Our baby is TWO!

I'm still in shock that our baby is two years old!  The progress this little lady has made over the last year makes us so happy.  The patience and understanding of beautiful imperfection that she has taught me is a gift I'll never be able to repay her.  I'm so happy that God gave her to us.  She's just what I needed!  

Sweet baby girl's 2nd birthday at the beach!

Weight:  29 lbs 4 oz (80th percentile) Up 4lbs in 6 months

Height: 35 inches (85th percentile) Up 2.5 inch in 6 months
Head: 45.3 cm 

Eating:  This category never changes.  Anna Grace loves to eat!  I finally broke down a month or two before her birthday and stopped giving her a bottle at night (insert crying emoji).  She didn't mind one bit....it was just hard for mama.  She drinks about 18 ounces of milk a day and will never turn down food.  She wants zero help with eating.  Therefore, she comes home from school with new clothes on nearly everyday (messy, messy).   She's finally started to like bananas (this actually started after her 2nd bday).  Strawberries, blueberries and watermelon are still favorites.  Neither she or William care for pineapple.  She's not really into sweet potatoes any more but loves sauteed mushrooms and carrots.  Vegetables are usually the first thing she eats on her plate.  She's even started to like cherry tomatoes like her big brother.  Pancakes have changed from a no to a yes!  I'm sad to say she's discovered ranch and ketchup.  She literally would eat them both with a spoon.            

Development:  Every day Anna Grace learns something new!  She has really come a long way recently.  Since her second birthday she has started talking a lot more.  She started speech therapy at the end of November and has shown a lot of progress.  Baby girl does get really frustrated when trying to communicate with us.  She knows so much but just can't get the words out.  But, like I said, everyday is better and better.           

Clothes:  Size 6 diaper and some 2T but mostly 3T clothes.  3T fits best because she's so tall.  She wears a size 6 or 7 in shoes.  I'm still shocked at how fast her feet have grow.     

Sleeping:  This area hasn't changed much.  She is still a really good sleeper.  She no longer drinks milk before bed.  We just go upstairs, brush her teeth, read a book while rocking and then put her to bed wide awake.  Sometimes I rock her until she falls asleep because I know she won't let me do this for much longer.  She usually goes to bed around 7:30pm and wakes up between 6am-7am.  We of course still have rough nights.  She still naps for 2 hours (usually 12:30-2:30)         

Things She Loves:  The things she loves hasn't changed too much.  She still loves her babydolls, anything William is playing with, and BOOKS!  Anna Grace still loves giving hugs and kisses and is always getting us to do group hugs.  Her shoe obsession has continued.  She has mastered putting her shoes on by herself.  If you can't find her she's probably in the laundry room taking off and putting on new shoes.  She loves dancing, purple is her favorite color, and she loves playing hide 'n seek with her brother.  I think her favorite part is yelling "BOO!".  Her favorite song to sing to is The Wheels On The Bus.  She has a new obsession with flash cards.  She loves lining them up, stacking them, and going through them one at a time and showing them to you.  Honestly,  we never see her without a flashcard in her hand.      

Things She Hates:  The independent, hard headed attitude has continued.  She is one super independent girl!   The biting is getting a little bit better (but not much).  Luckily, she hasn't bit any friends at school and she's only left a mark on William once.  The word "gentle" is still used 100 times a day in our house.  I'm pretty sure this little girl of ours could be a UFC fighter one day.  She is a tough little thing.  There really isn't much AG doesn't like.  She's pretty easy going and happy to be with her people.                    

Health:  Poor baby girl had fever the morning of her 2nd birthday (while we were at the beach).  We took her to an urgent care and found that she had pneumonia.  She handled it like a champ, and still had a fun day on the beach.    

Anna Grace finished Physical Therapy on June 28th after 15 months of treatment.  We were sad to say goodbye to Ms. Laura but happy to have our Wednesday mornings back.  She is still doing great with her glasses (besides taking them off in the car and popping the lenses out!).  She got a new prescription in September and new frames.  We were released from Neurology and still see Neuro-Ophthalmology every 6 months.        

