Overwhelmed

Do you ever feel so overwhelmed by all that must be accomplished that you opt to do nothing. I am in a perpetual state of being overwhelmed and I am finding that eventually you just begin to shut down. I guess that is where I am with the blog. There is so much to tell...so many thoughts that I have to share...so many pictures that are unposted, that when I think about catching up I suddenly feel tired and leave it for another day.

But I want to share...I want to post...I want to tell.

So here is my quick catch up and then I will consider myself square. Hopefully that makes it less daunting when I do have a thought I would like to share on here.

Gracelynn is growing quickly. Crawling, pulling up on things, eating solids, talking up a storm. She is seriously the light of my life and I can't imagine one single day without her. I imagine she will be walking soon, so that will mean a whole new level of "baby-proofing".

I am in the process of planning her first birthday party. Can you believe it...she will be in one in 2.5 months! I am starting the planning now only because I know that things will be busy between now and then. Hopefully planning WAY ahead of time will reduce that stress for me. We'll see...

Ben is doing great. He is the top of his team at American Century and hopefully very soon he will be moving into a new position. He is really finding his niche and it is great to see him growing and getting excited about his job/career.

I am...busy. I am still in class and trying to finish my clinical hours. It has been a journey, but hopefully that part will be coming to a close at the end of July. Then I will have one module left this fall that will end on October 9th. After that...I'm free!

We are LOVING summer. Ben got a new lawnmower and we are hoping to finish a new patio in our backyard this year. I am taking regular walks with Gracelynn and just in general enjoying the warm weather when I am not the size of a whale (remember last summer...ugh!).

So there is our busy little life in a nutshell.

Consider me caught up. If you have questions on specifics or need more details...just ask.

Hopefully this makes blogging a little less scary!

Busy busy...

I don't have much time, but I thought it just wasn't fair to keep you all in the dark for so long. Here a few pics of Gracelynn from the past month. Enjoy!
Acting a little "cheeky" :)
Just plain old happy!

Pulling up on EVERYTHING!
" I'm gonna get that camera!"
Pretty in...orange?
"Look! I have a tongue!"
My little honeybear.

Hope this made your Monday a little less dreary!

XO

A

A Day in the Life...

These pictures are just a little glimpse into the busy life of Gracelynn.


Gracelynn's new highchair...she LOVES being a big girl!

Gracelynn's first Easter dress

Such a poser...

look how big I am! Close up!
Gracelynn loves her kitty cat
Another high chair shot.

Who says you can't play without any clothes on?
Experimenting with new hair styles
Daddy giving a Sunday morning bath
Dad! My ears don't stick out that much!
All ready for church!

Blurry...but it shows how much she can't hold still!
Pause a moment to pose...
Cutie pie!
Such a ham!
I love moving!

Sleepy eyes...
After nap time
First cracker...6 month birthday
So tired...
I love my food!

Long time...

Sorry for the gaps in posts. School has been kicking my fanny as of late, and between being a mommy, student, wife, house cleaner and personal shopper...some things just have to fall by the wayside, lol. Unfortunately, blogging is often one of those things.

Life is going really well. An update from the last blog: when we went back to the doctor at the end of that same week, Gracelynn had gained over 3 oz...which is considered good for her age. Since then, she has been eating like it is going out of style! She is still not a chubby baby, but I know she is getting what she needs! She is getting anywhere from 28-32 oz AND getting two meals a day. The doctor said in the next month we might want to up it to 3 meals a day. He also said we could start introducing pureed meats in the next month...fun! (actually that just sounds gross!).

Gracelynn is now so active. She gets up on her hands and knees and will rock herself. She often (accidentally) propels herself forward onto her face. She, however, doesn't seem fazed by it. She also rolls and pivots/army crawls ALL over the place. She just doesn't stay put. We finally had to get a highchair (one that sits on a kitchen chair) because she wouldn't sit still in her bumbo anymore. This way she can't flip or buck herself out of it when she sees something she wants.

Gracelynn is incredibly curious. She stares at and ponders things when it is something new. She has also learned to discriminate between faces she recognizes and those that she does not know. She will smile so big at myself, Ben, my mom, my step-dad and my siblings. She will even smile at some of our friends we see regularly, but those that she doesn't she will just stare at wide eyed like she is trying to place them. I always laugh and tell her not to be a snob...lol

I also am 95% sure that Gracelynn is saying "hi". I ALWAYS say this to her...and I am pretty sure she is copying after me when I say it. It sounds more like "Iyeee", but I chose to believe that it is her first word...lol

I wasn't sure how many knew, but I have a new job. I am now working for Jackson County Board of Services for a program called EITAS. This stands for Empowering Individuals Through Advocacy and Support. I am a service coordinator and will have a case load of 35 individuals with special needs. I only have 4 of my cases right now, but I am anxious to get going. So far I REALLY enjoy my new job, surroundings and coworkers. It is also an exempt position (paying more...Thank God!), and that allows me to have some more flexibility in my hours to accommodate being a student, mommy and wife all at the same time. It essentially means that when it is necessary I can work from home, take time without using vacation and sick leave, and in general set my own hours. Very exciting! The most exciting thing is that I am using my education now...and since I am paying dearly for that, it is very exciting!

