Roth Family

Family Dinner

2011-10-08T23:39:00.002-04:00

We had a family dinner tonight at the Roth household and it was as always a fun time! We have the addition of Kevin to the group which makes it more of an even split between girls and boys!

Super Why!

2011-10-08T23:24:00.002-04:00

Grace is a huge fan of the show Super Why! and when she saw a poster of them at GVSU she said she had to go! There was a free kids night and we invited Pat's parents along for the fun- Grace loved meeting Super Why and Alpha Pig (and from the excitement on Pat's face, I believe he was too!)

Grandparent's Day

2011-09-24T21:02:00.002-04:00

While Pat was gone, my mom came down for the night and then went to Gracie's Grandparent's day with Pat's mom. They had so much fun! Grace was a spoiled girl with both grandmas there and also got to enjoy showing off her daily routine while they were there. I am stealing these pictures from Pam, one is of Gracie and her grandmas and the other is with her best friend from school, Lily.

The beautiful Riverwalk and home sweet home!

2011-09-24T20:53:00.004-04:00

I just got back from an amazing work trip to San Antonio and trying to play catch up again. We had a fantastic time and although I was sad to leave, it is so nice to be back home! I missed my sweet girls and Pat and came back to flowers and lots of love from all of them! Guess they missed mom being home! Pat did a fantastic job with the girls and keeping everything together while I was gone.

Here are just a couple picture from the fun!

The last week

2011-09-16T20:21:00.006-04:00

So, while Pat was enjoying a vacation in Minnesota with his family, enjoying these types of sights and activities...

I was, with the help of family and friends, dealing with two sick little girls! It was a crazy week, definitely not a week of fun pictures, I am happy to report that we have two little girls who are definitely feeling better and even got a couple cute pictures today! I do have some fun pictures from up north and Grandparent's Day at Grace's school, so I will share those later this weekend.

So happy to have our family back together and healthy!

Sweet sister cuddles

So grown up and such a great helper for me all week!

LOVE our girls!

Can you tell someone is very in love with her big sister?

Cuddling with Stephie (who was also a huge help this past week)

And this is the look I get everytime I take pictures of Ella!

Wrestling daddy...they are very happy to have him back!

WARNING: Child Spitting

2011-09-05T22:01:00.003-04:00

Oh blowing raspberries, now that Ella has mastered this, she loves to do it all the time! It can be quite gross when she gets going and it does not help that her big sister encourages. As the title of this blog implies, you have been warned!

Gracie the model

2011-09-05T21:41:00.003-04:00

Many faces of Ellla....

2011-09-05T21:34:00.005-04:00

...and she is so darn cute!

Fun Camera Phone Pictures

2011-09-05T14:16:00.007-04:00

Pat and I use different apps on our phones to edit pictures and we used it a ton this summer. Here are some of the best of the group!

Sweet Sisters

2011-09-05T13:43:00.004-04:00

After spending an hour going through pictures and videos, I could tell I had to do just one big post on the girls and how much they love each other and how much fun they have together!

This summer has definitely been a time of the girls getting used to each other, learning how to play together, and Grace learning to love that her sister follows her everywhere instead of being annoyed by it. I know this is not our forever, and that there will be a time when they probably want nothing to do with each other, but I am cherishing these moments. Seeing the two of them together makes Pat and I smile, fills my heart with a joy that I can not even begin to explain.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this summer. Also, at the bottom are two videos of the girls that crack me up! You even get to see at the end of one video that sisterly love is not always happening it our household!

Gracie is growing...

2011-09-04T23:44:00.006-04:00

....her hair out! No, really, she is definitely growing more than that! Sometimes she is growing up, helpful with her sister, excited to learn and start preschool this past week. Other times she is growing an attitude which includes talking back, hands on the hips, with her little pony tail shaking which mostly gets groans and sometimes laughter when she is not looking.

All in all, Grace is a sweet, polite, and very funny little girl. A mini Shawn I am told daily in looks and personality. She is full of life and laughter, usually the most talkative in a room, who loves to sing and tell stories. Sometimes she is very shy, almost nervous of what others think of her, especially in settings with other children her age. I know this is normal but I hope she keeps her spunky attitude and that we can teach her that really being who she is inside is more important that being accepted by all.

Some big things that have been happening with Grace this summer:

She is growing her hair out. This is really been her big thing this summer. She is a huge fan of the movie Tangled and decided she wanted long hair and no bangs to match the girl in the movie. At first I was horrified and dissapointed, I loved her cute little bob and bangs, I suppose I liked that they made her look younger. But I have to say she is pretty darn cute with her longer hair!

Here is a good comparison shot from last year when she started school and her first day of preschool:

Grace caught her first big fish this summer! She also stayed at Grandpa Craig and Grandma Cathy's for a week on her own which she loved! (PLEASE ignore me in the background of ALL videos that I post! This one is especially bad, I was very excited for her!)

Grace also had a visit to the dentist which she actually liked. She is at Grandma Pam's tonight and told her she needs to floss everyday! I suppose we may have a future dentist on our hands!

Grace got a new bike this summer from the bike store down the road. This was a huge and exciting purchase for our family since we love to take long family walks and this way Grace could keep up and still get exercise instead of sitting in a stroller. She LOVES her bike!

I guess the biggest difference in Grace is that she has become a mini mom to Ella. She loves to feed her, help change her, pick her clothes out, get her up in the morning, the list goes on and on! She is a blessing to me and when she is not around, Ella and I both don't know what to do with ourselves!

This last video is a little long but so sweet, she loves to feed her sister and if you listen closely, she says so many funny things as she does it. She is a sweetheart and this summer has sometimes been a challenge but for the most part we could not ask for a better little girl!

Ella Milestones- Summer 2011

2011-09-04T22:49:00.011-04:00

Miss Ella has grown so much this summer! Here are some of the major milestones to just catch everyone up!

Current Stats (September 2011)
Weight: 21 lbs (75th percentile)
Height:29.5 inches (90th percentile)

Her typical schedule at 10 months old is wake between 5:30-6 to eat, go back to sleep until around 7, nap at 9:30 for about an hour, lunch at 12-12:30, second nap from 1-3, dinner at 5:30, and down for bed at 8pm.

She was waking up at 3:30 am to eat until recently. Luckily, Pat loves the middle of the night feeding so I am very blessed! He loves the quiet time with her and it became something I think he will kind of miss now that she has given it up. But not that much!

Miss Ella got her first tooth right after our trip to New Orleans at the end of June. Poor grandpa and grandma dealt with some of the crabbiness that comes with teething but they were troopers and we came back to a cute little tooth sticking out!

Since then, the teeth have just kept coming! She now has 5 teeth! As you can see in the picture below, she has a very toothy little grin now!

Another big development is that Ella is crawling! She started doing this funny little butt in the air, trying to crawl move prior to actually crawling! She would do it a lot, look confused, and sit back down. This was the end of June, when she was about 8 months old.

In the middle of July, she finally got the crawling move down! She now follows Grace EVERYWHERE and is very speedy! Here is a fun little video of her and Gracie taken at the end of July.

She is very good at cruising and has actually take 5-6 steps at a time and seems very ready to walk! Watch out world!

Ella has become such a great eater this summer! She started with cereal (6 months) and was not a huge fan, moved to veggies and fruits (8 months) and she was a huge fan, and now at 10 months old is eating and she loves almost everything! We are starting on table foods very soon but at this point she is still eating jarred foods. The below picture is her face at every meal time!

Miss Ella has a lot of personality! Sometimes she can be so sweet but she definitely knows how to give attitude (kind of like her dad!) She really likes to observe others, especially her sister, and that trait is definitely like her dad. She loves to follow her sister around, anywhere, and if Grace is gone, she will crawl into her room and pull herself up by her bed looking for her. She loves to wave and has started to say hi, momma, and dadda.

All in all, I could hug and squeeze on Ella all day. She is such a sweet little girl, who loves to give kisses and hugs, and to be honest does not want to cuddle very much so I take what I can get!

This final video is from the last week and I think you can see some of Miss Ella's sweet personality and love for her sister! (and yes, my two girls are OBSESSED with Taylor Swift, to the complete horror of their father and happiness of their mother!)

We're back!!!

2011-09-04T22:19:00.005-04:00

It has been a very busy and fun summer and I have badly neglected this blog!

As Ella gets bigger and bigger and hits more milestones, I find myself going back to our blog to look up when Grace hit the same big milestones. I have depended on this blog to hold our memories and big moments for me to go back to again and again. I have done it so many times, I know Pat gets very sick of me saying "Do remember when Grace did ....."

So, time to get back to it! I am going to back date a lot of posts with some important milestones for Gracie and Ella and there have been a ton this summer. We have two beautiful and wonderful little girls who keep us busy and we have the pictures to prove it! Once I have caught up, I will do a post with all of the links of my new posts to make it easy to check out our summer!

I have been going through all of Pat and I's pictures from our phones and I found some really great pictures, here is one of my favorites, can you just see how much Miss Ella loves her big sister? Just a little sneak peek of the pictures you have to look forward to!

Do you think she will remember that yellow pool?

