Little Baby T

What is wrong with me...

2010-07-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've written, I know. I've been busy. Raising two kids, a husband, and a Lab. I spend my days working, transporting kids, feeding kids, bathing kids, and watching the Real Housewives of whatever city they happen to be (I have my favorites but it really makes no difference to me). That's about it. Until now. Because it's SUMMER and I am not working!!!!! Gracie is in daycare two days a week, John is in full time so that gives me TWO whole days a week to myself and the other three bonding and doing all sorts of fun girly stuff with my Gracie. It's been great. But there's something wrong with me...

I can't seem to relax. When I was younger, I was a bit of a slob (no comments from the family please). My parents made me clean my room and I did. But it was never really clean. When I went to college, I recall having to walk over mounds of "stuff" just to make it to my bed. It was pretty bad. When I graduated and began my adult life, I was still a slob but I would like to believe that it was to a lesser degree. The mounds were smaller and full of nicer things. But, there were still mounds of stuff everywhere.

Until now. I have two small children and they come with a lot of stuff. They have toys and clothes and sippy cups and carseats and stickers (I actually went to the store yesterday with a sticker on my head). All this stuff needs to be put away. The clothes and sippys need to be washed. THESE THINGS MUST GET DONE PEOPLE. THEY MUST!!!!!

Or what, Susan? What? Will some horrible cosmic event occur if you don't vacuum the living room floor? Will the dishes in the sink go on strike and disappear to picket their ill treatment? No you nerd. So just relax.

Wow, I somehow feel more relaxed. Maybe I need to write more. Thanks for listening.

Oh, here are some recent pictures of the kids and our summer of fun 2010!!!

Kids' Birthdays

2010-05-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

John enjoying his cake!!!
Singing to Gracie girl!

"It's a Bear Hunt"

2010-02-18T17:23:00.000-08:00

Every night at dinner, Dave and I ask Gracie what she did at school that day. Normally, we get "I did art" or the occasional "I read a book with Ms. Heather", typical 2 year old answers. Today, we got this: "We went on a Bear Hunt! Shut the door and close it...we're going on a Bear Hunt!" Priceless!
And now she's had enough!

Dinner at the "Ca-hol-ski" house!

2010-02-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

9 Months

2010-01-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

John's 9 month stats:
29 inches tall (75th percentile)
21lbs 1/2oz (50th percentile)
HC 18 inches (75th percentile)

John's First Big Boy Bath...and pics with Mom and Dad

2010-01-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

Kisses from Sissy

Posin' with Mama

John loves his big boy bath!

Posin' with Papa

John and his favorite lady!

He loves to splash!!!!!!

What's in a name...

2010-01-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

Gracie now knows her full name...

Gracie's Christmas Show

2009-12-21T12:26:00.000-08:00

Gracie's daycare put on a wonderful Christmas show last week. The show started at 7PM (gracie's bedtime) so Dave and I were a little nervous about her overall ability to function let alone pay attention and perform. As always, Gracie did a great job. John and I waited while Daddy tried to video the whole thing...not to easy. There were soo many people packed into this teeny gym that I was thinking about a fire and us not being able to reach the emergency exit...drama. We were able to get some video...enjoy!
Gracie and her class singing!
The grand finale!!!!

Heart Walk

2009-11-14T21:05:00.001-08:00

This year I put together a team to raise money for the American Heart Association in memory of my mom. With Jen and Dad's help we made $2000.00!!! Go us!

Gracie's Tricks!!!

2009-11-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

This year we were all gung ho to take Gracie and John Trick or Treating. That was, of course, until it rained all day. We made the decision to forgo the actual Trick or Treating but did carve/paint pumpkins and participated in Gracie's school Trunk or Treat event on Friday night.

Gracie had a good time Trunk of Treating but it took her a while to learn that the candy went into the bag and that we would eat it later. She took every piece and asked Dave and/or I to open it for her. When we said no, she looked around and spotted about 5 adults who help her all day so surely they would help. Nope, we all stuck to our guns and even taught Gracie to say Trick or Treat! Our little fairy princess and monkey boy were a big hit!

Saturday we did the whole pumpkin carving/painting deal. Gracie is great with a paint brush and beside the paint that mama bought not being very good, she made two very pretty pumpkins. She loved the pumpkin insides and stuck her hand in without thinking twice. But the diva still reigns...when she got a speck of paint on her hand she ordered me to wipe it mama, wipe it! When Dave finished her pumplin, Gracie said, "I scarey the pumpkin. The pumpkin scarey you mama?" It was priceless!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-11-02T16:34:00.000-08:00

This year we took the kids and Pop Pops to the Leesburg Animal Park featuring Pumpkinville! After the shock of paying 50 bucks for five people (two little ones mind you) wore off, we really did enjoy ourselves. The weather was perfect and the activites were geared towards kids Gracie's age. She enjoyed the moon bounce (I enjoyed it as well until some kid in there was hacking up a lung and I proceeded to RUN back to the car for a huge thing of Germ-X) and the big slide Gracie had a great time.

Fall for Fairfax

2009-10-19T17:24:00.001-07:00

On October 3rd we went to the Fall for Fairfax fair. We all had a great time, even though we were all dressed for the "fall" weather and it seemed as though it was June, not October. Grace experienced her first pony ride and, after some trepidation, seemed to enjoy it.

Gracie and her boops...

2009-10-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

This one is rated G, I promise!

Peas please....

2009-10-07T13:01:00.001-07:00

John prior to the peas

"What the heck is this mama?"

"Ok, I'll give it a shot!"

And it's love!!!

John at Five months

2009-10-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

What a big boy we have!
Five month stats:

What month comes after September???

2009-09-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

4 months

2009-08-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

John is 4 months old today! It's truly amazing how big he's gotten. 4 month stats:

15.9 lbs (75th percentile)
25 inches (50th percentile)

John is sleeping very well...he's goes down about 8:30 and sleeps until we wake him up around 6AM. Just today I was getting ready to give him a bath and put him in the exersaucer. He started talking up a storm and I looked over and he was turning himself all around, reaching for the toys and just laughing! I have noticed that John talks a lot more than Gracie did and he's so much louder!!! We got the ok from the doctor to start solid foods...he's going to love it! He's so much bigger than Gracie was at that age, we're already into size 6 months!!!!! What a chub!!!

Dave is 31!

2009-08-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

My wonderful husband celebrated his 31st birthday this past Monday the 17th. (Wow, a whole decade ago he turned 21...duh...time is really speeding by. I remember my 21st like it was yesterday, well kind of!) This year we kept it low key with an at home celebration that included the kids, balloons and party hats! I mean what more could any man want!?!?! Gracie was so excited when she got home and saw the "birthday party" and had a hard time understanding that this wasn't her party, it was Papa's. (Maybe it is a good thing that the kids share the same birthday...this way when John has his party, it'll be Gracie's too!)

Both kids are doing great! Gracie is doing a phenomenal job potty training...she still has a couple of poop accidents at school but she's working on it! Everyday she comes home with a new saying, the latest is "that'll be fun!" She uses this when you tell her what we're about to do. Mom: Let's take a bath. Grace: That'll be fun! Mom: Let's take our shoes off. Gracie: That'll be fun. You get the idea. John is growing like a crazy man and many who see him comment on how chubby he is. Him and Gracie were about the same weight when they were born but John has definitely packed on more poundage than Gracie did. He is talking, smiling, and giggling everyday, especially at the ladies! He is a bit of a diva though, (according to his Aunt Sissy)! He can entertain himself but definitely prefers to be held. I don't spoil him!! No way!!

David enjoying his birthday pie

John loved his party hat!

Gracie with her pink cupcake at Papa's party

Say cheese Gracie!

Mama's big boy!

Gracie loves her little brother!

2009-08-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

Don't worry...no babies were harmed in the making of this video!

Baptism & Potty Training

2009-08-09T19:04:00.001-07:00

Baby John, Pat and Pop Pop outside the church

Here we all are listening to Reverend Cobb

John being baptized

Ella being baptized

Me, John, Jen and Ella. John was sweating and had already changed!

Today we had John and Ella baptized. It was a bittersweet day for the family; a day of mixed feelings for me. I felt so much joy and happiness that the kids were being baptized in the same church I was. But I couldn’t help but feel the pain of my mom'sabsence. She was there in spirit but it’s just not the same. Nothing is the same.

