere) these days and talks constantly. Most of what she says is just jibberish - but man, she talks all the time! Some words she can say now are: Ma-Ma, Da-Dee, Du-tin (for Justin), Poppa, Ni-Ni (for no-no), Do (prounced like the word dough) - which is what she says to Smokey all the time (we think it is a combination of "down" and "no"). She also says be-be (she uses that one when refering to both "BeBe"(Chip's dad) and "baby"). She will blow kisses and will put her finger up to her mouth and say "shhh" if you do it first.

Baileigh is such a good sweet baby and has such a sweet and funny disposition. She also gets into her share of mischief...one of her favorite things to do is grab the remote when you aren't looking and turn the tv on. Cabinets are also a big favorite of hers - we are working on getting cabinet locks installed! And that little "angel" can throw a devil of a fit when she wants to. These mainly happen when she is very tired.

Hopefully, I will have some time to post some new pics this weekend.

And she's off...

2009-01-13T12:47:00.004-06:00

Baileigh started walking on her birthday (we credit Braelyn with teaching her how!).

Here are a few clips of her chasing (tormenting) Smokey with his chew bone.

A sock monster in pigtails...

2009-01-13T12:43:00.005-06:00

I don't think it is the dryer that eats our socks!

A first attempt at pigtails...sitting still for mommy to take a picture was not on her agenda this day!

Happy 1st Birthday!!

2009-01-05T14:08:00.005-06:00

I can't believe our little girl is one year old! Time sure has flown by!

We celebrated her birthday a day late (on a Saturday) with family and a few friends...I mean how much can you do for a one year old's birthday? Give the girl some juice and some "num-nums" and she is happy!

Thanks to Christie Abercrombie for her inspiration for the party...we did a "pink and green" theme. Christie, I'm still not on your level as event coordinator but it came together okay in the end!

Thanks to our family and friends who came and spent the afternoon with us.

(Click on collage for larger view)

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T15:19:00.007-06:00

Christmas this year was very exciting!

Eventhough Baileigh isn't yet old enough to understand Christmas, we still carried on the traditions and made her a part of them. We went to Nana & Poppa's on Christmas Eve and had our family gathering there! Baileigh had lots of fun playing with all of her gifts. Then on Christmas Eve before I put her to bed I read her the "Littlest Angel" that explains the story of Jesus' birth and the wisemen who came bearing gifts.

(This was as close as Baileigh wanted to get to Santa)

(Giving her new baby doll some lovin)

On Christmas morning Baileigh got to see her gifts from Santa...she played for hours!

Baileigh wasn't sure what was going on when she got up on Christmas morning so Chip had to carry her over to the toys Santa left her!

She sat like this for several minutes when Chip put her down in front of her toys...she was so overwhelmed so she just sat and clapped!

On a whim, Santa left her this doll house...he didn't really think she would be that into it. But, it is her favorite toy!

Next, we got to visit with Bebe and JoJo. We had lots of fun hanging out and opening gifts!

It was a whirlwind of a holiday but we had a wonderful time with our friends and family. We missed seeing Aunt Laura, Uncle Colin, Scott and Catherine (who were in Memphis). Baileigh (and us) also missed Uncle Matt, Aunt Lauren, Aunt Brianna, and Uncle Jason. Matt & Lauren are in Nashville and are in the middle of a move to Tampa for a new job. And, on December 27th...Brianna and Jason became the proud parents of Evan Benjamin Davis!

2008 has been such a blessed year for us and we are looking forward to 2009!

Ode to Ms. Karen's Ornament

2008-12-29T15:18:00.003-06:00

I went to Keri's Annual Ornament Exchange this year and snagged the cutest little Santa ornament.

To explain what I mean by "snagging"...we play Dirty Santa with the ornaments. Well, Karen Rawlins stole this ornament from someone else. I, in turn, stole it from her (really, I stole it b/c I knew Baileigh would just love it). Since the ornament was stolen twice it was "frozen" and no one else could take it from me! :)

From the night I got it we would take it off the tree and let her hold it before she went to bed. Then she would put it back on the tree, and say "ho, ho, ho". So, this is for Karen - Baileigh LOVES your ornament!

Tagged

2008-12-28T09:12:00.002-06:00

~Tagged~
I was tagged in the picture game.
The object of the picture tag is to:
1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.
2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3) Explain the picture.
4) Tag 4 people to do the same. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.) Have fun!!!

Well, I thought about cheating b/c this is the most horrible picture...but I figure that would take the fun out of it!

