Our weekend away...

We had a wonderful weekend away to Albuquerque. It was a well needed rest and relaxation along with complete family time! We really didn't do a whole lot honestly, we just spent the weekend hanging out at the hotel swimming, watching TV, and driving around the city. Gracie is quite the traveler. She does have her moments when she is done let me tell ya! By the time we got to the hotel and then got checked in we dropped off our stuff in the room, she was ready to be done with the car seat. When we put her back in there to go grab some stuff for the room, she screamed. But Gracie got over it and moved on! ha ha.

She is now rolling over more, but only when she feels like it. She loves tummy time more and more. Gracie's favorite thing to do is look at her new Baby Einstein books during her tummy time. She just loves them.

Grace is also starting to hold her bottle. She reaches for it as it is coming to her mouth and then she gets all sorts of excited once it gets there. She can hold it when it is almost empty but she hasn't figured out how to tip it up to make it easier to get all the good stuff out.

Well, that is all for now. I forgot the camera so I don't have any pictures from our trip but we all know I will be taking some new ones soon! I hope you all had a great weekend. Until next time!

On A Sentimental Note...

So, tomorrow is my birthday...I haven't quite decided if I am going to turn 27. April 24th just might have to go down in Faith history as "The day formally known as my birthday." Twenty-seven is just 3 years from 30. I am NOT turning 30. I will forever stay 29...well maybe 26. Matt has no issue with turning 30...every time I say I am not going to do it, he says...BRING IT ON. There have been very few times in my almost 11 year relationship with Matt that I have wanted to slap that silly smile off of his face, but when he says that...it about sends me over the edge. Ha ha I am just joking, I promise, I might just tap it off! :) I love him though, I can't hold it against him if he wants to embrace getting older. It is just one reality I refuse to face! Ok, total sidetrack there.


So, it has been year today since I found out I was pregnant. I know most of you know that Matt & I had a hard time getting pregnant. It was always something, either he was gone or the timing just wasn't right. We saw doctor's and they gave us the same run around. I won't go into details because it is in the past and I am a firm believer to live for the present and hope for the future while not dwelling on the past. I remember Matt coming home from Iraq and having many discussions about having a baby. We really felt that it was the right time in our lives, we were ready plain and simple. Well, at the end of March and the beginning of April I had EVERY pregnancy symptom in the book. I would log onto websites and read the "Top 10 signs your pregnant" articles and I would have at least 9 of the symptoms. We were heading to Paris the first weekend in April and I remember taking a test...it was negative. At that time, I was so disheartened because I felt it was going to be the last 3 or 4 years all over again. I honestly felt I was pregnant. I went and told Matt that I just wanted to stop focusing on it...not stop wanting or trying, I just didn't want to put that much emphasis on it. So, we went to Paris, took the weekend to lift our spirits (while eating hamburgers every time I had the chance...which is what I craved along with tomato sandwich my first trimester). We came back, resumed normal life, and I just dealt with the tiredness and all that jazz. Well, I had a follow-up appointment with my doctor regarding my surgery I had in January, who is an awesome doctor I might say and super nice. He was doing the examination and turned the ultrasound monitor towards me and pointed to a little circle. He asked me if I knew what it was and I was thinking well it is too small to be an ovary so I don't know. He then said the words I had been waiting to hear for over 4 years..."Congratulations, young lady, you are pregnant!" My reaction, which I swore to myself I would only tell those close to me, but I am feeling sentimental so why not, was "Holy Toledo, Batman." I have never said that in my life and probably (I really hope not) won't ever again. Ok, you can stop laughing now. :) He continued to take a look to make sure things were going well. I sat there just in complete utter shock. I just couldn't believe it. Then I said out of the blue "Happy Birthday to me!" Dr. Plock asked me when my birthday was and I told him the next day. He said that I had the best birthday present ever...he was so right. I was about 5 1/2 weeks long...which meant I was pregnant when I took the test it was just way too early to tell. So, Gracie got to go to Paris with us! Matt didn't go with me to the doctor because he got home late, so it was a hi honey/bye honey type thing. I called him as soon as I got out of the doctor's office and told him I needed the car again on Friday. He asked what for and I told him...I know, I know...I could have waited, it was only a 15 minute drive. (I know most of you are looking at the computer screen and saying...."No you couldn't!" and your right.) Needless to say he was as much in shock as I was. So, when I got home, he was waiting outside our door and gave me the biggest hug and kiss ever with the biggest smile on his face. Another moment I won't forget! We couldn't believe we were finally going to be parents. So, today will always be a special day in my heart. Every year when April 23rd comes around, along with the "Day formally known as my birthday," I will always remember that feeling or that moment. It changed our lives forever...it has been the best change so far! Being a mom is more then I ever thought it would be. Watching her grow, which happens way too fast, and seeing her personality develop is such a blessing. I thank God everyday for giving us Gracie. She is truly a gift from God. Finding out the day before "the day formally known as my birthday" was perfect timing and something I will never forget.


Here are a few pics of us...one in Paris and the bottom one was taken at the Friedberg Brauhaus in Germany on my birthday last year....errr "the day formally known as my birthday." ;)

We rolled over!!!!

Ok, I am excited! One of Gracie's struggles....for lack of better words, has been "tummy time." She just doesn't like it. As she gets bigger, she tolerates it a bit more but not for very long. We have worked our way up to about 5 minutes at time. Well, after saying all of this, we had another first today! I put Gracie in her pack-n-play on her belly. When I walked by it about 2 minutes later....she was on her back! I am super excited. The pediatrician said that would be her next big thing. When Dr. Hamilton put her on her belly in the office, she about did it right then so I knew it was coming, but I didn't know I would be so excited about it! Of course, when I tried to get her to do it again, she wouldn't do it! But she did it once so that is the exciting thing!

