dear grace,
you are getting so big! you like to look around when you are playing sitting up all by yourself to make sure i'm nearby. you give the biggest ham-cheese smiles and you have figured out how to raise your eyebrows up and down. you are truly a sweetheart. you are content to play with a bag of wipes and make noise sitting in your highchair for hours. you startle easily (sorry that's from me) but you aren't afraid when you fall over or bonk your little head on anything. you like to be tickled, and you are trying to sit up from laying down and desperately want to be on the move. your first tooth is coming in! finally! on the bottom right (your left) and it's makin you crasy! everyone is so excited to see you for christmas this year! santa come early! you like to talk to yourself and make gurgle sounds. you like every food i've given you except spinach. but we'll fix that one of these days! you don't like to be alone and you hate the dark (unless you're asleep) you love walks and we take them almost everyday this week. we have to before it gets too cold! you think "mamamamama" means food. and you can say dadadadada and ba ba ba ba ba. it's tough not being able to just get up and walk around and get all the things you want- so you get frustrated, but i'm trying to be patient and let you learn the hard way to crawl on your own. you love your dad. he makes you smile.
we love you
mom
Friday, December 2, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
twenty three
dear grace,
today you sat up all by yourself for the longest time ever! it was such a miracle to watch you learn to do that. you are trying to grab everything and trying to talk to everyone. my favorite is when you coo really quietly and in a high voice. you slip and slide all around different octaves, changing the way your mouth moves and making all sorts of sounds. i like to copy you and watch you smile, like we are sharing some sort of secret with each other. you are becomming very very tickleish, your feet and your hands and under your chin. today you lay on the bed and i just poked you all over and you laughed and laughed. then i tried to eat your foot and you thought that was hysterical. it's great being the funniest person! my ego is feeling pretty good! in the meantime, the child upstairs throws between 7-20 fits of screaming a day. i'm not sure what his problem is... if he is tired or both parents aren't around enough... but he stomps around and SCREEEAAMS and i'm telling you, if you act like that i will smack the crap out of you. that sounds really intense- but behavior like that is simply unacceptable to get what you want. my parents never beat me, but they made sure that i knew that screaming and crying was not a way to get what i wanted. in fact- that was the best way to get sent to my room or have everything i liked taken away. so i learned really really fast not to throw huge fits. sure i whined, and i complained, and i cried- every kid does. but i dont think i ever screamed and screamed and screamed. and if i did- my parents should have beat the crap out of me. and i was a pretty awful child. i bit people and i bit a hole in my mom's first brand new car... i pinched and poked and taunted. i gave things away that weren't mine to give, and i took things that weren't mine. but i turned out alright. and i really really hope that you do too. i think that's an important part of parenting- is taking the best parts of both sides of the family and putting them together, and then taking the parts that you wish you could forget and omitting those the best you can. growing up is a magical thing, it shouldn't be tainted with tears and angry yelling. no child should have to act like a tyrant to communicate how they feel. it makes me sort of sad. anyways, it's easy for me to talk about other kid's problems since i have the perfect child. now. but, no matter what happens, no matter if you get in trouble and disagree with us, we love you very much. and we will always always always do our best to be fair and kind to you. you may not understand this until you are much older, but we want to be your dear friends. we want you to come to us when you are sad or lonely, and especially when you are happy. you are the greatest joy in our lives. i am grateful every single day that you came here. sometimes you are the only thing we agree on. i think we are all coming down with a cold. so i've put dad to bed with a humidifier, a box of tissues and a huge bottle of water. and you, i filled your nose with saline solution (which you haaate but we do it every night because it keeps you healthy) and bundled you up. it's really hard to keep you warm all night, you've become such a wiggler!!! you just started bouncing your bum up and down in the air, arching your back and trying to flip everywhere like a fish. and something funny today you started opening and closing your mouth really big (like a fish!) whenever you wanted to eat or chew on something and it was really really really hilarious. you are growing up so quickly. and becoming very cuddly. that's my favorite part. you lay your head on my shoulder and wrap your little chubby legs around my waist and tuck your arms into my chest. and just smile. you are the most beautiful thing on earth.
