Gracies first Halloween

Gracie was a pink dinosaur for her first Halloween. I guess we just dressed her up to show her off, really she is a little to young to go trick or treating.... We went trick or treatin to 3 neighborhood houses, but it is not like she eats candy, it's more like "here look at my cute baby" no candy please, we just wanted to show her off!! Fun nonetheless!

My mom was here for the weekend, and that is always a great treat!
Our neighbors and their kids! That is Stephen as Winnie the Pooh!
Daddy and baby...
Stephen is awesome for dressing up!!! I love him!
This is just cute!

Our laughing girl

She is starting to laugh... and we are attempting to catch it for you all!

Sitting up and sickness!

We just got a "bumbo"seat and Gracie loves it!! It has a high back and low seat so she can sit up all by herself. It helps mommy out a lot, perfect to bring in the bathroom when taking a shower, or putting in the kitchen when I am cooking dinner. She is my audience every night as I go step by step on how I am cooking every meal, I should be good to go on my own cooking show pretty soon!

3 and 1/2 months old. She also loves sitting at the dinner table with us, we are all eye level with each other and it's nice to sit at the table as a family! (picture not included)
This week we have all been visited by the sick bug. Stephen was sick, then I was, then Gracie and now Stephen again!!! I really wish babies knew how to blow their noses! Life would be so much easier, she hates us sucking out her brains with that little buger getter outer... yes that is the official title... not really! It is hard to be sick and have to take care of someone. I just want to sleep and rest and be babied myself, but those days are over! Now I have two babies to take care of at home... Love you honey:)

Gracie has definitely found her vocal chords, the shrieks, both happy and sad, that come out of her can be deafening, but cute nonetheless.

She can roll over from tummy to back pretty well now, and is really close to rolling over from back to tummy, but not yet.

3 months!

She is officially three months old!!! She is still doing great, she just enjoys seeing her mommy more during the night, waking up once or twice now.... I thought they slept more once they got older!

Here are some current pictures of our precious little one.

Her first days of holding her head up! Getting so strong!

Loving being with her daddy!

On the Go!

Wow! We have been busy lately! It seems like every weekend we were on the road or a plane somewhere! Finally we are all back at home, and home for a while. We drove to Bakersfield to see Stephens mom, then went to LA for a funeral and stayed there a couple days with Stephens Aunt's and sister. Grace and I then flew up to Seattle area to see my Grandaddy for his 90th birthday... and then last weekend we headed to the Jackson area to go wine tasting with a couple friends! Whewww.... We figure if we are going to go anywhere with Grace, now is the time, she travels so well, of course she gets cranky after she has been in the car for 8 hours, but don't we all?

Grace has been a champ through it all, she is such a calm baby, we are very blessed. I originally was going to drive up to my parents house which is six hours away, stay there overnight, and then drive 16 hours to Seattle together..... But we soon realized that that was aCRAZY idea, so I was able to find a cheap ticket for us, and we were going to fly.

It then sunk in that I was traveling by myself, with an infant.... I started to have pretty bad anxiety about that subject!!! What the heck was I thinking?!?!?! Just going through security taking her out of the stroller, out of the carseat, folding it up and putting it through the x-ray machine while holding her at the same time.... CRAZY!!! Luckily on the way there, I got an whole row to myself, breastfed her on the way up, and then she slept the whole way. On the way back I LITERALLY GOT STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR FOR 25 MINUTES!!! Had to press the alarm button and everything! I was late to board the plane, and when you have kids, it is so nice to be able to pre-board, but I missed that, my seat was on the last row, on a completely full flight... meanwhile while I was trying to get through the plane, I realized that she pooped!! Ahhhhhhhh... But again, Grace was wonderful, lives up to her name.. She smiled and was so happy that whole ride!! So wonderful, she won the hearts of all the passengers around, and mine of course!

It was so nice to see my grandparents, and they got to meet Grace for the first time, as well as all my uncles on my dad's side, and many of my cousins. It was somewhat of a family reunion, we stayed with my parents at a hotel, but mostly just stayed with them in the house, hearing old stories of when my dad and his brothers were young and just to hear the stories of simply how amazing my grandparents are, truly filled with the Holy Spirit, I am always on a spiritual high after leaving their house!

Developments of Grace this month:

She has learned that she has hands and can touch and play with things that are hanging in the air in-front of her. Thanks Keidi for that play-mat, she loves it!!!

She smiles constantly, especially in the morning!

