20 Months Already?!

I'm writing this post because I really haven't written much lately about what's going on with Gracen. And there are several things she's doing I want to remember (and some I don't ;). I just really can't believe she's only 4 months away from 2! I really feel like we just had her 1st birthday. I'm not ready to plan another one!

So what's going on with Gracen:
- She gets up around 8:30 or 9. She's not a big breakfast eater, unless you make bacon and sausage then she'll surprise you.

- She talks all the time, but still not using many English words, yet. She is starting to broaden her vocabulary a bit, but it's a slow process.

- She understands nearly everything we say to her. It's really quite impressive to us! - She loves: our cat, our dog - Maggie, to carry my purse, bathtime, popsicles, her stuffed kitty, her PASSY, her cousins, putting on other people's shoes, bringing us the phone when it rings (and saying "uh oh"), to share her food, group hugs with Jeffrey and me at bedtime, going outside, waving at every car that passes, helping me carry whatever, playing and pushing buttons in the car, to be tickled and chased and "nearly" dropped, keys - used as screwdrivers (keeps her busy for a long time), real babies - not so much play ones.

- She really is very fun to be around. She has my most favorite laugh in the whole world!

- She takes a nap around 1:30 or 2, and sleeps 2 &1/2 to 3 hours. She's really pretty flexible right now as far as her nap. We can push it back or her bedtime back if we're in a situation that warrants it. She never is excited about bedtime, always finding things she forgot she needed to play with right then. We've often wondered how long she would last if we just let her go until she crashed.

She went #2 in the potty last week. I think it was more an accident than anything, but she did it! After I used the bathroom, she backed up to the potty and raised her dress. I put her on it and a few minutes later, she did her business. I think she was as surprised as I was. She hasn't done it since then, but we were both very proud!

- She will try just about anything we give her to eat, especially if she can dip it in something. My Summer's Resolution is that I'm going to serve a vegetable at every supper. This may seem like a no brainer, but before this week, I could not remember the last time I made a vegetable dish. So we've been eating our vegetables. Gracen's done really well this week. She'll try just about everything. And she's eaten steak, pork loin, roast beef, lettuce, broccoli, potatoes, and a couple bites of carrots. She really liked the lettuce and broccoli, especially when dipped in Ranch dressing. But I say whatever gets her to eat it is ok with me! I'm just so proud that she'll try it!

She also loves riding the mower with Jeffrey. This particular day she was getting a little close to naptime.

She found out how much fun the hair dryer can be...

...especially when plugged in an outlet.

She even fixed her daddy's hair.

Gracen Belle, we can't believe how fast you are growing up and how beautiful you've become. We love you so much and can't wait to see what the future holds for you!