Another, side note...Gracie continues to jump all over the "milestone chart." It just cracks me up, only my child would be like this! Either way, she is improving her skills and developing new ones...even if they are ones she isn't supposed to do until she is 5 months...which is only in a couple of weeks! Can you believe it?

We have a super busy weekend planned. Matt's boss is getting married tomorrow so we are going to that and then we are celebrating my birthday with Leda and Brian on Sunday! Either way, I know there is going to be pictures taken so I will be sure to post some! Until next time!!!

Giggly girl!

So, Grace has been quite the happy girl from the get go. She figured out how to "laugh" in her own way which sounds pretty much like a very enthusiastic "oooooo" early on. Well, last night, she found her real giggle. Gracie and I were having a conversation where I was pretty sure she was telling me a funny story about Daisy because she kept looking at the puppy. I answered her and apparently, it was hysterical! She gave this cute giggle. Matt was walking behind the couch and heard it too! It was so so so cute!

We are still having quite a few adventures with the cereal. Grace still loves it, but only when she wants it, which quite honestly can be a bit frustrating. I make it, then try to feed it to her, and then she decides she doesn't want it. Some people are staring at their computer thinking..."You are surprised? She is your child." What? You think I change my mind frequently? I have no idea what you are talking about! Anyway, back on track...I am posting a video of Gracie eating. In this particular video, she keeps putting her hand in her mouth in attempt to shove the food farther down her throat. It is just way too adorable.

Well, that is all so far this week. I will post more later! Ciao!

Gracie's 4 month check up

Yesterday Gracie had a very exciting but traumatic day...we had our 4 month check-up. Dr. Hamilton is great. She is a very hard doctor to get into. Those who are familiar with Army medical clinics feel my pain...which is why we are almost a week late getting her to her appointment. Either way, she is doing great. She weighed in at 14 lbs and 13 oz, right on track. She is in the 51th percentile which means that 50% of kids are below her weight and 49% are over. Her height is a bit larger percentile being at 62%...she is 24 1/2 inches long. I am thinking she is going to take after the Mallicoat's/McCrary's (my side of the family) and Cunningham's but we will see. Time will tell.

Things are also getting better with the cereal...she had an epiphany yesterday. She figured out that if she actually swallows the cereal, it is good! She was kicking her legs and cooing for it trying to express her desire to me that she wanted more! So we are going to keep on it. I don't know if we will start veggies and fruits anytime soon but so far so good on the cereal.

She is also becoming interested in holding her bottle. She loves to hold on to the end of it and if you try to take it out of her mouth she will try to grab it and pull it back in her mouth. It is adorable. This morning she was eating and I had to wipe her mouth which of course meant I had to take the bottle out of her mouth because we all know I only have 2 hands. Well, I was also watching TV and apparently wasn't putting the bottle back in her mouth fast enough so Gracie hit the bottle first and then grabbed it and brought it to her mouth. She hasn't figured out out to grasp it where she can hold it, but I know that is coming fast!

Well, that is all for now. I have to get ready for my spa day...I have a great husband! I am going to be pampered for 4.5 hours. It is part of my birthday/Mother's Day/Anniversary gift! Quite honestly, I am not looking forward to leaving Gracie for that long, but at least she is going to be with Matt. They are going to have a Daddy and Gracie Day. I have never left her for this long, so of course I am dragging my feet about it. But I have to do it sometime and what better thing to do then go have a Girl Spa Day with Leda!

Until next time....

I can't believe...

I can't believe that is has been 4 months already...Gracie is 4 months and 1 day old! She is getting to be such a big girl. Lately, she has been showing off all of her new skills. She is becoming quite the sitter. She really doesn't like to lie down unless she is either sleeping or playing in her activity gym. She is also taking all of her toys and shoving them in her mouth at every chance she gets. Her new favorite thing is to take her bink (pacifier) out of her mouth and give her biggest grin. We are also discovering the fun game of peek-a-boo.

Aunt Joy (Nica) and Uncle Joe (Papa Joe) have been visiting this weekend and we have been having a blast. They are completely in love with Gracie. Of course, all she had to do was to give them her best smile and she had them right there! We have spent the weekend playing, shopping, and spending time together. We are all sad to seem them go on Tuesday.

So, since Gracie turned 4 months, we thought we would try some cereal...well, let me tell ya...she wasn't impressed at all. She was ok for the first couple of bites, but after while you can tell she was thinking "this isn't the stuff I normally get!" So, we are going to try it again tomorrow. Hopefully it will go better. I am posting a couple of pictures for your perusing pleasure of our first cereal feeding. They are way too funny!

Well, that is all for the past couple of days! I will continue to write more this week! Until next time...

I am 4 months old!!!

Nica feeding me...I was hungry!

I thought I said I didn't want anymore

What is this...it just isn't right!

There are days....

There are days where I am just completely having an "I love being a Mom day." Today is that day. I have been super busy this week trying to get some Spring Cleaning done around the house, so Gracie's schedule has been a little off all week. Needless to say, there have been times where she has been fussy and just wanting attention. So today I am pretty much caught up and have had some major Gracie time. I think there is nothing better then having her smile at me with such enthusiasm when she sees me or when she has spit up all over me when burping...yeah she thinks it is so funny when she does this! I, however, don't really find it amusing. Either way she is such a doll.

Believe it or not, she is going to be 4 months old on Saturday. It seems unreal. She is getting so tall. Her feet hang off the edge of the car seat when she holds them straight out. I am thinking we aren't going to be able to use the carrier for much longer....kind of a bummer really. It is so handy when it comes to shopping which all of you know I love to do!

Well, that is all for today, I just needed to have my mommy moment where I get to go on and on about Gracie! I always like to post a couple of pictures, so enjoy them!