Other:  AG has 16 teeth (as I type this she is 27 months and has even more!).  She still loves her daddy but wants her mama when she's tired.  She still thinks William is the coolest person around.  Anna Grace loved cheering on her brother at his t-ball games.  She'd yell, "Yeah Bubba!"  You could find her at every t-ball game with a giant pickle in one hand and flash cards in the other.  Her love for dogs and now cats is super cute.  She loves Mimi's cat, Smokey Joe.  She yells, "JOE!!!" the entire time we are in Texarkana.  She wants to pet every dog we see at t-ball games and follows my parents dogs around everywhere.  It's just a matter of time before we have to get our own dog.  She still isn't too into TV.  This little lady doesn't ever sit still!!  She also LOVES babies.  She is surprisingly gentle with her baby cousin, Mary Catherine.  As soon as she sees a baby she starts blowing them kisses and saying SHHHHHHH.  She loves telling people, "I'm 2!"  Every big truck on the highway is a "choochoo".  When she walks into daycare sometimes she says, "I'm back!"  LOL.  When her food is hot instead of blowing on it she does it her own way and basically spits all over everything.  :)     

Her love for animals inspired the farm theme 2nd birthday party!

This girl is seriously hilarious and so fun to be around.  Her one of a kind personality makes my heart so happy. 

Baby Girl 18 months old

Still in shock that we no longer have an infant!  I mean, when did she get so old?!?!  

Weight:  25 lbs 6 oz (82nd percentile) Up to 3lbs in 3 months

Height: 32.5 inches (79th percentile) Up 1.5 inch in 3 months
Head: 44 cm 

Eating:  Anna Grace still loves to eat!  She drinks about 24 ounces of milk a day and will never turn down food.  She doesn't like when you try and feed her with a spoon....she's too independent for that and is trying really hard to master using the spoon on her own.  A month or so ago she started to eat more fruit.  Although she still doesn't love bananas she will now eat strawberries and blueberries!  Watermelon is her #1 favorite.  Every Sunday Gordon makes steaks.  This is her absolute favorite!  Steak, sweat potatoes and asparagus = happy Anna Grace.  Her favorite vegetables are green beans, broccoli, carrots, lima beans and asparagus.  She doesn't like pancakes but of course will always say yes to a donut on special occasions.           

Development:  This girl is doing better and better every week!  She rarely walks because she is always running!  Over the last few weeks she has started being more vocal.  Still not a whole lot of words but at least more sounds.  She makes a noise for a dog that sounds more like a howl and then makes a funny quacking sound for a duck.  I swear she's been saying her name the last few days.  She can scribble with a crayon and has mastered the stairs (we are still working on getting down them safely).    

Clothes:  Size 5 diaper and 24 month clothes (some 18 month stuff fits but 24 is best).  She wears a size 4 or 5 in shoes (depending on the shoe).    

Sleeping:  Anna Grace has continued to do great sleeping all night and taking a two hour nap around 12-2.  Her bedtime routine is drinking her milk, brushing her teeth, reading a book while we rock her and then putting her to bed wide awake.  95% of the time she falls right asleep without a peep.  She usually goes to bed around 7:30pm (depending on baseball games and my work schedule) and wakes up between 6am-7am.  We of course still have rough nights.  She was awake from 1-4 am the other night.  Luckily, those are few and far between.         

Things She Loves:  The things she loves hasn't changed much.  Babydolls, her purse, anything William is playing with, the remote control and books are her favorites.  Her obsession with the stairs has luckily decreased.  This child LOVES reading.  While I do dishes she will sit in her chair holding her baby while she reads a book.  She is constantly coming to us holding a book that she wants you to read to her.  This sure makes my heart happy!!!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to read and can't wait to share this with her as she gets older.  She is always waving hi and loves to give kisses and hugs.  She loves all of her shoes and is trying so hard to put them on by herself.  When she isn't wearing her glasses she loves playing with her pretty long eyelashes.  She loves to be tickled and to spin in circles.    

Things She Hates:  This girl knows what she wants and is very independent.  When she doesn't get her way she gets MAD!  I've never seen such a little thing throw such a fit.  She's hot or cold.  One minute she can be so mad at you, fist balled up hitting everything in her path, and the next she's being a sweet little cuddle bug.  She still tries to bite you if she is mad but she doesn't do it to cause pain (she never leave a mark)....I think she does it to get your attention.  Not being able to verbalize things has been frustrating for her.  "Gentle baby" is still used frequently in our home.  William is so patient and good with her.  Today he told her, "Crying is what babies do.  It's okay Anna Grace."                  