This was taken in late September, 2007. We are at Raymond James Stadium home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team. We went with one of our dear friends, Jason Whitehead and his girlfriend. I was 5 months pregnant and it was 100 degrees (and humid)! In case you are wondering why those aren't Bucs colored jerseys we had on...they were "throwbacks" Bucs jerseys. Apparently, it is a rule that if you go to an NFL game (at least with my husband and his friends) you MUST wear a jersey of one of the teams playing.

We had a fun time, despite being hot and pregnant, and plan to go again one day...just in November next time! :)

I now have the privilege of "tagging" 4 people:
1. Meredith S.
2. Christie A.
3. Courtney C.
4. Keri R.

Christmas PJ's

2008-12-12T12:32:00.006-06:00

We got Baileigh some cute little Christmas Pj's and little reindeer slippers (and she actually kept the slippers on!) Here are a few pics!

Hmmm...maybe a car for Christmas?!

Okay...so maybe you notice that (ugly) ball ornament hanging on the tree behind Baileigh (click on the picture if you need to look closer)? Well, I had it on the back of the tree and Chip moved it right front and center. If you were wondering, it has the picture of a wrestler on it ("Stone Cold" Steve Austin)...and was given to Chip at an ornament shower we had before we got married as a gag gift. However, each year, Chip insists that we put it on the tree (I am still not sure how it makes it back into the ornament box at the end of each Christmas - I thought I had tossed it!). And, while most of you have read that Baileigh shows little interest in the tree or the ornaments, when she does look at it that is the one she goes to - poor girl, no telling what she is thinking!

'Cause that's how she rolls....

2008-12-08T09:25:00.004-06:00

Baileigh keeps us on our toes these days, to say the least. Good thing she is cute, 'cause she is a mischievous little thing!

I was getting ready on Saturday to run errands and she was in the bathroom playing (she loves to stand at the tub and throw her toys into it and say "uh-oh"). Anyway, I stepped out for a minute to grab my shoes out of the closet and when I walked back into the bathroom this is how I found her (and her entire roll of toilet paper):

She really is funny too...she has started to try and mimick us. She got in trouble the other day (who knows for what) and when I was getting onto her, she squinted her eyes and pursed her lips so she could make a mean face and pointed her finger at me - I couldn't help but laugh, which didn't go very far to reinforce the "no-no" I was telling her about.

While she is a little mischievous, she is also a very sweet and good baby. She does really well playing with her things in the evenings and has really taken to one of her dolls that she drags around the house with her (even when she is crawling, she just sticks the doll's hair in her mouth and off she goes) so I caught a picture of her "kissing" her baby.

Chip and I can't believe that she is almost a year old...time has flown by! We are very blessed to have a sweet, happy, healthy little girl. We are definitely looking forward to Christmas and shortly thereafter her first birthday...which reminds me, I gotta get busy planning!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-12-01T13:18:00.006-06:00

Baileigh and daddy...she hates wearing a hat!

Playing in the floor with mommy

Hey, where did BeBe go?

About to eat Tigger's face...

This picture is for Ace & Sue...giddy up!

Walking with BeBe

Sitting with JoJo...but not for long - gotta go, go, go!

Trying to take a picture for the Christmas card...this one didn't make the cut!

ohhhh...pretty lights!

I think I'll take this one!

I can't believe that it is already December! We had a great Thanksgiving at the lake with the Rumage's and some great "leftovers" sent to us by the Wright's (Shannon's mom & dad).

Baileigh is growing more everyday and is really developing a personality. She loves the camera...she turns and smiles every time we take a picture! She is also a little mischievous thing too! I put her in her high chair the other day and gave her a few cereal puffs to munch on while I ran to the laundry room to transfer some clothes to the dryer. I was gone for no more than 2 minutes and when I returned I found Baileigh standing up in her high chair, trying to rock it!! I almost had a heart attack. I promise, if she is awake she NEVER sits still. She also loves to play hide & seek - it just tickles her to death to sneak around the corner and "find" you.

We have put up the Christmas decorations at the house (that was a 3-day project - decorating with an 11 month old ain't that easy). Baileigh hasn't really been all that interested in them like we thought she would be. I did however catch her sitting, looking at the tree last night...and I caught her first attempt at swiping an ornament too!

And, lastly a big Roll Tide - Bama is finally back on top again! Let's just hope it continues to the Florida game that is coming up. Chip pointed out the other day that Baileigh had never seen Bama lose..let's hope that streak continues! (Keri - make sure Steven continues to wear that lucky shirt! And tell Missy to keep on doing her celebratory post-game dances!)

Yes, I am aware that it isn't even Thanksgiving yet!

