a trip for 4 to the splash park!

yea! :) a water day! b.c. made his splash park debut on monday! :) he did so great! we sat in the shade and hung out while the girls played with their friends. b.c. did great until he got hungry! he really slept well in the texas heat. ken and mck had so much fun playing with their friends g and r! they all played soooo nicely! you could tell it'd been a long time since they'd seen each other! ken and g were trying to recruit all the babies in the splash park for some time in the little splashers and playing with buckets. mck and r had more fun hanging out on the blanket eating snacks and posing and then getting totally soaked together! kam was happy with either group or just filling up buckets and dumping them out! her favorite part was having ms. s pull all of the "rings" out of the chex mix! :) what a great start to the week! :)

i'm 3 weeks old!

b.c. turned 3 weeks today! here's a picture of him heading out to the splash park! does he look like a worried little old man, or what? :) dude, seriously, don't stress!

b.c.'s photo session . . .

looking back at how fast the girls have changed and grown-up, bailey and i were sad that we didn't take the opportunity to capture more pics of them as newborns . . . capturing the wrinkles and expressions . . . so this time, we did! :)
our friend mollie came over for b.c.'s newborn shoot when he was 8 days old! she took some amazing pics . . . things that we never could have captured . . .
if you have a chance, check them out! the pics she captured of both b.c. and the girls are really special! we'll have a tough time choosing!
go to molliekphotography.com
enter the photo site
go to "clients" and enter bailey 2638

a week in review . . .

well, we survived! i say "we" because it was survival mode for not just me, but the girls as well. b.c. is what you might call a little high maintenance right now. he will not let you put him down . . .he can be totally crashed out and asleep and as soon as you walk away from laying him down he starts screaming . . . he'll last for a little while in his bouncy (thank you sooooo much ms. b!) and for a short time in his swing when we're lucky . . . but other than that b.c. want so be held! it makes getting anything done a little tough right now! the girls have been so good! so helpful! and so independent!

we did pretty good this week! we managed to get out of the house EVERYDAY even if it was just a quick trip to sonic! :) i even managed to have a shower by 10 a.m. everyday! (okay, there were days when ken was born that i wouldn't get a shower . . .go me! :)) we did errands (thank goodness for the sit and stand stroller), played at the park (b.c. does like his car seat!), had friends over (each time friends left with b.c. screaming like crazy!), and even managed to make it to pool birthday party (b.c. and i watched while daddy and the girls swam!). i felt like if i made it through the day i was doing pretty good . . . everyday was a little bit better . . . a few more weeks ( or maybe months!) and i just may have this down! :) so this week, we're going for a little more than survival . . . :)

2 weeks! already?

wow. b.c. is already 2 weeks old! time has really flown by . . . or it could just be that my days are all a bit blurry because of my major lack of sleep! :)

b.c. had his check-up today! so, all 5 of us headed to the dr. (holy crowded exam room! we may need to start scheduling appts. when daddy can watch some kids . . . 5 people in a tiny room for an hour makes you feel a little claustrophobic!) i was so anxious to see if he put on any more weight since last week (i took him for a weight check on thursday just to be sure . . . he weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces!). well, today he was 20 3/4 inches long and weighed 7 pounds! :) yea! :) he is eating ALL the time . . . so i should have guessed he would have packed on some pounds! :)

movie night for 6!

we had our first official movie night as a family of 6! even b.c. hung with us for some popcorn, candy, and horton hears a who! the girls were excited to lay out their sleeping bags and chill all together for awhile! ken and mck were sooooo into the movie . . . kam was more into talking through the entire movie . . . and b.c., well, his belly was full, so he crashed through the entire movie! we all loaded up on some junk food and giggles! :) it was a great evening!