Health:  Things are going really well in this department.  Sweet thing has been doing great!!  She did have a random fever one morning but it never turned into anything.  Besides teething we have no complaints from her.  :) 

Anna Grace is still doing Physical Therapy once a week and loving Ms. Laura.  I'm proud to say she is doing great wearing her glasses.  She only time she takes them off is in the car!  We go back to Neuro-Ophthalmology in a few weeks to see how they've helped.      

Other:  Our little lady is getting more and more hair, but still not enough for a bow.  She has 12 teeth and I think 2 of her bottom teeth are about to make an appearance.  She still has a special place in her heart for her daddy and everything William does is funny to her.  She loves going to William's baseball games!  She spends half the time waving at everyone from her stroller and the other half runny around laughing because we are chasing after her.  She has recently fallen in love with dogs.  If a dog comes on TV she gets super excited and starts laughing/screaming and saying "owwww" (her barking noise).  I can't wait to see how she does with my parents dogs the next time we are in Midland.  We are finally able to get her to sit "still" on the couch for a few minutes at a time.  :) 

This little cutie pie keeps us on our toes, but she sure does make us happy.  She is a high energy child that I wouldn't trade for anything!  It's pretty awesome to watch her and her older brother, and their OH SO DIFFERENT personalities, grow and change together.

Anna Grace 17 months old

This little girly is just getting to be more and more fun (and more and more work...LOL).  She keeps us moving and laughing all day long!

Seriously, how cute is this little squishy thing of ours!  The pictures of her holding my phone crack me up.  She is looking at a picture of our family and getting excited about seeing daddy!  She kept saying, "Daaaadeeee!"

Weight:  25ish pounds

Eating:  Anna Grace drinks about 24 ounces of milk a day.  We switched her to lactose free at the beginning of the year (her random throwing up has stopped since we made the change!).  Otherwise, she drinks water (she's not a fan of juice which I'm happy with). Eating is still her favorite thing.  Her favorite fruit is watermelon.   She will finally eat strawberries too.  Meat is still her favorite along with maple syrup puffs!                

Development:  Mid-January Anna Grace went from taking steps to walking everywhere!  She has been pretty unsteady until the past week, but she get where she needs much faster now.  She has been trying to use a fork, but still gets confused about which side to poke the food with.  :)  

Clothes:  We moved baby girl up to a size 5 diaper and 24 month clothes fit best (she's so tall!).

Sleeping:  Anna Grace has done great in this department.  Asleep around 7:30, up between 6-7am and a 1-2 hour nap after lunch.  She has been a lot healthier over the last two months so this has helped our night time sleeping!          

Things She Loves:  Singing "If you're happy and you know it" and dancing!  She loves listening to music and swinging at the park!  She is still loving her baby dolls.  She pats their backs and feeds them bottles.  She loves sitting on the first step of the stairs and holding them.  She's also fallen in love with William's flash cards!   

Things She Hates:  Being tired!  Poor thing starts throwing her head back...pretty dramatic.      

Health:  Besides a yucky nose, baby girl has been pretty healthy over the last 2 months.

Anna Grace is still going to Physical Therapy once a week.  We saw her neuro-ophthalmologist in January and decided to try glasses for a couple of reasons, to straighten her eyes and to help with vision.  She has done great!  The only time she takes them off is when we are in the car.  If they come off she will try and put them back on herself.  :)  I have never been so impressed!!!  She is such an easy going little lovie!      

Other:  In the 2 months since my last update AG got 3 new teeth (one of which she chipped at school....which earned us 2 trips to the dentist).  She has continued to do great in her new room at school.  She comes running to us when we pick her up but she's always super excited when we get there in the morning.  She's started giving us the kisses too....with a big open mouth!  There is truly nothing better.  :)

15 months old AGG

Seriously, time slow down!  How is it 2017?  How do I have a nearly 5 year old and my baby is about to start walking?!?!  Anna Grace has continued to be a happy, happy little lady.  Seeing this little smiling face everyday is good for the soul.

