catch up....

As a mother of two, I find it very hard these days to find much time to check my email... much less blog! Therefore, my blog posts end up being more of a game of catch up! Thus... this blog post is a random assortment of our life lately!! 

Here is sweet Gracie! She is growing so fast! 

We had her 1 month check up last week and she is weighing in at 11lbs and she is 22 inches long! When her pediatrician saw her weight she asked what in the world I am feeding this chunky monkey! Virginia Kate didn't weigh 11lbs until she was almost 3 months old! Gracie is 75% for weight and 90% for height! She is already wearing 3-6 month clothes and I packed up her newborn clothes yesterday! =( She is growing WAY TOO FAST!!! 

Things Gracie loves:

- sleeping on her tummy (I know... I'm a bad mom) 

- eating (obviously)

- riding in the car (puts her to sleep every time)

-being held (she is spoiled) 

Things Gracie hates:

- bath time 

- being put on her back

-her bouncy seat

-7pm - 10pm --> her witching hours

-hiccups (they make her soooo mad, and drive me crazy too!!)

This was my attempt to recreate a pinterest picture I saw! Love those sweet toes! 

This is how we roll these days! Stretched limo style! 

We have been taking advantage of this spring like weather in January!! We headed to the zoo for VK's first zoo trip. Not sure how much she noticed the animals, but she just loved running around outside and getting some fresh air! With a newborn we have been getting a little bit of cabin fever! So it was a nice break to take a Sunday afternoon trip to the zoo! 

This panda was awesome... just chilliaxin, eating some bamboo, enjoying the weather!  

This picture below is so typical of VK's facial expression these days. Always so worried looking! I keep telling her we are gonna have to get her botox injections when she is 12 if she keeps this up... JOKING! But this is very typical of her. We keeping having to tell her to show us her "happy face" to get her to unwrinkle her forehead! Bless her heart, she is just so thrown off her rocker since Gracie was born. I know this is just a phase, but I am so ready to have my sweet, happy baby back. Because lately she has been pretty fussy and worried! This has been the hardest part of parenting I have experienced thus far. It is so hard to know how to communicate to Virginia Kate (17 months old) that I still love her just as much as I did when she was my only child! She is definitely competing for my attention. And has become super clingy... even when we are just at home, she is always at my feet. I feel so bad because it is like she is scared I am going to leave her forever, and all I want is for her to relax and know that I love her as much as I always have. It makes it very hard to know how to discipline too! And did I mention she is cutting 6 teeth right now?? 4 molars and 2 bottom teeth... so there is a little bit of everything making her a very fussy baby these days! Bless her heart! That's alot for a toddler to handle! And it is taking every ounce of my patience (just being honest). The Lord is teaching me alot right now about patience and reliance on him because I sooooooo don't have all the answers!! Anyway... sorry for rambling... but I guess I just needed to vent! 

But I am ever so thankful that the Lord has entrusted Sam and me with these two precious girls! They are the joy of our lives and at the end of every day, no matter how hard the day, I am so thankful for them! 

 I had to show this cute little side view! 

 Here are a few more of my sweet baby Gracie! 

 I have been told by numerous people that she has her mommy's mouth! =) I am glad that there is some resemblance that I am her mom, bc VK is definitely the girl version of Sam! 

 As I was taking pics of Gracie, big sis leaned in for a shot! She does love her little sister and is constantly hugging and kissing her! 

Friday, Gracie got to meet her cousins Morgan and Mackenzie, for the first time! It was so sweet to see how much they love her already! Mackenzie was especially intrigued by Gracie! She loved giving her kisses! Morgan and Mackenzie are 2 years old! 

 I love this picture because you can definitely tell Morgan and VK are related.... they both are sporting the same facial expression!! ha! 

 Its hard to get 4 babies under the age of 3 to all look at the same spot! This was the best one we got of the 4 of them! Pretty good I think! =) 

 I mean I could just eat Mackenzie up!! Look at those precious blond curls and that sweet face!! We are so thankful that they are in our lives and that VK and Gracie have such sweet cousins to grow up with! These girls are going to love growing up together! We have so much to be thankful for. The blessings are abundant.