Our Changing Lives

There have been some big changes in our home lately. First of all, Zachary was supposed to be going on another deployment this summer, but he got a call thanking him for volunteering, but they were not going to go anymore. There are mixed emotions about that. We are glad that he isn’t going, because we know he will be “safe” at home and he won’t be missing out on Lily’s first year milestones. On the other hand we were counting on the extra money to get ourselves out of debt.
I have made the decision to be a nurse. I have been taking a CNA course, and am looking for the right nursing school.
Micah just turned 4 a couple days ago. Zachary and I got her a spring outfit and Tangled, and she has been watching at least once a day. She also got some new clothes from Nana and Papa along with a Snow White dress. She has been wanting a Snow White dress for her birthday for the past 3 months, so she was pretty excited. She also got some money from Grandma Renee, which she hasn’t figured out what to get yet, but I’m sure she will sooner or later.
Alyssa is almost 7 and we are trying to get her ready for baptism. We try to read scriptures every night as a family, but with me or Zachary being gone for school or work so much, it’s hard.
Lily just had her 6 month check up and she is getting big. She is 14 lbs and 26” tall. She can almost sit up by herself. If she looks or grabs for something that is not higher than her head, she topples over.

It's Military School For You Young Lady!

HELP! My little Alyssa has turned into a destructive teenager! She has the biggest attitude under the sun and has been destroying nearly everything. She has been drawing on the furniture/walls (come on, that is something only toddlers do!), she tore off the vinyl lettering in her bathroom along with some of the wall, put stickers all over the bathtub, AND SHE MADE A HOLE ABOUT THE DIAMATER OF A WATER BOTTLE IN THE WALL! I AM ON THE VERGE OF A BREAKDOWN! I have no idea what to do about this. I have tried different approaches, but nothing seems to work. I have yelled, tried time outs, grounded her, took all her toys away, spankens, lovingly talked to her, and it all turns out the same. She does not have any remorse for anything she does. No matter what kind of punishment she gets, it's like no big thing to her. I don't know how to get her to stop. I have been praying and praying for an answer or that things will just click and she will understand that it's not ok to disrespect your parents and destroy property.

Fun at the Aquarium

Last Wednesday, Lily, Micah, and I had a fun day with our good friends Tiarra and her son Amari. First we went to lunch at Applebees, and then we headed off to the aquarium. We had never been, so this was a pretty exciting outing. The Living Planet Aquarium is the tiniest aquarium I have ever seen. When we were done, I was like..."Really? That's all?" Oh well. I shouldn't have expected more. We do live in Utah.

Here is Micah sitting on a giant frog


and Micah trying to touch a sting ray...

She never did touch one, just put her hands in the water.

Micah and Amari looking at a turtle


and Lily and Micah looking at the huge river fish

Those fish were seriously huge! Freaked me out a little.

Caught Ya!

So we were just sitting watching lost and decided Lily needed some tummy time. I really didn't think she would roll over, but got my camera anyways. Whata-ya-know she rolled over!

Long Time, No See

I have thought about and tried at least twice to put up a new blog post, but it just seems to never happen. I am in a creative/crafting slump. I have all these "projects" I want to do, but when I do get the time (at the end of the day when all the kiddies go to bed) I am completely exhausted.
There have been a couple of big milestones for us. Alyssa lost her 2 front teeth,

and Lily rolled over from her stomach to her back for the first time Saturday! Lily has also started to eat her first food, rice cereal. She only has rolled the one time, but I'm sure she'll do it again soon, and this time I will be prepared with the camera.
Along with all that I turned 25! I had a great birthday aside from working that day, but that was my choice. When I got home from work, the kids (with my mom and Britni's help) made me a cake.

Obviously realized I should take a picture of the beautifully spriklefied cake after taking a huge chunk out.
We tried to go to Tucanos, but silly me didn't make reservations and I didn't want to wait an hour and a half to be seated. Who knew you needed to make reservations for lunch. Oh well, we went to the Sushi House instead and I completely stuffed myself.

Time went by too fast

So, it has been 2 months since Lily was born. It seems like it's been much longer than that, but I also feel like she just barely got here. I have to go back to work in 22 days and I feel like I haven't had enough time with her. I like to go to work and chat with all my co-workers about each others lives and the funny things that come up while at work, but I'm gonna miss my baby. I so desperately want to be a stay at home mom again, but right now, it just doesn't work out that way. It makes me so sad to think of all the time that's going to be spent away from my kids.

I think it's so funny how gangster my kids look. Alyssa and Micah with their serious faces and Lily poppin' the collar. Hillarious!

Lily Starr Bailey

Lily is finally here. We went to the hospital to be induced at 9 in the morning, and got the pitocin around 10. An hour to 2 hours later I got my epidural. So I pretty much felt no labor pains up until about the very end. For the longest time I was stuck at 5 cm until the on call doctors switched. The new dr came and checked me, told me I was a good 6 and 100% effaced and he thought I would be ready in another 1/2 an hour. He came back 30 minutes later and I was ready. It took only 2 pushes. The doctor told me to stop after the second push so that my body could adapt and stretch instead of tear, but her head kept comming. Then a little hand and arm reached out and she pulled herself on out. She was ready to meet the world. Lily Starr was born October 1, 2010 at 6:11 pm. She was 7 lbs 3 oz and 19" long.