Feeding Therapy

Tuesday again... Jamie was just here to work with Grace on her eating. Tuesdays are both a joy and the bane of my existence. They are a joy, because I get a break and someone else gets to feed Grace. Dad simply does not have the patience to feed Grace and therefore does not do it and well, since there is only me left after that... I get the glorious job of fighting with Grace to eat. It is the only part of mothering Grace that frustrates and exhausts me. I must admit that while my blood pressure was up this morning at the doctors office, it is nothing compared to sitting at the table and warring with Grace on a daily basis to do what should be such a simple thing...eat... Feeding Therapy is the bane of my existence because when Jamie is here, with the exception of last week, it is a breeze. Grace happily sits in her chair for a hour and for the most part just eats. She fights Jamie half as much as she fights me. She takes less time to do what she is asked and all in all makes me feel like a failure.

Today however Grace ate a jar and a half (9oz) of Sweet Potato and is now moving on to meats. (Gross!) The thought of jarred meat makes my stomach turn. But I will do whatever it takes to get Grace eating... I have 6 weeks left until there is a baby in the house and my time is cut in half... what I am going to do is a mystery to even me... But tomorrow we start Gerber meats...

So unfair...

Poor Grace. I had a doctors appointment this morning (surprise, surprise... right?) And she had to get up, fed, dressed and out the door by 7:30am. No Playtime. Then she had to sit in her car seat for an hour while we fought traffic down to Scottsdale. Once there she had to sit in a tiny room and try to entertain herself while mommy was strapped to a fetal monitor for 45 minutes. I thought it would be best, based upon her stress at being stuck in her stroller Friday if I did not strap her in, but pulled the stroller right up next to my chair and had a bunch of toys with in both her and my reach. When strapped to the fetal monitor there is no moving no, turning, no getting up, no helping Grace... it's just like being trapped. So, my plan was to entertain Grace with out her knowing that I could not get up... No such luck. After about 5 minutes of play she figured out she was able to get out of her stroller. Okay... think fast! "Grace, can you close the door for Mommy?" She did...Whew! Now I don't have to worry about her running around the doctors office unattended. Okay... now what? Have Grace take her shoes off. Now have Grace put her shoes back on... Grace, go get the paper from the diaper bag and draw mommy a picture. Does your baby need to be burped? How about Teddy? Can you ready Teddy a story from your book? What about Mommy's shoes? Can you take off Mommy's shoes? Great! Now can you put them back on? All of this takes about 5 more minutes... Now we are only 10 minutes in and we have like 35 to go.... What now?? Grace of course finds the electrical outlet and as she is poking at it with her little fingers she is looking at me, and saying "No touch!" When she realizes that I am not getting up to stop her, this becomes her game... Yes putting her fingers dangerously close to inside the electrical socket.... No amount of "No!" "Stop!" "No Touch!" "Grace, Get over here!" Is stopping her... Think fast... "Ring around the Rosies, Pocket full of Posies, Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down!" Please.... let this work.... and it does, for about 2 minutes... Grace walks to the center of the room, and shows mommy Ring around the Rosies... Then the fetal monitor catches her eye... If they were monitoring my blood pressure at this point they would have been thinking I must be about to have a stroke... Grace, as soon as she realized I would not, or could not get up did everything in her power to test that theory. She unplugged the monitor, she banged the trash can against the wall, she opened every cabinet, crawled under and into every small space she could find.... I know, I know, she's 16 months and it is so unfair of me to ask her to sit still and play nicely... but come on! The the poor child endured the 40 minute ride home... yeah right, endured.... She slept. She was supposed to nap when we got home so I could do a few things.... Why is she sleeping now??? And just think... This is my life every Tuesday morning and Friday afternoon for the next 6 weeks. I swear after this having 2 children under the age of 2 is going to be a cake walk!

Grace is now in her crib crying... "No Nap!" "Mommy!" "Momma!" "Dad-Dee!!"... so until later...

Sonograms and Fish Tacos

This morning I had my millionth sonogram. Obviously I am exaggerating, but it was, yet another sonogram. The bigger baby gets the less there is to see that is recognizable. I know this might sound the opposite of what you'd expect, but all cramped in there it is difficult to make out which way is up. In the beginning, it was exciting to see the profile and know...'That's a little person!' now it's just... well a jumble of moving parts. I did not even have them copy the video and still photos for me this time around. 1) because I already have a library full of sonogram video and 2) because the still photos do not even look like anything. But Baby Hurley is fine and growing. At this point approximately 4lbs and still scheduled to be here on November 11, 2008.


Grace had a play date with Katie this morning. She does not do so well during sonograms. The room is dark, there is nothing entertaining... it just makes for a stressful visit if I have to bring her along. She was told that she was going to Katie's house to play this morning and promptly walked to the front door and started knocking on it and chanting "Katie! Katie!" That is where she stayed, knocking and calling, while I dressed, packed her bag and got ready to go to the doctor. When we finally go to Katie's driveway, she took off running to the front door and started knocking on it, again chanting "Katie! Katie!" until I got there and rang the bell. She was so happy to be there with her buddy that she could not even give me a moment to get a kiss and say goodbye. Just as well... I'd rather her be happy and busy than bored and missing me.

After my sonogram I met up with Miss Bonnie, Katie, (my)Grace, Miss Rachael, Taylor, Landon, Miss Grace and Vincent for a birthday lunch. My birthday is not until Friday but all of my girlfriends seem to be on their way out of dodge this weekend... We met up at Rubios and had lunch and a visit. Grace of course did not eat, but had fun walking across the booth with Katie between Bonnie and me. Vincent sat happily in his stroller, Landon sat begrudgingly in his car seat (poor little guy!) and Taylor showed everyone in Rubios what a Speedy Gonzales she can be pushing her baby stroller. At some point Grace decided that she should play health inspector and in the blink of an eye was in the kitchen chatting up the cooks and checking things out. That would be about the time we decided that the kids had had enough and it was time to go.

All in all it was a good day. Grace took 1 late nap. I must admit I pushed her limits and accept the consequences. I have been unable to do anything today, except for while she was asleep. I know better and I feel badly, but some days our schedule simply does not allow a 9:30am nap and a 3pm nap. My mom will be here in 2 more days, so hopefully Grace can catch up and regroup from these crazy last few weeks.

