A Letter From the Experienced

Dearest New Doggy Foo Foo, 

Welcome to the family!!  We are sorry we haven’t been able to get up with you sooner but as we are sure you have noticed, this house can be quite busy and active!  Being that we have been around these little ones for  a while now, we thought it would only be fitting of us to let you in on a few things you can expect around here.  First, let us go ahead and get the scariest one out of the way!  There is this lady around here who really likes to keep things clean.  The day will come when she will plunge you into a cold white box filled with water.  Now, it will be completely natural for you to be alarmed and a little panicked when this happens.  But don’t let it scare you.  The cold water only lasts a bit and then she will toss you gently into the warmest box around.  The best part of this whole experience is when she removes you from the box, you will be the softest you have ever been and you will smell cleaner than you ever could have imagined!  Trust us when we tell you, you will soon learn to enjoy what this lady refers to as a “bath”.  It is heavenly! 

Second, you have so many “journeys” to look forward to!  You should be so excited!  One day, you will travel to the top of tall slides and glide down them as the wind hits your face.  You will be crammed into trucks, strollers and possibly even purses and be carried to so many magical places.  You will be allowed to dine at a table where delicious foods are served and on a good day, you just may be given a bite!  There are days you will walk through “magic” woods on “magic” trails, visit ponds with live ducks, ride on scooters and golf carts and if you are extra lucky, you may even get to feel the tiny grains of sand on your whiskers!  Doesn’t that sound exciting? 

A word of caution.  There are going to be countless times when you are alone and find your self lying under a chair, behind a box, back behind a cabinet, in a drawer or trapped under mounds of blankets.  You might feel like no one realizes you are gone but you are SO wrong about this!  It may be hours, it may be minutes, but eventually those 2 big people that live with all these little people will form a search party for you and you WILL be located!  Safe and sound you will be returned to sweet Baby Ben.  

Are we frightening you?  We certainly hope not.  While some of these little “tips” might sound a bit concerning, there is something we have left for last to let you in on.  One of these days soon, you will be the most treasured possession of a little boy.  He will clench you in his fist with all his might as he is tucked into bed, then he will cuddle you softly as he drifts off to sleep.  There you will lay all night with him, under covers, on a soft blanket, dreaming beside a boy who will love you more than you can imagine!  You will be smothered in kisses some days and drenched by tears  others.  Over time, your shiny satin will be dulled, you might find a hole in a paw, your ears will be flatter and your fur will be matted.  That is the day you will know the most important thing we could tell you.  That is the day you will know you are really loved!  That is the best day! 

Get ready!  This house is busy, loud, and active.  But through all the craziness, this house is full of laughter, love and happiness! 

We are so excited to have you join the Foo Foo Family!  We are here if you need us! 

Love,

The Bunny Foo Foos and Froggy Foo Foo

My Two Boys!

OH how thrilled I am to know Charlie and Ben have each other!  While Charlie doesn’t have too much time these days to stop and pay attention to Ben, he is very aware that he is a boy and he will ONE day play trains and trucks with him! 

Yesterday, as I was waking Charlie up from his nap, I had Ben in my arms.  Charlie wanted Ben to lay with him on his “Buzz and Woody” bed.  Of course, we obliged!

Charlie cuddled Ben and asked him if he wanted to know a secret.  I told Charlie Ben would love to know a secret so away he went.  The secret was:  “I can turn my lamp on by myself.”  Impressive huh?  I know Ben was impressed!  I could see it in his eyes!! 

Next Charlie proceeded to tell Ben all about the people on his pillowcase!  

While again, Ben was thrilled, he found time to catch a quick snooze!  

And once Charlie realized he was back asleep, he just cuddled him some more!  PRECIOUS!!! 

What is in store for these two is beyond me!  But knowing one of these little dudes rather well, I bet I can imagine! 

Thick as Thieves

Having a sister myself, I know firsthand how wonderful it can be and also how there are times that it has been aggravating (sorry Amy- I am totally talking about our younger years !) I have seen the pictures of our dress ups, matching clothes and candid beach shots.  I remember our fights over hair brushes, clothes and seats in the car.  I am thankful for our silly moments that turned into forever memories, random and pointless phone calls and the support through the tears that I have been given.  But these are my memories .  However, they are memories I desperately want Wylie and Bess to also have one day.  I have always known Wylie had a special heart for Bess. From day 1 she was Bess’ right hand mama!  

