There were times when I never thought this day would come (cut to sleepless nights, lots of crying, difficulties nursing, feedings 10 times a day/night, colds, coughs, humidifiers, booger suckers, shots, etc.) and another part of me feels like it just flew by. It reminds me of those super busy days at work. You put your head down and get to work, work your butt off, feel exhausted and the next thing you know, it's time to go home already. I feel like the past year went exactly that way.
I'm not sure I agree with the "it all goes by too fast!" statement that all parents tell me. On one hand, I miss some aspects of Gracie as a little baby. I miss cuddling with her, holding her while she slept and those days when she would sleep in the carseat, stroller, etc. But on the other hand, I love watching her learn new things and become more and more interactive. Grace is hilarious, no one thinks so more than she does. She has quite the funny personality and humorous disposition. I love watching her shrill, screach and jump up and down when I tell her "I'm going to get you!" I love her belly laugh. I love that she is going to be walking soon. Hmm, note to self...baby proof the house.
Grace also enjoyed her first trip to the zoo this month with daddy. I had the treat of staying home while Aaron took her. He also picked up a friend of his who has a daughter a week older than Grace. The two boys took the two girls to the zoo and had a blast. Here Grace is with Jordyn looking at the sea turtles. They both loved it. I think both dads felt quite accomplished too.
Did I mention that I LOVE being home alone? Wow, I think it's something like the 3rd time since she's been born that I have been able to be home by myself. It's amazing what you can get done when there isn't a baby around!Next up, the trip to Roseburg. My dad turned 60 this past week and we had a semi-surprise party for him. He knew we were getting together for a BBQ but didn't realize my brother was driving up from CA to surprise him on his b-day. It was a hit. My sister was the mastermind behind the whole thing and came up with some great banners for decoration, one of which chronicled my dads life in photos. It started w/ his baby pic and went straight thru to last month. It looked amazing. A few pics from the party.
Gracie w/ Auntie Marcie
The guest of honor.
Hanging out side at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I love the chairs. So comfortable!
Grandpa is Grace's new best friend. She LOVES hanging out with him. I think my dad my need a massage for physical therapy on his lower back after our visit. He was bending over holding her hands and walking all around their property...all day long.
When Grace wasn't eating or sleeping, she was constantly...
Smelling flowers with Grandpa....
Touching flowers with Grandpa......
Looking at flowers with Grandpa.....
We also made a trip to Wildlife Safari. Wow! That place has changed since I was last there. I guess it has been about 20 years though :-) The petting zoo is no longer filled w/ animals roaming freely. Now, they are behind fences and you have to pet and feed them thru the fence. On the plus side, you no longer run the risk of being mounted by goats or sheep :-) Grace especially liked the mini pony. And for those of you wondering, yes, that is a picture of her licking the fence. GROSS! I didn't realize she was doing it until after I took the picture. That has to be the most disgusting thing she's put her mouth on to date. Even more dirty than the shopping cart handle I caught her licking at Target.
One of Grace's new favorite past times is to read her books to herself. It's adorable an I always wonder what she thinks she is saying.
Bath time is a key part to our bedtime routine, and Grace loves it. We have had the same bedtime routine since she was about 6 weeks old and stopped crying her head off every time she got in the tub. We eat dinner as a family, then play about 15 minutes and then off to the tub. Now that she has teeth, we included brushing her teeth between bath and story time. She loves the toothbrush. Actually, I think she just loves looking at herself in the mirror and puts up w/ the toothbrush. She also loves putting on her sunglasses and looking at herself in front of the mirror.
That's all for now. Stay tuned for more frequent posts!
Yawn, I'm bored of this. What's next?