I'll let the poor kid run naked through the sprinklers tonight. Then, early bath quick call to say Night-night to Dad-dee and early bed for both of us... ANOTHER doctors appointment for me tomorrow morning...

Shower

This afternoon my neighbors threw a baby shower for me and for my neighbor Bonnie who is due a few weeks before I am. It was great to have some adult time, though centered around kids/babies. It was a few hours where I didn't have to worry about where Grace was and what she was getting into or climbing on top of. The ladies and the gifts were very generous and the food was yummy! In New England, you never wear white after labor day; You never show up to someones home empty handed; You never return a dish empty and you never have a baby shower for a second baby. So I was a bit uncomfortable with the idea of having a shower thrown for me. It was so nice though and I LOVE my neighbors!! And such smart women... a few of them gave diapers! If you have kids, you know what an awesome gift that is!! Some of them made their gifts, and all the gifts were amazing!! ;)
I have attached a few pictures from the shower. And from the bottom of my heart, Rachael, Grace, Kelli, Wendy, Andrea, Siler, Virg, Kristin, Nicki and Bonnie... "Thank you!!"

Farmer's Market

This morning Grace and I met our neighbors Bonnie & Katie and Rachael, Taylor & Landon at Starbucks for coffee and treats before heading over to the monthly Farmer's Market in our community. Grace had a blast playing with Taylor and Katie at Starbucks, walking on the booths and playing follow the leader around the tables. She adores her girlfriends and wants to do everything they do. She even ate a few pieces of my danish. Chewed and swallowed! I was so happy. I would have been happier if it had been something healthy like melon or cucumber, but I will take what I can get.

At Trilogy (the 55 and over community) Miss Grace, our neighbor, met us in the parking lot with Vincent and we all headed into the market. It was cute, small and had some nice looking produce. But while in theory it reminded me of growing up in New England, there is something about walking around in 102 degree heat in September that brings you right back to reality... "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore"... Grace and I picked up some beautiful strawberries, fresh corn (though it will not be nearly as good as Pioneer Valley corn), tomatoes, cucumbers, an eggplant, and green beans. We will be dividing our bounty with Aunt Dottie and Uncle Buck tonight. I have yet another OB appointment in Scottsdale this afternoon, so Grace and I are looking forward to dinner with Dottie, Chuck, the dogs and horses.

It was nice to get out with my girlfriends this morning. Most of our play dates are just that, time for the kiddos to play and the stream of conversation is forever being interrupted. Such is the life of a mother and I have no issues with it. But every now and then it is nice to do something where the adults are the focus. I would have loved more time with the girls to chat, but nap time is here and it was way too hot. I am looking forward to Sunday however; My amazing neighbors and girlfriends are throwing Bonnie and me a baby shower. Adults only! What a treat!! And a very, very, very kind thing to do. I love this neighborhood!

La Leche, Clean up & Moon Walking

Uugh! The days that Brian comes home from the road stress me out! I can say this because he knows it. He should after 12 years together. I will say it again;

"The days that Brian comes home from the road stress me out!"

This morning Grace slept until 6:40am. Normally a fantastic treat, today... not so much! I have laundry to catch up on, bed sheets to change, crib sheets to change, toys to pick up, dishes to unload and reload, La Leche, Nap, Lunch, and the supposed rest I am told by my OB that I need... Not all gonna happen right? Wrong!! Grace gets plopped down in front of Caillou (cringe)with a bottle, I get a load of laundry in the washer then I get the kitchen cleaned up, coffee and breakfast made, eaten and cleaned up. Almost there... Upstairs for a shower (Grace has to join me as she is no longer trusted around the cabinets, closet and toilet) Ok... move clothes from washer to dryer, and start a new load. Get Grace dried, dressed and get Shelbi dressed. Pick up loft. Alright, so more like run around, scoop up every toy, book, shoe, etc., throw it into what ever toy basket is closest and well... it looks clean, its just not organized. Grace is going to pull all the toys out again anyway. Dry hair, slap on mascara, pack diaper bag, off to La Leche... Wheew!

The older kids that have been at La Leche in the past to keep my daughter occupied are all home with the flu. The younger kids want nothing to do with Grace, they all want to nurse; and the babies while very interesting to Grace are all brand new little ones and most of the meeting is me saying... "Grace, no touch." ... "Gentle."... "Just look."... I get to have a few very good and helpful discussions though, but not as in depth or relaxing as I had hoped for. Grace did in the end find a toy car to play with and spent the last 30 minutes completely immersed in pretend play with the car. Good to know.... "need to get Grace a car or two", Brian will be thrilled!! Run home because it is long past nap time and I still have to get ready for the hubby to get home.

This afternoon while I was folding laundry Grace, who loves to jump on our bed thought it would be fun to try walking on our bed with her new boots. These are her first hard soled shoes and she finds it quite funny to clomp around in them. Brian and I have 3" of memory foam on our bed, so walking on our bed is challenging in bare feet, forget boots. Grace bounced and walked and tumbled like she was walking on the moon. It was hysterical. I think she was falling down on purpose at the end. I would have caught it on video, but by the time I stopped folding laundry and laughing and thought... "This would make a cute video." it was too late and the fun was over. The down comforter and pile of pillows on the floor had caught Grace's attention and she was now consumed by diving into the pile and playing peek-a-boo, I see you....

Afternoon nap, finish cleaning and folding etc. Get blog busted out...Sit down with books to do some birth planning, deep breath... 15 minutes to spare, Dad-dee should be walking through the door in 15 minutes... Welcome home!

Rubios...
Tonight was Addy's JDRF event at Rubio's. Brian, Grace and I had planned to join our neighbors and neighborhood for dinner and help out an amazing cause. Instead Brian got home, woke Grace from her nap, then the two of them curled up on the couch together and fell asleep. Really a sweet sight. So I took off to Rubios for take out and a brief visit with the Rose's and the Shepemakers. Sorry Kelli & Brian, we had intended on joining you there for dinner... We'll have to plan on the October event!

"I See You!"

