Autumn in New York

Grace enjoying a roll in the leaves! We love autumn!

Grace at the Park

Grace went out and about with her Grand and Daddy. Here she is visiting the ducks at Snug Harbor.

Here she is again. I am not sure what she was up to here. My guess is she is quacking like a duck or cawing like a crow. Like I have said before, the girl likes birds.

Peek-a-boo! Grace is peeking through the trees!

Boogie Baby

Pearl took this video with her cell phone yesterday. Pearl and Rod took Grace to a Six Flags theme park to attend a special wine tasting and craft fair event. Grace couldn't be bothered with the wine or the crafts, but give her a live band and that kid will bring down the house! Here she is showing off her moves and rocking out!

Grace's Halloween

Pat and I spent most of the Halloween moving out of our Brooklyn apartment. However, I had a chance to take Grace on her first trick-or-treating adventure!

Here is Grace tramping through the fall leaves, going door-to-door, ringing bells, and not saying "Trick-or-Treat." However, her toddler charm always won her plenty of accolades and extra candy each time she visited a house. Her little Elmo candy bucket filled up with sweets...and Grace was very excited by this new turn of events. She is a very friendly and social girl...and here she was able to knock on doors and meet different people. Even better, these people gave her fun, colorful packages with yummy treats. Even though Grace does not get to eat candy, she intuitively knew that these brightly wrapped items were somehow something delicious to eat!

As you can see, Grace didn't start her adventure off as a happy camper. Pearl had a tutu custom-made so Grace could be Zoe Ballerina from Sesame Street. Grace was not feeling the costume, and screamed her protests. In this picture, she is trying very hard to pull off the tutu. Once she left the house, and saw that this tutu thing meant people said she was cute and, furthermore, meant people gave her shiny packages of chocolatey goodness...well, she was all smiles. She ended her Halloween with her first taste of chocolate candy (Reese's Cup, Twix, and KitKat)...and a mouth covered with chocolate!

Happy Halloween to you all! Hope it was sweet!

Sesame Place Visit #2

Mommy, Daddy, Gracie, and Abuelita took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit Elmo and friends at Sesame Place! We began early in the morning with a special breakfast. We reserved a spot at the "Dine With Me!" breakfast with Elmo and friends. Grace hardly ate at all...she was too busy socializing with Sesame Street characters. Elmo and Big Bird were her favorites. Here she is dancing with Big Bird. She monopolized Big Bird and Elmo for much of the breakfast. She also said "hello" to Ernie and even Bert. She was thrilled!

Grace saw a lot of Elmo during her visit. Including a photo op with Elmo in his Halloween costume! Notice, she is also holding Abby Cadabby and Grover, which for some reason, were some favorites during today's visit! She is currently sleeping soundly with Grover tucked under her arm.

We ended the day with a Halloween-themed Elmo's World Live performance! Before the big show, Grace decided to infiltrate the set and practice playing Elmo's piano. She hopes to star in her own show one day.

Grace Heads to the Farm

Grace, Daddy, Mommy, and Grand took a trip to the farm Saturday. Alstede Farm, located in Chester, NJ, was a great place to get fresh air and fresh fruit and veggies! Grace enjoyed picking apples and raspberries! She also enjoyed a wagon ride through the veggie patch. We can't wait to go back!

Slidin' at the Park

Grace enjoying the slide at the park this morning. Unfortunately, she's seen many a kid climb up the slide, so naturally she does this too.

Grace Having Fun

Here's a little video of Grace having fun on our bed. I was trying to get her on video doing her latest trick--bending over and putting her head between her legs. However, she preferred to do backward dives into the pillows instead! Enjoy!

Sesame Place

We all went to Sesame Place about two weeks ago. Sesame Place is an amusement park in Pennsylvania. As you can see from the picture, Grace had a GREAT time. She also got to meet Elmo, her favorite! She had fun interacting with kids and dancing to Elmo's live rock band. We were there from 10 am to 5 pm...and Grace was nonstop!

It's the 30th birthday of Sesame Place this year. To celebrate, Sesame Place offered a 2 for 1 ticket. So we can return to the park for a second day for free. We hope to return in the fall. Maybe we will schedule a meal with the Sesame Street characters this time! Can't wait!