2008-11-25T12:36:00.002-06:00

I know...it isn't even Thanksgiving yet and I have already got up a Christmas "theme" on the blog. However, we will be out of town for Thanksgiving and then when I get back home I have a weekend full of putting up Christmas decorations and shopping (all the while Chip will be working) so I had no idea when I would have time to sit down and pick out something "Christmas-y" for the 'ol blog. So little time and so many things to do!!

The latest

2008-11-18T10:54:00.004-06:00

Baileigh is learning all sorts of new things these days! She walks with her little push-car and is fast! She has begun to let go of things and stand on her own for a few seconds too.

She talks jibberish all the time. She does have some "identifiable" words - she says dada (of course), mama (when she feels bad), uh-uh (for uh-oh), ni-ni (for no) and she makes all kinds of other sounds...we just aren't sure what they mean yet.

She also "throws" balls too and thinks it is hysterical!

She is eating more "real" food these days as well. She has had a cooked potato, cooked carrot, yogurt, cereal puffs (she gets way too excited whenever she sees us get the container out), and squash casserole!

She is also testing boundaries too! She LOVES to get the remote, and when you tell her no she says, "Daddy's". But if she is feeling especially spunky she will take off crawling with it as fast as she can. And she knows, when she is in trouble because she will dart away from you as quickly as she can!

Finally, we got down her highchair (thanks Aunt LJ) to feed her in...and she loves it!

Such a little lady!

One of her favorite pasttimes...pulling ALL of her toys out of the toy bins!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-02T21:28:00.002-06:00

(click on collage for larger view)

For Halloween Baileigh dressed as Tinkerbell. She was so cute. Although we did not do much trick-or-treating (she still isn't quite old enough) she did have fun playing in her costume! Poor Smokey, we even dressed him as Captain Hook...but he wasn't too fond of the costume.

Baileigh even got to have a Sour Punch. At first she wasn't so sure about it and made the funniest faces, but she took to it very quick and couldn't get enough!

No whammies...no whammies....STOP!

2008-10-26T12:07:00.004-05:00

Well, looks like we landed right on the DOUBLE-WHAMMY! Last weekend was a rough one, as Baileigh had yet another ear infection. More accurately, the doc said, "She has a raging ear infection in BOTH ears." So, since she had one only 3 1/2 weeks ago they couldn't treat it with Amoxicillin and gave her Augmentin instead. Well, poor thing couldn't handle the Augmentin and threw up within 30 minutes of taking it every time we gave it to her. Then she got dehydrated b/c she didn't want to eat or drink anything so we had to go back to the doctor and they put her on Omnicef. She was able to keep the Omnicef down, but it gave her an awful case of the "poopies". We changed 13 poopie diapers on Monday! PEE-YOO!

This weekend she seems to be doing much better though (and is in a much better mood)! She is back to her normal self and is into everything. She is trying her best to walk, but hasn't quite put it all together though. She says "Daa-Dee" very clearly these days and when you point to Chip or a picture of him she will say "Daa-Dee". She carries on conversations all the time but we have no idea what she is saying. She says "momma" when she doesn't feel good and "ni-ni" for "no". She LOVES for you to sing Itsy-Bitsy Spider and squeals with delight if you do. When you finish the song she will clap for you! She is also still infatuated with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Whenever she hears the intro song for the show she seeks out the tv and claps and laughs. She has a total of 4 teeth now and is starting to eat some "real" foods. She loves to gnaw on apple slices, she eats up the Gerber cereal puffs, and likes sweet potatoes. We are going to try yogurt this week and see how she likes it.

Halloween is just around the corner so hopefully we will get some good Trick-or-Treating pics to put up next weekend!

Poor thing...we just kept her in her t-shirt b/c we had to change her clothes so many times when she would get sick.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-13T10:24:00.000-05:00

We took Baileigh this past weekend for her first trip to the Pumpkin Patch in Clanton, AL. The place was awesome! Baileigh loved being outside and looking around at everything. Of course, we tried to do a photo session but she wasn't real excited about sitting on the hay bales...so we snapped a few shots and kept on moving. We took a covered wagon hayride out to the patch and picked out 2 pumpkins (we are still in the process of carving). We will definitely go back next year when I think she will enjoy it even more because she will be able to play in the inflatable park and take pony rides. I actually think Chip is most excited about getting to go back because he wants to play in the inflatable park!

