Sweet, sweet Grace.
You bless me everyday with your smile, hugs, and cheery disposition.
Do you see her two new teeth?
They came in last week while at the beach with the grandparents. The tooth tally is now at 4.
Gracie is the most laid back child I've ever seen. She doesn't let a little thing liked missed naps or meals bother her. Which makes her a wonderful traveler. She'll sleep in pack and play, a car seat, a lap, a high chair, a stroller. I think she gets this from her father as I, well, let's just say I'm a little more Princess and the Pea...
When she is hungry, she does cry a little bit. But not in the whiny battle cry that is your typical baby crying for food. Rather she sticks out her bottom lip, flares her little nostrils, slowly releasing crocodile tears, and just sort of whimpers, as if to say, "I am the saddest, hungriest baby in the world. Oh won't you pretty please feed me?" So, of course, we oblige her.
Her favorite food is sweet potatoes with cinnamon. When she eats then she shakes with delight and says, "MMMMM!" and even claps her hands.
She claps her hands quite often. This is vastly different than Henry. Gracie constantly wants to interact with us and so often claps when we speak to her, sing to her, or put her in her high chair. She also likes to clap to music.
Which brings me to her real love: dancing. She claps to the beat and sort of rocks back and forth. She raises her hands in the air like she just doesn't care. She raises the roof. She hops along the floor and squeals with delight. And when trapped in her car seat, she rocks back and forth and slaps her thighs. It is awesome. Her favorites Stevie Wonder and the Black Eyed Peas. But she'll dance to anything--be it the commercials on TV, Henry singing a song, or the noise from a toy.
She adores to crawl over Henry and she doesn't even mind when he crawls all over her. Henry also likes to pretend to ride her as she crawls, straddling her and waddling as she moves along, saying "Yeehaw! Giddy up Gracie!" I used to discourage this, saying, "Henry, it is never appropriate to ride your sister." But he's now taken to standing while doing it rather than actually sitting on her. And, well, I've just sort of given up. I figure if she minded she wouldn't be giggling and making fart noises.
She cruises around all the furniture and will walk when holding our hands. She walks on her tippy toes. She especially loves to stand holding on to the couch and bounce up and down. She also jumps up and down in her crib while holding onto the railing. She has also begun to let go and stand for a few seconds before plopping down on her behind. I predict she'll be walking by Halloween.
She waves occasionally. And she doesn't just do a little hand flapping. She raises her hand up above her head as if she is flagging someone down. In truth, she first learned this behavior from Curious George. (I imagine that many of her talents and favorites will be directly related to her older brother's favorites.)
When she is hungry, she does cry a little bit. But not in the whiny battle cry that is your typical baby crying for food. Rather she sticks out her bottom lip, flares her little nostrils, slowly releasing crocodile tears, and just sort of whimpers, as if to say, "I am the saddest, hungriest baby in the world. Oh won't you pretty please feed me?" So, of course, we oblige her.
Her favorite food is sweet potatoes with cinnamon. When she eats then she shakes with delight and says, "MMMMM!" and even claps her hands.
She claps her hands quite often. This is vastly different than Henry. Gracie constantly wants to interact with us and so often claps when we speak to her, sing to her, or put her in her high chair. She also likes to clap to music.
Which brings me to her real love: dancing. She claps to the beat and sort of rocks back and forth. She raises her hands in the air like she just doesn't care. She raises the roof. She hops along the floor and squeals with delight. And when trapped in her car seat, she rocks back and forth and slaps her thighs. It is awesome. Her favorites Stevie Wonder and the Black Eyed Peas. But she'll dance to anything--be it the commercials on TV, Henry singing a song, or the noise from a toy.
She adores to crawl over Henry and she doesn't even mind when he crawls all over her. Henry also likes to pretend to ride her as she crawls, straddling her and waddling as she moves along, saying "Yeehaw! Giddy up Gracie!" I used to discourage this, saying, "Henry, it is never appropriate to ride your sister." But he's now taken to standing while doing it rather than actually sitting on her. And, well, I've just sort of given up. I figure if she minded she wouldn't be giggling and making fart noises.
She cruises around all the furniture and will walk when holding our hands. She walks on her tippy toes. She especially loves to stand holding on to the couch and bounce up and down. She also jumps up and down in her crib while holding onto the railing. She has also begun to let go and stand for a few seconds before plopping down on her behind. I predict she'll be walking by Halloween.
She waves occasionally. And she doesn't just do a little hand flapping. She raises her hand up above her head as if she is flagging someone down. In truth, she first learned this behavior from Curious George. (I imagine that many of her talents and favorites will be directly related to her older brother's favorites.)
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| Violet (9), Gracie, me, and Bo (7) at the beach. Gracie and Violet became the best of friends. |
She continues to draw attention wherever we go. She shamelessly flirts with every man within a 20 foot radius. I've tried explaining that anyone older than 3 years old is too old for her, but she doesn't seem to listen. She also adores her cousins and aunts. While she is not a big fan of either set of grandparents (which just makes me feel horrible), she does adore her Aunts Sonya and Holly. She also can't get enough of Violet, Rachel, or Caleb.
But, in the end, she prefers her Mommy. Which just melts my heart. I think it is her femaleness versus Henry's maleness. Henry could go days without human contact. I could just set out Zbars and Capri Suns and he'd be happy as a clam to play trains or Legos by himself. (Just this morning he told me he couldn't come down to breakfast because he needed to play trains by himself in his room. He said, "I just need 5 more minutes of me time and den I can hewp you." Hmmm.....wonder where he heard that?) But Gracie is the opposite. She'll play with toys by herself, but only if she can see me, Sloan, or Henry.
And despite her constant nearness, she has yet to find her "inside voice". She has begun to constantly babble. In various ear piercing tones. Sometimes I think she is just practicing her scales. Other times she seems to be calling butterflies. And other times, it is to get our attention, channeling her inner Elizabeth Edwards, screaming "LOOK AT ME!!!"
Well, my darling Margaret Grace, it is my joy to look at you.
2 comments:
OH, MY LOVE!!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Her natural love of music and dancing makes me so happy for both of you. Such is the goodness of grace :)
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