Happy Birthday, my sweet Gracie

Dear Grace,

Today, we celebrate you.  Four years of you.  My, how you have grown, learned, adventured, and taught.  You are a beautiful little girl now, no longer a toddler.  I hold on to a few of your words, as they are the only things left that makes you seem like a young toddler.

I love "muddles puddles".

I love "meggory round". (merry go round)

I love "find a my glass". (magnifying glass)

I love "veering room".  (living room.

I love "yote-meal".  (oatmeal)

Everything else about you seems so grown up to me.   I see you interpreting everything you have learned over the course of four years...movement, sound, art and I constantly ask myself, "How do I save this forever?".  I don't want to lose this energy and sense of wonder that you show us each day.  So, I constantly convince myself that soaking up the moment and enjoying every last detail is the best way I know how...along with many pictures and boxes of your art. There are many musings that are unique to you at this tender age of four.  The way you stick  your tongue out when you are running around with hysterical laughter or concentrating on your coloring.  The way you ask many questions as to how things work and why they work.  The way you stand back and observe each new adventure we go on before you participate.  The way you try to negotiate your way out of everything.  They way you come downstairs at least six times between your bedtime and our bedtime to say that you want your pink spoon for breakfast or to tell us to have a good sleep or to say your water is too warm on your nightstand.  The way you describe the shapes of your poop as if you're looking at clouds, "that looks like a duck!".  How you request the tag of your pink blanket in the upper right hand corner each night.  How you order the 1200 pound horses around when we clean stalls together.  I also adore gardening with you.  You love to weed and you love to correct me when I've missed one. 

 You enjoy baking with me and always feel it's necessary to properly prepare with our aprons and your chef hat.  You've also taught me that, "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!'.  (Thanks to preschool for that one.)  You are the little girl that wants to be so grown up.  You always ask questions prefaced with, "can we do that someday?". 

 Lately, you can't wait to grow up so you can clean the kitchen up.  It's really not all it's cracked up to be, sweetie.  Right now, you are four.  Right now, your dad and I are so in love with who you are and we will wait for you to grow up.  Someday, we want you to know both oceans, to camp on the top of a mountain, and to experience the beauty of our National Parks.  But, for now, and most importantly, I want year four to be filled with memories of peanut butter sandwiches under our chestnut tree, running barefoot through the pasture, and picking flowers around the yard to fill up your wheelbarrow.  Really,  your only job right now is to walk down our stairs in the morning with the excitement of the day bursting at your seams. 

Happy Birthday sweet one.

We are madly in love with you.

July 19, 2007

July 19, 2008

July 19, 2009

July 19, 2010

Graham at 9 months

Happy 9 months my sweet baby boy.

Where has the time gone?

You are thriving, learning, experiencing, and growing. 

This past month has been quite a challenge with you.  Where did my quiet boy go?  You have developed eczema and now have us visiting an allergist to discover what the red, bumpy rash on your body is from.  You would think I would be a seasoned veteran of this 9 month age group, but you have me on my toes and scratching my head....and in tears a time or two (it's probably five hours of sleep a night).  Is it your teeth?  Your central incisors have now made an appearance-that makes 6 teeth in all. 

 Or is it the itchy rash?  We should have that under control now with the prescribed cream.  I'm adjusting my diet and yours hoping to find out what is bothering you. 

 Or are you just cranky because your mind is ahead of your body?  Maybe you want to crawl and move around more but you just don't know how yet.  I can't turn my back on you without you crying.  You have developed a set of lungs like no other-the kind that turns several heads in public.  The funny thing is, if you are handed a new "object" or picked up, you seem to calm right down. Seriously, you can go from quiet to screaming in a fraction of a second, without any "working up to it". 

Here's a rundown of your latest accomplishments.

You are up on all fours rocking back and forth.  You haven't discovered how to move yet. I'm curious, will you "army crawl" for months (like your brother) or go the more "classic" route?

You laugh hysterically when we stand you up next to the couch with your hands on it for support.  I think you like the new vantage point.

You have mastered feeding yourself.  In fact, the boy that once enjoyed being spoon fed will cry when given mashed avocado on a spoon but loves the same avocado, in chunks, on his tray.

You love your teething biscuits.

You will have nothing to do with a bottle. 

You will have nothing to do with pumped milk-in a bottle, sippy cup, glass, or otherwise.

