New phrase needed for playing catch up, help!

Busy again, ahh I hate when I put off blogging so that it then becomes a chore. Life has just been so busy. Since the arrival of my great niece we have had allot going on. A few days after Ryklyn was born I went up to Brigham City to help Jillian out for the day. There is nothing like a the smell and touch of new baby. She was an angel the whole time. I am trying to figure out what Jillian did it her former life to receive such a sweet spirit.

This is what I found when I got there, a princes dressed in pink, sound asleep. You want to kiss those cheeks don't you?

She is so tiny, I swear I can't remember my baby boy being so little.

The weekend after Ryklyn was born we went up to my sister's house to celebrate. We had a feast of crab, shrimp, and other treats. It was super yummy, we decided that we will celebrate each birth with a seafood feast, looks like we will have to wait a while on that meal. It was the first time that Jason and Alex met the baby. As usual she was an angel however.. I was able to get one photo that night of her short 2 second cry so here it is as prove she can cry.

As soon as I was done snapping the picture she returned to her sweet self.

Alex loved the new baby and enjoyed the new kittens at my sisters house as well. Shae took him on like a little mother pushing him in the swing, stroller and helping him pet the kittens. He loved being outside. He also received another haircut.. does that make 10 or 11, I would have to go back and look. Now if only he could sacrifice a little of that hair for his dad.

Alex playing the piano, he is a natural, hopefully one day I can put him in lessons so we can play together.

Alex turned 18 months old on the 15th. I honestly am blow away that my baby is becoming more of a little boy than my sweet little baby. Where does time go? He has been so cuddly lately, I love it. He has been doing so many cute things lately.

Here are just a few..One day he was helping me put away the groceries when he disappeared in to the front room. It was super quiet so I went to check on him. I found him standing at my ottoman, two yogurt piles, a yogurt covered lid off of the container and him playing with a spoon in the yogurt. Did I grab the camera, nope didn't even think of it until it was all cleaned up.

Another time I had finished eating so I cleaned him up and turned around to grab something before unbuckling him to get down. He kicked his legs scooting himself over to my counter and helped himself to the muddy buddy mix. His mouth was packed with them before I noticed. What a character!!

We have also learned that he can give a mean back rub. He is also signing more and talking more. His two newest words are Doggy and Cookie. He adores Blue's Clues and I have become a huge fan myself. So much I can do in 24 minutes =) He has become very orderly wanting to stack things and put items from one place to another. He is also understanding commands very well. It's incredible how fast they learn things as this age.

The last few weeks have been a real struggle because Alex's molars are coming in and he has officially become sick for the first time. Today is day 8 of getting over his cold but hey who's counting. Sleep is my favorite thing and I haven't had much of it lately due to all that is going on with Alex. To make matters worse I am worried that I am now getting it. Alex did sleep much better last night so I hope that things are looking up.

Last week we took Alex to the Dr for his 18th month old check up. He wasn't himself seeing that it was the 1st real sick day for him. The Dr and nurse committed on how different he was.. poor kid. He is developing great with no concerns. He has become quite a chunker pushing the scale at a whopping 22 lbs 5 oz putting him at the 9% for his weight, he it's better than the 5% from last time right. So he isn't a chunker but he is healthy and can afford to eat butter and ice cream whenever he wants, not such a bad thing. he is in the 50% for his height and head at 32 1/2 inches tall and 18 3/4 inches for his head circumference.

Pictures of my sweet 1 1/2 year old boy

Alex enjoying a typical morning

Also on the 15th I was able to go to my Best Friend Laura's baby shower. We have been friends since we were two. It was great to see her, my 2nd family and my old college roomie and friend TyAnne. My Mom, Ty and I made the road trip together out to Saratoga Springs where the shower was. We drove straight there without even taking a potty break or lunch stop.. HA HA JK that joke is for Mollie who lives out there in BFE, it's really not that far but it's fun to give her grief.. anyway. Laura looked amazing and received some really fun gifts. Here are a few pictures from the shower.

Laura looking hot as ever, crazy to think she is due with her 1st boy in January. She will make such a great Mom.

Note to self: outside pictures with shade and two wild toddlers makes for one horrible picture. Laura and her baby look the best while TyAnne and I try to get our kiddos to look at the camera.