This morning Grace has been able to see the bucket loaders and the water truck from our living room windows. (provided of course that she is sitting on the backrest of the couch with her face and hands pressed up to on of the windows) She has suck a great time watching the truck, that it is no skin off my nose to sit with her and watch in wide eyed wonder, in fact I love to watch Grace's amusement with things that I would normally ignore. It is a new habit for Grace to say "Hi Truck" or "Bye Truck" as they come into view or drive away, but this morning she was telling the trucks... "I see you!" Where does she come up with this stuff? I wish that I had the camera or video camera near bye... she melts my heart she is so cute!

Today was a full morning. We had our girlfriend Taylor over this morning for a play date with her mother and brother. Taylor arrived at the door with her new double stroller and her babies in tow. Grace was so happy to see this new stroller and the babies that were in it! The two of them played with their strollers and babies for a few minutes together before Taylor became interested in her favorite toy here (The Alphabet Train, my least favorite toy by the way) and Grace took up with Taylor's new stroller. Unfortunately my little on is in a perpetual state of teething and began to chew on the new stroller (Sorry Rachael), so I had to take it away from Grace. The tears did not last long. Grace and Taylor soon discovered that they could both fit on the seat of the Alphabet Train and began to play together again. And Landon, my smiling beautiful little buddy Landon, entertained the girls with a happy story full of grunts, squeals and great noises. The leaned over him on the ottoman for a good five minutes or so listening and laughing. Just in case anyone was wondering... Taylor is not such a big fan of the gate system we installed in our living room. She is quite the climber and my bet would be; if given enough time she could have figured out how to get over the gate.

~ Best ~

~ Friends ~

After our afternoon nap it was baby bottles and bath toys. Off to Babies R Us to exchange Grace's old bottles for the BPA free ones and pick up the alpha-numeric foam cut outs for Grace's bath time. We have been working on our letters and colors lately and I though what better time than while I have her captive in the tub. She thinks the alphabet puzzle mat is great fun to roll around with and take apart and put together but it it too interesting at the moment to be an effective learning tool.

Home for dinner and a break before we headed off to the playground for our evening romp. Grace is very interested in being friends with the children on the playground who ignore her. If they have no interest in speaking to her or engaging her in their play, she is right there in their face saying "hi" and trying to get in on the action. The flip side is those children who want to be her friend and immediately come up and say hello and try to engage her terrify her! She wants nothing to do with them and is hesitant to even play. She keeps running to me to cling on and hide behind a leg. Unfortunately young children don't get subtle cues that their advances are unwelcome and they keep trying... Poor Grace, she'll have to get over it.

Grace did have a blast on the rocking motorcycle. She finally figured out that if she sits far enough forward she can reach the foot rests and really get the thing rocking all by herself. I must admit it looked like fun and wished that they made a playground for us big kids too!

Grace on the slide... All by herself!

To Stop The Music ~ Scroll To Bottom Of Page And Pause Player

Grace and I went to the playground after Gymboree this evening... Here is Grace showing off her skills on the slide. She is growing up so fast!

THIRTY TWO...

My oldest and dearest girlfriends turn 32 on Thursday and Friday this week... which means that my 32nd birthday is only a week away... 32? Is that possible??

I would swear on my life that it was just last year that I was turning 21 and Brian was talking about moving to Houston...

It was only a few months ago that I was almost 22 and in the middle of Flight Attendant training in Houston, praying that they don't ship me off to Newark (They did!)...

It was a few weeks ago that I was turning 25 and living in Southern California, hanging at the beach, bar hopping with my girlfriends and wondering if after 6 years was Brian ever going to marry me??...

It could not have been more than a week ago that I turned 28 and was counting down the last month until my wedding...

It was yesterday that I was planning a big 30th birthday bash in Vegas and then finding out that I was pregnant with Grace, so a party in Vegas would be... well boring...

It was just a moment ago, yet somehow more than a decade has passed and while I have done, and seen a lot. Traveled and experienced and loved every minute of it...Lived in 5 different states... it was over before I could take it all in...

Now I am about to turn 32 and I am a month away from having my second child... and terrified that tomorrow I am going to wake up and my children will be graduating college, getting married and having babies of their own...

Grace puts her shoes on all by herself!

Evel Knievel

Grace did not nap today... She spent 45 minutes in her crib this afternoon silent, but I am not sure that she slept... Uugh! What a long day it has been. Except for the fact that she slept until 7:20 this morning she has been less than kind to her poor pregnant mother. Okay, that's unfair, she has been fine, I am just getting big and uncomfortable and less able to keep up with her.

We had swim lessons this morning. Grace cried almost the entire time. She continues to improve though and did very well through the tears and cries for Momma... She is holding her breath better and longer and is able to climb out of the pool from both the edge and ladder all by herself. She floated (is that even a word?) on her back with me holding her by the shoulders from behind, instead of her head on one of my shoulders. This was a HUGE accomplishment for Grace. I am very, very proud!

Okay so no nap, and bouncing off the walls. We were into everything today and did not stick with any of it for any length of time. Books, blocks, babies, drums, animals, all over the place at the moment. At some point I put on Caillou in the hopes that Grace would settle down, have a bottle and fall asleep. She did settle down and drink her bottle. "Good... 30 minutes of calm, quiet... I can do some dishes and eat something." So locked in the living room, I emptied the dish washer, refilled it, washed a few bottles, made a pitcher of formula, fixed something to eat and no sooner do I sit down, I hear the closing credits. I got up, took the empty bottle from Grace and against my better judgement, thought, "maybe I can get my kid to watch just a bit more TV so I can eat"... (I am sickened by the thought of TV as the babysitter... but I need to eat) So on goes Happy Feet and back to the kitchen counter for me. It's quiet... So nice, so short lived... The next thing I know I hear "FLOP!" Then laughter...Grace has climbed up onto the end table and done a belly flop onto the couch.... I only know this because as I turned to see what the noise was, she is about to... and she does it again! This is hysterical to her and no amount of "No!" and "No Table!" and "Get Down!" stops her. "Okay I am going to have to physically stop this." I put her on the floor, She gets back up on the armrest...on the floor...back up on the armrest. Now she is running from one piece of furniture to another climbing on the backrests and hanging over the back... Riding the armrests like horses, jumping on the seats as if they are trampolines... Belly flopping from the armrest to the seats... This kid is HYPER! So it's 5:15pm clearly she needs a constructive outlet for this energy... to the playground.

