Transitions

When Todd and I started talking about moving Dylan into a bed, I was firm on not having her in a toddler bed. I wanted her to go straight from her crib into a twin bed with a side rail so we'd only have to deal with one transition. Todd was okay with this, but he found a way around it also.

I bought a cute little headboard and footboard at a garage sale that I need to sand and refinish. It's adorable and it was only $10. Even if it can't look presentable enough to use (which it will) I figured it was worth a try for that price. Regardless, I've still yet to work on it and I knew the time was nearing to move Dylan.

On Monday as Todd and I played in Dylan's room with her after her nap, Todd decided that we'd start Dylan's adjustment that day. He knew I didn't like the idea of a toddler bed, but asked how I felt about taking the side off of her crib. I felt it was close to the same thing, but agreed. Todd moved so fast to get the screw driver! He came back in with his power drill knowing that if he didn't act fast, I'd change my mind.

And to his credit, he was right. About half way through I didn't like the idea, but agreed to give it a chance.

When we put Dylan to bed Monday night we told her she was sleeping in a big girl bed and the rule was that she couldn't get out. If she needed something, she was to call to one of us and we would come see what she needed. Todd even went so far as to put a motion sensor in her room so we would know if she was out of bed playing with her toys.

She never did. She did slide out of bed a few times (three to be exact) but she was never hurt, never cried and immediately climbed back into bed. I'd put the blanket over her and before I was out of the room her thumb was in her mouth and her eyes were closed. (Not to worry, it's about a 6 inch drop and her crib bumper was there to break her fall. We never would have known she had slid out other than Todd's sensor alerted us to it each time.)

She took her nap yesterday without any problems either. No getting out to play and she still slept her usual three hours.

Last night was another success. If not more of one. She slept through the night, never got out of bed, and didn't fall either. She's getting better. I heard her wimpering this morning at about 6 because she woke up and noticed that Snoopy had fallen to the floor. She didn't want to get out of bed to get him, so she called for me. Good girl. She went right back to sleep and slept until 8:45. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Hopefully this transition will help her adjust to a twin bed more easily. I think I almost have Todd convinced to get her one this weekend. I think.

What a Week!

This past week my best friend Whitney came to town from New York with her family.

She has two little boys who are very close in age with Dylan and Isaac. Dylan is the oldest, then Lane, her oldest, and his birthday is the same day as Isaac's. He's just a year older. Then comes Isaac and less than four months later is Whit's other son, Reed. Can you imagine what it was like with four kids ages 2 and younger in the house? You can't even begin to imagine, because it was terrific.

Luckily Todd and I love Whit and her husband Brett. We all get along so well. I think Todd and Brett were just as excited to see each other as Whitney and I were. Isn't that funny? They all arrived late Saturday night which ended up being a great thing because her boys adjusted to the time change immediately. That helped so much! The one request of us was to spend time outside. It made me laugh because all week Brett wore shorts and a t-shirt, all of them slept in the basement with the fans on, and whenever Brett could manage it, he has doors and windows open for the nice fresh air. Our family froze, but hey, you want to be hospitable hosts so we just wore jackets around the house!

We had some fun park days, spent a day at the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, went to the zoo, and we even hired a couple of babysitters one night so we could go on a double date. It was only the second or third time Whitney and Brett had been out alone since having Lane. That's two years!!! We had a great time.

The kids got along so well too. I did learn that Isaac's only form of defense is his teeth. Sorry Lane!!! (And Dylan, but she's used to it.) I also learned that Dylan is a lover and a fighter. She absolutely adored Reed. She shared all of her toys with him and loved to say hi to him each morning. She even shared kisses with both boys, but if Lane got too close, she wasn't afraid to let him know he was on her turf.

One afternoon Whitney and I went shopping and left the dads home with the kids. When we got home we heard a very funny description of an altercation between Dylan and Lane. Apparently Lane got too close to something Dylan was playing with and Dylan wrapped his shirt in her fist and started pushing him down with her other hand. Lane just sat there and didn't know what to do. Here's this girl who's 7 weeks older, has him by a good 3 inches just wailing on him. Poor thing. We're lucky for two reasons. First, Todd immediately picked her up and put her in time out. And second, Brett did not seem appalled by our daughter's atrocious behavior. He relayed the story laughing the entire time. I just hope he really wasn't disturbed by her outburst. I'd hate for them not to come back because Dylan was violent!

Having Brett in the house was great too! He installed our kitchen cabinets and countertops, fixed my horrible leaky kitchen faucet, helped stain our side gate, made breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and even grocery shopped! I couldn't have asked for anything more. I have to give HUGE thank yous to Brett!

Between all the time we spent outdoors, Whitney still found time to send her resume to some firms here in Phoenix. I hope it works out because I'd love to have them nearby. Seeing each other once every year or so just doesn't cut it.

It was a great week with them and we were so sorry to see them go. Hopefully the job hunt will prove to be successful and we'll find our friends nearby soon. I can see the kids being great friends, and Todd and I having a lot of fun with a fantastic couple!

Lessons Learned...

Or alternatively titled...Things I Now Know About Sewing

I don't sew. Not at all. But I'm determined to change that. I made this determination as a New Year's Goal. Not a "resolution" just a goal. I think a goal is less pressure and therefore more attainable...hopefully.

Because of my new goal, I've found all sorts of fun crafty sewing projects I'd like to try. But first, I needed to learn how to use my sewing machine. The same sewing machine I bought right after Todd and I were married. This included how to thread it, how to wind the bobbin, and how to find a light touch with the pedal. I learned real fast that just like with my driving, I'm a lead foot!

