Non-Stop Summer Fun

We have been having jam-packed, wonderful summer so far! I thought our life would slow down during these months but that has definitely not been the case. We keep extremely busy!

John has been working tirelessly with Brooke on her bike.. We took her training wheels off of her bike a few months back and John and I wondered if she would ever "get it." It was crazy, though, because one day it just clicked for her and now she's doing great without training wheels. I can't believe how big she is!

Our pool has been in constant use this summer. Bailey has absolutely NO fear of the pool and has jumped in twice now (don't worry, we were right there to get her). She doesn't even cry or anything when she goes in and that freaks me out that it doesn't bother her. Our pool is impossible for her to access on her own so I don't get too worked up but she sure makes me a nervous wreck when she's near it! We have stairs that the older girls like to sit on in the pool and they also use their floaties and life jackets so it's not impossible to have three of them in there on my own. It's a lot of fun!

The older girls went to Lancaster, Pennsylvania with my parents, along with my sister's 2 oldest kids, on July 5th-6th. They had a great time and with their cousins and grandparents and I was happy that they got to do something special. While they were gone, John took Bailey and me out of town for the night and we stayed in a nice hotel, relaxed, shopped and went to a nice dinner. If would have been the perfect trip... If Bailey didn't stay up and scream in the hotel until 11:30. Bedtime was rough but the rest of the trip more than made up for it. 

We are anxiously awaiting our big vacation next month... We're going to Ocean City, Maryland with John's side of the family. We all pitched in and rented a beach house that looks really nice and it should be a great trip. We plan on spending lots of time sitting on the ocean but there are also lots of other fun things to do and lots of sights to see. I can't wait to get out of town for an entire week!

One down thing about the summer months is that John works a lot. There are lots of state funded programs for DWI patrol, seat belt safety and aggressive driving patrol. The money is great so usually John signs up to put extra money away. I truly appreciate the way he sacrificially provides for us and try not complain... Especially because he never does and he's the one doing all the work! It will be worth it when we're lounging on the beach:)

Alrighty, off to see why all three of my children have been sleeping for nearly 2.5 hours. I think the sun wiped them out after our morning at the park and I'm not complaining.. But I will have to peek in and make sure they're breathing still! Lol

New Words... Finally!

I have been worried about Bailey's lack of vocabulary for quite some time. I naturally compare her to her sisters, who began speaking at like 9 or 10 months. By this age (15 months), Brooke was saying sentences and talking quite a bit.... But Bailey, up until the past week or so, only said about 3 or 4 words. I know that children all bloom at different rates but I also have to take into consideration all of the months she went hearing at only 60-70 percent, due to her severe ear problems.  Our pediatrician says that she has absolutely no other signs of developmental delays and she can follow directions so she obviously understands words. That's reassuring but as a mom, I have still felt a little unsettled.

Very recently, however, Bailey has started to spout out words left and right! Her latest words are "please" and "thank you," and I'm especially excited because after months and months of pointing and grunting, I'm now hearing her precious little voice. She also learned what a chicken says so goes around pointing to various birds saying, "bok, bok, bok." It's adorable when we go to my mom's house because she has a rooster themed kitchen and Bailey loves it. She has also started to "Papa (my dad)" and "Nickle (her cousin)." She can also say "up," "swing," and "jump." If she's more than doubled her vocabulary in a week, I'm excited to see what the weeks ahead will bring!

I also think that my girl is far too busy to talk. Brooke and Adrienne were very laid back and they enjoyed just sitting on the floor, playing with blocks or reading books. Bailey, on the other hand, is always on the go and she can be found standing in the middle of the kitchen table (If you dare take her eyes off of her for 2 seconds), throwing all of my stuff in the trash can, unravelling countless rolls of toilet paper, etc... She's pretty crazy and I don't think she sits still when she's awake.. Ever.

I love how unique each of my children are. They all bloom at their own pace and have different things that make them "tick." It's so amazing to watch them grow into little girls and uncover new layers of their little personalities!