Christmas Lights

Today we took Grace out for a stroll around the neighborhood to see the Christmas lights! We had a great time...and noticed a lot of people driving around to view the lights. I sang carols and Grace joined me with her own chorus. Her dad took pictures of houses. He did nab a photo of mother and daughter. So here's Grace and me, all decked out for the cold, feeling the Christmas spirit.

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I have the fondest childhood memories of this time of year. I am grateful for my parents for making this time of year so special. I hope Pat and I are able to create meaningful and memorable traditions with Gracie.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Having Fun!

We took this picture a couple days ago! This is Grace at 11 months old, having fun riding in a box as her dad and I pushed her around the room! Who needs Disney's teacup ride when you have parents to spin you around in a box!

All I Want for Christmas...

Here's Gracie showing off her two bottom teeth! This was taken about a month ago. She now has one tooth on top...now she just needs the other front tooth! I always loved her smile...but it is even cuter with her little nubby teeth! The only problem now is she enjoys grinding her teeth together! I hope she soon gets over the novelty of the sound and gives up the grinding! Not a good habit!

Long Overdue

My apologies for the delay in posting this photo, but here is Grace in her big girl bath! As you can see, she loves it! Bath time is her favorite time! We sing a "naked baby" song and dance our way to the warm bath. She splashes and plays with toys happily as we scrub her down! Mom wraps her in a towel afterwards (to her chagrin)...and we continue the rest of the bedtime routine! We all love bath nights...it's quite a family event!

October fun

Grace and her cousins, Jasper and Rose, had a chance to party it up in NYC! Jim, Gretel, Jasper, and Rose came to Brooklyn in October for a visit. Grace showed her cousins around Brooklyn. Here's Gracie happy to be with her cousin Jasper! Shortly after this photo was taken, we all headed to the MTA Transit Museum. Though the visit was cut short (the museum closed unexpectedly early), fun was had by all!

Gracie can't wait for the next visit!

The Early Beginnings of Toddlerhood

So Grace is trying to walk now! She has been standing up on her own these last two weeks or so. She is still very excited by this accomplishment and was giggling each time she stood up independently today! She is now trying to take steps independently but has not yet accomplished it. She delights in trying though! Will she be a "toddler" by her first birthday? Hard to say right now...but she seems determined, and she is pretty strong-willed and smart. Speaking of smart, she figured out the "child-proof" latch we have on our nightstand drawer this morning.

Grace recently traveled with us up north to visit her Uncle Mike, Aunt Jen, and 2-month-old cousin, Julianna. We all spent Thanksgiving together! It was nice to be around family and Grace was interested in the little baby! Grace was a bit grumpy during the trip, however! Teething is no fun and Grace is now working on her top teeth!

Every day I am grateful for little Grace. I still marvel at the fact that I am a mom and Grace is my daughter. How lucky am I?

Grace Update

So the little nugget stood up by herself yesterday! She was so thrilled! She could only do it for a few seconds at a time, but she was very excited about it. She tried it every time she could get on her feet!

I can't believe she's nearly 11 months old. Wow...time flies!!

Let's see, she is now cruising with ease...she understand how to play "phone." She is eating like a champ and had chicken chunks (rather than mush) the other day. My baby is growing up. sniff...

She has a great sense of rhythm. Whenever she hears a song she likes, she bounces on beat. It makes her drummer mama proud!

I am just so in love with that little baby! I love getting to know her...and I love coming home to her cute mug every day!

Happy Halloween!

Gracie is the cutest little ladybug ever! Here she is in her Halloween costume to wish you all a Happy Halloween!

She's having a rough day today though...I believe she is teething. She's been crying and wanting to be held. She's had trouble going to sleep and her forehead was a bit clammy. I hope it is only teething.

Today she had a bath in the big tub (picture to come). She enjoyed splashing and playing with her bath toys! Yay!!