2011-09-01T22:30:00.000-04:00

Do you ever have flashes from your childhood of something and you know it must have been a big part of your life when you were younger? I have a feeling Grace and Ella will be remembering our little yellow pool as you can tell from the pictures below, the girls spent most of their summer enjoying the pool, the cool refreshing water, the fun of the slide, and just enjoying playing with each other!

First Sleepover!

2011-08-11T21:28:00.000-04:00

Grace had her first sleepover at a friend's house for Hannah's 4th birthday. Our whole family went for dinner then left Grace for the rest of the night with the Mehalko family. Reporting from Andrea is the girls slept in the living room in a tent, Grace was scared, Andrea spent part of the night on the couch, and then Grace joined them in bed very early. Still, for her first sleepover, we were all very impressed! The girls had a great time and Grace did not want to come home the next day! Next, Hannah comes for a sleepover at our house very soon! These pictures were from the pre sleepover when we celebrated sweet Hannah's birthday!

Funny Faces

2011-08-02T14:14:00.000-04:00

Hannah and Grace: 1 year later

2011-07-07T00:38:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a difference a year can make! Hannah and Gracie are still the best of friends and they are getting so grown up!

Good Bye Quin!

2011-07-02T19:52:00.007-04:00

My fantastic co-worker, Quin, recently left us for a new job and our office will never be the same. Quin and I have worked at housing for 6 years together and have been through a lot in those years. She is a wonderful worker, friend, and most of all, person. Our office will not be the same without her.

We showered her with lots of good bye parties and lunches. I thought I would share some of the pictures from all of the fun, although we are sad to see her go, we know she is on her way to bigger and better things!

First off was a pool party at Amanda's house! We enjoyed a day of lounging at the pool, competing at bean bags (which Quin and I got our butts kicked at- 3 times!), and a yummy dinner.

We then had a surprise party at the college and Quin was shocked! She thought she was meeting me for a meeting with another co-worker and came prepared with her pen and paper, it was hilarious! Definitely a moment to remember!

We will miss you Quin!!!

New Orleans

2011-06-25T00:19:00.000-04:00

AMAZING. I think that sums it up! In all seriousness, this was such an amazing and fun trip for Pat and I. We went with two of Pat's co-workers and their significant others and it was such a fun group! We stayed right in the French Quarter, in a beautiful hotel with a rooftop pool. Okay, I will stop bragging! It was amazing and the best part was it was free because Pat was there for a conference.

I spent time exploring the French Quarter with the other ladies during the day, reading by the pool, and enjoying my nights with my husband exploring the city! We did one night on Bourbon Street which was quite the experience. All in all, it was a great trip and I want to go back so bad!

Enjoy some pictures from our adventures!

Swimming Lessons Round 3!

2011-06-19T21:28:00.003-04:00

Grace is enjoying swim lessons so much and after her 3rd round we decided to stop for the summer and do something different. She loved her teacher Miss Ashley and we hope that we will get to see her next session!

Grace has become a little fish, very comfortable in the water, and Miss Ashley even said she almost taught the last safety class! The whole family went to her last session to cheer her on!

Cell Phone Pictures May-Now!

2011-06-17T18:43:00.009-04:00

Pat and I take a ton of pictures with our cell phones and I thought I would share some fun pictures from the last couple months. Lots and lots of cute little girls if you take time to look! I am going to start with just Pat's phone, there is more than enough to share from just his!

Always in my corner...

2011-06-13T21:25:00.009-04:00

On May 16th, this world lost an amazing woman to heaven. My Grandma Lyons passed away from lung cancer and heaven is blessed to have her as I know many here on earth have broken hearts from losing her. I know I am one of those people.

To put into words how much my grandma meant to me is impossible. I can tell you about her and how she impacted my life in such a big and positive way. I grew up on a campground that my grandparents owned and my parents operated. My brother and I spent endless hours with my grandparents as they lived right next door. They were our best friends growing up, always there to watch a performance, play cards, or go for a bike ride. We were so blessed to have such young grandparents who had the energy to keep up with us! The memories I have are endless and I cherish them with all of my heart.

As I grew up, I could always count on my grandma to be that one in my corner no matter what. She always saw the good in others, never a bad word to say. I could always count on her to give me a pick me up when I needed it, never a moment of doubt that I could count on her to be there for me.

At my wedding, we did an anniversary dance and my grandparents were the ones to "win" for being married the longest. They raised four sons and lived to tell about it after over 50 years of marriage, I can only hope Pat and I will have the same success in our marriage.

Introducing my grandma to her great granddaughter was such an amazing feeling. I am so glad that Grace got to meet and spend time with her. I can only wish that the same could be said for Ella. I would send cards each month with notes on how we were doing and tons of pictures of the girls. My grandma did not have the internet and this was my way of helping her see the girls grow as our travels up north were limited. At the funeral, I was so surprised to see an album filled with all of the cards and pictures. It meant so much to see that she kept them and would look at them.

I so wish I could go back in time and just see her one more time. To say good bye, to tell her one more time how much she meant to me, and how I was so blessed to have her in my life. Good bye Grandma, you are so missed.

75th percentile girls!

2011-06-13T21:07:00.005-04:00

I wanted to get the girls stats down before I forgot them! We took both girls for their check ups about two weeks ago and it was quite the experience! Six shots between the two of them, not a lot of tears, and great reports for both!

Grace (4 years old):

Weight: 38.5 lbs (75th percentile)
Height: 41 inches (75th percentile)

Ella (6.5 months old):

Weight: 18.5 lbs (75th percentile)
Height: 27 inches (75th percentile)

Finding the time..

2011-06-12T21:34:00.004-04:00

We have had a lot of changes occurring in our household and I am hoping to share good news very soon about these changes! Add on top of these "changes", two very energetic children, house and yard work, a garage sale, traveling to see friends/family, beautiful weather, and you get a blog that has been badly neglected!

I am going to do some posts regarding some things that have occurred in the past two months- promise! But first I wanted to share some really cute pictures of the girls that we had taken by Christina at www.closertotheheartphotography.com. Christina has taken pictures of Grace before here and here.

She is amazing and the pictures this time were amazing once again! She took pictures of both girls and some family pictures. There were soooo many pictures to choose from but to see my favorites you can go here . I have spent hours going through the pictures and they capture our girls and their personalities which is what I have always loved about Christina and her technique. I think the new picture in our blog header is definite reflection of our two girls and makes me smile every time I look at it.

I promise to be back soon with some new posts. I know so many different people, family and friends, who have said they miss my updates on our very busy life so I will take that as a compliment and get back to it! I will leave you with one more picture of the girls...

Easter 2011

2011-04-28T20:14:00.004-04:00

We celebrated Easter this year by going to church with Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pam- the service was amazing! Their pastor is great and he gave a wonderful service! Afterward the children did an Easter egg hunt which Grace loved! We headed to their house for lunch and then relaxed until it was time to go home. The girls looked adorable and we got a lot of compliments on their cute dresses. All in all, it was a fantastic Easter!

Sweet Gracie in her pretty dress

LOVE this picture of the girls!

Such a happy girl!

Daddy with his girls

Sweet sister kisses!

Enjoying a drumstick :)

The final picture cracks me up, it is Grace and Grandpa Tom playing Tangled! Oh, the things Grandpas will do for their granddaughter!

Gracie turns 4!

2011-04-24T20:40:00.008-04:00

Tangled was the theme, family was there to celebrate, and Miss Grace had a blast! Her 4th birthday was relaxed and she loved every minute of it. We even made a trip to Chuck E Cheese afterward for some fun for Grace and all the big "kids"!

My dad and Grace had some yummy breakfast day waffles with pink sprinkles to start off the day! (Way too many sprinkles in my opinion, but Grace was happy- and on a sugar high all day!)

Grace asked for a Tangled theme this year, it is her favorite movie and she is currently trying to grow her hair out like the girl from the movie! We kept everything really simple this year and let her pick out all of her decorations.

Miss Ella was also excited for the party! We had my friend Amanda stop by to give Grace two of her favorite gifts for the day, the Tangled doll and Tangled pajamas!

This picture is of Grace opening her card from us. I think she was more excited about the card then the present! It played a song from the Tinkerbell movie and she keeps it in bed with her every night!

Aunt Ashley and Grace are great friends and if Ashley is there, you know Grace will be right next to her! This was them anxiously waiting for the gift opening- or at least Grace was anxiously waiting!

Ella fell in love with Stephanie's boyfriend, Mike, and got in some nice cuddles while everyone was eating!

Now for the gift opening! Lets just say that Grace got a lot of goodies!

LOVE this picture of Grace! Such a ham!

Since Steph's birthday is the day after Grace's birthday, we always do a combined celebration!

We tried to get some group shots but after present opening, cupcakes, and the promise of leaving for Chuck E Cheese, they turned out really funny!

Now for the real fun- Chuck E Cheese! Well, actually it was crazy and not as much fun as we have had in the past, but the birthday girl loved it and that is all that matters!

Overall, Grace's birthday this year was exactly what we wanted- relaxed, filled with people that love Grace, and with a theme she wanted!