Grace spent the next hour and a half running circles around the playground, rolling in the grass, climbing up the stairs and shooting down the slides... It was such a joy to watch her. And the good news is, we were home at 6:45pm she drank a bottle and went straight to sleep...

Dad-dee comes home tomorrow night ~ Yea!!

Friday...

Grace had a good day today. She had a playdate with her neighbor friend Taylor this morning. I feel like we have not seen much of Rachael and Taylor since we left for the east coast back in July so it was good to have some time with them this morning.

Last night a package arrived from Nonie with a million clothes and a new baby doll. Grace has barely let that doll out of her sight, let alone her grip since. Last night she took the new baby to bed with her and this morning when I said we were going for our walk, Grace put the baby in the doll stroller and walked to the front door. Curious to see how this would go I allowed her to walk to Rachael and Taylor's house with the stroller. She was adorable! She walked down one curb and up the other to cross the street in front of our house, but when it was time to cross the street to get to Taylor's house, Grace pushed the stroller down the curb, and carried it up the opposite one. So odd... I don't know where she got that idea.

We have had a slightly random schedule this week and it does not look to get much better any time soon. This means that instead of a 9am nap and a 2 or 3pm nap Grace has been getting a nap in at 11 or 11:30am and then not again. So 1) I don't get two naps which is a big bummer and 2) she has not adjusted the amount of time she sleeps to be 1 long nap instead of 2 short ones, so... By the end of the day she is fried and not much fun. Ahhhh! I don't know what to do...

We decided to be brave, get back on the horse and go to open gym at Gymboree this evening. We got there at 3pm and were pleased not only to see our neighbors Nicki and Brayden but that we had the place pretty much to ourselves. Nicki and I actually had some time to chat and watch the kids play in a safe non-hectic environment. Brayden and Grace were very cute together. Grace does not get to see a whole lot of Brayden since I no longer watch him during the week. Just before 4pm Rachael, Taylor and Landon arrived and we enjoyed more playtime with Taylor. And then... Issac showed up (Dun dunt dun...) We were forewarned of his arrival by our favorite teacher at Gymboree who said she would protect Grace. Luckily that was not necessary, we kept clear and Issac, sadly found another victim. Another poor little girl was on the receiving end of what I am told is an over zealous hug (which is supposedly why the mother never said anything... she does not discipline hugs... Hug my a$$! It was a tackle! anyway...) We left Gymboree after a good hour and 40 minutes of play and came home to make some music with Grace's new drum set. Quick bottle and bath, now my exhausted little on is in bed and it's only 7pm. Sorry Dad-dee, you did not get your 'Nigh-Nigh' phone call from Grace.

Time for Mommy to catch up on some sleep. Swim lessons tomorrow.

Grace's week in photos...

Eskimo Kisses

Grace seems to have survived her pounding at Gymboree. We have had a pretty low key day since we got home. Grace took a nice long nap and we have played with every toy and cuddled on the floor with her babies. Not quite the day I had planned, but nice none the less.

Grace has been hugging and kissing for a while now, so Brian and I thought it might be fun to teach her how to give 'Eskimo Kisses'. She has been simply putting her nose to ours; but today for the first time, she came up to me on the floor, grabbed by cheeks and gave me a full fledged Eskimo Kiss. It was just what I needed after our stressful morning. Reassurance from my 16 month old that everything is okay.

So we are out to the yard to play in the sprinklers before bath, "night-night" phone call to Dad-dee and bed.

Tomorrow will be a better day! But thanks to my Eskimo Kiss... today really was not so bad...

Seeing Red!

I am a pretty laid back mom. Well I suppose I am pretty laid back in general... I try to allow Grace the freedom to explore and make mistakes and not get too worked up about things. What she is touching, climbing, tasting... All part of her learning process and she is smart and curious; so if I let myself get worked up, I'd have to be institutionalized. But hitting or grabbing or physical aggression of any kind is not tolerated in my house. It is immediately, strongly and vehemently corrected the moment it occurs. Grace may not be old enough to comprehend that she is causing pain or may not even know that such actions are associate with malice but I am bound and determined that she will understand that it is not acceptable behavior, ever! Unfortunately not all parents feel the same way I do about correcting such behavior. I could rant and rave on society's lack of parenting until the cows come home, but that is another post for another time... This morning at Gymboree our usual quiet 1 or 2 child class was made up of 5 kids. Not bad, but mildly disappointing compared to the last several weeks. One of the boys in this class today was a big boy. Not big old, probably not more that 18-20 months, but big 'big'... Grace is a strong kid, but very petite for her age. Compared to her neighborhood girlfriends, she is the runt. And her friends are of normal size and weight. It started with him (Issac) climbing over Grace to go down the slide. The slide she was sitting at the top of preparing for her turn... Issac trampled Grace and crashed into the child at the bottom who was mid-slide when Issac started down. The mother said nothing... The next time it was a head lock. Random, for no other reason than Grace was the one nearest him, head lock. Again, from the mother, nothing. This time I corrected him. "Issac, you have to be gentle, Grace is a little girl." (getting annoyed now.) Grace pouted and looked frightened but seemed otherwise okay. After giving me a hug and getting reassured that she was okay she rejoined the class and waited for bubble time (her favorite). As Grace meandered the through the bubbles and observed the other children popping and playing among them, we both let our guard down. From what seemed like out of nowhere, I see a blur as Issac full steam ran at and football tackled Grace. She hit the ground hard! I hear the wind come out of her and this kid was on top of her. His mother actually stepped in front of my path to my child and without any speed or urgency picked her child up off of mine and said... "Issac, I don't think she liked that." Calm as can be!? Are you kidding me?? What the 'F'...!! My child is hurt, screaming, class stopped, all eyes are on Grace and me, the owner is asking if Grace is okay.... and all she can say is... "Issac, I don't think she liked that"!?!?! Meanwhile Grace's eye looks like it is going to be black, her neck has his fingernail marks all over it, I am afraid that she has broken ribs... NOTHING from the mother!!! What kind of mother allows that???? For as anti physical violence as I am... I could have beat this child. Yes, I said it, and I am sorry, kind of, but I could have tanned his little hide - or at least sucker punched his mother. I said nothing... If after I had assessed Grace's condition and calmed her down the mother had still been there... But without a word of apology, class ended and she left. I wonder if she was even embarrassed? As mortified as I would be if Grace ever... I'd at least apologize to the mother and see if the child was okay. I still am so angry that I fear I am giving myself an ulcer.

