12 months in one year

Wow, this little girl entered into her twelfth month with a bang. I have been warning her for a few days that she better drop her attitude or this months post will not reflect the sweet baby I have had in the past. She didn't heed my warning so here it is, Gracie has developed a very demanding scream. And she has been using it non-stop these past few weeks. She refuses to use any of the signs we are trying to teach her. Instead she throws things she doesn't want and grunts and points widely at things she does. Awe, so exhausting. You can't tell that from her charming face can you? But she is still loved and adored upon.

She loves each one of us too. She waves 'bye, bye" to Ellie when she gets on the bus and when it is time for Ellie to come home, Gracie's little head pops up when she hears that school bus. She loves to welcome Daddy home too. She is tolerating Emma more, I think because Emma has learned the boundaries that Gracie is comfortable with. Gracie allows Emma to pick her up and put her in her little dump truck and push her around, but any other tries at holding her are quickly diminished by her scream.

Gracie sleeps with Zeebie, Ellie's Webkin, and her new little puppy dog, Violet. Violet plays lullaby's while Zeebie is perfect for cuddling with and for chewing on his tail.

She didn't make it to 20bls at a year, but 19lbs and 33 inches isn't too shabby. She has eight teeth. She will take about four steps on her own, but prefers to walk holding your hand. We were playing with a kick ball this evening. I was holding her hands while she was chasing a ball and kicking it, really kicking it, and laughing the entire time.

I have spent this month remembering my last October. All that fall, I had anxiously looked for the changing colors in the leaves. I knew when the leaves started to fall I would have my baby. I remember the drive home from the hospital with little Gracie in the back. I don't think there was or will ever be a more perfect fall day like that. The afternoon colors were glorious. In the three days I had spent in the hospital, the entire landscape had changed. I really liked my fall baby.

Eleven Months

Aunt Janice, you knew it, 11 months would come someday. She gave me this adorable shirt when Gracie was first born, and it looked so big next to my newborn. But that is just one of the many miracles that happen in a baby's first year, they GROW, and Grow, and grow.

Gracie's tooth count is now up to seven with #8 close to the surface. She almost refuses to let you feed her now because she prefers to feed herself, and she has decided most vegetables are now yucky and they are promptly tossed to the floor.

She can obey a few directions, kinda. "No, Gracie!" will get you a mischievous smirk. "That's yucky!" will get you the same but the action to pick up the yuckiness will not cease. However, I did get her to spit out a penny she had found and put in her mouth and bring it to me. She is starting to wave hi and bye in a more regular manner. She is also regularly giving away big open mouthed kisses.

Also, she can be won over, if you are a man or boy and are lots of fun. There are a few more people that have made her nice list that she will now go to. She is starting to see what is so attractive about walking up on her own feet. The past couple of days she has started grabbing my index fingers, meaning she wants me to help her walk around.

Her hair is a constant wonder, some days it has a hint of red, sometimes a little blond, and other days its just brown. And if recently washed, it still has a bit of spunk. We love our little Gracie girl.

Month 10

Where do I start with the changes that have happened this month?

I keep looking at my little baby and she grins back at me or makes a silly gesture to say that soon she will no longer be a baby. She has a new tooth making the total 5. We got her hair in a tiny little pony on top of her head one day. She climbs stairs very well, but she is too scared to learn how to go down them. She loves pick-a-boo. When she is full or tired of eating she continues to take the food you offer, but spits it out in her hand and plops in onto the floor. I think I have mentioned this before, but she bobs her head to the beat of her favorite songs. She likes to play tag around the living room couch. She gets very upset if daddy comes home and does not immediately pick her up. She loves to examine everyday objects. She can comb her own hair and she loves when you tell her it looks pretty. And she still loves me too too much.

9 months

Here she is, Miss 9 Months!
One word to sum up this month, MOVING!!
Her crawling speed has increased, her climbing ability is growing, and her enthusiasm is always apparent. She is clapping, playing pick-a-boo, and waving. She really is just plain fun. Finally we can tame her hair a bit. She is at the point were I dread feeding her in all respects. Her two top teeth have defiantly made their presence known. But also, she is a menace in her high chair. Food flies everywhere and while some lands in her mouth a lot ends up all over her body, meaning two or more baths a day!

8 months

At eight months she is really starting to communicate with us. She has a distinct cries for different demands. "I want more food" has a cry, kinda a short demanding yelp. "Pick me up" has a pitiful tear dropping, lip pouting, cry. "I don't want to go to bed" has a furious close to screaming cry. But she also has many happy communications. She has a wonderful giggle, but when she is really pleased Gracie breaks out with her full on laugh. I love the ways her eyes squish up and sparkle when she is happy. She coos on my shoulder when she is comfortable, and she hugs me so tight when I pick her up out of bed.

