Birthday Week at the Bailey’s!

I can NOT believe this week my 2 sweet babies are going to turn 3 !  I have worked so hard helping them learn to tell people they are 2 and now here I am about to switch it up on them!  Of course, if you ask Wylie how old she will be, 9 times out of 10 she tells you she is turning 6!  Ummmm, maybe in her dreams but I need my little ones to be “little” longer!  It is changing too fast around here!  

This week we will be preparing for the most exciting Trains and Tutus party this crew could ask for! 

Stay tuned for all the fun the Birthday Bunny is bound to bring! 

The End of an Era

Tomorrow will be a sad day at the Bailey house.  A day Bubba has dreaded for quite sometime but known was bound to happen since my informing him of Baby #4.  

Tomorrow , Bubba’s trusted confidant , his truck,  will pull out of our driveway for the final time and make its way to Cherry Road where it will await its next owner.  Yes, my friends, tomorrow Bubba is getting his new “daddy mobile”! 

Oh the many things this truck has seen in its 8 years of life as a Bailey.  This truck has been stuck in some form or fashion on many hunting trips, it has hit deer, it has traveled to Nashville for weddings, hauled Christmas trees, seen the Gamecocks play home and away, carried some good ol’ dogs in its truck bed, been hit by golf carts thanks to untamed trailers, carried our most precious cargo to and from school for 2 years and been a place I tried not to venture to due to its lack of organization and slight clutter! 

Since knowing he had to clean his car out this afternoon, Bubba has remarked more than once,  “It is just a good ol’ truck!”  He keeps telling me he may cry tomorrow as he drives it for its last few miles.  It is like tomorrow he has to head to a funeral!  

Many of you know the love of my life Bubba and know that being frugal is his forte! So please allow me to tell you, in ALL truthfulness, what the love of my life REALLY AND TRULY did not to long ago! 

In knowing he had to get a new car for the purpose of hauling our 4 kids around, the love of my life, REALLY AND TRULY called a local and trusted car dealer to inquire about the purchase of …

yes…

a church van! 

I only wish I was lying as I write this, but friends, I AM NOT!!!  He was a serious as a heart attack.  He had grand plans for this vehicle.  AND, knowing I would completely NEVER go for the idea and would fall out the minute I heard it, he neglected to inform me of this phone call.  Thankfully, the trusted car dealer happen to be at our house one evening only to spill the beans! 

While I do admire his thoughtfulness and grand plan to get the most for our dollar and gas money, the Bailey Bunch will NOT be seen sporting a church van with our Bailey Bunch logo on the side in Rock Hill! 

Thankfully, our daddy will still be able to maintain his outdoor lifestyle while still accommodating 4 car seats, 2 dogs, a set of golf clubs and some random hunting gear in his new Daddy Mobile!! 

 

Thank you Bubs for making the huge sacrifice to get rid of your truck so that we can bond as a family on the many outings that our future holds!  Oh the fun that awaits us!   We love you.

And may your truck forevermore rest in peace!   Amen!

Protected!

For every person, their greatest fear is usually slightly different.  Some fear water or sharks or spiders.  Others may fear sickness or being trapped in elevators.  These days “monsters” are the greatest fear in this house.  But lucky for 709- The Bailey Bunch has our own “security system” to protect us these days!

That’s right all you spooky monsters…

Just in case any of you spooky ol’ monsters want to try to enter this house, I hope you are prepared for what is lurking around this house!  We here at 709 have invested in the highest form of personal security.  AND… even luckier for us, these superheroes come out to “protect” us on (usually) a nightly basis! 

Thanks IronMan and SpiderMan  for protecting us girls! 

Where would be without you 2?!

