Miller-Times: January 2011

VERY hard to believe that we have come full circle so to speak -
11 months!
It's been a year full of well...busy! Steve and I have learned a lot - not only about being parents but about each other. We've had to learn how to work together - I mean REALLY work together to make day to day living work and we've had learn to make time for one another.
All in all it's been very educational and I feel like we're graduating in a sense. We've survived a year and we really feel quite accomplished in that. The proof is in the absolutely amazing, completely captivating beautiful smile of our little lady and we are SO looking forward to what the next year will bring us! It's been an absolute joy watching Gracie hit milestone after milestone and to think we have really just begun this journey is incredible.
OK OK - so lets get to what you ALL really came here for & that is the (LONG overdue) update on Gracie!
This month was a LOT of fun. Gracie got to dress up for the first time for Halloween and in combination with that first was her very first party! Gymboree held a Halloween party and Gracie had an absolute blast!
As you can see:

And yes of course we ventured out for Trick-Or-Treating though Mommy & Daddy were really the beneficiaries of her score! Thanks Gracie! :)

Gracie spent lots of time working on standing and cruising using furniture, walls, chairs - available hands - basically whatever she could lay her hands on to get her around. She's learning very quickly that those chubby lil leggies of hers will move her around a lot faster than the hands/knees crawling gig.

Music is still an absolute favorite and Gracie will use whatever she can find to make it! Dancing is becoming more & more fun and she loves to shake that cutie lil bootie!

While it's getting more & more chilly we were still making it outside for some fresh air. Gracie loves our Saturday morning runs along the water.

Along with Gracie's increasing desire to walk, she definitely wants to be in the mix of it all - doing everything you do. That being said - Daddy decided to have Gracie help with vacuuming...

Sure - she's all smiles now but we will see how long those smiles last when it becomes a chore listed on her chart...ha!

More exploring...and of course the never failing fun of...

TUPPERWARE:

Gracie developed a bit of a cold so we decided to go to the doctor...she thinks she's just so cute! (she is)

And of course our lil lady is still a fabulous eater!

Gracie has lots more teeth now and as a result is able to enjoy just about everything we eat. She is pretty good about trying new things even if she doesn't always eat them. Hummus is a huge hit oddly enough and she can't seem to eat enough bananas! Little Monkey Moo love em!

She also really enjoys heading to the grocery especially when she gets to roll out in this pimp ride! Yes, I am THAT Mom in the grocery with the really annoying "car" cart that takes up half the aisle. She loves it though so I'm willing to be THAT Mom :)

Gracie's BIRTHDAY is this month! SO of course there was lots of prep and excitement over that. Gracie's big day started out with her (functional) gift from Mommy & Daddy:

Gracie LOVES to read and her library is rapidly expanding. So we decided to organize her space - in an effort to keep things a little more tidy...

So far so good...one at a ....

well...valiant effort - she really likes take ALL the books out!
Gracie was able to have a small family celebration at home before her BIG birthday party over the weekend - here are a few pictures from her pre-birthday birthday :)

(party details will come with next month's update)

Playing with Jane