I am guessing that I what I see these days with Wylie and Bess is something similar to what my own mom witnessed with Amy and I when we were little.  These days, Wylie and Bess are thick as thieves.  Bess is Wylie’s little copycat! 

Take yesterday.  (By the way- it was Day 3 of yucky weather, no backyard due to new fencing – and yes, we never made it out of our pajamas- excuse our appearances!)  Yesterday, I was able to listen in as Wylie and Bess went to “Target” with their baby dolls.  They were all decked in heels with their babies and bottles!  They did loops around the dining room table shopping in “Target”! 

After their shopping was complete, they needed to feed their babies.  So they went to “McDonalds” to feed them.  (aka- the couch!) Of course, this also required diaper changes and a little lesson from Wylie to Bess on how to lay the diaper out for the babies! 

Bess was thrilled to be learning from such a mastermind and know it all!

Next they grabbed their cameras and decided it was photo session time!  So around the house they carried their dolls, posing them in one place after another where they placed them perfectly and reminded them to say “Cheese”!  This also turned into a photo session of Bess that Wylie was in charge of conducting!  Quite humorous!  

Finally, when the babies went down for their “Quiet Time”, it was time for these 2 mamas to have some fun of their own.  So they quickly grabbed their loot and headed to a special spot to do their artwork!  Here the conversations ranged from ABC’s to Pappies!   As you can probably imagine, Wylie did most of the talking and Bess just made her usual here and there sounds (which are suppose to be words) of agreement (or disagreement) through her pappy!   Regardless, this  was entertainment for a good while!  Plus, they were in the kitchen so I could overhear all the wonderful conversations that made me giggle!

I love that these 2 birds play so well together and already are making the strong bond between each other as special sisters!  They don’t realize it now, but, I know one day they will treasure it!

Family Day Preschool Style

Last week, Charlie, Wylie and Bess got the opprotunity to show off their stuff! Family Day at St. John’s was a huge success and of course the Bailey Bunch did a fantastic job!

Our morning began with Charlie & Wylie’s class singing us a few of their favorite songs: If I Were a Butterfly, 5 Little Monkeys and I’m Bringing Home A Baby Bumblebee. While there were many movements to these songs, Charlie chose to participate in a select few but Wylie let her stage fright get the best of her and kept her hands in her mouth the whole time! (That is her shy stance!)

Shortly after the performance began, Charlie spotted “his Daddy” and shouted several times to all the ears around that he could “see his daddy”! It was precious, priceless and totally caught on video! So happy about that one! Sadly, the video footage is about 15 minutes therefore not included!

This little boy sure enjoyed his dance moves to his songs though!

Finally, during the LAST verse of the LAST song, Wylie’s stage fright was pushed aside so she could “wipe off” her bumblebee. (That is the last verse of the song.) I find it fitting that my clean freak felt compelled to end her stage fright during this verse! So fitting!

Afterwards, we enjoyed a quick breakfast treat while preparing for Bess’ class to arrive for their performance!

(ps- Charlie is saying Cheese in this photo- just to explain the crazy face ! )

Before too long, Bess’ class had arrived. Although their performance was short and sweet, it was precious also!

I was so proud of my sweet baby girl! She didn’t utter a word in her performance but she immediately ran to me after it was over- so I was just as touched!

And finally, to celebrate a great performance, Bess gave her BFF Taylor a sweet kiss to cheer her on also! What love!

All the while, through all the riveting performances and squeals of joy, there sat one tucked tightly in his carrier, snoozing away… Sweet Brother Ben!

Our 1st Month Together

It is so hard to believe it is time for this post!

4 weeks ago today, The Bailey Bunch welcomed into the world with love a precious blessing!

Our family has adjusted well to having a new brother in the house! Wylie and Bess are ALL ABOUT some feeding time and love to be my right hand ladies during Ben’s many meals! Charlie, while he does like to remind others he has a new “bra-dur” at his house, he really is quite to busy too focus on our new addition!