The babies behaved during the church service and even little Gracie (with the help of her Goldfish) was quiet. After the ceremony, we headed to brunch. Dave and I weren’t sure about this brunch because Gracie was on Day 2 of potty training. This was the first time we had been away from the house and came equip with the potty chair, M&M’s, stickers, and the Thomas the Train noise makers. But we were still nervous about her peeing in the middle of a restaurant. If any of you know Clarendon, parking is a pain. We parked several blocks from the restaurant and therefore decided to leave the potty-chair behind. Halfway through lunch, Gracie said she had to go potty. Jen and I took her back there where it was my job to hold her on top of this seemingly huge toilet. Grace is very independent lately and I am not her favorite person. Those two don’t mix and I was told, “I do it Mama, go away!” So I did and she fell in. An obvious unsuccessful potty attempt. (By the way, I didn’t just let her go. I did hold on ever so lightly but she still fell in. Oh well!)

Gracie hadn’t peed since 9 o’clock that morning and it was after 2. Now we had to make it the 45-minute drive home. As we were driving, Gracie asked for some water. Oh dear Lord, I hadn’t given the child anything to drink since we left the house that morning. No wonder she didn’t have to pee! Potty training by dehydration!!!! Poor baby. So we gave her some water and not 5 minutes later, we pulled off in Fairfax because she had to go. I’ve never loved my Explorer so much. We had a whole ladies room ready in the back. She sat and sat and nothing!!!! We raced home and no joke, she went in the potty about 5 times in the span of being home for 20 minutes. So far, so good.
Gracie showing Katie how to pee pee on the potty

Gracie and her big girl panties!!

Everyone likes to use the potty with their sneakers on, right??

Move over baby John, I'm comin' in!

Gracie peed on the potty!!!

2009-07-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

She did it!!! I had just finished giving Gracie a bath and she was running around naked while I looked for her nightgown. As she was playing, she said that she had to go potty. I asked her if she wanted to go pee pee on the potty and she said yes!!! We only have one potty (I will fix that tomorrow!) so I called downstairs to Dave to bring up the potty, stat! As he was scrambling, Gracie said she really had to go potty and she peed on the carpet. I didn't want to scold her because it was us that wasn't ready, it wasn't her fault. Dave ran up with the potty, we put her little tush right on it, and she finished her buisness!!!! Yeah Gracie!

After she was done Dave and I applauded like idiots and I ran downstairs to get her a sticker and a cookie. (I polished off the M&M's a while ago....no wonder I now have a wieght loss blog!) She was so proud of herself!

My plan is to start hardcore potty training this Saturday because she has been showing all the signs for a while now. That is a long involved process but according to the all knowing Dr. Phil, it can be done in one day. All you need are big girl undies, a doll that pees, oh, and a lot of liquid!!! Hopefully Saturday will go well for our big girl!!!!

3 Month Update

2009-07-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

John is now 3 months old! He is a big boy, weighing in at 13.8 pounds! He has graduated into his 3/6 months clothes and is wearing size 2/3 diapers! He has begun smiling and cooing all the time. When I sing to him he sings right back to me! His schedule is becoming a bit more predictable. He sleeps from about 10PM until 7AM. I feed him around 7:30 and he's back asleep at 8. He will usually got for a couple more hours, giving Mama time to clean up and shower! After a 10:30 feeding, we get dressed and head out for our daily errands of which he is WIDE AWAKE for. We went through about a 2 week period where he hated the car but he seems to have gotten over that, thank goodness. He is usually up all afternoon until dinner time when he snoozes! When Gracie gets home she always runs to baby John and gives him a ton of kisses.

I think we've finally adjusted to life with 2 kids. It wasn't easy but we're making it work! Enjoy the pics of my sweet little man!

Shoe shopping

2009-07-24T05:54:00.000-07:00

Grace has had the same old pair of Crocs for about 2 years now. She hasn't been wearing them for that long but when she was only a couple of months old I bought the smallest size they made, 4/5. Here she is sportin' the crocs last summer:

And here she is just last week:

I think we've gotten our moneys worth out of them!
Wednesday I went to the mall with my dad and decided it was time for Gracie to get a new pair of shoes. I love the Crocs because she can put them on herself and they also hold up really well! I was planning on buying her the same pair just in a bigger size. Boring, I know. When we got to Nordstrom, however, I noticed the cutest little pair of Croc ballet type shoes. Loved it!
The one of the left in the pic:

My most impressive purchase of the week came yesterday when I went to Ross. I was feeling a bit down in the dumps and since we're broke (I've been going without a paycheck for about 3 months now!) I thought discount shopping was the only answer. I went into Ross not looking for anything in particular. I didn't dare try on any clothes for myself (Jenny Craig here I come) so after wandering around a bit I ended up in the kids department. Shopping for girls is so much more enjoyable than shopping for boys; or at least this is what I thought until I found these gems:

How cute are they!!!?? And a bargin at 10 bucks each!
Gracie got her new shoes on Wednesday. She doesn't have to get something everytime John does. Right? Wrong. When I showed them to her last night, she stated, "My shoes. I put them on right now!" (Latley everything has to happen RIGHT NOW!) I told her that her feet were tooo big for the shoes. I guess she thinks I'm a liar, she had to try them on for herself. When the shoe only fit on her big toe, that was proof enough. Next she looked at baby John's feet, then back at the shoes. What happened next?

Poor baby John, destined for a life of being dressed up(and wiped) by a bunch of girls!

They sure are sweet!

Finally, he's been captured on video!

2009-07-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

Movie Time!!!

2009-07-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

Today we all headed to the movies! There is a theater in Ashburn that shows kids movies FREE in the summertime at 10AM! Aunt Jen and Ella joined us for what was Gracies, John's and Ella's first movie!

This appealed to me becuase number 1, it's FREE. Number 2, it's obviously kid friendly. So if Grace decided she hated it or John wanted to scream and vomit all over the place, well, they wouldn't be the only ones. But, to my suprise and amazement, all of our kids were great! Gracie actually sat for the entire duration of Horton Hears a Who (thanks to her Aunt Sissy and her kids' meal). Ella and John were awake the majority of the time and both seemed to be "watching" it.

All and all, a fantastic summer day!

Just like his daddy....

2009-07-10T07:59:00.001-07:00

One of Dave's coworkers thinks that John looks just like his Daddy...you be the judge:

(Thanks Chris, I love it!)

Changes

2009-07-08T05:51:00.000-07:00

I've been at this blog thing for a while now...about three years so I thought it about time to change the layout. There are several blogs that I try to read each day and FortyFive Degrees had a link to a website that customizes blogs. Thanks Sarah! So, what do you all think? Oh, here's her website and it's super easy to change things up, oh, and FREE!!!
http://www.aquapoppydesigns.blogspot.com/

The blog isn't the only thing that has changed. Every time I look at Grace, she's saying something new, walking a little different, or just acting more grown. She talks CONSTANTLY; her newest saying, "Oh my gosh" (with some sort of Jersey accent!) or "You're ok baby John, Mama's coming!"

We put her in a big girl bed on June 28th and she has been sleeping soundly in it without a problem ever since. Well, there was one night when we heard and thud followed by screaming. Dave went up to check out the damage and she had indeed fallen off the bed and scraped up her elbow pretty bad. But, like most toddlers, after snuggling with her papa for a few minutes she forgot about it and actually climbed right back into her bed. The next morning I asked her what happened and she said, rather grown up like, "I fall out of my new bed!" And then proceeded to squish up her face and show me her elbow. Still, a week later when you ask her about her new bed she shows you her elbow!

We took Gracie back to the pedi last week b/c she was tugging on her ear. Sure enough her tube fell out and she still had an ear infection despite the antibiotics we had given her. I'm afraid we're going to have to put the tube back in.

For the 4th of July this year we visited the Eley/Grossmans's in Vienna and then went to the festival in the Plains for games, fun and fireworks. Seeing Lauren and her family was a real treat. As I walked up the path to her house carrying a baby in one hand followed by another child and my husband, it was surreal. Lauren and I basically grew up together and her house served as the center of things. Getting ready to go to Fridays, waiting for a boy to call, typical teenage girl stuff. Now here I was with my family!! We had a great visit with baby Dane and had some time to catch up and chat!

After Gracie’s nap we headed to the Plains for a festival. Gracie and Baby John were such troopers. Neither one were afraid of the fireworks. Gracie sat on her papa’s lap (of course) and he kept his arms tight around her. When he reached for his drink Gracie quickly put his arm back in place. She whined a little at first but was soon asking for more! John was awake for the show and I swear he was looking at ‘em! Getting out of the parking lot took about an hour and we didn’t get home and the kids to bed until around 11. Gracie has NEVER been up that late. But, as luck would have it they both slept in until almost 9 the next morning. That was my 4th of July present!

