.:Turn Your Partner Round-n-Round:.

Here's a funny clip of Kai rockin' out to his barnyard music - hee hee....

.:An Early Christmas Present:.

SURPRISE!!!

Soooo..... ya, we're pregnant =D (beeeaming)

Baby # 2 has been discovered and I am so excited I can't hold it in.
My plan was to wait and tell Ryan and his family on Christmas morning but again, I just couldn't wait.
Plus, I need your prayers now - please pray that I have a good and healthy pregnancy and that nothing goes wrong.
Please pray for God's provision of energy and joy as I enter into this new season of motherhood and needing to care for my toddler. Please pray that God will continue to provide for our family financially and that His will be done as far as where we live.

YAYYYY!!!! PRAISE GOD!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!

Guess Who's Walking!

Yup!! As of Saturday, December 5th, my little goober has proved himself to be a big boy =)
He has been taking a couple steps here and there for the last 2 weeks and then on Saturday morning while Ryan and I were sipping our coffee together on the couch and slowly waking up, Kai decided to amaze us by walking from our bathroom into our living room. It took Ryan and I second to realize what just happened and then we both screamed with excitement and praised our little guy.
Saturday was also the day that we were blessed with a christmas tree from Ryan's parents so we spent the day decorating and listening to Christmas carols.....sigh... So, to have Kai walking around all day long while we decorated the tree and the house made this Christmas so much more special =)

.:It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas:.

I know, Thanksgiving isn't even over yet but, I couldn't help myself.
I love Christmas!



After MUCH searching and listening through the Christian Christmas Music section in the iTunes Store, I finally found a christmas album I liked. I've never heard of this band in general so I don't know what their other stuff sounds like - but I liked this one =)

It took me so long because I do NOT like: country, 80's "Electrical Light Parade" sounding boops and bleeps, and I hate the "Jesus is my girlfriend" type of singing that's out there in today's Christian Music Artists. I'm picky, I know. But, I truly love listening to music that sounds genuine yet shows artistic talent - nothing cheesy or anything country (sorry to all of you country lovers out there). I am what I am!

Anyway, check this album out if you're having a hard time finding good Christian Christmas music out there. Christ Tomlin's album was good too but he uses a live congregational sound through out the whole album and that was going to drive me crazy by the end.

Chewin' on the Good Stuff

Lately, Kai has been loving his books - I don't mean READING his books but CHEWING his books.

Should I take this as an offense that he would rather eat the cardboard of his books than eat the food I prepare for him? Naaaa!!!!

...He just likes to savor these delicious stories more than one way =)

Bon Apetit!

.:A Monster in My Cupboard:.

I was fortunate to catch this little monster in the act...

After completely emptying my cupboards of their contents, he went in for the kill...

He was quite engrossed.

"till next time...

A Preview...

Here's a little preview of our family's portraits done by the marvelous C.A. Boomsma (Courtney).
We wanted pictures of Kai for his 1 year birthday as well as pictures for our Christmas cards.

The best is yet to come!

...will post pictures of Kai's Halloween Birthday bash in a few.

Broken Down...

As I exited the freeway this morning on my route home from Costco, I could hear a loud clicking noise coming from my engine - it was audible over the loud children's cd I was playing at the moment. Now, the car has been mildly clicking for a few months now but nothing like what it was doing now.
Within a few minutes it grew louder and the car started to shake up and down as I drove. I pulled into the drive way and unloaded the perishables into my fridge (I left Kai in the car, he was getting impatient with me) and hopped right into the car to take it to the shop. The car died when I tried to put it into gear...ugh! Oh no!! Please at least make it to the car shop!! I prayed.
It started after several tries and the whole drive up to the shop I prayed that God would let me at least get there.
As I was waiting to turn left (I was just down the street from the shop - almost there!), the car DIED!!! TURNED OFF & WOULD NOT START!!! I immediately turned on the hazard lights as I waved the people behind me to go around me while I continued to try and restart the car.
WHY NOW!! GOD, WHAT HAPPENED?!
I decided to call my dearest friend to come and help me - as soon as she picked up the phone, I immediately felt like I was going to burst into tears - in fact, I did.
I called my husband as well and cried - asking him what I should do.
Kai is now in the back seat crying harder and louder as each minute passes (or at least, it felt like it). As he cried harder, so did I - not out of fear but out of hopelessness - I have never been in a situation like this and I had NO idea what to do!!! We don't have AAA and I didn't have a phone book in my car. Thankfully, Ryan was able to text me a roadside assistance phone #.
Anyway, some nice gentlemen pulled over and helped me push my car out of the middle of the road and right in from on McDonalds where I waited an hour and half for the tow service.
God was there!
Kelsey picked up Kai for me and watched him while I dealt with the tow company and she stayed with Kai and I until they came to tow my car.
God is merciful!

