Day 161...

So, this morning I woke up at 6am to the shrill, obnoxious beeping of Sean's alarm clock. I immediately became enraged at that darn clock, not just because I didn't sleep well and did not want to be woken up at 6am, but because my head was pounding. I had the worst, most nauseating headache, so nauseating, in fact, that there were moments when I was just waiting over the sink or toilet for what was to come...Thankfully, it never did, but that was the beginning of a rather frustrating morning...

• My energizing and relaxing yoga/pilates workout was replaced by a hot shower and pain medicine, in hopes of chasing my headache away before my baby woke up and the day really began.
• I went to change my happy, smiley baby's diaper once she did wake up, just to discover the box of diapers we bought yesterday were still in the car...She quickly became a screaming, angry baby when I put her back in the crib so that I could walk (and even slip a little) out to the car to get them.
• The pain meds never worked, but I was determined to take Gracie to her Kindermusik class. I figured her teacher would be happy to bounce around with her while I sat by and watched.
• We somehow arrived at church on time to find the lights off in our Kindermusik room and the door locked. We were the only ones there...Another baby and her nanny did end up joining us, so we let the girls run around for a little bit, just so the trip wasn't a waste, but class (I later found out after checking my email at home) was cancelled...
• We left and drove straight to Target so I could purchase a more efficient medicine for my persistent headache. On the way out, I bought a hot chocolate for me and chocolate milk for Gracie. We even shared a blueberry muffin. Our day was looking up...until I spilled my hot chocolate all over Gracie's new pink leggings when our shopping cart hit a bump on the way to the car (luckily, it wasn't too hot at this point!). Fought back tears...
• Gracie screamed "Mommy, Mommy..." all the way home. My head hurt too bad to even speak, so I grabbed Cuddles and he danced on the steering wheel the rest of the way...
• Finally home, I made lunch for Gracie, took more medicine, and tried to relax. Lunch was quickly thrown into the floor, two poopy diapers followed, and then it was naptime...
• I love you naptime, on mornings like these. I needed you and then you were there, an opportunity to get myself together, get over the frustrations of the morning, finally get rid of that headache, and prepare for the afternoon ahead. Because of you, I will recharge and be the mommy I want to be when your job is done...

And I should add, I also love the weekends! Happy Friday to All! :)

Day 160...

My Little Cook...

She stays busy creating all kinds of goodies in her kitchen.

And all of that creative cooking? Well, it just tires a girl out.

Luckily, Cuddles is always ready to snuggle. :)

Day 159...Little Blue Hands

Day 158...

Visiting the Natural Science Center with Uncle Ryan...

(He growled at us when we got close to him. Needless to say, Gracie was not a fan...)

Circles, Circles, Everywhere!

Who knew such a simple shape could turn into a really cute craft for my toddler! I cut out lots and lots of circles, all different sizes, from coordinating scrapbook paper, grabbed a glue stick, and helped Gracie glue the circles onto paper. It was such a simple thing to prepare for, and it was fun seeing where she would stick the next circle. The only issue we came across was her desire to pull the circles off once she stuck them on the paper! After we were done with her pretty craft, I just handed her the glue stick and remaining circles and let her do whatever she wanted with them! We may try this craft with other shapes, too. I found that it was a fun, hands on way to teach her about circles.

Day 157...

Gracie's First Tea Party

I've been attending tea parties since I was a little girl. My Granny would always plan one during our visits, and it was always very exciting for me. We'd peek into Granny's tea cup collection to pick the perfect cup and saucer, arrange delicious goodies onto trays, then sit together in the formal dining room for hot tea (with sugar cubes!) and conversation. I remember one party in which we all wore hats and dressed up for the occasion. These parties were fun. They were a great way for my grandmother to spend time with her daughters and granddaughters, and presented an opportunity to teach us manners, while making us feel extra special.

Now that I have Gracie, I've been looking forward to reliving those memories with her. This Christmas, Granny gave Gracie her first tea set. :) It sings songs about saying "Please" and "Thank you", makes the sound of pouring tea when you tip it over toward the tea cups, and is complete with the voice of a women who has an English accent. It was the perfect gift from Granny, and Gracie and I have enjoyed this new toy so much! She's officially hosted her first tea party, and I know that when Granny reads this, she will smile!

(Gracie is such an attentive hostess!)

Days 154-156...New Outlook for a New Year

Wow, my first post of the new year. I wish I could tell you all the exciting details of how we rang in the new year with streamers, confetti, and party horns, but the truth is, at the same moment that we're celebrating the beginning of a new year, we are also celebrating a new beginning for a loved one. You see, my husband has a great way with words when you need them the most, and his outlook on death is both full of faith and promise. Death is never an ending, but a new beginning. And we didn't say "good-bye" to our loved one this afternoon, we simply said "we'll see you later". Even with such a beautiful outlook, nothing about the death of Gracie's Grandaddy Bob has been easy, but I have seen amazing strength on the weary, tear-streaked faces of this family that I love so much, who have lost so much....

So far, 2010 has been tough. It's hard seeing people you love hurting so badly, and knowing there is little you can do to help heal those wounds. The whole experience has been a jarring reminder of how precious life is. In the midst of all of the "New Year's Resolutions" we've thrown out over the past few days, our greatest goal is to continue to live in the moment with those we love and never take their presence for granted. We hope to fill the calendar with plans of visiting those family members who we don't get to see very often. Between the two of us, Sean and I are blessed with a huge family and it's easy to put off travel plans for "later". "Later", in a worldly sense, is not guaranteed, so when we say we're coming to visit, expect us.

Grandaddy Bob is so very loved and missed. He adored his granddaughters and I look forward to the day that I can tell Gracie just how much she was loved by him. She was just 5 weeks old when this photo was taken, and look how happy he is to be holding his 4th granddaughter! That smile is what we will remember. :)