Tasting shoes and expressing emotions!

MMmmm tasty!!




Lately Gracelyn loves SHOES!! Most of the time she would rather taste them instead of wear them but thankfully she keeps them on!! I can't believe my baby girl is getting so big!! So many new things!! She has started to talk and I LOVE it! These are some of her new words!

Dog "daw"
Book "Buh"
Hi "iiiiiiiiii"
Bye "buh buh buh"

And now that she has found her voice.... she uses it! Especially when she is mad or sad or frustrated!! Right now it is a screeeech or a VERY VERY high pitched scream. Our next step.... explaining that it is okay to express herself and be angry but NOT that way. We are now really working on signing so she can learn to use her emotions the RIGHT way! I know we have a LONG way to go :)

She Was Watching!

I heard this new song on the radio that gave me chills and made me tear up! I thought all of you sentimental readers would appreciate it!

She Was Watching by Mark Schultz

He always called her daddy's little girl
She was four years old
Waiting by the door to run into his arms
Each time that he came home

And every night he tucked her in and read to her in bed
When she'd fall asleep he'd close his eyes and gently bow his head

[Chorus]
But she was watching
Her daddy praying
And thought someday I wanna be like that
She was watchin what he was saying
And the way he bowed his head
And though she can't recall the prayer
She was watching

Late one evening he was coming home from work
He called to say he'd lost his job
And after dinner they excused their baby girl
She knew they had to talk

But from inside her bedroom
She could hear them down the hall
They were dancing in the kitchen as momma sang his favorite
Song

[Chorus]
She was watching
As they were dancing
And thought someday I wanna be like that
She was watching
Her momma singing
As they were dancing hand in hand
And though she can't recall the song
She was watching

Faith can't be taught
It's just something that is caught along the way
No faith is never taught
It's just something that they catch from watching you along the way

He always called her daddy's little girl
But now she's twenty-three
He walks her down the aisle to give away his world
Oh but he can hardly speak
And when he kisses her goodbye he tries to hold it in
But as he turns away she pulls him close and whispers in his ear

I was watching
And I've been waiting
And finally found someone just like you
I was watching
My whole life praying
For God to see it through

And as he kissed her one last time
He said a prayer and closed his eyes
And she was watching

Of course this is just silly... but we have started to notice Gigi repeating A LOT of words now. This is a nice little reminder that she is not only listening!!

The pink cozy coupe!

Gigi loves riding around in the pink car on the days I nanny. The girls that I watch LOVE pushing her.. Since the girlies are 4 and 2 it gives me a good idea of what it would be like to have three girls... and... I LOVE IT!! Of course I would LOVE to have a boy too! Just to clear things up... NO we are NOT pregnant yet... YES we are going to discuss when to start trying when Gigi turns one!

I believe she is trying to say "EXCUSE ME can you please move!"
This one looks like she is being a sass and telling them what to do... OF COURSE!! She is simply just blinking... I hope ;)
CUTE! She loves that thing!!

What a busy day we had!

One BIG day for a LITTLE girl!

When I worked at Babystyle in Kierland, I became really great friends with the people I worked with! Well, after the store unexpectedly closed we were all left without jobs... so what do we do... PLAY DATES!! It was so great to see Monica and her nephew again, and I had not seen Christena or her beautiful little girl in a very long time!! We met up at Oasis Gym today and had so much fun! Poor Micah was a little unsure about everything, but eventually braved the foam pit! Little Hailey on the other hand was go go go! She must have tried everything, BIG props to her Mama who is pregnant with another girl and chased her all around the gym! Gigi loved having her friends there and actually went into the foam pit for the first time! I of course couldn't let her have all the fun so I got in...uh hmm more like slipped and fell in... but thankfully it is soft. Gigi didn't really know what to do aside from sitting.. but she loved watching all the bigger kids jump off the platform in the pit!

The kids didn't want to smile!
Just before this picture, Micah leaned in to kiss Gigi and she kissed him right back.. open mouth and all!
Just hanging out!
I was covering her in blocks!
Sitting on the edge with her buddy Micah!
Monica helping Gigi out. Seriously! It is hard to get out of that thing!
Hailey climbing the ladder!
Monica and Micah walking the balance beam!
Jump...jump...jump!
This is the face she makes when you tell her to say "Cheese!"
Just after a summersault!
"What do you mean I am supposed to go AROUND the cones... I just want to knock them over and eat them!"



After a great power hour at the gym we all went to McDonalds for lunch and more PLAYING! Gigi tried the baby slide but wanted nothing to do with it, instead she followed her friends up the tree house. Of course I had to go in after her!! She ended up crawlin all the way up the stairs to the top and proceeded through the tunnels to the slide. I crawled after her hoping and praying my weight would not cause the whole structure to fall down... thankfully it didn't :) I wasn't even going to TRY heading back down those stairs so I took Gigi in my lap and we went down the slide. I really thought I was going to get stuck, but it actually went really fast and she LOVEd it!

4 minutes into our car ride home... she zonked out! WHAT a big day for this little girl... she loved every minute of it and so did I :)

Tutu CUTE :)

I finished another ADORABLE Tutu for a custom order and just fell in LOVE with it!! I can't wait to start making Gigi's flower girl tutu dress!!

She is a hunter!!!

Gigi now hunts for her food... today on the menu... protein... in the form of a cricket!!!!! After she had spit out the body I found a leg on her cheek... oh me oh my!!! I am a GREAT mother eh ;)

Birthday Photoshoot!