Playing catch up...

2011-04-24T20:07:00.009-04:00

After a very busy couple weeks since returning from Florida, I have finally decided to take on the task of catching up! Lots of pictures, a couple birthdays, a ton of fun, and a cute little girl on a scooter! Enjoy!

The Friday after we returned from Florida I turned 30! We had planned to go out with a bunch of my friends but I decided that it would be fun to surprise Pat by inviting some of his friends and getting him an ice cream cake since it would be his birthday early April. We had an amazing time and we enjoyed every minute of our adult only night!

My sister in law had her birthday the day after and she and my brother came to visit before they went to The Chop House- so jealous, they said it was super yummy!

In all the craziness of birthdays, Miss Ella started to grow so quickly! She even started to like standing and holding on to things! Gracie is always there to help and loves her little sister so much! Pat and I keep trying to predict when it will all change, when they will fight, but for now we are just enjoying watching them together.

Ella also started eating cereal in early April but was not a huge fan. She is just like her sister, not very interested in cereal, thinking we will skip right to veggies and fruits very soon!

I took an 8 hour road trip in one day up north to go to my best friend Tracy's baby shower! She looks adorable and I can't wait to find out what she is having in May! My good friend Beth came along for the ride and enjoyed getting a peek at the town of Hillman!

That finally takes me to Miss Grace's 4th birthday which I will put in a separate post since I have so many great pictures! You will see cute pictures of that girl on a scooter in the next post! So, we are finally caught up!

Florida Trip!

2011-04-23T21:25:00.000-04:00

This post is long overdue but here it finally is!

We had an amazing trip to Florida to see my parents mid March. The weather was sunny and mid 80's the whole time we were there. The campground they are at for the winter is filled with fun things to do and we enjoyed our time there. I will try to narrate the pictures below with some of the fun things we did and just to remember our first family vacation with both girls!

The flight to Florida started a little bumpy but we made it through! We were told a 4 hour delay and this is the response we got from Grace:

(sorry for the bad quality, taken with the camera phone)

Things got better when it turned into only a 2 hour delay and the plane ride was fantastic! Both girls were amazing and it went smooth from that point on. (Lets be honest, an iPad definitely makes flying a little easier with a 4 year old!)

We arrived in Florida to meet my parents on Wednesday night around 7pm. It was so good to see them since we have not seen them since Christmas. They could not wait for some great Grace and Ella time! They rented us a place at the campground and Gracie stayed with them at their camper. It was a cute little place and air conditioned which was so needed since it was so warm out!

Every morning began with waffles and oranges with Grandpa Craig when my parents did not have to work. They did have to work a couple days so we got a little time on our own to enjoy the pool, relax, and take lots of long family naps!

Grace and Ella had a lot of bonding time on the trip! They played, giggled, and enjoyed playing at the playground and the kiddie pool.

We did have a couple bumps and bruises. Below is a picture of Gracie after taking a fall, she wanted to show off her skinned knee! Shorts + pavement + lots of running = bumps and bruises on the knees!

Grace was also a little fashionista at the pool, she was always decked out in her sunglasses, sun hat, and cute bathing suits. Lots of sunscreen, oh course, have to keep our little pale lady safe from the sun!

Post nap time was filled with Curious George. LOVE the below picture of Gracie and Ella, they loved to cuddle on that chair.

Pat and I got a date night one night and before leaving we got a family shot. We also got one of the two of us, we had so much fun that night! We went to dinner at the bar by the pool and had some drinks. Afterward, we went swimming at dark, it was so fun! Grace and my parents met us at the end and Grace went swimming with us. It was a perfect night!

We also got a shot with my parents with the girls that night, can you tell it had been a busy day and night? This was the crazy but wonderful picture we got with my parents.
Miss Ella learned a new trick on this trip- how to sit on her own! She was really good at it near the end of the trip.
We spent out second to last day in Florida going to the aquarium and to the beach. It was a fun day and we love the aquarium. I especially loved the dolphins! The beach was a short visit since we had Ella but Grace loved playing in the water. It was the first time either girl had been in the Gulf of Mexico!

We obviously made it home safely and our trip back was very uneventful except for coming home to an ice storm! I will end with the below picture of the girls enjoying a game of who can hold on to their feet the longest! This was definitely the best family vacation and it felt like we were finally complete with Ella there. I can't wait to head back to Florida in the future!

Happy 4th Birthday Gracie!

2011-04-17T17:58:00.004-04:00

So far behind in blogging but I have to take a moment to wish my sweet girl a happy 4th birthday! It was filled with family and even some friends and she is very loved! We love you Miss Grace and this picture of you on your 4th birthday sums up your personality- full of energy and happiness!!!

Right around the corner...

2011-03-13T21:57:00.006-04:00

With our trip to Florida coming up quick and lots of big birthdays after that, I know I am going to have a ton to blog about when I get back. So, I am going to try to catch up really quick with a picture blog/update of our lives!

Some pictures of the girls, Ella is in love with the toy she is holding, we always have in the car seat because she is amazed with it! Gracie has been bringing home art work from school and there are a couple pictures of things she has made! She found out this week she is being moved up to the next level at her preschool and she is so excited but also nervous!

I just have to say I get so much more done with two kids than I did with one! So many people told me having two would take up so much more time but in our case it could not be more of the opposite! The picture you see below of Grace and Ella is just typical day at our house except you may see a similar picture of Ella's crib, them playing on the ground, or by the jumparoo! Grace is the BEST babysitter ever, she loves to play with Ella and entertain her!

Here are a couple close ups of Miss Ella. Her cheeks are getting so chubby and her eyes are just beautiful! She is starting to look a little more like Grace but with less hair at that age!

One of our good friends, Beth, came over for a visit on Friday night and we had such a great time! She had just got back from Mardi Gras so she indulged two old foggies with her stories! She also gave us some much needed rest from the girls and spent a lot of time with them. Pat made an amazing meal, pork chops with cinnamon apples- YUM! We love a visit with Beth and she can come back anytime!

On Saturday morning, Grace got to be a princess and go to the Princesses on Ice show! Our daycare provider, Tina, who is amazing, took me and Grace and we had so much fun! Grace loved it even though she got a little antsy in the middle.

Sunday was a visit to Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pam's to celebrate my birthday early. Doesn't Grace look like such a big girl in the below pictures? She is getting so big, almost 4 years old, I can't believe it! W went to The Grillhouse for lunch and it was delicious! Ella slept through the meal so it was very relaxing! We then went to their house for cake, ice cream, and presents!

I will leave you with a picture of Ella, she was all cleaned up after a bath and super relaxed! She is starting to love bath time, finally! She hates laying in the tub so we sit her up and now she is actually not screaming the whole time!

4 months old

2011-03-11T20:30:00.000-05:00

We are little behind but I wanted to give a 4 month update on Ella! I had to post the picture above because it so sums up Miss Ella right now! She is such a ham, smiles and giggles constantly, and is seriously one of the sweetest babies! She is also such a chunk, check out those cheeks! She is definitely a growing girl! We had her 4 month appointment last week and here are her stats:

Weight: 14 lbs 14.5 oz (75th percentile)
Height: 25.5 inches (95th percentile)
Clothing Size: Currently in 6 months but now moving into 9 months

She is very healthy overall although she was battling her first real cold at the time. She is hitting all the milestones and we could not be happier with how she is growing, such a healthy girl!

One of the best things we learned this week when we came back for her shots was that she is ear infection free! You might remember that Miss Grace had a ton of ear infections when she was little, every time she had a cold we could count on an ear infection to follow it. It was so sad to see her in so much pain. So when Ella got an ear infection at the young age of 3 weeks old, all I could do was worry that we were headed down the same path. So imagine my surprise when we had Ella's ears checked after a week of really bad congestion and they were infection free and did not even have fluid backed up in them! The doctor indicated this is a great sign that her ears are draining correctly and that ear infections should not be a common occurrence. Such good news!

She has rolled over, loves to hold toys and play with rings, is very close to rolling from back to stomach, and hates tummy time with a passion! She loves her sister and just giggle when Grace plays with her. They love to play peek a boo with a blanket and play in Ella's crib together.

Life with Ella is amazing, I love having two little girls and can not wait as each month brings more and more fun!

Round of sickness and ready for some sun and fun!

2011-03-10T21:38:00.003-05:00

We are at the tail end of our first big round of sickness this year in the Roth house, Ella and Grace were both hit hard but are on the mend thankfully! It made for a long two weeks with little sleep but I am so happy to see my girls getting back to normal.

On a good note, we head to Florida very soon! I know my MIL would kick my butt if I put when since we may get robbed but lets just say it is getting very close! My parents are there and we get to stay at the campground they work at during the winter which has an Olympic size pool, huge water slide, 2 huge hot tubs, and so much more! Can you tell we are excited? Flying with two little ones will be interesting but we have a direct flight so that eases a lot of concern on my part. I can not wait for some sun and fun!!!

Very little picture taking has been occurring in our house, I mean, who wants to see pictures of poor sick little ones? I did take some today, Ella is getting so big! I will do her 4 month update sometime this week, where has the time gone?!?!

