gracie rae

Happy in Houston

2011-07-03T21:27:00.023-05:00

Well, we are finally here in Houston! We are so thankful to have such a wonderful church to live life with, a fun new city to explore, and a beautiful home to decorate. Thanks to our parents we were able to move in without incident and get settled quickly. Here are a few pictures of Gracie's first few weeks of this new adventure.

Gracie eating cheerios and watching her favorite show Boz, while we do some unpacking.

There is a little window by the our front door that Gracie loves! She looks out every day to see the ducks and to see her Daddy come home. We have a pond across the street which is home to many ducks that wander in our front yard searching for food. They're cute, but the duck poop in the yard is no bueno. She sure does love them!

Gracie and Papa feeding the ducks. Gracie usually gives some bread to the ducks then takes a bite for herself.

Gracie and Kaymi feeding the ducks. It is crazy how aggressive these ducks can be. I always put her on the table in case one of them gets a little crazy and I have to drop kick it! :) No, I love the ducks, I just love my daughter more!

One of Gracie's favorite things is going to the park across the street to swing, and if Daddy's there it is perfect!

YAY!! Swinging!!! She loves to go as high as we'll let her. Look at our little dare devil!

Two Lines Again!

2011-06-09T20:22:00.012-05:00

Here we go again! The pregnancy test revealed two pink lines (actually all 3 pregnancy tests revealed two pink lines). I am definitely with child! I have so many questions!!! How many are in there? Is it a boy? Girl? We are so excited to take in this life-changing experience once again! We recognize the blessing this is and we praise the Lord for another little one!

Some things I am looking forward to the next 9 months:
1. feeling the baby kick
2. watching Gracie's reaction to my growing belly
3. hearing the heartbeat for the first time
4. seeing the sonogram of our precious little one
5. deciding on a name

Some things I am NOT looking forward to the next 9 months:
1. the nausea, oh the nausea!!!!!!
2. excess saliva (you heard me right, this is a real thing that makes you want to spit all the time)
3. the swelling. the lips I can live with, but the cankles need to go
4. the sleepless nights due to the baby on the bladder and the huge uncomfortable big belly
5. changing Gracie's diaper (made me want to gag before, now with my heightened sense of smell, it's virtually impossible)

Oh the changes our bodies go through to bring life into the world!

Easter 2011

2011-05-10T22:10:00.013-05:00

This was Gracie last Easter. A week old. So peaceful. So calm.

...and this was Gracie this Easter. 13 months old. Frustrated with tights. Full of life!

Oh how the time has flown by! Her little personality is coming out which is spunky, outgoing, and passionate. She is her own little person. She loves to laugh and make people laugh. She has this fake laugh that she uses on strangers when we go to the store (gets them every time!) She uses the words "uh oh" and "whoa" about a hundred times a day and she despises milk. Her favorite things to do are to swing, listen to music, and just be outside. Every time "na na" (momma) comes out of her mouth I melt. She is a snuggler, especially at night. She gives the best hugs! She wraps her little arms around my neck and will squeeze with all her might. She will say "na na" and pat me as she lays her head on my shoulder. Sometimes when I am holding her at night, when I think she is asleep, she will lean back and plant a big kiss right on my lips. Makes me want to cry every time. I love my life.

My Baby is One!!!

2011-04-07T19:15:00.012-05:00

My little girl is one! I knew this day would come, but I never dreamed how fast! We decided to celebrate her first birthday in style with a carnival extravaganza! We played games, painted faces, opened presents, ate delicious sweets, and loved on Gracie as we celebrated her first year of life. What a special day! A big thanks to my mom, sister, and Donna Kay for making this party happen!

This was the dessert table. How cute are the cones of cotton candy Nicole made?

Can you say sugar high? Yummy!!!!

Mom was manning the prize table. The kids took home a lot of loot!

Games Games Games!!!

A break from the festivities to love on Kaymi!

Gracie giving Drew a push on the tricycle

The delicious desserts for the guests

Gracie's birthday cake experience. This was her first taste of cake. If you can't tell she LOVED it!

And the end result...Gracie covered in delicious cake goodness!

Be My Valentine

2011-02-17T13:16:00.010-06:00

"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved."

Thank you God for loving us like you do and for allowing us to give and receive love from those you have placed in our lives.

Check out more pictures from our family's Valentines Day photo shoot at www.raspberryrainimages.com

Super Bowl Sunday

2011-02-06T21:43:00.007-06:00

This year's Super Bowl was a little different than most I've watched in the past. Why? Mainly because of a little cutie named Gracie. We tried to watch the game between feeding her, watching her do her tricks, loving on her, and trying to get her down. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for anything, and since I really didn't care who won this year, I appreciated Gracie keeping things fun! On a side note, we were able to teach her a new trick tonight - touchdown! She raises up her hands in excitement as we yell "touchdown!" So cute!

Snow Day! (Part 2)

2011-02-04T15:50:00.013-06:00

Well, today was one of my all time favorite days! Jonathan and I decided to go play outside in the snow when Gracie went down for her nap. Play? I think not! WAR! The biggest snowball fight of the century, and here is how it played out in pictures.

Pre Snowball fight (notice no one is covered in snow yet and each of us still have our pride; also notice the cute ear warmer that makes Gracie cry every time I put it on)

We divided the yard in two, made piles of snowballs strategically placed, counted to 3, and started throwing. First one to hit the other 5 times was the winner. This is just an example of what went on ALL GAME!

I call this picture VICTORY! (and man is it sweet!)
We made up after Johnny forgave me for crushing him in the first annual Williams Family Snowball War.
One day Gracie you will get to pick sides and play with us. Choose me baby if you want to DOMINATE!

Snow Day!

2011-02-03T16:42:00.009-06:00

Well, today we finally braved the cold weather and actually left the house. Gracie and I have been sick and the weather has been snowy and freezing so we have been cooped up in the house for 3 days now. We bundled up, braved the cold, and snapped a few pics along the way. Here is our cutie in one of the warmest things we could find. Oh, and the bear feeties make me want to cry they're so cute!

Fun with Photoshop

2011-01-30T21:42:00.003-06:00

I decided to start getting a little creative with pictures to keep things fun. This was the result this week. I wonder what Gracie will think of this picture of her when she gets a little older.

Just Some Random Cuteness

2011-01-19T20:05:00.010-06:00

Gracie does not like things in her hair these days, but I was able to snap a few pictures of her before she yanked out her cute flower hair clip.

Daddy's the coolest!

She is very interested in momma's camera!

Hi everybody!!!

The Run Down at 9 Months

2011-01-13T21:30:00.012-06:00

What is her newest trick? She has been crawling and pulling up for a few weeks and she is in to everything! She is now walking around all of the furniture. She'll fall down, bump her little noggin, and get right up again. Another thing she is doing now is giving kisses. She will lean in and give me a slobbery, but absolutely perfect kiss!

What words is she saying? She is saying "da da" like crazy! She says it for almost everything, but she has a cute little intense way of saying it when referring to her Daddy. She also says hi and ball.

What is her favorite toy? Her favorite toy right now is her sleep sheep. It is a stuffed animal that has soothing noises that she falls asleep to. When she wakes up, she no longer reaches for us first. She reaches for her sleep sheep and hugs and kisses it. I'm a little jealous of that thing! :)

What makes her sad? She has been really clingy lately, so sometimes she gets really sad when momma puts her down. She has been teething which makes for some hard nights. I hate that she is in pain, but that toothy grin is too cute for words!

What makes her mad? She gets the most mad when she is confined. The carseat, the shopping cart, the stroller, the changing table are all horrible. Oh the changing table! She hates it the worst because she is on her back.

What is her favorite food? Her absolute favorite are puffs (basically Cheetohs for babies). Her other favorite foods are oatmeal (which she eats twice a day), turkey from the deli, biscuits, and macaroni and cheese.

What is her least favorite food? She hates green vegetables. Usually I mix them in with the mac and cheese to get her to eat them.

How is she sleeping? She usually goes down between 7:00 and 8:00 which we LOVE! She might wake up once during the night, but it has been pretty easy to get her back down. She wakes up between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning, so her momma is getting some good sleep! Yay!

