Gracie Pie {13 Months}

1. Is a full-out walker.  Having taken her first steps the day before she turned one, she began really walking on Joey's birthday and has just taken off. 
2. Wears a size 3 diaper, a mix of 6-12m, 12m, and 12-18m clothes, and a size 4 shoe.  She had a definite growth spurt this month.  I can see it in her clothes and her shoes.
3. LOVES babies -- both real and toys.  She loves to pretend to feed her 'babies' ... and anyone else for that matter :o).
4. Is realy progressing in learning to share well with her brother. She is the definition of sugar and spice -- ninety percent sugar and ten percent very spicey spice :o)
5. Loves baths and swimming.  She splashes like crazy and puts her face in the water.  She has no fear.
6. Is very conscious of rules and tries to be a very good girl. Nothing is baby proofed in the house and we don't have to block off the steps because she simply listens. Of couse she's always being watched too so she's safe, obviously.  At this point with Joey all the cabinets had locks and the stairs always had a gate up. 
7. Is a GREAT eater.  We joke that she is a little carnivore because her favorite foods are turkey burgers, pork chops, and cheese burgers.  She has started drinking milk and has milk and water from her sippy cup. She is still nursing.
8. Says: MaMa, DaDa, Hi, Bye, Clock, Baba (sippy cup), Cup, Up, Baby, Truck, Cracker, Dog, Lobster, PaPa, Snack, Door, and No No No.  She used to say "share" but she stopped.  So about 17 words at 13.5 months.
9. Can Ba Baaa like a sheep, Moooo like a cow, Quack Quack like a duck, and Fff Fffff (for woof woof) when she sees dogs.  Knows where her nose and tongue are and is working on others.
10. Like books but cannot sit through them.  She prefers books about babies or animals with cute faces.  She'll kiss things in books she thinks are cute like babies or sleeping kittens.
11. Laughs the best laughter ever when playing with her brother.  He'll do anything to get her to laugh.
12.  Loves to snuggle and be held and goes to sleep like a dream.  She still takes two naps (from 9-10 and 1-3:30 or 4:00) and sleeps from 8- 6:30 or 7:00.
13. Has 5 teeth and one that is partially through -- the two bottom middle, her snakey teeth (the two outter teeth of the top middle four) and one of her two top middle.  The other top middle is almost through.

Gracie Pie, you are a dream.  As if it could be possible, you just get better and better as we watch your little (big!) personality unfold.  You are my dream girl -- tiny, inherintenly "pink," baby loving, dress wearing, always with a bow on top.  You love animals -- I fear you may be for me what I was for my own mother -- I can see it coming. And yet underneath all the superficial stuff is the best of you; you are incredibly smart, so highly opinionated, willing to fight for yourself, and so very very very loving.  A better mix does not exist.  You hold your own baby girl, in every way possible. You are our perfect little cherry on top.

Love,
Mommy

True

Sissy and her true love.

 Joey and his true love.



Two Going On Sixteen

Little Spaces

I love our daughter so much.

She is totally her own little person and she bends for no one.

Even when she's throwing her binky because I've made her mad and I'm wondering just how young is too young for time out (kidding!) I can't help but smile inside at the strength of her tiny (not so tiny?) spirit.

She is just amazing every day.

Like when she puts herself under the couch.

 Seriously?!?

Is it just me or is this the most charming quirk ever?

My mom and one of my friends recently acted a little surprised when they realized Grace still gets swaddled up tight, at nine months old, when she sleeps.

What can I say?

She likes tiny, little, confining spaces.

If she gets sleepy she likes to wiggle up under the couch and take a little rest.

Cozy.

I'm not really sure how this all started.

One day I was in the kitchen getting lunch ready and Joey said, "Mommy, come help Sissy!!"

She had indeed backed herself up under the couch and was not happy.

Really though, how could you not chuckle at this scene. I had to grab my camera. I figured I'd never see it again.

Joey was very concerned.  When he couldn't coax her out he tried to join her.  

I helped her out, came back, and found this.

And so it began.

Sometimes she'll bring two binkies with her and switch them in and out while she dances under the couch to music from the t.v.

Unbelievably charming.

This is why she gets away with throwing those same binkies across the room when she's mad.

 Joey likes to bring her little toys to play with.

He's always looking out for her. 

 In case you're concerned, Grace it not actually allowed to sleep under the couch.

Obviously.  She sleeps in her crib like a normal baby.

Butttt it will be a sad day around here when she is no longer small enough to wiggle her way into her little snuggle spot. ;o)

Little Happies

Our happy rainbow girl

 Best brother sister pair ever <3

 Buzz watching Buzz.
This is childhood.

 Breakfast with the Bunny.

I'd like to add that the first thing Joey said when we took him to get pictures with a bunny was,

"This is a different Easter Bunny, Mommy?"

Ugh!

 Joe said, "There's only one Bunny, he's just wearing different clothes."

My heart sank a little when I realized he wasn't satisfied with that. He's only two! We're going to have to be very careful with things. He's too smart for his own good sometimes.

 Sissy tries to throw herself into the ballpit any time she's near it.

She likes to hand balls back and forth and claps for herself because she's such a good little sharer.

Very modest :o)

 Water table and bathings suits during a 76 degree March day.

 Practicing for Summer.

 Joey with Easter cupcakes he made.
It's taking every ounce of self control he has for him to not stick his finger in the icing right here.

 Tiny Sissy trying to walk.
Don't be fooled.

Right about now, with the progress she's making, we estimate she'll be ready to walk somewhere around her twentieth birthday ;o)

Pretty Ears

We took Gracie Girl to get her ears pierced yesterday after the kiddos went to see the Bunny.

I had made the mistake of telling Joey that it would hurt a little bit and he did not want her to get it done. Joey is telling me something about how he doesn't want anyone to touch her ears and how they should not hurt her, here.  He was dead set against it.

Grace was more open to the idea.

Joey held his ground that this was a very bad idea.

But Sissy was ready for her pretty ears. :o)

This is the last picture of our girl pre-ear piercing.

Joe signed everything

and then it was time.

Look at how serious Joe looked! He really wanted her to have her ears pierced but he didn't want her to actually have it done. He's been saying he wants me to take her without him (so he doesn't have to watch), but at the same time he doesn't want it to be done without him there.  In the end, he wanted to be the one to hold her.



Continuing the trend, this was very hard on Joey.

He had to look away and kept telling the lady that he didn't want her ears pierced and not to hurt his Sissy. 



Both kids ended up and tears, but they didn't last too long.

A little distraction and a few Mommy snuggles and our girl was doing better.

Joey's woes were put to rest when the woman who pierced Grace's ears offered him a lollipop for being so brave. Ha!

He also got to pick where we went for dinner

The Chinese Buffet was his choice, in case you were wondering.

Both kids got to have ice cream for being brave. :o)

Comfy jammies and snuggle session in the car, and Grace was back to normal.

She chowed down on mashed potatoes at dinner and thoroughly enjoyed her droplets of ice cream.

And that was how Grace got her ears pierced. :o)