Well, I had better get back to work. I have class tonight, and need to get some logging done for work before I head out for the day!

Later folks!

p.s. pictures to come!

A Whole New Ballgame...

I can't post much now, but I will edit to add more when I have time. I just wanted to let everyone know that after much screaming, crying and pulling my hair out....


GRACELYNN HAS HER FIRST TOOTH!!!

New Info:

Hey guys! Sorry for the little bit of information, but weekends are always so busy for us. This is the first chance I have had to post anything. However, Gracelynn DID in fact get her first tooth. I called all the grandparents. Ben thought I was a little crazy, but I told him we only get one chance to act like fools about Gracelynn's first tooth.

It also got me to thinking...Friday night was the last time she will ever have a toothless grin. I had a classmate of mine say something about remembering the firsts, but also remembering the "lasts". Those kinds of things don't often stick out in our mind...but I thought about it this time. It was sad, no doubt, but nice to take a moment to think about that.

We just got back from Gracelynn's 6 month appointment, everything checked out great except for her weight. She has dropped into the 45th percentile...losing about 1/2 lb in 3 weeks time. She has been sick, but the doctor was a little concerned. We are going in for a weight check on Friday. If you think about it, pray that she will have rebounded.

Here are her OFFICIAL 6 month stats:

Length: 26.5 inches (75%)

Weight: 15 12.8 lbs (45%)
Head Circ.: 43 cm (70%)

Doctor said she looks great and that there are 4 more buds in her mouth that could break through any day! 5 teeth!!! I don't know if I am ready for that.

Gracelynn has also started sitting up this weekend...for extended periods without assistance. She loves being independent. I am enjoying the times she is sitting still, as I know that once she starts moving, we won't see her.

Well, I have to head to class, but I will leave you with the pictures from Gracelynn's 6 month photo shoot. The studio actually had us sign a release to have her picture on the wall!!! She did great



Ok...I am off. More to come...

Whew...

Ok...the protected thing did not work. So....I am going to try and make things less "out there". You know, less details, names, etc. Hopefully it works.

I haven't updated in forever. I am horrible at doing this. I think about it at the worst times and just don't have the energy half the time. But I wanted to update you on little miss and the rest of the family.

Gracelynn will be 6 months old this coming Sunday. Can you believe it??? She is growing so fast and while it is hard to see my little baby slip away, I am no where near ready for another.

The poor thing suffered her first ear infection. I guess I should say we ALL suffered. Sleep was non-existent, work attendance was spotty, and nose suctioning was in high demand. But alas, we all survived and we are all healthy now **knock on wood**.

Gracelynn will be going to her 6 month appointment next Monday, so I don't have all her "stats" for you, but I will give you the best I can:

Weight (as of 5.5 months): 16.5 lbs
Height: 26.5 inches
Hair: Still very little, but it seems to be staying brown
Eyes: Turning more blue every day
Teeth: None yet...but she seems to be working on it
Crawling: Trying SOOOOO hard
Rolling over: Yes, both directions
Walking: She wishes
Talking: Babbling. She holds conversations with everything: mommy, daddy, the dog, the cat, her toys, etc.

I don't know any other stats...but if you want to know something, just ask

Ok...on to the good stuff. The pictures:

Here is my baby girl playing hard at daycare. She would prefer to stand any day.


One of my new favorites! She is trying so hard to crawl here!


Sweet smile...


First superbowl! She is channeling Olivia Newton John here. Let's get physical...


Meeting Jackson...the gentle giant.


Trying to eat...but daddy is so distracting


Exersaucer time! She is fascinated that she can stand up in this!


Mid-roll. She finally figured out that she can go where ever she wants by rolling.


Not really the baby...but this is our new living room furniture!


Another shot...our front room.


My two sleeping beauties!


Cutie pie!


This also turns into a table, but right now we have to play with it this way.


Daddy's first (and only) attempt at feeding Gracelynn cereal. She had more on her face and chest than in her tummy.



More interested in her toy than the camera.



I came in and found her sound asleep like this. It took a lot to get her foot back out without waking her up!


Ok...until next time.

Love, us!