One Big Fat Adventure

2011-01-03T23:08:00.011-06:00

I often wonder what Gracie will be like when she is older. What will she be passionate about? What will make her laugh? What will make her cry? What will she be when she grows up? When I was a child, I wanted to be either a veterinarian or a McDonald's employee (they got to push the cool buttons on the cash register). I ended up becoming a personal trainer/teacher/wife/photographer/mother. I am so thankful life doesn't always end up the way we plan. This life is one big fat adventure and I am just hanging on trying to document in pictures along the way!

Free as a Bird

2011-01-03T20:38:00.015-06:00

Our little bluebird is growing up. She can crawl now and she pulls up on everything, giving her a new found freedom that she is LOVING! A part of me is sad to let go of the baby that, when in our arms, was perfectly content. But another part of me is so excited to get to know this perfect little person God has so graciously put in our lives. Our baby girl has her own desires, her own agenda, a mind of her own. I am just trying to learn her and keep up! I already adore her personality and she can't even talk yet. She loves to laugh! She loves to make people laugh. She has been doing the fake cough for a while now, but she has started fake sneezing (head motion and all). I laugh everytime she does it, so she does it quite often! She is funny like her dad, animated like her mom, and crazy passionate about life. What a ride!

Teething Bites!

2011-01-02T10:54:00.008-06:00

Wow! I really underestimated the whole teething thing! Who knew that one little tooth could create so much chaos - runny nose, fussiness, fever, sleepless nights, and chewing on everything! It has been kind of crazy around here lately with her little teeth coming in, but one look at that cute little toothy grin makes it all worth while (I am going to miss that gummy smile though)!

1.1.11

2011-01-01T21:42:00.009-06:00

(this is a fun pic from 2010; I miss her crazy hair!)

Happy New Year! I can't believe it is 2011! I can't believe this time last year we hadn't even met our little girl yet. I can't believe how much God did last year. Here are a few big things that happened... Jungle Sunrise was published, Raspberry Rain became official, lots of very helpful baby showers, we moved into a house, we became minivan owners, Gracie was born, Gracie started crawling, Gracie got her first tooth, and there were 5 baptisms at BodyLife! What a year!

I am so excited for this new year and all God is going to do.

Some New Year's resolutions I have (keep me accountable people!!):

1. Go on a mission trip
2. Run a half marathon
3. Expand our photography business
4. Learn to snow board or get pregnant again :)
5. Blog more regularly

A Very Merry Christmas

2010-12-30T21:21:00.023-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We celebrated the birth of Jesus with our families, ate a ton of amazing food, and received way too many presents. This was a special Christmas because it was Gracie's first. We had so much fun watching her experience all that is Christmas for the very first time. Here was our amazing Christmas in pictures.

The awesome family photo Brian took. It was SO good to have them here for Christmas! We love them and miss them like crazy!

I love this picture! Not the best quality, but so full of emotion. Ainsley loves holding Gracie and here she is making her laugh. I loved seeing Gracie playing with her cousins.

We received so many wonderful presents from everyone. My favorite part was helping Gracie open her presents and watching her excitement as she discovered her new toy. Some of the things Papa and Kaymi got her were a talking kitchen, a walker, a beautiful doll named Gracie, and her very first basketball goal! This is one of the toys she got from Uncle Brian, Aunt Brooke and her cousins Ainsley and Braxton. She LOVES this activity table!

This picture is one Brian took and it is one of my all time favorites of Gracie. He took this while setting everything up for the big family photo. My little naked baby is so cute on this beautiful antique couch!

Over at Papaw and Mamaw's we opened up more presents and Johnny got to be the reindeer. Cutest reindeer I ever saw!

Mamaw and Papaw got Gracie her awesome playpen, a baby karaoke machine, a little people nativity scene, and some of her favorite books. Here is Gracie with Mamaw riding the train Joey, Nicole and Jackson got her. She's pretty excited about it!

One of the best parts of the night was the last present the boys opened up. They each got an authentic moose glass that Cousin Eddie drank eggnog from in the movie Christmas Vacation! Best gift ever mom! Hilarious!!!
What a blessed Christmas!!!

Priceless Pictures

2010-12-16T21:44:00.012-06:00

"Capturing the moments you never want to forget."
This is our motto for our photography business Raspberry Rain Images. It is important to me to document life with pictures. I love knowing I have reminders of the different stages of my life, my single years, becoming Mrs. Jonathan Williams, and now my life as a wife and mother. I wouldn't give up these pictures for the world! These images bring back so many wonderful memories, evoke emotion that still moves me to thankful tears, and remind me of how good God is.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Baby's First Christmas

2010-12-12T21:11:00.008-06:00

Well, this will be our first Christmas as a family of 3. I will say, everything has felt more "Christmasy" this year as we get to share our favorite holiday and time of year with our favorite little girl! She is mobile now and will crawl over to the tree every chance she gets. Once there she looks at the lights, plays with the ornaments at her level (non-breakables of course) and pulls the bows off of the presents. The Christmas tree lights and ornaments are definitely her favorite. Her least favorite part, Santa. On Friday we dressed her up in one of her many Christmas outfits and headed out to the mall for that oh so important first picture with Santa. She looooved every part of our outing, except for the picture with the extremely realistic looking Santa (seriously one of the best Santa's I've ever seen). We went ahead and purchased the over-priced picture package because 1. we had to ( its her first christmas!) , and 2. her expression is AWESOME! I think she is smarter than the average 8 month old and realizes that sitting on a creepy old man's lap is not fun and NOT very Christmasy!

Here are a few pictures of Gracie in her cute little Christmas outfit. I know the bow is big, but seriously how cute is she?!

The skirt is so cute it makes me want to cry!

And here is the infamous Santa picture. Are you wondering what I am (is that the real Santa?

Unforgettable

2010-11-30T12:00:00.011-06:00

"I used to hate uncertainty, but I'm learning to love it. It is an aquired taste. I am discovering that the greatest moments in life are unscripted. They are unrehearsed, unplanned, and unpredictable, and that is precisely what makes them unforgettable." Mark Batterson

I feel like I am learning these words. Just let go and be in the moment. Let life be an adventure. How boring is a life where every moment is planned.

The unplanned moments that will always be remembered...

-Just moments after Gracie was born, she turned toward the sound of my voice to see me. I'll never forget that moment of her and I seeing each other for the first time.
-Laying in the grass with Gracie, looking up at the sky, listening to baby babble.
-Gracie's poop explosion outside of Albertson's. I don't know if I've ever laughed so hard! (granted the poop was on Jonathan and not me) :o)
-When Jonathan comes home and Gracie starts doing the arm flap and squealing with delight.

"We naturally want everything to go according to plan, but the element of surprise infuses life with so much joy."

I remember when Jonathan took this picture. This was the moment i felt like a mother.

Baby's First Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T11:20:00.008-06:00

Gracie's had a blast on her first Thanksgiving!

First we celebrated with David and Donna Kay (Papa and Kaymi). We ate great food, played with new toys, and played football outside on one of the most gorgeous days all year!

Next, we went to my parents' house (Papaw and Mamaw) where we ate some more amazing food, played with more new toys, worked a 1000 piece puzzle that my dad said we would never finish (which we did!), and took our family Christmas photos.

Gracie wanted to take a few too! Like mother like daughter.

Poncho Baby

2010-11-03T22:09:00.012-05:00

Gracie is 7 months old now. She was born in the spring, endured the hot summer, and is now getting ready to tackle her first winter. With the change in weather comes new winter clothes and ADORABLE photo opps! To help Gracie weather the first day of cold, we put her in her adorable poncho from Chile that she got as a gift. Thank you Ron and Cindy Kveton for the cutest little poncho sweater ever! We could not wait for it to get cold so we could get her in it, and of course I had to take pictures (58 to be exact) Here are just a few. :o)

Gracie's First Halloween

2010-11-02T20:39:00.013-05:00

We had such a fun Halloween this year! We dressed up Gracie in her precious giraffe costume, added a pink bow to make sure people new she was a girl, and headed to the harvest carnival at First Baptist Flower Mound. Gracie hung out with her Papa and Kaymi (Johnny's parents) and met a lot of new people. From there we headed to her Papaw and Mamaw's (my parents) house where we went trick-or-treating at the neighbors and hung out with family. What a great day!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T21:48:00.004-05:00

Today we went to the pumpkin patch in Flower Mound. We took pictures, played, and just enjoyed being with family. It was a perfect day.

