HGT: Eight

Helen Grace turned eight years old on May 25, 2017. This day was also the very last day of second grade- and a half day for which she used her birthday casual day coupon!

4 feet, 3.5 inches tall (51.5 inches); 58 pounds; still in a booster seat, much to her chagrin and frustration. She’s desperate to ride in the front seat.

Has recently mastered her bike and is now addicted to riding it; is a great swimmer and can’t get enough swim time. Still loves to ride horses although is terrified to canter. Loves gymnastics too.

Seems more confident these days. She’s comfortable in her own skin, doesn’t have to be a conformist, marches to her own drum a bit, and can drift well between groups.

Is an amazing big sister and very helpful; automatically plugs paci, reflexively does babysitter stuff, wants to be the one to wake her up, says bye to her when she gets out of the car at school, etc.

Has taken off with reading; takes books to restaurants and in the car and is proud to say she is a bookworm like her mama. Has finally started to take AR tests on her own.

Still snuggly/ clingy with mama and *always* wants to sleep in mama’s bed. Will often stop what she’s doing and demand a hug.

Has a hilarious sense of humor and has developed a great sarcasm. Vocabulary has advanced, and she’ll surprise me every now and then with what phrases and words come out of her mouth.

Addicted to Minecraft and Kids YouTube videos to learn how to do Minecraft and watch people play with baby dolls.

Loves knowing song lyrics and singers’ names.

Has started talking about who in her class likes which boy and why she thinks certain boys are cool. I can hear my coaching creep out in her when she notes that she does NOT have a crush on so-and-so but just admires that he is smart, kind, and funny. “I do NOT think he’s cute!” Although she and her friends do ask to wear their hair certain ways for the days that they have a class with the boys. Oh my!

Second grade has been the year that reading took off. She loves to read now and will pick up a book on her own, often reading in the car, at a restaurant, or on the couch.

She's also created some great habits in the world of chores. When she finishes eating, she'll take her plate to the sink and/or trash, she'll push in her chair, she puts her clothes in the hamper (about 75% of the time), and she's started feeding the kitties (in an effort to make her case for another pet- a turtle). Since school has been out, she's started making scrambled eggs for Cressey and will then sit next to her and feed her the entire thing. Amazing.

Still a mama’s girl but is spending a lot more time with daddy these days- riding bikes, swimming, going on walks, etc.

• What do you want to be when you grow up? Doctor (2016: a doctor and a vet)
  

• Favorite subject? Math (2016: science and math and recess)
  

• BFF? Annabella, Maddie, Sara (2016: Annabella)
  

• Favorite vacation? Yellowstone and D.C. (2016: Boston)
  

• Where do you want to live when you grow up? North Carolina (“it's a pretty state”) or Wyoming (after she heard about hurricanes in NC) (2016: NYC)
  

• Where do you want to go to college? Ole Miss (hotty toddy!) and be a DG! (same in 2016)
  

• How many kids do you want to have? 3 boys, 2 girls, adopt boys and have girls

• Favorite color? Pink and purple

• Favorite food? Ice cream (2016: corn and spaghetti with meatballs)

• Favorite princess? Sleeping Beauty (random; she’s not into princesses much anymore)

• Favorite toy? Lovey Blankey Henry (2016: Lovey)

• Favorite city? NYC (2016: Ireland)

• Favorite animal? Cheetah (same as last year)

• Favorite movie? Trolls 

• Favorite tv show? Lab Rats

CMT: 13 Months

As of May 8, 2017, Cressey is 13 months old.

April 21: First time she was upset and sought me out in public. (At Kindermusik when she was getting trampled, she’d cry, look for me, and crawl over.)

Around April 26: Standing up on her own and throwing stuff out of her bed; found the monogram hanging over her bed.

May 16: Saw two new bottom teeth on either side of the existing two middle ones. Later, when she had a fit in her bed, I could see a bottom molar on her right bottom side. I stuck my finger in there and felt a top right molar.

May 18: HG and I got our nails done, which is probably the first time Cressey has seen them painted. HG picked light blue for mine, and Cressey first tried to lick them, then tried to nibble them!

