Two things I'm not ready to give up...

At almost fourteen months, Grace (in my eyes...I don't know about the technical definition) is hovering between babyhood and toddlerhood. I am hovering between whole-heartedly allowing her to enter this new stage and clinging to the little cuddly baby I love. She's been walking for a while now and seems to think that other kinds of independence should come along with that. Hmph.

I just don't know.

Firstly, she seems to have decided that one nap a day is plenty. Ha! What a joke! Doesn't she realize just how lucky she is? I'd sing karaoke for two naps a day! :) (saying "I'd kill for two naps a day" seems far too violent, so I decided to come up with something equally terrifying and horrible to me...) And this two nap schedule has been working so well for us. Why mix things up now? I mean, really?

And then there's the issue of the bottle. Okay, this is much more my issue than hers. I know that she should be using a sippy cup or some kind of equivalent these days. I even bought one a few months ago to encourage myself to encourage her. But...it just tends to sit unloved, unnoticed, and unused in the cupboard. I bring it out to let her drink water and the occasional sip of juice every now and again, but that's about it. No milk. No main staple of her liquid diet.

Sigh.

See, I love the bottle. :) She seems okay either way, but I love the bottle. When I stopped nursing her, I missed the closeness so much and worried that it was gone forever. But then I discovered that Grace is perfectly content to sit or lay with me while drinking her milk. It's one of the few times that she is truly cuddly. And I love it! I look forward to that time every day.

It just feels like the sippy cup would steal that away. Every day when I'm getting milk for Grace, I think about how I should let her learn to drink her milk exclusively from a cup. But...I just don't. I find some perfectly logical excuse that makes it quite necessary for me to continue with the bottle. You know, like the weather being a certain way that day that makes it impossible to effectively drink from a sippy cup. Perfectly logical. :)

So my line between babyhood and toddlerhood has been drawn. The line is illustrated with a bottle and a second nap. I wonder what Grace's line would be?

And...just a couple recent pictures.

This is Grace's new favorite reading spot. Our decorative (a euphemism for "fake") fireplace. She sits down in front of it and then scoots right in. It's quite adorable.

Grace has become quite the little traveler.

This picture was taken at the Como Zoo gardens in Minnesota.

A fuller view of Grace and the fireplace.

At the bunny fountains in Ohio with her cousin, Stephen.

A Slightly Unconventional First Birthday

The last day of July, we celebrated Grace's first year of life. Now, since her birth, I had pictured throwing a lovely party for her with adoring family members mesmerized by her every move. But, we live four hours away from the closest family member on Spencer's side and nine hours away from the closest one on my side. So, that just wasn't going to happen. I guess it could have, but it didn't. Instead, the primary attendees of Grace's party were these gentlemen:

The salesman of the Linx Cedar Rapids office.

So, yes, Grace had her first boy/girl party at age one. :)

Honestly, I don't think I could've asked for a more obliging bunch. They really were the next best thing to family, even if I don't even know all their names... They gave me everything I needed in party guests: warm bodies to feel chairs and eat pizza and cake, and a large group to sufficiently "ooh" and "ahh" over Grace. I thought they would start to get bored when she took forever to eat her cake and open her presents, but they didn't! They were all so much more into it than I ever could have hoped! I guess some of this might come from the fact that they're not around babies much... Grace is a cute little novelty. :) At any rate, the party was really fun.

As was the day.

We started the day by going in to get Grace together in the morning when she woke up and singing to her. She didn't get the purpose of the song, of course, but she was happy to see the both of us all the same. :) She spent the next little while eating and playing with the decorative balloons we had strewn about the house.

She really liked the balloons. :)

Then, we let her open one of her gifts which turned out to be

a little birthday dress, courtesy of me.

Next, we took her to the park for some pictures...and some play time, of course. I mean, it was her birthday. I guess it shouldn't be all about mommy and daddy getting the photos and memories that they want. :)

After the park, we came home and she took a nap.

Naps are non-negotiable, even on your birthday.