My First Halloween Costume

2010-10-26T21:47:00.004-05:00

Introducing...the cutest little giraffe in the world! We found this precious costume on sale and fell in love! The costume is so soft and comes complete with a tail and giraffe feet. The little mohawk hair makes me want to cry its so cute (and it kind of reminds me of her "crazy hair" days). I can't wait for her to wear this on Halloween!

So Thankful

2010-10-14T09:24:00.005-05:00

Well, Gracie is now 6 1/2 months old. She is more fun than i could have ever imagined and I love her more than i ever thought possible. My relationship with her has brought me a deeper appreciation for my own amazing parents and a greater understanding of what it means to be a child of God! Thank you Lord for this blessing!

So, in honor of God's handiwork, here are some more pictures of Gracie in all her cuteness.

Messy Little Monster

2010-09-19T20:55:00.002-05:00

One of the messiest eating days yet.

(I posted this on facebook, but in case you missed it, here it is)

This Video Makes Me Happy

2010-09-19T20:53:00.004-05:00

Gracie's new noise.

The Fake Cough

2010-09-12T18:20:00.009-05:00

Well, our little baby is growing up. I can't believe she is almost 6 months old! She is sitting up on her own, saying "hi" all the time, and eating rice cereal like a champ. One thing she recently started doing is this fake cough thing. She does it to get our attention or to let us know she is excited or just plain mad. It is hilarious! It seems like it would hurt her little throat, but she does it all day long and seems completely unaffected. I try to get her to say ma ma or da da, but that's apparently not as cool as the fake cough. Here is a little taste of what we hear every day.

So Cute

2010-09-05T13:40:00.002-05:00

Here is a video of Jackson and Gracie loving on each other. Gracie loves Jackson so much she wants to tackle him.

5 months old

2010-08-22T19:32:00.009-05:00

Gracie is finally big enough to wear one of her fancy hats I bought her on Etsy. Yay! In this photo shoot she is wearing her "love me" onesie with her guess jeans. The hat just makes the outfit!

Here are a few new things Gracie has been doing. She is officially 5 months old in one more day!
-flapping her arms like crazy
-she has reached new decibel levels when talking and screaming
-learning how to say "huh" sounds
-eating cereal twice a day now
-her hair is getting a lot longer so it is laying down (no more baby crazy hair, except after baths)
-sitting up by herself (still pretty wobbly though)
-rolling over both ways (back to stomach to back)

For those moms out there looking for fun homemade hats, or anything else homeade, check out www.etsy.com

mmmm...paste.

2010-08-08T13:38:00.007-05:00

Now that Gracie is 4 months old, she has become extremely interested in the things we eat and drink. She has something (hands, toy, teether) in her mouth at all times and she opens her mouth wide when she's ready to eat. The Doc said its time for cereal. Yea! Yesterday we fed her rice cereal for the first time. We didn't know if she would like it since it smelled just like paste, but she did. The hungry little monster ate it all! Here's the proof...

The world's most photographed child

2010-08-06T17:47:00.003-05:00

I know this is an addiction - taking pictures of my baby - but I blame my family. Apparently when we were little our Aunts took tons of photos of us. It must be genetic. So, Vicki and June, I blame you! :o) Go here for the latest photo shoot of Gracie.

www.jessicawilliamsphotography.com/wordpress/

We miss you!

2010-08-03T13:28:00.006-05:00

To all the family in Kentucky,
Gracie wanted me to post this blog so she could say a few things to the family.

We miss you all so much and can't wait for Gracie to meet you! Wish we were on the lake with everyone! Love you!!!!!

Love,
Jess, Jonathan, and Gracie

4 Month Doctor Visit

2010-07-26T13:46:00.008-05:00

Well, Gracie had her 4 month check up the other day. She had to get 2 more shots (one in each leg) and it was so much harder this time - not for her- for me! It broke my heart to hear that painful cry (even though she only cried about 5 seconds) and then to see her look at me with those sad eyes - pitiful!
According to the doctor she is doing great!
Here are her stats:

14.3 lbs (60%tile)

23.75 inches (33%tile)

New Tricks:
-grabbing feet
-new "words" (gurgle sounds)
-chewing on everything
-an even deeper level of cuteness

Happy Birthday Baby!

2010-07-25T17:05:00.017-05:00

Well, in honor of my baby turning 4 months old on Saturday, I am posting pictures from each month of her life. I can't believe how the time has flown by! Looking at these pictures shows me just how much my sweet baby girl has changed already!

Here she is in the womb with her "angelina jolie lips". This month she was kicking me and hiccuping during the night which made it quite hard to sleep.

Newborn:
I remember this so clearly. I couldn't stop watching her through the little clear hospital cart that was her home those 4 days in the hospital. She started smiling and I jumped out of bed to get my camera (which was quite painful I might add). She was so new. New to us. New to this world. One of the best days of my life.

1 Month old
Daddy's little "blue bird" as he calls her. He named her that for this very reason. She always wanted to be on our shoulder. She would just melt into us. She would be so content spending every minute awake or asleep on our shoulder. The second picture is also Gracie at 1 month.
I wanted to show the amount of hair she had at this stage. Although she had a lot of hair for a 1 month old, she didn't develop the "crazy hair" until month 3.

2 Months Old:
By now her hair is growing out and becoming one of the biggest topics of conversation when we go out! Her eyes were getting brighter blue and her little eyelashes were growing. She had tiny eyelashes when she was born, but at this stage they were getting more noticeable.
3 Months Old:
And now I would like to introduce you to Baby "Crazy Hair". We try to tame it, but it has a mind of its own. What a fun age! She was able to hold her head up more on her own. By this age she had definitely put the chunk in chunky thighs and she was smiling and laughing all the time.
4 months old:
And now my sweet baby is 4 months old, still has the crazy hair (which is getting super long), and melts my heart with every smile. She loves being outside, in the water, and the center of attention. She still loves "Dusty" our ceiling fan, white bear, and chewing on anything she can get in her mouth. This is a rare picture with Gracie over the shoulder because the "blue bird" days are over. Now she wants to face out so she can see everything.

Take your time growing up Baby Girl. We don't want to miss a thing!

Dollar Day at My Favorite Store!

2010-07-23T16:02:00.009-05:00

Ok. I know I just posted about my new favorite store, Once Upon a Child, but I have to share my amazing new finds with you. This place seriously has the best, gently used, children's clothes. You have to look, but you can come away with items that are brand new, brand name, and stinkin' cute! Jonathan said it perfectly, "it's like finding a treasure among junk." And in our case, 15 treasures! We left the store today with 15 items and paid only $25 thanks to the amazing $1 dollar sale! Everything that was on clearance was only a buck and let me tell you, we took advantage! We got everything from the CUTEST Ralph Lauren dress to, Baby Gap shorts, to Guess jeans. I mean really? One dollar!!!

The following was purchased from this store. How cute are these precious floral overalls!

I adore the little pockets on the legs
Gracie seems to like what she's wearing!

If you have a favorite place that sells baby clothes send me a comment with the name of the store. Even if they don't have dollar sales, I love to look. :o)

Locked Out!

2010-07-14T20:22:00.006-05:00

Ok. The other day, Jonathan dropped Gracie and I off at my mom's house for the week because he was going to children's camp. He came back to our house to pack and get ready to leave the next morning and somehow locked himself out of the house. Apparently, sometime around midnight, he went out the garage door, managed to lock the door on his way out (he still doesn't know how that happened), the locked door shut behind him, and he was locked out of the house. No phone. No keys. No wife to let him in. All the doors and windows were locked. So, what did he do you ask? He literally broke into our house. Check out the pictures and I will explain.

Ok. Here are the tools that Jonathan found in the garage and backyard that he used to dismember our door. He was attempting to take off the door knob but wasn't so successful with the grilling utensils or hammer.

Next, he found the tool that got him back into the house - the hedge trimmers. What does a door attacked by hedge trimmers look like you ask. See next picture.

The end result. Whatever it takes baby! Glad you made it back in the house!

Here is Gracie's reaction to the whole ordeal. "Uh Oh Daddy! You're in trouble!"

