"Show me your teeth."

These pictures just crack me up. Seriously.

And maybe you won't get the same enjoyment. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to record this memory.

These pictures are actually from about a month ago.

We had just finished our M&M experiment during our Letter of the Week: M.....and I was tending to Grace....and Geoff was trying to get Parker to smile for a picture.

I thought we had tried everything over the course of the past {almost} 3 years...."Say cheese!", "Smile!", "Look at Mommy!", "I'll give you some M&Ms if you'll smile!", "Pleeeease!!".

But leave it to my husband to think outside of the box on this one.

He would say to Parker, "Show me your teeth!"

Such an obvious thing to say....I guess.....but I'd never thought of it.

So anyway....I hear Geoff telling her this as he is having some fun with her taking her pictures. But at the same time....I'm not really paying attention to what is going on.

Later that night....after the kids were in bed....I uploaded the photos from the day onto the computer.

As I was going through them...I found these. And I couldn't help but laugh out loud at her faces. Even tonight....as I went through them again.....sitting here all alone.....I laughed out loud. Haha!


"Show me your teeth!!" It's a decent smile.


Ok.....so here's where her face starts kind of looking....ummm....scary??


Funny face. You can kind of see she is starting to get bored with/annoyed at the picture taking.

Here....she kind of looks....well...maybe you can guess it. I can't bring myself to write it. Bless her heart. ;)



This kid.

I just love her to pieces.


And since this 'smiling lesson' a month ago....I'd say we've gotten some pretty good smiles!

Nothing sweeter....

...than hearing your little one pray.

I just started saying prayers with Parker before bedtime a couple of weeks ago. I think it was long overdue.....but I let my insecurity (the devil) get the best of me.....worrying about the 'right' thing to say.

Sad, I know. Prayers should come from the heart and really.....what could I say 'wrong' to my 2 year old while praying?

I guess because I want to teach her the way to pray....and maybe I just don't really know how to go about that.

But anyway....

On that night....I told her we were going to say our prayers. I laid down beside her, turned off the light, and told her to close her eyes.

I said, "Dear Lord, Thank you for this day and for your many blessings. And thank you for Mommy and Daddy and baby Grace and Parker....and..." and I continued doing this until I went through the whole family and some friends.....then I said "Amen."

She sat so quietly throughout the entire prayer. Her interest was peaked.

When I was done....she quickly asked me to do it again. So I did.

Then I told her it was her turn. She was quiet. I didn't want to pressure her so I told her it was ok and got up to start singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" like I always do.

She said, "No, wait. It's my turn!"

So I laid back down beside her, and she said, "Dear Lord, thank you for my Mommy and my Daddy.....{and the list went on naming more family and friends}". Then she started saying, "....and thank you for my bed and my curtains and my ceiling fan and my clothes and my room. Amen."

I shrieked a giddy shriek inside my head and smiled from ear to ear. I thought to myself, "She got it!"

Every night since then....I have really continued to say that same prayer....but have since added to the beginning "...help Parker to listen to her Mommy and Daddy.....and help Mommy to be patient....and help Daddy to come home safe from work."

And pretty much every night since the first night we prayed together....she has chosen not to pray.

But tonight. Tonight....for some reason....she was ready. And this was her prayer...

"Thank you for my Mommy and my Daddy and my baby sister, and baby Grace, and help Mommy to be patient. And help Daddy to.......come home from work. Amen."

It seriously brought tears to my eyes. I told her it was beautiful...that she did a wonderful job.... and kissed her pretty little head.

My girlies.

It has been a while since I did a little 'photo session' with my girls. And since Tuesday...Parker was willing/wanting to hold her sister.....I took advantage.

Grace, however, was not as enthused.

But I love these pictures, nonetheless.....


{Grace} "Help me, Momma!!"


Love this one....

{Parker}... "Ummm....what am I supposed to do here???"

But she did just fine figuring it out all on her own....with, "Shh-sh-sh-sh...."

...and a sweet kiss....

Here....she was saying, "Here you go Grace. Here you go Grace." She was trying to get Grace to grab her finger so she would settle down.





It didn't really work. But it was definitely the thought that counted!

Grace @ 5 months

• She started out the month switching to size 2 diapers (and I put you in a size 2-3 diaper at night for the extra surface area!).
• She still wears 3-6 months clothes...although some of her sleepers are getting a little to short for her long body.....and so I put her in 6-9 month sleepers now.
  

• She is consistently sleeping from about 7pm until 4-5am...then sleeping until about 6:30 (my kids are up with the sun, I tell ya!)

• She started being able to push herself up with her arms over the past week. You've really made leaps and bounds! I think it will be soon when you will be able to roll over from your tummy to your back.

• She is really starting to recognize her momma and daddy....and if she sees me from across the room...she lets you know it by talking and cooing very loudly....even throws in a little threat of crying.
• Drooling so. much. Those teeth are surely going to pop through any time! I think her teething may be effecting her napping....or lack therof. ;)

• So happy. Loves everybody. Smiles all the time.
• Likes the exersaucer.

And these sweet feet....oh my....

• Loves her sister. It makes my heart melt every time she smiles at me....but even more so when I see her smile at her sister. What a bond they will have! For instance....we visited my Granny yesterday and I looked in the back seat to find this. {wipe tear}

• You rolled over for the first time from your back to your tummy on June 17, 2010. We were at Aunt Sis's and she laid Grace down on her back in the living room...then left her for about a minute to see what the rest of us were doing in another room. When she returned....Grace was on her belly. Kristin yelled out....she rolled over!! So I ran in there with my camera and took this shot...