So thankful...

2011-02-27T20:33:00.002-05:00

Hugging my little ones a lot closer this weekend. A young woman who I know of through my brother and his wife passed away on Friday. She was diagnosed with cancer in May 2010 and after a hard battle she was taken by our savior to heaven. Her daughter turned 1 yesterday, the day after she passed.

My heart breaks for her husband, daughter, family, and friends. Through many testemants I have read, she was a woman of great faith, determination, and hope. Her saying was "Smile for my strength". If you are interested in donating to her family, please go to her website at www.loveforleanna.com.

I have had a hard time wrapping my mind around this situation and the sadness I feel for Leanna, her husband, and daughter, has been something I am constantly thinking of and praying for them. A friend of mine told me of the words to a song she heard that helped her with situation and I thought I would post the video with lyrics here. It is Chris Rice's Untitled Hymn and the words make me cry every time I hear them but give me hope that Leanna is in a better place.

That is one funny dog.....

2011-02-21T19:58:00.001-05:00

Grace, 2007:

Ella, 2011:

Rough Week

2011-02-18T21:47:00.005-05:00

It has been a rough week around here and I have to admit I am glad the week is over.

If you have some time, please say some prayers for someone at work I care about a lot, someone who has stood by me through thick and thin these last 10 years, and is going through a lot right now. I feel very helpless in the situation and I am looking for guidance on how I should proceed and hoping this weekend I can come to some peace on what to do. It is hard when you see up close how unfair this world can be and how others will turn so quickly on someone when they are down.

But on a good note, I have two sweet little girls to cuddle on and a wonderful husband who listens to my daily rambling on the same subject over and over! Here is our last weekend and week in pictures!

Our dancing diva

Our sweeties enjoying a sled ride

Pat and Gracie enjoying a sunny day

Ella was about done with the whole outside thing!

Bedtime routine includes naked Ella time and giggles!

Love this one, she is such a sweetie!

Gracie wanted crimped hair for Valentine's Day so she got it!

Sorta sweet sister cuddles, not sure how Ella feels about it!

Scary Gracie picture!

Rough housing as usual, so many giggles, makes for a happy household!

Swim Lessons

2011-02-16T20:00:00.003-05:00

Grace started swim lessons last month and she loves it! I have to admit Pat and I fight about how gets to go watch, it is so much fun to watch her learn, makes me want to take swim lessons it looks like so much fun! Pat finally said he didn't feel creepy bringing the camera last week and took some pictures. Enjoy!

One year ago...

2011-02-14T19:21:00.003-05:00

I think sometimes it is really hard to really put into words how much our lives have changed in the last year. Exactly one year ago, we found out that we were having another baby. It was quite the journey to even getting pregnant. With Grace, we were blessed to have an easy time and to be honest were shocked when we found out we were pregnant! The journey to having a second child was a little more complicated.

After 5 months and a miscarriage the month before, we were feeling discouraged and sad. The easy time we had with Grace had given us a false idea of how quickly baby #2 would be here and it was so hard to keep the faith at times. We thought there was no chance for us for February but I decided to test in the early morning of Valentine's Day.

Now, tests are not cheap, and Pat had put a firm rule on no more testing unless we were very sure we were pregnant! I am not sure what made me test that morning, but I had this weird feeling that I would be giving great news to Pat for that Valentine's Day! So, at 3am that morning, I took the test and obviously it was positive! I could not help but wake Pat up, I was so excited, and his response was appropriate, excited but tired and ready to go back to sleep!

Now, one year later, I look at both of my sweet girls and can't help but smile thinking how I felt 1 year ago, the hope, the excitement, and joy we felt as a couple knowing that we were going to be parents again! We are so blessed and thank God every day for the two little girls we have in our lives.

Date Day

2011-02-05T22:35:00.004-05:00

Pat won tickets to the auto show so we decided to take advantage and do a date day while Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pam watched the girls! I decided to take some pictures of the girls before we left and Ella was not too happy about it!

Yes, I know Grace still needs a hair cut, it is on the docket for this week! She is growing her hair out, she says like the girl from Tangled, and it so fun to actually do things like braids again. Her bangs are OUT OF CONTROL, though, and it is driving both of us nuts!

I was a little apprehensive about making out date about the Auto Show but it was actually fun to check out all the cool cars and nice enough outside to take a long walk and just enjoy some time alone. The girls had a blast with their grandparents and there were tears when they had to leave!

Then this afternoon we enjoyed breakfast for dinner, one of Grace's favorite, and her favorite part of putting a face on it with fruit and yogurt!

After we had the girls down for the night, we decided to finally watch The Social Network, which everyone has been raving about and we both enjoyed it. Overall, a very enjoyable Saturday!

Love these girls and rolling, rolling, rolling!

2011-02-04T21:05:00.003-05:00

Love my girls! This week, even with some sickness and teething mixed in, was pretty wonderful at home. Grace was such a great helper and Ella is such a happy and fun baby, even when teething! Life is never perfect but these last two days only reinforce how happy I am with my decision to stay home. This is where I belong right now and it feels so good to feel confident in this decision!

Here are some sweet pictures of our girls!

And for an exciting development, Miss Ella rolled over for the first time today (well, the first time caught on video!). It feels like just yesterday we were screaming with excitement over Grace rolling over! Here is a sweet video of Grace encouraging Ella to roll over!

Snow Day

2011-02-03T22:05:00.002-05:00

Due to the incredible amount of snow we received this past Tuesday night into Wednesday, Pat had a snow day! We spent the day relaxing, Pat and Grace took a trip outside to play, and we ventured out in the afternoon so Grace could play at the mall, which was like a ghost town!

Sneak Peek and a Weekend Update

2011-01-30T20:36:00.007-05:00

We are in the process of trying to clean and organize our downstairs, it has slowly filled with toys, clothes, and books in the last 6 years! We started with the playroom, trying to get the toy, stuffed animal, and book situation under control! Here is a picture that gives you a general idea of what we faced when we started this morning:

After a couple hours of work, which included Grace figuring out what bins everything would go in, we finally have a semi complete room! We still have a couple things to hang for decorations and need to buy one more bin (not sure how two college graduates, one who happens to be a math major, could not count the right number of bins, but we did!) but for the most part it is done! LOVE how it turned out and it was super cheap to do since the system we bought was on sale at Target this week! Here are some pictures to enjoy!

Since we knew Sunday would be a busy day of organizing, we enjoyed our Saturday by meeting up with Pat's parents to enjoy a yummy lunch and then went to the 1st birthday party for sweet baby Mae- I can't believe she is a year old! Overall it was a fun day and a great way to end the month of January!

Ella rocking the headband look before heading to lunch!

Grace looking sweet but also very tired at lunch!

Grace showing off the pouty look, we have seen it a lot lately!

And for a final picture of Grace, this is definitely the look we get the most lately!

Sweet baby Mae, the birthday girl

Pat and Grace totally killing the wheelbarrow race!

Baby Mae opening her gift from us, a sweet tutu to dress up in!

Week in Review

2011-01-28T21:07:00.007-05:00

Oh what a week!

After a weekend filled with sickness, we spent Sunday with Pat watching the Bears lose what turned out to be a close game and me watching How to Train your Dragon with Grace and Ella. LOVE this movie! Even Ella enjoyed it, Grace insisted she cuddle on the couch with her!

Luckily the sickness has left the house and we enjoyed the last week of Pat and I sharing stay at home duties- I think he loved it but is happy to be going back to his regular 5 days a week work schedule where he comes home every night to give some love to the girls in his life!

Sweet sister cuddles were caught on camera one morning! (I swear no babies were hurt while capturing this picture!)

Sweet smiles, baby cuddles, and cute toddler antics filled our week in between our days at work.

Seriously, how big is Ella getting? Doesn't she look big? She is definitely teething, a lot earlier then I remember with Miss Grace, and it has created a bib shortage in our home!

Now, this one, although cute, as you can see below, has been giving her parents a rough go of it this week! Everyone keeps saying it is the age, I am hoping this is true! She is testing, testing, testing us, but so far, I feel like we are keeping a slightly upper hand. So, I am going to call it a win for the parents right now! (as a large garbage bag of her toys are sitting on ground next to me waiting to be reclaimed as her behavior improves!)

One of the highlights of the week is swimming lessons for Gracie! She is currently taking lessons at the YMCA and this was her third week. There is only one other student in the class with her which is so nice, she just loves it! We are getting her prepped for our trip to Florida in March to see Grandpa Craig and Grandma Cathy- she is so excited!

Here she is rocking a bathing suit that was handed down by my wonderful friend Amanda and her three daughters- Grace seems to think a trip to the pool is a fashion show and takes it very seriously!

Yes, I know the kid needs a hair cut, that is on my to do list for next week!

Now Pat and I are having a relaxing evening while Miss Ella is sleeping and Gracie is having a sleepover at Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pam's house. I just received the below picture, it cracks me up, I have to say, she definitely knows how to tire a person out!!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful week!!!

