21 months

What a month Miss G.  We almost have a two year old and man are you seeming more and more like a real person these days!  You have quite the little personality.  You are still a very calm and pretty amazing little girl.  You are patient and kind and very shy.  When you meet new people, you won't talk.  Instead, you continue to be observant and watch everyone.  This month, I decided to become a stay at home mom.  You have loved every minute of it. The days that you go to daycare, you throw tantrums because you'd rather be with us.  I see you becoming more and more confident.  Me being home has allowed you to shine.  Your dad has also had a sabbatical for the last month.  That means that we, as a family, have spent so much time together and we are amazed at how much we love you and how great of a girl you are.



What else....well, picture seem to tell many stories - so see below. :)  As far as words, you know some colors (blue and yellow), you sign the word baby whenever you see one (and bus), your vocabulary grows by the minute - though you don't string words together yet.  You do take long naps and sleep well - eating is hit or miss (same as always).  You are PRETTY picky.  You don't like fruit or cheese....and sometimes I wonder if you are my child!

At MOA for Toddler Tuesday!

Uncle Royce brought Ricki home to meet everyone.  We went to Uncle Lance's to say goodbye and you gave kisses!

Zoo day for Aunt Sara's bday!

At the BRF waterpark .You LOVE swimming.

You are VERY spoiled.

A rare picture of Mommy and Grace!



 

At Town Hall Brewery for dinner.  I dressed you in pajama's for daycare (accidently)


 

Love this smile little girl

Sometimes, when the day is SO busy  and you seem to be getting in to everything.  I'll just look at this photo.

Sometimes forget

124 likes. Sometimes I forget how many people are on Facebook and watching. 

Thoughts as I close out

This is a hard post to write - but I keep going back to the fact that - the reason I write this blog is so that I have a place to go back and remember.  So that, as I grow older and so does my family, that we can look back and be thankful for what we have and what we don't have.  To remember the good and the bad.  So, I'll try to summarize as best I can our lives as I close out my career at Honeywell.  Yep, that's right, June 7th is my last day at Honeywell. I've been here seven years.  Seven years worth of relationships, knowledge, and familiarity is coming to a close. 

And I'm still having a hard time with it.  I'm excited for this change and know that I need to do this for my family....and honestly want to.  I just also know that it will be different.  I'll have a different pattern to my life. I'll see different people every day.  I'll be tired from running around after a toddler  - versus tired from staring at a computer. That's different.  But, I'm stressed. I've been stressed for the last two years. Outwardly, I don't show it - I think I've been strong - but inside, I know it's been too much. Working a full time job, doing a part time one, and taking care of a baby while Josh travels (which thankfully he hasn't been for the last couple months) is hard.  I'm slipping in areas I don't want to slip.  My house is dirty, my daughter knows the word hot-dog (since that seems to be all she wants to eat and all we give her), I haven't been documenting, taking picture, or savoring our lives. Josh and I look at each other and feel like we dont' know our daughter sometimes.   If we ever want more kids, the stress really needs to subside....and this step is one that in my heart, I know will alleviate the majority.

We don't want to live with regret.  We don't want to look back and know that we had the option to have me stay home - and we didn't do it.  The last five years we've worked hard (two jobs  - each of us at one point) to make sure we had the option to do this.   And now we do.  We have a downpayment saved for our next house (whenever that is) plus a good path to future saving and planning.  While I worry about the money piece, it's not my primary concern.  Right now, instead, I worry what other people think of our decision. While everyone is supportive outwardly - I still worry.  Stupid huh? I know as I make the transition and get situated - I know there will be more support and honestly, I'll be more confident in my transition. 

20 months

Well Grace - you turned 20 months, and just like every other instance that I want take your picture and write a post - you were sick!  Your low grade temp started for a while....and then out of nowhere - you peaked during the night - on the 20th of May!  Your temp, when we took it in the morning - was 104.5.  Every time you are sick Grace, my heart hurts.  I become anxious and I worry - so does your daddy.   It ended up you just had a virus again and with some motrin and a few days at home - you felt much better.  You even got a scary rash after your virus - and were CRANKY - but we understand why.


So...what have you been up to in the last couple months?  Well, in March we went to a fish fry at Lutmers (which you LOVED the fish) and running around with everyone. You are still a very shy little girl - preferring to observe at first and then get involved.  The next week - we went to BRF for Easter. You got to see your Uncle Royce and Uncle Lance - as well as visiting the Easter Bunny.  We were amazed - you sat on the Easter Bunny's lap like it was your business. You werent' scared at all!

In April you had your 18month doctor appt - and you only got one shot (wasn't too bad) and the doctor said you looked like a model citizen again. It's amazing because when you were younger we worried about you being behind in some of the physical milestones (crawling, walking) but now - you've caught right up and even excel is some of the areas ahead of your age.  You are becoming such a big girl.  April went by so fast - with Mommy's birthday, Aunt Sara moving, your daddy traveling a bit for work, and a lot of other fun things. 

In May, we went to a Gopher baseball game (you were HORRIFIED of Goldy) where daddy was honored for being part of the team and also celebrated Mother's Day.  We didn't do much - but spent the time together.  You also had a sleepover at Aunt Sara's while mommy and daddy went to the PwC formal.  You watched movies with her (you especially liked 101 dalmations!)

You've seen your grandparents so much over the last couple months - you even know the words "PaPa" and "Grandma".  You also have become quite the sponge lately - trying to copy everything mommy and daddy say.   Family members all have names, all the animals do things (dogs pant, cows moo, sheep baa, horses neight, pigs snort, ducks quack), and you even point of cars (which have the hand motion of beep) and rocks.  You are such a smarty pants.  I think the biggest and funniest thing I've seen is the fact that you can say your own name.  It's a hard one - but when we ask you who you are - you know it.  You also, however, have picked up on the idea that your daddy's name is Josh. Uh oh.....

I wish I could box you up and save you in this cute, innocent age.  You are the most amazing little girl Grace.  I know I say this every month - and every month I mean it even more:)