My Little Baby

McKenzie is 6 months old and it is so hard for ME to believe. Scott and I had a conversation that went like this.

M:"Scott can you believe that Kenzie is 6 months old"?

S: silence... he's watching tv

M:"Scott can you believe that Kenzie is 6 months old"?

S: turns to look at me and gives the "that's great honey" face

M:"Scott do YOU REALIZE that in 6 more months she will be a year??"

S:"Yep that is normally how it works Mari..."

So there you go. A man vs a woman...or should I say a mom vs. a dad. To a mom each month that has gone by is so sad because their little baby is growing up and you go look at newborn pictures and remember when....and to a dad they are just 6 months old and ol' so cute, but they are 6 months old.

McKenzie is doing great and has really started to have a cute personality. She loves when people talk to her and play with her, but nothing compares to her brother. Ryan can be throwing a fit on the floor or just walking down the stairs and when she sees him she starts smiling, panting and waving her arms and legs. Even though he pulls on her every limb, pounces on her head and drags her from place to place by her arms she seems to love it. She will defiantly be one tough cookie when she gets older.

She is eating baby food and truly enjoys it. Just this week she started getting on her hands and knees in the crawling position and scoots herself backwards. I will put her on the living room rug on her tummy and when I get back in the room she is crying because she is half way down the hall feet first.  Poor thing!!!

Most of the time McKenzie is an easy going baby, but she now is starting to let us know when she is not happy. She has a very interesting loud screeching cry that makes your face and eyes do weird things when you hear it and makes you stop in your tracks and run to pick her up...yep mission accomplished. She is a smart little thing. She is sleeping 11-12 hours and loves her bed. We are having sitting up 101 classes and she is getting better, but I am thinking she may crawl before she sits up. :) She is 27 1/2 inches tall and weights 16 1/2 lbs. She is in the 90% in height and 50% in weight.

What a true blessing. There are days I just can't stop squeezing and kissing her. She is too cute and I can't keep my hands off of her.

I love watching tv

Look I am on my knees

Oh my gosh I can't believe I just did that

I am so cute I can't stand it

Whose Brother???

5 years ago on my wedding day we were taking pictures before the ceremony.  In one particular picture we had the WHOLE family together.  I'm talking aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents... you get the idea.  It was the BIG family picture. 

My mom was running around, as mother's do at their daughters weddings, with an intense look on her face.  You know the look that says "I want everything to be perfect for this special day! Does Mari have lipstick on for the picture?? Her face is a little shiny, she needs powder!"   If you are a woman you know what I mean by zipping around.  That is what ALL moms do when we are nervous, excited or emotional....we zip!!! 

So the big family picture was just another thing that had to be done to make this day special. Once she helped my very elderly grandparents to the front of the picture and got my aunts to stand where they needed to be we ALL stood still and smiled for the picture.  Just as the photographer was about to snap the photo my best friend/maid of honor yells out "what about your brother???" 

My mother's response was "who's brother, where, what brother." And then it dawned on us all that MY brother was not standing with us in the BIG family picture.  We had to find him and remind my mom that she had an older child which made him my brother.  To this day, Jeff, my brother, has never let my mom live that down. 

So, today I sadly say I forgot my brother once again!!  As I was writing the post for my dad's b-day I remembered that I didn't blog about my wonderful brother on his birthday.  Not that he cares, but I care.  So today this blog is about Jeffrey Jon Bailey born September 13, 1973.

Being 4 years younger than Jeff you can imagine what it was like in our household.  I was the nagging little sister that always wanted to hang out with him and his friends.  Man....he had some cute friends and I thought surly they saw me as cute with my permed hair and braces.  I would always antagonize my brother by kicking over his GIJO men that he spent hours setting up...it was an accident... Hellooo!!! 

I would love to sneak up on Jeff and give him a little punch on the arm and then run. Wanting him to chase after me.  I would continue to do it over and over again and finally he would get fed up and come after me. I then would run screaming to my mom yelling that Jeff was going to hurt me.  And of course who would get in trouble?  Yep, my brother!  I know I was such a brat, but that is what a younger sister is supposed to be.  