12 Weeks Old

2011-01-23T20:56:00.004-05:00

Ella is 12 weeks old today! This is what Miss Ella is up to:

She is one of the smiliest babies I have ever met! She wakes up with a smile on her face and rarely does it leave unless she is really hungry or tired. Such a happy girl!
She has now rolled over a couple times, only for Pat and Grace, I have yet to see it! I keep telling Pat I don't believe him. LOL
She is such a great sleeper at night but is still hit and miss with naps during the day. She does down every night between 7:30pm-8pm and sleeps till usually around 4am-5am, is up to eat, and then back down till around 8am. Not all nights go like this but for the most part this has been her schedule! She refuses to nap for Pat, maybe 15-30 minutes here and there but that is it. She will consistently take good long naps for me (keep telling Pat she is a momma's girl!)
She LOVES her big sister already! If Grace is near her, she is watching her and will give her big smiles. Grace will sit on the ground while Ella is on her playmat and the two of them will play forever. Love seeing them together, always makes me smile.
She is eating every 2-3 hours about 4 ounces. She has been eating the same for quite a while now, I keep waiting for her to want it upped or want to eat on longer stretches, but so far she is very consistent!

She is a dream baby, sometimes it makes me think we could do this again! Then Pat reminds me that once we have 3, we are outnumbered, and he does not want to go down that road!!

Quality Time

2011-01-22T21:32:00.003-05:00

Pat was lucky enough to get paternity leave when Ella was born and has been able to have a lot of time with the girls! This past month he has had two days a week where it is just him and the girls while I work and he has really been enjoying it! This past week, Pat had a day with just Gracie and they went to the museum and had a blast! I am so happy that he has this time to have one on one time with his girls, they are so blessed to have such a great dad!!!

My new bosses!

2011-01-21T21:31:00.005-05:00

After a lot of planning and careful consideration, our family has decided that I am going to be a full time stay at home mom!!! This is such a huge decision and it just feels right, I feel so blessed to have a husband that supports this decision and to have the freedom to spend this time with my girls.

Leaving my current job will be hard, I have been in the housing office at GVSU for 10 years, 1/3rd of my whole life! The people I work with have become family to me, they mean so much to me and I know that they will continue to be large part of my life. I have been offered the opportunity to work 10-15 hours per week from home and think this will be a great way to keep me in the loop but still get the benefits of being home!

So, starting at the end of February, I will be staying home and enjoying the adventures and challenges of raising these two little girls! Wish me luck!

Check out those cheeks!

2011-01-19T21:19:00.001-05:00

Randoms and Happy Birthday Grandpa Tom!

2011-01-16T21:08:00.007-05:00

First off, happy birthday to Grandpa Tom! We had a nice time visiting today to celebrate and also enjoyed watching the Bears win! Here are some pictures from the fun:

So many wonderful things have been happening in our household lately! First off, Miss Ella has become such a fantastic sleeper and has been consistently going to sleep every night at 7:30pm! Pat and I are enjoying having our nights to ourselves again and I have been taking advantage of the time by getting to the gym which was the nicest gift Pat could have given me for Christmas!

Grace started swim lessons last week and loves it! She did great and Pat said he was so proud. Here is a picture of her before she left for her first lesson, she is so grown up!

We had some fun visitors this weekend, a reunion of some my good friends from high school! My best friend Tracy, who is pregnant and I am so excited for her, and her husband, Joe, came for the night. We also had our friends Gina, Brian, and their little boy, Brady, over for a visit. It was a full household and so much fun catching up, visiting, and watching some football for the guys. I so love spending time with friends and feeling like no time has went by!

Now that I have more time at night, I am hoping to catch up on a couple things on here like Ella's birth story and more pictures I have been taking over the last couple months! So stay tuned!!!

Things that make me smile...

2011-01-11T21:17:00.003-05:00

Funny Gracie stories:

On the way home from the mall, Grace said " Mom, I am going to bless you." I replied with "You are going to bless me?" "Yes, I am going to bless you" she said and proceeded to sneeze. "See, I told you I was going to bless you!" she said, slightly annoyed!

Grace colored a picture to take to the mall play area to give to a "friend" she would make, because let me tell you, this kid knows how to make friends at the mall play area! When we were getting ready to leave, she took the picture to a little girl she was playing with. They spoke for a minute or so and then Grace came running back with the picture. I thought for sure her feelings were hurt and the little girl did not want the picture, I mean really, the girl was playing, she probably didn't want to carry around a picture! I asked Gracie if she was okay since the girl did not want her picture and she said "Oh, she wanted it, she thought it was beautiful. But then I remembered that daddy said it was pretty and well, he is my daddy, so I kept it for him. I will probably never see that little girl again!" Wow, and she is only 3.5, she is going to be an interesting teenager!

And, because I love sweet Ella pictures, here is one I caught of her smiling today! She smiles ALL DAY LONG! She is seriously the smiliest baby I have ever met and she is all ours!

10 Weeks through camera pictures

2011-01-09T21:17:00.011-05:00

Ella is 10 weeks today, where has the time went? I look at her and think that everyone is so right when they say that those first weeks fly by. I was looking through my camera pictures and thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite pictures from the last 10 weeks!

Such a wonderful time of year...

2010-12-27T21:18:00.011-05:00

This Christmas was a little crazy with trying to get our Christmas cards done (sorry if yours was late!), decorating, cleaning for Christmas parties, decorating presents, and in between all that, trying to keep an eye on an 8 week old and a 3.5 year old! Pat was home a couple days before so that helped. I am going to share a ton of pictures, so bear with me!

On the 23rd, Pat had the day off to work, so we took the girls to meet Santa. Grace has not always had a great history with the big guy so we were a little nervous this year. She surprised everyone and did amazing! She said she wanted to show Ella that Santa was not scary. She even told him what she wanted for Christmas- a fake doggy! Ella slept through the whole thing.

On Christmas Eve, we had Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pam over to celebrate. We all enjoyed opening gifts, visiting, and a wonderful lunch! My parents also came to visit and we all relaxed while Ella napped and Grace played with all of her new goodies!

Attempting to get a good picture of the girls

Pat with his two sweet girls

Gracie opening her new baby doll from Grandpa and Grandma

Gracie taking a little rest after opening gifts

Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Craig with the girls

Grandma Pam and Grandpa Tom with the girls

Grandpa Tom and Gracie

Christmas day was so much fun! Grace was so excited to see that Santa had ate the cookies we had left and drank the milk. She also had a note thanking her for the cookies with the pink frosting, her favorite color! We opened gifts and just stayed in our pajamas all day relaxing. My dad, Grace, and I made a gingerbread house that night that fell apart very shortly after we made it, but we still loved putting it together! It was a very relaxing and fun day!!

The set up from Santa!

The fake puppy she asked for

So excited for her pillow pet!

Absolute favorite picture of the day- Pat rocking Grace's pink guitar!

The pink guitar made the rounds that morning!

Our sweet girls!

Giving her little sister a sweet kiss!

The dream team of gingerbread house creation!

The day after Christmas was the final celebration for our family! My brother and sister and law came over for the day to open gifts and enjoy a yummy dinner. We had a great time visiting and we also snuck in some shopping for the ladies and football for the guys- perfect day!

Nick and Ash with the Michigan blanket we gave them from the girls

Maizey enjoying her new toy

Gracie buried in gifts and wrapping paper- she loved it!

Mom opening a gift from the girls

Aunt Ashley getting some Ella cuddles

Gracie with her new tent on her bed!

Dad and Nick with Ella

Aunt Ashley with the girls

Best Gifts of All

2010-12-24T14:23:00.002-05:00

Pat with the best gifts we could have ever asked for!

Dance!

2010-12-11T20:57:00.002-05:00

Where did she get her moves? We are not sure but she sure loves to dance!

Christmas Card Attempts 2010

2010-12-11T20:48:00.003-05:00

We did pictures for our Christmas cards this week and here are some of the funny ones! We took a ton of them together, alone, just trying to get at least one or two that we could use! I will share the winners later.

Sweet Smiles

2010-12-09T19:48:00.001-05:00

Baby smiles are the very best!

Attempt at a Big/Little Sister Picture

2010-12-06T20:16:00.003-05:00

For some reason, this was extremely difficult! Typically the girls are easy to photograph but they were both being a pain that day! The pictures crack me up, Grace looks annoyed and Ella refused to look anymore except to the side.

Favorite Outfit

2010-12-01T21:28:00.002-05:00

When we found out we were having another girl, Pat was so excited that we would be able to reuse all of Grace's clothes that were crowding up "his" storage closet! How disappointed he was when I told him that because the girls were born during different seasons, reusing clothes would be difficult and that Ella would need her own wardrobe. Luckily, one of my co-workers had a little girl and had tons of cute clothes that would work for Ella and sold them to me for a very cheap price! Below is a picture of one of my favorite outfits, isn't she adorable?

Age Difference

2010-11-30T10:53:00.003-05:00

As soon as Grace was born, we were asked numerous times when number two would be arriving. At first, we thought that having our children close together would be a good idea and planned to have them 2 years apart.

