You are eight months old! I feel like one night this month I put a little baby to sleep, and in the morning, I walked into your room to find a little girl. You are growing so fast!
This month you perfected your army crawl, and girl, you are fast! Before we realized we can't leave you alone (even for a few minutes) in a room anymore, you got into a few funny places. You washed your hands in Daisy's water bowl, played in the fireplace, and crawled up on the bottom shelf of our tv stand. No matter how many toys we place in front of you, you would rather crawl over to the edge of the living room and play with the crown molding. Living in an apartment with all hardwood floors and a dog, you are often covered with dog hair and dustbunnies that escaped our daily swiffer runs. We need to attach a mop to your stomach and knees and let you do the cleaning! Your favorite thing to do is crawl through the tiny space between the couch and the footstool in the living room. You think it is hilarious crawling through that little tunnel, and probably make the trip twenty times a day. If someone's feet happen to be in the space, you just keep pushing through until they move. Get outta Gracie's way!
This was a month full of traditions. Daddy grew up going to apple orchards every Fall in Michigan, and this is a tradition we are going to pass on to you. On a warm sunny Fall day in October, we made the hour and a half trip outside of the city to an apple orchard. With you snugly strapped to Daddy's chest in your Baby Bjorn, we walked through the orchard, selecting several apples from their bins (the trees were empty due to a bad growing season). You loved the apples! We would takes bites and let you suck on the juice that ran out and gnaw a little bit on the inside. You looked like a little vampire with apple juice dripping out of your mouth. We also visited all of the animals at the orchard. Your favorite was a little goat that stuck its' head through the fence and begged to be petted. You were more than happy to help him out! We took a small break for coffee and apple cider doughnuts (milk and mum mums for you!), and finished the day at the pumpkin patch. You picked out a little pumpkin which Daddy helped you paint your name and handprints on that night. I can't wait to go back next year and watch you toddle around by yourself!
The last weekend in October, our family all gathered in Chicago to celebrate your baptism. It was a wonderful weekend, and you loved all of the attention. You started off the weekend by dressing up in your first Halloween costume, a cute little elephant, and showing off your favorite neighborhood park for Boopalooza! There was bobbing for apples, corn mazes, and a costume parade for kids and dogs. You mainly smiled for a million pictures and checked out the other kids' costumes - we even saw another little girl elephant (you looked cuter!). The next day was the main event, your baptism. We dressed you in a beautiful long white dress and met all of your proud relatives at the church. This was only your second time ever attending church, and the experience really moved you. It moved you so much, that you had the biggest diaper blowout EVER two seconds before you were called to the altar for your starring role. I was absolutely frozen in horror and quickly wrapped your lower body in a blanket hoping nothing would leak through. The next ten minutes were the longest of my life as we handed you over to the pastor. I don't think I heard a word of the blessing because I was just praying that you wouldn't leave anything on the pastor's all white robe. Luckily, he was all clean when he handed you back to us, and I rushed to the bathroom to clean you up. If anyone would've have walked in on us, they probably would have had a big laugh. I had you stripped down and soaking in one sink and your dress in another. We finally got out of there in time to hear the last song of the service and take some pictures which strategically hid the large brown stain on the back of your dress and your bare feet. I can't wait to embarrass you with this story for the rest of your life!
You finally said mama, and in typical Gracie fashion, with a smile on your face, it came out in a devil voice. You are just the most silly amazing little girl, and you make my cheeks hurt from laughing at you so much! We've started having dance parties in your room everynight when it time for pajamas, and you love to be dipped and thrown up in the air to "You'll Accompany Me" by Bob Seger. You always want to turn the lightswitch off, but haven't mastered turning it back on yet. You get so absolutely excited at times that your arms and legs move at the speed of light and you just giggle and smile (and occasionally growl). After a month of sleepless teething nights, you are back to your usual sleepy self and nap twice a day for two hours. I'm so jealous of your life!
You've been extremely lucky to spend lots of time with your grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. We've had lots of visitors, and we even made the trip to Michigan for Auntie Ses' baby shower. You're going to be a big cousin in about a month! I can't wait to see you show their little one the ropes, and I can only imagine the trouble you two are going to get into. You have so much love in that little heart to share. We love you, Gracie girl!
xoxo
Momma
p.s. I couldn't resist posting these outtakes from your photo shoot. I just love to sit back and watch you get into trouble!