After naptime, it was party time. Jerrica helped me decorate a couple cakes and Spencer ordered the pizza. As a sidenote, having our Linx friends James and Jerrica at Grace's party was like having family there. Grace LOVES them. They are definitely her surrogate aunt and uncle.

So...pictured below is the cake for everyone. And me with my "I-probably-shouldn't-have-dropped-out-of-that-cake-decorating-class" face.

And this was Grace's own personal pan cake.

The cake unveiling...

And...the beginning of the cake massacre.

At first, she tentatively picked off the little pink balls of frosting and ate them.

Then, she really started to get a hang of what was going on.

And...the final messy product! Grace has a silly habit of playing with her hair while she eats. She habitually twirls her hair while drinking her bottle, but also tends to reach to her head for comfort while eating solids. The cake was no different.

The cake story has kind of a sad ending. The more chocolate that got onto her face, the more it bothered Grace and the more she tried to rub it off. Hence, the ridiculous mess of the picture. However, it started getting into her eyes and up her nose and that's when happy, cake-eating Grace disappeared and angry, crying Grace took her place. She was thrown into the bathtub, sobbing, not too long after this picture was taken. But...in the end, I still think it was worth it. It was pretty hilarious watching her get to this point. :)

And now, onto to the presents! This actually happened before the cake, but it'll take too much effort to switch it all. :)

Below are the presents from Grandma and Grandpa Merkley. Grandma Bardsley also sent some very thoughtful gifts, but we opened them before Grace's birthday, because I am too impatient when it comes to presents. :)

Here's the thoughtful present from Uncle James and Aunt Jerr. :)

And James putting it together.

And the big present from mom and dad...

We were pretty excited about this find!

We didn't even have to steal it from a dentist's office. :)

Grace's first exposure to bubbles.

And, lastly, her new books. Yeah, she was pretty spoiled.

Happy Birthday, baby!

Squirrels

Today, I was frightened into submission by a squirrel. Okay, two squirrels. And they didn't even make a squirrel confederacy and intimidate me with superior numbers (as Grace obviously doesn't count as far as bodily protection goes...). It was two separate squirrels in two completely different ends of a small park. Sigh...

Now, in my own defence, I think one could say that I was just being motherly and protective of my little brood of one. But silently, I know that you're all thinking, "Really, a squirrel? Come on now."

Just let me tell you my part of the story.

Grace and I frequently go on little nature walks. I try to make them highly educational by pointing out various flora and fauna native to the particular area we are currently wandering about. I am frequently known to say such things as, "Wow! Look Gracie, a cute little bunny! Let's go see what he's up to!" or "Oh, a duckie! Grace, can you say duck?" and "Grace, do you see the doggie? Woof, woof! What a cute doggie! Can you wave at him?" Yeah, as you can see, our nature walks are highly sophisticated.

Well, today, we explored a new region of Cedar Rapids. As we approached the little dirt trail designated for serious nature explorers such as ourselves, I saw a squirrel. My small, cute animal radar immediately went up. (it's had a lot of work to do since we moved to the midwest...) Grace and I casually approached the squirrel, waving and greeting it politely all the while. See, we were nice. It, of course, began to run up the nearest tree. We continued to watch its tree climbing progress for a little while since Grace was having such a jolly old time pointing and waving at the retreating fluffy tail.

Once we were ready to move on, I began to hear a weird clicking noise. I didn't think much of it and continued walking. But, it started to get kind of loud. So, we went back. Much to my dismay, the aforementioned squirrel had found a safe spot high up upon the branches of the tree (coward!) and was giving Grace and I a piece of his/her mind. It was looking right at us with a large acorn hanging out of its mouth (how impolite, I mean really), hissing. Really! A hissing squirrel! Well, it wasn't quite a hiss. Maybe more like a hiss-grumble-tooth-chomping sort of noise. Ugh. It was weird.

At any rate, the squirrel was angry. And for what!? What had Grace and I done but try to make friends with it?

The angry noise continued and I started to get nervous. Those of you who have never been stared down by an angry, bit-chomping squirrel may scoff, but I was scared! I mean, think of all the things an angry squirrel could do to you...the list is endless! Jump on your head (which I was especially nervous about because of its superior position), claw your eyes out, pull your hair, scratch your face, stuff its large tail up your nose and in your ear...ah!