Kai and I are now safely home, the car is in the shop and I am now remembering what God showed me this morning in my devotions and what I had prayed for.
Mark 4:35-41 - Jesus Calms the Storm. I know we're all familiar with this story but God pointed out some very key events that took place during the Storm.
1) Jesus was asleep when the disciples came and woke him saying "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" and 2) after Jesus calmed the storm, he then corrects them saying "Why are you so afraid? Have you no faith?"
Here I am, in the middle of the intersection - Ryan and I are currently broke and are in serious need of financial help already, and now my car has completely broken down. Meaning, more $ is going to be required of us.
But, "God is not a god of confusion, but of peace" and he filled me with it as this was all happening. I KNOW that God knows our financial situations and I KNOW that this incident was not out of His control - so, I believe and am at peace knowing that Jesus is going to calm this storm. I could easily cry out to God "Lord, don't you care that our finances are perishing??!" to which He would reply "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
Finances are the EASIEST thing for God to restore. I almost want to laugh at the obvious revealing of God's hand in all of this and I can't wait to see how He is going to answer our prayers! It may be quickly or it may take more time in which I will need to patiently wait on Him and trust in Him for everything.
(On a side note, Ryan and I have been praying and seeking God about whether or not to send me back to work to help with finances, but I believe that God is wanting to test us in our faith and I believe He wants to show Himself in a greater way through providing for us one day at a time.)

It could have been a lot worse!!! Did I realize that in the moment, as it was happening?? Of course not!!! But, an hour or two later - looking back on what happened, I now see all of the ways God protected me from having a REALLY bad day!
Not only did he provide help and assistance through my friend Kelsey and my husband, but he also saved me from a HUGE embarrassment! I won't give details but know that if this thing had started while I was stranded and waiting for the tow company instead of starting as soon as I got home, I would have had a REALLY bad day!!

I'm sorry about how long this was, I sincerely wanted to encourage any of you and all of you if you are struggling with the same thing - finances (or lack there of).
Do not be discouraged - God will give you your daily bread. If anything, I believe that He takes away our comforts that so easily distract us from Him for the purpose of teaching us to rely and depend on Him in prayer.


PS: how is it that a fruit fly flies so slow and when you try to kill it, it seems to evade your deathly blow?

....Latelies...

Lately...

My little guy is not so little anymore, he's almost 1 year old!!

He's clapping...

He waves goodbye...

He loves to say "Wow!" to everything!...

He gives me hugs... he cuddles with his teddy bear... he eats what I eat (well, almost)

He's the greatest little gift God has given me on this earth!! (aside from my husband of course) Even though 10% of the time he throws tantrums and yells at me when I'm not giving him what he wants, the remaining 90% is sooooo worth it!!!

Just watching him grow and become his own little man self just reminds me that I do nothing - it's all God!! His little life is in the Redeemers hands and I pray for him daily that He will love the Lord with all of his heart and that he would spread the Good News of faith in Christ.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 127:3

Work it Baby, yeaaah!!

I NEED YOUR VOTE!!

Hello Family & Friends!

Just for fun, I've entered my little goober, Kai into the Baby Gap casting call to see if he could be in the next advertisement for Baby Gap. Even if Kai makes it to the top 20's there's fun stuff to be won.

Anyway, please help us out and go to Gap.com/castingcall and search by "chalenebaird" for Kai's entries.

Thanks so much!!!

.: A Touch of Fall :.

This last weekend, Ryan and I spent our entire Saturday cleaning and doing projects around the house. One of my projects was to clean up and sell a Sit-n-Stand stroller on Craigslist - I put it up online and a half hour later, I had $50 of fun money in my hand =)
What did I do?......

I went to Michaels (they were having a FANTASTIC sale) and found some beautiful Fall decorations. (The only reason why I went is because my old decorations got lost somewhere during moving)

These garlands were 50% off - I couldn't resist =)

And of course, how can you pass up real gourds for less than a buck at Vons?

