15 Weeks Old

Baby Grace is now 15 weeks old and looking much older by the day.

This was another sick week for baby girl, which meant mommy-daughter day on Friday with another doctor trip.  At the doctor she had to have a nose swab for testing and on top of that had to get her DTaP shot.  She did not like to have her nose messed with!  She handled the shot a lot better than that swab.  Fortunately after getting a little baby tylenol in her and some resting, she was pretty good the rest of the evening, which meant Garrett and I could have another date night out!  Thank you G-G for watching sweet Grace Lynn.

Mommy-Daughter day... exhausted after a not-so-fun Dr. appt.

Saturday, we had a girls day (Nana, Grace, and I)... it was a wonderful day and I believe Grace really enjoyed getting out and about.  She loves being outside and it probably made her feel better too.  She definitely had a lot to say about the day to Daddy when we came home :)  Thanks Nana for sticking around and helping around the house too while I got some things done.

"Guess what we did today Daddy?!"

Sunday, we went back to my home church and got to see everyone there and then afterwards we went out to lunch with the family and some friends.  We are certainly one blessed family.  At lunch, Grace tried her first taste of lemon!!  Maybe she'll take after her mama and love lemons... she is too cute and her face is priceless!!

Love my wonderful and blessed family
...and look at Garrett with all those beautiful Vercamen Girls at church :)

First Lemon... Priceless :)

Today, we finally heard back from the doctor and Grace does have a bacterial infection, but luckily it is just that and we can put her on antibiotics which will hopefully get her back to 100% sooner than later.  We have also become aware of the fact that we have a teether now!  Yep, she is a drooling machine and loves to chew on her hands and her Nuby keys.  She still does not fuss very much though, which is wonderful!  For the most part she is all smiles... just with a side of drool, hehe.  I love her!!

"Mama, Give me!" lol

Another side note, she is getting closer and closer every day to rolling!!  Look at her go.  I'm convinced she will make it all the way over real soon!

Almost got it...

Oh and don't want to forget about Favorite!!  CONGRATULATIONS to Favorite (Sarah) and Mike on your engagement!!  I cannot wait to be a part of your big day :)  Going wedding dress shopping with the best cousin ever this weekend and I cannot be more excited for her!

14 Weeks Old

Today Ms. Grace Lynn is 14 weeks old.

Friday she had her 3-month checkup and everything was great.  She is now 13lbs 8ozs, 24" long, with a head circumference of 39.5cm.  This numbers put her in 75th-90th percentile for weight, 75th percentile for length, and just under the 50th percentile for head size.  Doctor said she looks great and all in all is one healthy baby (well aside from this cold that she can't seem to get rid of).

She is still sick, yep, still coughing and has a pretty stuffy nose.  I feel terrible for her.  Fortunately, God has blessed us with one happy baby and she hasn't been too terribly fussy and is typically all smiles despite the obvious nose and throat irritation I'm sure she has.

Happy one minute... "get me out of this" the next

Friday night Garrett and I decided to take advantage of Alison's birthday and enjoy a date night out, so we went out to Cowboys for a couple hours... back to where it all began :)  Can you believe it has been about a year since we've been?!  Thankfully, our good friend and line dance teacher Jeff was there to remind us of any of the dances we needed brushing up on and also taught us a couple new ones.  I had so much fun!!  And to top it off, I got to leave on a very happy note after doing my favorite line dance (Pot of Gold).  Did I mention how wonderful it was to see some familiar faces we hadn't seen in a while too... yeah, it was a great night!  Thanks Nana for babysitting our sick little girl.

With some lovely familiar faces
Garrett and I are 3rd and 4th from right
(if you couldn't figure it out, hehe)

Saturday, my mama came over so Garrett could get some work done outside and do some shopping and I could get some work done inside; it was a nice, just all in all productive and relaxing day.  Then Sunday we were able to make it back to church after missing the last two Sundays due to Grace's cold; like I said... still sick!  She's been sick a while, but hopefully she is on the up side.  Now, we just have to wait until she gets back on her sleep schedule.  Right now she is only getting about 3-4 hours of sleep at a time, which means mom and dad only get that much sleep, if even that.  It's all worth it, to get her back up to full health though! :)

Nana and Grace taking a short nap in the morning

Lazy/sick evening at home with mama

Sunday afternoon Grace and I went to Ashley's baby shower and had a wonderful time!  I absolutely love our Gospel Community ladies and couldn't have been more blessed to have met such wonderful women of God.  Later that evening, Garrett, Grace, and I went downtown to Merrill's Market and Wine Bar for a delicious dinner and family time.  It was the perfect Sunday.

