Crazy Little Thing Called Love: December 2009

Gracelyn is seven months and one week old today. Somehow seven months sounds years older than six months to me. And with all that she has learned in the past few weeks, life has changed quickly. Gracelyn started crawling the day after Thanksgiving. We have made some adjustments to our house but are also trying to train Gracelyn to know what is off-limits. Using the word "no" with her has brought out some interesting responses in our little peanut. She has a bit of a temper and we are trying to reign her in early before she's two and throwing tantrums in the grocery store (although there's no guarantee that this won't happen too). It's easier in some ways to be lazy, let her do what she wants, ignore her screaming and mini-tantrums in hopes that it will just all go away. It's nice in some ways to believe that this is just a phase and she'll grow out of it. Or that there's no need to tell her no and just believe that she's too young to understand what mommy says. But what is easy isn't always best. And what I want to believe isn't always true. In many ways I am in training as a mommy. Even if Gracelyn doesn't understand all that I am saying, it's important for me to start standing for what I feel is important and finding the words I want to say to her. I am amazed at what she can understand already. I pray that our efforts at parenting will be blessed by the Lord and will be a blessing to her and our family. Discipline and training is a discipline for me.

Gracelyn had a tooth poke through yesterday on the bottom. I think this explains some of her crankiness lately. Her gums are all swollen and she can't seem to get enough fingers in her mouth. It's got to hurt. We continue to struggle with cereal. I've tried about four times with different varieties of cereal and at different times of the day. Each time she spent the next several hours projectile vomiting and lethargic. I hate it for her and if she didn't need the iron I would quit all together trying. I'll give it several more weeks before trying again and in the meantime I plan to ask some very knowledgable people for ideas. As for baby food, she doing great and loves all the new flavors.

Onto fun stuff. At her last appointment, Gracelyn weighed 16 lbs 15 oz (50%) and was 26 7/8" long (75%). She waves from the across the room or when someone greets her. I love how she uses her hands...when she moves her hand like she's knocking on the door or folds her hands together. She squeals, she screams, she laughs, she whines, she sings, she talks, and she has been calling to "mum mum." Last Sunday in church, she was singing during hymns so loudly that the song leader stopped between verses to encourage everyone to try to sing louder than her. She is pulling up easily now onto furniture and her crib. She takes most of her naps in her crib and I can lay her down before she is fully asleep (this is a big accomplishment for us :) I love watching Gracelyn and Trent playing together. It seems like they are always laughing and doing something silly like exchanging the pacifier back and forth in their mouths or singing "Five Little Deer." And then there are those precious times when he slow dances and sings her to sleep or when she just really wants to be with him. I grow more and more in love with her everyday and I am so proud of the little person that she is becoming.

Now onto some pictures...