i love you,
mom
today you sat up all by yourself for the longest time ever! it was such a miracle to watch you learn to do that. you are trying to grab everything and trying to talk to everyone. my favorite is when you coo really quietly and in a high voice. you slip and slide all around different octaves, changing the way your mouth moves and making all sorts of sounds. i like to copy you and watch you smile, like we are sharing some sort of secret with each other. you are becomming very very tickleish, your feet and your hands and under your chin. today you lay on the bed and i just poked you all over and you laughed and laughed. then i tried to eat your foot and you thought that was hysterical. it's great being the funniest person! my ego is feeling pretty good! in the meantime, the child upstairs throws between 7-20 fits of screaming a day. i'm not sure what his problem is... if he is tired or both parents aren't around enough... but he stomps around and SCREEEAAMS and i'm telling you, if you act like that i will smack the crap out of you. that sounds really intense- but behavior like that is simply unacceptable to get what you want. my parents never beat me, but they made sure that i knew that screaming and crying was not a way to get what i wanted. in fact- that was the best way to get sent to my room or have everything i liked taken away. so i learned really really fast not to throw huge fits. sure i whined, and i complained, and i cried- every kid does. but i dont think i ever screamed and screamed and screamed. and if i did- my parents should have beat the crap out of me. and i was a pretty awful child. i bit people and i bit a hole in my mom's first brand new car... i pinched and poked and taunted. i gave things away that weren't mine to give, and i took things that weren't mine. but i turned out alright. and i really really hope that you do too. i think that's an important part of parenting- is taking the best parts of both sides of the family and putting them together, and then taking the parts that you wish you could forget and omitting those the best you can. growing up is a magical thing, it shouldn't be tainted with tears and angry yelling. no child should have to act like a tyrant to communicate how they feel. it makes me sort of sad. anyways, it's easy for me to talk about other kid's problems since i have the perfect child. now. but, no matter what happens, no matter if you get in trouble and disagree with us, we love you very much. and we will always always always do our best to be fair and kind to you. you may not understand this until you are much older, but we want to be your dear friends. we want you to come to us when you are sad or lonely, and especially when you are happy. you are the greatest joy in our lives. i am grateful every single day that you came here. sometimes you are the only thing we agree on. i think we are all coming down with a cold. so i've put dad to bed with a humidifier, a box of tissues and a huge bottle of water. and you, i filled your nose with saline solution (which you haaate but we do it every night because it keeps you healthy) and bundled you up. it's really hard to keep you warm all night, you've become such a wiggler!!! you just started bouncing your bum up and down in the air, arching your back and trying to flip everywhere like a fish. and something funny today you started opening and closing your mouth really big (like a fish!) whenever you wanted to eat or chew on something and it was really really really hilarious. you are growing up so quickly. and becoming very cuddly. that's my favorite part. you lay your head on my shoulder and wrap your little chubby legs around my waist and tuck your arms into my chest. and just smile. you are the most beautiful thing on earth.
i love you,
mom
Thursday, November 10, 2011
twenty two
dear grace,
sorry its been so long, oh my goodness! you are growing too fast. you are trying to crawl but with your big belly you are what dad says "high centered". you swim and swim and swim and throw your hands back like superman and kick but you aren't moving yet. too much at least. i do wonder how you get to be upside down and backwards in bed, but there are some things i can't explain. besides, i think you're a genius. this morning you woke me up babbling to yourself and squeeling. i love that sound. i just laid there and listened to you. you love to play peek a boo, and hide under the covers. we made a sock puppet yesterday and named her Jo boxer. you are trying very hard to sit up, you get your whole upper body up but havent figured out that you can use things around you to help yourself. you are beginning solid foods, we tried peas yesterday and you werent sure if you liked them but you still have to eat them. :] said lovingly. yuou are so wiggly! oh my gosh. and you are cutting two little teeth on the bottom center. you farted a ton in church really loud and a couple in front of us started blaming each other for farting. it was pretty funny. they have a little girl named ruby who is two weeks younger than you, but everyone thinks you are at least 10 months old. you are huge. you were sleeping through the night but have recently started waking up again to eat. you are a hungry little thing. you also have discovered that your mouth can make farting sounds in a pout. and when you are upset or bored you start making that noise constantly. it's pretty cute. your eyes are still very blue and beautiful. you weigh about 21 pounds. you are very tickleish. you think grandma francis is a computer because we facetime every day almost. you wave your feet around jjust like grandpa francis. and recently youve become very cuddly! i love it!
