I just noticed that my last post was August 8! Wow! I'm WAYYYY behind! We've done a lot since then. We've moved from Austin to Nacogdoches, Spencer started at a new church, Collin started pre-K, I've been staying at home with the kiddos, and Bailey is 3 months older!
We are loving our new life here in Nacogdoches! It's a little different for us, though. It's been over 10 years since I've lived in a small town, and it's a first for Spencer. It's a nice change of pace and we really like how long we can go between filling up our cars with gas. We love our new church, Fredonia Hill Baptist Church (check out their website). There are so many wonderful people we're meeting and we love making new friends.
Since our move was a little chaotic, I haven't been working. We still haven't sold our Austin house, but we're trusting God that sale will happen on His timing. (His timing is always better than ours.) For the first month Spencer was here in Nac, staying in a church member's home, while the kids and I stayed in Sugar Land with my parents (who were in the middle of a move, also). It was tough to be apart, but we're so thankful to be surrounded by people who are willing to help us out whenever we need it. Finally, we found a rent house that works for us and the dogs, so in the middle of September we moved in. It's a fun house to live in short term, but we're praying out Austin house sells and we can get a more permanent home.
Collin started preschool once we got moved in. He was a little nervous to start something new, but after one day, he loved it! I'm so thankful for that! Collin really thrives in structured environments, and our home hadn't been too structured since May. He goes to school 5 days a week from 8-11:45. He loves learning new things (from someone else). I'm especially thankful for that since he told me one time that he didn't need to learn anything new.
Bailey is almost 17 months! She is growing so fast, and changing on a daily basis. Her hair is getting so long, but she won't keep a bow in for very long, so it's almost always in her eyes. I'm trying to be patient until her bangs grow a little longer and they'll sweep to the side much easier and stay out of her face. Her view of the world is going to be entirely new when that happens! She's saying more words all the time. She still would rather scream at us then say something, but she's trying to talk. She's even using her sign language more. She's starting to realize that when she can communicate with us she gets what she wants much faster. Hopefully. Her personality is really starting to come out these days. One new thing I've discovered about her is that she really is an animal lover! Collin likes dogs and other animals, but Bailey LOVES them! She is always hugging and kissing our dogs and even her animal toys. She also loves her babies. She walks up to babies in strollers and tries to pick them up (even if they're bigger than her).
I've been staying at home with the kids for the last couple of months, and it has been an adjustment. I love being able to focus all my energy on my family and home. I have to say, that having experienced both sides of the stay at home mom debate, I can't say one wins out over the other. It's just as exhausting staying home as it is working. It's just different. Currently I'm looking for a job here. We'll see how that goes! It's such a different health care environment. It's not any worse or better than being in the big city, it's just different. There isn't a pediatric hospital, so I won't be doing that, which doesn't make me the least bit sad! I'm a little tired of 12 hour shifts and working in a place where weekend and holidays don't exist!
We've had a busy October, too! I can't believe it's already November and the holiday season is officially upon us!
I'm trying to post some links of pictures from the last 2 months! Hopefully it will work since there are just too many to download into this post!
11.02.2009
8.08.2009
Pigtails & Pirates
These are Bailey's first pigtails! Isn't she just adorable?
Collin got A LOT of Legos for his birthday, and this is his first project.
8.05.2009
4 years old!
Collin had a great 4th birthday today! I was so determined to make this day fun for him since he's had to endure a lot of stuff lately that was not fun for an almost 4 year old. He's been super throughout church visits, long car rides, hotels, and many nights out of his own bed (the kid loves to sleep in his own bed), and meeting tons of new people. He's been so anxious about moving that I wanted to make sure today was really special. 
We started our day with a breakfast celebration with one gift-a Darth Vader t-shirt from Uncle Stu.
Then, after someone came to take pictures of our house, we went to Dave & Buster's for lunch & games.
He also got to open one more present, a special one from Mom & Dad. (A few months ago Collin decided he needed a watch "with letters"-meaning numbers & hands instead of digital, so we got him a Lightning McQueen watch with his name on it. I'm not sure why he decided he was ready for that, since he can't even read a digital watch, but maybe he can learn from his new one.)
After the games we turned in our tickets & redeemed them for lots of cool prizes.
