B <3 S

So, I realized the other day that I never give updates on Brandon and I. Bailey is so easy and fun to blog about and she is so much cuter than us. But for those who are interested in our lives too; here you go.

Brandon has been working at Signal Hill Petroleum now for a year and feels much more confident in what he does; repairing oil wells. Brandon also finished college in December...yeah! I am very proud of him, for he accomplished his B.A. at Vanguard University while working full time and attending night classes. We are very happy to have the extra time together and for the first time in our relationship not having homework in either of our lives!

Brandon is running the Napa Valley Marathon March 1st! That is 26.2 miles! This is huge for him -for those of you who know Brandon, you know that running is not his choice of enjoyment. He actually signed up for it because I was planning on running it. I was very excited for it but due to an impending injury I am not able to do it. But Brandon is still determined and I am very impressed with his motivation.

Brandon continues to be a loving husband, father, and dog owner and we all adore him.

As for me, I am loving motherhood and feel so blessed to stay home with Bailey. Being with her all the time makes me confident in providing for her needs and being able to watch every little step of her growth. I get up at 5am now so I can hit the gym, shower, do my devotions with breakfast and coffee all before Bailey is awake! I love getting up early now which is weird, because I love to sleep in too. But I crave time to exercise, read, and relax.

I attend a mom's Bible study on Tuesday mornings at RockHarbor church called 'Nurture.' It is a nice time with other mom's to talk and have some quality fellowship.

I am also attending a RockHarbor class on becoming a counselor for the church. It's on Thursday nights so Brandon and Bailey get 'father-daughter time.' Hopefully after completing the training and interviews I will get to counsel people through RockHarbor. It is not a big time commitment so it will be a great ministry for me to be a part of and get some experience in the counseling field.

Here is some footage from my and Brandon's last date night over the weekend.

Brandon had a ridiculously good first game.

For Leann

My "lifer" friend Leann got these adorable red converse for me when I first found out I was pregnant. She felt that the converse most depicted my style and would suit our baby most -boy or girl. Bailey gets the privilege of wearing these so cute shoes. Thanks Leann!

More Activity= Sleepy

Bailey started crawling up the stairs at my paren't house and it is all she wants to do when we are over there. She is very busy and active when awake so she takes great naps and sleeps wonderfully at night.

10 Months

On the 15th Bailey was 10 months old! This past month we have seen the biggest developmental changes in Bailey. She has 8 teeth now and loves to feed herself finger foods. She especially loves shredded mozzarella cheese and I introduced tofu to her and she likes it! It is clear that she understands "English," at least some words and phrases. She continues to repeat "dada" in every pitch and in a conversational tone as if that word is the only word necessary. She says "da" for dogs and "du" for her bath duckie. She absolutely loves every dog and I recently got her a 'touch-and-feel' dog book that she constantly wants me to read to her. She understands "no" despite whether or not she listens. When I ask her, "where's mommies noes?" she points to my nose and smiles. If I tell her to go find Frani, she looks around and crawls to his bed which is usually where he is.
Her most successful form of communications is her pointing. She points to everything she wants or finds entertaining. She points to her toys, planes, flowers, etc.

Brandon's and my favorite thing is Bailey's wonderful hugs. When she is excited to be scooped up into our arms she will often clasp her arms around our neck and nestle her face into us. She is also a great cuddler when we sleep in together and will roll over until her face is right next to mine-love it!
Bailey has a Lee Middleton baby doll whose name is actually 'Bailey.' I was rocking her baby doll one time, pretending it was real and I handed the doll to Bailey and she started to rock her baby doll. It is so sweet, and she now rocks her teddy bears and anything else cuddly.

She continues to spit.


She imitates me raising my arms 'up and down.'

She climbs up steps.

She is a pro and standing now.



Time is flying by and Brandon and I are loving every moment. She is happy, silly, playful, cuddly, and so sweet. A bit of an independent temper is coming out as she is learning what she can and can't play with, but she is at such a fun and precious age!

Cousins

Tank and Hollee came over last week to visit and it is so fun to see the little ones toddler around. Tank is 16 months old and is so sweet! Bailey and Tank still don't take much notice of each other yet it is fun to watch them both move about and play.

They brought over a toy that Tank has grown out of and it is perfect for Bailey as she is loving her standing stage.

New Adventures

Bailey is standing! A week ago I stayed in the nursery at church with Bailey because she is at peak with separation anxiety and has not allowed me to leave her at church. She was observing two babies that were pulling themselves up and then all of a sudden she pulled herself up while holding a toy. She has stood up in her crib but it has been rare and never anywhere else. She now is obsessed with her new skill and tries pulling herself to her feet on everthing! This is also extremely stressful for me and I feel slightly on edge all day because we have tile and wood floors, thus creating a very painful and scary fall. So far, she has not had any serious falls but I am sure she will gain some bumbs on her head.

Brandon and I are very excited because Bailey is now able to ride in a bike seat! I have been patiently waiting for this exciting day because not only do I love outdoor activites but we also have many coffee shops and grocery stores in close biking distance. I walk Bailey often but this will save me time for the quick errans.

We took our first family bike ride saturday morning to starbucks.

Happy New Year!

We Bridgman's had a nice mellow New Year's. Last night we ate a variety of appetizers and lamb for dinner with Jenni and Tim. Yes, lamb...Brandon bought it...I cooked it...Brandon and Tim ate it. Then we dropped by my parent's house where Ryan was throwing a New Year's Eve party. He made a glow stick ball that hung from the roof and was lowered for the count down; quite impressive. We three were home by 9pm, Bailey went straight to bed, and Brandon and I ate yogurt and watched Hancock. The movie was over just in time to watch the ball drop, kiss, and be in bed by 12:07. We live the life of parent's. It was a safe, nice, and relaxing evening.

We slept in as a family today and then Brandon took down the house Christmas lights and I went on a run with Jenni. We had a nice uneventful day and we feel well rested for the new year.