Grace Update

Here is a little taste of the little one's dancingabilities! She loves anything musical. She was playing with her Leap Frog Groove N Learn table and she heard music from a toy guitar and started to bounce to it. I caught a little with my camera. Anytime there is a tune, she bounces to the beat. She just loves music! She also loves anything rattle or shaker-like. One of her favorite "toys" to play with are some empty vitamin bottles filled with various noisemakers (e.g., lentils, rice, etc.). She is definitely into developing her auditory sense!

She is as curious as ever too. She, of course, can sniff out danger and is drawn to it like a magnet. She makes a beeline for sharp or heavy objects and electrical outlets. Needless to say we have some baby proofing left to do.

October is almost over and Gracie is nearly 10 months old! It is hard to believe she will be celebrating her first birthday in no time at all!

On the milestones front--Grace has two teeth now! Her two bottom teeth came in within the last week or two. She is also standing and trying to walk (when she has help). The walking is still a ways away...but she may be walking at her birthday party! She is saying "mama" and "mom" again...usually when she wants something. What else? She nibbles on teething biscuits and "o" cereal now and has started eating meat (only turkey so far). She likes tofu and sometimes will have that for snack time. She's still a happy baby overall, full of personality!

Video

Revisit the "August 15th" post; I added video!

Update!

Grace is going to be 9 months old in a couple days! This is Grace's picture as of yesterday, September 26th. She is an active, curious, and happy baby. She is always crawling and investigating. She tries to stand every chance she gets! I feel like her 1 year birthday is around the corner. Time just keeps going by faster and faster.

Grace has also started teething. Her bottom teeth are coming in. She is taking it pretty well so far...her nose has been runny, she drools sometimes, and she fusses a little. Hopefully this will be the extent of her discomfort!

Yesterday, we also learned of Grace's cousin's arrival! Julianna Montero was born to Michael and Jennifer Montero. Grace has another cousin to meet! Yay! Babies are awesome! We are so excited for Jenn and Michael. Pat and I are really enjoying parenthood...each day we marvel that Grace is our daughter...and each day brings something new--a new discovery for Grace, a new joy for us.

On the Move

Grace is awesome. What more can I say? I always marvel at what she comes up with. Today, for example, Pat tells me that she was trying to pick up her pacifier, but kept grabbing some of the blanket accidentally, causing her to drop it. Finally, he said she simply leaned over, placed her mouth directly on the pacifier and solved her problem! In the early stages of crawling, I would try to encourage her to practice her movements by placing an object beyond her reach. Instead of crawling to it, she pulled the blanket the object was laying on towards her. Smart little one, right? She's always coming up with something new and unexpected.

She loves peekaboo. I will throw a cloth on my face and say, "Where's mommy?" She'll crawl over and pull the cloth off my face. I will put a cloth on Grace's face and say, "Where's Gracie?" She pulls the cloth off and smiles. I can duck down under a bed...she'll crawl over to see where I am. I can't pull one over on her. She always figures it out...and giggles like crazy over it!

I am crazy about that little girl. I get so excited to see her each morning and am eager to come home to her every night. She's the best!

I just got word that her Uncle Jim, Aunt Gretel, and cousins will be visiting in latter part of October! I can't wait! Grace will love seeing her cousins Jasper and Rose again! She hasn't seen them since June, and she is far more interactive now, so it will be interesting to see how they get along! We are all very excited!

Grace is 8 Months Today!

Grace has turned 8 months old! Incredible! I feel like she is growing in leaps and bounds. Since she began crawling, she has now tried to pull herself to standing position using the coffee table (but wasn't able to). She has gotten into everything...or has certainly tried. She enjoys playing with our coasters...and tupperware. She is babbling more clearly ("ba ba ba ba"). She has said, "mama," though only a couple times...mainly when she was waiting to be nursed. She recently has done a full arm 'bye bye' wave. This is all just within the last week or two! She can also drink from all sippy cups...on her own.