We we got home Uncle B & Grandad were waiting for us. So we played with them while we waited on Grammie to arrive. Then we had more presents, pizza, & birthday cake.
I think Collin had a great day (at least he said he did)!
Here's a link for some pictures from the day:
7.18.2009
Good Behavior
I'll admit, most of my parenting techniques are not from a book. Most of the time, I just try something and if it doesn't work, or stops working after a while, I move on to something else. The priorities in our house, when it comes to discipline, are to disciple out of love, not anger, and to teach Collin to grow up to be an awesome man of God.
Collin has always been a bit of a challenge to discipline. He never fits into any of the discipline molds that all those books out there suggest. Even advice other, more experienced, mothers give me seems laughable to Collin! I like the ideas presented in most of the books, but I just can't seem to make them work! (Maybe Bailey will be easier. I can't hope, can't I?) One day in March I noticed that all I was doing was focusing on Collin's negative behavior, instead of aknowledging the good behavior. We talk a lot about making choices in our house, but I thought "how can Collin ever learn to make good choices if I don't ever let him know when he's making one?" So, the Good Behavior Jar was born. The jar I bought was a little large, so when Collin decorated it, I put a line for him to reach so that he didn't have to fill it all the way up! I didn't want him to forget what we were trying to accomplish. Collin decorated the jar himself and he and I agreed on behaviors that would get him an M&M in the jar. Then we agreed on a prize to look forward to after filling the jar. Collin wanted a real bicycle with 2 wheels (he hasn't noticed that there are really 4 wheels on his bike). He finally filled his jar (which took a little longer than planned because we couldn't fill it when we were out of town). Collin is so proud of himself every time he gets to put an M&M in his jar, he's spending less time in time-out, and he is able to identify poor choices and good choices. Spencer and I are so proud of him. It's so hard to believe how fast he's growing up.
Collin in March, after he decorated his jar.
Last week, after he filled his jar
Collin & Daddy putting together his new bike
Going for his first ride
Look at him go!
Collin is doing really well on his bike. He just forgets to look where he's going! I really never worried about him making it to the age of 5 until now! On the plus side, I have one more activity to help burn all that energy!
She's WALKING!!!
Bailey's been walking for a few weeks, and she's getting better every day. It's been almost impossible to get a good video of it. Until now! I think she looks like such a big girl in her night gown & now walking!
6.26.2009
Pictures
Last weekend we went to a wedding in the Austin area. Bailey got car-sick on the way and I didn't have another dress, so I had to borrow one from a cousin. It actually worked out well, since Collin was already in white!
6.17.2009
The Festival of Ladybugs!
Collin has been referring to Bailey's first birthday party as the festival of ladybugs! I think he's probably accurately named it!
Here's a link to the pictures from the party:
I can't believe Bailey is 1 year old already! Time has flown by!
She's got so much personality now, and it's so different from her brother! Here's some interesting things about Bailey for you to know...
- She is a "Mommy's girl" (which is an adjustment for me-Collin was not!)
- She LOVES to eat, so beware if you're eating near her-you'll have to share!
- She likes to push around Collin's cars
- but now she has a purse, so she loves to empty it and fill it up, with anything she can find, and carry it around on her arm
- She's been very good at walking behind a walker, but has refused to take even one step without assistance (and why should she? she's a speed crawler)
- but...yesterday she took her first unassisted step!
- She loves to climb, and she's pretty good at it. She's very careful. She usually can even get herself down from whatever she's climbed on!
- She makes lots of sounds, has said "mama" whenever she wants something, but no official first word yet
- Most of her sounds are LOUD! I'm thinking cheerleader....
- She likes to "sing"
- Her favorite game is peek-a-boo! If there is a sheet, blanket, or anything she can hide her face behind or under, she loves to play!
- We've tried the sign language thing, but she's not into it (Collin loved using sign language), but she's so loud that we respond pretty quickly, and we usually get right what she wants! She definitely has her own way of communicating what she needs.
- I'm sure she's reached all the appropriate developmental milestones, but she's the second child & I just don't have time to keep up with them all! I know she's passing things from one hand to another, picking up small things, doing well with shape sorting blocks, & imitates what we do with various items. (I think that's all the important ones)
- She's so cute & has so much hair, but it's so fine that bows won't stay in (very disappointing).
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