The Bailey Chronicles

John, Bailey and I went to my sister's house for dinner earlier this week. Bailey has decided Bella is a fascinating individual, and she has really warmed up to her older cousin. We went over there two night after Bailey received her immunization shots and understandably because of those shots Bailey wasn't her normal happy little self. Every time Bella left the room Bailey would start crying and when she would come back Bailey would suddenly stop and want to see her. Animated exciting Bella seems to be the cure for a cranky baby :o) Bailey is generally a pretty easy going baby, but she does have her OCD moments. For example when she is overly tired or there is too much excitement happening she needs to be swaddled, with the music on specifically from her bouncer, the lights low, and nobody talking for her to nurse without a crying fit... can we say spoiled? Ummm yeah, Bailey needs ambiance in order to eat. If this doesn't happen for her she will not latch, instead she will just cry at me like I am torturing her or something. Silly me, I forgot to bring the music box to Candi's. I should have known she wouldn't cooperate because of the shots, but I wasn't thinking. We tried the swaddle and Candi even put on a music channel, but Bailey wasn't having it. She was starting to gear up to a full melt down in her swaddle blankets just when a happy little Bella popped up on the arm of the couch next to her and started singing about the bundle of Bailey, "I'm a burrrrito, I'm a burrrrito, I'm a burrrrito, wrapped in a blanket!" Bailey found this hilarious. The more Bella sang it the harder Bailey laughed. It's Bailey's new theme song.

We went on our very first out of town adventure with Bailey over the weekend. I have to admit I was a little apprehensive on how this whole thing would go since this would be the first time stuck in a car with Bailey for 4 + hours to Austin, staying in a hotel since she seems a little picky about where she sleeps and what the atmosphere is like when she nurses (I will explain this one later, John thinks it's hillarious and needs to be blogged about), and being in new environment with lots of action and commotion. I was pleasantly surprised on how she took it all in. At home it is not nearly as exciting so it really was any ones guess on how she would react. She slept the whole drive to Austin and started trying to wake up at maybe the last 5 to 10 exits, but really didn't even cry just kinda babbled a little. She was in good spirits at my Dad's house that night, and slept pretty well in the pack and play that night which was the first time she has used it.

The next day we went to my baby cousin Annabel's first birthday party, which was the reason for the weekend trip. She was so cute with her purple hippo cake that she gobbled up in true one year old form, even slapped it around a little in joy. Unfortunatly the hippo bit it face first into the grass, so Annie got a second chance at a cupcake which she seemed to enjoy just the same. We were so happy that we could be there for the birthday celebration, it was so cute and lots of fun. Annie is already standing and doing so many cool things, I think the last time I saw her she was close to the same age as what Bailey is now. It was def fun seeing how much she has grown and how smart she is. I really hope we can come back soon because I want to spend more time with everyone down there, maybe in a setting where it's a little easier to catch up ;o)

That night we had dinner at Dad's again. The first time he met Bailey was when she was one month old and he was pretty sick so he couldn't hold her or get very close to her. This time he was feeling healthy and had a chance to bond with her. They seem to like each other.

The next day it was time to drive home. The ride home was really the only hard part of the trip for Bailey... and the rest of us. SXSW, a huge annual music festival, was coming to an end and so was Spring Break so traffic was horrendous. There were wrecks and construction all up and down I35 so we sat in stop and go traffic for well over 6 hours. Bailey was not a happy camper. Eventually I moved to the back seat with her because she was very upset and she chewed on my hand for several hours and then eventually, once we got into Dallas city limits fell asleep.

Lately Bailey has been giggling more and more, which I love, but I can never get a full laugh out of her. I act silly, and make faces, and tickle her, and blow on her tummy, and make funny sound effects, and weird noises... but all I ever get back is a small giggle and a strange look, almost like what you would do if you felt awkward about something or if she is truly pleased about something I will get a big gummy grin and maybe a squeak or two. She's a tough crowd I tell ya. This morning I got a true full fledged happy and delighted laugh out of my little one and it was the sweetest little laugh I have ever heard, like music to the ears. The laughter was brought on by me lifting her over my head and burying my face in her stomach with kisses over and over again. I tried to repeat it a couple hours later for John when he got home, but all I got was the stone cold stare of "what do you think you are doing?" *sigh* At least I got to hear it. Hopefully she will find me more entertaining next month LOL.

Sorry they are fuzzy I snapped them with my cell phone, but she was making me laugh so I had to share. And it begins... stage 1 of everything going into the mouth, soon nothing in arms reach of the baby will be safe.

Miss Bailey has been taking all of her naps and sleeping at night in only her crib since Tuesday. The days of sleeping in the swing are a thing of the past. It's now the end of the week and she is a pro. She is actually sleeping better at night these days, not exactly true for her day time naps, but I imagine that will correct itself in time.

This last week Bailey has had a change in sleep patterns. She has been waking up at night every hour to two hours. I believe this may either be a result of her teeth pushing since she has turned into a drool monster or she may no longer be sleeping well with the motion of her swing, which we have already weened her down to the lowest speed setting. With this new exhausting sleep pattern, well actually old exhausting sleep pattern since I went through this with her in the beginning weeks, we felt that it might be time to fully commit to the crib since none of us are getting any sleep anyway. Yesterday seemed like the perfect conditions for success. She had not been able to sleep a descent nap all day and as a bonus it turned into a cool and rainy evening. We gave her a warm bath and a baby massage with her Johnson's sleep comfort baby wash and lotion and snuggled her up in a snug swaddle. I nursed and rocked her to sleep, despite what the doctor said because his way just worked her up way too much for my comfort level or John's, and gently placed her in her crib holding my breath and tip toeing out LOL. Thirty minutes later she started to fuss so I quickly picked her up and repeated the nursing and rocking, and once she was soothed back to sleep she was placed back in her crib. Again she awoke in thirty minutes. The next two times she slept for an hour long stretch each. And then a successful 4.5 hour long stretch! and then finally another two hour stretch. She did not get worked up once, and seemed rather OK about the whole situation instead of it being the traumatizing nightmare that it once was, and the most important thing made it the entire night in her crib!! We are sooo proud of her!!! YAY Bailey!!

Candi gifted me this sweet vintage hankie for my wedding day as my "something old" and it was pinned underneath my dress. It is actually an old Irish tradition which is fitting since John and I are both Irish and our little girl has a very Irish name. My hankie came with a poem that I thought was very sweet and I am proud to pass this tradition on to Bailey when her wedding day comes.