Miss independent lady! Who knows what she'll accomplish in the coming month! What does month 8 have in store for our little one?

August 15th--A New Milestone

Yesterday Garcie crawled for the first time! She was not nearly as excited as her mom and dad. After all, she has been moving around pretty well...doing the inchworm or belly crawl. But on Saturday, Grace moved knees and arms to propel herself forward. Yay! The video here is the closest we got to capturing the event on film.

Now we need to babyproof--pronto!

Update

So what has Grace been up to?

Well, she had her first chance to swim last weekend. Here she is with Daddy. Happy, right? Until her toes touched COLD water. She wasn't too thrilled! I think a heated pool is in her future!

She's as adorable as ever, of course! She is now about 7 1/2 months old! Hard to believe. She's still trying out new foods...no finger foods yet...and no teeth yet. She is, as she has always been, very curious...with no sense of danger. Yikes! She makes it a point to give me a tiny heartattack each day!

Grace is also getting into crawling position. Right now she just bounces...and seems to know that she has to move her arms...but she hasn't figured out the legs yet. We need to babyproof pronto! She can move quite well without the added mobility crawling will bring! Who knows what she'll get into! Everything, I imagine! She's a curious and strong-willed little one!

7 Months

Grace is 7 months old now and seems like she will be on the move soon! She has started getting into crawling position, but lunges forward so that her upper body falls. She keeps trying though! We will be in trouble once she figures it out! The tummy roll has already increased her mobility. She can also maneuver pretty well on her tummy and can move at lightning speed! She also enjoys belly time so much that she often flops onto her belly as soon as she is put down. This truly becomes a problem when changing her diaper. Sometimes I feel like I am a calf roper in a rodeo and the calf won. Needless to say, diaper changes are not as quick and easy as they used to be!
We are now in Ohio...this is Grace's third trip via airplane, her third airline (she has traveled Virgin America, Delta, and now Continental), and fourth state (she has been to NJ by car). My oh my!

Gracie News

I apologize for not keeping this updated! It has been a busy summer! In fact, we will all be going to Ohio at the end of the week to attend our friends' wedding reception (they married in Italy...would have LOVED to have made that trip!).

Grace can roll over like a pro. She can sit up too. She has even managed to drink from one of her sippy cups. (The other sippy cups she has are a bit more difficult.) She is growing, growing, growing! So is her personality! She has been trying more foods...sweet potato, avocado, apples, peas, pears, acorn squash...and various medleys of each.

Today she met some extended family on her father's side...and was quite the social butterfly. She is (for the most part) a happy baby!

News

Grace and Pat joined me on a quick business trip to Orlando. This was Grace's second time traveling by plane. Here is a picture of her at Emeril's restaurant at Universal's City Walk. It was crazy weather...torrential rain one minute and crazy heat and humidity another! We had fun though! On Saturday we spent some time at the universal theme parks. where Gracie went on her first ride (a Dr. Seuss carousel ride) and saw her first 4-D show (Shrek). We come home late last night...the poor little one didn't get very good sleep!

Today (Sunday) Grace had her first taste of peas. I must say it didn't go

over too well, though she didn't detest them. We'll have to try again later! She sure does love her cool cup of water though!

First Taste of Veggies!

Today Grace had her first taste of sweet potatoes! This is her first departure from baby cereal. She seemed to enjoy it well enough. I am making her food rather than purchasing it...and whipping up some pureed sweet potatoes was simple enough! Grace eats with us at the table (when we can manage to eat meals all together) in her booster seat. Note, she is feeding herself. She prefers holding the spoon and can be vocal about having the spoon removed from her hand (perhaps her first word will be "No!" hmmm?). She also has her first sippy cup, she picked one out for herself (very adamantly choosing a purple and yellow one). She has gone through the motions of bringing it to her mouth, though I don't think any liquid actually came out yet!