Baileigh really loves to be outdoors these days. She is usually happy any time we are outside. She and I walked on Sunday while daddy was away...and she loved the entire 5 miles we pulled! She just sings and looks around while we stroll her along. She is also beginning to learn cause and effect. This past week she has really been mischievous and one evening all she wanted to do was pull things out of the electrical socket. After telling her no at least 30 times and moving her away from the socket I finally had to spank her on her hand. She looked up at me with those big eyes like she couldn't believe I had done that - and then she cried (and I almost did). But that lasted all of 30 seconds...and she hasn't gone back to an electrical socket yet! She is very inquisitive these days and wants to see and touch everything. She especially loves to pull things off the coffee table - including daddy's coke (which of course, went all over the carpet and the couch - good thing we decided to wait until she was a little older to replace our carpet)! She has also learned to give "kisses". Now, her kisses are more like a licking of the face, but they are kisses nonetheless and are as sweet as they can be!

And last, but not least, we want to wish Uncle Matt a happy (late) 30th Birthday! We hope you had lots of fun and wish we could have been there to celebrate with you!

Pumpkin Patch Pics

2008-10-13T09:59:00.000-05:00

Laughing like crazy

2008-10-07T12:07:00.003-05:00

I was about to feed Baileigh last night and was trying to get her food ready. As I did, I was trying to keep her entertained. I turned around and waved at her and she just fell into a hysterical laughing fit...So I tried it again and caught it on video!

Stepping into fall...

2008-10-07T10:24:00.005-05:00

The past few weeks have been fun for all of us. It began with Chip and I going to SanDestin Resort for a little R&R! Nana & Poppa kept Baileigh while we were gone (thank goodness for grandparents!). It was the perfect trip. The weather was great, the water was clear, and we actually sat down to eat our meals for 4 days in a row! Uncle Justin and Samantha went with us and they were lots of fun. Thanks to Betty (and Colin) for letting us stay in the villa - it was WONDERFUL! We definitely enjoyed our "mommy & daddy" time but we ready to get back to see Baileigh-Boo.

This past weekend BeBe and JoJo came to Birmingham for a quick visit. We went to J. Alexander's for lunch on Saturday with them. We had a good time visiting with them! Thanks to JoJo for our "Bama" gear and to BeBe for the paint brushes! :)

On Monday, Baileigh went to the doctor for her nine month check up. He said she was doing great! She weighed 18 lbs. 14 oz. and was 28 1/2 inches long! That puts her in the 50-percentile for weight and 75-percentile for height. Dr. Joe said that because both Chip and I are tall, and because Baileigh's height consistently outranks her weight, that indicates that she is going to be tall. Her little personality is really showing these days. She still loves to be the center of attention, hates to be held (she likes to be free to explore), has developed a fear of strangers (she will cling to you like a monkey if somebody "new" comes around), has learned what "no-no" means (but will still test you), and says "ma-ma" "da-da" "ba-ba" and "ni-ni" (we think that means no, b/c she only says it when you do something she doesn't want you to do), she will clap if you tell her to or say "yay, Baileigh", and she is lighting fast when crawling and is pulling up on everything. She now has 2 top teeth that have broken through also (so we are at 4 teeth total now). She has also moved in the "Peepers" room at daycare. It has been an action packed 2 weeks for us and it will probably continue to stay busy as we move into fall and the holidays. We are heading to the Pumpkin Patch this weekend which we are looking forward to!

(This is a common scene around our house these
days...she loves to get under things!)

(This mirror is for our bedroom but like many other things it hasn't been put up yet...Baileigh loves to go and "kiss" herself")

Wow...I have written a lot! Guess the only way to end it is with a big "Roll Tide"! See you all soon...

2008-09-17T17:29:00.005-05:00

Not much has been going on at our household as of late. Chip has been staying extremely busy with work and I have been staying busy with work and Baileigh. Today we got a call from daycare and guess what...FEVER! So, we have been at home this afternoon and will be heading to the doctor tomorrow morning.

She is cutting two top teeth, so absolutely everything goes in her mouth. She is also learning to throw little fits when she is unhappy and is beginning to test "limits". I feel like all we tell her now is "no, no". She actually LOVES to pull on any kind of cord she can find so after moving her and telling her "no" about 20 times the other day Chip spanked her hand...and she just looked up at him with those big eyes...and LAUGHED! I had to walk into the other room because it was so funny. But she is finally starting to understand what "no" means. And she is beginning to pull up and stand up now. I have a felling she will be walking before soon - God help us all!