________________

Grace Jean-

I don't really know what to say...other than what I always say. I love you so much. I am so blessed to be your mother.

Your personality is coming out more, amd you are still (for the most part) so laid back and easy going. You really only cry when you are hungry or tired.

I can't believe that another month has passed. I knew it would happen, yet still surprises me. I get excited about the milestones you will soon reach....yet become nostalgic for your newborn days (but in a good way). I pray that I will not take these days for granted.....and although some days seem so long.... the years are all too short.

I love you.

Momma

One of the perks...

...of having 2 kids....is watching them interact together. I love it!

And another thing.....they notice the different between other kids/babies and adults. Both Geoff and I danced around to see if we could get her to laugh....and all she did was look at us like we were crazy. However....we got a kick out of it! ;)

___________________________________________

I included this next video because I thought it was sweet how Parker wanted to put on her dres.....and then put Lovey in Grace's dress...and twirl. I also got a kick near the end of the video where she decided to pick her nose a bit! Ha!

this is such a fun age...

if i remember correctly....it wasn't that long ago that i was writing about what a challenge Parker had been for us.

and it seemed no sooner that i wrote that....that we had a reprieve. she suddenly became more well- behaved. the fits were fewer and further between. the whining was less. we all just seemed to be a little more on the happier side.

one day...as i was sitting on the couch feeding grace.....Parker was playing independently so well. i thought about how throughout her life i would find myself saying, "i love this stage! i love the things she is doing now! this is such a fun age!"

and i realized that it had been a while since i had said those words. and although this age is not without its challenges (as with any age, really)..... i also realized that this, too, was 'such a fun age.'

so i compiled a list of a few things that i love about Parker at this age that i don't want to forget:

• i love hearing her sing in her off tune voice. and each day she gets more and more words correct to the song that she is singing.
• i love how when we are reading her bedtime stories she will say things like..."but I want to go into the picture and touch Clifford {the big red dog}." or "I need that umbrella so that I can open it." or "I need to go into the picture so I can play in the rain with them." And then when I tell her that she can't go into the picture...she replies with, "Tomorrow. A-ter (after) my nap."....because as it were...we do a lot of things "after her nap."
• i love how she can have a full conversation with me....and they actually make sense! (most of the time!)
  
• i love how she is becoming more independent. not wanting help with putting her clothes or shoes on.
• i love that she thought when we released the butterflies that they were going to go and find their mommy and daddy. She was really concerned about where they were!
• i love cleaning up her kitchen set and putting everything in a place because I know how much fun it will be for her to pull everything out again (even though this doesn't really happen very often! :) and when i do this....i love seeing where she has put things and what she has 'made' (i.e. all of her little alphabet books are in the oven now....and her plastic easter eggs are in her muffin pan)
  
• i love how when i tell her to do something, I say, "Yes M'am??" in a stern voice. And she replies, "Yes Man!" I don't correct her. I know she will learn the proper way to say it eventually.
• just like when she says, "Please." Not so long ago it was "pwease." When did she figure it out? And it's bittersweet because I love that she has figured it out.....yet there is something sweet and innocent about her voice right now.
  
• and how every time I hold her...or she lets me rock her in our recliner while watching TV....I try to covet these moments....realizing full well I know they will eventually get fewer and further between....until this little girl grows up and no longer wants to sit in my lap.
• i love that she presses a button on Grace's toys to make them make music....then says, "Dance with me, Mommy (or Daddy)." And she keeps pushing them over and over again!
• i love that i can ask her to go get me something...and she does! she is so helpful {at times} :).
• i love how she always asks, "Mommy! What are you doing?" if she says it once, she says it a million times. seriously. within seconds of asking.... and us telling her what we are doing...she asks again. we then ask her, 'what do you think I am doing?" and she replies with what it is that we are doing. so she really already knows....but still feels compelled to ask!
  
• i love how during bedtime story time last night she kept pointing to something and asking what it was. i kept telling her it was a leaf that the little chicken was using as a kite. she kept asking and asking. i was almost getting annoyed. She would not let us turn the page. finally.... I realized that there was a ladybug that I could not see due to her finger. i said, "oh! that's a ladybug." and all was well. we were then able to move on! :)
  
• i love how after i read a book to her, she says, "My turn!" and then she reads it to me. I am constantly amazed at what she remembers....and how she even uses my voice intonation when she 'reads' it.
• i love how intently she watches me take care of Grace so that she can, in turn, do the same for her Lovey. it's truly priceless.
• i love her. and i love being her mother.

Sweet sisters.

Yesterday afternoon while Grace was napping, Parker and I played in the backyard. After about 45 minutes...we were ready to come in. Almost as soon as we came in...Grace was waking up.

I told Parker that she needed to go wash her hands (because we had been playing in bird seed, dirt, etc.) and then we could go get baby Grace.

She was all too excited to do this. She ran into the bathroom...I was picking up a little bit in the kitchen while she did this....I heard the water running (so I assume that she washed her hands)....the next thing I heard was her talking to Grace.

So I quickly ran into her room (I don't really like to leave the two of them alone! :) ....and this is what I saw....


Parker kept asking me to take more pictures. So I did.




Here...Grace's hand must have been brushing against Parker's neck because Parker kept giggling saying that Baby Grace was tickling her! Too cute.



Priceless.