Living on the Edge

Curious. Stubborn. Strong. Some adjectives to describe our lil' nugget. I am very proud of the strong, inquistive little one...but sometimes her curiousity and daring goes a bit too far for mommy's heart to take. Here she is, living on the edge! Peering into the great depths of her diaper pail below her changing table. She continued to reach her body over the edge...to mommy's dismay! Boy, when she learns to crawl/walk, we are in trouble I think!

Independence Day

Gracie and her mom and dad had a low-key 4th of July. We stayed home and barbecued hot dogs for lunch...and chicken kabobs for dinner. Grace was decked out in her red, white, and blue for her first 4th of July (outside the womb).

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!

Gracie has also been eager to spoon feed herself cereal. Here she is showing off her own independence!

Happy Half-Birthday Gracie!

Gracie was all smiles this morning...and toots...even though I woke her up. She's still adjusting to east coast time after her CA trip! However, she's been in good spirits! Unfortunately, today she has been showing signs of a cold. Her nose is runny and red...her eyes are red and watery and she's been sneezing. Yet, she still smiles. I hope it doesn't get any worse. We were scheduled to go to the doctor for vaccinations Thursday. We may end up going to check on her illness. Poor nugget! Not a great way to spend a "half" birthday!

Traveling Baby

Grace took her first flight on Friday, June 19. Here she is on the Virgin America flight from JFK to LAX. She was an awesome traveler! Even with the long trip in the rental car from LAX to my home town! She was a trooper!

Grace spent 6 days in CA, meeting Mommy's family and friends. Grace was kept busy 'looking cute'...she made the task look quite easy though. She met Grandma and Grandpa for the first time. She also met her Aunt Gretel and cousins Jasper and Rose for the first time too.

Grace was a happy camper surrounded by family on Saturday, June 20th. She met her Great Grandma, Great Aunts, Great Uncle, cousins and second cousins, cousins once removed, etc. Her cousin made her a quilt that she loves and slept with for the rest of her CA stay! Grace was spoiled with other gifts too...adorable dresses she can't wait to try on!

Sunday she had breakfast with another cousin then attended the wedding of her mommy's good friend Jeremy and his beautiful bride, Vanessa. She met many of Mommy's friends there, then snoozed as Mom and Dad danced the night away.

Monday was spent with Uncle Jim, Aunt Gretel, and cousins Jasper and Rose, then to the movies in the afternoon (her first time at the theatre since she was born...Mommy's too!). Grace does NOT recommend Year One.

Tuesday Grace went to her Grandma's office and met many ladies who couldn't resist her giggle. Grace was a hit at the office, and she enjoyed herself very much!

Wednesday Grace met more cousins and second cousins and cousins once removed. She received some great gifts direct from Ireland! Thank you!

Thursday morning we visited Mommy's good friend, Tamalyn, and had a delicious breakfast before heading to the airport to return home. Grace did not enjoy the return flight as much...tears were shed...cries were heard. Overall, we made it and Grace was smiling when she woke up in NY Friday!

Thanks to all the family and friends who came out to visit Grace and say hello! We were so excited to see everyone and so glad Grace was able to meet her awesome relatives!!

Moving Along

Grace was in great spirits today. While spending time on the floor mat, she flipped over to her belly and maneuvered herself around the mat, using her arms, wiggling her belly, and flapping her legs. It's exciting to think she'll be crawling soon!

Today Grace also ate rice ceral from a spoon today. It took a little getting used to, and half of the cereal ended up on her bib, but we managed it! I think she's getting the hang of the spoon! We'll see how she does tomorrow!

News

Grace has now had her first taste of cereal! We first attempted to give Grace rice cereal on Tuesday. She was not interested at all. But we tried again yesterday, June 11th. At first she was happy to see her bottle before bed time. After her first gulp, she scrunched up her face and let go of the bottle, milky cereal streaming down the side of her mouth. I tried again...and she took it, drank it down, and that was that. Tonight she had more. It's hard to believe, but she is 5 1/2 months old already!

