The Bailey Chronicles: October 2010

Pre-Halloween events

Monday, October 25, 2010

I have been looking forward to the Sachse Pumpkin Prowl for quite some time. It was featured in our local newsletter as a free event for Halloween set up like an Easter egg hunt but with mini pumpkins. This was to happen on Saturday evening, the day after we returned home from Colorado. I had planned to dress Bailey up and meet a bunch of friends w/ kids around Bailey's age to hunt for mini pumpkins together. But mother nature had other plans and rained us out. Sadly the event was cancelled :( maybe next year. I ended up shampooing the carpets instead... not nearly as fun or photograph/blog worthy.

My sister invited us out to to Ghouls on the Lawn in Mckinney last minute, another fun pre Halloween event. So I dressed Bailey up in a custom vintage Cowgirl outfit that Candi made so she could see it on her, plus I need to make some adjustments to the umpa loompa costume that cousin Annie loaned us (I seriously can't wait to see her in it!). I have some cowboy boots that my mom bought me when I was Bailey's age when we were moving to Texas, so it completed the outfit (but she took them off on the car ride home so they are yet to be photographed on her). Bailey and I would be arriving late, because it took me a minute to figure out Bailey's last minute "Jessie" costume and a last minute vampire costume for myself. By the time we got close to the event traffic came to a stand still. Then the emergency vehicles came roaring down the street. Rats, a wreck. They block off and evacuated the street that I need to be on. We had to turn back :(

The Carminati's were good sports about it and met us at Fuddruckers in time for Johnny to get off work. They said they were feeling worn out from the event since they had been there for about an hour and a half. It may have been for the best because Bailey did not like seeing her favorite people in weird hair and clothes. She may have hated seeing people in full zombie costumes roaming the streets. We got home and I took at home pics instead. Hoping that these Halloween events will start working out for us sheesh!

These are her cool Halloween Skeleton Snuggie PJs :) the bones glow in the dark... and I adore the bow tie and heart!! She really digs them!!! I am posting them because they are also kind of costume-like and she wants to wear them all of the time.

by alyak23 | 0 comments

Did I mention I love Colorado?

seriously I have over 200 pics that I love from Colorado so picking just a few favorites for the blog is tricky business. These are just some scenery and pumpkin patch photos I took that need to be blogged about because you know how I love Fall :)

We were a couple of weeks too late to get awesome sunflower pics, but I found the dried ones pretty interesting anyways. Just look at all the seeds in them! And the trees were soooo beautiful! I swear they would glow they were so rich with color. Some of the trees were full of deep reds and other in golds and bright yellow with just a few green ones. Absolutely breathtaking with a mountain backdrop full of evergreens.

We would love to make this an annual trip since John is always in need of a vacation before the holiday hit and I can't think of a better place to celebrate Fall than in Colorado. We are thinking of looking in to finding a cabin to rent since it would be an off season for tourists it might be pretty affordable. If so, we'd love it if cousins and friends wanted to join us next time ;)

by alyak23 | 0 comments

Colorado

The timing of Bailey's sickness fell in an awkward spot. It was right after the wedding rush, and right before a planned trip to Colorado to visit my friend Jen. Jen just had her second baby a few weeks ago, and John was due for vacation before the holiday block out. We would have cancelled if Bailey still seemed sick but she had been looking pretty perky for several days and didn't have any lesions left in her mouth. We waited one extra day before making our trip. We drove, overnight so Bailey could sleep most the way. And really if you have never tried mobile video, it is amazing! As soon as Bailey seemed over sitting in her car seat I popped Yo Gabba in and she was instantly hooked. The car suddenly became more tolerable for her, and it even helped put her back to sleep. I borrowed it from a friend but now I want I want I want!!!

When we arrived it took about a day and a half for Bailey to get adjusted. I was a little worried we might have to leave early because I didn't want to stress Jen out with a crazy toddler. But I had a heart to heart with B and explained what was happening and we took a long cuddly nap together and when she woke up she was totally at ease with the situation and started to enjoy herself.

