Just cute, thats all

So I got out my scrapbook the other night and Russ and I decided that Gracie looks a lot like me. I wish I had a scanner so I could show you all. She gets the double chin from me. She is basically a mix between me and William. It makes me happy that she looks like me while she is a baby, but kinda sad that she will grow up to look like me. Maybe she will change as time goes on.

Thanks Camille!

So here she is, snug as a bug in a rug. This is the sling that my friend Camille made for me. Awesome, huh! As you can tell Gracie loves it (she is sleeping, that means she likes it). It is a little small so she will be making me a bigger one, Camille is way too nice, and funny. Thanks Camille!

Concentration

If there is one thing you don't need to worry about, it is if William can concentrate. Here he is "concentrating" on the TV like his dad.

Here he is staring at the picture of Marlin that he got to hang on the wall. His exact words, "I need to look at Marlin" and then he focuses in inches away from the picture.




















This is him using scissors for the first time and I think every cell in his brain too (but not for the first time).

We are not always happy here

He is sad even in that awesome Thomas bed???

My sad little pumpkin. I think she is sad because she knows her head is too small for that hat. She really likes that hat.


I just thought I would let you all know that this is not always the happiest place on earth. I know that you thought it was, but not so. The hardest part about having to kids (at least today) is that somehow there are not as many hours is the day as there used to be. I know you think that there are, but there are not!!! and don't try to tell me otherwise, because I won't listen.
I have to admit, it is not as hard as I thought it would be, I just get less done (a lot less). But if you asked Russ he would probably disagree. Our house has never been as clean for this many consecutive days in a row before, and that is even before kids. The only thing is, is that takes up a lot of my time and I don't do as many things as I used to. I used to do a lot, I just never finished anything. Now thanks to www.flylady.net I am taking baby steps to gaining routines and learning how to finish things. If you have a problem with getting sidetracked in your household chores or projects or whatever. I highly recommend it - it's free of course or there is no way I would be doing it. They have a lot of cheesy saying and such, but they know there stuff and as doubtful as I was it has worked well for me. So although we are not 100% all of the time, things are looking up!

She Smiles!

So Gracie finally smiled for the first time on Monday the 17th at her daddy. She later smiled at William and I too. This is the best picture I could get.

Then on Tuesday the 18th she smiled a little bit more. I can not get over her cheeks. Sorry about the first picture, this is what happens when I am trying to get her to smile and use a camera at the same time.


Now, today, Wednesday the 19th she was smiling and cooing and loving William and I and we were loving her right back. While William was looking at her he said (in the most motherly voice possible), "Hi Gracie, did you come out of Mommies tummy, di - choo?"





So, it's official, SHE LOVES US!

russ' twin brother Pedro look alikes

this is funny

I love my girl!

So this little sweet heart is so great. The night before last she slept from 10:00pm to 6:00am - ate - and then went back to sleep! Thats right, 8 hours! Last night she slept from 8pm 'til 2am then went back to sleep 'til 5:30. Then she slep until 7:30. She is so good and I feel great since I am getting the sleep I need.
We still have not gotten her to smile yet, but we are working hard.

War...chalk?

So...one evening we were outside playing with sidewalk chalk. I went inside and when I came out I saw this. They were putting "war paint" on eachother. Willaim loved it, especially putting it on his lips (gross).


A little while later it turned into this...


And William did not want to leave Gracie out. Check out those cheeks.

A couple of funny things that William said yesterday. When Gracie cries in the car William puts her pacifier in for her and we always tell him what a good big brother he is. Well yesterday he could not reach her so I turned around and did it and William said, "you're such a big brother!" Then we drove by a truck that had a dog in the back and he said, "I can't touch that dog, he will scare me, he will woof me. See...woof,woof." I think he was trying to say he would bark at him. Funny kid.

Sweet cheeks

I just think she is really sweet. Today she was crying in the car and William couldn't reach her mouth to put her pacifier in so I put her song on(Gracie - by Ben Folds). It took a second then she quieted down. Then the line in the song, "you're not a baby Gracie you're my friend", came on and William said, "Mommy, is Gracie my friend?" I told him she was and he said, "I'm a friend too." That brought a tear to my eye. I hope they will always be friends. It has been such a blessing in my life to always be friends with my siblings, I just want the same for them.

My little artist

So William is pretty particular when he colors. He only colors really defined areas and he tries his hardest to stay in the lines. I may be wrong, but I think he does pretty dang good for a two/almost three year old.

Playing with Reven

Okay, I believe that this is the last of the pictures from our summer trip to the valley. Our good friends, Rob and Lexi, and their cute little boys came to visit from dental school in New York. We were able to hang out for awhile and it is always good to see them. Too bad they probably won't be coming again until school is out, and even then they won't be in Arizona. Oh, well. We are just going to have to go see them.
Reven and William, of course, pretended that the other was not even there and they just played by themselves. That is until they were getting ready to leave. Then they started running and diving on the couch together and laugh at eachother. It was really cute. I wish they could play more.

Blessing Day

My beautiful baby girl

Today Gracie was blessed by her Daddy. Russ gave her a beautiful blessing and I know that she is such a special girl who has a lot to offer this world. She was blessed in a beautiful blessing dress that my mom made her from the scraps from my wedding dress. She was surrounded by people who love her (although, not the only people who love her).

Her adoring parents

Mommy

Daddy

Her sweet big brother

The one and only - Beautiful Aunt Connie

The men who stood in the cirlce


The wonderful Grandparents

Here is our little family

Twilight Party

So my sister and I (and others) have read the Twilight books and loved them. My sister likes them a lot and told me she and my friend Lauren wanted a combine Twilight b-day party. I told her I would throw it and I did. It was so fun. Everyone wore black, white, and/or red. We ate dinner, played Twilight BINGO, Pictionary, and talked about the books. It was a lot of fun. We gave them a CD of the playlist as a party favor. I think I might throw one of these again, it was so fun. What I learned for next time is to asign someone to picture taking because tyring to host the party and nurse a baby do not leave any time for pictures.

Family Fun