Davy Crockett goes Diva

There are so many things I can write about our sweet baby of 31 pounds- Bess. She acts as if she is 19 months going on 3. She is one of the toughest babies I know, able to withstand all the falls, bumps and bruises her brother and sister accidentally help her receive! She can be as stubborn as a bull but then change into a Snugglebug only wanting to be held and cuddled. She might be related to squirrels because she can crawl up just about anything and perches there just to smile at you! While she has her own communication system and is working on words, it is not uncommon for this little love to just screech or scream if her world is being upset by one of her siblings. Bess can be a total instigator. She knows exactly which toys not to play with but deliberately plays with them in front of her brother and sister, knowing full well she is about to stir up a fight! Oh, our little “baby” Bess!

For Christmas, Charlie was given a coonskin cap. For some reason, he really wasn’t into the hat. Lucky for him, someone else has claimed it at her own.

However, like any spirited personality, Bess has chosen to add her own “flair” to this woodsy accessory!

I can’t help but giggle at this child. So full of personality and yet so serious about her new look! She is her own little person and my heart lights up with smiles for her all day long!

Dancing King!

Oh the joys of technology! Thanks to his father,  Charlie has become a fan of YouTube and now his most recent obsession has grown to include the Ipod.  Of course, with learning about the Ipod came a crash course in headphones!  (Thank the Lord!)  Although Charlie has the looks of my side of the family to a tee, he obviously has inherited his dancing gene from his father.  No matter the song, Charlie has some definite “go to” moves that he likes to bust out!   When the Ipod is spotted, Charlie has but one request- to listen to music and dance!

So, if anyone needs dancing lessons, we are hiring Charlie out for a small fee!

Update on #4

Well, despite the fact that the child I am carrying feels like it is a gorilla, we were recently proven, it in fact is not!! 

Last Friday, Bubba and I were so thrilled to be able to see our sweet little new one in a growth ultrasound!  Having not seen our newest addition since it was 16 weeks, it was so exciting to see how much Baby Bailey has grown!  16 weeks later, at my 32 week appointment, Baby Bailey is a long little critter but is not as “hefty” I was so positive that he or she was!  According to the powers that be with the ultrasound, our newest addition weighed in over 4 pounds and was 17 inches long.  Just in case you are wondering about how long is 17 inches, well… it is as long as this stylish yet  possibly outdated wedding fashion!  

Although I would have bet heavily that this baby was of record weight for 32 weeks, he or she only measured 1 day ahead.  While I am not eager to deliver this baby anytime soon and I realize the importance of baking this baby as long as possible, I was completely shocked by the outcome of the ultrasound.  I just knew I had a gorilla inside me!

Now, let’s not hold our breaths, because a Bailey Baby has never exactly been “tiny” for their week of birth.  I still fully expect a “healthy” baby to be delivered here shortly.  I just know now, that it really, probably,  will be March before this critter arrives!  At least that is what I am still praying for! 

So we are in the homestretch but there are still 7 weeks to go!  7 weeks sounds far off but then I think, seriously, in 7 weeks there will be 4 little ones to keep my day full of laundry, meal times, entertaining and best of all love!  Can it really be? 

As the weeks tick down, there is so much to do!  Let the hard core preparations begin! 

Little Miss Mama

My sweet little Wylie!  Her imagination is endless these days!  I often refer to her as “The Hoarder” because she thinks everything is a treasure worth saving!  

I guess I should have known when we first brought Bess home, that Wylie had the motherly knack!  These days, it is a rarity to see her without a doll, a stroller or the baby pack-n-play and dressed to the nines in her “pieces” or jewelry! 

Just to shed some light on how Wylie shows that motherly knack, I thought I would show you what I overheard from the kitchen.  After listening in for a minute, I walked into the den to discover…

Yes, read aloud with Wylie! 

And just in case the baby dolls wanted to see that picture better, Wylie was prepared!

After her read aloud, Wylie felt her dolls had been well behaved.  And what do well behaved baby dolls need most after a read aloud- all the “treasures” that could be crammed into her grocery bag!  

I find myself getting aggravated with Wylie’s peculiar habits of hoarding until I stop and really reflect on them.  Some nights, her bed will be filled with all the “lists” she has created over her day, or the 5,000 books she has read that day, or her alphabet letters that she insists on sleeping with.  I wonder as I am tucking her in, how in the world this could possibly be comfortable but she truly views those things as her “treasures” and for some reason it just makes me smile and giggle!   Why should it matter to me if the child wants to sleep in a bed full of paper or books.  She is happy, healthy and loved and that if the most important.