Weight:  22 lbs 3 oz (62th percentile) Up to 2lbs in 3.5 months

Height: 31 inches (59th percentile) Up 1 inch in 3.5 months
Head: 43.3 cm 

Eating:  Anna Grace is down to 3 bottles a day at home (when she wakes up, before nap and bed time).  At school they are trying to only give her a sippy cup!  Eating is definitely one of Anna Grace's favorite times of the day.  She still really loves to feed herself and will never say no to food....she'll just keep eating and eating.  LOL.  Some of her favorite foods are beans, any meat, apple sauce, lima beans and quesadillas.  She isn't a huge fan of fruit but likes most squeezy packets (I still make pureed fruit for her morning cereal).  She loves it when I make soup and still loves baby oatmeal cereal mixed with apple sauce for breakfast.              

Development:  Anna Grace is super close to walking!  About a month ago she started taking steps.  She can stand up from the squatting position (which means she finally started pulling herself up to the standing position).  Her favorite thing to do is crawl up the stairs.  NoT fUn!!!  Unlike her brother, this child has absolutely NO fear.  We were able to answer yes to most of the developmental questions at her 15 month check up.  She says mama and dada (and knows who is who), yes and this.  She shakes her head no when she doesn't want something (half the time she does it because she thinks it's funny).  She just started giving us high fives....she thinks it's hilarious!  

Clothes:  Size 4 diaper and clothes18 months (that big belly is hard to cover!).  Size 4 shoe

Sleeping:  Anna Grace has continued to do great sleeping in her room.  Most nights she is super easy to put to bed.   Bottle, rock her for a few minutes, and lay her down in her crib!  Baby girl goes to be around 7:30pm and wakes up between 6am-7am.  Unfortunately, we've had some rough nights over the last 2 months due to sickness.  But, on a normal day she does awesome!   Nap time is usually from 12-2.        

Things She Loves:  She still loves baby dolls, remote controls and my iPhone.  She loves playing with William and she'd crawl up the stairs all day long if you'd let her.  Her newest thing to do is share.  :)  Bath time is still a favorite and she's got to have a paci at night.  Daddy is also a top favorite these days.  "Daddy's Girl" is no joke.  She has him wrapped. around. her. finger.   

Things She Hates:  For whatever reason, she's not a fan of getting her diaper changed lately.  She always wants to be moving and this slows her down!  She tends to get frustrated when you don't do what she wants (since she can't tell us yet).  Sadly she shows us she's mad by biting.  She doesn't bite hard but puts her little mouth/teeth on you to get your attention.  LOL.  I laugh now....won't be funny if she starts doing it for real.  If you come to our house you'll probably hear William say "gentle baby" several hundred times.  :)                  

Health:  Poor baby girl has had some bad luck lately.  The week before Thanksgiving she started acting like she didn't feel well.  We took her to the pediatrician and everything looked okay (ears, throat, etc).  While we were in Texarkana she threw up at least once a day and ended up with fever one day.  A couple of weeks later, while in Midland, she had 104 temperature for two days and finally a Strep Throat diagnosis.  Christmas night Anna Grace started throwing up and has been on/off since then.  :(  Gordon had a stomach bug NYE, so I think they've been passing it back and forth.  During the day she is her smiley self and rarely complains/cries.  Night time has been rough, but hopefully we are getting all these germ bugs out of the way now and she'll have a stellar immune system very soon! 

Anna Grace still goes to Physical Therapy once a week.  She is doing great and has really taken a liking to Ms. Laura.  We had a good check up with Neurology today....now we just gotta get baby girl's eye straighten out (literally....hehe).  She may end up having surgery on them in the next year or two and will possibly be wearing glasses soon.    

Other:  Our little Anna Grace is finally getting some hair!  It's coming in a lot darker than William's did.  I'd love it if she had dark black hair (I know, I know the chances of that are slim).  She is constantly cutting a new tooth.  Right now she has 9.5 teeth (and some of her left side molars are trying to make their way out).  Our sweet baby girl is no longer in the "baby room".  The week before Christmas she moved rooms and has done great.  She was a bit spoiled in the baby room so we are super happy with how well she transitioned.  

This little lady just adores her big brother (can you tell!).  She is such a bright light and breath of fresh air in our life.  She keeps us moving, smiling and laughing!!!