Grace's next big adventure? Her trip to California! Next Friday we all go out to California so Grace can meet all of her mommy's relatives (most of them anyway)! Can't wait! Hopefully the flight goes well!

Look Ma!

Hands-free feeding (for mommy that is).

Look At Her Now

'Here's looking at you kid.'

Grace is checking out her new toy...and my, what a cute baby in the mirror!

Believe it or not, Grace is 5 months old today! Time flies! She's still adorable and chatty as can be. She's got a strong grip and can sit up pretty well (still with support).

Accomplishments

By the end of 3 months...
- Grace holds her own bottle
- grasps things
- holds her head up like a pro
- sits upright when propped
- some attempts to roll over

Now, at 4 1/2 months...
- Grace can scoot around while on her back
- grasps more accurately/has improved depth perception
- more vocalizations
- more eye to eye contact

Grace Update

Last Thursday was Grace's first trip into the city. It was her first subway ride and her first elevator ride up to the 8th floor of my Soho office. I introduced Grace to many coworkers. Overall, it was a pretty successful excursion, especially considering the trip took place during her naptime. 

Grace has become more aware of the cats now. She watches fur sister Kitty and is delighted by her tail. Kitty has always been interested in Grace and wants to cuddle with her. Kitty might feel differently though once Grace decides to grab at her!

Grace Update

We went to the doctor yesterday for Grace's vaccines. She still cried, but far less than the last time. She kept smiling at her doctor, who commented on what a happy baby she is. Her doctor also praised her for being so strong; holding her head up like a champ when on her belly.

Grace weighed in at 12lbs 4oz this visit and measured 23 3/4 inches. 

This is Gracie just this morning- she wakes up with a smile!

4 Months Old

Grace is 4 months old today! Tomorrow she has a doctor visit...vaccines! Poor dear. We will learn how much she has grown though...she's growing up so quickly!

California Here We Come!

We have booked our flight for California! Grace will meet her grandparents on 6/19! Yipee!

Shakin' It!

Grace and mommy were shakin' it today! Mommy was dancing and Grace was laughing it up! Don't you just love that smile?

Spring Is Here!

Springtime is in NY...at least for today! Grace, Pat, and I took a stroll today to enjoy the beautiful weather. Rain comes tomorrow I believe...so we had to get in as much sunshine as possible!

Here's a picture of Grace taken just today-"strolling" baby style!

Update

This is our little one just this morning! It was the first time she grasped the toys on her floor gym! She has quite a grip! Very strong.

Easter Basket

The Easter bunny did not forget our Gracie! Her Easter basket was full of books and clothes! She was very excited by both! She still loves to read! 

This is Gracie pooped out after the excitement of her Easter basket!

Happy Easter everyone!

- Shana

Happy Easter

Gracie says, "Happy Easter everyone!"

Grace

This is a picture of Grace taken just this morning (via my cell phone). Today Grace was in fine spirits. She spent a great deal of time looking at herself in the mirror...which amused her greatly! She kept smiling and laughing at herself...and occassionally laughing at mom in the mirror, too!

While doing some "belly time," Grace rolled over onto her back. She had done this twice before when she was around 6 weeks old, but has not done it since. So it's exciting to see the "rollover" return! 

Grace is getting bigger and bigger. She is now moving out of her 0-3 month size...and is starting to fit into 3-6 months! I swear she has grown in length in the last couple days! 

All in all, Grace is doing well. Happy. Healthy. Strong. Adorable. Her next doctor's appointment is in 2 weeks, when she is 4 months. She will have her next round of vaccines...poor dear. Hopefully she will take it better this time!

- Shana 

Ooh! What Are Those?

Today Gracie discovered her feet! It had to be the cutest thing ever. She was sitting on Pat's lap...and she looked down and lo and behold, there they were! She wiggled her toes slowly, staring in fascination! Here she was, sitting like a perfect C-shape, doubled over to look at the cutest little piggy toes anyone has ever seen! 

