Bailey's first Ponytail

 This is the first time I really attempted to put her hair up in any sort of ponytail.  Keep in mind, Bailey HATES bows in her hair and for the most part, takes them out within seconds :(  

 This is what she thought of the ponytail...so sweet...even when she is pouting! 

 And this is what she thought of the pebbles look...don't worry I took it out immediately! LOL

 She didn't seem to mind the pig tails much, but her hair is so fine that they only lasted a few min :)  

Jackson update:  Well..he is officially potty trained!!!!!!!!  WAHOOOOOOOO!!!  We have actually created a monster! He tries to go #2 about 10 times a day!  You have to understand, going poo poo was the BIGGEST battle...he would scream and cry forever...for. a. year. straight. (seemed like a lifetime to me!). Now, he just all the sudden says, "Mom, I'm going to go poo poo ok?!?!"  YES....YESSsssssss!!!!  You just have no idea how completely batty it made me with the whole potty training process.  Not only did he cry to go to the bathroom, but he NEVER once told me he needed or wanted to go!!  I definitely learned a lot.  I started far too early and should not have paid any attention to what my other friends and their children were doing...you just simply have to wait until you feel your own child is ready.  At this point when I started again with the charts and prizes...I knew he was ready.  I do have to give it to him, he has never once had an accident of any kind at school this whole year :)  And he has been a trooper and worn underwear for a full year too, he would just hold it forever and not utter a word.  Oh how life feels so different now, I am on cloud  nine! LOL

M.I.A

Sorry, I have been super busy the past 2 weeks, so here is an update!

 My handy man made a fire pit in the back yard for all of us and we love it!  Bailey Boo is still just a bit too little to not run into the fire, but give her another year and she will do great ;)  OH~and that is my sweatshirt Bailey is wearing from when I went to Disney World at her age!  So glad my Mom kept it!

 Of course Toopa's joined in on the family fun too...finding crumbs ;)

 Funny how messy this sweet girl can get!!  Below is a picture of her saying "ALL DONE!!" and then she rubs her hands in her hair...every. single. time...ugh can't wait for that phase to end!

 Then look how sweet, innocent, and clean she can be :)

 Here the kids are at the Kunkel's house for a Falcon's game with our Sunday School Group (current and past members). It was SO much fun!!

 P.I.C.  (Partners In Crime) is all I gotta say about this picture ;)

 Everybody...minus a few and me of course!  I will say it again, we were very blessed to have joined such a wonderful, kind, and giving group of friends. They are the best and we always have the best time together.

 Here is Pam, our official leader ;)  Not sure what I would do without Courtney, Pam, and Amy giving Bailey all their little ones clothes.  I could just cry thinking about their generosity.  

 Here is a dress I just recently made for Camden's 1st birthday.  She is Cindy's (a very good friend from my dorm in West Ga...also Carson's Mom).  She had a Minnie Mouse themed party and here are some pics below. *Jackson is nursing a cough and missed the party :(

Nicole recently gave Jackson a Buzz Light-year shaving kit (too cute!) and here is a pic of John showing him how to do it :)

Potty Update:  Jackson is getting better.  The charts, M&M's, marshmallows, lolly pops, and toys (including Nicole's) have been working.  He FINALLY goes #1 without me having to tell him to...he is starting to realize he needs to go and not just holding it for eternity. We are making strides with #2 as well.  He actually went #2 this morning before I even got out of bed...you know what has frozen over!  What am I doing differently you ask?  Well, I am sticking with the charts this time for a few months, not just weeks.  Also, I have taken the pull-up completely away.  I think it was confusing him being able to do his business in his pants sometimes and not other times.  So I do have to clean up a wet bed every so many nights (but I simply remind him to go in the potty and don't get angry with him) and make sure I take him before we head to be ourselves...but it's much better that he at least is really starting to get it more~worth the extra laundry!  I also have the froggy potty in his room. I was VERY afraid at the mess he would make, considering all the damage he has done with #2 in his room (really, it's ridiculous how much I have cleaned up on his floor...ugh), but he has been very clean with it so far and even taking & dumping it into the potty himself :)  Pray for me that I can continue to keep calm! LOL