I can't believe how long she is looking, but she still looks tiny to me! My other babies where little chubbers, but this girl is long and lean. It strange seeing my little babe crawling around exploring. I keep thinking, "your too small to be doing that" but I have to remind myself that she eight months old after all. Time to start doing big baby things.

But poor Gracie has had a tough time with her little teethies these past two weeks. Those stubborn top teeth are making there way in slowly and painfully. I caught a glimps of one corner poking through those red, swollen gums and felt so sorry for her. But she has learned to kiss. She started making smaking and sucking noises that resembled kissing sounds from exploring her teeth coming in with her tongue. It is the cutest. I can sometimes get her to do it after following my example, but of course not when I am holding a camera. I'll keep working on getting it filmed.

Seven

It seems like just the other day I was posting her six month entry and already its time for month 7. It is amazing the things she is doing this month. I think she has entered a new exploratory age. She is grabbing at everything, maneuvering her body to reach things she wants, and always watching, watching, watching. When awake, she is in constant movement. She can't crawl yet, but she can get places. She rolls to a new spot, sits up to get her bearings, and is off rolling again to her chosen direction. Bath time is a splash fest, and dangerous too, because she still tries to do her rolling around thing and she can get a face full of water faster than you can yell for the girls to bring you a towel. She can talk on the phone pretty well, adding her sounds at the right pauses. Her naptimes are irregular, that might be because she is number three and there are a lot of people's schedules before hers and she is carted around when it would be good for her to be sleeping. But at night, she is doing really well. We moved her in with the other girls because we were going to have some company, and she slept so well that we have just left her in with her new roomies.

The Big 6

She is six months old now!! And her new things are, snuggling with baby to sleep, rolling across the floor, and she almost knows not to pinch your face anymore, just feel. Her hair is sticking up lovely. It is rather fun to rub. She has one bottom tooth and the other should be in soon. She is working on getting her hands to do what she wants. I love to watch her little serious expressions as she concentrates on something she wants to pick up or move(always towards her mouth). She loves her baby food, and big kid food too, but Dad we need to stay away from mac and cheese, that diaper was a doosey.

Lately, I have been especially grateful for this little healthy cherub. My brother and sister-in-law's little baby Kaylie was born this month with some extreme health issues and our prayers are with them. What's a little "teething trouble" when they have gone through so much?

Things we are looking forward to: Being able to sit up on her own.

Five Months

At five months we are dabbling in cereal, playing with toys, and starting to play games. I was holding her on my hip and would let her fall backwards and then catch her, and soon she was leaning back on her own, ready for the fall and loving it. And we just got the cutest quilt from Grandma this week. Gracie really loves it, she was cooing at the flowers this morning. My mom and Grandma have always made sure I have a plethora of quilts for my babies(I should show you the stack sometime), and we always welcome more.

Four months

Four months is when the little newborn disappears and you are given a delightful, full of personality, little BABY. She cracks us up. She watches everything and everyone. Its so cute to see her move her gigantic head around, with those sticking out ears, and those expressive eyebrows. She is full of giggles and cues. She has started to pull hair and play with toys. If you count struggling to get some part of the object into her mouth so she can suck on it, playing? She is a definite show stopper. People all around come over to look at her. So many people want to hold her, but she is such a momma's girl and cries nearly every time she is given to someone else.

3 months

Look at the smile! You are getting so fun. You love to watch the girls. They are just so fascinating and often loud? You have found your hands and are constantly slobbering all over them which makes them chilly. You know if you would chew on a pacifier you wouldn't have to have cold fingers?

I think you weigh about 12 lbs and you are growing out of clothes. Socks especially. You have the longest feet I've ever seen on a baby, and they are still so skinny.

You are definitely my little girl already. You will sit calmly on my lap, but if anyone else holds you cry, and people hand you back because you can already stick you bottom lip out in a pout.

And last nigh you finally slept. From midnight till six! Hallelujah!

You kept trying to eat the bear paw, but were surprise by the feel on the fur in your mouth.

Two Months

Awe, the rewards of those teeny tiny smiles! It is so fun to try and wiggle them out of her. Gracie is at the point where you could just sit and watch her as she tries to get a handle on how to control her little body. Her fists are the first thing she wants to master, because she is sick of scratching herself in the face. She loves each of us. I can see that while sometimes her big sisters can be a bit scary, she is amazed at all there noises. I left her in their room for a while today during playtime and she just sat in her little bouncy and watched and listened for quite a while.

A Whole Month

I can't believe she has been here a whole month. We have had a wonderful time adjusting to each other. I know this is my third baby, but I am still amazed at how they are constantly changing. She already knows us, and finds comfort is being with us. She is always watching us and has even begun to give us a few "cues" every now and then.
The other night, after she was finished eating, she closed her eyes, snuggled into my shoulder and gave a big sigh. It was the cutest thing, she was telling me she loved me.

And she even enjoyed her first bath a little bit.

What can I say, they both love to snuggle.