Zoo time!

Grace experienced the zoo for the first time last week. What a day! It was pretty nice out, so we didn't have to deal with the rain, but I almost would have taken that over all the people! We went on a Thursday, and for some reason, it was completely packed. It took us about 20 minutes just to find a parking space, and I'm not exaggerating. Then once we got in, we had to pay $9.75 per person to get in. PER PERSON!! My sister said the Washington DC zoo is free. I'm sure it's a million times better than the Oregon zoo, too. Anyhoo, after we got over the sticker shock (which, I'll admit isn't horrible for an entire day of entertainment), we headed in to see the animals, right? What animals? I think all of the big animals were on hibernation. Although, I must say that Grace LOVED watching the fish and playing in the water. I think the zoo is more of a 3-5 year old thing. Once the kids actually know that they are looking for animals, it's probably much more entertaining for them.

She did love to ride the train, though. She was getting a little fussy at this point, but she liked to watch the trees go by.

Even one year olds can get bored at the zoo.

Grace and Jesse sat in the big eagles nest. They were having so much fun! Jesse's cousin Aiden, however, was not. It was far too dirty for him to step foot in. But I must say, I'm with him! It did look pretty dirty!

All in all, I must say we had a pretty fun day. Grace enjoyed herself, and she got to see some pretty wild fish! I know I sound skeptical, but we really did have a fun time. We won't be going back, though, for a couple years. :)

Birthday Fun

Matt turned the big 3-0 on May 14th. He just wanted to lay low, which is so Matt, so we just had a small party at home with the family. It's probably better this way, anyhow, since the last time I tried to throw him a big surprise party he found out about it and everyone kept asking him for directions!

This is his excited face:

Grace is a ham and loves the camera. Ok, she really just wants to grab it from you. Well, any electronic device, really. Whether it's a remote, camera, phone, really anything that looks like fun to break!

Well, as promised, here are some pictures from Grace's first birthday. She had so much fun riding in her new car and digging into her birthday cake! She had a bit of a reaction to the cherry frosting, but nothing major. As soon as she got in the tub the rash started to disappear (thankfully!).

The shortest year of my life!

Well, Grace turned 1 on Sunday, can you believe it?! My little baby is a year old. Time really does fly when you're having fun! She is such a joy to have in our lives, and I am grateful every day that Heavenly Father blessed us with her. She has the cutest personality, and she loves to laugh and play jokes on us! She says all kinds of words (the dr. was very impressed with her vocabulary!) and she is so close to walking! She cruises on furniture with the best of 'em, and she has started trying to take steps, but still falls down. She'll get it soon enough, I'm sure, and then we'll never be able to keep up with her!

She had her one year check on Wednesday. Here are her stats: 30 inches tall, 20lbs. 12oz. She is still in the 80th percentile for height, and 50th for weight. She is our perfect little angel!

Grace has taught me so much about life. It's amazing how unselfish you must become when you have a child. Life is no longer about you. It's about doing anything and everything to keep your baby happy. And there is nothing I wouldn't do for her. She is truly the best gift Matt & I have ever received.

I guess with the last page of the first year being written, Grace decided she needed to change into a bigger kid. She's working on only 1 nap a day now, and she thinks she is so grown up. Why shouldn't she be able to do all of the things mommy and daddy do? She does have her own car to drive, afterall! (pictures coming soon!)

Well, I cannot beleive my baby is one! She is our favorite person in the whole wide world! We couldn't have wished for a better child. We are so lucky!

Only a month until the big O-N-E!!

Grace is 11 months old today! I cannot believe it's gone by so fast! It seems like just yesterday she was the wrinkly little bean that we brought home from the hospital! March was a huge month for her! We were on vacation for two weeks in Idaho and Utah, and Grace learned to crawl just before we left. While we were gone, she got her top front teeth, learned to drink through a straw, learned to pull herself up, learned to say "uh-oh", and when we got back, she learned how to say "grandpa", learned to climb stairs, and learned to cruise on furniture. She'll be walking any second, and then we'll never keep up with her!

While we were in Utah, we stayed with Matt's cousin Jeremy, his wife, Jessica, and their daughter, Brooklyn. Grace and Brooklyn had so much fun together, and were so cute! Jeremy is in charge of sound at the Energy Solutions arena and was able to get us tickets to see Disney on Ice and a Jazz game from the 13th row. We had a blast and are looking forward to seeing them again. Thanks guys!

Here are Grace and Brooklyn at center court after the Jazz beat the Wizards:

Grace loved to play with all of Brooklyn's toys while we were there. Grace learned to crawl pretty fast thanks to Brookly, who's been walking for several months. She and Grace are one month apart. Today is Brooklyn's first birthday. Happy birthday Brooklyn!

We tried to take pictures of the girls while we were there. Needless to say, we ended up making an appointment at Target.

Matt and Jeremy had lots of fun riding their uncle Russ's toys:

We had to stop at the museum in Blackfoot!

Grace LOVES bathtime! She is just so cute in the tub. I am going to miss these days. Time just seems to be flying by so quickly!

9 months old!

Grace turned 9 months old yesterday! I can't believe it's been 9 months since we brought home our perfect little girl. She is so much fun and is so close to crawling. She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth and scoots backwards. It will be any day now and she'll be mobile! She is such a blessing in our lives and I can't even remember what it was like without her! She had her 9 month check up today and here are her stats: 28 1/2 inches tall (80th percentile) and 18 lbs 13 oz (50th percentile). The doctor said she is just as perfect as can be and surprised at how good she is. It's true; we are spoiled. She's slept through the night since she was about 3 months old and has never really given us any trouble. We are so grateful for her and feel so lucky to be her parents.

This is her "duck face". It's not captured perfectly here, but you can see where it's headed. She started making this face recently and it cracks us up every time. She's so much fun!