Dear Baby

2010-07-12T15:04:00.009-05:00

Gracie,
One of the most precious moments at this stage is listening to your sweet laughter and seeing that big gummy smile. Sometimes at night when you wake up fussy and hungry and I finally manage to get out of bed to get you, you see my face and you light up. You smile so big as if to say "hey mom, lets play!" We also love to make you laugh. You started laughing last week, and you have laughed every day since. That is our goal - to make you laugh every day. When I was pregnant I knew you would be a special little girl, but I couldn't have imagined just how special. You have big chunks of my heart baby girl.

Here is Gracie sportin' her new ralph lauren dress and flashin that big gummy smile at her favorite toy (her white bear has really made photo shoots much easier!)

Out of Control

2010-07-08T21:11:00.011-05:00

I just have to say that I love bargains! There is something about getting a good deal that makes a girl's day. What could be better than stumbling across an awesome sale? Stumbling across an awesome sale on baby clothes! I found a 70% off sale at Once Upon a Child and went nuts! As I was putting all of my purchases on the counter, I actually told the lady checking me out that I was out of control.

Alright, here is the list of purchases:

I got 2 Ralph Lauren dresses, 2 Ralph Lauren jumpers, 1 Gap dress, 1 Calvin Klein dress, and the super cute jumper she has on in the pictures - all for $35.00! Seriously, I got a Ralph Lauren dress for $2.50. Are you kidding me!!!!!

Gracie's photo shoot in her sweet little jumper (check out her little model poses)

The Sweetest Sound

2010-07-08T10:57:00.003-05:00

Well, for all of you who aren't on facebook, here is the video of Gracie laughing hard for the first time. Papaw was holding her and Mamaw was making monkey noises and it was just so funny! I think I will do anything to make her do this again. This truly is the sweetest sound!

My Little Thumb-Sucker

2010-07-02T16:18:00.010-05:00

I officially have a thumb-sucker! My baby has found her hands and her favorite part - her thumb! It's so cute, but I'm hoping it becomes useful as well. We're hoping she'll just use that built-in paci to put herself to sleep. Here are a few cute pics and video of her new trick.

* Cute pink outfit courtesy of Donna Kay and David *

What a Week!

2010-07-01T15:29:00.019-05:00

Last Thursday was so exciting because Brian, Brooke, Ainsley, and Braxton came to Texas! Gracie has been so excited to hang out with her sweet Aunt Brooke, funny Uncle Brian, and cool cousins Ainsley and Braxton. We've gotten to do so much since they have been here. I will just explain in pictures. (It is shocking how many I've taken since they've been here!)

Ainsley and Uncle Johnny. Ainsley is already 4 and such a good cousin to Gracie.

Gracie sleeping on Aunt Brooke. I think she is extremely comfortable!

Ainsley lovin on her cousin.

The boys posing for a picture before our big family photo. So cute!

Here we are in the end zone of Texas Stadium. Donna Kay got us all tickets for a tour of Texas Stadium. We scored touchdowns, kicked field goals, and laughed a lot!

Donna Kay and Brax having a great time on the football field

Johnny in the Cowboys' locker room with Miles Austin's jersey on. Sign him up!

Me and Gracie on the field of Cowboy's stadium. Amazing!

Uncle Brian and Gracie bonding.

Love this picture! So sad Brian and Jonathan don't see each other more.

Celebrating David's 60th b-day! Happy B-day Papa!

Knotty Baby

2010-06-28T23:00:00.008-05:00

One of my new favorite things for Gracie - Knotty Legs. They are made by Knotty Baby and they come in every color and pattern. These are the 3 I just bought for Gracie. I keep finding excuses to put them on her because they are just so darn cute on my sweet baby's chunky legs! I have about 10 more styles in mind to buy. Oh how little self control I have when it comes to buying things for Gracie.

Hands On

2010-06-23T22:48:00.004-05:00

Gracie has officially discovered her hands! They are her favorite things to look at, play with, and suck on. She just stares at her hands in amazement and then ends up slobbering all over them. The amazement with her hands has led to her sucking her thumb. According to my mom, I never was a thumb-sucker, Johnny on the other hand was. Oh how wonderful it is to see my precious husband in our daughter!

Dear Baby

2010-06-21T21:38:00.014-05:00

Gracie,

I am so excited to be able to live this life with my husband and best friend, and with you, my sweet baby girl. You are a special little girl Gracie. You are special because you are God's "very good" creation. He said so Himself! We are blessed to have you in our family and can't wait to show you the world. There is so much I want us to do together some day. I want us to live an adventurous passion-filled life traveling the world telling others about our Savior. I want us to laugh every day and ride roller coasters and eat snow cones together. I want to have nights where all we do is sing praise songs to God and dance around in our pjs. I want you to grow up soaking in the new experiences of life. Don't be afraid! There is so much joy in just truly living the life Jesus wants us to live, so thats what I hope you do. Trust Jesus and live.

Gracie "singing"

2010-06-21T21:32:00.001-05:00

More Summer Fun Photos

2010-06-19T19:11:00.006-05:00

Here are some more summer fun photos from last week.

Summer Fun!

2010-06-17T09:58:00.011-05:00

I am so thankful to my parents for letting Gracie and I spend the week with them! We've had such a great time swimming, relaxing, and learning some new tricks. Gracie figured out how to roll over. It is so cute! I have to watch her really close though because one minute she is on her back and the next she is face-planted in the blanket. She's growing up so fast! She has also been taking the bottle so good! She sucked down 3 bottles the first day, 4 the second, and 3 the third! And she did it with no complaints. I am so proud of my baby girl! We also spent some time in the pool splashing and getting some sun. She loves being outside! Check out some pictures of Gracie in her new swimsuit, sunglasses, and bucket hat. Surfer girl in the making!

She's so excited to get in! Look at those blue eyes! (Just letting you know I did nothing to her eyes in photoshop)

Gracie Vs. The Bottle

2010-06-11T17:40:00.014-05:00

As some of you know, we have been trying to get Gracie to take a bottle. She is not a fan. We are leaving for Colorado at the end of July for four days and we need her to be able to take a bottle. We also would like to do something for our anniversary in early July, which gives us until the end of this month. We’ve tried pretty much every nipple out there, but nothing seems to work. We are out of ideas, so I did some research and found a doula’s blog outlining a way to get a reluctant (or in my case, adamant) baby to take a bottle. It is called “the Stand off”, so we gave it a try. The gist: no nursing, only bottles, with some suggestions thrown in. This is how yesterday went down. Thank you to all who prayed for us.

6:30AM - last time to nurse

8:00AM – slept in her swing

10:15 AM - gave her the bottle in her swing, only took 1 ounce, but took it great (seemed to be pleasantly distracted by momma and daddy singing to her and praising her for taking the bottle)

Score: Bottle – 1 Gracie - 0

10:32 AM – changed her diaper, did some good “talking” on her changing table; dressed her in her uniform for the Stand-Off today (headband, wristband, tall socks - tell me she's not ready for battle!)

10:45AM – tried the bottle again; didn’t scream, but didn’t take it either, just chewed on it awhile (we’ll give this round to Gracie)

Score: Bottle – 1 Gracie - 1

11:00AM – got her down, slept until 12:15

12:20PM – tried the bottle again, she sucked down 3 ounces with no complaints! Way to go Gracie (but too bad about the score)

Score: Bottle - 2 Gracie – 1

1:20PM – went down for another nap

3:20PM – woke up ready to play. Played with momma and daddy for awhile, got bored, played with white bear and sleep sheep for awhile, got bored, played on activity mat for awhile, got bored, then got fussy (probably from hunger considering she only took 4 ounces since this morning)

4:00PM – got really fussy, tried the bottle several more times, cried harder, cried even harder, passed the point of no return. Passed out from exhaustion in daddy’s arms, momma shed some tears, prayed a lot.

*Don’t cave! Don’t cave!

(Gracie wins this one by a mile!)

Score: Bottle – 2 Gracie – 2 (all tied up, this is a close one!)

5:00PM – in a better mood; tried the bottle again; chewed on it awhile; continued to try it; finally took it, ate 4 ounces great and then, in apparent frustration over the bottle’s success, pooped the biggest poopy diaper ever!

Score: Bottle - 3 Gracie – 2 (the bottle is leading, but I will say, Gracie let him have it with the monstrous poo!)