mom
sorry its been so long, oh my goodness! you are growing too fast. you are trying to crawl but with your big belly you are what dad says "high centered". you swim and swim and swim and throw your hands back like superman and kick but you aren't moving yet. too much at least. i do wonder how you get to be upside down and backwards in bed, but there are some things i can't explain. besides, i think you're a genius. this morning you woke me up babbling to yourself and squeeling. i love that sound. i just laid there and listened to you. you love to play peek a boo, and hide under the covers. we made a sock puppet yesterday and named her Jo boxer. you are trying very hard to sit up, you get your whole upper body up but havent figured out that you can use things around you to help yourself. you are beginning solid foods, we tried peas yesterday and you werent sure if you liked them but you still have to eat them. :] said lovingly. yuou are so wiggly! oh my gosh. and you are cutting two little teeth on the bottom center. you farted a ton in church really loud and a couple in front of us started blaming each other for farting. it was pretty funny. they have a little girl named ruby who is two weeks younger than you, but everyone thinks you are at least 10 months old. you are huge. you were sleeping through the night but have recently started waking up again to eat. you are a hungry little thing. you also have discovered that your mouth can make farting sounds in a pout. and when you are upset or bored you start making that noise constantly. it's pretty cute. your eyes are still very blue and beautiful. you weigh about 21 pounds. you are very tickleish. you think grandma francis is a computer because we facetime every day almost. you wave your feet around jjust like grandpa francis. and recently youve become very cuddly! i love it!
mom
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
twenty one
dear grace,
you are getting so big so quickly. last night i held you in my arms and thought as you slept sweetly, how i wish i could keep you this way forever. your little hands gripping my sweatshirt and your soft warm breath on my neck, your legs curled up under you like a frog and your sweet wavy hair on my cheek. of course, it is a beautiful thing to watch you grow, but when you are fourteen i doubt you'll let me hold you like that. (which i understand) but it is so wholly and completely wonderful to be loved by you and needed so dearly. you probably wont really understand that until you have a little one of your own someday. i know i didn't. you are becomming a daddy's girl quite quickly, when you hear his voice you look all around "where is he where is he" and then you smile really really really big when he talks to you. i'm sort of jealous but i made you giggle first! so i'll always have that. in all fairness i have you most of the day so, i guess he'll have his chance. you have this ringing peal of giggles when you laugh and it is so adorable. i wish i could hold a camera and tickle you but i'm not that talented yet. you kick your legs like a mad woman, you are anxious to start moving around and i am anxious for you not to. your dad and i are pretty messy (woops, never supposed to tell your child that one) and i'm worried about all the little things on the floor, and all the child proofing this house needs before you are mobile. you are still so nice, even though you are teething and your gums bother you horribly. fall is coming and i've gone a little crazy decorating for halloween. we have a giant spider web on the front porch and a huuuuge pumpkin and then a mommy pumpkin and then a baby pumpkin (actually a little green squash pumpkin for you). we have spiders and graves that i made, we're gonna have a strobe light and enough candy to feed the entire military probably. dad is training for ocs and he runs 6 miles each day. he is losing weight quickly and... i am not. since i'm not breastfeeding i'm still packing the pounds from pregnancy. so we went to the track last night at orem high for an hour and while dad ran i walked about the track with you in your stroller. it was very cold and you were done after about 20 minutes. it was the first time you'd been freezing and you did not like it one bit! i felt your pain so we cuddled in the car for the last ten minutes and you fell asleep. which brings me to the beginning again. there is so much i want to write about all the things i experience with you each day, so that i wont forget- but they all happen so quickly and pass so sweetly and quietly. you are only talkative when you are excited or tired. or both. i love you very much with my whole heartsicles.
love,
mom.
