"PURPLE"

&

she was so proud of herself.

The words are coming fast and furious... Today it was door and "PURPLE"

Nana for bananna, spoon (but only once), more, bath, bite (very similar), Bye bye (but after we have left or the phone has been hung up), bird, boo (we've had this one for a while - cute story), Tech, ni (nice), nih nih (night night), juic (juice and she made up her own sign), mine (I think), OT (hot)

and our chinese words are La for pull - she learned from watching Ni Hao Kai-lan (http://www.nickjr.com/shows/ni-hao-kai-lan/index.jhtml). Kai-lan asks the audience to repeat after her and one day Grace did... This is also where she learned ni (nice) - ni is not chinese for nice but Kai-lan repeated it three times and thus Grace said it.


For all my sorority sisters I wish I could say that I taught her purple but it was Dad.

January photo at the Palace Deli

Mom's shoes... the photo I've been waiting for.

One of my favorite childhood photo's is of me wearing my Dad's boots.

Gymboree - I've moved up to level four.

Grace's Big Day...January 12th

New Shoes - Old shoes one size to small

Turned Car Seat - (the video is outstanding...)

New Sign - French Fry (Holding one finger up and if she's really hungry she held up both hands)

New Word - Ni for Nice

Looking forward to 2009 but we will always LOVE 2008 for bringing us GRACE...

Happy New Year
&
I hope fond memories of a wonderful Christmas.

Dad and I are looking forward to 2009 but we will always love 2008 which brought us Grace…

Grace is 19 months old as of the 29th of this month. As of 01/01 she weights in at just over 20 lbs which means we can turn her car seat around… Not that she complains about being backward in the car seat…

Grace is walking very well and is on the verge of running. She is also trying to talk and per her doctor I am supposed to give her credit if she get a few of the syllables right. Words which she has said are nana for banana, spoon, per my sister - bird (my sister has a parakeet) Osc for Oscar (L and B’s older dog), bath, bye when hanging up her play phone, and more....

December 20th what a long day....

Our favorite Saturday morning routine... Gymboree
Good Friends sharing a wonderful holiday dinner...

December 20th arrived and we had a very full day. Our morning was spent at Gymboree then lunch at the Palace Deli...Then while Grace napped I did a little shopping. Then we were going to meet our friends for our annual Christmas Dinner in the evening at 6:30 (we are all mostly parents), & we were all meeting at the Melting Pot (a neat fondue restaurant). My sister was babysitting for Grace but she needed us to bring Grace up to her house. After a lot of running around, getting ready, packing up Grace’s stuff, wrapping presents in the car, and dropping Grace off. We arrived at the restaurant on time and I relaxed and had a wonderful evening.

It was now 10:30 ( I never dreamed that we would be that late) and long past Grace’s bedtime and my sister (K) did not have a pack and play or crib for Grace. So we got in our car and started up to K's. About 5 minutes into the drive K called. “Where were we???” “We’re on our way I am really sorry that it’s late.” “"Mom" get here as fast as you can Grace has been bitten by Gizmo (her 12 year old dachshund) in the face.” To be quite honest the very logical side of me kicked in and I call the pediatrician’s office. Since it was so late the call was directed to the local children’s hospital after hour’s line. So we left a message for a nurse to call us back. And Dad did his best to get to K’s in one piece and without a speeding ticket. (Looking back I never did look at speedometer.)

When we got there Grace looked bad but not to bad, most of the scratches where superficial with just a few little puncture wounds. K told us that Grace had been walking (she gets a little punchy when she’s sleepy) in the kitchen when she tripped and landed on Gizmo, who had been sleeping. Thus this was a TRUE accident. As we where leaving Grace blew K a kiss and my sister lost it…

So we rushed her out to the car and off we went to Eggleston (the most wonderful Children’s Hospital on the planet).

Unwrapping presents on Christmas Eve...