I found these candle holders / tea light holders for 50 cents at Ikea (I've always wanted tall candles for our romantic dinner nights)

This is just something new I put up - I finally was able to frame these pictures I had gotten of Kai at the Target Photo Studio

I LOVE pumpkins!!

Sooooo it might not be a TOUCH of Fall but an invasion - I had fun however and it always makes walking in the door more exciting =D Now, it's time for the holiday parties!

JOY!!!!

JOY!!!!

This is what God has been showing my in my quiet times with Him. How to find joy in Him through delighting in His glory. I have been reading "When I Don't Desire God, How to Fight for Joy" by John Piper and it has been truly eye opening and wonderful!!!
John Piper explores every aspect of why and how we are to find joy in Jesus Christ and in His glory.
Please! Let me encourage you, no matter what season of life you're in - read this!!! Especially if you have been feeling like you are lacking in joy in God in His glorious Son, Jesus Christ. Are you experiencing trials? Are you weighed down by the responsibilities of Motherhood? Or are you simply searching for joy in other things? I was struggling with all of these things - and am still going through some of them but with GREAT joy in the Lord.

Here's a quote that God really used to teach me about delighting and finding joy in Christ's glory:
"Together this spiritual seeing of Christ and enjoying him - or this spiritual sense of his beauty and corresponding pleasure in the soul - refer to what Paul calls 'knowing' Christ... This knowing includes tasting and seeing. It is the knowledge of honey that you have only when you put it on your tongue and taste that it is sweet. Therefore, knowing Christ in this way means seeing him for who he really is and enjoying him above all things."

See what I mean? Read it! It's a must if you are seeing that you need a revival of God's Spirit in your heart and life to taste and see that He is good and to delight in Him!

Loving My Husband and Delighting in My Children

Loving My Husband...

This is one of the things that God has so graciously been showing my lately. In my times with the Lord, God, through His Spirit has been convicting me that I have not been loving my husband like He calls me to.

There's a chapter in the book "Feminine Appeal" by Carolyn Mahaney that's entitled "The Delight of Loving My Husband" that I have frequently read since I've been married. It's one that is so helpful to me in that it reminds me how I am called to love Ryan with a tender, affectionate and passionate kind of love and make him my priority after God. I have picked it up again and have been encouraged by the Authors words:

"Loving our husbands with a tender and passionate love is not something that happens automatically in our marriage". So, we must learn it and go to older women and God's Word to be trained in how to love our husbands.

Ultimately, the thing that stuck out to me most was this :
"Sin destroyed my tender love... If we find that our affection for our husband is waning or has subsided altogether, then we do not need to look any further than our own hearts. Where sin is present, warm affection dissipates. Anger, bitterness, criticism, pride, selfishness, fear, laziness-all vigorously oppose tender love. This love cannot survive in a heart that harbors sin."

However, she doesn't leave you there dwelling on how hidiously sinful you are, she then exorts you to evaluate and examine your heart, repent, and put on tender thoughts of love and behavior towards your husband.

This book is so encouraging that I decided to read the whole thing again!
However, let me tell you that this book is not just geared toward married women. This book is centered on the teachings of Titus 2 and is for all women, single married, young and old, who want to grow in their biblical role as a godly woman. "Read it! I know you'll love it!"

Delighting in My Children...

The 2nd most important thing that God has been teaching me is how to train my children (or, child in my case).

My sister-n-law encouraged me to read this book "Don't Make Me Count to Three" after I related to her my struggles with discerning when and how I should begin to train and discipline my son. Even though he is only 10 months old, he is already capable of understanding me when I say "No, you may NOT touch that" and is also throwing fits and temper tantrums when I move him away from something or take something away from him.
I have only read the first 2 chapters and am benefiting a GREAT deal from this woman's godly council. The Author, Ginger Plowman, graciously instructs the mother's reading her book on how to apply God's word in training their children. She then goes on to define discipline and reveal how our society today views it verses what God, in His word teaches about it:

"Society portrays discipline as punishment that involves anger, yelling, and severe or even cruel acts... They simply try to control their children, focusing only on their outward behavior."

"While society relates discipline to an uncontrolled use of physical punishment, Biblical discipline involves love, the heart, and God's Word."