UPDATE:
Turns out that we aren't really sure what is wrong with Baileigh. The doctor says her ears don't look infected but her throat was really red. The strep test came back negative, so that ruled that out. We were given some antibiotic "just in case" there was a bacterial infection since her throat and tonsils were so irritated. The doctor says that is a possibility or it may just be a "fever virus". She did weigh at the doc today and weighed 18 lbs., 3 oz. (40th percentile) and 27 inches (50th percentile). And, did I mention she HATES having the doctors look in her ears. She throws the worst screaming fits whenever they try to look...not sure why, but she does. So we are parked at home until the fever goes away.

(1. Getting ready for school 2. One of her favorite activites...playing in the fridge 3.Mommy and Baileigh 4. Mommy stealing some kisses 5. Baileigh in her "fishin' hat" that Poppa bought her)

ROLL TIDE!

2008-09-02T10:55:00.003-05:00

You know that time of year, when there is a certain feel in the air...yes folks football season is upon us! As always, we are pulling for the Tide (although it is weird not being a student after having been there for...well, for way too many years!) Baileigh is even cheering them on in her very own cheerleader outfit. Roll Tide, Roll!

Labor Day Weekend...

2008-09-02T10:13:00.005-05:00

Labor Day weekend was fun-filled and busy for us. It began on Saturday, when we went to Smith Lake to BeBe and JoJo's for the day. Laura, Colin, Scott and Catherine were all there and Ann, Roy, Evan, and Avery (Chip's cousins) came to visit as well. The kids had a fun time playing in the lake and tubing and as always it was good to see everyone. Chip and I even got in some jet ski time and Baileigh got to play in her float! I even "got air" on the jet ski, which is better than the last time when I turned it over - I always have to try and "out do" Chip. Bebe cooked a delicious shrimp boil and JoJo made homeade peach ice cream (she made something special for everyone...for me it was the special "fuhgettaboutit slush" that I love so much!)

And of course, on Saturday evening Bama played their first game of the season against Clemon...and ROLLED we did! Woo-hoo! Baileigh even had her own Bama cheerleading outfit (pics are included for your viewing enjoyment :)

On Sunday, I took Baileigh outside and gave her her first ever popsicle. She wasn't really sure about it at first, but then took to it. She is a mess these days, and is all over the place and into everything!

On Monday Chip worked, so Baileigh and I and Nana Tree went shopping. We took Baileigh to the Disney Store and Nana bought Baileigh a Minnie Mouse and Princess Atta (from the movie, "A Bug's Life"). I also bought her Halloween outfit while we were out...can't say yet what it is, as I want it to be a surprise! And, we bought daddy some shirts so that he stays on the cutting edge (now that he is getting old and all - hehe)! Then we went to Nana and Poppa's and played and went for a walk. Baileigh loves to be outside and will take a stroller ride anytime!

All in all it was a busy weekend but lots of fun. Now that football season is in full swing and holidays will be here before you know it, we are probably in for lots of busy weekends. We hope to see you all soon!

Below: (1. Baileigh loves to watch bubbles...and to watch Smokey eating them!; 2. Baileigh and Smokey sit at the front door and wait on daddy to get home; 3. Baileigh is pooped after a ride in the stroller; 4. & 5. Mmmmm...popsicles!)

What A Long, Strange Day...

2008-08-22T19:38:00.004-05:00

Thursday was a really long, strange day. To tell the story I have to go back to Wednesday night. On Wednesday evening, Baileigh began to get a little cranky, which is not typical for her. So I figured she was tired. However, at about 8:00 she began to cry, let me rephrase that, she began to wail at the top of her lungs and nothing we did would calm her down. We tried everything: a bath, bottle, mylicon, walking, tylenol, playing, teething tablets, and finally I took her outside at which point she began to calm to just a cry. At 10:30 I brought her inside and noticed that she was pulling on my shirt and chewing on it and then she would begin to cry even more. So, I finally chalked it up to teething. I rubbed her gums with Orajel (which she hates) and after about 10 minutes she was out.

On Thursday, when she woke up she was completely fine!

On Thursday evening, when I came home I found Chip cooking dinner. Okay, now usually dinner around our house goes like this - Me: "Honey what do you want for dinner?" Chip: "I don't care"; Me: "Okay we are having X"; Chip: "Um, no I don't want THAT"...at which point I have to come up with something else and cook it. Now don't get me wrong, Chip is a highly domesticated animal (as far as guys go) and he does his share around the house...however, dinner is not included in his share! So, he is cooking dinner (and the best part was, i didn't even have to come up with what we were going to eat - I love not having to think) and I get in the floor to play with Baileigh at which point she acts like she is going to crawl. Well, crawl she did - right over to the cord to the cell phone charger! So, I have included a video for ya'll to see. Then as if my day wasn't good enough, she says dada. Then we play pattycake and when I say pattycake, she begins to clap on her own! And here is the kicker...after dinner, I was holding her and Chip was cleaning up (oh, that's still not the best part) and she CLEARLY says "mama" (she's a freaking genious...okay yes, I know I am biased). Chip heard it, eventhough he promptly looks at me and says "she doesn't know what she is saying" (well, it was almost a PERFECT day). Can you believe it? I couldn't either...somebody better pinch me 'cause I think I'm dreaming.

