Look Who's Talking!

This stage is so fun because Bailey is saying a new word every day. Here is a list of some of her vocabulary and what the words actually sound like:

love you (uve you)
bath (bash)
juice (shuesh)
star (dar)
snow (no)
yes (yesh)
coat (coke)
blankie (bankie)

Luckily, she can also say a lot of words right:

hi
bye
mommy
daddy
go
ball
MILK! (always in a loud shrieking voice)
Elmo
book
puppy
oval
two or too (all numbers are two and she says too if she wants something "too")
potty (OK... a lot of times she says poopy but I'm working on it!)
seat
sit
shoe
no (of course)
hot
all done
happy
night night
where are you
papa
mine
you

I have been trying to teach her to say her name, but it mostly sounds like "Beeley." We'll keep working on it! I keep telling myself that I need to write this stuff down, because I know I will forget some of the funny things that she says. Who knows what she will say tomorrow!

What is Bailey Up To???

Bailey got into the baby powder and had herself a good time!




Bailey enjoys making telephone calls, but her conversations usually consists of "Hi. No. Bye."




Bailey enjoys trying to put on her shoes and playing with the flashlight! (Yes, at the same time!)




Bailey is also working on her modeling portfolio with this windblown look... :) J/K

Fully Committed in 2012

Scott and I came up with a New Year's Resolution to do together. Our resolution is to get back on the Dave Ramsey envelopes and start doing monthly budgets again. We were very good at this before we had a child, but since I am the "master budgeter" in our family, it has gone by the wayside with being a mom, working part-time and going to school. Needless to say, I lost my commitment to the whole budgeting process in the last year or so. I am even going to try and pick up my couponing skills again, but that is just a "sub-goal" to our resolution!!! :) God has truly blessed Scott and I, and we always want to be good stewards of what He has given us! It's like Dave Ramsey says... "Live like no one else, so you can GIVE like no one else!"

2012 will also bring my graduation from grad school!!! Though I am excited to be done, I am already contemplating my next steps. Scott tells me I just need to relax for a while, but the thought of not replacing school with something else makes a busy person nervous! The ending of one long-term commitment always means the ending of a chapter in life and the start of a new unknown chapter. Though new chapters can be exciting, I tend to make them scary with my "planning" tendencies. Maybe this time I'll learn and I will just take some time to relax (besides I could blog more).

I got the title for this blog from our church service today. FULLY COMMITTED is the slogan that my church family will be pursuing and living by in 2012. Here is an excerpt from a letter from our pastor: "What if every follower of Christ was FULLY COMMITTED in 2012? What if we were FULLY COMMITTED to our marriages, and FULLY COMMITTED to our families, and FULLY COMMITTED to our church? What if we lived with an "ALL IN" attitude with our integrity, and giving, and serving, and worship, and praying, and witnessing? I think we would see a move of God that is unmistakable, and unprecendented." Powerful questions and words!

When I finish my blogs, I sometimes feel like my thoughts have been all over the place; therefore, so have my words. I guess what I am trying to say is that my ultimate New Year's Resolution is that I want to be FULLY COMMITTED in 2012 with our family's resources and my next steps. More importantly, I want to be FULLY COMMITTED to my God, my family, my church, my job, my school work, and my unkowns that 2012 will bring!

Holiday Recap

The holidays were SOOOO FUN this year! Bailey is at that stage where she actually pays attention to her presents and wants to open them. I think I had more fun watching her open her own gifts more than opening my own (and I got some GREAT gifts)! We had a crazy holiday schedule that consisted of:

Friday - getting together with Scott's immediate family
Saturday (Christmas Eve) - getting together with Scott's extended family during the day and having our own family Christmas that night before we headed to Urbana
Sunday (Christmas Day) - we spent the day with my family (including my sis who made a special trip up Christmas night so she wouldn't miss seeing me... love her) and my grandma as well as the Fagan, Davis & Zakowski bunch (lots of laughs for sure!)

The Monday after Christmas we spent the day relaxing at my parent's house. It was so nice and definitely needed! Bailey really was a trooper during the holidays!!!

We spent New Year's Eve with some of our small group friends. It was another night full of fun and laughs. We ate at the Texas Roadhouse (without the kids... WAHOO!) for dinner. After dinner, we picked up the kids and went back to our friend's house for dessert, LOTS OF COFFEE, and a few intense rounds of Catch Phrase. Girls rock at the "Entertainment" category!

Here are a few pictures of Bailey's Christmas:

First glimpse of the doll house Uncle Ben made for her!

Sitting at her new table (Thanks Papa & Grandma!) drinking her "shuice!"

Hugs for Grady!!!!  What happens next doesn't need to be revealed... :)