you are getting so big so quickly. last night i held you in my arms and thought as you slept sweetly, how i wish i could keep you this way forever. your little hands gripping my sweatshirt and your soft warm breath on my neck, your legs curled up under you like a frog and your sweet wavy hair on my cheek. of course, it is a beautiful thing to watch you grow, but when you are fourteen i doubt you'll let me hold you like that. (which i understand) but it is so wholly and completely wonderful to be loved by you and needed so dearly. you probably wont really understand that until you have a little one of your own someday. i know i didn't. you are becomming a daddy's girl quite quickly, when you hear his voice you look all around "where is he where is he" and then you smile really really really big when he talks to you. i'm sort of jealous but i made you giggle first! so i'll always have that. in all fairness i have you most of the day so, i guess he'll have his chance. you have this ringing peal of giggles when you laugh and it is so adorable. i wish i could hold a camera and tickle you but i'm not that talented yet. you kick your legs like a mad woman, you are anxious to start moving around and i am anxious for you not to. your dad and i are pretty messy (woops, never supposed to tell your child that one) and i'm worried about all the little things on the floor, and all the child proofing this house needs before you are mobile. you are still so nice, even though you are teething and your gums bother you horribly. fall is coming and i've gone a little crazy decorating for halloween. we have a giant spider web on the front porch and a huuuuge pumpkin and then a mommy pumpkin and then a baby pumpkin (actually a little green squash pumpkin for you). we have spiders and graves that i made, we're gonna have a strobe light and enough candy to feed the entire military probably. dad is training for ocs and he runs 6 miles each day. he is losing weight quickly and... i am not. since i'm not breastfeeding i'm still packing the pounds from pregnancy. so we went to the track last night at orem high for an hour and while dad ran i walked about the track with you in your stroller. it was very cold and you were done after about 20 minutes. it was the first time you'd been freezing and you did not like it one bit! i felt your pain so we cuddled in the car for the last ten minutes and you fell asleep. which brings me to the beginning again. there is so much i want to write about all the things i experience with you each day, so that i wont forget- but they all happen so quickly and pass so sweetly and quietly. you are only talkative when you are excited or tired. or both. i love you very much with my whole heartsicles.
love,
mom.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
twenty
dear grace,
oh boy (girl)! your two lower teeth are definately coming in! you are officially four months old and some weeks. on friday you get your second set of shots and i am not excited for that... you are rolling over in both directions now and you love to stand when we hold your hands. you like to sit on the couch with us and grab your little toes to try to eat em. your most impressive feat is trying to sit up by yourself and trying desperately to crawl! we put you on your tummy and call to you and between me and dad you get very excited and try your hardest to kick kick kick and swim swim with your arms. once you make contact we'll have liftoff! you don't like rice cereals yet and that's okay because we can wait! you love to try to suck-gnaw on anything you can get to your mouth especially my hands and your hands. when you see dad come home you light up and you cry if he doesnt come say hello. you like to reach out and touch my face and sometimes that hurts (you love to scratch!) but you are getting more gentle. you still love bath time except you are almost getting too big for your whale tub?! so the other day i tried to sit you in your bumbo in the tub instead and... you weren't fat enough so the bumbo floated in the water and you were sort of confused. then i just ended up sitting you up in the tub and you liked that much better. you are talkative when you are tired (why, hello you are def. MY daughter) and you love your naps. when i can get you to take them. we might have to move out of the cherapple house which will be so sad because that means you'll never remember the nursery i made you! but that's okay. someday we can get a big house and i'll make you a cuter one. promise. dad is applying for officer school and while he is away next year we might go live with graham and poppop! you giggle a little when i tickle your neck and when you are tired and you think i'm funny. i love you to death. every time you wake up i sing "good morning to youuuuuuu preeettttyyy giiirrrlll!" and you smile and wiggle to try to get out of your sleep sack. dad says you smell like asparagus and i think you smell like delicious baby smell. you are both always hungry. you grab at things with your toes and you arch towards people you want to hold you. you recognize your grandma elaine and me and your dad and your aunt alison and your cousins bryson and abigail. you love them and they LOVE you. they get real close to your face and say HELLO GRACEELAINE! and you smile real big because those are your size people. you may or may not be catching your first cold. all i know is you've been especially cranky and that could be your teethies. i cant wait someday to give this to you. i think, we are all very revealing as children- and it would have been cool to read what i did and thought and acted when i was a little one.
i love you dearly,
mom
oh boy (girl)! your two lower teeth are definately coming in! you are officially four months old and some weeks. on friday you get your second set of shots and i am not excited for that... you are rolling over in both directions now and you love to stand when we hold your hands. you like to sit on the couch with us and grab your little toes to try to eat em. your most impressive feat is trying to sit up by yourself and trying desperately to crawl! we put you on your tummy and call to you and between me and dad you get very excited and try your hardest to kick kick kick and swim swim with your arms. once you make contact we'll have liftoff! you don't like rice cereals yet and that's okay because we can wait! you love to try to suck-gnaw on anything you can get to your mouth especially my hands and your hands. when you see dad come home you light up and you cry if he doesnt come say hello. you like to reach out and touch my face and sometimes that hurts (you love to scratch!) but you are getting more gentle. you still love bath time except you are almost getting too big for your whale tub?! so the other day i tried to sit you in your bumbo in the tub instead and... you weren't fat enough so the bumbo floated in the water and you were sort of confused. then i just ended up sitting you up in the tub and you liked that much better. you are talkative when you are tired (why, hello you are def. MY daughter) and you love your naps. when i can get you to take them. we might have to move out of the cherapple house which will be so sad because that means you'll never remember the nursery i made you! but that's okay. someday we can get a big house and i'll make you a cuter one. promise. dad is applying for officer school and while he is away next year we might go live with graham and poppop! you giggle a little when i tickle your neck and when you are tired and you think i'm funny. i love you to death. every time you wake up i sing "good morning to youuuuuuu preeettttyyy giiirrrlll!" and you smile and wiggle to try to get out of your sleep sack. dad says you smell like asparagus and i think you smell like delicious baby smell. you are both always hungry. you grab at things with your toes and you arch towards people you want to hold you. you recognize your grandma elaine and me and your dad and your aunt alison and your cousins bryson and abigail. you love them and they LOVE you. they get real close to your face and say HELLO GRACEELAINE! and you smile real big because those are your size people. you may or may not be catching your first cold. all i know is you've been especially cranky and that could be your teethies. i cant wait someday to give this to you. i think, we are all very revealing as children- and it would have been cool to read what i did and thought and acted when i was a little one.