For everything in Wylie’s world, there is a reason -  I just wish I could understand those reasons sometimes! 

But oh how I will never trade these days and innocent memories for anything!

Snow Day 2011

Like everyone else in the city of Rock Hill, the Bailey’s may be snowed in but that hasn’t stopped us from tackling the outdoors!

From the first sight of snow this morning, Charlie was ready to play outside! After a very thorough search of the house, we discovered we have lost 1 snow boot which created a slight problem for our morning! Never Fear- Ziploc bags saved the day!

After an hour of clothing preparations, we all 5 headed outside!

Thanks to dear ol’ dad, we headed to a the wonderful hill outside our door for some snow fun! Being the poor snow planners we are, we had no sled for our children to enjoy. However, thanks to my painting fetishes, we had plenty of paint trays which did just as good!

Here Charlie gets the first introduction to his “sled”!

And pretty soon, this bunch was off!

Wylie, bless her heart, was not as successful. She made it about 2 feet before calling it quits!

And then… a small and minute snow disaster occurred! Bess just wants to eat the snow, and being since she already had been forced to give up her boots for an attractive pair of crocs wrapped in Ziploc Bags, we let her eat until her heart was content.

But bending over on a hill covered in snow probably doesn’t lead to many good things. Especially if you are a wobbly toddler in Ziploc Bags as shoes!

I know I am horrible for even snapping this photo! Bless her heart! But, it was a wee bit comical!

Despite this being the end of snow fun for Bess, the rest of the crew has continued to play!

Daddy taught Charlie how to slide down the hill and then taught Wylie how to throw snowball!

We have all enjoyed ourselves outside today! And what better way to top off our snow fun then to have Charlie walk in the front door after our playtime , comment on how his tummy hurt and then, low and behold, throw up on the rug at the door! Either it was too much fun or we potentially could be beginning a stomach bug at the Bailey house! I pray it was the fun!

And now, all our tucked warmly inside their beds for N-A-P time!

The Winer Diner

Every Saturday, a special diner opens up at about 8 o’clock.  The menu is simple and never changes and best of all, the cost is free!  Each Saturday, Doodad opens his Winer Diner for any who want a homecooked breakfast.   (Please note: This five star restaurant was named for the many whiny children that have been known to arrive ! )

So, many Saturdays, we quickly get ourselves out of bed and go straight to the Winer Diner in our pj’s.  Today, in addition to Wylie and Bess, Spiderman chose to go along with us! 

We make the quick drive across the road to Doodad’s Winer Diner!  

Best of all, when we arrive, there is no line waiting to be seated.  You don’t have to wait as your order is prepared.  Usually, your meal is waiting on you!  What could be better- a meal at someone else’s house and it is ready when you are! 

It is critical that I try my best to raise my children up on only THE BEST syrup in the world!  Yellow Label Syrup.  We eat it in honor of my grandfather, Junior.  Our family only gets this syrup every time someone brings it to us from Alabama and once you get your jar, you use it with thought, not waste!  It is too precious and delicious to waste!  And let’s not even forget to talk about how wonderful the taste is!!  Nothing compares!   Each time I see that bottle, I am quickly taken back to my childhood at a kitchen table at Mamaw’s house where Yellow Label was mixed with butter and biscuits!  YUMMY!! 

The Winer Diner is a favorite for all my children.  Yet, for all different reasons.  

Charlie (aka Spider Man) likes to eat so he can get his superpowers!

Wylie, just likes to eat mounds of whip cream and powdered sugar and calls her meal breakfast! 

And Baby Bess just loves, loves, loves to eat link sausage! 

And as quick as the Winer Diner opened, it quickly closes and the Bailey Bunch is out the door!  

But, oh how thankful I am for someone else to cook a meal for these hungry kiddos! 