So, we left hurriedly.

The squirrel won. Maybe, had I been by myself and without an innocent baby, I would have remained in my spot to try and talk some sense into the impudent rodent. But you know, I just didn't want to put Grace in that kind of danger. I, of course, was fine. She just seemed to be getting a little nervous. We left for her, really. Not for me. Promise! I could never be frightened or intimidated by such a cute, cuddly creature...

Angry Squirrel Sighting #2:

Now, seeing as our nature tour was not quite over, we continued down the path. We walked up to a playground and explored it a little bit. But then, lo and behold, we saw another squirrel! Thinking our previous experience had been an exception, we decided to try and make friends with this little guy, too. (man, some people just never learn their lesson!) Grace began her friendly waving and pointing and I let the squirrel know verbally that we most definitely came in peace.

This squirrel, just like the first one, ran for the nearest tree. (once again, so unwilling to socialize!) But, it seemed a little more interested in us. At first, it just dodged behind the tree. Every couple seconds, it would peer around the tree to see if we were still there. This was cute. However, after a few minutes of this, it climbed up into the tree and found a prime jump-onto-Anna's-head-and-scatch-her-eyes-out position. This was not cute! It sat very ominously in that position--obviously crouching and ready to pounce--for only a few seconds before Grace and I high-tailed it out of there.

Now, really, TWO angry, aggressive squirrels in the same park? What are the odds of that!

What I have learned from this experience:

Stay away from that park! The squirrels in Noelridge Park are always friendly and non-combative. The end.

And now an ode to Noelridge Park. I love Noelridge Park. I could go there every day. Oh wait, I do. Sometimes multiple times. I think our record was three different times in one day. Oh, the exciting life of Anna and Grace Bardsley. Noelridge Park is about two blocks away from our apartment and has everything a park should have: mulitple playgrounds, a duck/goose pond, flower gardens, a water park, a running/walking trail, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and a farmer's market. :) Now really, who couldn't love a park like that?

Noelridge Park, the bright spot in Anna's Cedar Rapids life

Jerrica, Oscar, and Grace on an excursion to the flower gardens

More flower gardens

A friend Grace made at the park. We ran into her two days in a row. What are the odds?

Grace learned how to climb slides here. She loves it.

Sign at Noelridge Park pond: No fishing, wading, seining, or swimming. What the heck is seining? Is it some midwestern hobby I am not aware of? I was so curious about it that I looked it up later that evening. Apparently, "seining" is attempting to catch fish with a net. :) As soon as I found out what it was, I immediately felt like seining. I imagine that's not the reaction the sign was supposed to produce.

Okay, the one down side of Noelridge Park is that the geese are somewhat combative. But, hey, aren't all geese like that? Stupid geese. Okay, maybe combative is not exactly the word I want. Over zealous about getting fed? Maybe. Overwhelming? Yes. Too big to be classified as friendly park birds? Definitely yes. One day, Grace and I went merrily to feed them bread. Apparently, I couldn't get the bread into their greedy mouths fast enough because after just a few minutes, they started to go after Grace's toes. They were successful. Twice. We don't feed the Noelridge Park geese anymore.

Independence Day Musings

I've loved reading all the posts about people's Independence Day adventures as of late. Though the day is now long past, I thought I would add my own. I love Independence Day. It has become my favorite holiday and I anxiously await its coming every year. I really can't think of any aspect of the 4th that doesn't appeal to me. The parades, the crowds, the fireworks, the patriotic songs, the family, the festivals, the food--I just really can't get enough of it.

It has also become an important time marker for Spencer and I. We met the last week of June and started seriously dating just in time for all the Provo Independence Day festivities. As cheesy as it seems, we fell in love amidst the craziness of fireworks and parades and because of that, this time of year will always be special to us. Though we married in December, I think we both consider the 4th of July period our true "anniversary."