Shower for Baby Jackson... sorry poor quality on camera pictures
Rachel, Courtney, Ashley, Grace and I, and Pam

Here's to another wonderful week ahead and welcome home Amanda-Kay!  Was so awesome to have her, mama, and Adam over this evening to hear all about her missions trip and just hangout!!  It was also very cool that Boo bought a cute Dominican Republic outfit for Grace and got Garrett and I a shot glass (we collect them) from there.  Thank you!!  And, thank you mama for my gift as well!  Love it!!  Also, here's to also hoping our little girl's cold goes away sooner than later.


Side note: anyone that has been over since we have welcomed Baby Grace has learned very quickly that Cambrie has become quite protective of her and been a lot more snippy than normal.  She has not been the pleasant pig that we were so used to.  However, on the plus side, she's taking well to Grace and is fine with Garrett and I.  It is just strangers and others that come over she has a problem with.  I guess this could be a good thing.  Here is Grace riding our lovely little lady, Cambrie.

13 Weeks (3 Months) Old

This has been a crazy week, but our baby girl is now 13 Weeks Old and 3 months old today!!  Yay!  She is growing so fast and I fall in love with her more and more everyday!

This last week, mommy made Grace cry for the first time :( (daddy's already accomplished this, lol, but I felt so bad when I finally hit this milestone... guess it was bound to happen one day).  I was clipping her nails while Garrett was feeding her and yep, you guessed it... caught part of her finger.  She cried and cried and her little thumb started to bleed.  I felt terrible, but she immediately realized she was still hungry, went back to eating and was all better (thank goodness!).  I'm so thankful for Garrett and all that he helps with... he loves his little girl and I guess he will be clipping her fingernails from now on, lol.  Here is how we get things done around here...

Another milestone this week, but this time for Grace... she has starting grasping more!  She held a rattle all by herself and I could not be more proud of her (although I really do wish time would slow down and she could stay my little baby longer).  She also has began to play in her bouncer, which she seems to love!!  I can't believe how much head control she already has.  She is getting stronger and stronger everyday; not to mention cuter and cuter!

Loving her bouncer!

Grace also decided to either get me sick or I decided to get her sick.  Either way, we both have had a little cold for about a week.  Just when I thought we were both getting better, she woke up Saturday in the middle of the night with a terrible cough (really scared Garrett and I).  It's amazing how fast you will jump out of bed and wake up for a child when you think something is wrong.  We both were at her crib side and picked her up to calm her down.  I think she just lost her breath because of the stuffy nose, which caused her to begin to cough, which scared her because she didn't know what to do.  It really was scary for Garrett and I because she was spazzing out and shaking when we went in to check her.  She calmed down once we picked her up though thankfully.  We took her to the doctor to make sure it was just a cold and make sure it was nothing more.  Luckily the cough is not in her lungs and her ears look good.  It is just a result of her stuffy nose.  Since then we have kept her in our room and propped her up in her swing to help her nasal passages clear up a little, and we also keep the humidifier on to help clear her nose.

5 in the morning, ready for daycare, sick, but still a happy pretty little girl :)

Here's to hoping she feels better soon and starts sleeping through the night again and we can put her back in her room and so she feels better.  She is definitely a little trooper because despite this yucky cold, she still manages to smile real big and giggle and be the happy Grace she is.  Here are some cell phone pictures from the week.

In order L-R, T-B:
Watching Ice Age with Daddy
All smiles on the way to the doctor
Looking cool in the new shades Jenny and Aaron got her
Sick baby sleeping
Dressed and ready for KinderCare
Laying in bed with mommy while not feeling well (still smiling).

