My Little Gavin

As most of you know. . . we had Gavin James Bailey on July 27, 2007. He was about a month early and has some health issues we are trying to work through. He hasn't left the NICU, but I spend most of my days there with him. I have been too preoccupied to blog, but I wanted to post a few pictures of him. He is THE best thing that has ever happened to us. We can't wait to bring him home and have our "little bug" with us.






OUR FIRST FAMILY PHOTO!

Family Home Evening Takes a Turn. . .

This picture of my brother Matthew has been on the bulletin board at my parents house for more than a decade. It's been up there so long that someone took a push-pin and stuck it through Matt's eye. Regardless, I think this picture is hilarious and Matt has turned out to be a really funny guy! Last night for family home evening we went to my parents' home for dinner and dad asked Matt to tell us about his trip to Arizona for EFY camp. In true sixteen year-old boy fashion, Matt gave us an annoying minute by minute account of his travels and when dad had had enough, he asked Matt to just tell us his favorite class at EFY. Matt couldn't remember one. So, I asked about anything he learned. He couldn't think of anything he learned either. However, he said he read Songs of Solomon. Impressed, my dad asked him about it. Matt recited a verse for us. Come to find out, he had picked Songs of Solomon because that was where he found the word "breast" in the Topical Guide. Nothing like a sixteen year-old brother to make the family laugh! No one asked any more questions after that. . .

Our 5th Wedding Anniversary

On Friday July 20, 2007 we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary! Five years always seemed like such a long time, but these five years have been a blast. We have been able to accomplish some goals, finish college, travel, buy a home and now we are starting a family. It's just amazing to be going through life with a wonderful guy.

Friday afternoon Jason surprised me at work with flowers and a lunch date. I can't even explain how special this made me feel. It was so thoughtful and it meant a lot to me that he would take time out of his busy work day to remember our anniversary.

Then, Saturday night he surprised me with a night out at Lake Las Vegas. We had a nice dinner at Como's and then we listened to an outdoor jazz concert on the lake. I am very lucky to have a guy like him. It was a really fun weekend!

Brotherly Rivalry

When Jason saw a picture of his brother Brent boarding at the lake . . . he asked me post this picture. (I guess that has something to do with friendly brotherly rivalry???) My dad got a new boat this summer and took some of the family out to Lake Mead for a test run. Unfortunately, being nine months pregnant means that you aren't invited. :( heh heh heh It looks like they had a good time.

Pregnancy . . .

OK, so I know these are not flattering pictures of me . . . but this is so amazing! We thought it would be interesting if we took a picture at the end of every month to see the change. I look huge, tired and gross but I guess that's part of the deal!

The Baby's Room

The room is still a work in progress. . . but I think for the most part the room is ready for baby! The pictures are a little dark, but the bottom of the wall is green bead board and the chair rail is white with tan walls above. We bought a dresser, toy box and crib and my cute mom said that every new mom needs a good rocking chair, so I didn't argue with her when she gave this one to us. :) The pictures don't show it, but we are also working on an old changing table that my dad built for me when I was a baby. Jason stained the wood and we recovered the top as well. It wasn't an easy task, but it meant a lot to me that we kept the changing table. I am still working on getting pictures and books up on the shelf that Jason built along one side of the room, but other than that I guess we are just waiting for baby!

Baby Showers!

I know I am late posting about the fun baby showers we had in June with our families. We went up to Salt Lake City the weekend of June 22nd for a baby shower with our families. Since almost everyone lives in Utah, it was much easier for us to travel up there for a weekend, and I am so glad we did! Friday evening we had a really wonderful shower with Jason's family (thank you Cindee, Allison and Trisha!) and it was so good to see everyone. Living in Las Vegas, we don't get to see some of his extended family as much as we would like to. Saturday afternoon we went to a shower with my family (thank you Laurie, Camille and EVERYONE who helped) and it was a really fun girls day. After the shower some of the girls went shopping and then to dinner. It was so good to spend time with family. . . especially my cousins and sister. I have always felt that I have been so blessed to have so many girl cousins close to my age. They have felt more like sisters than cousins. We have so many great memories and I know there are so many more to come! I love you girls!!!

I know this is sacreligious. . .

. . . but I find this kinda funny. It's painted on the wall of one of our favorite restaurants on Maui.

Just chillin'

So, I came across this picture of my nephew Will, and I just had to post it. I think he is about two years old here and there is something about this picture that is so simple. I think he had just taken a bath and seems to be relaxing on our big chair. If life were only that simple for the rest of us. . .