b.c. loved his first "real" bath! the girls were so excited to watch him in his baby tub . . . and wanted him to play with his new bath toys! he really seemed to enjoy the warm water and liked everything except getting washed up. he did great and had quite an audience! another fun first! :)

a week with grammy

the girls had a great week! :) they got to do lots of fun things with grammy while i spent time with b.c.! monday they went to the library and got to spend lots of time picking out books and playing . . . tuesday was b.c.'s photo shoot, but the girls got to participate too! they were all little hams! :) they loved the extra attention! then they got to go to lunch at burger king and do a little shopping! wednesday they went back to the library for the end of the summer reading program! there was a cool bubble lady there and they all got their faces painted and ate lots of pizza! :) they had a great time!

thursday they all went to the movies to see g-force! they ALL sat through the movie! (hello- even kam!) they filled up on popcorn, soda, and candy! :) what a treat! friday we all ventured out . . . we left at 8:30 (WOW . . . i impressed myself!) we started off at chick-fil-a for breakfast and lots of play. i dropped the girls and grammy off at the pool while b.c. and i went to do some errands and pick up lunch for everyone. b.c. and i hung out at the pool for awhile while the girls finished swimming. about 45 minutes later b.c. had had enough . . . and we headed home around 1:45!

what a fun and busy week! i have a feeling the girls might be a bit disappointed in the coming week . . . taking all 4 kids anywhere is a bit daunting! thank goodness for grammy! she has been a lifesaver! between cooking, cleaning, taking care of the girls, and holding bentley . . . i would not have survived this week without her! reality is about to set in!

another first!

peeking out from the sling!

b.c. is spoiled already! he wants to be held constantly . . . today, in an effort to get a few things done, we tried the sling! he loved it. seriously, loved it. he hung out for an hour and a half, totally awake, tucked in the sling! i think the sling will be my new best friend . . . i was able to do some laundry, unload the dishwasher, and clean-up the kitchen . . . a major accomplishment for the week! :)

rain . . . FINALLY!

after a summer of virtually no rain, the girls were thrilled when it started pouring today! :) they loved hearing the thunder and seeing a little bit of lightning! we're hoping more is on the way! :)

bentley's photo shoot

check out this blog . . . http://molliekphotography.com/blog/ and look for bentley's post!

our friend mollie came to do bentley's newborn pictures! what an amazing experience. she is so patient . . . hello, a 4 hour long picture session! she stuck a sneak peek of his pictures on her blog . . .and will have more to come! i cannot wait to see them all! i have a feeling we'll have trouble deciding which ones to purchase! :)

happy birthday bentley!

can't believe our little guy is already a week old! he already looks so different . . . less wrinkly and stressed . . . but still long and skinny! :) we have all fallen for him! :) here's some of the highlights from our first week!


sleeping . . . okay, he sleeps a lot . . . and he sleeps best when he is being held or bundled up tight - with his arms out! :) so sweet! i love the one of him sleeping in my bed - such a little guy!















his first bath . . . complete with tinkling and pooping all over his blanket while getting undressed! :) can't say the bath was a hit . . . maybe next time!















cupcakes to celebrate his first week! the girls and i made pink cupcakes (because that's the only kind we had in the pantry) and topped them with blue icing! we all sang happy birthday . . . and then had to sing it to each of the girls too! :)

the girls just can't get enough!

the girls are adjusting so well to the new guy in their life! they cannot walk by b.c. without touching him! they are so interested in everything about him and just love watching his expressions and guessing what he's thinking!

ken is, of course, loving the roll of big sis for the third time. she jumps at every chance to help! she wants to hold him all the time and looks like a pro!

mck really doesn't call b.c. by his name, but says "the new baby boy" very affectionately! she is fascinated by all of the baby things and the fact that he's not in my tummy anymore! she wants to hold him - but only briefly - and then gives him right back! she is constantly wanting to help!

we were so worried about kam adjusting to baby b.c., but she is doing soooo well. she loves to touch him and to hold him and is in love with alllll of his baby stuff - claiming some of it for herself . . . especially the pacis! she really is doing so well and is even willing to share my lap with her new brother! she says his name so fast and every time it's "bentley cool bailey"! too cute! it is amazing to me how big she looks now. . . it's like she grew up overnight!