6:00PM – Really fussy; got her down, slept on me; I watched an episode of Friends (needed to laugh); woke up after Friends, she got CRAZY, screamed and cried for the next 1 ½ hours, I cried too, didn’t know what to do; texted Jonathan at game night “Im going to cave”, stuck it out; went outside, we both calmed down

7:45PM – Put her in her swing; tried the bottle; she took 1 ½ ounces great; dad came home; melt down again; she went to sleep exhausted on Daddy, guilt set in (am I a horrible mother for doing this?), reminded myself she will not remember this, not comforted

Score: Bottle – 3 Gracie – 3

8:00PM – I ate dinner (8 hours since eating anything)

10:00PM – She woke up, I caved, I nursed her, decided nighttime doesn’t count in the “stand off”, happy again

Winner: Gracie

Baby Talk

2010-06-07T17:39:00.006-05:00

For all of you who didn't see this on facebook, here is the video of Gracie "talking". She's 2 months old and trying so hard to tell me a story!

Little Feet

2010-06-07T14:49:00.004-05:00

One thing Gracie has a lot of (besides hair) is shoes. She probably has 10 pairs of shoes (and that's just 0-3 months)! The problem? Her feet are so tiny! She is already 2 months old and even her newborn shoes are too big! We've compared her feet to babies a month younger than her and her feet are considerably smaller than theirs. So, until her tiny little feet catch up to her "healthy" legs the shoes will have to remain in her dresser and she'll be rockin' the bare feet.

Bath Hair

2010-06-06T16:40:00.008-05:00

The last bath had me laughing hysterically. Gracie's hair was cracking me up. She seemed to think it was really funny too!

We would like to dedicate this hairstyle to her Uncle Joey who rocks the slicked-down-hair-with-a-middle-part the best!

Cute Close-Ups

2010-06-05T15:03:00.004-05:00

The little details that make life so sweet.

sweet feet

bright eyes

precious ears

chunky thigh rolls

The Swing

2010-06-03T16:21:00.004-05:00

We received Jackson's swing from Nicole and Joey a couple of days ago and Jonathan has said "it has revolutionized our lives." This particular swing can swing side to side which has been awesome for trying to get Gracie to sleep. I know I just posted how I LOVE to snuggle my baby to sleep, but when she takes like 5 naps a day and I have piles of laundry waiting it is quite nice to be able to use the swing. Thanks Nicole and Joey for loaning us this swing!

2 Seconds After Being in the Swing

2 Minutes After Being in the Swing

Snuggle Bug

2010-06-01T16:48:00.008-05:00

I love my snugglebug so much! I know I shouldn't hold her as much as I do because I could be "fostering bad habits", but I just don't care. It is too precious of a time and it is too short of a time to worry about those things. If my baby loves to be held and snuggled to go to sleep, you better believe I will be loving her in that way. There will come a time when she will need to go to sleep on her own, when mom will have to lay her down and walk away. When that time comes, I will tough it out and help her from a distance, but until then I'll be snuggling away!

Such a Fun Weekend

2010-06-01T15:08:00.012-05:00

This memorial day weekend was awesome! We went to Lewisville to hang out with family. We were able to see Nicole and Joey's new house, which is amazing! We stayed with David and Donna Kay Sunday night where we talked, played with Gracie, watched a movie and ate a delicious spaghetti dinner. Monday we went over to my parents house with Nicole, Joey, and Jackson and grilled out by the pool. We laid out, swam, and got Gracie in the pool for the first time. The weekend was wonderful!!! It was relaxing, fun, and full of great time with family. I am so thankful we have such love and support in our lives!

Here are a few fun pictures of Gracie in the pool and one with Mr. Lamb.

Bottle Rebel

2010-05-30T19:45:00.003-05:00

Looking at this picture, and reading my post a month ago, you would think my baby is a pro at taking a bottle. WRONG! Apparently my baby has rebelled against taking one. For some reason I was under the impression all babies take bottles - that they just come out knowing how. We've tried everything! We've tried different nipples, different positions, distracting her, shushing her, walking with her, even putting sugar water on the nipple. Nothing seems to work. Nicole and I have a trip to Canton planned for Friday and I'm afraid I'll have to cancel if things don't improve this week. Please, if you have any advice or encouragement send it my way!!!!

Children

2010-05-28T08:46:00.003-05:00

"All husbands and wives borrow their children. Our children are not our own. Our children belong to God. He has loaned them to us for a season. Most marriages contain these borrowed jewels. They are not ours to keep but to rear. They are not given to us to mold into our image. They are not given to us so that we can force them to fulfill our lives and thus, in some way, cancel our failures. They are not tools to be used , but souls to be loved."

- Thomas C. Short

Oh, the Dreaded Day!

2010-05-26T15:14:00.008-05:00

The dreaded day had arrived. It was time for the 2 month check up, which included 3 shots in the thigh and a vaccine taken orally. We dressed up our unsuspecting little girl, took our precious baby to her doctor's appointment, and then, before she knew it, WHAM-O, she was choking down a nasty tasting vaccine and getting poked in the legs! This is the stuff horror movies are made of! Our beautiful baby took it like a champ. She screamed during the shots, but as soon as the poking was finished and Daddy put her on his shoulder she was content again. I think she would have comforted her momma and daddy if she could talk. We are so proud of her! Praise the Lord it is over, because her parents were a mess all day! Gracie now has 3 Garfield band-aids to show for the trauma her parents endured today. :o)

The War Wounds

Now for the Stats...

Length - 22 in (35th percentile)

Weight - 11.8 lbs (50th percentile)

Head Circumference (35th percentile)

Our baby girl is growing up!

First Family Pictures

2010-05-24T12:29:00.004-05:00

Well, we attempted outdoor family photos last weekend with Nicole and her family, on one of the HOTTEST days of the year. We all dressed up nice, I fed Gracie, and we headed out to get great pictures with a blue couch and God's beautiful creation. I know i know, not conventional, but we are all about the fun creative images! Anyways, I literally gave Nicole 2 minutes to get at least one good shot of our family (we didn't want Gracie in the harsh sun too long), and thanks to Nicole's quick camera skills we were able to get a few great ones. I was able to get some good ones of Nicole's family too which you can check out at www.nicoleandjoey.blogspot.com.

Bright Eyes

2010-05-20T12:25:00.006-05:00

I love watching Gracie see the world for the first time. There are so many things she loves to look at, but her favorite thing is "Dusty". Dusty is the name given to our incredible dusty ceiling fan. She will watch that thing forever! Her little eyes light up when she sees it and she smiles and talks to it every day. It is the cutest thing.

It's Not Easy, But It's Worth It

2010-05-18T21:09:00.008-05:00

Overwhelming. That is what parenting feels like sometimes. Just when I think I have figured out my baby girl, she goes and does something completely new that destroys all confidence I had. It is so overwhelming trying to parent with no instruction manual. We know her "favorite spots" to help her get comfortable, but those seem to be changing. We thought we had begun to decipher her different cries, and then she goes and adds a new cry. We have her on a good schedule one day, and then the next she makes a new one. We are constantly relying on the grace of God to help us parent Gracie. We know this stage will end soon, so we try and laugh at the hard times, knowing they will make for funny memories down the road. As I type this my sweet husband is trying to get Gracie to sleep, but she is resisting. I am off to help and make a new funny memory. Praise God I'm not in this alone!

