2 Months Old and the beach

Time has really flow by for me. It seems like Bailey was just being born but here we are 2 months later. Bailey is a very sweet baby and she has such a great disposition. She goes with the flow and she always sleeps in her car seat which is a huge blessing because we seem to be in the car a lot. Last night she slept from 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. I couldn't believe it and I hope this is a new trend for her. Also, I have great news about the diaper rash. It has gone away almost completely. Saturday was the first time it has cleared up since she was born. After trying numerous creams, a very expensive prescription, and resinol, we went back to the the maalox and aquaphor mix and it worked! HOORAY! I can't tell you have relieved I am and I hope that it continues to work. Emma Catherine loves her baby sister, but sometimes has a hard time sharing me. That has definitely been a difficult part of having 2. I think it will continue to get better though. Emma Catherine also is testing me on everything we do all day, so I am praying for patience with her.

notice her wild hair...we can't seem to get it to lay flat :)

While we were in Florida we took Emma Catherine to the beach. We didn't know if she would like it because last year she wasn't a big fan of our neighborhood pool, but we were pleasantly surprised because she LOVED it. She wasn't afraid of the ocean or the waves and she didn't even mind the water being a little cold. She also like the sand and her new toys. Our family is now thinking about renting a beach house this summer for vacation. I think it would be a fun time.She thought she was too cool with her sunglasses!We had fun digging in the sand

Bailey's first beach experience and she slept right through it

She's a Survivor!

Many of you know that my mom was first diagnosed with colon cancer almost 10 years ago. Since then she has had 2 other recurrences and is now in remission...praise the Lord. She is the strongest woman I know and a real prayer warrior. She believed God would perform a miracle in her life and He has, more than once. Though I wouldn't wish cancer on her or anyone else, I can say that I have learned so much about my own personal walk with the Lord and I have obviously learned a great deal from watching her battle this terrible disease. She has used the trials to share her testimony, minister to others, and to give God all the credit, and it has definitely brought our family closer together.


All over the country the American Cancer Society holds fundraisers called Relay for Life. Locally, they have one in Palmetto every year. At the beginning of the event they have a survivor walk around the track. My mom has walked in it before, but not in a couple of years because of scheduling conflicts. This year my aunt asked my mom if she would want to walk in it again and my mom said that she would. Thus started our family's Big Give. (that's what we called it b/c we've all been watching that show) We all arranged to surprise my mom at the walk. She had no idea that we would be traveling since Bailey is so little and she thought that Lauren had a super busy weekend. Ryan and I made it through the airport with 2 children although that is another story in itself and our flight was on time. God answered so many prayers along the way and I'm so thankful. For example, we fly a small airline called Allegiant Air back and forth to FL and it seems that every time I fly the flight is running a little late. I knew even if the flight was on time, getting into St. Pete and getting to the walk in Palmetto would be close. I prayed constantly for 2 weeks that the flight would be on time so we could make it to the walk. As the plane was backing away from the gate, I asked Ryan to look at his watch to tell me the time. It was 2:30 on the dot, which was our exact scheduled take off time. God is good! Needless to say, we made it to the walk to pull off the big reveal and my mom was incredibly surprised. It was a special time to remember my grandmother (who died of colon cancer) and to be thankful that God has blessed my mom over the past 10 years.

The Big Reveal - she is shocked!

walking the survivor's red carpet

Taking the Survivor's Lap w/ her friends Kathy and Bill (also cancer survivors)

We're all about to walk with her on the caregivers' lap

our action shot - actually walking the lap

Glory, Glory to Ole Auburn

This weekend we visited Auburn with my parents. Ryan, my dad, and Lauren went to the A-Day game and then we all went to the Auburn-UT softball games. We all had a great time. Emma Catherine was fascinated by the softball game and watching them "throw the ball." Although she talked about seeing Aubie the whole weekend, when she finally got to see him on Sunday, she got scared and didn't want to go near him...maybe next time. On Saturday morning we went downtown and took some pictures since the girls were dressed so cute in their Auburn outfits. Being in Auburn made me miss it so much. It is such a wonderful place and I have so many great memories. I made great friends, met my husband, got my degree, and got so close to the Lord. I only hope that Bailey and Emma Catherine get to experience this great school and all it has to offer. By the way, everytime I go back to Auburn I am amazed at the growth of the Auburn/Opelika area. It's crazy how different some things are.