first outing as a family of 6!

okay, so it wasn't anything exciting . . . just a trip to the pediatrician, but it was a first none the less!

i had to get a picture of the inside of the mini-van . . . wow! with four kids in car seats, doesn't look quite as big as it did! :) kam loves that she sits next to the baby and the girls love that they get to watch him! :)


we arrived at the dr. on time, but had a VERY long wait to see the nurse practitioner . . . so with SIX of us crammed in the little exam room . . . well, everyone was getting slightly frustrated! :) b.c. needed his diaper changed, so after the nurse measured him i started to change him . . . only to realize he had a minor explosion all over the table and i had NO extra clothes! (Hello, you would think i had no experience in the baby department! hello . . . by the fourth you would think i'd be over prepared! at least i am not as stressed this go round, so we just kind of laughed it off!


so, b.c. arrived at the office looking like this . . . (super manly in his stripes!)

and left . . . well, in a diaper! (good thing it was 105 degrees outside!)

despite the minor mishap, b.c. checked out just fine! he weighed 6 pounds 5 ounces and still measured 20 inches! he is in the 10% for weight, 50% for height, and 10% for his head! can't wait to see how big he is at his 2 week check-up!

coming home

after one night in the hospital, we were ready to come home! we missed the girls and the comforts of home . . . and it's tough to get a good night's sleep with nurses coming in every hour . . . so, we got discharged early and just had to hang out until our "24 hours" was up! :) they even let me walk out of the hospital!

b.c. looked so darn cute in his going home outfit . . . a handsome little guy! he didn't enjoy being put in his car seat, but as soon as we started driving he was content!

the girls were thrilled to have us home and just can't get enough of their little brother! ken is constantly asking to hold b.c. , mck wants to "touch him", and kam just can't comment enough about the things she sees . . . especially "he came out your belly!"

baby bentley is here!

bentley cole bailey arrived at 3:44 p.m. on july 20. he weighed in at a perfect 6 pounds, 11 ounces and was 20 inches long. he was perfectly pink! :) he really is just a cute little guy! we can see a combination of the girls when we look at him, but he is completely his own little person!


we had a great labor experience . . . awesome nurses (we really loved them - where were they the first 3 times?), a perfect epidural (took the edge off, but i could still feel everything), and a relatively easy delivery (bentley was waiting for the dr. when he came in the door!).

the belly shot! 6:30 a.m. . . . heading to the hospital to meet baby b!

first picture with mom and dad - just minutes after his arrival!

bentley really enjoyed his first bath . . . seriously, he loved when the nurse held him under the faucet to rinse his hair . . . he may be a "spa" guy! :) he was in heaven laying on the warmer under some warm blankets - just taking it all in!

laying on the warmer! all clean and dressed after my bath!

the girls came up with grammy, grampy, and sarah in the late evening. ken was so excited to see him and wanted to hold him right away - after giving me several hugs and kisses! (she was soooo affectionate!) mck was very interested in checking him out but wasn't sure if she wanted to sit with me or hold the baby. she holds him for a second or two and then gives him back! kam was all about checking out bentley's parts . . . "him have eyes like me! him have a nose like me! him a baby like me!" very cute. she wants to touch him . . . a lot - and is gentle - in her own way! :)

"him have toes like me!"

we feel so lucky to have our little guy here. our family really feels complete! seems like we waited a long time to meet him . . . it's hard to believe he is here!

cuddling with mommy! our little guy!

baby notes . . . some random thoughts!

we are so excited that baby boy bailey will make his appearance on monday . . . yes, i am being induced AGAIN! (i think it might have something to do with the dr. asking how i was doing and me telling him "i'm done!") i guess my babies aren't even in a rush to come out!

