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