She goes to bed around 8pm, sleeps either through the night, or gets up between 4-5 feeds, then sleeps to 8.

No longer face-plants when she is on tummy time, she can lift her head-up!!! (we discovered this yesterday)

Eats every 3 hours, not every 2 (other than night)

Recognizes my face!

Starting to talk a lot more, not just coo

SOOO close to laughing!!!

Below are some pictures!

4 generations!

My dad, his brothers, parents, and Gracie
My Grandparents, loving Gracie

Daddy and his love!

Poop and Pictures

I know I am a mom and I am supposed to think that Grace is cute... but OH MY GOSH SHE IS ADORABLE!!! Her smiles are occurring more often and she melts our hearts with every single one of them!! She has always been a very vocal baby, but she is talking a lot more now, and she has this little high squeek that is so fun to listen too. Her legs are also going a mile a minute.. she wants to run out of here, but it will be a while yet.

Funny inncidents this week... My sister Chris and I were visiting our friend Stacy Valory and Grace was on my lap and I heard (and felt) her go poop. Well, I lifted her up immediatley and still felt warmth on my lap... I look down, only to find my legs full of yellow warmth.... yes that right, she pooped all through her pants and all over her mama!!! Totally disgusting, but cute none the less. I can't get mad at her because she is a baby, and because mama had a bean burrito, and 2, yes, 2 chili dogs!! I was not thinking at the time apparently.

This week my sister Chrissy, (she hates being called that, I am the only one that can get away with it....) came to visit for 4 days and it was really nice to have her there spending time with her niece (and to give mama a little help). Chrissy was so happy to see her smile and really could not get enough of her, I really think that Gracie forgot I was her mommy because she sent so much time with Chrissy.

On a sad note, Stephen's uncle died a couple days ago, and though we just got back from Bakersfield on Monday, we are headed to LA now for a couple days for the funeral. Stephen took it hard, he did not have a dad growing up and his Uncle was one of his only male influences in his life... Pray for him! We just give him extra hugs and kisses and some more alone time. Let's hope Gracie does as well on this road trip as the last one.... Then next week Grace and I are headed on the longest road trip yet, we are driving to Washington with my parents to see my Grandaddy on his 90th birthday.... Wow, hope she loves that car seat!

Our friend Wendy Russell called and wanted to come take pictures of Grace, below are some of the pictures she took on Graces 2 month birthday.... SO CUTE!!!

Fast Cars and Freedom!

So, our little one is just about 2 months old now!! Can you believe it?! I can't either. We decided that 2 months was old enough to take her on her first road trip all the way to Bakersfield to meet her Grandma Baillie for the first time!!! What a special time that was, Stephen's sister Alicia also met us there and all the Baillie's were together for the first time since Grace was born!! Grace did great on the ride, she slept all 4 and 1/2 hours that we were driving. We stopped in Paso Robles the half way mark to eat (her and us), and then kept trucking, and she awoke for that, then went right back to sleep. I wish it will always be this easy, but I am not naive, times will change, we are just going to take advantage of how well she travels now.

Alicia brought Grace up one of the coolest presents we've seen, and little red convertible!! It is a little big for her right now, but we put her in it anyway and she looked so darn cute!!!

The first time that Grandma Sue saw Gracie, and I think it is safe to say that her heart was melted. Grandma watched her for 6 hours which was a wonderful treat for Stephen and I to have some alone time for the first time in a long time!

Aunt Alicia holding Gracie and spending some quality time.

When we got home we had a nice BBQ at our house with our friends Juan, Shelly and their baby Olivia (who happen to live across the street) for Labor Day. Our other neighbor bought Grace and Olivia matching red, white and blue outfits for the holiday and below is the attempt of us trying to get a picture of them both together. Olivia is 7 months old and if we let them alone will clobber Grace just out of curiosity.

We are having a great time with our baby girl. She is still a delight, sleeps 7-8 hours at night, smiles a lot and is growing like a weed!! She is pretty much out of her 0-3 month clothes and is only 2 months old!! I try to play dress up with her as much as possible so she has a chance to wear everything!

She also loves, and I mean loves being outside. I take her out on a walk everyday around the forest of Mt. Hermon and she is alert as can be looking everywhere. Aimee, my sister and I go out daily and try to get our exercise in, and if anyone has been to Mt. Hermon before you know it is a lot of hills, so our legs and butts are starting to look good!!! ( the previous sentence is a glimpse into the future...)

Bottom line, all is well at the Baillie house, we are happy, blessed and just enjoying the time we have with her and each other!