Gracie's Big Girl Bed!!!

Lauren with the three kids!

Ok so Mama forgot to pack a bib for Gracie!

Gracie(thank you so much Lauren, love this pic!)

Grossman/Tucholski Clans

Boy have times changed! Now we're holding babies instead of well....what did we used to hold?!?

Baby Dane and Baby John

Gracie and Baby Dane

A playdate for a couple of 2 month olds...

2009-06-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

Looks a little something like this:

Frying Pan Farm Park

2009-06-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

As a mother of two young kids, I am always trying to find something fun to do. As a mother who is currently without a paycheck, those things must also be cheap! I was over on my Facebook page and saw some pictures of some friends with their kids at Frying Pan Farm Park. Grace has been really into animals so this was worth a shot. The weather on Saturday was amazing so we packed up and drove to Herndon. The really great thing about the "farm" is that it's not big at all so it's perfect for a little 2 year old. There aren't an over abundance of animals, activites, or people. Gracie loved checking out the chickens and the horses. John sort of just hung out with me while Grace and Papa ran around. It was a really great day!

Grace and Papa

She loved the tractor

Looking at the horses

Baby John getting ready to go!!!!

2 months already!

2009-06-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Time sure does fly...John is two months old!!! Our doctors appointment is Wednesday so I'll be sure to come back and post those stats! John is growing like a weed. Unlike his sister, he has already outgrown most of his newborn clothes and is fitting comforably into his 0-3's. He is talking up a storm and easily recognizes our voices...even Gracies! Today we were playing on the floor and he followed one of his toys like a pro. He has been sleeping through the night steadily for about a week now. Dave gives him his last feeding around 9:30 and he sleeps until about 5 or 6AM. Can't complain about that.

I have been back at work to help close things up for the last week and John has been staying with his Aunt Jen and cousin Ella. I think they are really starting to like one another!

2 month pics!

John and Baby Ella

Bye Bye Binkie!!!!

2009-06-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

That's right! Tonight Gracie went to bed without her binkie!

Baby John-7 Weeks

2009-06-18T17:30:00.001-07:00

We're a beginning to fall into a pretty good routine with Baby John. During the day, he sleeps and eats and is generally a good partner in crime at Target or the mall. He waits until his Papa and Gracie get home around 6 to get fussy. Of course this a busy time with a hungry two-year-old (not to mention a hungry 30 year old!) and makes for quite the juggling act between mom and dad. Some nights, John will eat straight from about 7 until 10. I mean no stopping..."Refill please sir!" style. Who knows how many ounces this boy consumes during that time. Dave is "in charge" during this time and I usually relax and clean up from the day. Dave puts John to "bed" (his carseat...I know, I know) by 10:30 and he usually goes until either 3AM or 5AM...he rarely strays from his these times. I looked back at Gracie's section of the blog from this time and she was already sleeping through the night (until about6) by this time but I still consider us lucky. It could be a lot worse.

John is starting to smile and look at me when I talk to him. It's amazing how big is is already (10.88...a mother shouldn't by a baby scale...I weigh him everyday) I've already had to put away all of the newborn clothes. I am relieved b/c Gracie was so small for so long that I may actually a chunker on my hands!!!! Enjoy the ramdom pics!

Gracie's Second Birthday

2009-06-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

Gracie's second birthday went by this year without much celebration due mostly to the fact that I was in the hospital giving birth to her little brother! I really did feel bad about this and I know the kids will probably HATE IT when their older and have to share the same birthday. I especially hated having to miss her birthday. Aunt Tracey and Uncle Bill along with her cousins Alex, Ryan and Zach threw her an inpromptu party. Bill just brought the pics over this week so here they are! Oh, and her two year stats:

Weight--27.6lbs
Height--33 inches

Tucholski Family VIsit

2009-06-15T05:44:00.000-07:00

Dave's parents came to VA for a visit this past weekend. The festivites were centered around cousin Alex's high school graduation! Way to go Alex! We are all happy for him but there is one person who is especially smitten and that Gracie. She loves Alex. She wants him to hold her, feed her, anything. Alex can do no wrong.

Nana and Grandpa were thrilled to meet baby John and play with little Gracie. She warmed up to them quickly and even read Grandpa a book!

Happy One Month Birthday Baby John

2009-05-27T14:12:00.001-07:00

John Evan is one month old today. It’s hard to believe it’s already been a month!

John was born several weeks early just like his sister. But unlike his sister, the labor was so much easier!!!! (thank you God!) We started the induction with pitcoin at 1PM and by 3 I was about 3 cm dilated. At 5 o’clock I was about 5 cm and they decided to break my water. Up until that point I hadn’t felt much of anything (thank you epidural!). I started to feel a ton of pressure and by 6 o’clock I was a full 10 cm. I pushed for about 20 minutes and then John made his appearance. He was born looking up toward the ceiling, which is why the pushing took a while! The nurses were so excited and one actually grabbed our camera and began taking picture of John before he was even all t he way out! No matter how many children you have their birth is always special. This one was of course bittersweet without my mom here. Everything in life is that way…I find myself thinking how excited she would have been to see John’s birth or how proud she would have been of Gracie for being such a super big sister. Hopefully she can see all of this from where she is.

John came home and his introduction to Gracie went perfectly. We tried breastfeeding but ran across the same problems as those I had with Grace so we all decided it would be best to go straight to formula. John has been a real eater and it already up to 8 pounds 5 ounces! What a piggy! During the day he eats 4 ounces every three hours until Dave gets home. From about 7 until 11 PM all he wants to do is eat! They call it cluster feeding…I call it a pain in the butt!!!! He eats and eats and then sleeps from about 11:30 until 3AM. I feed him at 3 and then he goes back to sleep until 6:30-7. Adjusting to the little amounts of sleeps or interrupted sleep is difficult. Dave has been back to work for a while and despite the fact that I do the 3AM feedings he still isn’t getting enough sleep. I don’t foresee it taking too long for John to sleep through the night, knock on wood!

Gracie has been such a joy to watch this past month. She comes home from school and it immediately looking for “baby John”! She loves to kiss him and help mommy feed him. Whenever she sees his paci or one of his toys lying around she runs right up to him and puts it right in his face!!! A bit of a problem but we are teaching her to be gentle with the baby. When I look at John I see so much of Gracie in him yet he’s got his own little personality too. When he’s eating he’ll start to grin and when he sleeps I’ve heard him laugh. He has an easygoing personality thus far and only cries when he’s hungry. He’s a great pooper and always waits to poop until right after I’ve changed him! It’s been a bit of an adjustment getting used to changing his diapers and the hazards that entails but I think I’m finally starting to get used to it.

Dave and I are thrilled that our little buddy is here and I’m so excite to see him grow and become his own little man! But I hope he doesn’t do it too fast, Mama loves snuggling with him all day long!!!!

Fun artistic shot!

Isn't he sweet!

Gam and John

Update from the Pedi

2009-05-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

Grace and John both recently had doctors appointments. Both are doing very well, despite a tiny ear infection for Grace. The stats are:

Grace (24 months)
27.6 lbs (50th percentile)
33 1/4 inches (30th percentile)

John (2weeks)
7 1/2 lbs (25th percentile)
21 1/4 inches (89th percentile, I think this is a little off)

The pedi was very impressed with Gracie's speech and her outgoing personality. SHe is up to date on all her shots and is really doing great. We are going to hopefully transfer to the toddler bed soon and then begin potty training. The doctor assured us that there isn't a real rush to do either.

John's appointment was also good. His belly button feel out and there was a little stuff in it that the doctor had to clean out. And, he may have an outtie! SHe was happy with his weight gain, alhtough he is still undoubtedly a peanut! This go around has been a lot easier for all of us and I attribute that to not putting too much pressure on myself to breast fed. We tried for about a week and it just didn't work. With Grace, I kept pushing myself and I'm sure that added to my baby blues. This time, we went quickly to the formula and he is doing just great. We don't go back to the doctor until his 2 month visit.

Here are some recent pictures of both kids!!! Enjoy!

John on his changing table!!! He looks so tiny!

Grace and John. SO precious!

Playing with her water and sand activity table! I big hit!

My new bikini!!!

Gracie watching 101 Dalmations...thanks Aunt Sissy and Uncle Greg!