Breaking and Entering

Today I had my scariest parenting moment thus far. I'm sure there will be many more, but I hope not again for awhile. It all started with me noticing the mail-lady driving down the street, and my instant need to get the mail. I had just finished nursing Bailey and she is laying naked on a waterproof pad to air out her still horrible diaper rash. Emma Catherine is playing near her. I unlock the front door and run the 10 or so steps it takes to get to our mailbox. I get the mail and run back to the front door. I push the handle to open the door, and it is locked, and Emma Catherine is standing inside looking at me. For those of you who know me, panic can come quickly so I try to stay calm. I plead with Emma Catherine to turn the lock to let me in. I could hear her trying to turn the lock but she can't turn it. I then tell her to go get her step stool and bring it to the door, which she does, but still no luck unlocking the door. By this time I really am starting to panic. (By the way, I am still in my pajamas) Since I know that our only neighbors are at work, I decide my only option is to go across the street and see if one of the construction workers that I've been complaining about for the past 2 weeks will come and help me. A very nice worker brings some credit cards over to try to help, which do not work. I use his phone to try to call Ryan and Ryan doesn't answer. Then the worker suggests my options are to either call a locksmith or he could break the lock off for me. I decide that breaking the lock will be the quickest option because I can hear Bailey crying in the living room. At this point Emma Catherine is oblivious to what is going on. She has started showing us her toys and building with her blocks. The worker goes and gets his tools, and finally after much work on his part, he gets the door open. Needless to say, we will now be hiding a spare key outside, and I will not be checking the mail until Emma Catherine is napping. Below is a picture of what our dead-bolt looks like now. Good thing I can laugh about this now because I was not laughing this morning.

Happy Easter!

Jesus is Alive! I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter. It was so great to celebrate Jesus and His resurrection. We feel so blessed to be members of a wonderful church. We had our service at the convention center downtown and it was a great time of praise and worship and Pastor Tony's message was really good. Jesus was definitely glorified!

Emma Catherine checking out some of her Easter presents.

Emma Catherine is telling Bailey, "It's okay, baby."

P.S. My mom smocked the girls Easter dresses and they turned out beautifully. Thanks Mom!

For all you Auburn fans...

We have been teaching Emma Catherine about Auburn since she was born and we are finally seeing the fruits of our labor. She loves anything Auburn right now. She only wants to use her "Aubie" paci and she would wear her orange Auburn t-shirt everyday if we let her. When she walked into the room at the hospital to meet Bailey for the first time, we asked her what her little sister's name was. Her response, "Aubie." Also, this weekend she and Ryan were working on an alphabet puzzle. When they picked up each letter Ryan would tell her the picture And then ask her to say it. For example, for A he said, "say, apple." When they got to the T, he said, "say, tiger." Emma Catherine's response, "Aubie." Hooray, we have ourselves a little Auburn fan. WAR EAGLE!

2 Weeks Old

Bailey is now 2 weeks old and she weighs 8lbs 9 ozs. We are slowly adjusting to life with 2 kids, but boy things are busy. I'm not sure what I would do without my mom's help these past 2 weeks. We are all really going to miss her when she leaves Sunday. Emma Catherine loves her new sister, but is definitely having many "two year old" moments. On another note, please pray for Bailey because she has a HORRIBLE diaper rash. Her skin is bright red and raw and we have been to the doctor twice because it is not getting better. We've tried lots of creams and a homemade mix of aquaphor and maalox. Today the doctor suggested she may not be digesting the dairy in my diet, which could cause the rash. She also called in a prescription ointment, so as of today, I am on a dairy-free diet to see if it helps. This is going to be difficult, but my mom went out to the store and bought some lactose-free products for me to try. Here are some pictures of Bailey's first two weeks.