So one time my brother actually caught me before I got to my mom and held me up to the moving ceiling fan and said that if I did it again he was going to put me in it.  Kicking and screaming I was scared he would really do it next time!

My brother often says that back then he loved me because he had to and now he loves me because he wants to. Now that we are all grown up and somewhat mature we do have such a special relationship. I enjoy when he comes to visit and I could not ask for a better uncle for my children. Ryan absolutely adores his uncle. Jeff can get him to do anything and eat anything. He loves bringing Ryan the LOUDEST most annoying toy he can find and I know that is pay back for everything I did growing up. Even when Ryan was little bitty and hadn't seen my brother for months he would always run in his arms the moment he saw him like no time had passed.

My brother is one of the smartest people I know. He is one of those that knows a little bit about everything. Don't even try to beat him in a trivia game because you will continually be the looser and feel like a looser. He is one of those people that always got A's in school and never brought a book home. He has a heart of gold and can make you not just laugh but fall on the floor laugh. We tell each other exactly what we think whether the other person likes it or not which between us is ok because we know we have each others best interest at heart.

I am so proud of my brother and excited about the life that he is leading for the Lord. He is in seminary at Waco and will graduate in May. It will be fun to see what God has in store for him and where he will take him.

I love you Jeff and want to wish you a very happy belated birthday. If there where a millions brothers I could choose from I would still pick you. I know sooo cheesy, but I do love you and love that you are MY brother......

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

My dad or Pop, according to Ryan, is turning 62 today. I cannot even put into words how wonderful my dad is to me and my family. He is someone I look to for comfort, wisdom, encouragement, guidance and the list could go on... 

To see Pop with my children is a sweet picture because I  know he loves them just as I do.  It is also a comfort to me that he will pass on to Ryan and McKenzie the same words of wisdom that he has give me through the years.  

It takes a special man to be a "girl" daddy and my sweet dad is one of those special men.  Even at 31 I still feel like his little girl.  On those days that I don't want to be all grown up I can still curl up in his lap and just feel little again.   After a hard day of keeping it all together as a mom,  just his hug can make me fall apart.   And I always find comfort as he begins to tell me it will all be ok....and sure enough it always is ok. 

My dad is a man of little words with great meaning. 

Pop is so special and that is why we celebrate this day in his honor!

I love you, Dad!

A Bit Late......

....HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I just realized I never posted Halloween pictures. We had a great time with playgroups, parties and actual trick or treating.  At our Halloween playgroup each family brought food for a food pantry donation and the kids were able to decorate their bag and pick food to put in it.  It was a wonderful thing to see our kids get involved in helping others.  We had a great time dressing up and enjoying the events of the month!!

At this halloween party Pop-Eye won most original!

Ryan & Kenzie's Playgroup friends!

McKenzie as our little fairy!

Ryan the Pirate!

A view of the playdate chaos!

Pumpkin Decorating!

Our Food Pantry Donations

The kids worked hard decorating bags and then actually sacked up the food!

Baby Emily

I have been trying to write this for several days now, but find that my words do not justify the sadness that has taken place.

A week ago, 4 month old Baby Emily was taken from the earth unexpectedly to be with her Jesus.  WHY will be the question that may not ever be answered, even though I find myself asking God in a million different ways.  As I pray for the family, I find myself begging God to give them peace.  I pray that they have a comfort that is unexplainable, and that they gain the strength they need from our Heavenly Father. 

Emily touched so many lives in her short time and will continue to do so as we go through our everyday life.  I pray that as we hear the name Emily, see it written on something or just simply pass a newborn baby that we will be reminded of baby Emily.  I pray we are reminded of how precious a life truly is and how easily it can be taken away.  I hope that with every moment I will now treasure my children's lives even more.  With every touch I will embrace my kids and with every smile I will remember that life is a gift that does not need to be taken lightly.

Please pray for our sweet friends,  Jennifer and Steve, as they go through this hard time.  What precious loving parents they are and will continue to be.