John meets his cousin Ella

2009-05-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today the two babies met at IHOP. John was born on Monday, April 27th and Ella just 5 days later on Friday, May 1st. DO'nt expect anything too crazy; they both slept through the entire thing!

Jen and Ella are doing great and I look forward to spending the summer shopping and lounging around with them and John!

Introducing little baby Ella bella!!!!!

Baby John's first week

2009-05-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

John has been a great baby so far! Is it possible for Dave and I to have two children who sleep like champs?!?!? He lets us sleep for 3-4 hours at night, only waking us up for a 2AM feeding. Not too bad!

Being a mom the second time around is much easier. I know what to expect and feel more confident that I'm doing things right! I also get so much joy out of seeing Grace interact with John. She loves him and calls him "my baby"! She's not the least bit jealous (so far) and loves to help me feel the baby his bottle and rub his little head. Here are a few more pics and I'll be sure to update more soon!

Gracie and John meet for the first time!

2009-04-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

Introducing John Evan Tucholski

2009-04-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

Born 4-27-09 at 7:32PM
6 pounds 12 ounces
19 inches

Rice Crispy Easter eggs

2009-04-11T17:44:00.001-07:00

This year we decided to make Rice Crispy easter eggs and had a total blast while doing it. For some reason, the pictures uploaded in reverse order but all the fun and cuteness are still there! Enjoy and I hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

SIdewalk Chalk

2009-04-03T16:35:00.000-07:00

Grace (and her Daddy!!) had a blast playing with the sidewalk chalk the other day. The temperature, although sporadic, is starting to trend upward and thus our time outside is also increasing. Our new large patio out back is awaiting the big wheel PopPop just gave to Gracie. Hopefully (fingers crossed) tomorrow will be nice enough to have some more outside time!

Dancing

2009-03-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Recent pics of Gracie

2009-03-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

She loves to color

She is warming up to the idea of the toilet....

Playing around

I'm back

2009-03-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

I figure it's time to get back to posting. Our family has moved and the internet connection hasn't been established. I will post some pictures of Gracie and huge belly soon.

We miss you Mom Mom

2009-01-30T18:21:00.001-08:00

We weren't ready to let you go. We still need you. We'll love you forever.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

We had a terrific Christmas this year. Gracie was old enough to enjoy her presents (for the most part) and Dave and I were able to really get into the Christmas spirit by watching Grace. The morning didn’t start out exactly how we’d planned. My parents arrived around 8:30AM and Gracie was still asleep. We woke her up, brought her downstairs, and she was not happy about the huge pile of gifts that lay before her. Instead, she puked. Right on her new PJ’s and on mine. It was a riot. After helping her open several gifts, none of which she was pleased with, giving her a very bland breakfast, and a three-hour nap, she seemed to be feeling better. That afternoon we went to my parent’s house to exchange gifts with the rest of the crew. Gracie was attached to Mom Mom the whole time but seemed to be in better spirits. We had our turkey and ham, played with some toys, and then came on home.

This year Santa gave me a 2-week vacation. Yes, two whole weeks free from cafeteria duty, 6th graders making fart jokes, and those awkward calls to parents explaining why it’s against the rules for your son to hit another kid, even if we is annoying. Ah freedom. Well, not really. Gracie had accrued “vacation time” from her daycare, two whole weeks to be exact. That meant that if she didn’t go to school, we didn’t have to pay. Normally, weather she’s there or not, your 275 is due every Monday. Well, this meant a pretty nice “Christmas bonus” for us if she stayed with me. Why not? I’m her mother. I can handle this. Right? Right.

We started off with a playdate with some of my co-workers kids making gingerbread houses. It was a blast. Gracie didn’t want to help with the house so Mommy constructed it and then ate it on the way home. The kids interacted with each other and had a pretty fantastic time. Day one, check. Day two, also check. Day three, four, and five Daddy was home and all was well. This full time Mommy stuff is easy. Right? Right.

Week two…hell week. I won’t go on and on with all the details but the week consisted of vomit, tears, whining, kicking, screaming, diarrhea and numerous meltdowns. And that was just me……

But, we all made it out alive. Looking back on the two weeks, I am glad I had Grace all to myself. I got to really watch her play. We got to snuggle. We got to really enjoy each other. And yesterday, I got to take her back to school. Ahhh, motherhood!

Gracie and Mama making the gingerbread house...yummy!

Looking pitiful

Mom Mom making her giggle!

She loves her new car!

Not to worry, she has since warmed up to her new bike!

Feelling better later in the day, playing with a paper towel roll. If I only knew I could have saved some bucks!

The aftermath!

Little Baby T #2

2008-12-29T09:28:00.001-08:00

On December 22nd we had our 20 week ultrasound. And Little Baby T #2 wasn't cooperating at all. After two hours of being poked and pushed on, the technician was able to get all the medical information she needed. All the parts were in the right place and the baby looked healthy. And that was the most important part, right?
Of course! But there was one more thing that I wanted to know. Boy or girl? Pink or blue? Baseball or ballerinas? Well folks, the verdict is still out. The technician saw what she thinks may be a penis but she’s not sure. She could have been looking at something else that resembled a penis. What?!?!? Either it’s there or not. But apparently there is more to it than that. She couldn’t determine with 100 percent accuracy the gender of this baby. So, we will wait. But not until May, I don’t have the patience for that. We will wait another month and then do a 3D ultrasound. Hopefully that will be conclusive. I mean a penis in 3D would be pretty hard to mistake for something else!

Finally...

2008-12-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

I finally gave in and took the family to Portrait Innovations this past weekend. It honestly wasn't as tramatizing as I thought it be! We were able to get some good ones of Grace and some descent shots of the family. For now, I am only posting the holiday pic as the rest will be given the others as gifts to the fam! I don't want to spoil the surprise. Enjoy!

Gracie's school pictures

2008-12-04T16:32:00.000-08:00

I am the worst blogger ever! Some many things happen on a day to day basis around here but between pregnancy, motherhood, and middle schoolers I just can't seem to find the time/energy to blog!!!! I must try however and just do my best.
Here are Gracie's school pictures. These might all look the same but trust me, everyone is a different variation of a frown. I mean she is pitiful!!!!!

Updates...Halloween, High Chairs, Hysterics

2008-11-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

Another long awaited update I'm sure. I didn't realize that I hadn't even mentioned Halloween...bad Mommy! Grace goes to bed at 7 so we decided to wait to actual trick or treat until next year. Instead, Gracie helped Mommy pass out candy to some of the other litle kids. Grace enjoyed seeing all of the little ones but, as soon as they left, she stood next to the door and sort of whined until the next group arrived. Too cute.

I have been meaning to mention the funniest thing that Gracie does. As soon as she's done eating and we put her down, Gracie takes her high chair, pushes it back exactly where it belongs and then snaps the seat belt. She has become infatuated with buckles. Hint hint Ssanta Clause. Anyway, it's so cute that she's developing her own little rituals.

Grace had her 18 month appt at the doctors and she's right on track, weighing in at 25lbs. Her speech development is also right on track which has been a concern for Dave and I given her ear issues. Right now she is saying: Mama, Papa, Joe, no, night nights, ball, uh-oh, up, cracker, banana (it sounds like nana), baby, and book. She repeats what she hears us say, a challenge for me to keep it clean!

I am almost 15 weeks pregnant with number 2 and finally feeling much better. The second time around has its challenges but one good thing is that I'm not as concerned when I feel a little cramp or just don't feel right...all these things are normal...I can't wait to see Grace as a big sis. They will be right about 2 years apart so I'm hoping they will be best friends!!!!!!!!!!!

Grace and her high chair

She can see the trick or treaters coming!

Our little fairy princess!

"I love Halloween even though I didn't get any candy:("

Little Baby T #2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-10T16:24:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest of the new baby (13weeks 5 days, EDD 5-15-09)! Went to the doctors and everything looks good. Mommy has been feeling better but it's much tougher the second time around. Gracie doesn't understand, "Ok honey, Mommy's gotta hurl!" but Daddy has been a real help. Here's the new baby...just two years younger than Grace! (On our old entry under Nov. 2006 we have a ultrasound of Gracie that was done 11-6, this one was done today, 11-10!)

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-26T16:24:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we journeyed to a beautiful farm in Bluemont to pick pumpkins. This farm is great for kids; they have a playground, animals, terrific food and even a live band. It was a beautiful day and Gracie had a blast. As you can see by the pictures, we did not pick any pumpkins. That would entail a long hayride and the actual physical exertion of ripping a pumpkin from the ground. Um, no thanks. There were plenty of perfect pumpkins sitting by the gift shop for purchase. So that it what we did.