Stinky Diaper

This morning, while I was making breakfast, Grace was in her "kitchen" in the sitting room. As the eggs were cooking in my kitchen, I went to go check on Grace in hers. I started talking to her about what she was making, when I noticed she was edging away from me. She started walking around the other side of the coffee table. She wasn't doing it playfully, so I wondered why she wasn't engaging with me in her kitchen area. I continued to talk to her about her "cooking" and she continued to edge away.

Finally, I looked at her and asked what was wrong. She held her nose with her fingers, imitating what we do when she makes a "stinky" in her diaper. So I asked if she had a poopoo dipe. She said, "No!" I checked and didn't notice anything in her diaper. Less than a minute later, breakfast was ready and I started to put her in her chair. I stopped short when I noticed her diaper was loaded! I guess holding her nose was the sign that a "stinky" was in process and to give her some space!

Needless to say, Grace is a riot. She gives me something to smile about every day. I love that kid.

Gracie at the Zoo

I will be traveling for work soon, so I took today off to spend it with my family! Pat, Pat's mom, Gracie, and I went to the Bronx Zoo today! It was a hot, muggy, and rainy day...but we had a great time nonetheless!

We spent a lot of time initially visiting the "World of Birds" (Grace loves birds). We saw a few birds cleaning themselves with their beaks. Gracie and I began to mimic them (it was really quite cute).

Then we strolled around and saw giraffes, ostriches, peacocks, alligators, ducks, geese, bison, owls, tamarin, etc. This picture was taken at the children's area of the zoo. Gracie had a blast there and made some friends too! She loves other kids...and there were plenty to meet here! And she was able to practice some animal noises--mimicking the rooster's cockadoodledoo, clucking and flapping her "wings" like a chicken, quacking like a duck. On our way out, we stopped by to see the sea lions--they were a big hit! Grace also imitated the sea lions' barking. We had to spend quite a bit of time there. And the 2 month old sea lion was especially cute!

All in all, we had a memorable time. I am going to miss my Gracie while away for work. But I am so glad I have this memory to take with me...and I am so eager to get back home to her smiling face (or grumpy face--I love all her faces!).

Constant State of Panic

I feel like being a mother means I am in a constant state of panic. I love my daughter more than I thought possible. Sometimes it is overwhelming.

I just finished reading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and was a complete wreck when I finished it on the subway this morning. If you aren't familiar with it, it is a lecture about living, written by a professor who found out he had just months to live. In part, it is a time capsule for his three children, 6, 3, and 1 1/2 years old at the time. Something to remember their father by. The mere thought of losing precious time with Grace is unimaginable...it breaks my heart just to think of it. I realize I am not in control. I cannot protect Grace from every danger or every heartache...and therein lies the problem. Hence the constant state of panic. Most days I keep it in check, other days I am overwhelmed by the thought that I can't protect her from everything.

Thinking of the book, I put myself in Randy Pausch's place...how could I ever say goodbye to my 1 1/2 year old? I hope I never have to...not for a long time to come at least. I would want her to know, that even at 18 months, I can see how strong she is, how incredibly smart, and perceptive. She amazes me every day. I am so lucky.

I love how she holds my hand and leads me around the room. How she insists that I "sit" on the floor and help her cook in her kitchen. I love that she shares...everything. Hugs, toys, a good laugh. I love how she giggles. I love that she pokes herself in the belly button and makes a munching sound like her belly is eating her finger. I love that I can ask her where her "nostril" is, and she smiles slyly and puts a finger up her nose. I love hearing her talk to her stuffed animal menagerie each morning. I love her curiosity and strong will. I am amazed at her memory and intellect. She is such an incredible person...I am a proud mama. I want us to be in each other's lives for many many years. There is so much more I want to know about Gracie. And there's already so much to love.

Grace's 18 Month Check Up

Grace's doctor's visit went pretty well. She's wise to the whole doctor's office thing. She was happy as could be in the waiting room, but as soon as a nurse opened the door and called her name, she shook her head and said, "No" repeatedly as we carried her in. Then, unfortunately, the nurse that Grace hates was the one to take her measurements, so, naturally, she screamed and fussed a bit. After the nurse measured her length, Grace began doing the sign for "All done" and kept saying, "Done" and "Bye" to the poor nurse.