"Bless You!"

This morning Grace had one of her neighborhood friends over to play. Katie is 2 and Grace idolizes her. Grace followed her as if she were Katie's shadow. If Katie played with a toy Grace cheered her on, if Katie sat on the couch, Grace sat on the couch, if Katie took a sip of water, Grace took a sip of water... it was adorable. And yes, there are photos, I just am to tired to upload them at the moment.

Before Katie came over I had to steam mop the kitchen floor... It was sticky from the last few sweet potato battles Grace and I have had. Before I steamed the floor I used the swiffer and then left it up against the new gate across the living room. A few minutes later out of the corner of my eye I see Grace pushing something. It was the swiffer. She was swiffering the living room floor. So cute! Between the swiffer and the Pledge, I just might have found a new cleaning lady!

Our afternoon was fairly quiet. Grace and I played on her new alphabet puzzle mat. (possibly the best purchase ever!!) We made a cube with 6 of the tiles and practiced replacing the letters in the correct spot. She knows 'A, B, C' and '1, 2, 3'... what really have been working on though are her colors. She gets better with them daily but defaults to 'yellow' when she doesn't know the answer. After that, we drew a few new priceless, one of a kind, Grace Elizabeth original, crayola works of art for the Grandparents. A quick walk to the mail box and brief visit with Kelli next door and it was dinner time.

Tonight at bath time I sneezed... Not a regular occurrence for me, I don't have allergies, I am pretty healthy, I just sneezed... Grace stopped what she was doing, looked up at me said... "Bless you." and then went about her business. I LOVE THIS KID! She is, as I continue to say a sponge. She doesn't miss a thing!... "Bless you!"... Now if she would only eat...

Words, Trucks & Animals

Grace's list of words is getting ridiculously long... She is such a little sponge, She now sits in her crib each morning and tells her Teddys stories. It used to be babbling and cooing and singing, now it's "Hi!" and "Kiss" as she kisses them good morning and then she starts... "OK... Teddy up! Down!" (morning calisthenics) Then, "Teddy, Who's this? Annie! OK... Go! Hi... OK...Kiss...Truck... Hi Truck!... Teddy blanket...Grace blanket" Then you hear a few "Muuahs!' as she kisses her one Teddy then the other, then Annie (Raggedy Ann) then Teddy and Annie kiss... or the two Teddys kiss... so on and so forth it is so cute to listen to, and a nice way to wake up in the morning.

Grace is still so fascinated by the Trucks and commotion over our back fence. She could stand on the couch and look out the window at the goings on all day. She says "hi" and "bye" as they drive past and has started to point out trucks from her car seat as we drive by construction sites. There is not as much heavy machinery back there now that they have begun to lay pipe and prep for the schools foundation; But when the big earth movers were there grading the site... Grace was in 7th Heaven!

Ever the little scholar Grace has also added to her list of animal sounds. She has finally grasped that Cats say 'Meow' even if Sami says 'Hisssss!' She is fascinated by Sami lately and calls her to join in the bubble popping at meal times. The reward for eating has gone from blowing bubble so that Grace can pop them to blowing bubbles so that Sami can pop them. In between bites Grace calls "Sam! Sami! Sam!" and squeals with delight when the cat comes running.

Grace's Animal Knowledge... "A _____ says... ______"

Cat ~ Meow

Dog ~ Woof Woof

Bird ~ Tweet Tweet

Owl ~ Hoo Hoo

Donkey ~ He Haw

Monkey ~ Ahhh Ahhh Ahhh Ahhh

Frog ~ Ribbit

Cow ~ Moo

Sheep ~ Baah

Chicken ~ Baulk Baulk

Duck ~ Quack Quack

Pig ~ Oink Oink

On an unrelated note...

Grace is not the biggest fan of the new gate across the living room. She is fine with it if Brian and I are in there with her, but the moment we leave, even if she can see us... not a happy camper. But is has only been less than 24 hours, so we shall see how it goes. As for Brian and I... We Love it!

The Patriots win again!!!

I don't really have anything to say in this post regarding the Pats victory yesterday... I just felt like announcing it to the world. So I'll say it again... 'The Patriots win!!' Yipee!!

Okay... so on to Grace. Poor kiddo had a tough weekend. She takes forever to cut teeth. She has been teething on and off for what feels like forever. My usually happy go lucky kid simply could not cope. She had her first temper tantrum during her swim lesson on Saturday. Oh believe you me, we stayed and worked through it. In the end she did well and has continued to improved a bit each week. Bri played 36 holes on Saturday so it was just us girls for the day. Since Grace was not the happiest of campers we spent a lot of the day playing quietly with Teddy & Teddy (She has not named her bears yet) and had a picnic lunch on the living room floor. We made forts with blankets and pillows and managed to get through the day with out too many tears.

Sunday we had... well Dad-dee had a few projects, we finally hung the swag in Grace's room. I am ashamed to admit that a close family friend made it and sent it back in January, but the task has simply felt too daunting until now... It's beautiful. It softens the room and even with butterflies on the wall and hand and foot prints hung with pink ribbons, it finally makes Grace's room look like a little girl lives there.

Today is all about confinement... Brian and I had to purchase a gate system that closes off our 14 foot opening that divides our great room. Grace has been allowed to play in the kitchen cabinets with only the sink childproofed... but she has now smashed the glass pitcher to our blender and is opening the oven door, so it is time to set some boundaries. We figured better now then when the baby comes so that she doesn't resent the little one any more than she already might.... So we will install the gate today and see how she takes it... my guess... not well, at least at first.