i love you dearly,
mom
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
nineteen
dear grace,
we rock in the big grey green chair and while i put you to my shoulder you scratch the back of the seat, feeling the fibers under your fingers. you look up at the quilt gram made for you, and wiggle your nose against my neck. nap time is still you in my arms, when i put you down you wake up, red eyes squinting at me in a curious fashion, where am i, and where are you going? that's what they beg to ask me. it is better to just let you sleep, rosebud mouth open just slightly. your face calm and milky white, two bright red spots on your round cheeks and the pucker under your bottom lip. long dark eyelashes are resting on your cheekbones, sometimes you show your dreams in small whimpers or smiles, in laughter if i'm lucky. i read lots of books while you sleep, or sometimes i sit and watch you. which never gets old. ive become quite talented at reading, eating, and simultaneously rocking you to sleep. i think i've grown six extra arms. today you are wearing soft pale yellow ducky pajammas. the best part is the little ducks on your footies. it helps that there's also a little badge sewn into the left side of the garment over your heart that says i love mommy. but i'm biased. you're awake now, rubbing your eyes and making small grunts and whistles.
i love you honeyhead,
mom
we rock in the big grey green chair and while i put you to my shoulder you scratch the back of the seat, feeling the fibers under your fingers. you look up at the quilt gram made for you, and wiggle your nose against my neck. nap time is still you in my arms, when i put you down you wake up, red eyes squinting at me in a curious fashion, where am i, and where are you going? that's what they beg to ask me. it is better to just let you sleep, rosebud mouth open just slightly. your face calm and milky white, two bright red spots on your round cheeks and the pucker under your bottom lip. long dark eyelashes are resting on your cheekbones, sometimes you show your dreams in small whimpers or smiles, in laughter if i'm lucky. i read lots of books while you sleep, or sometimes i sit and watch you. which never gets old. ive become quite talented at reading, eating, and simultaneously rocking you to sleep. i think i've grown six extra arms. today you are wearing soft pale yellow ducky pajammas. the best part is the little ducks on your footies. it helps that there's also a little badge sewn into the left side of the garment over your heart that says i love mommy. but i'm biased. you're awake now, rubbing your eyes and making small grunts and whistles.
i love you honeyhead,
mom
Monday, September 19, 2011
eighteen
dear grace,
you are the best. seriously. you try to stick both your hands in your mouth while i'm feeding you so it's hands plus bottle plus milk everywhere. you only giggled twice for me and wont do it again no matter how hard i tickle you! you still don't like tummy time much but you love your jumper and you're figuring out how to fly up and down and spin and twirl. you weigh a whopping 16 pounds and are growing out of everything! but you are the cutest little girl in the whole world. the other day you started giving me kisses because i always make kissy noises at you and you smile, so you copied me and now we give kisses! you even gave daddy some too.
i love you little one,
mom
you are the best. seriously. you try to stick both your hands in your mouth while i'm feeding you so it's hands plus bottle plus milk everywhere. you only giggled twice for me and wont do it again no matter how hard i tickle you! you still don't like tummy time much but you love your jumper and you're figuring out how to fly up and down and spin and twirl. you weigh a whopping 16 pounds and are growing out of everything! but you are the cutest little girl in the whole world. the other day you started giving me kisses because i always make kissy noises at you and you smile, so you copied me and now we give kisses! you even gave daddy some too.
i love you little one,
mom
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