Month 2.5

April is always an interesting month. It usually marks our last snow of the winter & first rain of the summer. I know that technically April is a spring month, it just always seems to be a transitional month of weather also. We have had a very eventful month! We celebrated Easter, my birthday, returning to work, moving Grace from our bedroom to the nursery, and our last round of visitors came too. It was also a month of transition from that magical time of maternity leave, visitors, and a brand new baby, to settling back into "real life". Andrew put it best when talking to a friend at church, "we are defining a new normal". I like that; and, it's true.


Miss Gracie with her binkie. With as much as this child likes to eat, I am glad she will also take a pacifier to soothe herself.


Kate and Grace on Easter Sunday. How many more years of matching outfits do you think I will get? Kate was so excited about matching. She actually chose her outfit based on what they had to match in Grace's size. Got to love The Children's Place!


Kate posing alone with her Easter basket. Doesn't she look lovely! She picked out the shoes because they had small heels. However, they were too uncomfortable to actually wear anywhere (umm, couldn't we have figured that out before we bought them), so we changed into a pair of old white sandals from last Easter before we left for church.


Grace Elaine looking precious in her matching outfit (binx & all). We set her in the bouncy next to her Easter basket for the picture, but her hand was in her face for that shot. No head exchanges for me (a poor attempt at a photoshop joke aimed at my mom). I think Kate really enjoyed being able to open two Easter baskets, as well as all of the gifts Grace has received. She gets just as excited to open a gift for Grace as she would for herself. Not to mention she sounds like a little adult, "look Grace, how cute will you look in this outfit" or "ooh Grace, a new book, I can't wait to read it to you". We think it is sweet!


Nana Laurie made Easter baskets for the girls. Aren't they awesome! I casually mentioned that I thought I would order the girls some Easter baskets from Pottery Barn Kids & these showed up on my doorstep ala Nana's workshop. Thanks Laurie! I know we will enjoy them for many years to come!


Aunt Justina & Uncle Gene came from Kansas City to visit and meet Grace. Actually they live in Texas for half of the year, so technically they drove home to Kansas from Texas, then here. We celebrated Grace's arrival, my birthday, and Kate's birthday all in one! Here was a card Kate received. We had fun watching her figure out how to pop it up into a 3D card. I think she even said this was the coolest card she's ever seen.


Kate & Grace with Aunt Justina. Grace received a beautiful dress from Aunt Justina & Uncle Gene for her six month pictures to go with a sweater & booties that Auntie Em knitted for her. You'll have to wait and see! Grace also got some new books that Kate read to her the next day. Thanks Justina & Gene for all the wonderful goodies & a nice visit! Hope to see you again soon.


My favorite time of day has become the mornings. It used to be the evenings, but by then I am so exhausted, and Grace is usually fussy, that I now much prefer the mornings. Kate gets ready, Grace is all smiles, and I enjoy my coffee & watching the news on mute while reading the closed captions & sometimes talking to Andrew on his way to work or school. We all three hang out in bed and have breakfast together. I took this picture earlier this week. What beautiful girls I have been blessed with!


Kate loves to hold Grace. She asks multiple times a day if she can hold her or read to her or help with her bath. She will even take her turn when the babe is fussy. Couldn't ask for a better helper! Grace had her fussiest evening ever last night, Andrew was at school, and Kate & I had to attend Grace's baptism class at church. By the time I got home, I was ready to pull my hair out. I know I was being short with Kate trying to get her ready for bed, and she turns to me a says "Mom, I know the baby is fussy and you are stressed out, but just like you tell me, sometimes you just need to ask for help. Now let me take her for five minutes while you take a break." I could of cried. What a sweetheart!


New haircut, new glasses, (and unfortunately a new body) to go along with my new life. The person taking the pictures is never in the pictures (my mom can attest to that), so I took this one of myself with my phone & decided to post it so no one forgets what I look like. Just kidding! -SR

2nd Month

Month 2 was jam-packed with lots of activities! We have settled into a routine with the baby that has no particular consistency in schedule whatsoever, imagine that. However, we wouldn't trade it for the world!


Big sister Kate reading Harold and the Purple Crayon to baby Grace in the nursery. Everyone loves this chair! Shortly after this picture was taken, Kate fell asleep too.


This picture is somewhat out of place, but when I was uploading pictures to the blog, this one placed itself. Nana Laurie & Papa Homer came for another visit at the beginning of their spring break. This is a proud papa here, who enjoys rocking Grace & specializes in calming down the fussy baby. He got her to sleep in her crib twice for an hour each time. Impressive!


We set up her playpen downstairs in the new area we labeled the "playroom" (Kate seems to think this means she can leave her toys on the floor in there too). This area was designated for the baby because it is the only area downstairs with carpet, not to mention the table that was in the formal dining room just collected dust. This is a much better use for this space. I attempted to lay Grace down here while cooking dinner, but it only lasted about 20 minutes. She prefers the swing or bouncy seat that vibrate. Someone should invent a vibrating playpen... Graco, I'd be happy to accept royalties for that idea!