Baby Hurley#2

I saw Dr Schwartz (my OB) again yesterday. I feel as though my life is ruled by doctors appointments lately. Come to find out it is about to get worse. But the silver lining is the end is near! Dr. Schwartz said that the baby looks great and she is very pleased with how he/she is growing. As for me, I am thrilled to hear that he/she is getting big and strong as he/she should be. Lately however, different appendages are trying to push their way through my belly. Poor little one... I'm only 5'2" there is not a whole lot of room in there...

So I see Dr. Schwartz in 2 weeks and then I go from every other week in her office to twice a week in her office. As a precaution Dr. Schwartz wants to put me on a baby monitor twice a weeks to ensure that our little one is doing okay in there. Thanks to my neighbor Wendy (Who is a L&D nurse, Doula and mother of 3!) I now have a better understanding of why the baby monitor. Turns out sometimes the baby is better off out in the world vs. the womb and my doctor wants to keep tabs on a few things.

I have known my "delivery" date for quite sometime now. And I have been thrilled to focus on November 11, 2008 for so many reasons, a few are... 1) Grace was born May 11, 2007, so 5/11 and 11/11 sound like perfect dates. 2) November 11th is always Veterans day, so baby's birthday will always fall on a holiday. I have known the date... but not the time. Dr. Schwartz finally gave me the 411 on what time, and I must admit, while I knew it would be in the morning... 7:30am!! That means I have to be to the hospital at 5:00am... That means we have to leave the house at 4:00am... Wheew that's early!!

So for now that's all the info I have on the baby. Mother and little one are fine. My next sonogram is in two weeks right before my next appointment with Dr. Schwartz... It's a good thing I have such wonderful neighbors to help out with Grace, otherwise I don't know what I would do! I'll keep you posted...

9/11

Today, I am sure that we have all taken a moment to reflect on the last 7 years and have been remembering where we were and what we were doing when it all happened. For me... It is like looking at a photograph. I can see where I was, what I was wearing, what my husband was doing, what the light was like... That sems like such an odd thing to remember, what the light was like... but I do. I was still a flight attendant back then... and while sometimes it feels like it was yesterday, that was a whole lifetime ago. So Grace's day today does not seem so important in the grand scheme of things...

Never quite as planned...

It's a good thing that I am a go with the flow, no real plan or destination, enjoy the ride kind of girl. To be honest, though I hear so much to the contrary, for me, it makes this motherhood thing easy... or should I say easier. My days since having Grace do not always go as planned, and that is usually quite alriight with me. I have chosen (since it is my style to begin with) not to schedule Grace, instead I schedule my life around her needs, wants, moods, and we have been a happy couple for 16 months now. I do manage to get any important appointments in and get there on time. But anything that is not critical... well, we may or may not make it and for that, to my girlfriends... Sorry.

Today was no different, we had hoped to meet up with some neighborhood friends, who are probably still wondering where we are...oops. But an unexpected errand and crazy nap schedule threw a wrench into that plan. Grace and I did however manage to get to the dollar store for a coloring book, more crayons, play-doh, and art paper. We had a blast experimenting with play-doh and experiencing the squish between our fingers. Grace who has enjoyed coloring in my day planner (yes, despite what I said above, I have a planner and I use it, frequently in fact!) or on/in any book or paper she gets her hands on was confused by the concept of a "coloring book". After tearing the crayon box, the most interesting part of art time for Grace was putting the crayons into the cup I gave her for them. Then dumping them out again and starting over. Her motor skills are quite good though and before getting overly excited and tearing the box... she was able to replace the crayons in the box with great skill. She is amazing.

Again today we had success with almost and entire jar of sweet potato. Tomorrow may be a different story so I am going to hold onto this victory and try to remember that each success is huge and we are going to have "bad" days. At bath time tonight we were hit with yet another major electrical storm. We've seemed to have one every night for a few weeks. So we had to skip our bath routine; which really signals to Grace that it is time to wind down. She did not fair as badly as I thought and quieted down to sleep nicely.

Tomorrow is a Gymboree day. Grace is always a happy girl when she gets to go to Gymboree. Lately every time we get in the car she asks... "Gymboree?" I will be happy to be able to say "yes" tomorrow.

No husband to visit with, so I am off to catch up on some much needed and wanted sleep.

HALLELUJAH ! ! !

Hallelujah!, Thanks be to God!, Praise Jesus!, and all the other sayings that you never heard uttered by me relating to God! I am on my knees right now thanking him... or her for my personal mini-miracle! Grace ate a full, yes, full, entire, complete, 6oz. jar of Sweet Potatoes for her therapist today!!! We have been having increased success at at least one meal each day for the last week or so... but this... I simply do not have enough of the right words to express!

"Thank the Lord!!!"

Today... Grace and I were up and out early again this morning for our walk. It is against medical advice for me to be walking at the moment, so it was more of a short "stroll" around the neighborhood. Grace loves this time of day... fresh air... a sippy cup full of water and nothing to do but relax and enjoy the scenery. After our walk we organized and put away some baby clothes in preparation for November, then nap time.

I was able to get a few things done around the house and feed myself before Jamie arrived to work with Grace on the "eating thing". As you saw above... HUGE success today. At the moment I am finishing a few thoughts before I dash off to the Rose household to help put together a video of Addy for our JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. I am so thrilled to be a part of this team again this year and have felt really good about helping. Not that one would feel badly for helping, but I have been a bit secluded this past year and reaching out feels wonderful!

After our video session with Addy we are off to Gymboree for some play time and with any luck will be able to convince Dad-dee to join us after dinner for Grace's and my post dinner / pre-bath swim.

I posted a video that Grace shot late last night from her crib, when she woke up and discovered that we'd left the video camera on the headboard of her crib after bath time... too funny (at least I thought so!)

TTFN

Grace Found the Camera in Her Bed Last Night...

It starts... "What's this?" ... jibberish... Then she says "Baby", "Mamma", "Dadda" ...Some more jibberish ... And something about a "bottle"...

But Brian and I were cracking up! We could not figure out for the longest time what the dinging was over the baby monitor... it was Grace making home movies of the dark in her room... The camera had been left on top of her crib after bath time.

Baby Hurley #2

I had yet another sonogram this morning. Where they used to be exciting and another chance to see Grace when I was pregnant with her... holding my breath and waiting to hear that everything is still okay with this baby is... well stressful to say the least. But again today I was told that the baby looks good. Now if we can just get through the next 9 weeks...