Bumbo Baby

2010-05-17T19:41:00.003-05:00

Here's my baby attempting the bumbo chair. She is just shy of 2 months and the chair is recommended for 3 months and older, which is pretty evident by the slumping baby in the picture. We're still working on strengthening our neck muscles. :o)

What a FIASCO

2010-05-14T13:49:00.012-05:00

Fi-as-co [fee-as-koh]

This is what our first family craft turned out to be. I got this bright idea to get Gracie's hand and footprints on some of her white onesies to always remember how tiny she was. Sounds good right? I found a website detailing the steps of this fun and "easy" craft and got all of the supplies. We decided to do this last night before Gracie's bath. As Jonathan is holding Gracie, I mash her little foot in the wet black paint at which she immediately reacts by flailing her foot. She had black paint all over us, and herself. I managed to control her foot long enough to stamp it on the onesie, but it looked like a black blob. So, on to the next foot. We'll use less paint this time. Her other foot goes in the paint and onto the onesie leaving a very faint half footprint. HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU DO THIS! Now we have an agitated, squirmy baby with two jet black feet and no good footprints to show for it. We decide to try the hand. This time we use pink paint. First of all my baby is strong. As soon as her little hand went into the pink paint she made a fist and squished the paint through her chubby fingers. I tried to separate her fingers and stamp it on the onesie, but the "handprint" looked more like I let her freelance fingerpaint on the onesie. So now I have a baby with two black feet and a pink hand. I went to wipe the paint off my baby with the baby wipes, but the paint had dried! I scrubbed with that baby wipe and nothing came off! I am half laughing and half freaking out that we were never going to get the paint off! We got her in a warm bath and soaked her in it. We finally were able to scrub the paint off of her (I however, still have it on me). Her bath was about 4 times as long because of all the scrubbing, but Gracie took it like a champ. It's safe to say we will not be trying that again anytime soon. We need a better plan first. Our first craft day was a fiasco, a funny memory, but definitely a fiasco! :o)

My First Baby

2010-05-11T22:19:00.006-05:00

Tonight we got to go on a date (thanks to my sweet mom for babysitting). Our second official date since Gracie. We went to dinner and a movie (something we would have taken for granted about 7 weeks earlier. We enjoyed every minute and loved being together again, just the two of us. We love our daughter so much and wouldn't trade her for the world, but kids do change everything. We definitely want to keep our marriage a priority, which is why we are going to continue to find times for dates. Here are some pictures of us together before our sweet baby. I know this blog is dedicated to my baby Gracie, but if it weren't for these precious moments, she wouldn't be here. :o)

This is when we first started dating. Look at all that beautiful blonde hair!

The day he proposed! We just got back to my parent's house to celebrate.

After we were married, after the haircut.

I love my husband so much!!! Thank you Baby for a great date!

My First Mother's Day

2010-05-09T10:08:00.005-05:00

What a day! It is still hard for me to believe I am a mom! Gracie has definitely changed my life in so many ways. Even now, I am holding my baby and typing this blog with one hand. There are so many things i have done since she came into my life that i never thought i'd do....

-stay up all night just watching her little expressions and listening to her sweet funny noises

-cry while she cried because i've exhausted every possible way to soothe her

-take millions of pictures of her just trying to capture the innocent beauty I see in her every day

-laugh so hard as Jonathan screamed for more wipes because Gracie was pooping on him

-get so excited over the sweetest smile God ever created!

We have gotten to celebrate Mother's Day all weekend. First, on Friday with Jonathan's family, including Brooke (who was able to meet Gracie for the first time) and then on Saturday with my family. Today Jonathan and Gracie got me a digital picture frame on which Jonathan uploaded the cutest pictures of Gracie. They also got me the sweetest card and a mother's day video Jonathan put together. What a blessing God has given me with this precious family! I love being a mom. It is exhausting and overwhelming at times, but it is absolutely wonderful!

I wouldn't trade this for the world.

Here are some pictures of me and my baby on this mother's day.

Funny Faces

2010-05-07T09:44:00.008-05:00

I just wanted to post a few pictures of my baby's cute funny faces. She is so expressive! It's fun!

Little Hands

2010-05-03T20:42:00.004-05:00

Gracie has been using her hands a lot more to grab things like the edge of her changing table, our shirts while we hold her, and apparently daddy's nose while she is sleeping. :o) She was stretching while taking a nap on daddy's chest, reached up and felt daddy's nose, and held on. It was too cute!

My Baby Fashionista

2010-05-01T17:29:00.005-05:00

I think Gracie has more cute clothes, shoes, and accessories than I do thanks to the great baby showers and generous gifts of our friends and family. Even though we don't get out much, we have enjoyed dressing her up in all her fun outfits. These pictures show off the sweet baby bracelet Nicole got for her. I remember how big this bracelet was on her when we first came home from the hospital. It wouldn't stay on her sweet little arm. Now that she is big enough to wear it we had to take her picture in it. Precious!

Daddy and Gracie Hanging Out

2010-04-30T22:30:00.003-05:00

Here is Gracie in one of her most favorite spots in the whole world...Daddy's shoulder.

Child of Mine

2010-04-27T10:23:00.006-05:00

These are two pictures we took a couple of weeks after Gracie came home. These pictures remind me so much of how wonderful the pregnancy and labor/delivery experience was. Since we have been home I have realized how amazing, yet how difficult raising a baby is. Each day is different than the one before. Some better than others. My favorite days are when she is happy and content. She smiles and plays and tries so hard to talk to me. The hardest days are when she is in pain because of gas and when she can't sleep. I feel so helpless when I can't ease her pain quickly. How do people handle babies with colic?!!! What a range of emotions parenthood brings! All I know is that I will continue to do my best to love Gracie the best I can, to hold her when she cries, to pray for her daily, and to take a million pictures of every stage of her life. She is growing up so fast, we are just trying to enjoy every minute.

Breaks My Heart

2010-04-25T12:04:00.005-05:00

Look at this sad face. It breaks my heart every time I see it.

Last night we saw this face a lot since she just couldn't seem to get rid of the gas pain and get to sleep. We tried everything and nothing seemed to work until about 4:00 this morning. She wore herself out and fell asleep. Not the best night of sleep I've ever had, but praise God these kinds of nights are few and far between!

Innocent Eyes and Kissy Lips

2010-04-22T22:27:00.009-05:00

I love staring into her precious eyes. She is so alert and alive and her big eyes are getting more and more color to them. I also can't resist her adorable kissable lips! How do I not kiss these lips? They are so cute and pouty and absolutely irresistible!

Freedom!

2010-04-21T22:21:00.010-05:00

Gracie took a bottle for the first time yesterday! She wasn't too thrilled about the idea at first, but soon she got the hang of it. She took the whole bottle and her daddy got to feed her for the first time! I always love my time with Gracie while she is feeding and now I am thankful Jonathan gets to have that time with her too. I am especially excited about sharing the night time feedings with Jonathan. :o) Now that she can take a bottle it will give us so much more freedom. We took advantage of that freedom today as we went on our first date since Gracie has been born. Donna Kay came up to babysit and we went to see a movie. I got to leave the house!!!! Praise God for a wonderful date with my wonderful husband!

Photo Shoots

2010-04-21T15:42:00.007-05:00

Here are some pictures we took of little Gracie in some quick impromtu photo shoots.

This first one is in the tutu and headband her Aunt Nicole made her.

Here she is with a sweet pink hat that April's mom made for her.

This photo shoot we put her in a mixing bowl! Thank you Gracie for cooperating!

Bedtime with Daddy

2010-04-20T20:03:00.004-05:00

Jonathan put Gracie in our bed the other day and we took pictures. She looked so tiny in our big bed!

Her First Shot

2010-04-19T18:11:00.009-05:00

Today Gracie had her first shot. :o( It was painful for her and traumatizing for us! We dressed Gracie in a precious dress that Donna Kay and David bought for her and headed out to the doctor. We love to dress her up when we go anywhere since she rarely leaves the house. They weighed Gracie at the doctor's office and she is already 9 lbs 3 ounces! When did she get so big? She is still below the average in weight, but when I saw that number on the scale a little part of me was sad. We are out of the newborn stage. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for a happy healthy baby, but it is going by so fast! Ok, on to the traumatizing part. The nurse came in with the shot, I was holding Gracie, and then they did it. They stuck my precious baby in the thigh with a long evil needle...and remember, I was holding her! For about 10 seconds she cried the most pitiful painful cry that literally made my heart break. I put her over my shoulder ("in her spot") and she immediately stopped crying. Gracie took it like a champ! She fell fast asleep and will never remember this day that has emotionally scarred her parents!

The War Wound

Gracie in her sweet dress

2010-04-18T09:26:00.007-05:00

We've taken Gracie to church, to the park, and to the mall already, yesterday we attempted the grocery store. She did really well on all the other outings, but the grocery store was a different story (I think it was because she knew we were going to Walmart). First of all, it was raining so we dressed her in her cute jacket which has ears on the hood (she wasn't thrilled about that) and we put her in the car seat and set off for a fun (I use the term fun very loosely) family trip. As soon as we pulled into Walmart, the screaming commenced, and would not be pacified unless the car was in motion. So, Gracie got her way, momma went in and got all the groceries while sweet daddy drove the car around the parking lot of Walmart until she fell asleep. We were able to get all we needed, but, with a newborn, simple trips just aren't so simple anymore.