on thursday i was having lots of contractions . . . bailey and i were sitting on the couch and wondering how we've had 3 kids and neither of us had a clue when you're supposed to head to the hospital! i cleared that up with the dr. just in case something happens this weekend, but now we want to hold out until monday so the same dr. can deliver all 4 kids! :)

the girls are excited . . . mck is talking a lot about what will be different when the baby is here and where he'll sit at the table and things like that. ken is being super helpful! she told me not to cmoe upstairs for "6 minutes" last night . . . about 30 minutes later she told me the surprise was ready . . . she cleaned up alllll of the toys from playing yesterday! wow. last night she helped give the girls a bath. and this morning she got dressed, organized her dresser drawers, and was super quiet while i got a few more minutes of sleep! kam . . . well, kam might not be as excited. she likes the idea of a baby, but then reminds me that SHE is the baby! not sure how that'll work. i know the first week or so will be okay with others around to help give her attention, but i think this will be one of the biggest adjustments for us!

on another note . . .last night on the news i heard them say that we have had the hottest 30 days on record . . . like not in the last 10 years, but hottest 10 years EVER! funny that that happens the one summer i am prego!

one other funny thing . . . random people come up to me and know that i am having a boy . . . sometimes i have the girls with me, sometimes not . . . but LOTS of people can tell. i always thought that was crazy - that you carry different sexes differently . . . but wow, this time really is different. i was basically the same shape with all three girls . . . this time, my belly sticks so far out to the front. i stick out A LOT . . . sometimes when i see my silhouette it shocks me! :)

well, until monday we're spending the weekend enjoying our last days as a family of 5! :)

in the night

so here's what i hear coming through the monitor last night . . .
mck: crying . . . then "mommy! i need you to hold me" pause. "mommmmm."
i hear rustling and gathering . . . then shuffling.
mck: "kam, hey kam! do you want to go see mommy with me?"
kam: totally waking out of a deep sleep "huh?"
mck: "i am going to mommy's bed! you want to come with me?"
kam: you can tell she shoots up in bed "yes!"
mck: "get your stuff. see, i am bringing my stuff!"
kam: "kay"

at this point, having no clue what time it is (1:30 a.m. . . . keep in mind EVERYONE was up before 7 yesterday and kam only had an hour long nap!) i jump out of bed and run upstairs, hoping to catch them before it takes too long to get them to go back to sleep!

i arrive outside their bedroom to see cuties with totally crazy hair standing in their doorway with armfuls of blankets and animals. . .

it was hard to be too upset. i got mck back to sleep. kam was up for another 3 hours . . . having a party in her bed! she talked to her animals and sang "happy birthday mommy".
both of them slept until 9! :) mck and i had a talk about not waking up our sisters in the night unless something is wrong!

the boat still floats!

we finally got to take the boat out today! :) we had so much fun! the girls LOVED every part of it . . . driving, jumping off the boat, and swimming to the rocky shore and exploring! kam was so good this year (last year was a real struggle to get her to be still . . .) and loved the wind blowing in her face!

daddy driving . . . looking studly in his elmo shirt (yes, the girls dressed him this morning!)

exploring the rocky shore . . . can't believe they weren't scared to venture through the slime and up onto the rocks all by themselves!

ken and mck LOVED jumping in the water!


kam had fun holding onto my jacket while we swam and hanging out on the boat!

everyone took a turn driving . . . kam wanted NO help "i drive by MYSELF!"

enjoy the wind in their faces . . . it was 105 today!

we realized we needed to get out on the lake soon . . . with the baby coming we have only a few days left to head out there as a family and enjoy the warm weather! we had planned to spend only an hour and get back home to get stuff done . . . well, 3 hours later we decided to call it quits because kam was falling asleep in her seat!

okay, so the boat is totally ghetto, and sooooo not my favorite color, but wow, it sure made for a great day yesterday . . . i am almost willing to admit it was a good deal! :)