When the doctor came to examine her, Grace was back in tears. Keep in mind, this was before the shots! She kept telling our doctor, "Bye!" On the upside, when the doctor asked about Grace's development and learned about how well Grace speaks and understands, she suggested Grace might be ready for potty training. I informed her that we do have a potty for Grace (Grace can say "pee" and "potty" too now) and that she sits on it when I go to the potty myself. She also knows she can use toilet paper when she goes on the potty (a huge selling point).

When the doctor left to get the vaccines, Grace was ready to go. She kept repeating, "Bye" and "Door." Then she tried to get Daddy and Mommy ready by putting our sunglasses on our faces...she was quite disappointed when the doctor showed up again. She screamed during the shots, and made the "All done" sign again. Afterwards, the doctor said, "You don't have to come back for six months now!" Grace clapped and said, "Yay!" After leaving the doctor's office, Grace was right as rain again!

Paparrazi

Grace...enjoying an impromptu photo shoot.

Boo!

This picture was taken in May while in Arizona attending a friend's wedding. Grace is peeping through a hole in a tree trunk at the Phoenix Zoo.

Look Who's Cooking Now!

Patrick and I bought Grace a red retro play kitchen! I have been eyeing kitchens for a while. You see, Grace joins me in the kitchen every morning as I make breakfast. She has her own tupperware containers and often digs through the cupboards to haul out a pan or two. She will go to our utensil drawer and get a spoon or spatula. As I cook, she will sit looking at recipe books or pretending to stir something in her tupperware, all the while saying to me, "Hot." She's been doing this a while and seems to be into imaginative play...so I was looking around for a kitchen of her own. I received a discount coupon for a website which sold a kitchen I was interested in...and, well, ended up purchasing a kitchen for Grace a bit sooner than planned. It's a pretty cool kitchen (see for yourself!) and Grace seems to really love it!

We bought a few play food sets to go with it. The other day, while I was in my kitchen, she was in her own. As I was cooking, Grace walked up to me with her pot in her hand, her toy spatula in the other and said, "Look." So, I did. She had an assortment of play food inside the pot and she was stirring. I "tasted" her meal, and she happily tasted it too, then returned to her kitchen to put the final touches on her dish! She's a happy camper! And loves the sink in her kitchen especially. She says, "hands" and places her hands under the faucet to "wash" them. It's so darn cute.

Grace's Latest Antics

Grace is awesome. And at 17 months, she's officially a toddling toddler with antics that keep mommy and daddy amused. A few such antics include:

• Today, Grace and I went to the store to get some fruit and snacks. As I was putting things away in the fridge, Grace dug through the grocery bags, pulled out the plastic-wrapped seedless grapes and used her chompers to gnaw her way to a grape (through plastic and all). Hilarious!
• Grace LOVES bath time. She knows how to say bath and sign it in ASL. Nothing makes her happier. She will stand at the tub and place her hand under the water, without removing it, until I turn the water off and strip her down!
• Grace is a dancing machine. She comes up with her own dance moves and will dance to just about any catchy tune (including the ice cream truck music, commercial jingles, or even a humming mommy). Some moves include raising her hands above her head, twisting her shoulders back and forth, stomping her feet, flapping her arms...speaking of flapping her arms...
• Grace will flap her arms and make "Bac, Bac, Bac" chicken sounds anytime you say the word "chicken." So, guess what she did when we mommy told her we were having "chicken" for lunch?
• Grace now says something very close to "Thank you" and gets a kick out of hearing "You're welcome" in response.
  
• Grace brushes her teeth (and tongue)...and now mimics mommy by bending over and pretending to "spit" in the midst of it. Please note, she does not "spit" into the sink, but onto the floor. The first couple times, she just went through the motion of it. The last time, a little spit did hit the floor. Uh-oh!
• A short time ago, Grace had a little bit of a diaper rash on her bottom. So, I would allow a little more wait time before putting on a diaper. After we gave her a bath, I dried her with her towel, then let her play with her music table for a minute. Suddenly, I see her walk to the bathroom (not unusual as she is obsessed with the bathroom and the bathtub)...when I followed her, I saw her sitting on the floor. Up she stood and left behind a little puddle of pee. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but one could say this was the first time Grace peed in the bathroom. Now we just need her to do it on the potty. (And spit in the sink).