She then goes on to say that "we have to get them to think right and to be motivated out of a love of vurtue rather than a fear of punishment. We do this by training them in righteousness. Righteous training can only come from the Word of God."
When we work on the issues of the heart, outward behaviour will follow.

Now, I know that Kai's not going to be able to understand me right now when I teach him about what God says regarding sin, anger and selfishness. But, it will get me into the habbit of training him in righteousness by lovingly warning him, following through with discipline and lovingly explaining to him his sin and leading him to repentance.

I am very excited to read on and continue to learn how to train and discipline my children biblically. I know it's not going to be easy and it's not going to be rewarding until they are grown up but I know and trust that God's grace is sufficient for my every need.

Read with me! Tell me your thoughts as you go through these books. I would love to hear how God uses these wise women to speak truth into your life and further mold you into the image of His glorious Son, Jesus Christ!

What a Week...

Well, it's been a very low key and boring week. I say "boring" only in reference to my being trapped inside my house for the whole week because of the heat and smoke from the fires. (Here's a shot from the Mt. Wilson web cam which is right above houses of family friends)


However, it has NOT been a boring week with all of the action happening with the 4 fires surrounding LA and the story of Jaycee Dugard, who is a 29 yr old woman who was kidnapped at 11 and kept hostage in her kidnapper's backyard for 18 years and had 2 children by him!!!! It is so amazing and the grace of God that she is now reunited with her family. Let's all be praying for the family and for God to show himself and bring them all to realize their need for a Savior (if they haven't already) and that God would call them to himself.

Here are some shots of the fires I took while I was filling up at a gas station. The flames were pokin' out and I just had to take some shots:




THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS FOR SERVING AND WORKING OVER TIME TO KEEP US ALL SAFE!!!! WE ARE SO BLESSED BY YOUR HARD WORK!

Please pray: that God would make it rain and the fires would cease, that homes would be saved and Firefighters would be protected from the heat from both the weather and the fires.
Pray: for the Dugard family, for restoration of the family, for mental and physical and emotional healing for Jaycee and her daughters and that they would be saved.
While we're sitting in the comforts of our ac'd homes, guys are out in this hot weather fighting the wild fires- away from their families and the Dugard family are dealing with press as well as reuniting as a WHOLE family and recovering from the last 18 years!!!

Love you all!

Daddy and Kai Jamin' together

I had to share this one too - Ryan pulled out his guitar and started to play. I think it was the first time that Kai really took notice of what he was doing and wanted to join in. This was also the same day that he started to "dance" (bob up and down to music).

Fishy Kisses and Lizard Tongues!

Kai has been doing this hilarious thing where he will randomely start giving fishy kisses. It's soo funny and too darn cute!! Enjoy =)

A Day at the Beach

The Beach!!!

Last Friday, I went with my very good friend, Michelle and her son, Tyler to Point Dume Beach. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with a nice cool breeze. What can I say? I love living in Southern California =)

Michelle had brought her little kiddy pool so, Kai and Ty played in and out of it, dumping sand and bobbing for toy rings (as you can see below).

Ty is such a cutie! I hope that he and Kai will grow up the closest of friends =)

The best sight of all was seeing these two little guys crashed in the back seat.

God is soo good to give us friends! We as the created need companionship and unity because we are created in the image of a unified God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) He gives us joy in the fellowship we have with our fellow believers and I'm so thankful for the people he has brought into my life. Especially for my husband and my little peanut.

Lake Tahoe - the Final Part =)

After Tahoe, we drove back to my Dad's house in Tracy, CA and on Sunday we went to San Francisco (after church of course) and walked around Pier 39. I was however, really bummed that we didn't get to see the Golden Gate Bridge. I so wanted a family picture with it in the back ground. Oh well.

Here's our family pic on the Pier. Super cute! I think this one is my favorite so far.

Did I mention that I LOVE sail boats? I love to watch them and on this day, they were everywhere. They're so peaceful looking - I think this will be my next painting project.

My dear, sweet sis-n-law, Jessie. I miss you so much, friend! Can't wait to see you guys again =D

The gang, hanging out on the dock overlooking the ocean (as all docs do) and watching the sail boats go by.

That concludes our fun trip. It makes me sad to have to leave me family now. I'm so used to my family being in the same town as me but now, they are all moved elsewhere and our visits will always be sweet and far too short.