Showering Anna Grace

Obviously, this post is super duper late.  LOL.  For whatever reason I forgot to post it all those months ago (June 2015 to be exact). 

My very best friends put together the sweetest baby shower for Anna Grace.  It was a hot summer afternoon in June filled with lots of pink!  At that point seeing tutus and bows still threw me off.  Deep down, I really didn't think Gordon and I would ever have a baby girl.  This party made me that much more excited for her arrival, and everything pink!   

Everything turned out perfect and her bow collection officially started (we just need her to get some hair now!).   

{Cristin, Alison, Me, Meredith, Rachel and Emily, not pictured: new mama Lindsey Z} {Gorgeous flowers and adorable cookies} {First monogrammed pillow} {Mimi and Nana} {27ish weeks}

We had such a great weekend celebrating Anna Grace!!!  There is truly nothing better than being surrounded by your family and friends.  Since this was around the time I was put on bedrest with William my nesting was in full force.  We spent the rest of the weekend painting Anna Grace's room, her furniture and hanging pictures on the walls.  When all the hard work was done we got to celebrate my dad's birthday!!!  It's a weekend I'll never forget. 

ONE year old!

Oh my goodness.  ONE!  I just can't even believe how fast the time has gone.  Right before this little cutie pie turned one she said BYE BYE to her fashion accessory, the pink helmet.  To be honest, I kinda missed it at first.  She just looked so cute with it on!  But, I'm super happy to be able to kiss on that head again.    

Weight:  20 lbs 2 oz (54th percentile)
Height: 29.8 inches (71st percentile)
Head: 43 cm (7th percentile...the highest it's ever been!)  

Eating:  Around her first birthday we started trying to cut out one bottle a day (4 instead of 5).  She does great at home but has a harder time at school.  At home she has a bottle when she wakes up, before nap (around noon), 4pm and 8pm before bed.  Right after her birthday we introduced cows milk to baby girl.  We started with her bottles being 4 oz breast milk and 2 oz cow milk.  She did great and hasn't seemed to notice/mind.  We are now doing half breast milk and half cow milk.  Anna Grace's solid food eating has really taken off.  One day she decided she was ready and started gobbling food up.  She loves to feed herself!  This girl loves everything she eats.          

Development:  On September 10th our little lady started crawling.  She had been working so hard at physical therapy, so this was super exciting.  Once she got the hang of it she was off....and hasn't stopped since! We had to answer no to most of the developmental questions at her 1 year check up.  She says mama and dada but not any other words and she isn't pulling herself into the standing position.  BUT, we know that she will get there soon.  

Clothes:  Size 4 diaper and clothes 12-18 months (18 month pajamas fit better)

Sleeping:  I finally gave in and moved Anna Grace to her room right before her first birthday.  I'm happy to say she has done fabulous!  I give her a bottle, rock her for a few minutes, lay her down in her crib and that's it, folks.  Such a good girl. :)  Baby girl goes to be around 8pm and wakes up between 6am-7am.             

Things She Loves:  She loves, loves, loves her baby doll.  She hugs it and pats its back.  When she's not dragging around her baby doll she is tossing a water bottle around or searching for a remote control to play with.  HAHA

Things She Hates:  Having things taken away from her!  She is a bit hard headed and very vocal about what she wants.  Definitely not as laid back as her brother was.         

Mommy Stuff:  Right after Anna Grace's first birthday I stopped pumping.  I was hardly making any milk by that time.  Getting my body to stop making milk after William was challenging, but for whatever reason, with Anna Grace at 10 months my body started slowing down.  That was around the time she started to refuse to nurse.  I guess my body knew she was done.        

