Twenty-Six Weeks

Rice Cereal

We tried feeding Grace solids for the first time while in California.  We tried rice cereal and Grace actually seemed pretty excited about it.  She kept reaching for the spoon, and leaning in for more.

 And then we gave her a bath.  She look so tiny in my parent's sink.

This is Grace's crazy lip-smacking face she's been making recently.  I absolutely love it.

Aunty Becca

 Rebecca helped out a lot with Grace while we were in California. We are definitely going to miss her when she leaves on her mission in May.

I had to include this last picture. My mom would put Grace in Rebecca's bed every morning to wake her up.  Look at that happy face! Grace is going to miss you too, Becca!

 

California Christmas

Grace spent a large portion of her Christmas playing in Nathan and Clara's old exersaucer.  Her favorite part was a plush triangle (see picture below) that she clearly thought was a boob because she would constantly try to nurse on it.

We had an extended family Carter Christmas party in San Marcos, and I think my favorite part was seeing Grace dressed as a lamb in the Nativity (even though she was getting cranky and would not relinquish her pacifier)

I wish we'd taken more pictures of Grace by the tree, but it's hard to get a good shot since she can't sit up on their own, and she always wants to roll onto her stomach.

It was fun doing presents with Grace because she was somewhat interested in unwrapping them.  I think she'll have fun next year.

 Licking the presents didn't really help too much.

Grace and her cousin Andrew (half her age, twice her weight) had matching reindeer bums on Christmas day.

Twenty-Five Weeks

We're with my family in California for Christmas and I've decided to never go back to Utah (or anywhere snowy).

Christmas Stocking

 

Growing up, we all had Bucilla Christmas stockings that were handmade by my Grandma Carter. I always thought they were so cool because everyone in the family had a different stocking.  My Grandma passed away last January (only a week or two after I'd told her I was pregnant with Grace), so she didn't get a chance to make Grace a stocking. I actually made Bryan a stocking two years ago, so it wasn't too overwhelming to make Grace's. If I had been smart I would have made this while I was pregnant, but I didn't start it until Grace was a few weeks old.  It's pretty time and labor intensive, but it's the kind of craft I like because you can do it while you watch Netflix or listen to a book on tape (you don't really need to be fully focused on it). I had fun making it, and it's nice to be able to carry on my Grandma's tradition.

Grace holding her stocking while in a baby trance.

These stockings come in a kit that tells you exactly what to do, but I did add one personal touch (as suggested by my Grandma Hansen): I embroidered Grace's name and birth date on the back.  I also added a little snowflake because I was having fun embroidering, and I didn't want to be done yet.

Twenty-Four Weeks

Sick

We've been a house full of sick people the last little while.  Bryan got a cold (which I thought I gave to him, but I'm pretty sure I never had a cold to begin with), then Grace caught it, and then I caught it. This is Grace's first cold, and she has been very easygoing so far.  I feel bad when I hear her sad little cough, though. After a week or two of all-night coughing, I've decided that we need to really try to keep our sicknesses to a minimum this winter (we'll see how that goes).

These pictures don't really have much to do with anything, but I though she was looking cute (in spite of her cold).