Last Post of 2011

Reflections of 2011:
~Bailey has grown so much in the past year.  It has been such a joy to watch her grow.  Some of her favorite things right now are baby dolls (obsessed with them!), taking baths, playing outside, saying "no!", telling me where her ear is, dancing, watching movies, her Daddy...and Mama!.  She is doing new things everyday and is getting so big!  Her hair is getting so much longer too...John calls it her "girl hair" ;)
~Jackson is getting so big too! I can't believe his 3T clothes are getting small...time is just flying by!  His favorite things right now are watching movies, playing "smashin toys"..he got it from Gnomeo and Juliet, playing outside, LAWNMOWERS or "mon-mowers", any sort of big boy help he gives Dad, tools, dancing, and arts/crafts.  Things he is not interested in...sleeping, eating, getting dressed, going potty, brushing teeth, cleaning up toys...ya know the things we have to do EVERYDAY...ugh!!  He has been extremely challenging lately.  He gets out of bed about 10 times a night before he finally goes down and he has been going #2 in his pants a LOT lately.  I really don't think there is much worse things than potty training and your child just doesn't want to do it.  It has been a full year and 2-3 months and he is STILL not doing it all the time.  Hope things get better before they get worse...pray for me to have patients...b/c I need it!
~We lost a very good man this year, my Grandpop Stout.  I know he has been watching over my little ones since he has been gone. I miss him & hearing his voice.
~We went to Destin, FL ; Amelia Island, FL ; Gulf Shores, AL ; and Helen, GA.
~John and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary
~Nicole got married...and is having a baby in May 2012!
~Allie got engaged and is getting married in April 2012!
~John made me a toy box, a new pantry, and new shelving for my laundry room.
~Jackson turned 3 and Bailey turned 1

Last years resolutions-I did accomplish most of my resolutions...
~I lost all my baby weight a then a few more...would like to loose more of course and start exercising.
~ummm Jackson is pretty much still not potty trained.  Or at least not the way I want him to be. He never tells me he has to go potty, I still have to tell him to go.  He also still fights me about #2 and goes in his pants on occasion~he has been doing that a lot in the last 2 weeks.

~I made a picture wall in my living room and I love it!
~And yes, John and I went on many more dates in 2011 thanks to our baby sitter Karyn who lives across the street...not sure what we would do without her!?!!!
2012 Resolutions 
~Get in shape...I think that is on almost every persons list! LOL
~Get my closets more organized
~Paint our old bed white for Bailey Boo when she starts to climb out of her crib ;)
~Redecorate the downstairs bathroom
~Do more craft projects with Jackson
~Learn how to use my new flash and serger sewing machine
~And have even more dates with John! LOL

Tellus Science Museum

 We went with Opa and Nana to the Tellus Museum in Carterville and had so much fun!

 I couldn't believe it, but BOTH kids sat through an entire 35min. planetarium show and were so well behaved!

Christmas 2011

 This was the kids big gift and they love it! It even goes completely up our driveway...if you have ever been to our house you know how amazing that is!!!

 This is me and Asya (I hope to call her my sister-in-law some day!) we always get the same gifts from my Mom and it's just a running joke we have :)

 I made oreo truffles for the first time (thanks to pinterest!) and they turned out great!  I also used my new flash to take a bunch of the pics from Janet and Johns and it works awesome!

 Everyone is laughing b/c Bailey is so serious when she plays...she has so much intensity :)

 Pointing to Mimi's eyes!  

 The Ballard grandchildren!

 Partners in crime for life!!!!

 I am PUBLISHED!!! Well...only for one book...and it's to keep at our house! LOL.  John got my blog turned into a book and I LOVE it!!!  It is 245 pages long and that is only up until 2010! John said it shut down the web site when he uploaded it! LOL  

 The is my the kids new toy box!!!!  I could not be happier!  It is HUGE and best of all...John made it. 

 Grandma and Grandpa's!!  I made the kids shirt and Bailey's bow :)

 Playing with his new train set

 John's big gift from his parents, my Mom and Dex, and Maureen and my Dad...oh and me too! He was so excited!  You can tell when it is a true John smile :)

 I made ornaments for all the Grandparents and my brother...they turned out great!

 The kids are always spoiled rotten by their grandparents!

Princess Bailey Boo ran over and took a book to Grandpa for him to read to her...melts your heart!

We all had a blast...but sadly we are all nursing colds right now...ugh!!!  Jackson woke up about 15 times last night from coughing and choking on his mucus..yuck, poor little man.  We are all trying to get back into the swing of things while trying to feel better.  At least John is off until the 3rd!!  It is so nice that he has such a long break!  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too!

Grandma and Grandpa's!

 Bailey pointing to Grandpa & Grandma's Elf!

 Playing sneak attack with Grandma!

 Copying everything Grandpa was doing!

 Grandpa got out some of his tools for Jackson ;)

 Yep, you can tell we were there!  This is pretty much what our house looks like too on a daily basis before we clean up for bed!