Every day is a new amusement, a new story to tell...Grace amazes me with her humor, her kindness, her affection, her intelligence (I can't believe how perceptive she is), her memory...what's most amazing is that she's our little girl. She is our joy!

Latest Words

Grace is expanding her vocabulary to include:

• kitty
• cold
• shoes
• socks
• eggs (pronounced "ah"ggs)
• house (pronounced "haas")

There are likely more that I am not thinking of. She also howls when I show her a wolf toy that came with a Three Little Pigs set. And whenever someone says the words "scare" or "scary," she will say, "Boo!"

Today she also helped mommy cook. As I was making an egg scramble, Grace helped add the cheese. She also stirred it up a little. I can't wait to get her a play kitchen! She would love it! Anyone know of a cool one, especially one that makes sounds?

Mark This Day in History

Today is one for the history books, for today Grace has learned to say NO. This morning as she was having breakfast, she started saying "no,no,no,no,no..." and has been practicing ever since! She says it with flourish and the word is well-articulated. She has also been practicing her scowl face and fingerpointing.

On top of it all, Grace has been having a ROUGH time (and so, naturally, have mommy and daddy) presumably because she is teething. She has one new tooth breaking the surface up top...and her gums in general look a bit swollen, so I am not sure how many might be on the way or which ones.

Oops, gotta go...she's crying again. Poor nugget. (Poor mommy.)

15 month checkup

Grace had a doctor visit today. I always dread taking her..and this time I did it solo. She handled it pretty well at first. She only started to cry when she got on the scale. During previous visits, she would go into hysterics as soon as we entered the exam room. Overall, it wasn't as traumatizing (for mom) as it has been the past couple of times!

The doctor asked about Grace's development...is she walking? running? talking? Grace is walking...not quite running...and definitely talking. The doctor asked how many words Grace can say. I was trying to guess the number (I was thinking it's close to 20, was sure it was over 10)--as I pondered the number, the doctor said, "At her age, I would expect her to say about 3 words." Well.

So it got me thinking...how many words can Grace say now? Here's a list of what I can think of at the moment...I may forget a few. Note, I am only including those that are consistently well-articulated and used in appropriate context.

(in no particular order)

1. uh-oh

2. mama

3. daddy

4. up

5. bottle

6. ball

7. this

8. hot

9. hat

10. cat

11. moo

12. boo

13. woof

14. cheese

15. clock

16. teeth

17. eyes

18. hi

19. bye bye (though this can sound like buh buh)

Hmmm...I feel like there are more, but I can't recall them at the moment.

A few anecdotes:

• Grace enjoys reading Goodnight, Gorilla. On the last page a little mouse says "Goodnight, Gorilla." The gorilla responds with "Zzzz." When I read it to Grace, I act out the sleep part by laying my head to the side and snoring. Grace mimics this by laying her head to the side too.
• Today Grace was reaching for a sharp object. I told her, "No" and pointed a finger. She spent the next five minutes practicing pointing her finger at me and trying to say "No"--she only managed a "Nah" sound. Note to self, limit fingerpointing.
• Grace loves being scared/startled. A common game we play is that I pretend to not notice her, then I suddenly turn upon her and say "Boo!" Sometimes she jumps if I really sneak up on her. But she giggles hysterically every time. This game doesn't seem to grow old.
• I hum a superhero song as I have Grace "fly" through the air. When I hum the song while holding her, she automatically assumes the superhero position in my arms (leans over so she can "fly" parallel with the ground).

What an awesome kid right?

Lambie Found!

The great Lambie mystery has been solved! As is often the case, as soon as you give up looking, you tend to find what you are looking for. I ordered a Lambie twin (with no regrets!) and the next morning I found Lambie (the original) in an unbeleivable place.

I was changing Grace's crib sheet, and saw beady eyes peeking out at me. Grace has a cloth teether on her crib, held together by velcro straps. Grace must have amused herself by sticking Lambie inside. Check out the photo of the discovery (see those beady eyes?).

And the reunion photo (note: Grace has been in exceedingly good spirits all day since the reunion!).

