Couple of Cute Pics of Bailey

Bailey has recently decided that unless she's in the mood, there will be no picture taking and most definitely no posing for pictures. So you have to imagine our surprise when she requested that we take her picture on not just one but several occasions between yesterday evening and tonight. I've included a couple of the pictures that Bailey wanted taken.

Yesterday Bailey spent the morning with Grandma & her friend Ms. Nancy while Tony & I worked at the Challenge Course. Tony had to return to the firehouse at 2pm so I headed over to meet up with everyone & enjoy some of the birthday cake (banana pudding) that Grandma & Bailey had made for one of her Teddy Bears. Sometime in the afternoon Bailey found a pair of Grandaddy's glasses and begun wearing them all over the house, the result was too cute & thankfully she posed for a quick picture while Grandma held her.

This morning before church Bailey saw my camera on the counter and struck this pose for me. To top it off, she actually held the pose while I turned the camera on & focused it... silly girl.

Playdate in Houston

We've had an incredible "early" weekend, that started yesterday with a trip to the doctor in Houston for me. Tony & Bailey accompained me, which meant a 6:45am wake-up time for Bailey. Tony & I figured she would go back to sleep on the hour and 45 minute trip to Houston but we were wrong. She ate raisins, drank her milk and had long discussions with the dalmation Spot which "lives" in our truck. Bailey behaved perfectly at the doctors office only pushing the alarm button in the room once. After the doctor's we headed to Aunt Carmen's house out in Old Katy for a visit with her & Baby Jacob who is almost three months old. We visited for a while, ate some lunch & then headed to the backyard to enjoy some swimming once Baby Jacob went down for a nap.

Bailey enjoying the floating chair.

Aunt Carmen & Baby Jacob, we didn't get much swimming in before he woke up from his nap and wanted to join in the fun.

Baby Jacob chilling in his lounge chair watching Bailey go from the big pool to the baby pool (hot tub) and back again.

Bailey spitting water from the hot tub over the waterfall onto Daddy (Tony had just shown her this trick & she was quick to repeat it).

Bailey showing Baby Jacob how to use the toys on his lounger, afterall she had the same one when she was smaller.

After close to an hour & a half in the pool, it didn't take long for Bailey to fall asleep on the way home.

We had a fantastic visit with Aunt Carmen & Baby Jacob and we can't wait to go back and do some more swimming and visiting. It's hard to believe that Bailey it wasn't very long ago when Bailey was just as small as Jacob. Time sure flies! Once we arrived back in College Station, we had dinner at freebirds with Aunt Katie & headed home for a bath & an early bedtime.

After such a busy day yesterday one would think that Tony, Bailey & I would slow things down today but that just wasn't in the cards. Tony made breakfast tacos for breakfast and then my parents showed up around 1045am to pick Bailey up so Tony & I could head out to the Challenge Course to set up and run the high events for the Rice Soccer Team. Grandma and Grandaddy got the priviledge of taking Bailey to her friend Naomi's birthday party at the Children's Museum in Bryan. After several hours of high energy playtime Grandma, Grandaddy & Bailey returned to their home and everyone took a nap! Bailey had a great time at the party (sorry I don't have any pictures) and we can't wait to have more playdates with Naomi and her little sister Grace!

Tony & I finished at the Challenge Course around 315pm and headed home for showers & a quick rest before my parents brought Bailey home. Once Bailey got home we headed back out for mass since Tony is on shift at the fire department tomorrow. After mass we had our picture taken for the permenant parishoner get-to-know-you, then home for dinner, bath, storytime & hopefully an early bedtime for everyone.

Horseback Riding, George Strait, New Friends & A Big Girl Bed

It's been a busy couple of days followed by some technical issues so its been a while since we last posted. Wanted to take a minute before bedtime to let y'all know what all we've been up to.

8-6-09 : Bailey & Daddy playing horsey. We aren't quite sure where she learned that you hold the reins (daddy's shirt) or that you kick with your heels to make your horsey go faster but Tony assured me that these are things our little tike knows... maybe when she's big enough we will try horseback riding lessons.

8-6-09 : Bailey posing for a quick picture while "encouraging" her horsey down the hallway.

8-7-09 : Bailey all dressed up with her cowboy hat from the library & Mommy's chaco's.