Here are a few preview photos of Baby#2.

Saturday Morning Swim Lessons

Okay... I don't know why I did not remember the camera, but Dad-dee was able to come and watch Grace's swim lesson this morning. I see marked improvement in her skills and comfort level every week. Words cannot describe how happy that makes me. I am sure that our evening swim before bath and bed each night has been a big part of Grace's rediscovering the joys of the pool vs. the fear she had after her fall. She is getting more and more comfortable floating on her back. She LOVES to blow bubbles, now that she has discovered she is able to make that motor boat sound herself. She is always willing to show anyone that will pay attention how to put her ears in the water... She is doing such a great job! Her new skill is 'scoops' where she uses her arms to scoop the water towards her belly. I love that the instructor is incorporating arms into her skill set... But being a swimmer I hate that she is learning the doggie paddle. I know walk before you run right? Either way, she will be a little fish and that thrills me!

After swim lessons Brian and I finished organizing the garage and locating all of the baby things we will need to sort through in the next 10 weeks... Wow! 10 weeks...

Grace did not have much success with eating today, but Friday she ate an entire individual container of applesauce! I was so emotional, proud, happy, dumbfounded... But, deep down, I had to know that it would not be the 'norm'. It was however, a huge step in the right direction. If she could do that every few days, I think we might both survive this eating struggle.

Today is the season opener for Sunday football and the Hurley Household is thrilled. This is our favorite time of year. Our Patriots are back, the baseball season is winding down in preparation for the playoffs... and even in those tough years we held out hope for our Red Sox... And this year the wildcard spot is so close that we can taste it!! To put is simply, we LOVE Fall. So while it may still be 100+ degrees out... we are in our home, on the couch, with the AC cranking and a pot of Chili on the stove... Go Pats!!

Grasshoppers, Lemon Pledge, Sticky Name Tags & Colored Place Mats

Well yesterday, despite the slow start was a very full day. Once again Grace and I found ourselves wasting away the morning waiting for and then dealing with Shea Homes and their vendors. Thankfully, this week they showed up. So... our phones are once again working and the vent in Grace's bathroom is running again... Enter the Grasshopper...

The vent in Grace's bathroom mysteriously stopped working a few weeks back. We called Marcie and told her to send someone out here to take a look (three weeks later... but that is not the topic of this story now is it?) So the Sonoran Air tech came out to fix it and after dismantling the vent, asked if I would like to see what the problem had been. Of course if asked... I would want to know, so Grace and I made our way to the bathroom where we found a large, dead Grasshopper. Poor thing had crawled into the fan and when the vent was turned on, got lodged in the motor and burned the motor out... The poor dead Grasshopper fell from the techs hand and onto the floor; where Grace's first instinct was to STOMP on it! I have taught her well!! There are a great number of creepy crawlies that make their way into our home from the desert, and I am sure Grace has witnessed some hysterical stomping (and probably swearing) from me at times... But a harmless Grasshopper?? Good thing the poor fellow was already dead.

Next came the Lemon Pledge. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not a big fan of housecleaning. I have a woman who comes in every other week to do the cleaning for me. I know, I know, I should be ashamed... but this is just to demonstrate how infrequently it is that I "clean", not tidy up, but "clean". So... I am polishing the living room furniture and Grace begins to have a small tantrum. I quickly realize she is asking for a rag so that she can wipe the furniture off herself. I get a spare rag and continue on with my chore with Grace following right behind, wiping and acting quite the big girl. (This getting the kids to do the cleaning thing bodes well for me!) So after I have polished all of the furniture I put the can of Pledge down and focus my attention on picture frames. Grace promptly walks over, picks up the can of Pledge and walks away. This cannot be good right? That's what I was thinking, until she stops at the coffee table, tips the can of Pledge upside down and says "Cshhhhhhh" (mimicking the noise the Pledge makes when you spray it) then proceeds to wipe up the imaginary Pledge... Is this kid a gas or what? I only wish that I had caught it on video. For those of you who are thinking right now... "Guess you must have had to have been there." Maybe you are right, but speaking from the only witness to this event, it was priceless!

After the Pledge episode was done and as I putting a few loads of laundry away Grace discovered her Name Tag from Gymboree in the laundry room trash. It is one of those sticky "HELLO my name is:" type of name tags. Grace spend the better part of 40 minutes experimenting with the sticker. Sticking it to walls, furniture, pillows, herself, stuffed animals, anything she came across. She had the look of a scientist deep in the midst of an experiment to find out what things the tag will and won't stick to. I was so proud! Not just that she was exploring the world around her, but that she did this entire experiment with out checking in with me. She was independent and engaged and completely okay with being "alone". This is the first real step we have taken towards Independence! I am thankful every day that I have the ability to stay home and be with her, but more than that I am thankful that I get to experience the world through her eyes... it really is an amazing place when you get down on the floor/ground and experience life through the eyes of a 16 month old!

Yes, after all of this there is still more. Grace and I made the trek back down to Scottsdale to pick up my car, drop off Aunt Dottie's truck and have dinner with Dottie and UB. Again, Grace and great strides with Molly, eventually walking right up to her and patting her head, I would not say fearlessly, but with a lot of bravery. And again Grace and Dottie were fast friends and I was just an after thought. Which is fine with me, I've always wanted Dottie and Grace to be close. But Grace's favorite part of the night was the colored place mats at the table. Forget the food, or her toys, all Grace wanted all dinner long was to get her hands on the place mats, so after dinner, Dottie got on the floor with Grace and they practiced her colors (Grace said that every mat was "YELLOW!!"). Grace spread them out, stacked them back up, handed them to Dottie, took them back... This truly is a kid that does not need toys, give her an empty box, a pot, a spoon, and some colored place mats and watch her go!

And when all was said and done, when we walked in the door last night, we were greeted by Dad-dee!! Home again from another long week on the road.

It was a great day!

Small Victories

While not nearly as unbearable as last night, the most I am able to devote to the GOP convention, without jumping out of my skin, is about a quarter of my attention right now... So here is how our day went today...

