Call Her Little Miss Mobile!

This has been a week full of milestones for Little Miss Grace. Not only did I find her standing up in her crib after her nap...but she Crawled for the First Time! And this was the "Real Deal" - She actually moved forward instead of scooting backwards!

Let Me Out Of Here!


I can't believe this baby pulling herself up in her crib (Singing nonetheless) and Standing waiting for me to come pick her up...is the same seven pound bundle of joy that we brought home from the hospital last November. It is such a blessing to watch her achieve these new milestones.

Here's Day 1 of Crawling.
She's no Speed Demon - at least not yet! :)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

Nothing says Summer like sitting in the stands - watching America's Favorite Pastime! We've gone to a couple of Missoula Osprey Baseball Games this summer. Gracie even sat on Ollie the Osprey's lap during one of the games.


I have fond memories of the being at the Ballpark. We spent many summer nights watching my dad play when I was growing up. Gracie seemed to like the ballpark just as much as I did growing up. She had everyone around us laughing as she "cheered" loudly! You can see above that she's attacking my face in one of the pictures - she thinks that is really funny. I just think it's her love for accessories - glasses, earrings, necklaces...she wants them all! (And yes...I know the Flower Headband is pushing "Ginormous"...I realize it's almost bigger than Gracie's head...and I love it!)

Birthday Celebration!

My birthday was last week on July 20th! Jody made it one to remember. On Saturday, we had some of our friends over for a BBQ and then a fierce game of kickball and fat bat baseball! :) Jody had gone to the extra effort of making a birthday cake for me with homemade frosting - mind you! It was delicious, as was the patriotic trifle he created. He never ceases to amaze me!


On Sunday we went to church with my family who completely surprised me with their visit from Utah! We had a wonderful dinner together. I received some fantastic gifts including a new camera and some really extraordinary shoes!

A SURPRISE VISIT!

My Birthday was full of surprises: including a visit from my parents and my brother Michael. I took a short break from work to come home on Saturday the 19th...and there they were. I couldn't believe my eyes!! They haven't missed my birthday in all 27 years - so it was very special to have them celebrate with us here in Montana. While they were here, we took Gracie on Missoula's Carousel. Last year, when my parents came up when I was pregnant - we rode the carousel...so it was fun to go on the merry-go-round again this year. We then took a walk down by the Clark Fork river, watched some kayakers ride the waves, and took a crazy ride on an oversized fish.

Jody had to work on Tuesday, but I took Michael and my Parents to the Museum of Mountain Flying. As you can see from the pictures...we were trying to make the most out of this Museum Trip!

















Kisses from Grandma Wiscombe and First Baseball Lessons from Grandpa. Gracie misses you!

So Stylin' at Eight Months!

Gracie is showcasing her baby robe in these pictures. I thought she looked like she could be going to the Day Spa in her cute robe!






*She is so close to crawling, but can't quite figure it out. She tries to army crawl to get to her toys, but with all her effort - she pushes herself backwards instead of going forward. Poor thing...this just makes her more frustrated, and she cries.


*She looks like BABY ROCKY in this picture - doing her push-ups!

*She's always singing - Perfect example in this picture.





*She loves food. When she is in her baby walker and she sees me warming some milk or heating up some vegetables...she goes crazy. She wheels herself over to me in a panic and pins me up against the counters. It's really funny.


*We really do try to keep her face clean while she's eating! :)

Memories Anyone?!

This Tag has been passed around from Blog to Blog...and I think it's a fun one!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Feel free to leave a memory for Brittany and/or Jody! Have Fun!!

A New Duck for the Big Cheese!

Gracie is a little messier lately since she found her new love for Pureed Fruits and Strained Veggies! So OUT with the Old Infant Tub and IN with the New Inflatable Duck. Not only does the "Duck" quack at you while you're getting clean...but look at it! It looks so comfortable. I'd take one if they made them in my size!