Health:  Anna Grace got her first ear infection right before Labor Day.  As I mentioned before, neurosurgery released her from their service a week before her birthday.  Her head still has a flat spot but it is SO much better.  Luckily, most nights she sleeps on her stomach or side and avoids the flat area. I am so so happy to no longer have to drive to the med center for her helmet appointments.  :)

We fall more in love every day with Anna Grace's ever growing personality.  She has some spunk to her that is so fun.  On the other hand, she is such a lover.  Her smile is contagious and can brighten anybody's day.  There is something so strong and resilient about her.  I just know that this little lady is going to do big things.  At the end of every day I'm sad to say goodnight to her because she's just so fun to be around!
Happy birthday to our sweet baby girl.  God knew just what the Gooding house needed when he sent you.  ;)

Easter in West Texas

Since Easter was forever ago, and I've done a million and one things since then.....I can hardly remember what even went on over the weekend.  The day that we flew to Midland for Easter weekend was the day of Anna Grace's MRI of her brain.  Not a fun day.  They had a hard time getting an IV started on our poor baby girl, so she had to be stuck 3 times.  Since this is an area I really excel in as a nurse it came very close to me having to start her IV.  {insert crying emoji}  Luckily, one of my co-workers was able to help us out!  A few weeks later, I'm sad to say, I did have to poke our baby girl for some blood work that was needed.  I will say that we were happy to have the MRI behind us, and a long weekend in Midland ahead of us!  It was good timing to be in Midland with my family (aka help with the kiddos), so I could get phone calls made and emails sent regarding baby girl's health issues.

The Saturday before Easter we had the BEST time at the country club meeting the Easter bunny, doing face painting, eating lunch, watching a balloon artist and doing an egg hunt!  Watching William run after those eggs will be a memory I smile about for the rest of my life.    

Going to church on Easter Sunday, where I grew up, was just what my heart needed.  We are so very thankful for our children and the wonderful life God has given us.  To think that Jesus gave his life for us brings me to tears.  That we get to watch these sweet little people grow and learn is more than I could've ever asked for.  I always read things about people over using the hashtag #blessed.  But, it's the only way to put it.  Even when things have been scary with Anna Grace, and her future uncertain, we are so blessed to have her and William, just the way they are.  There really is nothing better than spending Easter with the people you love.

Anna Grace's Baptism

Of all my memories, and favorite moments, watching our children be baptized is at the top of my the list.  Being raised going to church and having a love for God is one of the greatest gifts my parents have given me.  It's what keeps me hopeful, what keeps me grounded and, to be honest, it's what keeps me sane in this crazy thing that we call life!  Teaching our children to love God will always be our top priority.  So, celebrating this fabulous day with our friends and family is the BEST. DAY. EVER!

We started the day off at the church where Gordon and I were married in 2010 and where William was baptized in 2012.  Little Anna Grace did a great job.  She wasn't a huge fan of the cold water being poured on her head, but she recovered quickly and thought Father Walsh was pretty interesting.  Father Walsh is also the priest that married us 5 years ago.  It's kinda neat since baby girl was born on our 5th wedding anniversary.

Anna Grace is a special baby girl.  After having a miscarriage I prayed for peace, prayed that I could trust and not worry, and prayed that God would give us another little blessing.  Everything about her is perfect.  She has given us a lot of scares with her recent health issues, but we wouldn't change a single thing about her.  God made her just for us, and we all adore everything about her.

The Hattenbach Family  |  The Gooding Family  |  Mama and Daddy with baby girl  

Not too sure about this cold holy water  |  Baby girl just taking it all in  |  Papa and Nana 

Sweet baby girl  |  Picture with her Godparents  |  William rather hang out with Uncle G

After the baptism ceremony we headed to Rice Village for lunch at Punk's.  We couldn't have asked for better weather!  It was beautiful outside.  This location is extra special because it's one of Gordon's projects.  The kids loved playing in the open green area, the food was delicious and everyone got a tour of Daddy's recent work.  

Cousin love  |  Sweet face  |  Dressed in her mama's Feltman bubble

Three of the Gooding girls  |  A few of the guys  |  My favorite girls

I call this guy my honey bunny  |  Love some Rachel time  |  Hanging with Grandad  |  Dekkers!