Grace and I were up bright and early as usual and out the door for our morning walk. This morning we had the pleasure of catching Wendy whisking Addy off to school with the younger two in tow. Today was Gymboree day, so after breakfast, a load of laundry (which has been washed, but not dried... but then again, I have no issue with letting the housework fall by the wayside in favor of playing) and a quick shower we were off and running. Grace was the only child in her Gymboree class today and that was such a treat! She had free reign to participate in each activity as much or as little as she pleased. Today was all about "Big & Little". There were big and little slides to slide on. Big and little stairs to climb up and down. Big and little balls to throw... But most important... Big and little Gymbo to find and play with. She has a bit of a crush on Gymbo... For once when it was time to roll the air log across the gym floor, there were not bigger and faster kids doing all the work leaving Grace in their dust... She actually got to roll the air log all by herself and was quite pleased with herself too! To say the least... She had a blast!

Because Gymboree falls during what should be our morning nap on Thursdays, I had hoped that she would be exhausted and fall fast asleep when we go home... no such luck. We did have a small victory today with her eating. Grace was hungry enough after Gymboree to eat 2/3 of a container of applesauce. She did this without fighting me and without bribery... The rest of the day could have been a total nightmare and I would have said that today was a GREAT day, for the simple fact that Grace ate... not a lot and not more than once, but Grace ate!

After fighting Grace on the nap issue for the next few hours, she finally fell asleep at 2pm. Slept an hour, which is all I really had time for her to sleep, since we had to drive to Scottsdale to drop my car off. By 4pm we were at the auto repair shop and by 4:15 eating ice cream with Uncle Buck (Chuck). Grace discovered, thanks to UB, that Coffee Ice Cream is YUMMY!...and helped him eat his. Then UB took us back to his house to pick up Aunt Dottie's truck and for a quick visit with the dogs and horses... This is where our next small victory took place... Grace who loves dogs... Loves dogs from a distance that is... sat in UB's lap and pet Molly for about 10 minutes. No panic, no crying for Momma... Just sat with UB and played with Molly. For those of you who don't know, my Aunt and Uncle currently have 4 dogs, 1 Springer Spaniel, 2 Golden Retrievers and a Lab... Very Big Dogs!! Molly is a 3 year old Golden who could not be more docile if she were a stuffed animal.

Our day ended as usual at the pool to watch the sun set. I wish that I had more hands or Grace was better about sitting still around the pool, because the sun sets at our new pool are magnificent. I am dying to get a few pictures of the sun and the mountains and the desert... it is absolutely breath taking. Maybe when Brian is home. Anyway, again this evening, much to Graces delight there were children at the pool. Not just any children.. LOUD children... Children running and jumping, splashing and playing Marco Polo! Grace joined right in! Granted... She prefers yelling Marco to Polo... but either way it is confusing to the child who is Marco and hysterical to the kids who are yelling Polo!

Our final victory of the day... Grace had her bath, got easily into her PJs and quickly drank a bottle... put her head down in the crib, looked up, said "Night-Night" and closed her eyes. Not fight, no talking, no debate... "Night-Night" and fell asleep...

Thank Heaven for little girls... and small victories...

Tomorrow is another day.

Testing the waters of bravery

This morning Grace and I had to make and early and unexpected run to Safeway for cat food. Both of us in our pajamas figuring... "How many people will be at the grocery store at 6:30am on a Wednesday morning?" The answer... more than you think! Grace, from the safety of her stroller decided that she needed to say "Hi!" to everyone we saw. If they did not immediately respond she sent a barrage of "Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi's" their way until they acknowledged her. That's when my little girl decided that she was only brave enough to say "Hi"... Once the "stranger" acknowledged her, she put her head down and hid from them unable to participate in a two sided conversation... At least it is a step in the right direction. The only other time I have seen this "bravery" from her was in the airport when she walked around to all the strangers in the terminal, bending her body to peek at them from under their newspapers, magazines and books to say hello...

Wednesday Afternoon:

Well I have had my least productive day yet... Grace told me she was sleepy this morning; then when I put her in her crib cried "No Nap..." for about 40 minutes before falling asleep for only 30. In that 30 minutes (Well 70... but the first 40 don't count) I managed to make a bunch of phone calls trying to get a quote for auto repairs... My car turned 8 years old last week and is quite the fragile old lady these days. (Of course the best quote came from a mechanic in Scottsdale... So i make the trek to Scottsdale tomorrow; But that's off topic now, isn't it?) Where was I? Oh yeah, Grace woke up and we spent the next 40 minutes engaged in battle at the kitchen table over a few spoonfuls of yogurt. Then off to Babies r Us to return an item, get new sippy cups and get out of the house. My early afternoon project... Try to get Grace's closet back into some semblance of order since the closet remodeling project this past weekend... I feel like I am actually making headway, and my husband would be so proud...Only to find that as I am up on the step stool engrossed in organizing the top shelf and bar of Grace's closet... she is at the bottom bar pulling every article of clothing off their hangers... Forget it! It's nap time again anyway and as I foolishly ask "nap time?" My little darling walks over to her crib, looks up to me and says "Nap?" FANTASTIC!! She is tired and I can get a few things done... yeah right!! She has now been banging on her crib yelling for me the last 20 minutes... My little Pachino... "Attica! Attica! Attica!"

Oh well, she's tired... my house is a mess... the laundry is piling up... and I need a nap...Thank God my husband is not here to see this place! It will be clean by Friday night... I promise!

The Hurley's New Blog

I have started this new blog because I have been so impressed with my neighbors' beautifully organized blogs. We all know how enamored I am with Shutterfly and I will continue to keep the MyHurleyFamily site updated with photos and Grace's milestones, but my day to day journal will be kept here from now on...

On the docket for today is Grace's 4th and for now final Feeding Therapy session. From my last conversation with Jamie, the therapist, I expect to be approved for at least 4 more weeks... We shall see... Wish us luck!

3:00pm -
Jamie just left and as usual, Grace gave her a fraction of the grief that she gives me. The good news... Jamie knows that Grace only eats as well as she does with Jamie, when it is Jamie feeding her. So until further notice, we will be seeing her again next week...and the week after that, and the week after that, etc... The battle wages on...