Well there is my life in a nutshell the past few weeks. Tomorrow is Turkey Day and we will be spending the holiday at my Aunt Sheila's house. I am so thankful for all I have been given. If you are reading my blog odds are you have touched my life in one way or another and I am so grateful for you. I will save my thoughts for tomorrow but wanted to leave you with this quote I received the other day in an e-mail. I would love to turn my life around were I could live in the moment.

Leave Yesterday Alone (its gone)
Live Today (count your blessings)
Don't Worry About Tomorrow (it may not come)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Green Enough!

I saw this quote while I was out and about shopping yesterday...

Dear Lord- Thank you for helping me to remember that my grass is green enough.


So true, no matter what life throws at you, regardless of how many sleepless nights you have had to a crying toddler, there is always someone out there who's grass is browner.

I'm so thankful for all I have.

I promise to post soon, I've just been super busy.

Great Aunt Sharie

Well as you can tell from the title it's official I am old!!! I am now a Great Aunt to the sweetest most adorable little girl. Ryklyn Story Bailey made her grand appearance 11/03/08 at 1:23 pm weighing in at 7 lb 15 oz and 21 inches long. I was able to witness her birth which by the way was incredible. She took awhile to get here, I assume Grandpa Roger just wasn't quite ready to give her up. He adored being a Grandpa to Jillian and seeing that this little one looked so much like her as a baby I am sure it was a rough goodbye.

Jillian did such an amazing job for her first time. Little Ryklyn scared us at first not crying and appearing limp. She had swallowed a good amount of fluid. Finally we heard her little cry which was repeated only 3 more times while I was there. She is so good natured, at least for now =) Here are many, many pictures of her, I just couldn't get enough of her. Welcome to the family little girl.

Jillian and Clay shortly before Jill started pushing

All dressed up and no where to go.

Proud 1st time Grandpa Mike

Doesn't she look so sweet with her little bow?

Cuddling with Great Grandma

Aunt Hil Bil, somehow she is the only sibling I didn't get a picture with Ryklyn however here is proof she was there and being silly.

Uncle Braxton

Aunt Areiann

Aunt Shae

Daddy checking out his baby girl

Getting her 1st diaper changed, 1 of 3 poopy diapers within her first few hours.

Daddy doing the honors.

Grandpa, Daddy and Ryklyn

The proud family, Mommy, Daddy and Ryklyn

My sister holding her Grand baby, too young to be a Grandma don't you think?

Now on to other random things

You know you are old when... you are the one chasing doorbell dingers off your property instead of being the one doorbell ditching. Saturday night we had just put Alex to bed when the doorbell rang, of course no one was there when I got it. 10 minutes go by and again another doorbell but no one there. By now I am assuming that it's the wind but am getting quite frustrated that every time I get my son calmed down and to sleep the doorbell would ring again. Finally Jason got dressed and waited by the door in the dark.. he heard the kids approaching, waited for the ring and ripped the door open to catch them. Only problem, he had the door locked. By the time he had the door open the kids were running down the street. He yelled at them, Get back here and took off after three teenagers up the road and around the corner. He said he could have caught the girl who was last of the three but didn't know what to do with her once he caught her. Annoyed with the fact that we couldn't get Alex to sleep or go to bed ourselves we finally called the cops at 10:30 requesting them to patrol the area. Although we were told the cops would be out and patrolling our area all night or at least until the kids went home we never saw them or the kids again. I think old man OwYoung may have scared them aware from targeting our house again. =)

I have looked over many blogs the past few days to see pumpkin carving, trick or treating, baking etc., all cute photos of Halloween. I was tempted to completely forget posting anything to do with Halloween because ours was so lame this year. No carving, no baking and no trick or treating. We attempted to take Alex out trick or treating to a few neighbor houses but it was raining. I had received an e-mail that said Ikea was having a Halloween party so we opted to head down there for a bit. We were one of oh four customers in the store, the only ones dressed up and no party going on. We stopped at Harmons to pick up some pumpkin cookies and then went home to order pizza, hand out candy to a few wet trick or treaters and put Alex down for the night. Lame I know but I guess it's good that Alex is too young to understand what he was missing out on. Besides neither Jas or I needed more candy to eat. Here are a few pictures I took of Alex. As you can tell he wasn't a fan of his hood as he never likes anything on his head. He also wasn't up for posing with Mom. Oh well!

Help, what I am doing in this garb

Happier with the hood off

The back of my little dino

So happy to pose with his Mom

Or maybe not, there is always next year right?