Case closed! Woohoo!

The Case of the Missing Lambie

So Grace's best friend is a plush lamb that we call Lambie. She loves Lambie. Sleeps with Lambie every night. She wakes up and talks to Lambie until I pick her up out of her crib. She cuddles Lambie and gives Lambie kisses. Her face lights up when she sees Lambie. A week ago Lambie disappeared.

Lambie was last seen on Wednesday, March 17th. We have searched high and low for that lamb. Both Pat and I have checked under the couch, under the bed, under the crib, in bins, behind cabinets, in the laundry basket...no luck. No Lambie.

There was a Lambie sighting reported at Grace's Abuelita's house, but after investigating the matter, it was a case of mistaken identity. Lambie is still missing one week later. I am afraid the prospects are not good. When a missing lamb is gone this long...well, let's just say we hope Lambie found a good farm.

Apparently Lambie is worth a lot of money. I checked for a Lambie replacement and found they ran $50. I did come across a used one and ordered it for a fraction of that cost. Hopefully it will be in good shape and Grace can find happiness in Lambie's twin. : ( I realize that she may very well decide she prefers another animal...and ordering Lambie would have been futile. But. I remember that her face lit up every time she saw Lambie...and I can't help it. It's the first toy she's ever been attached to...so if not for her, then it will be for my own sentimentality. Hopefully we'll find the original, but if not, I hope new Lambie finds a place in Grace's heart.

Grace at the Zoo, part 2

I am still figuring out our technology, but was able to put together some photos along with video of Grace's trip to the zoo. Enjoy seeing Grace in action!

NOTE: I had to compress the video file. If you want a copy at higher quality, let me know and I can send it to you on CD!

Grace Visits the Zoo

Finally, the sun shines on NYC! Grace and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather. We phoned Abuelita and Grand to see if they wanted to join us for a day at the Staten Island Zoo! It was Grace's first zoo trip...and she enjoyed it! She loves seeing animals. The biggest adventure of all was that Grace decided to walk the zoo herself. She has been hesitant to walk outside up until now. So she traversed many lands today...and now mommy is looking into getting shoes with a thicker sole! We all had fun in the sun!

Note: I forgot to add a music credit to the slide show--Chris Kuffner is the musician playing the accompaniment in the video. Enjoy his awesomeness.

Grace's Latest Tricks

• Awesome little Grace is now toddling away. She loves to walk, and she walks more often than she crawls.
• She walks on her knees sometimes.
• She has increased her vocabulary and says: ball, bottle (sounds more like bah'le), hat, clock (though she has trouble with the "l" sound), cheese (sounds like "eeze" most times), uh-oh, bye (sounds like ba), hi, and 'lo for "hello"...and today she copied mama when she went "bac bac bac" like a chicken. She likes to buzz like a bee, too.
• She twisted a Snapple lid onto a Snapple bottle the other day.
• She can stack up to five blocks (and knock 'em down).
• She waves hello/goodbye.
• She claps.
• She dances...on beat. She has done that since she was born really.
• She likes to play "mirror"-with mama imitating her moves or vice versa.
• She loves kisses...getting them from mom and dad, from her "lambie"--from just about anyone. One day Grace even took my face in her hands, adjusted the position of my head, and leaned her forehead in for a kiss.
• She is really good at remembering things and making connections. I was wearing a shirt with a monkey on it the other day. She pointed to the monkey on my shirt, then to a stuffed animal monkey in her room. When we read "Where's Baby's Belly Button," there is an interior page with the same illustration as the cover page. When we read the book the first time, Grace stopped at that spot in the book, then flipped back to the cover to see the same image.
• She likes to place objects inside containers (e.g., bags, tupperware, boxes).
• She shares. When she is playing, whether with me or another little one, she is far more interactive than I would expect at this age. And she is always willing to share--handing one drum mallet over as she bangs her instrument with the other, for example.
• She loves to read. And reread. Over. And over. She will sit in my lap and have me read a book 5 times in a row.

Grace is an awesome little kiddo...and I love watching her grow and develop...and surprise me with new achievements!

