Time for a Little Owey

So I've noticed lately my posts have been very heavy on the Grace pictures. Not a bad thing since she's so adorable and says really cute things. Just the other day Joe taught her to say Allons y (Let's go in French) which she repeated multiple times in her toddler voice. Speaking of Joe teaching her things, we've been working on potty training, and instead of hold it, he taught her to "clench it," so she tells us "I go potty, clench it."
But there I go again going on about Grace (I really can't help myself, she's at such a fun age for pictures and saying funny things.).
So Owen... Owen had his first bites of cereal this week. He's very involved in his eating and more cereal ended up on his body then in his mouth, but it was a first try, we'll keep working on it.

Keeping in line with firsts, Owen took his first swim earlier this month also. He seemed to like it. I think I may have two little water dogs on my hands.

He also fell asleep in our hiking backpack. I stuck him in there so I could get some stuff done around the house and have my hands free. Works great until my back starts hurting.

He is also a great laundry folder, or rather a cute distraction when I finally break down and fold the literal mountain of laundry I have sitting next to our dryer.

Lastly, I got a great picture of my grandpa and Owen. Love them both and love this picture.

The Aquarium

Last spring I bought a couple of tickets to the Newport Aquarium at an auction put on by Joe's School. Last week we finally had the chance to go. I'd say it was worth every penny.

My Daughter

Grace is two - which really is enough said and should explain the following pictures and videos. But since this is as much a record for me as a place for the grandparents and friends to view what's going on in our lives, I think it pertinent to give a bit more information. She brings such incredible joy to our house and definitely keeps me on my toes. While looking through my pictures, I was surprised at how much of her personality shines through.

Here Grace is eating a "smoovie" specially made by Papa. We visited my parents for a week and every morning she would beg my dad to make her one.

Being at Grandma and Papa's is so much fun it is hard to go to bed. After some protest and several repetitions of, "You need to stay ON your bed," all was quiet. Apparently we should have specified how much of her needed to be on the bed.

Here Grace had dumped all her clean clothes out of her laundry basket and brought it to the couch so she could watch Dora while sitting in it.


The following video will be funnier if you're an Arrested Developement fan, but even if you're not, it's still cute.

She has also started making up her own songs. I love it when she sings. I recently heard her singing in the kitchen and when I brought my camera in, she put on a little show. I believe she is singing, "Bible is Gracie's," although it sounds more like "Bible wa Grac-y." She definitely loves her little New Testament and carries it around everywhere.

Up and Down

We recently took Grace to the carousel at Riverfront Park. She loved it. I loved watching her, and it was a great picture taking opportunity. My heart was happy to see such joy.
Because I'm a mom and I love photography, I had fun capturing the event. Here is my favorite shot -

If you're wondering about the title, that's what Grace calls the carousel. There is something magical about the way a two year old sees the world.

Pure Delight

First Real Haircut

Grace has such thin, fine hair and it was really starting to look scraggly. So I decided it was time to remedy that. I figured it wasn't too early for her to look super stylish and decided on a cute little bob. My wonderful friend Shelby cut her hair for me and did an excellent job. For those of you in Salem looking for a new stylist, Shelby Maguire at Salon 554 is a-mazing. :)
Thankful Grace did much better than my I did for my first hair cut. My mom did the actual cutting, and there is an infamous picture in my baby book of me screaming and flailing about. Sorry mom.

Before:

 

During:

 

After:

Not the best picture of the actual haircut as you can't see the back, but someone was about done with pictures at this point.

4 Months

 

14 lbs 15 oz

27 1/4 in

• can roll from front to back and back to front
• so far is a night owl (takes after his daddy) 
• wakes up once around 2 or 3 am to eat and again around 6 or 7 am
• very happy mellow personality
• smiles with his tongue out
• loves his giraffe Sophie

Bridal Shower for the Beautiful Miss Heather

I recently threw a bridal shower for my bestest friend Heather (and yes I know bestest isn't an actual word). I have known Heather for as long as I can remember. We did just about everything together growing up and were even mistaken for twins by a substitute teacher. Her name was Miss Hemp though, and just like her name suggests, she acted like she hailed straight out of Woodstock, but that's another story entirely. I still vividly remember making up dance moves to a Michael W. Smith song, drawing braces on our teeth with a marker, putting together our newspaper which we named Au Courant, always sitting next to each other on the many bus rides during high school sports, making mushroom soup, marrying our imaginary boyfriends over and over again, and so many more good memories. She is the type of friend that no matter how long we've been apart, we can always pick up right where we left off, and if we talk for less than an hour on the phone, Joe is amazed.  Helping her get ready to marry Quincy was an honor. I couldn't be happier for the new Mrs. Lima. Heather, I love you and wish you all the best in this next chapter in life. I can't wait for all the new memories we will make together.

Here are some of the decorations; many thanks to my new obsession, Pintrest:

These were for a great game we played called Mustaches and Tiaras. I had the bride and groom answer the same set of questions and people had to guess who answered what by holding up a mustache for Quincy and a tiara for Heather.

 

And here are a few shots of the guests. I didn't get any pictures of our mustache game, but I know Ruby House did. Maybe I can get her to send me some so you can see what fun we had.

Mr. Mustache