Our little man loves to eat, which I am so thankful for! While he has not even thought about sleeping through the night, I am hoping he will catch on soon! Ben absolutely hates to be swaddled and would prefer to have his hands up around his face at night! But seeing as how I like to keep this house like a meat locker these days, his little fingers freeze- therefore, he is having to learn to like a Swaddle! He is NOT enjoying it!

By far, Ben’s favorite thing in the world is being held! He loves to stretch out in your arms but then quickly balls himself back up and nuzzles his little head right near your heart! While my bed is so cozy and fit for a king, these days, my “bed” is a brown rocker at the foot of my bed! Ben and I spend A LOT of quality time there! Time I cherish and know will be gone before I know it!

Brother Ben, I am totally and completely in love with you! Everything about you is perfect! My heart is so full of love for you! I can’t wait for all the smiles, happiness and memories that your future holds!

The Thing I Hate The Most!!

I suppose I knew that sooner or later, this day would finally arrive. I mean, lets face it, after 4 babies, we aren’t exactly walking around in the same physical conditions like we were in the year 2006 when baby making at the Bailey house began!

To be honest, if I had been included on the conversation of baby weight when the Good Lord was up there thinking away, I would have just slipped in the suggestion that it should just disappear into thin air the minute you deliver the miracle into the world. However, my opinion in that matter was clearly unheard!

So here I sit, thinking back to the many cravings I have had these past 5 years! The Oreo Cakesters or E.L. Fudge Stripe cookies I loved so with Charlie and Wylie’s pregnancy, the boxes of Milk Duds I consumed with Bess and the gallons of McDonald’s Sweet Tea I consumed with Ben- all these cravings – Oh how I loved them so! Now, I have granola, yogurt and water to look forward to. I know somehow I will manage but my how great were the Pregnancy Eating Days?!

So while I was sulking about the fact that baby weight doesn’t appear to just “fall” off- I had a change in attitude and decided to get myself a trainer! Someone to motivate, drive and push me. Someone to jam out to a great song to pass the time. Someone who would listen to my crazy ideas that develop when I actually have me time to think!

Yes- A trainer I needed and a trainer I found!

Meet my trainer- Baby Otis!

Today Otis and I started off this new week with a new attitude. We are not pregnant- therefore, we shall not eat as though we are!

Me and this studly fellow hustled it around RH today on Operation Return to Pre-Pregnancy! I must say, he was a great BFF to have by my side. Well behaved, protective and fast paced!

So, it is official. Otis and I are on a “plan” . It may be slow and steady but this good ol’ dog doesn’t mind walking 900 miles if he has to. So, I figure I have some good company seeing as how this is going to take a while!

Bless this sweet love! He is gearing up for tomorrow’s adventure on the Skinny Train!

Waking Up

When you wake up to begin a busy day and you look over and get to see this precious sight- How in the world can one not be thankful for the many blessings in their life?

Two of my favorite people all snuggled up!

I love these boys!

Wylie + Bedtime = L.O.N.G. !

It is no secret Wylie has a very particular way of doing most things.  Matter of fact, her name and picture can probably be seen if you look up the word INDEPENDENT in the Webster’s Dictionary.  This child insists on showing us more and more each and everyday that she can do most things on her own.  These days, Wylie has become very adamant about the fact that she will dress herself and don’t think for one minute you will be asked to assist- no sir ree!  This child can do it “by myself”!   She takes such pride in putting the “tag in the back!”  Bless her heart!

Recently, Wylie has decided to add another task she can do by herself to her list.  Bed Making!  You would think as a momma of 4 I would be thrilled by this recently learned skill, and I will be – one day, once Wylie decides to pick up the pace on her new nightly ritual!

Wylie is VERY PARTICULAR about random things.  Bed Making just so happens to be one of them.  Lucky us!

First she begins by making the bottom Tinkerbell Blanket perfectly straight against the edge of her bed.  (This can take multiple attempts and be very upsetting if Tinkerbell does not cooperate!)

Then she begins the layering of her several hundreds of blankets that are critical for her beauty rest!  Please notice the form here!  She whips these blankets into the air as much as her little 3 year old body will allow!  She knows her stuff!

