Summertime fun

Somehow we went straight from winter to summer. There really wasn't a "spring". Other than a few cool, crisp days when you could keep the windows open, May was mostly rainy. In fact, I heard on the news that it rained 80% of the days in the month of May. Now that June is here it has been hot and humid. We have had the air conditioner on since Thursday morning with no plan of turning it off in the near future. I like the warm weather but this is the kind of heat that makes you want to run from one cool indoor place to another.

The good news is that the pool opened this weekend for the season. This is a new experience for me...joining a public pool. In fact, I bought our season pass in February before I went to pick up Grace, knowing this day was coming. And, we had the best time. The "pool" really is an aquatic center with water slides, a lazy river, a big pool with waterfalls, a sandy "beach", a picnic area...you get the picture. The biggest part of the main pool is ideal for little kids. The water gets deeper gradually and you enter like you would at the beach (no steps or ladders). And it never gets deeper than waist height in this section. Grace had the best time. She practiced walking holding my hands, kicked her feet, touched the water coming out of the waterfall and spouts, and watched everyone. We only stayed a couple of hours, but she was worn out! The pool is only 5 miles away from our house but she didn't even make it to the first traffic light before she was asleep.

Then, this afternoon, we played with her newest toy - a sand and water table from Nana and Big Daddy. It kept Grace busy for a long time - she might still be playing if I hadn't told her it was time for dinner and a bath! The only problem is that Grace seemed to like eating the sand! I suppose she isn't the first kid to eat sand, so I am not too concerned about it. If you look closely at the pictures, you can probably see the sand all over her face...and on the deck...and on her clothes....I can definitely say she had the full sensory experience offered by this toy.

Favorite Foto Friday

Kyle is great with Grace. He has taken care of her a couple of times now when I have had to go to a work function in the evening. I know she loves him because as soon as she sees him, she smiles. That is why I love these photos.

Sippy Cup Update

My friend Carrie is "super mom". She works full time, has two amazing daughters, a husband, a house, and two big dogs. Somehow she manages to keep it all running smoothly. She'd say it is not at all "smooth" - it just looks that way, but from my point of view she is a master at multi-tasking. Carrie's daughters are smart, articulate, polite, cute as can be, and show appropriate independence for their age. All the things I want Grace to be. So, I turn to Carrie a lot for her advice on how to handle all the "firsts" Grace and I are encountering together. When I told Carrie that I wanted to move Grace from her bottle to the sippy cup she was all for it. And, Carrie's theory is that it takes three days to change a habit. I don't know about that - Grace certainly has a mind of her own and lets me know when she is not happy about something - so my theory is that changing to the sippy cup is going to take us longer than three days.

Today is Day 3, and it is going pretty well. I bought 4 different kinds of cups the first day, not knowing which one she would like. But we seem to have settled on one. It has two handles that she can hold herself, only holds 7 ounces so it doesn't get too heavy, and has a soft top that is similar to the nipple on her baby bottle. This weekend I will probably buy one (the green, yellow, and white one on the right) to keep at the sitter's house so we can both use it consistently.

So, the update....How is it going really after 2+ days? Not bad. Oh, we have had our moments. Crying for 45 minutes or more when I know she wants her bottle and I can't understand why she won't just try putting her mouth on the sippy cup. It has exact same formula inside it. What is it about the cup that turns her off? How can she protest so violently without even trying? And, then just as quickly as the tantrum started, it ends. And Grace is all smiles and holding the cup with one hand and drinking like the mixture inside is the best thing she has ever tasted. It makes no sense. Each of the three days I have seen the slightest improvement. So I think we are heading in the right direction. I tell Grace she is a "big girl" when she uses the cup, but I know she doesn't understand what that means. And I am glad...I am not ready for her to really be a big girl yet.

Mondays are hard

Mondays might be the hardest day of the week. After spending the weekend together doing whatever (and sleeping in until the very late hour of 7:00AM!), we have to get back into the work/daycare routine. On Mondays Grace is groggy when I wake her up as the sun is just rising above the rooftops across the street. She cries when I leave her at daycare (although the sitter says it only lasts for about 5 minutes). And she doesn't feel like eating in the morning before we leave the house so I feel guilty about sending her off without a full tummy. When we get home she is fussy, cranky, and clingy, especially anytime I try put her down. All this gets better as the week progresses and by Friday we are back in the groove.

Why then, did I pick Monday to take away Grace's bottle? This is what happens when you read those "How to-Parenting for Dummies" books on Sunday night before going to sleep. I happened to read a few pages about weaning babies from their bottles. The book said it should be done in the last half of the first year, so I panicked. We are well past that! She is over one and still using a bottle!?! Okay, I know that is not unusual in reality. I see plenty of children older than Grace with bottles. But, I figured, what the heck....let's try it. So here we are, the first evening down without a bottle. She didn't drink as much formula from the sippy cup as she would if it had been in the bottle, but on the positive side, she HELD the cup herself...something she refuses to do with the bottle. And, just so you don't think I am meaner than Cinderella's stepmother, I am not going to make the sitter take the bottle away until next week. Probably not until Tuesday.

We DID have fun today. We played in the kiddie pool and then Grace went on the swing all wrapped up in her cozy towel. Just look at that face! This picture has to be my new screen saver.

Say cheese!