Today Grace also had her first restaurant experience! Pat's friends came over and we all went to Tanoreen (our favorite Brooklyn restaurant). We hadn't been there since before Grace was born. Many of the wait staff came to say hello to little Grace. Grace remained calm and quiet for an entire 1 1/2 hour meal! Amazing considering she was in need of a feeding...and it was around her bedtime! All in all, it was a good experience! 

It's amazing to see her grow. She's just over 3 months and I can see her becoming more and more aware of her surroundings and more attentive in general. Mommy loves her baby! I am both excited and anxious to see her grow up! I love seeing her achieve each milestone, but I also know time will move too quickly for my taste! 

I love that kiddo! Please come meet her! Pictures do not do her justice!

Big Outing

Grace has had quite a busy day! She attended her cousin Brian's 1 year birthday party and met many relatives for the first time! It was also her first out-of-state visit. At times she was overhwelmed, but overall she seemed to do well! Now she is sound asleep, thankfully! 

Hello!

Grace says, "Hello!"

Our little cutie!

This photo was taken today! Grace slept in until 8 am...and she has been a happy camper! Even more so since getting her eczema treated! Yay!

Eczema

About a week ago, Grace developed bumps all over her skin. They seemed to diminish...but have now turned into dry, patchy, red spots all over her legs and arms, some on her cheeks and a few spots on her torso. We took her to the pediatrician today and returned with the diagnosis that Grace has eczema. The doctor told us it could be due to an allergy-a change of detergent or fabric softener-or simply genetic. Poor girl. So, now she will be getting a lotion massage twice a day! I suppose that doesn't seem too rough for our little one! In any case, we were given a perscription for a cream and told that it should probably clear up within a week. 

Grace is nearly 3 months old now. She is talking a lot...and quite happy, even with the skin irritation. She weighed in at just over 11 lbs today. I can't wait to see her achieve more milestones...and at the same time, I dread them! I want her to grow up...but not too quickly! I love her to pieces. Every moment with her is a happy one!

Big Day

Grace had quite a busy day today! My friends Ian and Melanie came over for a visit. Pat's friends Jess and Nick came over as well. Stimulation overload! Grace was up the entire time...and now she is pooped and napping (thankfully!). She hasn't had so much activity in the apartment before! 

Grace has been very chatty all day too. The latest thing is that she "chats" when I am reading her a book. I can't tell if she is commenting on it or trying to read it herself! She has clear book faves though. She enjoys Sandra Boynton books and will talk and stomp her feet and wave her hands during the reading. She is attentive to every pages, but seems even more attuned to certain pages of the books. I wake her up with "Barnyard Dance" and end the night with "Pajama Time." I recently ordered some more Boynton books, so we will see if she has any new faves in the future!

Quirky

I love how Grace smiles in her sleep...
I love her cowlick in the middle of her head...and how her downy hair sticks straight up in that spot...
I love how she raises one pinky up as she eats...
I love that she crosses her ankles when she is relaxed...
I love that she wakes up with a smile...
I love that she smiles with her tongue sticking out...
I love that she talks to her mobile friends...
I love how light and shadow fascinate her...
I love my little one for so many reasons!!!!

Grace Laughs!

Yesterday as I was getting Grace ready for bed, she kept smiling at mommy. So I started being silly and she laughed for the first time. This was not a small little noise, she was laughing and laughing and laughing. It was awesome!

Gracie's Smile

Pearl used her phone to record Gracie talking (briefly) and smiling when she was watching her this past Tuesday (March 3rd). Enjoy!

Sleepyhead

This is Grace just last night. She fell asleep with a tight grip on my finger, so we gave her something else to hold on to! This giraffe was a gift to her in the hospital from Chris and Bess. She has enjoyed this toy ever since...it is really the only toy she paid attention to in the first weeks!