When you Smile that Smile, the World Turns Upside Down

2010-04-15T16:57:00.006-05:00

I'm not sure what she is smiling at, but I think it is either the fan, the pictures on our wall, or her crazy momma. I can't wait to hear her laugh!

Dear Gracie

2010-04-14T12:41:00.013-05:00

Gracie,

In your short little life, you have filled us with so much joy and you've been such a blessing to us. I can not imagine life without you now. There have been a few sleepless nights and emotional exhaustion in the last 3 weeks but I wouldn't trade one minute with you. You are so special and loved and beautiful. We pray for you daily. We pray away fears and pains, we pray for joy and peace for you, we pray you will know how much we love you and how much more your Savior loves you. I praise God for you little one and the special way God made you.

Here are a few of your "favorites" in your first 3 weeks of life:

Hanging over Daddy's Shoulder like a "sack of potatoes"

Tucking your little thumb inside your fist

Your hands by your face when you sleep

Daddy's book Jungle Sunrise

and Basketball

Daddy Love

2010-04-12T14:11:00.014-05:00

"The first man a little girl falls in love with is her dad."

“Walk alongside me Daddy, and hold my little hand.

There are so many things that I don't understand.

Every child needs a hand to guide them as they grow,

So walk alongside me, Daddy -

We have a long way to go."

-HELEN BUSH

To Jonathan, the father of my child, and the love of my life.

2010-04-10T15:12:00.008-05:00

Today we went on our first family outing to the park. We have been pretty much home-bound since Gracie's arrival so it was wonderful to get outside. It was great to be back at the park where Jonathan and I used to spend so much of our time. Gracie didn't notice much since she slept the entire time, but it made for a very peaceful outing for us. We walked the trails, talked, and soaked up the beautiful Saturday sun. We are looking forward to living a Spirit-filled adventurous life as a family and sharing this beautiful world God created with Gracie.

Here are some pictures from the park. We used the stroller for the first time and it only took us about 30 minutes to figure out how to put the car seat in it. :o) Gracie, your momma and daddy are going to get better at this whole parenting thing - I promise! :o)

This is Gracie asleep in the car.

This is daddy documenting after we finally got the car seat in the stroller...and Gracie is still sleeping

Here I am pushing sleeping Gracie in the stroller.

And here she is sleeping next to Mark Twain

2010-04-09T14:07:00.003-05:00

"People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one." - Author: Leo J. Burke

Here is Gracie this morning after a long night of not much sleep. Really Gracie? This is when you decide to sleep? :o)

Dancin' with my Boo

2010-04-07T16:48:00.009-05:00

I love dancing with my baby girl. I recently made a playlist for her on my computer. We have everything on it from Ray Charles' "You are so Beautiful" to Shawn McDonald's "Over the Rainbow". As we dance around, she usually falls asleep as I sing to her. I love these times with her. I know there will be a time when she is too big to hold, and when she realizes her momma's singing is not the best, but until then, we will dance and sing and fall asleep making the most of each precious moment.

Picture Crazy!

2010-04-06T15:43:00.010-05:00

The sheer volume of pictures I have taken of my precious baby is unreal! I knew I would take a ton of pictures, but it is really ridiculous just how many I have taken. I have taken a grand total of 855 pictures and my baby is only 13 days old! That is approximately 65.7 pictures a day! I think I need help!

Here is one of the 855 pictures that captures our days and nights perfectly!

Isn't it amazing how many diapers a tiny newborn can go through!

Bad Hair Day

2010-04-06T13:55:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we decided to bathe Gracie for the second time. Apparently you are only supposed to wash newborns one to two times a week. Well, we washed her hair and towel dried it so she wouldn't be too cold. I then decided to put a hat on her so she would be extra warm. When I pulled the hat off an hour later this was the result. She was sporting a do somewhere between punk rock mohawk and some kind of peacock thing. No matter what we did that hair would not comb down! Sorry Gracie, mommy gave you your first bad hair day. (I will say, she took it like a champ!)

this look is pure shock that mommy and daddy are laughing and taking pictures

I will say, this morning, the bad hair day produced the cutest side faux hawk imaginable! We hope she rocks this more often. How cute is my little rock star!

He is Risen!

2010-04-04T17:09:00.003-05:00

As I sit here typing this blog, Gracie is on my chest sleeping peacefully and my husband is helping me with errands that need to be run. Sometimes I can't believe this is my life - so blessed, full of love, joy, laughter, and our Lord Jesus Christ! Sometimes when I feed my sweet girl I whisper to her how much I love her and how much more God loves her. Today, on this beautiful Easter, as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, I can't help but imagine the love the Savior has for us! I can't help but be in awe of how much i love this little one in my arms. Yet, as children of God, how much more is God's love for us. I guess I have never truly wrapped my mind around what it means to be loved as a child of God...until now.

We dressed Gracie in her special little dress for Easter, bundled our baby up, and headed to church to celebrate the greatest day in the history of the world. I pray one day my little Lovie will understand the love of her Savior!

Scary Easter Bunny

2010-04-03T18:41:00.004-05:00

Here is the reaction we got from Gracie with her little Easter bunny. SCARY!!!!

A Baby Story

2010-03-30T18:57:00.015-05:00

During my entire pregnancy I was obsessed with watching the TLC show A Baby Story. Before pregnancy you probably couldn't have paid me to watch an episode, but for some reason, watching women go through everything from getting an epidural to having triplets by c-section, made me feel a tiny bit more prepared for what I might endure. So, here is my very own Baby Story.

On Wed March 24th we went to the hospital thinking my water might have broken (more like sprung a leak). The nurses tested me and said it had so they admitted me to labor and delivery that day. Well, apparently I was not very far along in the whole labor process, so they hooked me up to medicine to induce labor. After only 20 minutes the baby's heart rate dropped to a very low number and the nurse came running in, turned me on my side, and put an oxygen mask on me. Later we talked to the doctor and she recommended c-section because the baby wasn't responding well to labor so we decided to schedule the c-section. I was wheeled into the OR and about an hour later Gracie was born! She was born 7 pounds 7 ounces and 19 inches long. She was born wide eyed and alert with a beautiful head of dark hair. Jonathan brought her over to me to see her for the first time and my heart melted. She was perfect. Praise God for this little blessing! Here is the picture that captured the wonderful ending to an unexpected drama-filled birth.

I can't believe she has changed so much already! Here are a few more pics from the hospital.

Beyond Words

2010-03-28T12:01:00.021-05:00

As most of you know we welcomed our sweet baby Gracie into this world on March 24. She weighed in at 7 pounds 7 ounces and 19 inches. There are some things in this world that you know will change you forever. This is that for me. As I am sitting here writing this blog I am overcome with gratefulness. Gratefulness to the countless nurses and doctors who lovingly took care of us and Gracie over the last 4 days, the awesome friends and family who have been there to support, encourage, and pray for us, the most amazing husband a girl could have who exhausted himself taking care of Gracie and me in the hospital and who will spend his life exhausting himself for us, and to my Savior who has given me the sweetest family I could have ever dreamed of. As I write this, my precious husband is passed out on the couch after a long night and my baby is sleeping next to me making the sweetest noises that literally melt my heart. I think Jonathan said it best when we were coming home from the hospital yesterday, "I am so full of love, I feel like my heart is going to explode."

Here are a few pictures of our sweet baby girl in the hospital.

Her sweet little smile

Daddy and daughter relaxing

This is her little "mean mug" face she does sometimes when sleeping.

Here we are leaving the hospital with our precious bundle of joy!

More pics to come...

"I stand, therefore I pee"

2010-03-21T23:46:00.006-05:00

Seriously, it is getting ridiculous how many times I empty my bladder during a 24 hour period. Gracie is definitely dancing on my bladder during this last trimester. I can't believe that I only have 9 more days until my due date! I'm down to single digits! It has been such a crazy ride. The first trimester was rough and seemed to drag on; the second trimester was awesome and flew by; and now, the end of the third trimester seems to be taking FOREVER! When will Gracie decide to come? Well, until then, I'll just continue to empty my bladder 25 times a day and marvel at how huge my ankles are! Cankle City!!!!