May 19: TOOK HER FIRST STEPS! GD, Spiffer, and I were standing in my bathroom with Cressey. She was standing at my closet door, and she took two steps toward my shower door while we were all watching. Such an answer to prayers that I was able to witness it! She waited a few days and took another step or two, but she still hasn’t taken off.

She will now give you a bear hug at bedtime and wants to read books and be rocked a bit. When she’s ready to get in bed, she’ll start rolling or stretching out. When I lay her in the bed, I stroke her face, rub her back, etc., and when I stop, she’ll roll over to look at me and smile so big.

She’ll stand up on her own for a long time.

She insists on walking with the help of two hands (and is very impatient as you get your hands available), even though she is very capable of walking with just one hand.

She took a week or so to transition to whole milk. We had to mix it with formula and slowly cut the formula down. I noticed that she didn’t seem as regular as normal, so we are going to try switching to 2% milk to see if that helps.

She’s terribly drawn to stairs, and she’ll hike that leg up as she tries to climb. Once, I changed her diaper, put her on the floor in the den, threw her diaper away in the garage, washed my hands, came back to where I left her, heard her fussing, and found her on the SIXTH step of the stairs!!! She was a little uncomfortable with her situation!

She babbles constantly (“oogala oogala”), although she’s not had a ton of new words other than Bluesey.

She can point to nose, eyes sometimes, and loves to show you her tongue.

She’ll put a phone up to her ear when you say ‘hello.’

When you put Germ-X on your hands, she’ll mimic you by rubbing her hands together.

She tends to sleep on her tummy most of the time now, with her bottom up in the air.

She’ll help you by putting her arms up as you put clothes on her.

Naps are kind of inconsistent these days, as I assume she’s trying to transition to one big nap. (HG’s school pick up messes up a long afternoon nap.) Usually, she’ll take a two hour nap mid morning and maybe a quick one around 3. Or sometimes, she can push through it and just go to bed around 6:30 instead of 7:30.

If you sit down near her with food, she’ll cry until you share with her. Try to avoid making eye contact if you’d like to keep your food!

She loves to dance and will start bouncing up and down the minute she hears music.

She can work the home button on an iPhone.

HG calls her “buh bee,” like John and me call each other.

She is getting even more attached to her purple bunny paci these days and will find it if you ask her where Lovey is.

She has mastered a straw sippy cup, although she would prefer a bottle.

She loves turning light switches on and off.

She will help clean up her high chair tray occasionally.

Mother’s Day

Thanks to my very sweet husband and family, I had a very relaxing Mother’s Day weekend, complete with roses and handwritten cards and gifts from both John and HG. On Sunday morning, John let me sleep in and took the baby for a long stroll to give me a quiet house. Then, we met our parents and Bubba at Bosco’s for brunch. They had a great band playing, which Cressey loved, and as long as someone walked her around and let her check out the music, she was mostly happy. After we got home, Cressey hit the hay, and so did mama! HG (and the kitties) later joined me with her iPad (and earphones). John even brought home Swanky’s for dinner- now that’s love!

I am so thankful for all the mamas and grandmas in our lives. What great examples of unconditional love and sacrifice we are surrounded by!

HGT’s First Communion

Helen Grace celebrated her first communion on our 11th anniversary, May 6th, at St. Louis. She was well prepared by the parish and her school, and she was excited about finally experiencing it and then being able to do it alongside us going forward. She was most excited about wearing a *real* flower crown and having her hair curled.

Opening her gift from us, a silver jewelry box with a cross on it

Poor Cressey. Sometimes her sissy treats her like a puppy- this time, pulling a belt of mine for her to chase.

Wearing her SK graduation dress

She was in love with the flower crown.

Some quick pics before the ceremony

Filing in to take a group pic

Processing in with her group of 88 children

Her first bread

And wine!

Grandparents

And godparents

And Monsieur

Most of the SAA crew (still missing a few)

Brunch afterward at the Racquet Club and proof that Cress was there (She stayed at home with our babysitter, Corrie, during mass)

The girls had fun watching a ballet class

And we spent a lot of time walking with Cressey

 

Finally home and out of that stuffy dress

The Fiks gave the girls a St. Agnes medallion to pin into their dress for their first communion and then wear it again for confirmation and wedding. What a precious gift!