Big Girl Bed

Gracie is sleeping in her toddler bed (at night and for naps) and has been for over a week now. It was a much easier transition than I thought it would be. Ben sang songs and laid with her the first night for about 20 minutes. After that, she went down fine (a little fussing) and has been doing great ever since. It is so cute to see her in there and it really makes her seem so much bigger. It's pretty funny because there are a few things to remember when putting her in her "big girl bed"... she is very particular:

-She does not like to lay under the quilt (no covers, which is why she still sleeps in socks and footy pajamas). She must be on top.

-Of course, she has to have baby and blankie

-In the morning she lets you know shes up by turning off her monitor and playing with her clock that plays music by her bed.

I am impressed that she hasn't yet tried to get out of bed. She waits for us to come get her. We'll see how long that lasts for. Next task to accomplish...potty training!

Party

On Friday we had a birthday party with Gracie and two of her friends who also have January birthdays. The theme was teddy bears and I made the cake. It was my first time making a cake like this and I really enjoyed it (even though it took a few hours). I think I might have to take a cake decorating class some time. Gracie especially liked the cake and sat at the table for 20 minutes enjoying every last bite.

All Day Celebration

We had such a wonderful day celebrating Gracie's birthday. We began the morning with pancakes and bacon on the "You are special today" plate. Of course we had to decorate with streamers and balloons to set the mood. That afternoon I had a meeting for church. Luckily the other women at the meeting have kids who Gracie loves to play with. We brought cookies and Gracie thought it was a play date just for her. After the meeting we met up with Daddy at McDonald's for Gracie's very first Happy Meal and let her play in the play area for the first time. She liked the chicken nuggets and especially the toy. It was hilarious watching Ben go through the tunnels and down the slides with her. After her nap, she opened her wagon from Nana and Pop and we went on a nice walk around the neighborhood. The weather was perfect. For dinner we had chicken and broccoli (one of Gracie's favorites) and then opened more presents. Her two favorite things were a flute/recorder (thanks Nora for the good idea) and Mickey Mouse blanket Grandma sent her. We ended the night with a Pazookie from BJ's. I don't think I've ever seen Grace eat that much dessert. She practically ate the whole thing by herself. She was definitely wild when she got home from sugar overload and was fun to play with. I think she somewhat understood it was her birthday, she definitely knew presents and treats were involved, understands that she's now 2, and was such a happy little girl all day!

Happy Birthday Gracie Girl

Wow, I can't believe my litttle girl is 2 years old. Happy Birthday Gracie Girl! We love you. More updates to come.

one week old

One year old2 years old

Mr. and Mrs. Graham

Over Christmas break (Dec. 27th) Steven got married to Melinda Winegar. Ben and I left Gracie with Nana and Pop and took a short little trip to Utah to be there for their wedding. The wedding was beautiful and "The Graham's" looked as happy as ever. It was fun to be with family (minus all the kids, and the Menloves...Jen had tonsillitis) for a short time. We were grateful we were able to attend the wedding and be there on their special day.

Christmas break

We've had a very eventful Christmas break. This year we spent Christmas with Ben's family and really enjoyed ourselves (during the times we were healthy). Poor Gracie was really sick again this Christmas (as last Christmas) and spent the morning in the ER for dehydration. I was just bragging to everyone how she hasn't been sick since this summer, and of course I jinxed myself and she got sick over the break. Later in the week, Ben and I both got it, but luckily it only lasted for 24 hrs.

Poor girl didn't even want to open presents. We waited until a couple of days later.

We all went to the Great Wolf Lodge (indoor water park) for an overnight trip. Gracie loved the water (especially the hot tub).

We celebrated Gracie's birthday with all of the cousins. She loved having 2 cupcakes to eat and couldn't wait to "open presents". Six flags was another fun day. I was surprised at how many little kid rides they had. We were there from opening to closing. My little dare devil wasn't afraid of any ride. She would come of saying "more".

Other than the minor set back of being sick we had a wonderful time. Santa treated us too good, and we enjoyed spending time with family.

Luckily we ended the break on a good note with a happy little girl!