Saturday, Garrett, Grace, and I made a trip to Gander Mountain... and mommy and daddy both came home with new toys.  Yep, we each got a gun.  Garrett got his new Thompson/Center Impact camo .50-caliber Muzzleloader and I got my new Ruger LCR .38 special double action Revolver.  I could not wait to take them home and try them out.  After we got back from the store, we had Allie, Jenny, and Aaron over for another all-American Saturday afternoon.  We did some shooting, went swimming, and had a nice cookout.  Mama, daddy, Amanda, and Adam also showed up after they arrived back from South Carolina.  It was a wonderful day with wonderful friends and family.  It couldn't have been any better!

Grace enjoying some time with Miss. Jenny (left) and Miss. Allie (right)

Playing with our new toys

Other news:
A big congrats to Amanda-Kay and the rest of the Shooting Stars family.  They came home with several awards and honors.  Boo specifically won overall with her solo and her trio.  The studio also won the FDC (Federation of Dance Competitions) Studio Excellence Award for the week.  What a wonderful week they all had!!  Now, she (Amanda-Kay) is off to the Dominican Republic for a missions trip for a week.  I know she was very excited to share her two loves (God and Dance) with the people there.  I just pray that she, along with the others going, have a safe and absolutely wonderful experience!

p.s. also don't forget to vote EVERYDAY this week for our sweet Grace Lynn :) just go to the link below:
http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/1377406

12 Weeks Old

Well, 12 Weeks Old...

...And definitely growing; actually think she is going through a little spurt right now because she has been eating more frequently and not sleeping as well.  Some of the sleep has to do with a stuffy nose she has had the last couple days, but even before that, she was waking up at least once for food or with gas in the middle of the night when she finally had started sleeping through the night.  We again have had to prop her bed up and have been putting Vick's on her chest and feet.  I hope she gets through this fast because working all day is not easy when you are not sleeping at night.  It's all worth it though for this beautiful little girl that I love more than words can say.

Despite not feeling well, we genuinely have a very happy girl that puts a smile on my face each and every day.  I continually thank God for the beautiful, HAPPY, baby girl that He has blessed us with.

Loves her Baths, Just like her Mama

Some of her many faces in the morning,
even after a not so good night's sleep

This last week, our sweet Grace Lynn got to go to her 1st Independence Day Parade!!  I was so excited to dress her up in red, white, and blue and to see how she did with all the festivities and noises a parade has to offer.  Well, I must say she did well... actually slept through a lot of it, lol.  It was a lot of fun though and really enjoyed the time with my mom, sister, sister's boyfriend Adam, and with Grace, while Garrett and dad worked at the house.

Some Snapshots from Grace's 1st 4th of July!

After the parade we met up with Grandma, Papa, and Aunt Cookie who was in town for lunch.  It was so great for Aunt Cookie to finally meet her Great Great Niece (literally!).  We had a wonderful time and it was nice for me to see them as well of course.

Grace with her Great Great Aunt Cookie, Great Papa, and Great Granny

Also this week Grace made feet prints in the sand at KinderCare... look at how tiny her feet are compared to the other two in her class :)  She is a little  younger, so it is understandable, but they are still so cute!  Despite not feeling well at home, she's been a trooper and been doing pretty well at daycare.  The staff constantly say what a joy she is and how great she is.  She loves to smile and talk.  One of the babies is colicky, so she is really is a gem to them!  Mom, I have learned to appreciate you even more after seeing some other babies... so sorry for being the terrible colicky baby I was... at least you have a wonderful grandbaby!! :)

Helena, Grace, and Bella's Feet Prints

This weekend we had two of our very good friends Aaron and Jenny over to shoot some guns, go swimming, have a little cookout, and take them out to dinner at Garrett's favorite downtown place, the Frog and Monkey.  After that, Jenny and I got our treat of wonderful frozen custard from Operation Deep Freeze... yummy!  It was such a great day and we look forward to repeating it all over again this weekend.