Last Wednesday, Grace and I went to a photographer to have professional portraits taken to commemorate her first birthday. As you have probably figured out, I am constantly snapping pictures of her so she is pretty used to smiling when someone holds up a camera. Or....if the mood strikes her, she might make a funny face, or cry. She did all of these at the photography studio. I have to laugh...she was just Grace. Beautiful, animated, friendly, determined, moody, cranky, strong-willed, sweet, curious... The pictures are not perfect, but as a collection they really capture who this wonderful little girl is.

(FYI - The studio sends them at a low resolution so you can share them electronically, but can't get quality prints from them. This way, if you want additional hard copy photos you have to order from them. Smart!)

Favorite Foto Friday

Up, Up and Away

I think the balloons Grace had for her birthday were the first ones she has seen. They certainly make nice pictures!

Notice the bee flying in this picture...

It's Fun to Be One - Part 2

I started singing "Happy Birthday" to Grace earlier this week. Several times a day I told her her birthday was coming and that she was going to be one. We even practiced showing "one" with a finger, but a lot of the time it just ended up in her nose! When it came time for her guests to sing the birthday song to her, I am not sure if Grace knew what was going on. I suppose she must have realized everyone was looking at her. As you can see, though, she enjoyed a large piece of cake!

It's Fun to Be One!

It is a little unfair to have to celebrate Grace's 1st birthday so soon after her homecoming. Everyone tells me to enjoy every minute with her because the time goes by so fast. I have been so lucky to have been a part of Grace's life this first year, but I just wasn't ready for her to turn one. However, there was no way I would let this milestone day go by without a celebration. It was important to me that we celebrate on her actual birthday. Even though it was a workday, Friday, May 23rd began the Memorial Day weekend, so Grace's birthday was the perfect start the holiday. Nana and Big Daddy flew in and we shared a light dinner and birthday cake with family and a few close friends. I am certainly no Martha Stewart, but I wanted to bake Grace's first cake. I also baked a "crush" cake (to match the big cake) which didn't make it past the icing stage. It was lopsided, but I could accept that. The problem came when I attempted to cover it. The wrap got stuck on the icing and messed it up. So, I got a taste of the cake before the big day. Pretty good...if I do say so myself.

Look how far we've come

On May 23, 2007 at 7:10 PM a chubby baby girl was born
in Mixco, Guatemala.

One year later she she is an 18 pound, inquisitive little girl
living in Ohio.

It's My Birthday....

I shouldn't have to wear this hat!

You know it is time to return to work when...

Many years of working and accumulated medical leave gave me the opportunity to spend 10 weeks (mostly) away from work with Grace. I have loved every minute of playing with her and watching her adjust and develop. But, you know it is time to return to work when....

• You not only know the names of the characters on the kids' programs but the episodes are starting to be reruns.
• Baby food starts to taste good.
• You find yourself singing children's songs in the shower.
• You reach into your pocket for a lipstick and instead find a half-eaten cookie.
• You put your daughter's bow in your hair just for a minute so you don't lose it. When you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror hours later it is still there AND you actually think it looks cute.
• You listen to the kids' CD in your car...when you are alone!
• Getting dressed the morning after one of those nights when the baby didn't sleep much, you mistake diaper rash cream for hair gel.
• You are actually tired of watching the Today show.

I go back to work full time today. I am okay with it since this is our reality - Mommy works. It would be amazing if I could work part time or if I could see Grace in the middle of the day....hmmmm...maybe I need to write a grant to start a daycare in our school district.....

Morning sunshine

Each day, when I go into Grace's room I say, "Good Morning, Sunshine" and usually it is true. She wakes up with a smile on her face and tries her best to play with me to make me smile. Sometimes, especially on rainy afternoons, I sing "You Are My Sunshine" to her. But, Grace has been sick for the last few weeks. It started as a runny nose, cold, and cough which progressed into ear infections and eventually high fevers. As of Monday, Grace started her second round of antibiotics, since the first 10-day supply didn't cure the infection. All this "ick" inside her has made my "sunshine" less bright...but this morning this is the little girl I found when I entered her room:

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Grace's new game when she wakes up....Peek-A-Boo!

Who needs toys?

We had just come home from Babies R Us where I looked at developmental toys recommended by the child psychologist at Grace's assessment on Wednesday - Cabbage Patch Newborn and other realistic baby dolls, push"walkers", a shopping cart, a play kitchen, Magnadoodles, etc. She hasn't been feeling well, so Grace doesn't want me to be far away from her. So, while I looked through some literature on these toys I gave her a basket of plastic lids from the kitchen cabinet. Okay, so she wasn't identifying body parts, perfecting her balance, or learning to write, but she was perfectly happy for more than 30 minutes. And, it is nice to see her smile! We can work on our "skills" tomorrow!

77 and Sunny

What should you do when it is 77 degrees and sunny? Go to the park, of course!

The "I wish I could climb" Series

The "I can't climb yet, so I will swing" Series

Next time I will get video!

Beach baby

Grace had her first beach experience this week on our last morning in Florida and she seemed to love it! There was no hesitation when her little feet touched the sand or when the waves tickled her legs. She also seemed so much happier in the warm weather when she didn't need shoes, socks, jackets, or long sleeves. I know I am happier that way! Did you notice that the hat stayed on her head the whole time? Now, that is progress.