Little Eyes

Jason's cousin sent me this poem after our baby shower in Salt Lake City, Utah this last weekend. I just love it . . .

Little Eyes Upon You

There are little eyes upon you
and they are watching night and day.
There are little ears that quickly
take in every word you say.
There are little hands all eager
to do anything you do;
And a little boy who’s dreaming
of the day he’ll be like you.
You’re the little fellow’s idol,
you’re the wisest of the wise.
In his little mind about you
no suspicions ever rise.
He believes in you devoutly,
holds to all you say and do;
He will say and do, in your way
when he’s grown up just like you.
There’s a wide-eyed little fellow
who believes you’re always right;
and his eyes are always opened,
and he watches day and night.
You are setting an example
every day in all you do;
For the little boy who’s watching
to grow up to be like you.

–Author Unknown

Fathers

Since it was Father's Day on Sunday, I thought it would be appropriate to post this picture and me and my father on my wedding day. It is one of my favorite pictures because it depicts how I see my father. Many see him as a hard working, serious man. . . but in my eyes, he's a fun, kind and loving father. Not only has he provided me with the necessities of life, but he has given me opportunities to grow and develop my talents. He has taught me the meaning of sacrifice as I have watched him and my mother work so hard for our family. Even though I have "grown up" and moved away, he's still my dad and there is something special about the relationship between a father and his daughter. I just hope that I make him proud of me.

And this. . . this is my cute husband and first-time father. Soon, he will have a little guy to follow him around the house and want to do everything that dad does too. It will be fun to watch. There is no doubt in my mind that Jason will be a great dad.

Hand Magnet . . .

OK, so I understand that my eighth month pregnant stomach is a hand magnet. I mean, it's just so far out there and people think it's "so cute." But, why do strangers think it's okay to touch me? This is a stupid pet peeve I have, but it's this really weird phenomenon that I have noticed over the past few weeks. I have had more and more strangers touch my stomach and it's kinda caught me off guard more than once. It's one thing to have family and friends touch it, but when the cashier at Wendy's reaches over the counter to touch my stomach, I just feel somewhat violated. Don't get me wrong, I love it that people are excited for me. . . but it's just something I have noticed lately.

Graduation

This last week my sister Rebecca graduated from high school. She graduated with high honors and we are so happy she has been able to accomplish so much in her high school career. Now, she will move on to bigger and better parts of her life. In August she will leave to attend Southern Utah University (Go Thunderbirds!) and hopefully she will have an amazing "college" experience. Having graduated from SUU myself, I am so excited that she chose to go there for school. When I left high school I thought that I had just completed the best times of my life. Little did I know that college would be even better. Life is what you make of it. If you don't expect a lot, you won't receive a lot. If you wait around for others to make your life happy and complete, you will wait forever. Don't look too often to the past, it will only hold you back. Make your life what you want it to be.

The Happiest Place on Earth

One my favorite childhood memories are our family vacations to Disneyland. It was one of the times I would see my father run like a little child to Pirates of the Caribbean and sing, "Yo Ho Yo Ho - a Pirates Life for Me!" as loud as humanly possible. Usually twice a year my brother James and I would pull out our Disneyland maps from the trip before and map out a route that would take us to all of our favorite rides. We would devise plans to get my parents to buy churros, frozen lemonades and the occasional princess crown for myself. Without fail, we would ride Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion until the park would close.

Needless to say, it was a blast to go to Disneyland with Brent (Jason's brother), Allison, Mabel and Will last year. Watching Mabel's four year old face light up when she saw Princess Jasmine and listening to Will laugh at Uncle Jason's fear of heights on the Ferris Wheel at California

Adventures brought back all of the memories I have as a little girl at Disneyland. Even going as a "grown up" makes me feel like a kid again.

The First Look at Our Baby Boy

This is our baby boy at 29 weeks! We had a 4D ultrasound done on Saturday and it was so amazing to see his face and little body! He looks so much like Jason and I am so relieved to see that he looks healthy and active. In fact, he never stopped moving the whole hour we were there. (Perhaps that has something to do with orange juice I drank that morning. . . ) My mom, Dad, Becca and James went with us to see "Little David" (as my family affectionately calls him). It was so fun to see him open and close his hands, flex his feet, blink and smile. It's an amazing feeling to know that he is ours.