Straight from the mouth of a toddler

Before you read this post, please know I am slightly saddened at today’s preschool event but also couldn’t help but slightly giggle at today’s preschool event. 

The event involves… my one and only, precious, adorable son!

Today, as Bubba arrived to pick up Charlie and Wylie from school, he was greeted by their teacher’s outside the door, who happened to be giggling. 

Curious as to what was so funny, Bubba was then given a short replay of the comical preschool event. 

Charlie’s teachers mentioned that all day he had been sluggish.  After a riveting circle time in his class, his teachers asked everyone to get up from the circle.  Charlie remained seated. 

So again he was asked to get up and knowing that he had to follow directions but really not feeling like it, he simply replied-  “Damn it” and proceeded to stand up. 

Here is where the momma jumps in and screams -  I promise we really don’t talk like that in front of our kids!  Where did he get this?  How did he know the precise moment to use it?!  Am I the worst mother ever because her almost 3 year old cussed at church preschool!!!!!!  

While, the teachers did take the moment and turn it into a teachable one as they tried to control their giggles, I still find my heart sinking just a little bit.  My innocent toddler cussed – at church. 

So, even though we thought we had learned this lesson, now we really know- be careful little mouth what you say because the radar ears are clearly tuned in around here!

A Year In Review

To look back at this past year and see how much my sweet babies grew, how much they learned, how quickly they changed before my eyes is C.R.A.Z.Y.!!!

Although this post is little long and took me forever simply because I couldn’t stop looking at old pictures, it is posted nonetheless!

So enjoy 2010 from the eyes of the Bailey Bunch!

January 2010

Bubs and I took a lovely weekend away to this beautiful house only to end up snowed in which proved to be good time with good friends!

Charlie and Wylie upgraded from crib to toddler bed officially making them “a big boy” and “big girl!”

And Baby Bess was almost crawling!

February 2010 rolled around and…

Bess was bound and determined to learn to stand

My babies TURNED TWO!!!

And Rock Hill got snow!!

March flew in and…

We quickly learned Charlie had a slight boot fetish!

We saw the prissy side of Wylie starting to shine very clearly!

And Bess was just adorable!

The months were flying by and before we knew it April 2010 had arrived!

Charlie feel in love with grass mowing!

Wylie feel more in love with Glen and Glenda!

And Bess got the walking thing down!

May 2010 and more was in store!

Charlie was ALWAYS in the mood for a swim!

Wylie continued to discover dress up and baby dolls!

And Bess was just a happy girl!

June 2010 – half way through the year!

My baby girl turned ONE!!!

Charlie discovered someone who would quickly become his lifelong friend!

And priss pot went from this beach attitude to…

this beach attitude!

July 2010 and what a shocker it was!

We learned early that month that Bailey Baby #4 was set to arrive in March!

Charlie played his first game of Putt Putt with his daddy!

Wylie showed her love for the beach!

And bringing up the rear, Baby Bess feel in love with MoonPies!

August 2010 – summer was drawing to a close!

To the movies we headed for Toy Story 3- never realizing we would be watching this movie everyday for the next 6 months!

We became “pappy” free thanks to Baby Taylor!

And we all started school!

September 2010 kept us on the move!

We headed to Columbia to see the Gamecocks play!

Baby Bess found extreme joy in her new hiding spot!

And daddy taught us the joys of Sunday afternoon family fun trips to the hunting land!

October 2010- always a festive month!

We started our tradition of the Patterson Pumpkin Patch Farm!

Charlie feel in love with horse riding!

Bess learned how to escape her crib!

And Wylie gained a new roommate!

November 2010- was is really Turkey time?!

My sweet little boy was still obsessed with Woody!

Wylie showed her flair for fashion!

And my little one just soaked it all in!

December 2010 – the end of a great year!

My babies got bigger ! (sniff sniff!)

A milestone hair cut occurred!

I fell a little more in love with a special someone

and I ended the year feeling blessed beyond words but looking forward to the milestones that will bless our lives in 2011!

Happy New Year !