What a day, what a day!

2008-08-11T10:41:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we went to Smith Lake. Our friends Wendi, Shaun and Braelyn came to visit along with their friends Chris & Brooke.

We had a fun time on Wendi & Shaun's new boat. Chip even attempted wakeboarding for the first time! The guys were really good at wakeboarding but I think Wendi showed them all up!

We also let Baileigh and Braelyn swim in the lake. They LOVED it and had such a fun time. They were in there for almost an hour and a half!

This is the first time Baileigh and Braelyn have gotten to play together since the only other time they were together they were still itty-bitty babies. They had a good time and played together well. Wendi and I decided that they played together as well as we did when we were little (minus the hairpulling, kicking, and throwing of temper tantrums that we used to do). It is fun to know that Baileigh and Braelyn are so close together in age and are doing much of the same things (for those of you who don't know, Wendi and I are only 3 days apart in age and have been friends since we were four).

Braelyn is such a little cutie and has the most fabulous eyelashes I have ever seen! We are all blessed to have such good, sweet little girls.

Shaun we are looking forward to another wakeboarding lesson soon and to the BIG 30!

Thanks guys we had fun!

(and thanks to JoJo and BeBe for letting us hang out at their house)

Baileigh & Braelyn's Weekend at the Lake

2008-08-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

New photos...

2008-07-28T13:49:00.005-05:00

Working on Photoshopping some new pics of Baileigh...I will post a few of the pre-shopped ones here. She is trying her best to crawl (we have a short movie clip of her trying). She has also figured out that she can hear herself, so she yells all the time now and thinks it's hilarious. We were in the store the other day and Chip had to go three aisles over to pick up something we forgot and she began yelling (nothing in particular, just making noise) and Chip said he could hear her loud and clear. Apparently she has also figured out how to get into a sitting position from laying down (didn't know that until I walked into the nursery this morning). I walked into her room to find her sitting in her crib swatting at her mobile, with a smile plastered on her face...guess it's time to take that down!

A pain in the...EAR?

2008-07-20T19:29:00.005-05:00

Baileigh showing you her ear...

On Friday afternoon at 3:00, I got a call from Baileigh's school that she was running a fever of 101. So I left work and went to get her. Of course, it would work out that she gets a fever in the late afternoon, her pediatrician is no longer in the office, and the group that takes weekend call doesn't start taking call until 8:00 am on Saturday. So...what to do? It worked out that I got a nurse to immediately call me back (bless her heart) and she got us in at the Children's Hospital After Hours Clinic on Acton Road. So we got an appointment for 4:45. Chip was still at work so Baileigh and I went straight from the school to the doctor. AND...to my surprise we didn't have to wait for hours like I expected. Actually we were leaving the office at 5:40!

So...it turned out that both of her ears were infected. Of course, immediately, I thought that I had caused it because I have been pouring cups of water over her head when I wash her hair at night and just let it run down but I haven't really been worrying about getting water in her ears. So, I asked the doctor if that caused it and he assured me that it had not. Apparently, ear infections are caused by bacteria (who knew?!). She is now on a round of antibiotics and is doing much better.

(Laying with daddy while she felt bad...and now she is feeling better!)

One of Baileigh's new things to do is stick out her tongue (she thinks she is hysterical when she does this, by the way...and totally expects you to laugh at her). I took a couple of pictures (because it really is funny how hard she will try to make you laugh) before I had to start getting onto her when she decided that the perfect time to do this was right after I stuck a spoonful of food right into her mouth.

On our way to school...and, yes that is a hairbrush in her mouth (and no it is not the one I brush her hair with - come on, give me a little credit!). This hairbrush has become one of her favorite toys since she started teething...again, don't ask; I have no idea why the child prefers a hairbrush as her pesonal chew toy.

Dog Days of Summer...

2008-07-15T10:35:00.005-05:00

This past week was pretty uneventful at the Rumage household. Other than just trying to stay cool we didn't do a whole lot of anything! Baileigh has been teething too, so we just stayed home and played for the most part. Baileigh did go to her Nana and Poppa's on Saturday afternoon and spent the night with them while Chip and I had a date. We even slept in until 7:50 am on Sunday!!