As always, God's plan was in action instead of ours, and we are blessed to have our children 3.5 years apart. I was told many times while pregnant with Ella that this age difference would be so hard, they would be so far apart, and I would wish that they were closer. I also had people tell me the opposite, that I would love having them farther apart, it would give me more one on one time with them, and that Grace would be such a great helper.

I am so happy to report that the second group of people were right! This age difference has been so nice, I love having Grace as a helper and she is such an amazing big sister. She loves her little sister so much and with them being farther apart, it has given me time to truly enjoy both in a way I don't I could have if they were closer together.

Grace actually got the first real smile from Ella this morning and it actually made this hormonal momma cry a little! Grace was so excited and Ella can not get enough of staring at her sister or listening to her. I hope these are the moments we will always treasure and remember when they are in their teens and Grace wants nothing to do with her annoying little sister!

Here is a new fun picture of our sweet little girls. Grace was showing Ella how to do puzzles while I got ready!

Giving Thanks...

2010-11-28T13:33:00.004-05:00

Such a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and we have so much to be thankful for!

Gracie spent Thanksgiving Eve at Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pam's house and we got to have dinner out with just Miss Ella and she slept almost the whole time- it was wonderful! We had Thanksgiving dinner with Pat's parents on Thursday and then my parents came that afternoon.

Friday was spent getting pedicures and just relaxing and then we celebrated Thanksgiving with my side of the family on Saturday afternoon.

Today has been spent relaxing and putting up Christmas decorations, Grace loved doing it this year and Ella slept through most of it.

It was a wonderful weekend!

Where's Grace?

2010-11-23T21:23:00.003-05:00

Since having Ella, the one thing that Gracie gave us a hard time with was bedtime and nap time. After a week of having issues, we decided to come up with a new rule for both times.

For nap time, she could bring books in her bed and just had to be quiet for an hour. Typically, she falls asleep before the hour is up and is covered in books! Bed time now starts at 8:30 instead of 9 and she gets 30 minutes to play in her room/read books in her bed. Silly kid loves her books, typically she will read instead of choosing to play! She is also usually asleep and covered in books when we check on her at 9! It has been working so well, this new routine is a perfect balance between what Grace wants and what we want!

More sweetness...

2010-11-23T20:51:00.003-05:00

Hope you are not sick of pictures because we have a couple more! We had a rough weekend with Miss Ella, she has her first ear infection, poor thing! She is feeling a lot better now and we have our sweet little baby back. She is honestly the most laid back baby, you can definitely tell when she does not feel well!

Here are some more cute pictures, she loves cuddling with her sister, Grace is so patient and loves to just sit and cuddle her little sister.

The loves of our lives....

2010-11-17T17:00:00.003-05:00

Many Visitors...

2010-11-15T21:46:00.005-05:00

We have been blessed to have a lot of family and friends come to meet Miss Ella and visit. Getting cuddles with Ella and playing with Grace, bringing meals, and just showing their love for our family. Here are some of the many visitors we have had recently!

Scary moment of silence...

2010-11-14T13:53:00.003-05:00

For anyone with children, you know that when your little one is playing and all of a sudden it is very quiet, this could be very very bad! Grace was playing downstairs this morning and all of a sudden there was this silence where Patrick and I looked at each other and both yelled "Grace, what are you doing?" at the same time.

When we received no answer, Pat ran downstairs and then came upstairs a moment later with a smile asking for the camera. The pictures below show what he found- our sweet little girl cuddling and petting her two puppies. Now, they were all on the guest bed, where the puppies are not allowed, but I think we will let that rule slide for today. She is such a sweetie!!!

So sweet

2010-11-12T21:30:00.002-05:00

Seeing Grace and Ella together is so amazing, she is being such a great big sister already and is so over the moon for her sister. This was a video Pat took this afternoon of the two of them together.

One Week Later

2010-11-07T21:37:00.007-05:00

Ella is doing so well! She is such a laid back baby and spends a good amount of the day eating and most of the night sleeping- you can't beat that! Grace is handling the transition really well, she is completely in love with her little sister and a huge helper. She loves having both mom and dad home and I think that has made the whole transition easier.

Pat is home for another week and then every Thursday and Friday for 5 more weeks. This is such a blessing to our family, he is such a huge help and I love that he is getting so much time with both of his girls. I feel amazing and honestly can not believe the difference between this birth and the birth of Grace. I am physically already feeling healed and emotionally I am handling the transition from mom of 1 to mom of 2 really well. This whole experience is so much more relaxing, everyone was so right when they said the second time around is so much easier!

Now, for some cute pictures! Enjoy!!!

Welcome to the world, sweet Ella!

2010-11-02T16:42:00.004-04:00

Ella Jean Roth was born on October 31, 2010, at 6:06 am. She was 7 lbs 12 oz and 20.5 inches.

More pictures and stories to come, including the story of how Ella made her entrance into this world!

Come out Baby Ella!

2010-10-27T16:49:00.003-04:00

Sign Gracie and I made for baby Ella

So, we are now officially 3 days overdue and Ella seems to be very comfortable! We have a stress test and ultrasound tomorrow to make sure she is still doing well and if everything checks out, we will schedule an induction sometime next week. We, as in Pat and I, are getting a little anxious to meet her, but are hoping she comes out on her own terms sometime soon. I have had some high and low moments at the end of this pregnancy but have to say I have felt great the last 2 days! Lets hope that continues until she gets here!

Gracie has been enjoying using all of baby Ella's things until she gets here!

Leaves, leaves, and more leaves!!!

2010-10-24T14:11:00.000-04:00

Every year it amazes me how many leaves fall from our front two trees. It shouldn't after 5 years but Pat and I will still just stand there and stare, in shock at the amount we have to rake! This year, with baby Ella on the way, we decided to do the front yard in two parts, getting one load down right now and then doing another after the remainder of the leaves fall. Makes it a little difficult to help when you are 40 weeks pregnant but I did my best!

Grace LOVES jumping in the leaves and I got some fun pictures from the first night when Pat was blowing the leaves into big piles. Enjoy!!

Happy 6th Anniversary!!!

2010-10-23T13:39:00.000-04:00

A little late, but better than never, happy anniversary to my wonderful husband! We celebrated with dinner out but I was so tired I am sure I was not very good company! I love him so much and would never want to go on this journey with anyone else!

Fun Family Weekend

2010-10-16T20:37:00.008-04:00

In the preparation that baby Ella can come anytime, we have been packing in as many fun family activities as possible with Gracie. We know once baby is here, things will be a little more difficult to do, and thought it would be fun to do some fun activities before that time arrives.

Grace and I went for pedicures on Friday and it was a blast! She was so excited and loved every minute of it. She actually got a pedicure and manicure with pretty pink nail polish and flowers painted on each of her thumbs and big toes. I got a wonderful pedicure for my very swollen feet so at least during labor my toes will look cute! It was great bonding for the two of us, she kept hugging my arm and telling me how much she loved me while we were getting them done. Totally worth the money!

Today was a family outing where we went on the Pumpkin Train in Coopersville. Grace loves trains and pumpkins so we thought this would be a good fit! Lets just say things did not go as planned and after many issues with the train, we were finally bussed back to the train station at 2:15pm when we should have been back at 12:25pm. Luckily, we are a very laid back family, and still had a great time! Grace loved every minute on the train and even made friends with a couple other children. I kept having people ask me if I was going to go into labor, it was hilarious! We even had two labor and delivery nurses sitting by us that kept checking in to see if they were needed. Put a really pregnant woman on a stopped train and it made a lot of people very nervous! Grace was also excited because she got to ride a school bus for the first time so even that bump in the road worked out well!

When we finally got home around 3:30pm, we decided to carve a pumpkin and enjoy the beautiful Fall weather. We were outside for about 2 hours playing and then headed in to do a movie night. Pat had rented How to Train Your Dragon and it was a huge hit with our whole family! Pat's parents had taken Grace to see it before but she did not remember so it was like we were all seeing it for the first time. I strongly recommend it to anyone with kids, such a great movie for kids and adults!

Tomorrow is cleaning, yard work, and hoping that baby Ella makes an appearance soon! Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Some baby updates...

2010-10-15T21:16:00.005-04:00

So, just for the sake of documenting some baby things, here are a couple updates on the baby!

Name

We came up with the name not too long after we found out it was a girl. I hate picking out names, makes me super nervous for some reason, so I told Pat to come up with a list and we would pick from it. He came up with a list of 6 names and I narrowed it down to 3 that I really liked. We then asked Grace to pick from the 3 names and she picked Ella! We all love it and it was really fun that we all got to have a hand in picking the name. Her middle name will be Jean after her Grandma Pam. Grace's middle name is Marie after my mom and my middle name so we thought it would be nice to honor his mom in the same way!

Nursery

We decided really early that no matter the gender we wanted to update the nursery. Pat's mom volunteered to paint the room and do a blanket and curtains for it if we found out the gender which we decided we would do! I mean, who doesn't want a free painted room!! We ended up going with a blue even though typically blue is for a boy's room. We wanted to do a modern feel with black and white accents. I LOVE it! It turned out super cute and it is very calming. Pam and Tom also redid a glider for us so it is now black and blue and fits in the room perfectly! It is just waiting for a little one to arrive!

