Happy 13th Birthday Bailey!!

*Beautiful

*Animated

*Intelligent

*Loving

*Enthusiastic

*Young Lady

I still can't believe that our first born, my sweet little baby girl, is now a teenager! All I want to know is where has the past 13 years gone?

It really feels like just yesterday when Don & I were waiting and waiting in our tiny little rental house for her to come. Then at 5 AM on the 25th we decided to head on over to the hospital because my contractions were 5 minutes apart. I was done doing the contraction thing at home, since they really started around 11 PM on the 23rd, but since they weren't consistent (meaning 5 minutes apart for 30-60 mins) I couldn't go in. The doctors claimed that my labor started at 5 AM on the 25th, but I say boo on them, they totally started Tuesday night! 

When we arrived I was dilated to 2 and by 11 AM I was dilated to 9...I was so excited and couldn't believe that it was moving so quickly but boy was I wrong. At this point my water hadn't broken yet so they went ahead and broke it, which took my dilation from a 9 down to a 7...talk about a downer. What made it even worse is then saying that they hadn't seen anything like that before. By 5 PM they had me start pushing which went on for two hours which by then they realized that her head was sideways. Two different docs went in to try and turn it but it wouldn't budge (now thinking about this all I have to say is "Duh" of course it wouldn't budge because she was being pushed into my pelvis for 2 hours), and boy the turning attempts were painful too. So off to surgery we went. 

Bailey was born at 9:37 PM via c-section, 9lbs 8oz and 21inches long!

Our first Family Photo on the 26th!

"Professional" Hospital Picture!

 Take note of her mouth...they had just pulled her "pluggie" out to take the picture.

3 Months Old!

3 Months Old!

4th Birthday

9th Birthday 

(every year since she's been 3 I've gotten her a carnation for each year of her life...carnations are the flower for January. This year was an exception because I didn't remember in time, so I will make sure I at least have them for her party next weekend)

13th Birthday!

 Getting breakfast in bed! 

My how she has grown, and what a wonderful young lady she is turning into! We do fear the teen years, as most parents do and I know we will have our ups and downs, but she is such a sweet, wonderful girl that I don't think they will be as bad as they could be (I'll keep you posted though)! :)

Bailey we love you so much and are so very proud of you and everything you do! You are a wonderful big sister (95% of the time) :-) and a fantastic daughter! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!

Inauguration Day

Despite everyone's political views I must admit that this Inauguration Day is a monumetous occasion more so then any other! I pray for our country and for President-elect Barack Obama that he will make the right decisions and choices for our country during his four years in office. Although he wasn't my choice, like many other Americans, to hold office for this term, I do believe that now we all need to pull together as one, one nation under GOD, to repair our country and make it a place that we all can be proud of!

God Bless and God Bless America!

Prayer Request

Well here is another prayer request: 

Kelly from Kelly's Korner delivered her daughter on Friday evening at 40 1/2 weeks and the baby has been flown to AR Children's hospital in critical condition. Please pray for baby Harper and her family!

Foto Friday Fun

*NOTE* I just realized that this photo is flipped...I was looking at it thinking my hair does not part to the right...funny!

Bailey & I joined a knitting club at her school that a few teachers are leading....yes, I am becoming the jack of all trades.  Let us call me the Domestic Diva! :) Maybe I should take up pole dancing next (I hear it's good exercise) or return to belly dancing...hmm!

Making a hat...Such a serious knitting face...

Stay tuned for photos of our projects. Ok off to knit and sew (making fleece pillows for Bail's b-day party favors).

Praying for Abby

I don't typically do this but I put a prayer badge on the right side of my blog for another family....please click on it to read up on Abby's story. I first heard of this story child's fight from another blog that I frequent, so I decided to head over to their site to read up on this adorable little girl. 

I just can't imagine, nor do I ever want to, what it would be like to walk in this family's shoes on this very frightening battle with cancer. Not just cancer but cancer in your child, your three year old child. What really hits hard for me is that this precious child is the same age as my little Bella. 

Truly heartbreaking...please take a moment and pray for this family and read up on their story.

I know, I know...

you are still waiting for bowl updates....I'll get it done (I'm trying to compile photos from 4 different cameras)! 

Otherwise, we are all doing great! We spent most of the weekend with the Spiccis because Don is helping Tony redo their basement. Friday night was demo night so all the boys, including Nico, went to their house to rip out the entire basement. Nico was so funny, all week he was anxious for Friday because, "we have our class party because we earned enough compliment points and then I get to go rip out walls at the Spicci house", and he referred to it as the best day of his life! So cute! 

While the boys were in man land all of us girls headed out to some friends of ours house for the 1st night of bible study...Aimee & I did the bible study while all of the kids (11) played.

Saturday morning Nico had his basketball game @ 8am and then it was demo day #2. The boys headed over their before noon, and the girls and I headed over there a couple hours after. We all had lunch together and then us girls left, dropped Liv off at a friend's, and then headed to my house. It was pretty low key but we had fun especially rockin' out to the Spicci's American Idol game for Wii (loved it)! Later in the eve we left the girls home and Aimee & I headed out to get dinner for us & the boys.

Sunday was relaxing....love those kind of days. Don helped the girls get their room rearranged (pics later when it's done) while I napped and then he headed back over to the Spicci's for day 3...they are really making a lot of progress. Then that eve we ate dinner with my sister and played the new version of Life (it has credit cards instead of cash...the game has come along way from the original but it's fun).

Today is back to the grind! :(

What are These People Thinking?

My sweet, wonderful, thoughtful, daughter Bailey was really into finding out what everyone wanted for Christmas this year. She even hunted for babysitting jobs so that she could earn some money to use to buy family members gifts this year...she was very determined that she must buy for her family, and I think that was so gracious of her for her age! I'm proud of you Bail! 

This is the great gift that I got from Miss Bail...I have been in serious need of a new pair of kitchen shears for sometime now because mine can't hardly cute paper anymore.

BUT take a close look at this photo and tell me what you think might be wrong with this picture....

Are you stumped? Well here take a closer look....

Have you figured it out? 

What are these people thinking? WHY does one need scissors to open a pack of scissors...are you kidding me? What if this is was the very first set of scissors I was buying...how the heck would I have opened them??? Seriously people, let's think before we package! While I'm on the topic, have you ever had to open a Barbie (or any toy for that matter)...they go so far as to stitch every strand of her hair to the cardboard facade that she comes on? Is it really necessary to secure them down that much to a piece of cardboard....I mean seriously people, it shouldn't take three hours to extract one toy from it's packaging! 

Yes We Are...

...back in town...we got back on the 30th. The reason for my lack of posting was due to me becoming ill game day (big fat head cold which led to strep throat). Then when we got home I basically slept until Thursday night, and ever since I have been trying to get better and playing catch up with everything around the house.

I hope by the end of the week that I will have you all caught up with the life and times of the Barnes Crew...I'm sure you all are just dying to to hear all of our stories (LOL)!