I'll Show You Miserable!

2010-03-17T14:18:00.009-05:00

Well, we did it! We finally moved into our new rental house. It is a wonderful home in a great neighborhood and most of the unpacking and organizing is finished (thanks to the greatest sets of parents in the world)!!!! (I will be posting more pics of the house later) Gracie has so patiently waited to make her appearance which we are thankful for, but also now extremely ready for. I have had such a wonderful pregnancy and amazing responses and encouragement from everyone (family, friends, and strangers)...until last night! Jonathan and I and my parents went to Logan's Road House for dinner after a lot of unpacking. Well, the chicken i ordered came to me undercooked. The manager came by to apologize for the raw chicken they tried to serve me and then asked me how far along I was. Before I had a chance to answer, she proceeds to tell me how miserable I look. "How far along are you, because you look MISERABLE" were her exact words! I just looked at her stunned. Does she not realize I am 9 months pregnant with crazy hormones raging inside?! After she left and I swallowed my pride we all laughed at how apparently horrible I look and how you never, never, ever tell a pregnant woman (or any woman for that matter) that they look miserable! Not the best service I have ever received at a restaurant!

Oh So Kissable!

2010-03-11T12:33:00.004-06:00

We had our 37 week OB appointment today and got a sonogram of Gracie. She is healthy, a little on the small side (Praise God), and she is a cutie! I can't believe we got to see her today. The sono tech gave us a free 4D sonogram which confirmed her as a girl and also showed her sweet little features: 6.5 pounds, chubby cheeks, pug nose, and full, pouty lips. The tech kept saying "look at those lips!", "where did she get those lips?". We are so excited about meeting her and kissing those amazing chunky cheeks and those sweet kissable lips!

"A moment in my tummy... a lifetime in my heart."

2010-03-10T08:40:00.011-06:00

Well, I have had a few people ask me to post some maternity pictures. Here are a few pics Nicole took of me during the last snow day we had. I had no intention of taking maternity pictures, but Nicole thought I would regret not taking them, so she dressed me up in her clothes (very snugly I might add) and we went out in the freezing cold and took fun pictures in the snow. We had a lot of fun and I am thankful for the pictures. :o) Thanks Nicole for documenting this special time for me. 3 weeks to go!!!!!

I just had to add a picture of Jonathan with the Yoda snowman we made that day.

Smash the Cake!

2010-03-03T08:22:00.009-06:00

We had the opportunity to photograph Cooper, one of the cutest 12 month olds in the world! He was such a joy to work with and his precious little personality was so much fun to capture. He turned one on March 2nd, so his mom scheduled a "smash the cake" session with us. For those of you who don't quite know what that is here are a few sneak peaks from the photo shoot.

Here's Cooper just getting started.

Cooper getting messy!

Cooper's sweet little "cafe face"

I am getting so excited for the all the photo shoots I am going to put little Gracie through. Let's just hope she cooperates half as well as Cooper did!

Eviction Notice

2010-02-28T18:03:00.007-06:00

This is too cute! I found this on the internet and thought it was appropriate since I officially have one more month of pregnancy to go:

"I am issuing 30 day notice for EVICTION. Tenant will have 30 days in which she can either gather her belongings and promptly vacate the premises, or wait until the final day. After which, she will be physically removed from the property.

She's being evicted due to breech of contract and destruction of property. Expansions only to the FRONT of the house, within reasonable limits, were discussed. Not only have these limits been exceeded, but additions to the back of the house were also made!

Remodeling and gutting of the home was never approved, nor was changing the initial layout and base structure. And due to property damage, there are now leaks in both the upper AND lower levels of the home. On top of which, the landlord has received numerous complaints about nightly disturbances.

After 30 days from this day that she doesn’t comply with the notice will result in immediate and forceful removal at my discretion."

Confession

2010-02-23T18:37:00.006-06:00

Well, since all of this baby stuff started I have been pretty much obsessed with baby hats. I have to say that Etsy has become a website I visit daily because of all of the precious handmade hats they sell. Something I am not proud of (but must confess) is that I recently looked through 1800 pages (not images, but PAGES) of baby hats for Gracie. I really wanted to get her a couple of crochet hats, but found myself unable to commit until I had seen them all! I know it is sad and it is not the best use of time, but I finally finished searching and decided on 2 precious hats. Jonathan helped narrow down the many I had marked as “possibilities” and we just received them in the mail. YEA! So, here are the two I decided on.

After all my searching I really hope she is willing to wear hats!!!!

-Jess

Showered with Love

2010-02-19T14:48:00.019-06:00

We have been so blessed to have the family and friends we do supporting us during this special time in our lives. We have had 2 amazing showers already and have gotten so many cute and needed things for Baby Gracie. Here are a few pictures from the two beautiful showers that have been so generously given us. The first shower was hosted by the wonderful Wanda Butler, Jackie Pounds, and Pat Kirby.

This is the beautiful canvas Wanda painted that matches our bedding pattern perfectly! She is so talented!

The beautiful and delicious cake that also matches our bedding. How do people make cakes like this?!!!!

The second shower was hosted by the sweet Nicole Kraus and Virginia Foley. Huge thanks to everyone involved and all who came to make this time so special!

This is the "cake table" with my actual cake and the beautiful diaper cake Nicole made.

Here is a close up of the diaper cake. The entire thing is made up of diapers covered by receiving blankets and embellished with flowers and apples. I can't believe Nicole made this!!!!

...and last but not least the gorgeous flower arrangement Virginia made. How talented are all of our amazing family and friends!

Thank you for blessing us with your generosity and showering us with love,

Jess

Dear Baby

2010-02-19T10:20:00.005-06:00

Gracie,

I can not wait for you to meet your daddy. I was just praying and thanking God for my life with you and him and was overwhelmed that God has blessed me so much. Your daddy is such a passionate, gentle, and loving man, which you will soon experience. He already loves you so much. He prays for you constantly, he talks to you, and he LOVES feeling you move and kick. One of my prayers for you Gracie is that you would one day find a man that loves Jesus and loves you as much as your daddy loves Jesus and me. We are excited you are joining our family! Sweet girl, I can honestly tell you that it will be fun and life will be so sweet, not because everything will always go as planned or because life is perfect, but because you have a heavenly Father who loves you more than you know and an earthly father who will spend his days trying to love you as Christ loves you.

Counting down the days,

Mom

P.S. Your daddy is one of the most talented men on the planet! He is already a published author. His first novel Jungle Sunrise just made it onto Amazon!

Life After the Plus Sign

2010-02-17T13:43:00.004-06:00

FAVORITES OF PREGNANCY

1. Feeling the baby move. I love it! I never get sick of it. I also never thought I would like others putting their hands on my belly to feel her move, but I love it! I love being able to share the experience with people who will love her.

2. How sweet everyone is. Everyone seems to be so careful, gentle, and helpful around me. It seems like everyone wants to do EVERYTHING for me, its really quite precious.

3. All the fun new baby stuff. I love love love going through all of our baby gear and clothes. Sometimes I find myself already imagining what she will wear in her little photo shoots. Oh the photo shoots my sweet baby girl will have to endure!

4. Sonograms. How fun to actually see her! She is really in there! We have seen her grow from our little gummy bear into a little baby girl complete with fingernails and a precious pug nose.

5. Telling everyone we were pregnant. Everyone had the best reactions to the news, which has only furthered our excitement about little Gracie. I know she will be surrounded by so much love!

WORST OF PREGNANCY

1. How Hot I get! Right now, as I am typing this, I am laughing at my husband who is appalled at my suggestion to turn the fan on. He has his sweatshirt on, hood up, and is shivering under a blanket!

2. How Huge I am! I know people keep telling me that I am small for being 8 months pregnant, but having a basketball in your gut that doesn’t allow you to bend, twist, or reach normally makes things quite difficult.

3. Restless sleep. Whether it is from being hot, uncomfortable, or the countless trips to the bathroom, good sleep is rare.

4. The Constant trips to the Bathroom. I seriously need to count the number of times I have to pee. Seriously, it has to be a record of some sort.

5. Nausea. Wow, the nausea that occurred the first trimester was no joke! Praise God that is over!

I can’t believe I have 6 weeks left!

-Jess