Then, once all her blankets are perfectly placed she begins her crawl into the bed.  This is where it gets a little rough in the bedroom.  Should one of these blankets gets “messy” then we have to begin the entire process over again or a MAJOR flow of tears can possibly occurs!  (On this particular night- we have now had 4 bed making sessions!)

FINALLY…. Wylie is all tucked in tight!  And she did it “all by herself!”

And on the other side of the room, while all the meticulous bed making is going on, there is a crazy wanna be 3 year old jumping like a kangaroo in her crib who could care less about what she is curled up under!! She just wants her pappy!

  

And down the hall, there is a little boy totally enthralled in his “Albin” and the Chipmunks movie, snuggled up sweetly under his SpiderMan Blanket, Ronnie Car, Airplane blankets!

And plopped down in the middle of the upstairs hallway, there is this newbie who is just chilling out in a vibrating seat wondering exactly where he is, who is making all this noise and where is the world is his supper that he requested 30 minutes ago!! 

But thankfully, we all survive each and every bed making session these days!  I love Wylie’s independence.  While it can make me wanna pull my hair out at how much of  a perfectionist she wants to be… I have a slight sympathy for the child. 

So finally, the Bailey’s are in the bed and it is Night Night Lights Out!  Sweet Dreams Friends!

An Important Lesson is Shared!

These days, if you ask Charlie what he wants to be when he grows up he will probably tell you: “Mom, I gonna be Captain America when I grow up.”  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Captain America (I mean come on aren’t we all up to speed with the superheroes of 2011) , .., anyways-  I have included a visual!  

Charlie is really obsessed with all super heroes these days and pretty much has a melt down if his superhero pj’s are in the washing machine!  It is very important to him to stay as bonded as possible with these “dudes”!   He has been spotted sleeping in his Iron Man Mask and thinks his Spiderman Water Web Shooter (THANKS Beth & Michael) helps make all the trees in the backyard grow big and strong!

Anyways-  Charlie doesn’t ask to hold Brother Ben often.  ( He is too busy being a superhero to be bothered with such a task as holding a baby!)    However, the other night when he did ask to hold Brother Ben, I jumped all over this chance.  At the moment that this happened, I still had no pictures of Ben and Charlie together!  I was so anxious for the brotherly moment I was about to witness.  And yet, my camera was not by my side. 

Never fear.  I placed Bess and Wylie near Charlie, placed the Boppy just at the right position and gave Wylie strict instructions on how to help Charlie.  Then, I did the unthinkable and placed Ben on the Boppy and darted to the table where my camera was!  

In the literal blink of a second I was gone, when I returned, I saw Charlie doing what I totally should have known he would be doing.

He was giving Ben the first of many lessons I am sure my sweet Charlie will give-  this lesson was entitled:

Web Shooting SpiderMan Style!

As you can see,  Ben was rather thrilled and clearly comfortable for his web lesson! 

I can only imagine the conversations I will overhear and the sights I will witness as Charlie and Ben become best buddies!  I am so thankful to have 2 healthy little boys who will be able to share so much together as they grow older! 

Wa-Hoo!!

It’s Friday and my mommy is going on a date tonight with daddy!

W – A -  H -  O -  O !!!

4 Things I Absolutely Love…

Bet it sure is hard to guess what this post will be about! While I am thankful to have so many blessings around me that I truly love, I just can’t help and resist in sharing these 4!

As ironic as it sounds, I really have had some thinking time these past few days. Now, usually this is when everyone else is sound asleep except for Ben and I. And granted it is usually 2 am but the quiet moments do happen around here! Last night, thanks to the glow of the television, I watched one of my favorite things. After Ben finishes eating and I place him on my chest to burp, he makes what I refer to as his “turtle face”. A face Wylie also made- it involves raising his eyebrows as high as he can and stretching his neck out and he lets out the most innocent sigh of contentment! I sat there and thought- I truly and honestly love this moment! So that led me to my next thought- What are the things I love to death right now about my kids? What are the things that in this moment I don’t want to every forget?

And the answers are:

#1 : If ever there was a child who could go without sleep, it is my little man Charlie. Nighttime with Charlie can easily be a several HOUR procedure that involves every stall tactic known to man! But it always seems like the moment our patience is as thin as it can be with Charlie’s bedtime, he goes and does something that makes you realize he is just a precious little soul who just wants to play, play, play!