After lunch we headed home for nap time and to get ready to party with our closest friends!  A few months ago, while we were eating at Dekker's, I grabbed the singers card.  I loved that he sang a little bit of everything....country and John Mayer....can't beat that!  Lucky for us, he was available on the night of Anna Grace's baptism celebration.  We had the best time with our friends hanging out outside playing games, watching the kids on the play set and listening to some live music!  After years of throwing parties I got smart and hired 2 babysitters to help us watch the kids.  Best. Decision. Ever.  The parents were able to have more fun, we were able to catch up with each other, and I honestly think the kids had more fun than normal.  :)  

February 27, 2016 is a day we will never forget.  Every part of the day was perfect!  William talked about how much fun he had for days.  He loves having all his friends over to play and eats up all the attention he gets when we have family in town.  Too bad we can't do it all again.  :)

Anna Grace 6 Months Old

It's hard to believe Anna Grace is already 1/2 year old.  Every day with her is a happy day.  We feel so blessed to call her ours.  God sure knew what he was doing when he sent her to us. William is the best big brother and Gordon is turning into a fabulous daddy of a princess!

Weight:  15 pounds 5 ounces (34th percentile) up 3 lbs in 2 months
Height: 26.5 inches (76th percentile) up 1.5 inches in 2 months
Head: 40 centimeters (3rd percentile)

Eating:  The week Anna Grace turned 6 months old we started giving her cereal.  Unlike William, she knew just what to do what the spoon and food.  :)  I'd noticed that she'd become much more interested in what we were eating during meals.  So, it's not much of a surprise that she was a happy girl when she got some food!  After a few days of the cereal we gave her squash!  So far so good.  Anna Grace either has a 6 oz bottle when she wakes up around 6 or I nurse her.  She usually has 3-4 six oz bottles at school and then eats once more when we get home, before bedtime.     

Development:  Baby girl can move toys from one hand to another and although she doesn't babble much she has done it....I'm thinking she's like her dad, only talks when he needs to.  A week after she turned 6 months she rolled over from stomach to back.  I honestly don't think she'll ever roll over the other direction.  She absolutely hates being on her stomach.

Other:  Anna Grace was baptized at the end of February!  We had a great weekend celebrating her with our closest friends and family.  She also got to go to the rodeo carnival for the first time.  :)

Things She Loves:  She still gets swaddled at bedtime and sleeps like a champ 95% of the time.  She loves looking at mirrors and still adores her brother.  She will laugh hysterically if you kiss her belly or throw her in the air.  She also loves watching the older kids playing.

Things She Hates:  Besides tummy time there really isn't anything.  She definitely likes me the most but Gordon is starting to win her over.  This sweet little baby only cries if she is tired or hungry.  

From The Doctor:  I can't say that Anna Grace enjoyed her 6 month check up too much.  Poor baby hated the shots and wasn't a fan of the ear and mouth exam.  As I've suspected for a while, baby girl has torticollis.  We finally got a referral to see physical therapy and to see a specialist about baby girl's sweet little noggin.  Anna Grace has a few challenges ahead of her, but we are in the best town, with the best children's hospital, to get her what she needs!

Every, Single, Day,  This little girl amazes us.  She is a happy, lovable, cuddly, strong little fighter.

This quote has never meant more to me than it does now.....LET HER SLEEP FOR WHEN SHE WAKES, SHE WILL MOVE MOUNTAINS.

Anna Grace 5 months old

Baby girl will be 6 months old tomorrow!!  I figured doing this post late was better than not at all.  :)

Seriously, could she get any cuter?!?!  We are so in love with this happy little lady. 



Weight:  About 14 pounds 

Since I'm so behind on this post, I can't really remember exactly what was happening 4 weeks ago.....this will be a short post!

Eating:  Baby girl started eating 6 ounces every feeding!  A trip to the store had to be made for bigger bottles!   

Anna Grace is now wearing a size 2 diaper and 6 month clothes.  She has a super long torso!  Some of the 3-6 month tops don't cover that cute belly.  

Around her 5 month birthday I went back to working full time, 4 days a week.  Anna Grace used to cry most of the way home from school, but has started doing so much better!  I think we are all getting used to our new routine.  She seems to be super happy at school.  She always smiles at her teachers when I drop her off in the morning, she eats well and is even taking a good, long lunch time nap.  This makes the working mom thing a lot easier! 

As you can see in the pictures above, she loves chewing on her hands and shirts (thus all the belly pics).  William never chewed on anything, or put anything in his mouth that didn't belong there.  Looks like this will not be the case for our little lady!
She has continued to be an easy going, super happy baby!  She has us all wrapped around her little fingers. xoxo

4 Months Old

This sweet little angel sure does have my heart!  She has continued to be a sweet baby that loves to cuddle and be kissed on.  Here's a little update on Anna Grace at 4 months old....