The slide was a huge hit!

What we think was her first time ever on a swing! She loved it!

The light by the barn was so great so we tried to get a good picture. Trust me, this one was the best! The rest involved squirming and even some tears!

Gracie and Daddy on the cow train. She wasn't too impressed!

Grace's first political rally

2008-10-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Our candidate visited Leesburg, Virginia last week and after many hours of “how can we take an 19 month old to a political rally at 5:30, in the cold, with 30,000 other people” we said to hell with it and bundled her up and went to Ida Lee Park. The weather was chilly but bearable. The crowd was huge but in good spirits (except for the Supporters from the “other side” who insisted on pissing me off with “excuse me ma’am but that bus is trying to turn. You aren’t going to let a school bus full of children out? You O*ama people are all the same”) and Grace maintained her cool for the 4 hours we were camped out in line. Although we never made it past the security gates, we were there. Apart of history. It was an awesome feeling and although Gracie will never remember it she can always say she was there.

The sea of people

Gracie and Daddy at the fence trying to get a better look

Ok, you can kind of see him...under the metal gate!

Words of Wisdom

2008-10-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

by Gracie T and her mother who has no idea how to hold a camera. Sorry. If you have a laptop, you may be in luck. The rest of you may just want to go ahead and turn your head to the left for about a minute and 29 seconds! Enjoy

All I have to say is

2008-09-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!!!!

Photo Update (with details to follow shortly)

2008-09-11T06:27:00.001-07:00

Having a great time!

Not quite sure what she was doing here but it was funny!

"Good Mommy!"

"Crayon, anyone?"

The batteries in the camera

2008-08-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

are dead once again. I have been back to work for a couple of weeks and Dave's work is stressful and he has started another class. I know that isn't an excuse. I need to be a better Mama and get to work on this blog!

Grace has been doing great. She has cut in both her bottom and top set of molars and we are all glad that is over. She is saying mama and papa and some variation of Joe. She is mimicking the faces that Dave makes and it is hilarious. She will make the funny face and then pause to see how we react. When we laugh she is soo pleased with herself. She's a ham, just like her papa. I need to post a video, it's to die for.

I do miss those lazy summer days. Having only a couple of hours a day with her to play breaks my heart. But, that's our life. I do know that the time we spend together during the week is precious and therefore we make it special. I'm kinda hoping she starts to go to bed later so we can play!

Ok, it's almost 10. I'm sure I'll read this tomorrow and edit it. Right now, I"m just rambling.

Oh, and Nana, I will post those great pics from your visit APAP! I promise!

Happy 30th birthday Daddy!!!!!

2008-08-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Dave's 30th birthday!

We are celebrating today as a family but Dave and I went to Jamacia for a "real" celebration at the beginning of the month. Here are some highlights!

Reston Zoo

2008-08-10T16:04:00.001-07:00

This weekend we took Grace to the Reston Zoo. She really enjoyed the animals; I'm sure they all looked like big urry Joey dogs to her! We had a blast!

If my satellite tv ever craps out...

2008-08-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

I can use my daughter for an antenna.

Oh, David took Gracie to her doctor's appt Friday for her 15 month check up. She is doing very well and developing right on track!

Weight: 23.6lbs--25-50 percentile
Height: 30inches--25-50 precentile
Head Circum: 19.75--97 percentile (whoah!!!)

And we have pigtails

2008-07-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

One of the many joys of having a little girl is the ability to accessorize them. This can be done through charming clothes, shoes, and the one I’m having oodles of fun with now, hair! Gracie’s hair is getting longer and thicker and the hair possibilities are endless. We’ve been using barrettes on her for some time now but she easily pulls them out during her “fits of divaness”. The elastics, not so easy for her to ruin. Enjoy the pictures of Gracie with her pigtails, her Mom Mom, and her Pop Pop.

Gracie's first boo-boo

2008-07-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Poor baby. I was making our traditional Saturday big breakfast and David was helping me in the kitchen. Gracie was safely "corralled" in the living room when we heard a thud followed by, our course, her wailing. David and I ran into the living room and saw her laying on her back, crying and looking especially pitiful. David picked her up and there was a small speck of blood on her chin. Her first blood spill. I, of course, checked her face, inside her mouth, and all over her body to make sure she was ok. David held her while she cried and we cleaned up her chin without a problem. 5 minutes after it happened, Gracie was playing again.

Now that she is so mobile, these kinds of accidents are inevitable. She toddles around ALL DAY, no longer happy with sitting or being held. It’s especially hysterical when she’s tired and takes two steps, falls sideways(she does this very gracefully), and then tries to get back up. A riot. So today I will make another stop at Target, for band-aides, Neosporin, and perhaps the baby leash!

Rings and things

2008-07-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

Gracie has a fascination with her ring toys. She will walk around with them on her wrist for hours.

In other news, Dave and I have decided to return to the world of the hip and adventurous! Hmm, returning denotes that we were once there…not sure if we could classified as hip or in any way adventurous but I digress… we have decided that it’s time to HIRE A REAL LIFE BABYSITTER! Sure we have left Gracie for an evening or two but it has always been in the care of my parents or my sister; never with anyone unrelated. As we fall into a constant routine, Dave and I find that, while there is comfort in the routine, it also leads to extreme boredom and monotony. We find ourselves longing to go to dinner, visit a friend, or just have some time to ourselves. Although Jen and Mom and Dad are great, we decided that we need to have a babysitter who lives close by that we can call on when we need to get out. I searched on Criagslist and even went to babysitters.com (who, by the way, wanted $119 to join to view their sitters) but I wasn’t happy with what I found. I mean, this person is going to be alone in my house with my child, this is a huge responsibility not to be trusted to just anyone, right?!?! Then, it hit me.
About 10 years ago, my sister started to babysat a little girl, Lilly. Jen and I took turns watching her and then, while I was in college, I was a nanny for her all summer. I ran into her and her mother at Giant Food a couple of months back and Lilly is, (gasp!) 14!!! I couldn’t believe it, she is taller than me. So this morning I emailed her mother and asked if Lilly babysat. She was thrilled that I sent the email and Lilly and Grace are going to finally meet! The kicker? Lilly lives one block away!! Yippee!!! Salvation!!! Dinner and drinks with my husband, playdates for Mommy and Daddy. I’m thrilled!

Lazy Summer Days...

2008-07-16T05:59:00.000-07:00

Gracie has been enjoying her relaxed summer schedule. Although Mommy is still working, our morning don’t seem nearly as hectic. Traffic is so much lighter in the morning and we don’t have to be out of the house until 7. I get off work around 1, run errands (aka shop!) and then pick Gracie up after her nap. We then try to do some fun mother daughter bonding, like our trip to Aunt Sissy’s pool on Monday. Grace loves the water, unlike her mother at that age. My dad still teases me about my nail marks being embedded on the side of Vienna Woods Swim Club’s baby pool, my parents coaxing me to just come out of the safety of my little corner in the 2 feet! But I digress…Grace loves the water. She splashes and kicks and even just chills in her inter tube while Mommy sunbathes (in the pool with her of course).

Grace is walking faster than ever. I can’t believe that in just two weeks she’s gone from barely being able to stand to full out hauling ass across the family room! It definitely makes our job as parents more challenge but it is so rewarding to see her run to me when I pick her up from school. She is so proud of herself.

All the advances, however, aren’t good ones. Whenever Dave or I tell Grace no (no you can’t smack the dog, no you can’t stomp on Daddy’s DVD’s, no you cannot throw your food on the ground) she laughs. I’m talkin’ stares at you and exudes this full on belly laugh. At first I thought it was just when I told her no. Certainly she would listen to Dave’s deep bellowing voice. No, she doesn’t. I think she even laughs and little louder! Oh, and last night she bite Dave, twice. Great. I believe we’re going to start allocating the high chair for time outs. We have to do something.

Despite these two “challenges”, we’ve decided to keep her. I’m taking her “baby free to a good home” ad off CraigsList.

She loves splashing in the water!

I know my face is a bit creepy in this one but she looks so cute...excuse my creepiness

Poll: The baby leash

2008-07-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

Now that Grace is becoming mobile, a whole new scary world is opening up to us. When we're out shopping, Grace willingly stays in her stroller/cart and we are able to go about our shopping and actually really enjoy the experience. But now, Grace is going to want to walk around...OMG. Am I going to be one of those frazzled mom's running after their screaming baby in the Target?!?!? We've all seen those mom's and perhaps chuckled a bit at their misfortunes but is this my destiny? Will Target never be the same? Ok, so that's a bit dramatic. But, their is a very real safety question here.