Every year we were in Provo for the fourth, we were the official "parade spot keepers" for Spencer's family. Yes, we were part of the crazy crowd who would spend the night on the street to secure prime parade viewing enjoyment. I have so many good memories from that. When Spencer's family told us that they continued the tradition this year as well, and even scavenged the same spot, I felt a silly little glow of pride in my heart that Spencer and I had left our own little 4th of July legacy. :) It was hard for me to see pictures posted on blogs and facebook by friends and family of all the Provo activities without feeling a wave of nostalgia and homesickness. The Freedom Festival, the hot air balloons, the parade, the activities at Maceys, the Stadium of Fire and even the crazy crew of motorcyclers who cruise University Ave all night before the parade will always hold a place in my heart. But I digress...

I also love Independence Day because I am a covert American history buff. My dream when I first entered college was to become an American history professor. That dream got lost in my post-mission desire to save the world through social work, but still lives on in my heart. I am amazed by the founding of my country and marvel at the incredible odds the colonists overcame. Talk about the greatest underdog victory of all time--a ragtag band of primarily inexperienced military novices took on the strongest army in the world and triumphed. On paper, it just shouldn't have worked out. They fought amongst themselves, desertion rates were high and morale was usually quite low; but somehow, by the skin of their teeth, they did it. It is a direct testament of God's ability to utilize the weak and imperfect to bring about his great purposes.

And now onto the pictures! We spent the 4th of July holidays with Spencer's family--first in Nauvoo, and then in Wisconsin. It was really great to see so many of them. It was especially fun for me to watch Grace interact with her cousins. She LOVES them. While Grace is generally afraid of adults at first, she has almost none of the same reservations with children. After we got home, whenever she saw little kids, she would start flapping her arms and making excited noises--no doubt thinking they were her cousins about to come play with her. I loved it.

Well, the pictures are pretty out of order, but...here they are.

Grace at Pike Lake near Hartford, WI, on the 4th. She discovered the joys of pushing her stroller and walking with it. She did that for a good half hour or so.

April, Max, Spencer, Landon, Grace and Olivia at the Hartford parade. Not as great as the Provo Parade, but a parade nonetheless. :)

More Pike Lake.

We went to Milwaukee the night of the third for their big fireworks show. The fireworks shot out over Lake Michigan. The show was an hour long! Even for a fireworks buff, I was getting kind of restless at the end. Grace showed little to no interest in the fireworks. She found a squishy orange ball much more entertaining and spent the duration of the show chewing on it. A lot of the nieces and nephews fell asleep. Grace, however, was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to very end, even though her regular bedtime is 7:30. She's always happy to stay up as late as possible. The next day, however, she's a cranky, whiny mess.

Grace and Calais.

Grace and Landon.

Cute Olivia.

I promise that Grace really did love her cousins, despite what this picture seems to indicate.

Grace, Sammy, and Landon: all born within a few months of each other!

It was surprisingly cold that night, hence the hoodies.

Milwaukee!

Jacob, Whitney, Landon and us on our walk to see Lake Michigan.

More Lake Michigan.

The fam waiting for the fireworks to start.

Esther and little sleeping Sammy.

Just before we went to Milwaukee, we stopped by a cute old town called Cedarburg to make a chocolate run. We kept Grace protectively in her stroller. This was also my first attempt at doing something with the little tuft of hair that Grace has on top. Little Gracie Lou Who. :)

On the 2nd, we went to a cathedral close to April's home in Hartford. We trekked up the 178 stairs to the top, with two babies in tow.

In the spires of the cathedral. Apparently, Grace found the climb quite tiring.

April and three of her kids: Adam, Benjamin and Calais.

View from the top.

The weekend before the fourth, we met up with Jacob and Whitney and April and her kids in Nauvoo. This is Grace and Landon in the...family living center, I think?

The Browning Gunsmith spiel.

Apparently, I wasn't doing a good job of keeping up with Grace's hunger. She had to turn to other sources for food.

Spencer, Sydney, and Brigham Young's well.

A genuine Nauvoo horse.

Chubby face Grace.

The whole crew.

Calais, Sydney, and the part of the muddy old Mississippi where the Pioneers crossed.