We took Grace on her first walk in her stroller, the doggies were there too, and as far as we know she enjoyed it. She slept the whole time. It was nice outside, but a little windy, so we bundled her up in this cute outfit my grandma sent her (below). It was so nice to get out in the fresh air & go for a walk. As March is our snowiest month, we've been limited as to how much we could be outdoors with a newborn. I am ready for the spring days & summer evenings that allow for eating on the deck again & going for nightly strolls. I am sure our dogs are ready too!


A close up of Miss Grace in her bear outfit staying cozy warm. I know I am biased, but what a cutie!


Daddy holding Grace for the full cute-bear-outfit effect:)


I am so very spoiled in the mornings! I may be the person getting up many times a night with the babe, but Kate gets herself ready for school in the morning with little help from me. Andrew makes coffee for me before he leaves for work & leaves a cup on the counter, and Kate brings me coffee in bed after her shower. Love it!


Again, I know I am biased, but here is our adorable sleeping beauty with chubby cheeks! She had her 2 month check-up last week and is in the 75th percentile for weight (and 50th for height). Are breastfed babies always a little chunkier? It sure has been my experience that it is so. Opinions? Kate was formula fed and although I know that has nothing to do with her being small now, she was a small baby too. At Kate's last check-up she was in the 5th percentile for height & weight... lucky duck with her amazing metabolism, maybe she'll get to keep it.


Daddy comes home for lunch most days & I have to remind him that he is there to eat lunch. He usually takes over baby duty while home & I make the lunch. It is nice to see him during the day when he doesn't have school.


Papa Homer could sleep anywhere, truly!


Nana Laurie (& Papa Homer, taking the picture I presume) watched Grace while I went for a haircut. My hair was so long & thick that a pony tail had become the daily do, not to mention the baby pulling it when it was down. I needed something easier & faster, so I chopped it off and donated my locks. It was so nice to have them visit, as always! Laurie went grocery shopping for us again & filled our freezer with prepared food, just like she had done when she was here previously. It was such a luxury to pull food out of the freezer & pop it in the oven for x amount of time, and dinner was served. Thanks again!


Kate had to pick a Colorado character to be for their wax museum project. She chose Mary Elitch Long (Elitch Gardens sound familiar to those who live here; now owned by Six Flags, for those who don't). Nana Laurie created a costume & Kathryn approved it over Skype. S-p-o-i-l-e-d! Andrew stayed home with Grace & I got to attend the 4th grade wax museum. It was too cute! The kids stood perfectly still, like a statue, until you pressed the button at their station, and then they came to life & told you about their character. Kate did a wonderful job! I have video, but the IT department is a bit tied up with school these days.


One of Kate's friends had a French themed birthday party. This was Kathryn's ensemble. I thought she looked great! They served quiche & crepes at the party. It was a big hit! The new thing is themed birthday parties. Another one of Kate's friend had a sleep-over party that was a night at a five star hotel party complete with the five star treatment. Another one of her friends is having a backwards party where she brings gifts for her attendees, etc. With Kate's 10th coming up, we are trying to rein in our BIG dreamer because she thinks she needs multiple themes.


Nonna Janis came to visit from Texas and was so excited when it snowed while she was here. Kate & Nonna made a snow bunny complete with Easter eggs, if you can see the bottom that well. They had lots of fun and were out there for about 2 hours.


Miss Violet, the corgi who loves to pose for pictures. Seriously! She posed in both my maternity shoot & Grace's newborn shoot. She just poses herself & beckons for her picture to be taken. It is too funny!


Kate decided that she wanted her ears pierced. Up until now she had always told me that she would never get her ears pierced and would just use clip-on earrings. I was shocked because she had just made up her mind one day and didn't waver for a couple of weeks. Here we are before. That is Hershey, the Webkin ferret, in our lap for moral support.


And here we are after, still smiling. She was so brave! Didn't flinch at all & wasn't the least bit nervous. They pierced them at the same time & right after it was done she had this look on her face like "what just happened." I told her it was okay to cry and she got a little teary eyed followed by "I'm okay, I'm okay" in a shaky voice, & then we were all smiles. When I checked out, the girls who worked there told me that she was the most mature 9 year old they had ever met, so articulate in her words and mannerisms. For those who know Kate, she is quite an old soul. Nine going on thirty!


We ended the evening with a birthday celebration to Mary Poppins on broadway. My mom sent this to Kate & I for our birthdays (mine in April, Kate's in May). We had so much fun! It was so nice to have an evening that belonged to just the two of us. At the theater Kate's face was glowing & eyes sparkling. It was a night I will always treasure. I remember thinking that night that my oldest daughter is growing up and that she looked so beautiful. What a wonderful memory, thanks Mom!

So as I round out maternity leave this weekend, I can't help but think how fast time flies by the older I get. I am blessed to end maternity leave with Easter weekend & taking both my girls to church together for the first time. I start back to work next weekend and then it's all Daddy on the weekends & all Mommy during the week. Being a nurse definitely has its perks! -SR