Summer has FINALLY begun!

She now likes to sleep with some of her stuffed animals. Her tiger, blue bunny, and duckie are her favorites!

Grace has learned to ignore me when I get the camera out. It takes an act of Congress to get her to look at me, and it's even more difficult to get her to smile!

This is her "funny face".

Pool time!!

I love how her cheeks get all chubby when she sleeps!

Tubby time after her doctor's appointment. Those bandaids cover up her injection sites...poor thing. She screamed her head off for about 30 seconds, then went back to her happy little self! God Bless Ms. Lurene, her nurse!!

Lunch with friends!

The playground at the mall. This was a new experience for me. She is now curious about other kids. It didn't take us long to meet some bratty ones that day. Yeesh!

I just found this one on my cell phone. I think it was taken back in March.

Helping Mommy and Daddy empty all the garbage cans on trash day! Her little tennis shoes crack me up!

Grace is now 15 1/2 months old. She had a doctor's appointment four weeks ago for routine shots, etc. She weighed 19lbs 12oz and is 30 3/4" tall...still a petite little thing. Everything checked out great! Grace is progressing exactly how she should be. Her doctor told me that she has the language skills of a 2 year old. Her vocabulary is incredible and she is now speaking in small sentences. Communicating with her gets easier everyday!

She is no longer drinking out of bottles, she uses sippy cups or regular cups, and she has mastered using a straw. We have also started the potty training process. Yikes!! She is very interested and is always checking out the potty, so we thought...why not? She will tell us several times a day "poop poop", we will then rush her to the potty, take all her clothes and diaper off, and place her on the seat. After 2.5 seconds, she wants to get off the potty and play in the bathroom cabinets. As frustrating as this can be, I think it's a step in the right direction!

It's been a while since I've posted anything, so these pictures span about three weeks time. Is it me, or does she get more and more gorgeous every day?

Mother's Day

Dear God,

I thank You for the gift of this child to raise, this life to share, this mind to help mold, this body to nurture, and this spirit to enrich. Let me never betray this child's trust, dampen this child's hope, or discourage this child's dreams. Help me, dear God, to help this precious child become all You mean her to be. Let Your grace and love fall on her like gentle breezes and give her inner strength and peace and patience for the journey ahead.

Amen.
(~~ Marian Wright Edelman)

Our Little Artist

Grace is OBSESSED with coloring! I bought her some of those Crayola Beginnings crayons. They are inside of a big fat plastic base with a face on it. She loved them and immediately went to work!! (This picture is about 2 months old. I had to get a new printer, so I am just now scanning this lovely piece of work into our computer.) Anytime she sees a crayon, pen, pencil, highlighter, etc. she wants to color. She says "color" over and over and over until we finally give in.

The funny thing about all of this is that she spends 98% of her time setting up the right coloring environment. She will hold her crayon in one hand, her paper in the other, and walk around "testing" out different coloring positions, substrates, etc. She will lay on the floor on her belly, then get up and put her paper on the couch, then move to the coffee table, and so on and so forth. This summer we are going to have to invest in some finger paints! I can't wait!!

Exploring the Yard!

Grace "helped" me clean the back porch today. (Really she just hung out in her high chair eating apples and animal crackers while watching me work!) After we were done, we took a break and played in the front yard. I took the opportunity to take some well-over-due pictures of her. Grace is obsessed with sticks! She must have at least one, but typically has several, in her hand whenever she is outside. She continues to amaze us as she explores the world.

Grace can now tell us her last name, she can count from 1 to 10, and her vocabulary is astonishing! She repeats pretty much everything she hears. From parts of songs, to names, to just casual conversation. She is truly a little sponge!

I am counting down the days until summer vacation. We have a long list of activities planned! I can't wait to spend some extra time with my little "Lovie Buggie"!