Gracie month to month: month 5

Time again for another monthly picture. Five months came so quickly. This was an interesting photo session. Gracie was all about touching the chalk board and smeared the chalk a few times. I tried to fix it, as best as I could, but you can still see the smudges. I kinda like it though. It shows the stage she is at. She's reached the stage where she is curious about everything! She's trying to touch everything and cram it in her mouth.

Gracie went to the nursery at church for the first time this month. I love having her with me in the service, but she just got too loud and wiggly. She also put herself to sleep in her crib for the first time (okay, the first of about 3 times),  :) started babbling "mamamama", and started reaching for me with her arms. I LOVE that!

Gracie accomplished rolling over from back to tummy this month, but doesn't do it much because she still isn't fond of being on her tummy.  She can also sit up by herself for a few seconds. She's almost strong enough, not too much longer!

This picture is a little blurry. But this is Gracie's new favorite face. She likes for you to do it first, then she copies. :)

Couldn't resist another picture of those sweet piggies! That's all for this month. 6 months should be posted with in the next 2 weeks.

Gracie at 4 months

Gracie at 3 months

Gracie at 2 months

Gracie at 1 month

monday's mentionings

So, it's been a while....over a month actually. My littles have needed me. I love coming here and writing about our days, but lately two sweet girls have not had time in their busy schedules to let their mommy have a break. It seems I rarely leave my kitchen these days, someone is always needing to be fed. I say that like Gracie eats from the kitchen, she actually will be starting solids soon. We tried rice cereal once a few weeks ago, but the next day she woke up with a runny nose, that turned into a cold. Before I realized she was getting sick, I was concerned it might have been a reaction to the rice. Needless to say, she didn't get anymore rice and I have decided to wait until she is 6 months (next Sunday) to officially start. Not too much longer on the liquid diet!

Speaking of Gracie, she hates sleep. That's always been my worse nightmare, because I happen to think that sleep is great! Anyone else?? When I say Gracie hates sleep, I mean, she sometimes can go an entire day on a 15 minute nap, and she wakes up EVERY SINGLE NIGHT at 1:30am, 3am, and 6am and she refuses to go to bed before 10:30pm. This has been her schedule since December. She's a mess. She better be glad she's so cute! For the last 2 months or so, I have been getting a babysitter one day a week for a few hours. Hi Ann Marie! :) It has been wonderful and I'm embarrassed to say, but I usually sleep the first hour she is here. I know its terrible, but I really just can't help it. Okay, now that I have made Gracie out to be so bad, I have to say, I think she is turning the corner... just this last week, she slept until 3am once or twice and has been sleeping a little more during the day. Praise the Lord!

Ella Claire is a mess these days too. Two year olds can be so growny! She talks so much and lets me know just what she needs, and usually she wants to do it "All by mys self!" She is still a little spider monkey and helps herself to anything and everything. I was on the phone one day last week, and literally threw it down when I walked into our living room just in time to catch her go from the back of our sofa to my long window panels! So, now I can honestly say she has swung from the curtains. It scared me so bad, I literally heard the wooden rod crack and could imagine it breaking in half and landing right on her.

We made a few valentines for some special people in our lives.

Us on a typical day.

Gracie is learning to sit and can almost sit on her own.

I made these fun alphabet magnets for Ella Claire back in January. It's getting late now and I really need to wrap this up, but I'll come back soon with a link to the tutorial incase you want to sew some too!

This is another thing keeping me busy these day. I'm smack dab in the middle of planning my sister's lingerie shower! These invites went out last week and I am thrilled with the way they turned out.

Happy Monday, folks! I'm off to bed. Just this week we have a birthday, an anniversary, 2 wedding showers out of town, and match day on Friday for Uncle Andrew! Oh, and not to mention preliminary voting! Get to the poles people!! :)

See ya soon! I'll try a little harder not to be such a stranger around here!