Yesterday David and I were at Babies R Us finally buying baby proofing devices when I came across THE BABY LEASH! At first I laughed but then I began to think about all the benefits of owning such a device. I will admit that I used to laugh at people who put their baby on a (uh-hum) leash but I have to not judge a parent...we do what we can to make easier. So readers, what do you think? Should I purchase the baby leash? Here's a pic for those of you who do not have children and have no flippin' clue what I'm talking about:

Grace is gaining her own independence

2008-07-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

by walking! Yesterday Grace took her first unassisted steps! I'll write more later but I wanted everyone to know. Go Gracie!

Signs, signs everywhere are signs...

2008-07-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

But poor Gracie has two very dense parents. When I went to pick her up today, she was having her snack. I decided to pop a squat right next to her and partake in a couple of animals crackers. As I was eating the head off an unsuspecting bear, the caregiver walked around asking the babies if they wanted any more. When Ms. Stephanie got to Grace with the jar of crackers, Grace made the sign for more accompanied by a "mah, mah" noise! WHAT?!?!? Grace knows the sign for more? Why were we not informed of this. For the last month or so Grace has gotten frusterated at the dinner table waving her hands and grunting. Well, idiot mom, that wasn't random waving and grunting, she was trying to communicate!!!! When we got home tonight and I prepared her a special grilled chicken pasta with homemade pea/carrott/spinach tomato sauce, I gave her a small piece. She ate it quickly and then I asked her if she wanted more, accompanied with the sign. Grace's eyes lite up: "Ah ha, she finally got it!" Grace then made the sign for more!

I wonder what else they're teaching my daughter. One day I'll get to school and she'll be twirling a batton on one leg. Rather unlikely.

I of course grabbed the camera and captured my daughter's sign. I also ran upstair and dug out my book on baby signs. Why didn't I start this months ago?

Oh, please excuse my overly annoying voice.

We could all learn a little bit from Gracie...

2008-06-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

Don't take yourself to seriously...and laugh once and a while

Ah a day at the pool...

2008-06-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

It used to be so relaxing. I would grab a towel, water, sunscreen(ok, that was rare) and People magazine. I would get to the pool, jump in to cool off, and then bake for hours. It was awesome. After a full afternoon, I would come home exhaused(not because I did any swimming, no way, probably b/c I had some mild heat stroke) and take a nap. Boy have things changed.

Today we took Grace to the pool. I began getting ready about an hour before it was time to go. Our pool bag(s) contained:
--3 towels
--suncreen (70+ for Grace and 12 for Dave, still none for me; hey, that's the one thing that hasn't changed)
--sun bonnet
--swim diapers
--3 sandwiches
--crackers
--fruit
--water
--apple juice
--wet paper towels
--camera (Oh god, that is awful. A camera at the pool sucks...that' why I'm the camera man)
--Gracie's normal diaper bag

And no People magazine in sight. How quickly and completly your life changes. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. Gracie loved the water and I attribute that to dunking her last year.

Two is better than one!

2008-06-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

Gracie really loves her walkers. She still hasn't walked on her own yet, but she has found new enjoyment and stimlation in playing with both her walkers at once. And of course, it's a riot!

Blog update...it's about time!

2008-06-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture for now:

I am currently the worst blogger mom eva. I haven't updated the blog in forever. I should be ashamed.

Graduation

2008-05-29T04:57:00.000-07:00

Grace has graduated from the infant room to the older infant room. We have been transitioning her for the past couple of weeks but Monday she started in with the older kids full time. It was tough for David and I as we really loved the people who watched Gracie in the infant room and also because it meant our baby was getting older. Of course her being surrounded by kids who are walking and talking and not drolling and pooping are much better for her development but I hate to see her growing up so fast!

Yesterday her caregiver presented us with a photobook with the following pictures:

I was very touched by her sentiment and also a bit saddened. What am I going to do at her high school graduation!?!?!??!!?!?!

Happy Memorial Day

2008-05-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Memorial weekend was a big one for us! We went strawberry picking, got locked out of the house with the baby safely inside, and drove to VA Beach to adopt a new dog, Moose.

On Saturday we joined Mom Mom, Pop Pop, Aunt Jen, Uncle Greg, Brandon and Samantha for the annual Great Country Farm Strawberry Jubilee. That's right, it was a jubilee. And I know that sounds hillbilly and I'm not at all hillbilly but everyone in Loudoun County came out for the festivities. There were no shortages of Blackberry's and laptops at this "country" fair. The line to pick strawberry's was over an hour long so we decided to stretch out on our blanket and enjoy the music and food.

I like to call this exerpt King Foo husband.
Sunday we were all set to make the four hour drive to VA Beach to pick up Moose. We have known for a while that Joe needed a playmate and have been waiting for the perfect buddy to come along. We think we found that after reading Moose's description on the Lab rescue website. Aunt Jen was able to watch Gracie and all we needed to do was take Joe down there to meet the dog. Dave and I were running around at 6:45AM trying to get everyone ready. Joe was in the yard, Grace in her exersaucer and David inside. I ran to the car going through the garage, leaving the door to the house open. Dave came outside to bring out some of Gracie's things and closed the door behind him. As soon as he, he looked up at me, "You have the keys, right!!!???" Hell no I didn't have the keys. I left the door open!!!! was my thought. We were locked out of the house. Panic hit us both. Were there any unlocked doors, windows, anyway to get into the house?? We both ran around for a minute, looking at the house, almost willing it open. We realized that wouldn't work. Everything was locked up tight. With Gracie in the kitchen. Shit. Panic. Double shit. More panic. Finally, my husband yelled to me, "Ok honey, close the garage door. I'm kicking the door in. I don't want the neighbors to see."
You're what!!!! I mean I love my husband and I believe in him 100 percent but to do something like kick open a door, I was skeptical. But, we had no other options. It's worth a shot. I closed the garage door and waited outside. Thud.
"Ok honey, I got it, come on in!!!!!!!!!" What, my husband had done it! He kicked our door in to save the baby!!!!!!! (I think it was the fact that he had watched Indiana Jones the night before, he was feeling very masculine!) We ran inside and Gracie was sitting in her exersaucer, looking out the window. I of course was hysterical and David was standing there just a little bit taller. Catastrophe avoided.

Moose and Joe are becoming friends. It's going to be an ajustment for both of them but hopefully they will soon be brothers.

Feelin' better!

2008-05-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

Gracie is doing so much better. Her roseloa ran it's course like clockwork; three days with a high fever and three days of a rash. Now she's totally back to normal, with the exception of the PJ's Daddy picked out!

Roses(ola) are red, like my baby's face

2008-05-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

I should have gone to medical school. My daughter has yet another disease, this one is Roseola. It is a virus that causes a high fever, check, makes the baby fussy or irritable, check, causes a decreased appetite, check, and is accompanied by a nasty rash, check. Of course, there is nothing we can do but give her Tylenol and make her comfortable. She is sleeping a little more than normal and when she is awake, she hates her life. I mean she is pitiful. Look:

Spotty face

Gracie look for the day

Rush Hour

2008-05-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

Gracie has become quite the effective walker...with the help of her walker. Although we haven't seen her complete any steps on her own, she sure can with the some assistance. We're not rushing anything, she'll walk on her own when she's ready. For now enjoy this clip, she must have learned this from Mommy when she gets frusterated in traffic when she gets stuck!

Totally Bottle-Less---Yippee!

2008-05-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

Today Gracie had no bottles what so ever! She has been down to only a morning bottle for a couple of weeks now and the thought of no morning bottle has been tough for David and I! This morning I was up earlier than normal b/c Dave had to go downtown and therefore he was out of the house before six. I got almost toally ready before Gracie woke up and when she did, I went downstairs for a sippy cup. I got her out of her crib and changed her clothes before giving her the cup. She drank about half and didn't even miss her bottle.

I know this isn't prolific but babies adapt and are willing to change without a hesitation, it's the parents that are the problem.

Here she is this past weekend in her new little sundress, compliments of kevin and Sara. Thanks guys!

2008-05-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

For her birthday, Gracie received a couple of walkers. Here is her introduction to the lion walker...complete with Nana's help!