Currently my family is in South Carolina for Amanda's dance National Finals.  Last night she actually competed her solo for the very last time and ended up taking home the title of National Champion, winning 1st overall.  Her duet partner JP (see below) took the Mr. title as well!  Way to represent Shooting Stars!!  I could not be more proud of who my sister is and the lady she has become.  She's been through a lot and a lot of DANCE... to end her solo competition era with such a bang only shows how much her hard work and dedication has paid off... now on to her next stage in life.  Amanda-Kay, you are absolutely incredible and I know that you are my little sister, but I constantly find myself looking up to you!  Stay yourself and true to who you are, strong in your faith, close to God, and keep family close.  If you remember all these things, you will be good.  Remember, God will guide you on your path of life and your family will always be here for you.  Love you bunches; like alpacas like to spit (right?!)!!!

Emily, Lindsiann, Amanda-Kay, JP, and Cece

Other news; Congratulations Alyssa and Kyle on the addition of your baby boy, Gavin.  He is absolutely precious and fits perfect into your already very cute family.  I can't wait to meet him and watch him grow with the wonderful parents you are and great older siblings he has.

11 Weeks Old

Today Grace Lynn is 11 weeks old.  This last week she has really began to start trying to giggle and has been very "talkative".  She puts a smile on my face everyday!  Her smiles and giggles are the best!!

She has successfully completed her 1st week at KinderCare and did wonderful!  She has already made two pieces of artwork (with the help of Ms. Cheryl and Ms. Donna of course).  I was so very happy when I got to see her first pieces of art.  She makes me one proud mama.  Her first artwork is of a lobster, using her foot and hand prints.  Notice the blobs for her hands; yep she loves to hold her hands in fists... so I'm guessing that is probably what happened when they tried to copy them.  She is too cute!  The second artwork is sand paper.  This week, the unit is about sand.  So, the teacher put glue on the paper for them and then Grace got to play with the sand in her hands and drop it on the glue.

Lobster Art

Sand Paper Art

She likes to hold that thumb between the index and middle finger :)

It is so great to see that what she is learning about and watch as she progresses from here on out.  The teachers seem to love her and she really seems to love them.  Garrett and I also really like their personalities and the entire staff that we've been fortunate to meet.  I couldn't ask for a better daycare experience for her so far.  Random funny thing; one of the little girls in her class is crawling already and for some reason loves Grace's pacifier; Ms. Donna says she is constantly telling her to stop trying to steal it from Grace, lol.  Anyways, from the looks of it, she is pretty comfortable there with them... Below is a picture of what we came to Friday when we picked her up, hehe.

This last week Garrett, Grace, and I went out to dinner with my Aunt Sherry who was in town, along with my mom, Grandma and Papa.  Of course we went to Haystax; love that place!  It was so wonderful to see Aunt Sherry again and always great spending time with my mom, grandma, and papa.

Candid shot of Aunt Sherry, Grandma, Papa, Garrett, Grace, and I...
Mama's behind the camera

Love my little family :)

Then Saturday Garrett's family came over for a cookout and to hangout by the pool.  Chuck was in town for a little while, so it was great that he got to see Grace since he's been out of town for work a while and has to go right back out of town.  It was also good to have Sandy, Sam, Colton, and Nicole over.  We had a wonderful time with all of them.

My girl and I hanging out by the pool

Later that evening Garrett had his gentleman's night with some of the guys from Church and a couple other buddies.  So I took full advantage and planned a shopping trip with mama and Grace.  Dad also met us for dinner and then we headed back home to see what the boys were up to.  It was a much needed and wanted girls night with much success.  Thankfully, I was able to get some Church and Work appropriate clothes that are comfortable and also provide easy access (breast feeding mamas, I'm sure you know the feeling).  I went home a happy girl.  All the activities of the day definitely pooped Grace out though.  She went to sleep early!!  However, that meant early morning for mommy :(

Sunday, Grace and I both seemed to have a stuffy nose... not sure where we got it, but it does not provide for easy sleep for either of us.  So, Sunday evening was another long night.  However, we both made it through the next day and we decided to prop her crib mattress up a little to help her with drainage and it seemed to work last night.  She slept all night until I had to wake her up before leaving for work this morning.  I think we will keep her crib slightly propped until she starts to breath and feel a little bit better.