So immediately I think of what is a pretty typical event at bedtime in Charlie’s room. Where you are greeted with this precious face ..

and discover that all he is trying to do is make a nice warm bed for Woody and Bunny Foo Foo. A stall tactic from sleep- YES! But precious- most definitely !

#2: Jokingly, I refer to Wylie as “The Hoarder”. And if she ever ends up on the television show Hoarders- I am totally going to comment on knowing her hoarding addiction began as a young child! This child finds beauty in every single thing her eyes come across. And I truly mean that! Scraps of paper are her “list”, coupons from newspaper ads are her “school work”, any book is for “Circle Time”… you name it and Wylie will flat put it in her big ol’ black purse and tote it around this house and yard all the while adding more and more to her bag o’ loot! And while I can get so annoyed at the randomness of her organization, she has it organized in her own Wylie way! A way I don’t understand but clearly she does!

Just check out today’s stash of “treasures”!

#3: As all kids do, at some point they are taught their body parts. Where are your eyes? Where are your hands? And so forth and so on. So just like many, Bess also learned these. While every now and then we review these body parts, there is one body part we ask Bess to show us daily. Not because she doesn't know where it is, but because she is so precious doing it, I can’t stand not to!

So if you ask - Where are Bess’ teeth? This is the response you get.

What’s not to love about this face? (and teeth!)

#4: Finally to my favorite thing about our sweet new baby brother, Ben. It is simple really. I absolutely love that right after he finishes eating he rest his sweet little head on my chest and literally will lay there for hours until I am forced to move it! His little body just curled up in a tight ball on top of my chest listening to the thump thump of my heart. And while I do love sleep as much as the next person, there are so many moments late at night where I can’t force myself to get up and get back in bed because I am so in love with that moment. With this tiny little baby so content and peaceful. So we just remain seated in our chair and drift off to sleep together! (Then like a sane person I finally wake up and snap back to reality- tuck little Ben in and curl up with all my 9,000 pillows to fall asleep for 2 more hours before I get to do it all over again!)

Everyday these babies grow and change. And while I love watching the new milestones happen, I just don’t ever want to forget these little moments.

Through the Years

To the shock of some, the friendship between Lucy and I did not begin from the womb.  While some have believed we were hired as a joint team and while some innocent children at our elementary school believe we are sisters, our journey only began a few short years ago.  Shocker-  I know!!

Little did my good friend Lucy know that the journey of our friendship would involve babies, babies and more babies!  When we met, Lucy was the ear who heard all the trials and tribulations of my desire to become a mommy.  She endured many B A D days with me where tears were all that could be seen.  She spent hours of a makeshift bed with me on a S A D day for the both of us.  She has learned more about the human reproductive system and fertility than she probably ever cared to learn! And for the 5 years we have been friends, we both find it humorous that I have been pregnant for the majority of our friendship.  Lucy really doesn’t know “non pregnant” Kasie!  HA!! 

But once the babies started being born… there was no stopping the Bailey Baby Train.  And thankfully Lucy has been along for every twist and turn on the ride! 

The extra benefit to this friendship has been watching our babies grow!  While I never knew Burns as a small baby, I can imagine what she looked like seeing as how I have practically every hand me down the child ever had!  (THANKS!)

Burns has been my fearless entertainer, bottle holder, babysitter, hide and seeker, passy finder and baby holder for the entire time I have known her!  She is just as precious as her momma and I love that my babies know Burns and fall out upset when she leaves my house! 

Burns and Wylie – 2008

 

Burns and Charlie – 2008

Burns and Bess – 2009  

 

Burns and Ben - 2011

These are priceless pictures!  And should Burns’ daddy ever allow her to date, I happen to know a  fine young man a few years younger than her who would be a suitable candidate for her!  

Now the next chapter of this friendship begins.  While everyone who knows me knows, I would be pregnant 5 times more, I think I am still in denial that this was my last time.  So now, our friendship can officially begin its non pregnant chapter.  

I can only hope for more years of wonderful laughs, late night conversations and special memories between Lucy, Burns and all our babies!