For my grandma's birthday she wanted all the family to wear yellow for the photoshoot. We had a lot of fun visiting with family. After the shoot we went to breakfast at U.S. Egg LOVED it! We finished up the night with a birthday dinner reception at the beautiful Ritz Carlton! After the dinner, the family retreated to the presidential suite for some strawberries and champagne while Alyssa played the piano and sang to us! It was so much fun WE LOVE YOU MUGS!!!!!!

My Uncle Don and his family!
My Aunt Andi and her family!
My Grandma and her kids missing one... we will never forget you Uncle Dean!
My dad, Gigi and Mugs!
Gigi and her Papa!
Ta da!


Siblings!
The love of my life!
Our lovely family!
My dad and his girls!

Our handsome men!!
All the grandchildren with Mugs!
My amazing family!

Gigi is 10 months old!!

Wow my baby is 10 months old!! I can't believe that she is going to be ONE in less than two months!! This month really brought on baby fever for me. I know I know she is STILL a baby BUT she is growing up and doesn't seem to need me as much :( I was going through her baby blankets from the hospital and sighing... not to mention I know at least four people that had a baby this past week :) Well, I am LOVING every minute with her... she is learning so much and really responds to us now!!

This month brought HER FRIST STEPS!! Every chance she gets she will take the famous three steps... no less... no more! haha she knows that when she takes her three steps and then falls onto her bum that we will say yay! so she claps her hands and smiles!! SO PROUD OF HERSELF :)

She also can understand basic directions. If her tell her to say "Hi" she sticks out her hand. If we tell her to say "bye bye" she moves her hand up and down. If we tell her "yay" she will clap her hands. Thankfully she know what "No" means and so far she is a good listener!

This month also brought her first BAD choking experience :( She was really congested so she was breathing through her mouth while eating... not a good combination! She stopped making noise and started to turn blue.. mama thought fast and got that piece of food out... I was so ready to do the Heimlich on her THANK GOODNESS I was taught how... hopefully that won't happen again... it scared me and after re removed the lodged piece... I scooped up my baby girl and held onto her tightly while thanking the Lord for protecting my child!!

She also got in her 3rd and 4th teeth. i teeth so she has a huge gap where her two front teeth are still MIA :) she looks like a little walrus vampire baby ish ;)

This month also brought her first PIGTAILS!! I LOVE putting her hair in piggies and I am sure that will be the new way for her to wear her hair. I have been working on doubles of all her bows ;) Finally somEthing she CAN'T pull out!


It is so nice that she can eat whatever we eat.. makes meals a lot easier and when we go places we don't have to worry about bringing her food! This came in handy while we were gone on our cruise. Which also brings us to her next "first"

HER First long overnight at grandparents and aunt and uncles houses. According to everyone that watched her, she did great! Slept great, ate WAY TOO MUCH! and really had a lot of fun! We all gained two pounds from that week... my daughter now weighs 25.2 LBS! Sheesh

One new thing is her Piggy chair! Her Auntie Lili and Uncle Dan got it from Babystyle when the company went out of business. She just recently learned to sit in it and watch her cartoons. So cute! Of course they got her a baby piggy too! She likes to stand up against her toy basket and pull out ALL the stuffed animals she has... oh let me tell you she has a lot :) When Babystyle when under my sister and I both got her almost one of every animal, and every holiday since other family members have given her more!! I can't wait to teach her about Christian Family Care when she is older! blessing others since she has truly be BLESSEd!!



One thing that I wish would stop is her CONSTANT GROWING!! We bought her three 18m dresses two weeks ago and she doesn't fit them anymore. We had to go shopping.. OH DARN ;) The Children's Place Outlet is having a HUGE sale and I got her 10 items for 1.00 each! We also got her sunglasses for .49 and she finally fits crocs!!! Yay she is not barefoot anymore! Her little pink croc wanna be's were 1.99 and they have cute little cupcakes on them! We also went to the Carter's outlet and got her a 2T and 2T dress that fits for now... I am hoping these will last her longer :)

Another new thing that we just LOVE is her giggling! Just recently she has started to giggle at EVERYTHING! Chasing Daddy in her stroller, peek-a-boo, and just quick movements that startle her make her giggle!!

Ahhh She is at such a loveable cuddlable kissable squishable stage and we love it!!!!
I have been planning her party and getting her invitations ready! I can't wait it is going to be such a great day... I just hope Gigi is a happy birthday girl.. if not... then I am sure we will have cute pictures no matter what!

Auntie Lili and Gigi!

My sister took Gigi away for a little bit while we were visiting. I didn't think anything of it because she has been stealing her since she was a newborn and escaping to her bedroom for some one on one snuggle time. Well this time I got a little surprise!!

Baby Gym!

Once again my camera died after only two pictures... I really thought I had charged it :(
Well... maybe NEXT TIME I will have a charged camera and get some good pictures. Gigi also got to practice her walking!!! Three steps is the most she has taken and when she falls down on her bum, she claps for herself!!! YAY!!! I will try and post pictures of her walking soon :)

We met up with Abbi and the girls but since my camera died I didn't get any pictures of those little active cuties!! I did however get to meet Kelly!! We have a lot of mutual friends so I have been reading her blog for over a year and we finally got to meet in person!! Her little Colin is a little cutie!! Kelly, it was so great to hang out!! I can't wait to get the kiddos together again :)