Bumps in the Road (hoping for smooth sailing from now on!)

We have had a couple bumps in the road this pregnancy, in particular in the last couple weeks. 36 weeks was the beginning of some really strong contractions and progress that made the doctor say lets do bed rest until 37 weeks (full term). So, one week of bed rest, and I thought for sure we were in the clear! I then started having high blood pressure issues and they pulled me off work and I am now working from home. I have to admit, it is nice to work in my pajamas! I miss my co-workers like crazy but it has been nice to relax at home. My 39 week appointment this week showed that blood pressure is good again and I am back on track! We are ready for baby to arrive and everyone is so excited! Lots of phone calls and texts are coming in and we will make sure to let everyone know once she is here!

Grace and becoming a big sister

Gracie is so excited to become a big sister! She has a ton of big sister clothes and seems to really get it! I know it will be an adjustment for her but I have to say I think she is really going to be a great big sister. Here are some fun pictures of Gracie in big sister clothes or helping mommy get ready for baby to get here!

So excited and ready to join the blogging world again!

2010-10-03T21:49:00.002-04:00

My new laptop just arrived today and I could not be more excited! I have not been blogging for a lack of having a good computer to do it on (and the fact that life has been a little crazy does not help) but I am back! Hopefully some of my readers have stayed around because obviously we have some really fun and exciting things happening in the next month, including the arrival of a new one at the end of the October.

I am just going to do a quick update from the last post which was so long ago! Our family is doing really well, Patrick finished his Masters program and got a nice upgrade at work and is now supervising two people. He is still doing a similar job to before but is officially faculty which brings a lot of perks, which includes a 4 week paternity leave when we have the baby! This could not have come at a better time and we are so excited that he will get more time at home with the family. He is enjoying not having to do homemork for the first time in 2 years and got to spend the end of the summer fishing with his dad, spending more time with Grace and I, and playing the new Playstation 3 that was his graduation gift from Grace and I.

Grace Marie has grown so much! She is such a sweet little girl and is very excited to be a big sister! She spent a week up north with my parents in August and has also had a lot of fun weekends with Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pam. She has definitely been spoiled, it should be interesting to see how she reacts when another little one is added to our house. She also started school at the end of August. She is only going one day a week to the on campus daycare, which is more of a school setting. She is still going to Tina’s two days a week and we think it is a good balance. Our plan is she will start going on campus three days a week once the baby starts going in January to Tina’s. She loves school and is always excited to bring home all of the fun things she creates.

I told Grace I was doing an update on her and I asked Grace what she would like me to share about herself and this is what she said:

I like puzzles and dollhouses. I also like bracelets and playing with letters. I really likes mommy and daddy and my room. I like my Super Why computer.

So there you have it, Grace is a busy girl and keeps us on our toes!

Baby #2 is doing great and the end of this pregnancy has just flown by. We have had a couple bumps in the road lately but I am feeling really good this weekend. I am 37 weeks today and can see the end that is finally in sight. She is quite the mover but nothing compared to Grace, especially at night. Grace always moved like crazy around 10pm and would keep me up for hours sometimes. This baby is a lot calmer at night and that has been so nice! I am so looking forward to meeting her and also to see how Pat handles this household of women! I am officially done with work on October 13th which I am sure means I will have the baby early because nothing goes as plans! I am looking forward to hopefully having a little down time before baby gets here at the end of October but we shall see!

So there is my short update! Hopefully you will be hearing from me a lot more, I am so excited to hopefully have time and a nice computer to keep everyone updated from once the baby is here!

I am going to do a couple picture updates to catch up so enjoy!

Random

2010-07-23T21:46:00.001-04:00

This is going to be a complete random picture post to just catch up! I feel buried in pictures right now so this is my only way to catch up!

Decked out in Dora and pink, just the way she likes it!

Taking a picture for Grandpa Craig

Gracie wanted a bigger slide- Pat's solution!

Playing at the splash park 5 minutes from our house

One of our many park visits, we visit a new one each week!

After a fishing trip with Grandpa Tom and Daddy

Happy 50th Birthday Mom!

2010-07-11T21:27:00.000-04:00

Better late than never, right? We have been enjoying summer and that means not a lot of time on the computer!

Our family took the trip up north to celebrate my mom's birthday in early July. Steph was a stowaway and Nick, Ash, and Maizey also made the trip. We had a great time, spending every night by the campfire, and had all of the grandparents over to celebrate on Saturday. Overall it was a huge success, my mom seemed to have a fantastic time, and we kept it simple like she wanted! Here are some pictures from the fun.

4th of July

2010-07-04T21:40:00.000-04:00

We went to the library on campus this year to watch the fireworks and it is all Grace can talk about! She was a big fan of them for the first time and keeps asking when we can go back!

Zoo and Farmer's Market

2010-07-02T20:11:00.000-04:00

The summer is such a great time for spending time outside and recently we had the opportunity to enjoy two outdoor activities that Gracie loved! The first was the zoo, which is always a favorite. We all love going and as long as the weather is cool, you can enjoy a great amount of time there.

The second activity was the Farmer's Market on campus. They had a kid's day with face painting, ice cream, suckers, and all kinds of fun things! Since we both work the day of the Farmer's Market, we took Grace out of daycare for it and enjoyed lunch as a family afterward.

Such a big girl!

2010-07-01T14:00:00.000-04:00

I feel like I look at Grace sometimes and I don't even recognize her! She has gotten so big and independent. It gives me a sense of relief that as a new mom in October that I will have such a helper in her.

She loves to be mommy's helper around the house and also does a lot of tasks on her own, such as cleaning up her room every night and helping clean up after dinner. She is a huge talker and the first comment we always get from people is she talks like an adult!

Although I am sometimes sad to think she is not the little girl she used to be, I know life will be so much easier with a 3.5 year old and a new baby then if I would have had two little ones at home! To you moms out there who had/have 2 under 2, I give you credit, but it is definitely not for me!

Grace will start going to a daycare preschool on campus in August and will slowly be leaving the daycare we have been at since she was 10 weeks old. This makes me very sad but I know it is time for her to move on to the next step and it helps to know the baby will start going there is January.

Pool and Park Time

2010-06-26T13:55:00.000-04:00

Pat has been very busy at work the last couple weeks which has left a lot of girl time for Grace and I. Steph decided to spend a day with us and we got some pool and park time in! Grace loves Steph and we always have a lot of fun together.

Fun with Friends

2010-06-24T13:44:00.002-04:00

Two fantastic weekends in a row...

2010-06-20T19:54:00.007-04:00

The last two weekends have been busy but fun!

Last weekend we had a wedding on Saturday night for Pat's friends Ben and Emily. Gracie got to do her first sleepover with Uncle and Aunt Ashley and they had a great time. We dropped her off at 4pm and between that time and bedtime, they played in the pool with Maizey, went to Chuck E Cheese, got ice cream, played at the park, watched a movie, and played with Gracie's toys! I am not sure how they fit it all in but it was all Gracie could talk about all week! Pat and I had a great time at the wedding, it was in Grand Haven and was an outside wedding. The weather was perfect and it was a very relaxed and fun wedding.

Pat and I got some time the next morning to sleep in and the after picking up Gracie, we went with Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pam to Frog Hollow Park to celebrate Grandma Pam's birthday. Frog Hollow is a huge hit with Gracie and her and Grandpa Tom and daddy spent a ton of time playing while we were there.

This weekend was also a lot of fun! Gracie did an overnight at Grandpa Tom and Grandma Pam's house on Friday night and Pat decided he would recreate our first date from 9 years ago! The date consisted of dinner at a restaurant in Grand Haven, Porto Bello, which is right by the water and we actually relaxed and talked the whole time instead of tag teaming a 3 year old! We then went to the beach and took a long walk down the pier and just talked and enjoyed people watching. Our date 9 years ago was a little chillier (it was at the beginning of September) and included hot chocolate but this time since it was warm we skipped that part!

A storm was actually rolling in and we just got to the car before the winds picked up- it was like a sandstorm within seconds with people running for their cars. Pat got a great shot of the storm coming in below.

Saturday morning we got up early and took a long walk with the puppies. Pre Grace we used to take them on hour walks daily so it was fun to take a nice long walk. Saturday afternoon we celebrated Father's Day with Pam and Tom when we picked up Grace and enjoyed a yummy dinner. We then headed to Pat's co-worker's birthday party and enjoyed a nice BBQ with his friends.

Sunday was just a day for relaxing, we spent a little time on housework and did some mowing. We took Pat out for dinner for Father's Day and then enjoyed some Cone World for dessert. We ended the night with a water fight in the backyard which Grace loved.

Overall, two amazing weekends! This summer is definitely shaping up to be on to remember!

Father's Day

2010-06-20T19:31:00.005-04:00

Once again it is time to honor three amazing men who we are blessed to have in our lives.

First, my dad, who has always supported me and is one of the most patient and loving men I know. He is an amazing grandfather who can make Grace giggle for hours and I love watching him do the things he did with me as a child with her. We are so very blessed to have him as a part of our lives.