- Shana

Grace

These pictures of Grace with her dad and mom were taken about a week ago, when Grace turned 2 months. It is amazing to see her grow. I have already had to pack away her newborn clothes. She's getting to be a big girl!

Every morning, she wakes up smiling. I love seeing her smile. When she is really happy, she sticks out her tongue when she smiles and her eyes sparkle. She's made sounds that sound like precursors to a laugh. I am looking forward to hearing her laugh! Pat and I wonder if she will snort when she laughs like she does when she cries! 

We just got some more books for our lil' one. She likes Sandra Boynton board books...and they are fun for me to read too! She is now starting to pay attention to the pages and the reading. 

Grace also loves to be sung to...in the past singing and humming have been the only things that have calmed her down. So I have many made up songs for Grace in my repretoire!

-  Shana 

Gracie

Grace has been a chatty and happy baby lately. Each day I get so excited to come home to her...and her smiling face! 

She is so full of personality! She smiles most when she poops...and yesterday Pat tells me she smiled A LOT!

- Shana

Ouch!

Grace is going to be 2 months soon...and today she had her first vaccinations. She always takes doctors' visits well. However, she was NOT a happy camper when she had her vaccines. Her face went bright red and she opened her mouth wide in a silent cry. It was painful to see as her mama...but she was okay within 10 minutes. 

Grace is 22 1/2 inches now and weighs 9 lbs 14 oz, which is slightly underweight. She's healthy and raising her head like a pro when on her belly (though she still does NOT like belly time). 

 

Grace is smiling all the time now. She is also "talking" to us with coos and "gah"s. Sometimes she will be lying down making noises until she realizes no one is talking back to her. If she discovers her conversation is one-sided, she then becomes upset and makes her pre-cursor to a cry sound. I can't wait until she says her first words...she is eager to say them already I think!

Every day I look at her and cannot believe she is my daughter. I am so lucky...and so grateful. It warms my heart each time I see her face. 

- Shana

Grace is Growing

Grace is growing so quickly! She is cooing more and more and is more alert during the day. She has been sleeping for four hour stretches at night, waking up just once to eat. It would be nice if that continued...but one thing I have learned is babies are unpredictable. They like to keep you guessing as soon as you think you have things figured out!

In one week I return to work. I am really having a hard time with that. I have been crying every time I think of it because I don't want to leave Grace. I feel like I will miss out on too many firsts. I wish I had more time to spend with her. I hadn't realized how crazy about her I would be...even with all her crying and fussiness!

Grace's thrush is clearing up, but her gas issues linger. She's figuring it out, but we still have those rough days where she screams and screams. I continue to assure her that she will be a-tooting like a pro in no time!

The love I feel for my daughter is indescribable. I don't think I would have understood it before I was a mom, even if someone had the right words to explain it. I just feel very lucky to have her in my life. She's the best thing I ever created!

- Shana

Grace's Arrival

Grace Elyn Montero was born at 2:11 pm on December 29, 2008 weighing in at 7 lbs 9 oz, 20 inches in length.

I began feeling strong contractions at 5:30 am, called Pearl (Pat's mother) at 7 am, and arrived at the hospital just before 8 am. I was 5 cm dilated by the time we arrived, 7-8 cm dilated 2 hours later, and by noon I was pushing. I delivered Grace naturally, after 2 hours of pushing. Labor was painful, pushing was surreal, and recovery was unpleasant...but Grace is worth it all. She is the most beautiful little baby I have ever seen (I suppose all moms think that of their babies). I look at her and am completely overwhelmed by the immense love I feel for her...We are so lucky. We are very happy to have her finally with us at home!

Pat is a great father and has been a wonderful help. He is absolutely in love with his daughter. Grace couldn't have a more loving dad. He's "superdaddy" and our hero!

These two photos were taken at the hospital on her birthday. Grace is already 4 weeks old now. I will upload more recent photos soon!

- Shana (one proud mama)