Gracie's First Birthday

2008-04-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Gracie first birthday party was perfect. She was perfect. Dave and I thought she would be scared of all the people that she didn't really know and that by the end of the afternoon she would be fussy. We really should know by now that she has such an easy going personality that nothing bothers her. As our friends arrived, I passed her around and she was totally fine with that. Dave and I would leave the room and she acted as if it was no big deal. This party was a great time for us to connect with friends we hadn't seen in a while as well as to introduce Gracie to some peoplethat she hadn't met.

When it was time to do presents, Gracie sat in her pink chair of honor. We hadn't put her in the chair in a long time (http://little-baby-t.blogspot.com/2008/01/gracies-new-chair.html) and this time she was able to sit in it like a big girl. As we opened the cards, Grace took an immediate liking to it. I handed her the card while I opened the present and she had no interest in the present, just the card. Becky made the comment that she should have bought her staionary! We are so thankful for all of the wonderful gifts everyone got for Pudge, I really couldn't believe how generous everyone was. She got a purse, (awesome, we're starting her early!) a couple of walkers (we got video of her with that, post coming soon!), some really cute dresses, clothes and swimsuits, and several other toys.

The cake was a ton of fun! As we were all singing to her, she sat there, very mellow, as if to say, "What the heck are you all doing?" After the song, I put the whole top layer of the cake in front of her. She just stared. Well no duh Mom. That cake must have looked so huge to her; of course she had no clue what to do with it. After Mom Mom suggested cutting a little off for her, she began eating it no problem. We were all surprised though by how clean she was while eating. We excpeted a huge mess on the floor, icing in her hair, the whole deal. But it was realitivly clean.

After cake we ran up for a quick bath and wardrobe change, came back down and played with our guests until the last one left at 5. Grace was fine until bed at 7:30. She had had one morning nap and managed not to be cranky all day (I wish I could say the same for me:) She's amazing! Enjoy the pics!

She loved opening presents in her chair of honor!

Oh, is that a purse?? I want to play with that!

She did "tear" into her gifts.

Grace loves cards! She played with the cards while Mommy opened the gifts!

The cake!

"Why is everyone looking at me? What's the big deal?"

I think the sugar is really kicking in right about now!

Here she is showing off her front teeth! (When I was playing her later that night I noticed a new tooth had broken through, the one to the right of front tooth!)

Even her sloppiest moments weren't too bad!

Great Falls Park

2008-04-20T08:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we took a trip to Great Falls Park for our first family picnic. The weather was perfect and it was a surprisingly relaxing day for the whole family. It was relaxing because my daughter doesn't like the feel of grass at all. She crawled to the end of the blanket, put her hand down on the grass and immediatly turned right back around. The grass is her nemisis. It reminded me of when I was a kid and my sister and I would jump from bed to bed without touching the ground. You see the ground was actually lava and if you were unforuntate enought to not make the jump, you would melt. What a carefree childhood game!

So Dave and I were able to lay with the baby and just sort of relax and enjoy her and each other. Grace saw her first horse and touched her first tree. She saw her first river and traveled pretty well in her new baby backpack. However, after three hours out in the sun, we were all getting tired and a bit cranky. We weren't able to see the amazing falls so we're planning our next trip soon. Enjoy!

Notice that she's wearing her birthday hat a little early...
It looks like a really big Joey Dog! Ok, I'm going to try Mama's water bottle!
Whoa, so this is what a tree feels like!
Mom and Dad had to give me graham crackers to keep me happy. And let's just say I'm not the neatest eater!

Bottleless Bedtime

2008-04-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

The goal is to have Gracie off of the bottle by one year. We have been slowly weaning her from and are actually down to one in the morning (this will be harder for us to break than Grace, we give her the bottle to keep her occupied while we get ready!), one at school, and one at bedtime. Tonight after her bath, we decided to try to put her to bed without the bottle, but of course had one waiting (out of sight) just in case she got angry. We put her in her nightgown and I sat with her in her glider. I tried to hold her close to me and then in the traditional baby hold but she was crawling up my chest, pulling my hair, and arching her back in protest. So I said forget this, kissed her forehead and placed her into her crib fully awake. I turned around to leave, knowing full well she was awake and begin to cry. So I closed the door and waited, and waited and waited. No crying. My baby went to bed without her bottle! Score one for mom and dad!

Likes/Dislikes

2008-04-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

Oh, and her two top teeth broke through today!!!!! Yeah Grace!!!!

Today is a teacher workday and one of the perks of being is Dean is not having to do any grading so I do have some time on my hands! I decided to compile a list of Gracie's likes and dislikes at 11 months old!

LIKES:

American cheese-she doesn't like it, she loves it!
Stuffed animals-she hugs 'em and just giggles

Being held upside down by her feet (it sounds dangerous but it's not!)

Being held (she has become quite the clingy baby the last couple of week)

Making "cool" noises with her mouth

Watching Joe the Dog run around in the yard-she waves her hands around and giggles

Drinking V8Fusion Juice from her sippy cup-ever since she was sick she has had an aversion to apple juice so we tried the V8 and she loves it

Baths-again, she waves her hands and giggles

Looking in the mirrior (she is her mother's daughter afterall:)

Remote controls, CD's, tv speakers-pretty much anything electonic that isn't hers!!!!

Riding in the car listening to the classical music station-this probably stems from when I was pregnant and David made me listen to it

being outside

DISLIKES:

getting dressed-you've never seen her scream and cry like when I'm trying to put her arms though a sleeve

eardrop/eyedrops-for obvious reasons

Dave's punching bag in the basement-it's weird, she grabs onto me so tight when we walk by the stupid thing

I really can't think of anything else she doesn't like! There must be something else?!?!?!

Tube Surgery

2008-04-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

Gracie tube surgery did go quite well. We had to be at the surgical center at 6:30AM, and she couldn’t have anything to eat after midnight. Dave volunteered to do the midnight feeding (why, I don’t know but I wasn’t arguing) and she ate like a champ and went right back to sleep. We woke her up at 5:30 and put her in the car seat for the trip.
We arrived right on time and were sure the fussing would begin as soon as she woke up. Remember, our cubby little Pudgie hadn’t eaten breakfast. I’m assuming this facility has had its fair share of screaming, starving, irritable infants because they had an awesome distraction in place. A huge fish tank. Gracie made quite the commotion banging on the fish tank, literally laughing out loud, and trying to keep up with the fishy's as they fled quickly, fearing they were under attack. Sidenote, you know all the signs up at the zoo, DO NOT TAP ON THE GLASS, DO NOT DISTURB THE ANIMALS...I don't think my daughter will work for PETA but I digress.

After playing with the fishy, we were herded up stairs to the next waiting area. Jen had arrived with our Starbucks but only 2 were allowed upstairs to the "high security waiting area" and therefore, much to my horror, my grande skim 3 Splenda latte was dumped into the sink. We waited upstairs were Gracie crawled all over the place, looked up at the other kids and smiled. Dave and I were totally amazed that she wasn't completly melting me. That would be my role for the day! The anesthesiologist met with us and talked about the procedure. I was glad to hear that she wouldn't have an IV but just a little bit of gas to put her to sleep. Next up, we were called back to the pre-op area. The nurse was wicked nice and gave Gracie a stuffed monkey which of course made her giggle! Her fingers are so little that it took a minute to get her BP and heartrate but Grace was calm and it was done in no time. Oh, and the cutest part was Gracie's little hospital gown. It was the smallest one they had and it was literally hanging off of her. I wish I had a camera phone (damn you Blackberry!) to capture her cutness. We waited yet again in a paly area with a bunch of other little kids. Grace hadn't fussed the entire time and Dave and I were completly dumbfounded by it. I had my scrubs on as well b/c I was going to take her back into the OR.

This is the funny part. Me, who cried like a baby watching Idol Gives Back, cried at my wedding and my sisters wedding (I mean hysterical cries) and cried yesterday when I hit a squireel, deicded that I have to be strong for my daughter and take her back. Silly mommy.

I walked her back where the table was waiting along with the doctor and several nurses. I laid her down and took her binkie out of her mouth. She laid there perfectly still as they put the mask on her face and I rubbed her cheek. She didn't stuggle with the excpetion of one little kick before she fell asleep. I gave her a kiss and then turned to walk away. My lip started shaking and I turned to look back on more time but the nurse put her arm around me and led me out. Then I lost it. I knew she was going to be ok but I couldn't help but feeling helpless and wishing that it was me on the table. How dramtic of me. This is literally a 4 minutes surgery.