Baileigh's two bottom teeth finally broke through yesterday and she seems to be much more content now. She is also trying to figure out the whole crawling thing. Mostly, she just scoots around in circles. She has also figured out that if she just keeps rolling over she will eventually run into something that she can pick up and put in her mouth!

On Sunday afternoon, we played in the floor with her and let Smokey play with us. He still isn't sure about the "little thing" that likes to yank on his ears and tail. He will sit next to her, but the moment she touches him he takes off. Well, back to my story...he came over while we were in the floor and brought one of his toys to Baileigh. He laid it in front of her but as soon as she went to grab it he decided maybe he didn't want to share after all. So, he picked up his toy, walked about 2 feet in front of her laid down with it and just stared at her. Guess he thought he won that battle...poor dog, doesn't have any idea what he is in for! I have a few pictures below of the whole thing taking place.

Last (but not least) we have to say congratulations to our friends Meredith and Justin Salmon on the birth of the second baby girl, Emerson Caroline. She is just adorable and looks almost identical to her big sister Lainie!

To share or not to share...yea, it's just not happening!

Baileigh watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (her favorite) with her daddy!

4th of July

2008-07-06T15:48:00.005-05:00

For the 4th, we went to Smith Lake and visited with BeBe, JoJo, Aunt Laura, Scott, and Catherine. We swam, rode jet skis, & went tubing. BeBe barbecued and we had lots of good food.

Baileigh played in the pack-n-play on the boat and in the evenings was highly entertained by Scott and Catherine.

When we arrived home Baileigh's tutu that I ordered her had arrived! It turned out so cute...if anyone is interested I got it from Miss Priss Tutu's .

We put it on her on Sunday afternoon just to see if it would fit and she loved it. Chip held her up so I could take a picture and all she wanted to do was jump around in it and laugh!

I also posted a short video this week...I had Baileigh sitting on the bar while we were unloading things. I had put her bottles next to her, thinking they were out of her reach. Apparently, I underestimated her ability to get to them and in only a few seconds she had grabbed one and was banging it on the counter! Guess she didn't want to wait on us to get her bottle!

Baileigh is now cutting 2 bottom teeth (and they are almost through) and she really has been very good. She has only fussed a few times but she is chewing on anything she can get her hands on.

Where does the weekend go?

2008-06-29T16:52:00.005-05:00

A Dog's Life...

Baileigh loves to lay on daddy

She loves to play in the floor

Baileigh with Uncle Justin...they rock the same hair!

Loving the exersaucer!

This past week/weekend was a busy one. Chip began 2 new jobs and of course I had a busy week at work too. On Thursday, Baileigh had to go to the doctor for her 6 month checkup. Dr. Joe said she was doing great! She weighed 15 lb.s, 3 oz. and was 26 inches long. She had to get three shots - yuck! She cried for just a minute and then she was fine...slept all the way home. Then she and I made the "Wal-Mart Trip". Wal-Mart and I have a love/hate relationship - I love the prices...but gosh, I hate that store. I would almost rather sit and listen to fingernails on a chalkboard for an hour rather than to go there. But, anyway, we went. Got a month's worth of babyfood, diapers, wipes, housecleaners, etc. And how is it, that no matter what you get at Wal-Mart you can never escape without spending $100 dollars, or close to it? It's perplexing. Then we went and picked up Justin (my little brother) and Samantha's house warming gift and Catherine's (my neice) birthday present. Pulled out my "list of things to do" and started checking things off...it gives me such a warm and fuzzy feeling to check things off my list!

Chip worked over the weekend and on Saturday morning Baileigh stayed with Nana & Poppa so Mommy could go see Missy to ger her "hair did". It was SO nice...I got my Starbucks and sat in the hair salon, read my Southern Living, made the menu for the week, and made up our grocery list - and did it all without somebody "needing" me! Missy did my hair (and it looks and feels so much better). You know, people really underestimate the value of a good stylist...Missy is the best!

Then, Chip got off work earlier than expected so Baileigh went back to Nana & Poppa's (thank God for grandparents) and stayed while we went out.

Then of course, we had to clean house, changes sheets, laundry, make bottles, grocery shop, cook a couple of meals so we don't starve during the week, bathe Baileigh, balance the checkbook, pay bills, upload photos and update the blog, and do some work that I brought home!

Well, everything (well, almost everything) got checked off the list and that makes me happy. And as everyone knows, "Ain't nobody happy, if Mom's not happy"!

More Photos...