I miss you guys and my love and hugs to all of you!

Lake Tahoe Part 2

Sorry it's taken me so long to post again. Life was kinda crazy last week - Ryan was back east at a worship conference so I was doing everything and anything to keep busy to make the time go by.

Here is part 2 of my wonderful trip to Tahoe with the family.

This shot was actually taken from the patio of our luxurious hotel that Ryan and I got for our 4 year anniversary. It was (as you can see) overlooking the lake and it was nice brake from camping.

The Baird Family in South Lake Tahoe, July 2009. My Aunt even made everyone these really cool T-shirts that read: Tahoe 09 on the front and on the back it listed all the names of all our family members. Kai and Ethan even got one in their little sizes =)

My Mom and Dann, Sam and Grace (don't you love Sammy's expression?!!) It was so good to see them. I almost cried when I first hugged them - I didn't realize how much I missed them.

Kai LOVED the lake. He was so fascinated by the water and loved to try and eat the rocks.

Shannon Curran came with us and was able to spend much needed time with Sam and Grace. However, I loved having her around before and after too - she was so excited and happy to be on her first camping trip ever and do the typical camping activities (ie: fishing, inner tubing, swimming in the lake, camp fires, etc.)

My sweet Gracie and Sammy. I miss you guys soooo much!!! I can't wait to see you again in September! =D


I'll post the end of our trip later on this week.

TAHOOOOEEE!!!! PT. 1

We're finally back from our trip to my Dad's house and South Lake Tahoe!! We had such a blast and so much fun that I didn't want to leave and wish I were back there with family again. It's always so hard to leave family after visiting them. I miss them so much already.

Kai and his cousin Ethan (Efan) had fun together at Babu and Bebe's house. Here's some shots of them hangin together.

Bebe bought them matching outfits so they looked like twins the whole trip. It was really cute =)

Kai went in Babu's pool for the first time ever and loved it! He's my little water baby

Here's my nephew and Kai's cousin, Ethan. He is super cute and soft and chunky - I just wanted to squeeze him the whole trip. Kai got really jealous and didn't know how to handle it.

Even with a little barf on his chin he's super cute. Good job Ian and Jessie!

That concludes the first chapter of our trip. We stayed at my Dad's for the first 2 days visiting before we drove the remaining 3 hours to Tahoe. I will post more tomorrow!

Faith in whom???

Faith in myself, or at least that's what I've been confronting lately. I didn't realize just how big my faith in myself was and how little my faith in God is until Ryan and I began talking about our future. Housing in particular is where I find myself struggling with trusting God for the perfect home.
I have to confess, my personal relationship with Christ has dwindled significantly. As a good friend of mine put it "we never just stand still in our faith, we're either moving forward or falling backward". I think I have definitely been falling backward. My desire to be with God in the mornings and to do His will before my own is seriously week and lacking.
Please pray for me. If you're ever thinking of me, just lift me up in a quick prayer asking God to ignite the flame of passion again. I know that apart from God I can do nothing and it is He who gives us the desire to pursue Him in the first place. My hope is in Him and in the truth that it is He who is showing me my sin of unbelief and pride. Thank God I'm not blind to it and that I'm grieved over it and want to change. That right there is an evidence of His great love and mercy.

BALLOOOOON!!!!

So, Kai got his first balloon at a friends birthday party (which was super cute and decorated with rubber duckies and yellow balloons). He LOVES to try and bite the balloon - which I just realized probably isn't smart since it could pop and get into his mouth. I monitor him at all times though when he plays with it.

Look who got his 1st Mickey Ears!

That's right!!! On Monday, I took Kai on his first trip to the happiest place on earth. He's been teething and suffering the runny nose, fevers and pain so I thought Disneyland would be a good distraction. Plus, I had already made plans to go with my Aunt Erinn and Uncle Tom and cousin, Fallon. Here are some shots from our day:

While I was enjoying "Soaring Over California", my Aunt Erinn took Kai and got him his first Mickey Ears. These we'll keep so he can wear them every time we go - hee hee hee

Kai's first ride was in "A Bug's Life" - the caterpillar ride (train ride only you're riding the caterpillar instead of a train)

Nice and relaxing.

His second ride was "Flick's Flyers" - you get into a snack box and it lifts you up and twirls you around like a marry go round - Kai LOVED this one. Note his big smile =)

More to come...