By the time I reached the consultation room were Dave was waiting, I was almost done crying. He hugged me and I dried the tears. Then, the doctor came in. Seriously about 5 minutes after I left the OR. He said she did fine and that there was a lot of thick fluid in her ears but that she was as good as new.

Dave and I went to the recovery room and a nurse brought the baby in. She was a little fussy but we had a bottle ready for her and we sat. As she was eating she began to wake up. I wanted to get her back into her clothes and when Jen came down and I gave Gracie to her to hold. She was smiling again. She was fine!! It was amazing how quickly she recovered. She drank the bottle so quick and was in such a good mood that we decided to take her to McDonald's for a celebatory breakfast! One whole pancake and several eggs later, we headed home. And, true to her form, she was a happy baby for the rest of the day. Here's the proof:

2 hours after surgery

Surgery, what surgery? I'm just glad Mommy and Daddy stayed home to play with me!
You can't escape a Mama with a camera!!!

11 Months (+2 days but who's counting?!?!)

2008-03-29T15:42:00.001-07:00

Grace's 11 month birthday kind of crept up on me. After Jen' s wedding, spring break, and busily planning for Grace's first birthday I almost forgot about the all important 11 month marker!

Grace is changing so much everyday. She still hasn't taken any steps on her own but I'm ok with that. She is completely mobile, moving around from one end of the living room to the other, almost always ending up with a dog toy in her mouth. Gross. Grace (we're trying soo hard now to STOP calling her Pudgie) still only has her bottom two teeth that she worked so hard to get but the top two aren't far behind. This doesn't stop her from eating anything and everything, she's obviously just like her daddy. Her favorite food right now is the good old fashioned processed yellow (orange) American cheese. Despite my attempt to make her a more "worldly" eater, exposing her to guacamole, hummus, and avocado (that's worldly for me ok), she goes right for the old standby, the cheese. Good news, she has an aversion to peeps. I'm not sure if it's the sweetness or the new texture, but she's not a big fan. Give her a few years and I'm sure the Zier side of the family will fix that. We have had our fair share of health "crisis", from vomiting non stop to constant ear infections. I'm hoping a fresh new pair of tubes (surgery date set for April 8) and the warmness of the spring will put a stop to it.

But for now, as always, her she is. Looking less like a Pudgie and more like beautiful Grace everyday.

I hate my Easter bonnet

2008-03-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

Grace and the Easter Bunny

2008-03-19T13:11:00.001-07:00

Jen's Wedding Weekend

2008-03-17T15:05:00.000-07:00

Grace wasn't there and I know this is her blog but it was an exciting time for the whole family! Isn't my sissy beautiful!!!

Grace has her own fun however with the Eley/Grossman clan!

Gracie and Lauren, fast friends!
Of course Auntie Lauren spoiled me with books!
Gracie and Mama Eley visiting a Borders to meet award winning author Jodi PicholetGracie and Big Age! Lauren called me Saturday morning to tell me there was a problem. That problem, Grace was in love with Big Age!!!

Saturday Morning Breakfast

2008-03-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Grace has been eating table food for the past couple of weeks now and she's getting very good it. We have started her on the school menu at her daycare and she has eaten spaghetti, french toast, peas, yogurt, cheese, and even Sloppy Joe's (not sure if I like that one so we are being a more picky now with what we want her to eat)! This morning I decided to make a nice big breakfast and for the first time Gracie got her own little plate of exactly what Mommy and Daddy were eating.

Don't worry, the plate was just for the photo op! As you can see, she's getting excited!

"Do you mind Mama, I want to eat in peace!"

10 Months

2008-02-27T16:42:00.000-08:00

Pudgie is 10 months old today. 10 months. That's pretty old. As I was taking some pictures of her this evening, I noticed that she is looking more and more like a little girl and less like a little baby. Tonight we had to move her crib mattress down several notches because last night she fussed a bit after I put her to bed (which is so unusual) so I went in to see her pulling herself up on the rails and her little face hanging over the edge. Whoa. She is eating sooo much more now; Cherrios, french toast, eggs, bananas, and all of her yummy baby food. She is healthy, at least for the time being. Last week she stopped eating for four days (she still had her formula no problem) and we (the doctor) discovered that she had another raging ear infection. We took her to a specialist and finally decided to do the tubes. The poor little thing failed her hearing test, she hears like you do when you're under water. Poor thing. Despite all this, she is growing and changing and growing more and more wonderful every day! Enjoy!

BFF's Part II

2008-02-23T08:34:00.001-08:00

They really do love each other!

Cute face?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

2008-02-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

Grace is learning so many new things...how to clap, say na na na (which I think is her way of saying no) and how to make this awful new funny face. Whenever I take out the camera, hoping to capture a na na or a clap, this face shows well, it's ugly face. Maybe I should tell her that if she doesn't stop, her face will freeze like this. Enjoy!

This Valentine's Day, I can only think of the two greatest loves of my life

2008-02-12T17:42:00.000-08:00

My husband and my daughter. Life doesn't get any better than this.

Gracie said Mama!

2008-02-08T19:08:00.000-08:00

And I didn't hear it! Dave was getting his lunch ready and had Gracie in her carseat ready to go. She was chatting up a storm and all the sudden he heard,"Ma ma ma ma ma ma ma!" Damn 6 AM bootcamp...while I was doing killer squats my baby was calling for me!
Oh, and don't worry. I'm running out tomorrow for some batteries!

The batteries in the camera are dead

2008-02-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight Grace was laughing hysterically. I mean she was completly losing her mind! Dave was looking at her as she was laying on the floor and she was laughing so hard that she was literally rolling all over the place! Then she starts "crawling" on the floor and it looked like she was doing the worm. She did the worm all the way across the floor. Oh, and she was laughing the entire time. Of course, we run for the camera. Of course, it's so dead that it won't even turn on.

Grace has finally gotten over her last couple of illnesses and her energy level is way up. We also decided to increase her formula and have introduced her to meats. It makes for a messy diaper but a very happy baby. She as so much energy now. I wish I could show you the video or pictures but, ourcamera is dead. And, despite the fact that I was at Target twice today, I didn't buy any batteries. Bad mama.

So, I must post some old pictures. What would a post be without pictures. I've learned that the relatvity between the pictures and the subejct of the post is unneccesary.

Lift it up!

2008-01-31T18:14:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we were hanging out taking pictures when Grace suddenly, without warning, she lifted herself up! She was so proud of herself! And of course we tried to get her to do it again to capture on video but our little diva wouldn't perform for the paparazzi!

A new post is coming...

2008-01-28T12:32:00.000-08:00

Gracie has been sick...nothing serious just a reaction from her antibotics...so it's been a tough week at the Tucholskis'. I will try to update tonight with her 9 month pic (we did take some last night) but I have a workshop tonight. I promise I will try. But until then, here she is!

Arg Dada. Let me go!Nevermind! You're so funny Daddy!

9 months

2008-01-27T13:10:00.001-08:00

"Wait, what are we doing?" "Oh, I see! I'm 9 months old today!"

"And I'm happy about it!"

9 months stats:

18.6lbs (25th percentile)

Mommy Guilt

2008-01-18T05:39:00.000-08:00

While I was pregnant, I got advice from everyone. My family, co-workers, even strangers at the mall. I listened to pretty much everything they had to say, having never been pregnant before and having no freakin' clue about anything! While we talked about everything from hormones to butt paste, one topic that was never mentioned was mommy guilt. This is the guilt that a mother feels about EVERYTHING having to do with her child. Where is this coming from you may ask? Well, Gracie and I have been home together sick since Wednesday. Daycare called Tuesday afternoon and told me that Gracie was running a fever. David went to pick her up and we were informed that there had been a cough going around the infant room. Splendid. Wednesday morning we took her temperature and she still had a slight fever and was coughing like a one pack a day smoker. I called work and the pedi. Grace was sick yet again.

We went to the doctor, again. We were there on Monday to check the ears. They were ok. By Wednesday, they weren't. Oh, and she had the beginning stages of RSV, a wicked scary respitory virus. Great, more antibotics. I talked to the doctor about my concerns; this is the third antibiotic my child has been on in the past 3 months. If you know me, I'm no hippy but when it comes to my daughter I don't like to see her pumped full of chemicals. The doctor said that because she is in a daycare that she will be sick pretty much all the time, in the winter at least. Great. Her advice, taking her out of her mega big daycare center and putting her in an at home daycare with fewer kids. Dave and I are looking into that!

Despite her illness, Grace has started crawling and Dave caught it on film. Enjoy