The Prettiest Flower Girl in All the Land

Justin and I are both only children, so our close friends' kids will be the closest we ever get to having nieces and nephews. Because of this, I feel that it makes them that much more special to us in our hearts. So far, we're happy to say that we have one nephew, one niece and another little one on the way (only a week until we find out if it'll be a boy or girl!). Of course, this moment in time has been set aside for our niece, our pretty flower girl, Bailey Grace.

This was Bailey when I met her:

(photo by our friend Brittany, the group's "official" photographer)

4 months old, a head full of hair and still a little on the sleepy side for the most part. Yep, that's what our Big Girl looked like when Justin and I first started dating. As time went on and it started looking like this thing between Justin and I was legit, I was honored to assume the role as "Aunt Shana." And over the course of the last 3 years, I can't even begin to explain how she's stolen our hearts over and over again.

Taking her afternoon bottle at Aunt Brittany's bridal shower (photo by Brittany)

Keeping Uncle Justin on his toes during 4th of July in 2009 (photo by Brittany)

Bailey cheesing during the Horse Festival last month (personal photo)

There was never any question whether or not Bailey was going to be our flower girl, it was just kind of a given between Justin and I. I remember the day I emailed Nicole and asked if it'd be okay, and getting a response back that began "I almost cried." Since Bailey was too little for both Brittany and Brooke's weddings the past few years, I guess Nicole hadn't held her breath that Justin and I would ask, so she thought her beautiful little one would never get to be a pretty flower girl. Guess we fooled her :)

Since Bailey is so special to us, I wanted to do something special for her on the wedding day. Keeping in line with my DIY plans, I asked my mamaw if she would want to make Bailey's flower girl dress, just as she'd made tons of my church dresses when I was little. Of course she obliged and I ran out and found a pattern for a dress.

(source)

Bailey's dress will be made of red satin, with a silver satin cumberbund (and yep, that's a flower on the back!). The dress shown is floor length, but we'll probably only do three or four layers for Big Girl to make it a little less formal and a bit more springy. I can't wait until Mamaw gets started on it next year!

And I think that Bailey will just be thrilled with her role as flower girl on the big day, or probably as a princess as she'll call herself. See, she's already practicing :)

Bailey in her Cinderella dress she got for her 3rd birthday last weekend (photo by Brittany)