Don't let her charming smile fool you. She was actually quite weirded out with the Reddi-Whip! Jody and I thought since she's constantly grabbing at what we're eating...she might enjoy playing in some whipped topping. Wrong! The texture scared her and every time she touched it - she shuttered. Jody let her try some, and she thought it was okay. Great news...I guess she'll be a healthy eater and stick to the Pears and Squash!

LET FREEDOM RING!

Gracie's First Fourth of July was one to remember. We started off the day volunteering at the annual 4th of July Pancake Breakfast. Every year the LDS Missoula Stake does this breakfast to raise money for the Fort Missoula Museum. It was fun to see so many people in the community at this event. Then we headed off to Salmon Lake. Gracie is a natural on the boat - she was great and played on the beach with me. The lake water was a little cold for her liking...so we didn't get in the water much. Gracie and I cheered Jody on as he attempted to land a backflip on the wakeboard! Backflip...Wakeboard..should those TWO words be together in the same sentence?! He looked awesome out there. Check back...because we'll be posting some pictures!


After a Great Time with the Bell Family at the Lake, we headed back to Missoula for some fireworks. Gracie watched in amazement as the bursts of color filled the sky...and then her stomach got the best of her. She decided she was starving, and the bottle I quickly made for her was NOT the desired temperature...so the "God Bless America Dramatic Firework Finish" was coupled with Gracie screaming at the top of her lungs! It was the Perfect Night.


We are so grateful to live in this beautiful country where we enjoy so many freedoms!

*AMAZING GRACE*

Here's a video showcasing what Gracie has been up to in the past month. The highlights include me trying to record myself feeding Gracie and her grabbing the spoon from me, Gracie's first taste of peas, and her singing and walking with help.

  

Our little "Amazing Grace" has filled our home with so much joy. There are certain things we do each and everyday...and we wanted to share them with you.

*We Eat!...And this has become one of Gracie's favorite things to do. She can't get enough of her fruits and veggies. Pass the Green Beans Please!
Look at her stare down the spoon I'm holding above the camera.

*We take a nice warm bath... Here she is fresh out of the tub...with water still on her face.

*We Sing! I'm always singing to Gracie, and although she enjoys nursery rhymes...she seems to have a special love for Broadway Tunes. Her favorite is the "Phantom of the Opera" right now. I in no way have a voice like "Christine"...but Gracie seems to enjoy it. She tries to "out sing" me, and it's pretty cute. The other day I started singing a song to her that I used to sing every morning on my commute to work when I was pregnant. She got the most amazing look on her face...and it made me tear up...because I know she remembers hearing it. She's our angel.

*We Walk! Gracie always wants to be standing and walking. She will grasp so tightly to mine or Jody's hands and pull herself to her feet.


*And We LAUGH every chance we get!

A few days ago...Jody put the game "Pop Goes the Weasel" to shame. Here's a video of him making Gracie laugh!

Move Over Katie Couric!

Every year hundreds of journalists across the nation submit stories to be judged within the Society of Professional Journalism Excellence Competition. I am so excited because much to my surprise...I won First Place in our division for Feature News. It's a tremendous honor to be recognized for doing something that I love to do. Jody has always been completely supportive of me in this dream. He's given me the encouragement and means to accomplish this goal. And it's been great to be married to someone who also graduated in Broadcast/Journalism...Jody has stepped up many times and been my cameraman. (Even in 20 below temperatures - might I add when we were both freezing. Now - that's love.) The SPJ Judges gave me this nice award...and Gracie thought it looked delicious...she tried to eat it and put it in her mouth...just like everything else! :)



Before my maternity leave, I worked primarily on the Cops and Courts Beat. It was a tough beat with stories that often left me feeling so blessed for the life I have. The story I submitted in this contest was a Feature Piece on our SWAT team here in Missoula. The Police Chief and some of my Sergeant Detective Buddies were nice enough to let me really get involved in the Active Shooter Training they did at a local school. They made me look like I had a bullet wound to the leg...(that didn't wash away in the shower for two weeks - mind you!!) It was a visual, interesting and fun story to cover.