All dressed up for church.

Caught a smile!

Weight:  12 pounds 11 ounces (17th percentile)
Height: 25 inches (71st percentile)
Head: 28 inches (3rd percentile)

Eating:  Things are pretty much the same in this category.  She usually eats 4 oz every 2-3 hours while she is awake.   Over the last few weeks she's started eating 6 ounces at a couple of her feedings.  I have no idea how much she eats when she nurses (which she does when she wakes up and usually after school)....I'm thinking she eats at least 6 ounces.  Her last bottle is around 8 or 9 pm before going to bed and she doesn't eat again until 5 or 6 am.  Some nights she sleeps until it's time to eat, but a lot of nights wakes up around 3 am and is really restless.  Her best nap is still around 12-3p.  She definitely sleeps better at home than she does a school.  At school, she usually doesn't sleep for much more than an hour at time.   

Development:  Baby girl loves to smile but still isn't talking/cooing much.  She's getting better about holding her head up, but does tend to want to keep her chubby chin down on her chest.  Unfortunately, she hates tummy time with a passion.  We've had to get creative with her!   She loves laying on her play mat and shaking her toys.  She kicks all around and smiles when she sees her reflection.

Other:  Baby girl had her first cold around Christmas time.  Luckily, she never got a fever, just a yucky nose and coughing.  She saw snow for the first time, went to church, and flew on a plane for the second time. 

Things She Loves:  Looking at fans, watching her big brother, chewing on her hands, kisses, bath time, going on walks, looking at the lights in her room, and being swaddled for bedtime.

Things She Hates:  Tummy time, cries when you turn the bath water off and when you get her out of the bath.  You know when she's ready for bed, she starts rubbing her eyes and crying (sometimes she even does this moaning/grunting noise as she sucks on her paci).  Once you swaddle her up she is ready to be laid down!  Some nights she'll want me to hold her, but I've noticed lately that she kinda wants to be left alone.  It's like she needs some time to relax on her own.  :)  

Big brother is still super in love with this baby girl!  Anna Grace is usually the first person he asks about in the morning.  When we pick her up from school William looks at her report sheet and says, "Good girl!  Mama, Anna Grace got a smiley face today."  There is truly nothing better than watching his love for her.  Melts. My. Heart.

She loves his kisses!

A proud, protective big brother.

Compared to our sweet William (as a baby), Anna Grace is a rolly polly.  I couldn't believe she was only in the 17th percentile for weight!  Regardless, they are both perfect in our eyes....and I sure do love those chubby cheeks and legs.  :)

Anna Grace 3 months old

Baby girl had an adventurous month 2-3.  We traveled to Texarkana for Thanksgiving where we spent 5 nights in a house full of family!  From there, we drove to Dallas and stayed the night at The Gaylord Texan Hotel.  The next morning we headed to Midland.  This was Anna Grace's first trip to West Texas, followed by her first flight home several days later.  :)  Busy.  We were really busy! 

10 weeks old

Love these two!

12 weeks, right before Mama headed back to work

Weight:  Around 12 pounds

Eating:  She is still eating about the same, and let me tell you, baby girl loves her mama's milk!  She usually eats 4 oz every 2-3 hours while she is awake.   Her last bottle is around 8 or 9 pm before going to bed and she doesn't eat again until 5 or 6 am.  Some nights she sleeps until it's time to eat, but a lot of nights wakes up around 3 am and is really restless.  Her best nap is still around 12-3p.  

Development:  We are getting more smiles these days!  At 11 weeks she started to get more active, kicking her feet and looking at fans.  Around this time she was still okay with tummy time.  She loves chewing on her hands (which makes me thinks she really would rather suck her thumb than her paci).     

This sweet baby girl loves to cuddle!  The two of us have had some really sweet days just laying around cuddling with the glow of Christmas lights in the house.  I know that these will forever be some of my favorite memories.  As I type this, Anna Grace is nearly 4 months old!  Looking back, I've decided that month 2-3 is one of the harder ones....they aren't sleeping all the time like newborns but you can't really entertain them with rattles etc yet.  Thank goodness for our Baby K'tan.

3.5 months old (we were a little late)