2008-06-16T13:45:00.002-05:00

Father's Day Weekend

2008-06-16T10:53:00.003-05:00

For Father's Day weekend we went to Smith Lake and visited with Chip's parents (also known as BeBe and JoJo). The weather turned out to be fantastic and Chip got to go fishing...caught a few too! We had fun out on the swim pier and Baileigh loved being outside. Thanks BeBe and JoJo for a wonderful weekend and lots of good food!

On Sunday, when we got back to Birmingham, Nana and Poppa came to visit Baileigh as they will be leaving for Chicago and won't get to see her for a WHOLE week! Hope you have fun!

Baileigh sat in this swing for almost an hour...just looking around. Then her daddy came out and she got so tickled that she just laughed and laughed.

2008-06-04T15:49:00.003-05:00

This past weekend we went bowling with our friends Keri & Steven and Jen & Eric. Wendi & Shaun were supposed to join us but Wendi was under the weather, so we are looking forward to seeing them next time! It was "adults only" so we left Baileigh with Nana Tree & Poppa. This was her first "overnight" trip. She had a good time...and so did we!

Jen, Shannon, & Keri

Keri & Steven

Eric & Jen

Chip & Shannon

On the go...

2008-05-28T13:52:00.008-05:00

We have had a busy couple of weeks. We made a trip to the lake last weekend and this weekend we attended Uncle Matt and Aunt Lauren's wedding. The wedding was held outdoors in a garden and it was beautiful. Baileigh made it through pictures but was zonked during the ceremony. On Memorial Day we went to Poppa and Nana Tree's for BBQ! YUM! Baileigh had fun playing.

She is growing like a weed these days and is always doing something new. If you lay her down, she immediately rolls over. If you hold her she is constantly wiggling or trying to grab anything she can get her hands on. She is especially fun in the mornings. She usually wakes up on her own and lays in her crib and "sings" to herself. By "sing" we mean that she just has this babbling thing she does...and she will throw in an occasional giggle. Apparently, she cracks herself up!

This morning she started saying "ba". We aren't sure what that means yet, but she says it. She also loves to make a "motorboat" sound with her lips...kind of a buzzing thing she does.

Taken after Matt & Lauren's wedding...

While Chip and I were cooking dinner one evening we put Baileigh in her jumperoo...this is how we found her!

Long Weekend...

2008-05-20T14:07:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we took a "long weekend" and we went to the lake. Bebe and JoJo were out of town so it was just the three of us and Smokey. We got there on Friday and played and took Baileigh for her first boat ride. She even ate dinner on the boat! On Saturday we did more of the same. Baileigh LOVES to be outside and she played in the pack-n-play until she fell asleep!

Smokey went with us as well and he had a big time running along the boat dock and swim pier and barking at all of the fish in the water.

We came back home on Sunday and went and visited with Nana Tree and Poppa...they are so ridiculous about Baileigh.

Baileigh definitely gets spoiled by all of her grandparents...spoiled rotten that is!

We are looking forward to Uncle Matt and Aunt Lauren's wedding this coming weekend. It should be a lot of fun.

Hope to see you all soon!

Dinner and a nap on the boat

Snoozing...a favorite pasttime!

Smokey was "pooped" after a long day of chasing fish!

Baileigh loves bathtime!

The New Blog...

2008-05-08T16:06:00.009-05:00

Okay...So we figure we should have ONE blog now that Baileigh is getting older, so this is it! Bookmark this site, as I will not longer be updating the Babysite.

Sorry if this is kinda crappy but I am new to this and haven't quite figured out what the heck I am doing yet...so bear with me.

Where to begin? The past year has been a BIG one for Chip and I. Last May I graduated from UA with my Master's degree in Public Admininstration. Not long before that, I found out I was pregnant. Around this time, Chip also began his paint business.

So, here it is May, 2008. Chip and I recently celebrated our 5th anniversary (gosh, it doesn't seem that long) and Baileigh is now 4 months old, Chip's paint business (Paint Chips, LLC) is doing well, I am working as the Director of Communications at the Country Club of Birmingham and tossing around the idea of going back for my PhD, and Smokey...well he is still kickin' it at the house. We have so much to be thankful for as God has blessed us in so many ways.

We are definitely looking forward to the summer and hopefully getting to do more and see more of our friends and family now that we have somewhat figured out this chaos they call "parenthood"!

We hope everyone is doing well and to see you all very soon...

Baileigh was so tiny when she was born!

She loves to play "airplane" with her daddy!

Her first "real" food...peas!

Our 5th anniversary

Aunt Laura, Catherine, JoJo, and Baileigh at the lake

JoJo and Missy B.