An Eventful Weekend

Patrick took Sunday off and we finally had a weekend together as a family! On Saturday we went to the Museum of Natural History with Pat's parents, his brother Andrew, and Andrew's friend, Kelsey. We saw The Silk Road exhibit and (my favorite) the Butterfly exhibit! Grace had a great time...though she was a little unhappy in the butterfly conservatory.

Sunday, Pat and I took Grace to the Brooklyn Children's Museum...her first visit! I have long wanted to bring Grace to this museum...and she LOVED it! In fact, we all had a great time!! Pat took some pictures; we'll have to post them soon!

The other day I spent the better part of an hour laughing with Grace. At one point she was laughing so hard she fell down, unfortunately I realized way too late that I should record this really awesome moment. I was only able to capture the last few moments before mommy came home.

Fun Anecdote

Last week, Grace was happily playing with her nesting boxes. I realized it had been a while since she had lunch and was nearing snack time. So I said, "Hey kiddo, ready for snack?" She stopped playing, sat up, looked at me, and made some sort of sound (a grunt perhaps?). So I thought about it and said, "How about some banana and yogurt? Would you like some banana and yogurt?" Her eyes got wide and she took to all fours and started crawling straight toward the kitchen. I sat, watching her in slight amusement. She paused mid-crawl and turned to look at me with an expression that clearly asked, "Hey, are you coming?" I got up and began walking in her direction. She proceeded to crawl straight to the kitchen and waited for me to come get her snack!

Wild Child

Just had to share this recent photo of Grace (about 13 months old). I just love that fuzz head!

Grace Is Growing Up

Grace has been interested in feeding herself with a fork or spoon. When I bring it towards her, she grips it in her hand and carries it to her mouth independently. Today, she took the spoon from me. Then picked up a piece of scrambled egg, placed it appropriately on the spoon and fed herself!

We also played a game of "chase" this morning. As Gracie crawled away from me, I shuffled behind her and said, "I'm going to get you!" She giggled with delight. As she reached the open child gate at the end of the hall, she tried to close it behind her (presumably to get more distance from mommy during our "chase" game...clever, I thought). However, we have it fixed open and she couldn't. She didn't mind it much when I caught up to her though!

I love Grace so much...it's amazing. And I am both excited and saddened by the thought of her getting older. I can't wait to hear her talk and watch her learn and discover more things. Yet. I want every moment to last...I don't want it to fly past. And I certainly don't want it to fly past with me wishing I had spent more time with her...more time enjoying every milestone and discovery. I can't get enough of the little one...and I wish I had more time. Anyone know of a country I can move to where they will pay me to stay home and enjoy my baby? I'll pack my bags.

Gracie Walks!

Gracie took her first independent step when we were in California in December, however, she would never take more than one step by herself. Each time she took one step, she reconsidered and returned to crawling. Yesterday, January 20th, I came home from work and was playing with Gracie. She stood up and Daddy walked in to the room. She took one step. Daddy stayed where he was...we both stood expectantly, wondering if this would be the day she took step two!

She took another step. We beamed a smile at each other. She didn't stop there. She took a little half step...then another step...and another. She took four big steps all by herself!! We were beaming and applauded her. Then I turned to Daddy and said, "Now, we're in trouble!"

Gracie continued to "practice" walking the rest of the night. She would stand up a short distance from something (e.g., Mommy, a toy) then take a couple steps toward it. She's catching on...and quickly!

This morning I heard her giggle again! It had been a while. She's been ill much of January and broke out in a full body rash on Monday. I took her to the doctor who said it looked like Fifth's disease or some similar viral disease. Nothing we could do except keep an eye out for signs of an ear infection. I must say, since the rash broke out, her spirits improved. Now her rash is nearly gone. She does still have a lot of boogies and a lingering cough. But she is laughing and smiling again. Whew! I missed that!

Grace Eats Cake?

Grace had her first taste of sugary frosting...she had no interest in the carrot cake!

Grace's First Birthday

Grace's first birthday party was a lot of fun! It was great to see friends and family and we all appreciated everyone who came to celebrate with us on a cold winter day--and right after new year's too!

Here's video of Grace "blowing" out her first candle...on her first cake!

Grace's Bath!

Pat created a video with his new recorder...here it is! Not too eventful, but now you can see Grace enjoying her bath! Tomorrow is Grace's first birthday party...let's see if we can get some video then!!