You are really loving your voice and making new sounds.  "Ma" is the newest.  In fact, I now run around the house saying "mama" to you all the time.  I'm determined that one of my kids will speak my name first.  In the meantime, handy husband is certain he'll be three for three.  Yesterday, you said, "ma......ma".  I'll take that but your dad say's it doesn't count.

You still think sleep is overrated.  You are napping twice a day-if I'm lucky.  It's a bit of a crapshoot. You might sleep an hour and a half, you might sleep 15 minutes.  You've been getting up once a night to eat.  Lately, it's been twice.  I come to you when you cry at night these past few days because I'm not certain if your itchy or uncomfortable from the rash or your teeth.  We're all giving you the benefit of the doubt but the moment we figure this thing out, it's time for some schooling.

You love to "grunt".  You're dad taught you this.  You do it to him, he does it back to you, and so it begins. 

Your favorite toy is anything with wheels.  You love to spin them around.

You love your food. Blueberries are your new favorite indulgence. You also love your morning "porridge"-a mixture of oatmeal, flax, amaranth, and kamut topped off with yogurt and fruit.

We're all crazy about you.

xoxo

(PS: I took your bassinet of our room today.  Sniff Sniff.)

sometimes

.....the grass is just greener.

Cowgirl has it figured out.

born in the USA

Fourth of July certainly ranks right up there as one of my all time favorite holidays. We stayed in town to take advantage of the beautiful weather. Who am I kidding? I'm not getting in the car with this pack of raccoons on a holiday weekend! We swam, barbequed with family and friends, went to a small town parade, re-learned how to apply sunscreen, allowed our toddlers to hold sparklers for the first time (scary!), introduced baby Graham to his first Fourth of July,  and stood arm in arm in the pasture watching the incredible firework displays in our neighborhood while the skittish horses rubbed shoulders with us. It was a perfect Fourth, indeed!

Warning....picture overload!

Swimsuit and swim cap? Check!

"You ain't ever seen moves like this before."

Sprinkler fun!

Why so serious? 

Homemade cupcakes for the BBQ

A visit with Aunt Linda, Aunt Jennie, and Uncle Doug at the park.  So great to see you!

You know it's summer when you hear the hot air balloons along with the chirping birds first thing in the morning.  (One of their designated landing spots is our neighbors yard.)

Carnation parade

Always a better view.

Even fifteen minutes late and our negotiator daughter manages to talk her way into an up front spot.

Baby Graham's first parade.

A snuggle with Koby

Popsicle!

Does this make by belly look big?

"Hell or High Watermelon" was the new beer I tried.  Beer made with crushed watermelons.  Quite refreshing I might say, even though handy husband rolled his eyes at the "girliness" of my choice.  Honestly, it was the Statue of Liberty on the can.  How American is that?

Prepping for the barbeque.  For our Nebraskan relatives (including Nana & Papa), we have a true Cornhusker on our hands!

All American!

 Starting 'em young!

 Born in the USA!

 William, Graham, and Grace

"You're in my bubble, back off!"

 Food coma

 Stealing corn

 Drooling over grass fed burgers on the "stay" command.

 Mesmerized by the snakes.

 Watching the toddler show.

 "You got something better than this?"

 Sparklers!

 Even Nanas love sparklers!

 "I'm getting into this!"

"You got anything smokeless!"

 Watching the fireworks from the pipeline.

Happy Fourth of July!

zoo tunes

On Sunday, June 26th, handy husband and I took Gracie with us to see Marc Cohn at the zoo.  It was a gorgeous and sunny evening with our

 little girl.  Just twenty four hours prior, we were at the emergency room with her for stitches.  She loved the music, the picnic, and her date night with mom and dad.  The couples around us were falling in love with each other all over again while we were falling in love again with our little girl.  There is nothing sweeter in life than an seeing your child full of joy.  Grace was smiling the entire time and dancing all around our tiny little square of space.   She knows who Marc Cohn is because the kids love watching our wedding video and his music is on it.

Nelly loses wool

Have you ever seen this in your backyard?

I haven't...until two weeks ago.

Apparently, when put on their back, a sheep becomes doscile.  Who knew?

I never thought I'd be calling around town for a sheep shearer in between diaper changes.

Fifteen dollars-that's cheap entertainment for an afternoon.

Anyone need a pelt of wool?

It could be a bucket list item...spin wool and knit a sweater.

I actually called the local spinners guild and it's just going to take too much time at this point in my life.

What's your excuse?

Ahhh....much cooler!