Several months ago when Jen brought her baby boy Loyal to visit us in Dallas, Bailey didn't seem to be in love with him. But this time she was very entertained. Maybe it's that he's one now and more relatable... who knows. She was also in love with Loyal's Daddy. He is incredibly tall, and has fun hair, and quiet low voice. Every time he spoke she would look at him in awe and admiration. She was curious about the newborn Zenea, but wasn't having it when I would try to hold her. We hit up two spots for photo opps, one at a pumpkin patch in Longmont, and the other at a park in Bolder.

by alyak23 | 1 comments

Sick

One of Bailey's special sick day treatments was her very first Starbucks drink. No I didn't feed my 2 year old coffee, I got her one of the Strawberries and Cream Frappacinos. Really she wouldn't eat much so I always offered her a large variety of things to choose from, this happened to be her favorite... the Gogurt came in second.

and as she started to feel better I gave her her first bowl of cereal. I give her cereal all the time for snack but haven't dared to give her an open bowl of liquids. She has really seemed to get the hang of using forks and spoons w/o a problem and have shared many of my morning bowls of cereal so it seemed to be a good time to let her try something new.

this made her happy! and another way for me to get milk (she hates milk) in her diet.

by alyak23 | 0 comments

The wedding

Barbara and Jedi's wedding was beautiful of course! Still waiting to see the photographer pictures but until then I have just a couple wedding day pics. They had a vintage carnival theme going on w/ a photo booth, tons of kooky props, and an open bar which I am sure made for some interesting photos. Genius! This photobooth would print out double of the photos, one for you to keep and the other for you to write the couple a message on for them to use for their guest book! I didn't bring my camera because I didn't want to mess with it since I was in the wedding as a bridesmaid and their would be plenty of pics of me and the Bride. I absolutely love her bridal party! Every time I am around those girls they make me laugh, it really was a great day.

John and I getting drinks after the ceremony

Photo booth pics...

We may have had a few drinks at this point

Because of some room debacles, the wedding was delayed. Which meant that we couldn't do the scheduled photo shoot before the wedding. We waited until afterwords, and by the time we were done everyone was ready to get into their comfies and relax. We tried to dismantle the Bride.... these are a couple of the bridesmaids trying to remove Barbara's hair extensions.

I remember at one point, Erin, said something about the stylist weaving them into her hair and that they were impossible to remove. Poor Barbara was almost in tears as they tried to pull them out of her hair. and I am snapping away on my cell LOL. They asked for my help and I quickly realized they just snap out. awe poor Barbara!!

It was not to long after this point when I received a phone call from my sister saying Bailey was sick she seemed to have a soar throat and wasn't eating so we should come get her. We didn't get a chance to hang around for the after party.

I dosed Bailey with some Motrin when we got home and she ate an entire Gerber Graduates macaroni meal, some yogurt and some snacks. I had hoped that she was already feeling better, but around 6 am I heard some pathetic little sick whines over the baby monitor and went to check on her. I found her burning up and red faced. I stripped her down and took her temp... the thermometer climbed up to 103.3 before she wiggled away from it. YIKES B!!! First time she has been truly sick. I dosed her again and we rushed off to the doc. They said she has herpengina or coxsachievirus... two very unfortunate names I must say! The only meds to take for this is IBU profen for pain and fever, and mixture of half Benedril and half Malox to coat the lesions in her throat. This mixture must have tasted awful because she would purse her lips tightly and hide her face when it came time to take her meds. And if I managed to get it in her mouth she would gag and sometimes throw up. It took her about five days to get over it. She spent those five days laying on me, and if I dared to get up for any reason she would cry the saddest cry I have ever heard. But happily she is back to normal!! :D

by alyak23 | 1 comments

YAY JOHNNY!!!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Our exciting news here lately is John got his big promotion!! Three months ago he was promoted to be a District Financial Manager, which is still considered a test position. But even though he just took on a new role he was still offered to become the General Manager of one of the stores in our district! Unfortunately it is not very close to the house, about an hour commute, but this is the position he's been reaching for for the last three years and now he gets his shot! Even with his short stay in the last position he was awarded District Financial Manager of the year at a conference he is currently attending! We are so fortunate that he has a job he loves so much, and so excited about this new position. Such a huge blessing!!!

We have a busy couple of weeks coming up. This week is wedding week! and then John will be taking a vacation before holiday block kicks in so we'll be off to Colorado to visit my best friend Jen and her new little one, and her other little one's first birthday! Can't wait! And then I will be cramming in Halloween events. Bailey will be an umpa loompa this year, costume borrowed from her second cousin Annie who rocked it last year hehe. Stay tuned...

Posted in Shout Outs by alyak23 | 0 comments