My wonderful father in law, Tom, who has a quiet way but is loving and gives so much to his family. Pat and his dad have this wonderful relationship that makes me smile when I see them together, they are so similar and their love the outdoors is very strong. He is also a wonderful grandfather who spends hours playing baby dolls with Grace and always with a smile on his face.

And finally, my wonderful husband, who is not my father but is an amazing father to our little girl and baby on the way. He is caring, patient but strict, and has been very hands on since the day Grace was born. He is a supportive partner in parenting and and I love watching him with Grace. Her face lights up when he gets home from work and the cries of "daddy I missed you!" can probably be heard down the street. He is currently giving Gracie a bath and I can't help but laugh along as she giggles at his antics. He so wants to feel new baby kick and I am hoping tonight when he/she gets going like every night, he will get to feel that first kick. I love you honey!

The last month in as few words as possible...

2010-06-14T20:07:00.006-04:00

Wow, I think this has been my longest period of time without a post ever! I have a couple good excuses, which include early bedtimes, a cute 3 year old named Grace, lots of outside time, and tons of great time with family.

So, I am going to do my best to do some quick updates on how we are all doing.

What we have been up to!

Like I said, lots and lots of outside time! Gracie has a new pool and we have spent a lot of nights just relaxing outside while she plays in the pool. We have also made a couple fun trips to the beach which Grace loves. She will play for hours in the sand and the water while Pat and I relax. Grace also loves to play in the sandbox and go for long bike rides. She is a total outdoors girl and loves Spring/Summer.

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Time with family/vacations
We have taken two trips up north in the last month and got to see both sets of great grandparents when we went up in May. I love that Grace gets to spend time with my grandparents, I am blessed to have 4 grandparents that Grace knows and that we are blessed to have in our life. We also got to see Uncle Bobby on our first visit and spend a lot of time relaxing. The second trip was two weeks ago and Grace got in some fishing time with Grandpa Craig and Patrick. It was so nice to be up north, it is so fun to be on the campground and to also just visit with my parents. The yummy food my mom makes doesn't hurt either!

We also took a family vacation up to the bay in the UP with Pat's parents. They have a cabin they stay in right on the lake and it is perfect for relaxing! We spent some time down by the lake with Gracie swimming, she was Grandpa Tom's fishing buddy, and we did the fun campfire with smores tradition! Yummy! It was the perfect vacation, we first stopped to visit with my parents for 2 days and then went to the bay with Pat's parents. Perfection!

Baby Update

Lots of news on the baby update! We are 21 weeks already and it is flying by! The morning sickness let up after the 1st trimester and in general I have been feeling very good. I officially "popped" about a week ago and actually had a lady at Meijer rub my belly this past week, which was awkward, but made me feel better that I had surpassed the phase of feeling pregnant but looking fat!!!

We had our ultrasound at 19 weeks and the baby was a stinker! The ultrasound tech had a horrible time trying to get measurements and it took 1.5 hours and she didn't get everything she wanted! Gracie only took 45 minutes when we did her ultrasound and she showed right away that she was girl! This little stinker would not show the goods so we still do not know the gender. I thought I would be upset because we wanted to know but now I am kind of excited about being surprised. Pat is not so excited :) He really wants to know but it is out of our hands. We may get another ultrasound, I will find out this Friday the results from the ultrasound and if they need another one.

We have had a couple ups and downs with this pregnancy and for a short time last week I was on bed rest for some issues. They are hopeful everything is okay and I will find out more on Friday on how things are going and if I am continuing to have issues. Please send some prayers that everything is okay, baby is healthy and we do not want it to try to make an early arrival!

Well, that seems to cover most of it! In general, life is good, we are busy, and are looking forward to a summer filled with time outside and more time with family and friends!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T13:13:00.002-04:00

This is my mom and she is incredible. Loving, supportive, funny, and an amazing grandmother. She is one of my best friends. Today we celebrate her and everything she has given in life to be there for me.

This is Pat's mom and we are blessed to have her in our life. She raised the man I love and she did an amazing job. She is so good with Gracie and we love that they have a great relationship. Today we celebrate her and the love she gives our family.

And to my wonderful daughter, who woke me up this morning with the "Happy Birthday" song but instead substituted mother's day for birthday. It put a smile on my face and reminded me once again how blessed I am. And to the baby in my belly that I felt move for the first time last night, I can't wait for you to get here!

Enjoying Spring

2010-05-07T19:30:00.005-04:00

Since today is such a yucky day, rainy and nasty outside, I thought I would take some time to post some of the pictures we have taken in the last 3 weeks of enjoying the outdoors. Grace is a total outdoors girl and we spend every afternoon outside in the spring, summer, and fall, pending the weather. Here are some of the pictures Pat took lately!

Supermodel

2010-05-02T20:59:00.003-04:00

I have been meaning to share this and kept forgetting! It is a picture that was in the health magazine our health provider sends out every couple months.

The story behind it is we had went to the doctor to take a test to confirm we were pregnant back in February. The test came back negative and we were shocked and very sad. We had taken 2 tests at home that were positive so we were convinced that #2 was on the way. After the nurse explained we would come back in one week to try again (which obviously it was positive that time), we headed out to the waiting room to check out. While there, a very nice lady told us that Grace was adorable. After thanking her and thinking how I wanted to quickly leave so I could shed a couple tears, she then asked if she could take Grace's picture for a publication they were doing. I quickly thought, well if I ask Grace, who is not a big fan of pictures, she will say no and we can go on our way. Oh course Grace had to throw a curve ball and said yes and was very excited to get her picture taken.

When we went in the room to set up a shot, she then asked Pat and I to step in and be a part of the shot. Seriously?!?!? Can't you tell I am near tears and just want to leave! Well, we got the shot, and when it arrived in the mail about a month ago, Pat and I had a good laugh because it is so cute of Grace but so obviously staged!

3rd Birthday Party

2010-04-21T20:28:00.008-04:00

Success! That is how I felt after everyone left Grace's 3rd birthday party. The weather was chilly and cold, we had more guests than any other year, and our house looked like it would burst with gifts, guests, and little ones running around! And it was still such an amazing party and so much fun.

Grace got tons of goodies, the guests seemed to have a lot of fun, and the food was delicious! We had a great mixture of friends, family, and co-workers and it made me smile to look at everyone laughing and talking. Gracie and our family is truly blessed to have such an amazing group of people who love and care about us.

Here are some pictures from the fun! Thank you to everyone who came!

Looking back...

2010-04-20T10:04:00.005-04:00

Miss Grace turned 3 this past weekend and I will admit I shed couple tears that my baby is so grown up. Will this happen every year? I have a feeling that the answer is yes. Pat finds it so funny because we see it happening daily so I am not sure why the exact birthday is so sad for me.

Looking back on this year, I see so many changes in Gracie. She has always been very good at expressing her feelings but this past year the "I love you's" and "you are my best friend" comments were a constant fixture in our household. She is very loving to all of her family and friends.

She spent a lot more one on one time with her grandparents this year and that was wonderful. It gave Pat and I the one on one time we needed in our relationship and it gave them bonding time. She loves going to both grandparents' houses for sleepovers!

She learned her colors, how to spell her name, and so many songs it is hard to count! She loves to sing and will sit in her room for hours singing and reading. She is very independent and great at playing by herself.

She went to her first movie in the theater and did great! She has went to 3 now and loves to go. Her favorite movies are anything with Clifford the Red Dog and she loves The Princess and the Frog.

She loves going to daycare and playing with her friends. Our car rides home are filled with stories of what happened in her day and who she played with. Socially, she loves playing with other children and is very much looking forward to getting a brother/sister to play with!

Grace got rid of her pacifier, moved to a big girl bed, moved from diapers to the potty, and started riding a bike all this year. She definitely finally transitioned out of her "baby"stage into a little girl and she does it so well! Everything is on her time line and if we just step back and let it happen, she takes to change so well! Even her general look has changed from pigtails to a cute bob that makes her look so grown up!

Gracie we love you so much and you bring so much joy to our family! This year is going to bring big changes with a new baby on the way and with you growing every day! I can't wait to see what this year has in store for us!!!

Eve of Grace's 3rd Birthday

2010-04-16T22:00:00.004-04:00

So, on the eve of Grace's 3rd birthday, I planned on doing a really long post of pictures and fun memories. Now here we are on the eve of and I am exhausted from prepping for a party tomorrow and do not have the energy!

Pat and I are planning a get away to Chicago next week while Pat is at a conference and I will have a lot of downtime in the hotel room during the day. Plan is to use that time to do this post, so stay tuned!

We have a fun party planned for Grace tomorrow and I can not believe how many people are coming- over 23! Every other birthday, the weather has been gorgeous. Sunny, warm, and everyone spent almost the whole time outside. This year the weather currently predicts 49 and windy. So, this year, more guests, less room, more fun, right?!?!?! Lets hope!

This morning Grace crawled into bed with Pat and I and gave my arm a huge squeeze and said "I love you mommy and you have pretty hair." What a way to wake up! So to my sweet little girl, when you read this someday, you are sweet, beautiful, kind, and most times patient and very laid back. We love you more than words could say.