8-8-09 : Bailey has been very vocal lately about which clothes she wants to wear and for several days had really wanted to wear her Easter dress. On Saturday morning we agreed since Tony & I were taking her to Grandma & Grandaddy's for the day. Before we left the house she put on all of her beaded necklaces as well as socks & her tennis shoes (I guess she wanted to be prepared to go to the park). Even though she was all gussied up, Bailey refused to let either Tony or I or Grandaddy take her picture but this picture was the best view of her outfit.

8-8-09 : For father's day, Bailey & I got Tony tickets to the George Strait concert in Houston at Reliant Stadium. We went down to Houston a little early and had dinner at the Taste of Texas resturant (its a fabulous steak house), then checked into the hotel and then headed to the stadium. Julianne Huff, Blake Shelton and Sugarland preformed before George Strait took the stage at 9pm. Even though we missed seeing Julianne Huff because dinner ran late, we thoroughly enjoyed the other acts and George Strait was phenomenal! It was crystal clear that he loves what he does and truly appreciates that people enjoy listening to his music.

8-9-09 : Before we headed back to College Station to pick up Bailey, Tony & I dropped in on a friend of mine from high school who was in town for her sister's baby shower. This was the first time that Tony & I got to meet her little boy, Evan, and we had a great time playing with him and catching up with his Mommy.

8-9-09 : Katy, Evan (ready for a nap) and me. It was a bummer that Bailey couldn't be there to meet Evan too but that will just have to wait until next time!

8-9-09 : Bailey officially slept in her big girl bed (her crib minus the front railing) for the first time today at nap time. She was really excited about it and happily climbed in at nap time. Sometime during her nap she managed to roll onto the floor without waking up, so after naptime Tony installed the partial side railings to help keep her from falling out again. So far its worked!

Things have been kind of crazy around our house so please bear with us if you've phoned and we haven't returned your call or emailed and we haven't emailed you back. Tony is busily preparing for a confined space class he is teaching at the fire department and I've picked up a bunch of work out at the challenge course along with the normal assortment of doctor's appointments. On Bailey's side she is growing like crazy and amazes us daily with the vocabulary she picks up. She loves the park and is looking forward to starting gymnastics classes in two weeks. Hopefully once we get into September things will slow down but realistically we know that that probably won't happen. Good thing is we can't get bored with a schedule like this!

Birthday Celebrations

I had a fantastic birthday yesterday and enjoyed a low key celebration with Bailey, Tony, Grandma & Grandaddy. It's actually been a bit of a drawn out birthday since I received an edible arrangement on Saturday August 1st (they don't deliver on Sundays), then we had the celebration on my birthday and then Tony, Bailey & I met Busia, Dziadzia and Uncle Paul in Hearne at the Dixie Cafe for dinner tonight. Dinner with the Ray's has become an annual tradition seeing as my birthday is the 2nd, the Ray's anniversary is the 4th and then Busia's birthday is the sixth. So much to celebrate! I didn't think to snap any pictures this evening but I wanted to share a couple courtesy of Grandaddy in which Bailey helped Grandma make my birthday cake.

8-1-09 : Bailey trying to sneak a piece from my edible arrangement.

8-2-09 : Bailey helping Grandma get ready to ice Mommy's birthday cake.

Bailey taking a minute to play the drums on the unopened frosting.

Helping Grandma mix cool whip into the frosting.

Making sure there are enough sprinkles on the cake & that they are in exactly the right place.

Bailey's new favorite place to chill out is the top of the couch. She was completely laid out just like Tony until she saw me grab the camera and then she tried to get up before I could get a picture. It's hard to believe that she used to be such a ham for the camera but now it seems she'd rather take the pictures.

I had a wonderful birthday celebration & I really appreciate the many people who took time to send a card, call, email or send me a note on facebook.

On a side note, we had to take Bailey to the doctor today because she seems to have picked up a little cold over the weekend. For the most part there was nothing new but her height took Tony & I totally by surprise. At two years, 1 and a half months Bailey is 38.25 inches tall. That may not seem all that remarkable but it notes growth of 2.25 inches since June 15 at her two year check-up. How crazy is that! I'm starting to think that she's going to be taller than me!