We Have A Walker!

As you probably know, Texas has been under an extreme amount of rain for the past few months.  In Dallas, May has the most rain on record and we are on pace to beat the 1957 record of most rain to date.

Having said that, we haven't been outside a ton and jumped at the chance to go to the splash park one recent sunny evening.

Palmer has always loved the splash park, but new to him this year is a companion who is equally as excited about the water activity.

Grace's bear crawl:

No, my bathing suit fits just perfectly.  What are you talking about?

Grace has been on the verge of walking for over a month now, but for some reason, the splash park gave Grace the extra boost of confidence she needed.  She stood on her own for the first time at the splash park and made efforts to take a step.

Palmer is always her number one cheerleader for anything and everything.

When we got home and showed Rick, we all got to witness her first steps and even got a video of it.

Good job, Grace!!

-Bethany

Wordless Wednesday

-Bethany

Grace's First Birthday

Despite a somewhat hectic week where I overcommitted to too many freelance assignments, we managed to have a special day of celebration for Grace's birthday.

Grace woke up to a brother who was very excited about her monumental day.  Palmer insisted that Grace immediately open her presents:

Palmer spent a long time determining the best present to give his sister.  At one point, he had me searching Amazon (the only way we shop around here) for "a pink unicorn or pony that has lights and no legs like (cousin) Elle has".  Unfortunately, we never quite found what was in his mind, but he did settle on a very sweet and special present.

Palmer's most prized possession in life is his stuffed monkey, George.  He decided Grace needed to meet "George's sister" and got her a pink monkey (who he named North Pole).

George meets North Pole.  Rick and I suggested the name, "Georgia," and were quickly dismissed. (Silly us.)

A family board from mom and dad:

I have a little string of lights wrapped with ribbons that I like to run down the stairs for Christmas and birthday mornings.  Grace was quite tickled over the strand of lights:

Birthday waffles with candles:

Little gal had her one-year doctor's appointment in the afternoon.  Special thanks to Paw Paw for being an extra hand because we sadly had to hold her down while two vials of blood were drawn in addition to four shots.  Grace's skin is in a continual state of break-out and the blood draw was to help determine all of her potential allergens.  Poor baby.

And finally, a birthday dinner at IHOP.  (The location was not in the original plan, but when our plan busted- we scrambled and panicked. ha.)

Happy first birthday, little Grace.  We love you so much and celebrate you joining our family in this happy first year.

-Bethany

ONE YEAR(?!?) With Grace

Oh my.  I truly can't believe our little gal is a year old.  With Palmer, I was a little sad at his one-year-mark, but for some reason, I'm not as sad with Grace.  Maybe it's because she is a lot tinier than Palmer was and compared to my 4-year-old, she still very much seems like a baby.

Our girl is growing in many ways, but she is also still so little and cuddly that I'm not ready to say good bye to her baby days just yet....

Grace and Miss Kitty at One Year:

Lil' miss is on the move!

One-Year Stats:
Height: 28 3/4 inches (42%)
Weight: 18 lb, 9 ounces (31%)
Head: 44.5 cm (34%)
Teeth: 2 (Lord, girl.  When are you going to get more teeth??)

LIKES:
Walking Practice: Grace is so very close to walking and will be walking any day now.  Meanwhile, she is most happy to be holding someone's hand while practicing this skill.

Working Out: Grace likes to plank it out to get in beach-body shape for the summer.

When she isn't working on her abs, she does bear crawls to stay in shape:

Or she does spin on her bike:

Saying "Bubba": It's hard to believe from these videos that Grace does actually say "mama", but I swear it's true.  Nevertheless, Grace likes her brother ("Bubba") and preferred to talk about him on this particular day:

DOES NOT LIKE:
Sand: We had a family outing at a nearby restaurant with a huge sand pit outside in which kids like to play.  Grace couldn't stop herself from eating sand.  I let her eat it a few times thinking she would find the substance gross and deter from eating again.  Nope.  She kept going for the sand.  I guess a beach vacation is out for this summer.

Being Bothered: Grace has started yelling when Palmer messes with her.  If he holds her hand or her foot or in any way keeps her from moving, she yells.  In this picture, Grace is yelling because Palmer is giving her a hug.  She's really cuddly.

Grace, you are loved by so many and we can't believe this year went by so fast and yet we can't imagine life without you.  From Grandma Grace (the inspiration for your name) to the entire family, we adore you and are thrilled to celebrate this first year with you.

-Bethany

Wordfilled Wednesday

Palmer's first email:

-Bethany

It's Summer!!!

Palmer ran into our room Saturday morning yelling, "TODAY IS SUMMER!!!"  

In Palmer's world, the last day of school was Friday, so the official start to summer is underway.  As one friend said, "The pools aren't open for another month and the high school babysitters aren't available yet!"  Eek.

Nevertheless, we have a fun summer planned and are looking forward to some pool weather in the near future.  

The last day of school for Palmer was a milestone because Palmer was at this sweet school since he was three months old.  Next year, he is going to go to a new school for 4s/Pre-K.  We've had many good times over the years, but are also looking forward to a neighborhood option where we can meet potential new elementary friends in his last preschool year.

Palmer on the school steps when he was 1.5 (crazy sock day):

Palmer on his last day at the age of 4:

 Last day of school picnic with Miss Mary and the class:

The boys in this class just love each other so much (and likewise torment the girls):

First day and last day of school for Mr. Palmer.  Why are those legs getting so long?!?

 These two are trouble.  Little G is becoming a wild child!

Such a change from the start of the school year with these munchkins:

-Bethany

Grace: How Did We Get to One Year?

As we count down to Grace's big one year mark later this week, let's take a look at her progress over the last year:

-Bethany