So this all started a few weeks ago when I decided I needed to practice. I had some material that I bought this summer, with the intentions of making a pillow covering and some tie backs for our basement. The material was expensive and I wasn't willing to use it until I knew I wasn't going to totally waste it on a ruined project. So I used fabric I bought two years ago. Yup. Two years ago. These were small squares of fabric that I sewed together to make a patchwork blanket. It was a lot of starting and stoping, lining things up, and just a lot of sewing in general. The pieces are all done, but I never bought any batting to put inside so it's still not a completed blanket. Maybe some day.

But, I got my practice in. There's nothing like having company come to prompt you into action. So, yesterday during nap time, I decided I was ready to tackle my pillow cover and tie backs. Straight lines only, so it shouldn't be a problem. And honestly, it wasn't. But I did learn a few lessons.

Lessons Learned:

1. I can sew in a straight line...but I can't cut in one. That's a problem.


2. It's always good to make sure you have enough thread in the bobbin before you start sewing, otherwise you're going to have to start again in the middle of a straight stitch.


3. White thread just doesn't cut it for every project.


4. Cutting material on the floor is not the way to go. A hard, flat surface is necessary.


5. Slow and steady makes for a prettier stitch.


6. I can now be more productive during the kids' nap times. I have my days when I can get a lot accomplished, but now I can do so much more!


7. If I can do this without the moral support of a family member over my shoulder, I can tackle more projects on my own.

Number 6 was a HUGE revelation for me. I'm certainly not ready to add zippers, or even buttons to my projects yet, but I am comfortable starting on a few of the other projects I have earmarked for the coming months.

Here are a few pictures of my completed projects. The tiebacks aren't on the drapes yet, but hopefully they will be tomorrow. Don't look too close at any of them...just admire them from afar. That's what I'm hoping people will do when they come to the house also!

Happy Birthday Todd!

I had a big, huge tribute with pictures all ready to post for Todd's birthday this morning, but when I mentioned it to him, he reminded me that he has deleting privileges on my blog. Therefore, in typical Bailey tradition (and mind you, just by blogging about this I'm breaking tradition) I will only say, Happy Birthday, Todd. The kids and I are so lucky to have you and we love you.

It's Never Too Late...

I suppose this should have been posted about a month ago, but December posts typically revolved around our daily holiday activities. So, here I am, one month later, posting about a fun conversation Todd and I had with Dylan.

Whenever we are in the car and Dylan sees Todd or I on our cell phones, she likes to hold them and play with them when we are done. There have been several occasions when we have dialed someone up so Dylan could say hello also. This particular night Todd had just finished a call and Dylan asked for the phone. After locking the keypad (what a great invention that was!) Todd passed his phone to the back seat. Dylan opened the phone, dialed a few numbers and put the phone to her ear. Todd turned to ask her who she was talking to, and this is what followed:

T: Dylan are you talking to someone?
D: Uh huh.
T: Dylan who are you calling?
D: A boy.

A long pause as Todd and I look at each other thinking she is way too young to be talking to boys..and on a cell phone to boot. She doesn't need that kind of attachment at two!

This is what we hear next:

D: Hello, daddy?

Phew. What a relief.

4 Years!

Today is our anniversary.

I won't go into all the mushy stuff, because in reality I'm not a mushy person. But I'm so thankful my husband found me! And yes, he really did find me.

He's a great man, a wonderful father, and a terrific husband. Who can ask for anything better? Who knew that four and a half years ago, when I opened an e-mail my life would change??

Here's a quick timeline of a few of the highlights over the last four-plus years:

• June 9, 2003 -- Todd sent me his first e-mail
• June 13, 2003 -- Todd and I met for the first time
• June 24, 2003 -- Our first "official" date to a D-backs game...and we caught a foul ball
• Oct. 18, 2003 -- We got engaged...after a day of looking at wedding sites. Cart before the horse anyone???
• Oct. 28, 2003 -- The offer on our house was accepted. We're homeowners!
• January 10, 2004 -- We get married at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale
• May 2004 -- We finally take our honeymoon to Ireland
• January 18, 2005 -- I tell Todd we're having a baby...on his birthday!
• September 12, 2005 -- Dylan Marie Bailey is born
• April 18, 2006 -- I e-mail Todd a picture of a positive pregnancy test...we're having another baby!
• November 25, 2006 -- William Isaac Bailey is born
• January 10, 2008 -- Thankfully, it was a quiet night away from the kids and an enjoyable dinner.

What a fun few years. And some hectic ones. I can't believe in four short years we've met, gotten married, had two kids and bought a house. Seems unreal, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

Todd, I love you so much and can't wait to see what the next four, fourteen and forty years bring.

The Final Pages

I understand that it's the first week of January. And almost the second week. Which means I've had almost two weeks to finish the last pages of our December Journal. What I didn't anticipate was having 12 pages for Christmas Day.

You read that right. Twelve pages! With all the fun and excitment that Christmas Day brings, how do you choose which memories to capture? I couldn't choose, so I captured as many as I could.

So instead of posting all the pages here, I've decided to create a link where they can be seen. You can find the entire album here.

I hope you've enjoyed our holiday memories as much as we enjoyed creating them!

A Great Start to the New Year!

There is nothing like hearing your child tell you they love you without being prompted.

That's what happened this morning when I was changing Dylan's diaper. She looked at me and said, "Mommy, I love you." I was so shocked I asked her what she said. She repeated it again and my heart just broke.

For so long we would tell Dylan we loved her and she would just shake her head yes. Or we would have her repeat after us to say "I love you." Today it was all her.

Can 2008 get any better than that?