Time Out Boys

This is what happens when Matty and Carter end up in time out together :)  This time out was completely ineffective as Kristin and I cracked up laughing at them.  One minute Matty and Carter were arguing and the next they lovingly had their arms around each other.

Snow on the Beach

When Matty woke up this morning, I asked him if he wanted to take a ride down to the beach for a change.  He was so excited and started talking about building sand castles, his buckets and shovels and that he had to find his sandals.  I explained to Matty that it was way too cold, and we would have to wait for summer.  He burst into tears and had one of those toddler tantrums. 

We stopped by and picked up Grandma on the way which always guarantees a good time.  It was cold though... there was even snow on the boardwalk and beach!  But we had a great time.  Gracie Girl truly became a Delaware girl today when she enjoyed her first taste of Grotto's Pizza which, needless to say, she LOVED.

I told you she loved Grotto's!

I Love Her

Everyday Matty gently puts his arms around Gracie and says, "I love her."  It is one of those mommy moments that melts my heart and reminds me that the daily chaos is all worth it. 

Gracie follows Matty everywhere that she can and just waits for him to do something to make her laugh!

Now that Gracie is learning to walk, she takes a lot of falls.  This picture was snapped right before a nasty spill today :(

This is the face of a baby learning to walk - red marks, bumps, and bruises - but she keeps on going!

Finally!

We finally got treated to a day nice enough to play outside and not wear coats and hats!  It was over 60 degrees, so we made the best of it with an afternoon of playing outside.  We went for a wagon ride, took a trip to the park, and shoveled some leftover snow piles. 

Poor Gracie Girl is fighting a cold, but being outside really brightened her mood!

Gracie thought that Matty throwing snow all over the place was the funniest thing ever.  She was cracking up so hard that she could barely stand up :)

Happy 40th Birthday Grandma!

We had a double celebration today!  Not only did we celebrate Valentine's Day, but we also had a mini surprise party for Grandma's birthday!  I never got around to making the cupcakes, so we had ice cream with a candle instead.  I also screwed up the banner.  I didn't realize until we were hanging it up, that I bought the "Happy 40th Birthday" banner instead of just the "Happy Birthday" banner.  So, we pretended that Grandma was 40 again!!! 

Love, and Do What You Will

When I was going through the process of becoming Catholic, a Priest who I just love gave me the best advice ever - "Love, and do what you will."  I think about this almost everyday.  If you really follow this, it is amazing how much more pleasant the world around you becomes.

We have lots and lots of love in our little home, but today we gave each other a little more.  More kisses, hugs, snuggles, laughs, favorite breakfasts and lunches and dinners, special treats, more sugar than anyone needs, special little gifts.  Here are a few pictures of some of our fun day!

Matty modeling his new underwear from Grandma and Papa - haha!

Gracie modeling her new sparkle sneakers from Grandma and Papa!

More Handy Manny tools from Nanny and Pa!

My girl's got some wild hair!

Nothing could make the working man happier than real wooden blocks to build his "birdhouse".

Gracie is ELEVEN Months Old!

The party planning has begun and the invitations are out...  that only means one thing - Gracie is almost 1 year old!

Over the past month, Gracie has become much more mobile and gets into everything!  She has started pulling herself up, cruising along the furniture, pushing a walker, and even standing on her own for a few seconds!  She wants to walk so badly, and I have a feeling that it won't be long before she does!  She loves to stand up and bang dishes at the play kitchen and roll balls and cars around Matty's train table.

Gracie has been babbling (and screaming) for a while now, but she has recently said a few words!  She has said dada, mama, ball and hi.  She loves to look at herself in the mirror, wave and say hi!

Gracie isn't a snuggler like her big brother.  She doesn't enjoy hanging out in what Matty has made our "family bed".  She also doesn't like to be held while she is trying to go to sleep.  She does give lots of love though!  She shows her love by rubbing her face and upper body against us like a cat, and she even purrs when she does it.  She really melt our hearts when she does this and can get away with just about anything.

We can't wait for all the exciting things that Gracie will experience in the coming months!  We love her and Matty more than we ever thought was possible!

Sweetness

How did we ever get so lucky to have these sweet little faces to kiss everyday?





Taking Calls Already

It all started because Daddy lets Gracie play with his Blackberry.  Now she is taking calls on every phone in the house :)  She really has the hang of it at 10 months old.  She holds it to her ear and babbles away while making the funniest expressions.

And just a couple of pictures of our cute little chef...