My Amazing Grace

Today my little baby is 2 years old.  (Tears are coming)  How did she get to be 2?  I feel like I just had her!  We spent last weekend celebrating her birthday.  We took her to Build A Bear to make her very own Knuffle Bunny.  Knuffle Bunny is one of Gracie's favorite books and everytime we get finish reading the book she asks, "Where's my Knuffle Bunny?"  We thought it would be fun to take her and let her pick out her very own.  She had a blast there and had very high standards on the bunny and clothes she wanted.  Daddy had to dress Knuffle Bunny a few times before she chose which outfit she wanted.  Such a girl!  :)  Then we took her to Toys R Us.  Gracie had a gift card and oh my gosh, she was in complete heaven.  I don't think I have ever seen her like that before.  She was just out of control.  She couldn't stop long enough to look at anything because she kept finding something better.  Finally, after about 2 hours, Levi and I picked out an MP3 player for her because she always wants to listen to Levi's i-pod with him.  She's loving having her own music and has been rocking out to Shane and Shane and Matt Maher. Anyways, she had a wonderful weekend and now we are going over to my parents so she can get spoiled more.  My mom has a whole dinner menu planned around Gracie's favorite foods.  Pretty sure my mom didn't do that for me when I was little...hmmm...

All about Grace:
-Favorite food is rice (such a true Asian).
-Counts to 15, sometimes leaves out the number 2.
-Has mommy's OCD (colored pencils have to be facing same direction, blocks have to be neatly lined up...)
-Favorite colors are purple and green.
-Knows her colors and can even specify if the color is light and dark.
-Gracie has the most amazing vocab and langauge skills.  Even questions that only require a simple yes or no, she will respond in a full sentence.  I'll ask her if she wants a drink and she'll respond, "No mommy, I don't want a drink right now. Later."
-Completely adores her brother.
-100%, without a doubt, Daddy's Girl.  She could care less about mom if daddy is around.  :(
-Loves art projects (watercolors, coloring, play-doh)
-Loves, loves, loves to read.  Reading is the only successful way that I know of that can keep her sitting still for long periods of time.  Needless to say, we read alot!  Her favorite books are the Biscuit series and Knuffle Bunny.
-Always wanting to help mommy bake and daddy cook.
-Has a shoe fetish.  No, I'm serious.  I put her down for a nap and when I check on her I find that she has put a pair of shoes on and fallen asleep.  Gracie tries on shoes constantly throughout the day and models them for me.  Of all the presents she got for her birthday, she's played with her new shoes the most.
-Obsessed with sippy cups, especially ones that aren't hers.  She'll walk around with an arm load of cups collecting all her friend's and cousin's.
-Has this crazy obsession of needing to hold a "baby" (small) object and "daddy" (large) object.  For example: she'll walk around the house with Noah's shoe and my shoe.  (Yes, I usually freak out because shoes are dirty and have germs).  Another example is a baby crayon (small, broken piece) and a daddy crayon (large, fat crayon). She just has to walk around the house with them in her hands or wants to watch a movie with a baby and daddy thing in her hands.  Letting her hold a baby and daddy shoe was the only way I was able to get her to sit on the toilet long enough to go the bathroom.  It's quite odd but very much a Grace thing and I don't want to forget this little quirk!
-Has to fall asleep with her "purple" baby and an old CD of Daddy signing.  If we forget either one of those things there will be no sleep!
-In church she sings with her hands raised high praising God.  Makes the tears come everytime!
-Has a sweet tooth which her "mamas" (my mom) created.
-Most common sentence I hear from Grace throughout the day, "What's that sound????"  Quite the curious thing!
-Thinks everything that is in Popo and Mama's house is Gracie's.  Calls the cabin Gracie's cabin.
-Favorite songs to sing: ABC's (complete with hand guestures), Barney's I Love You, Shane and Shane's Psalm 13, and Your Grace is Enough.  She has even composed her own song called, "Where is Daddy".

Sickly Stockton Siblings

Well, the one thing I have been dreading has finally happened.  Two sick, uncomfortable, demanding kids at once!  I remember when I was pregnant with Noah and Gracie got sick, thinking to myself, "What am I going to do when I have 2 and they are both sick?!"  Grace and Noah are both really congested which means that they aren't comfortable enough to lay down and sleep.  This equals one very exhausted mom!  It just hit me that I don't have a clue why I am blogging when I should be sleeping right now, while the kids are!  Oh well, they'll probably be awake soon anyways... Grace has been a little more high maintenance about the whole thing.  Noah is fine until he wants to sleep, then he realizes he can't breathe and gets upset.  Noah has always been such a good sleeper, which is why I never felt the extreme exhaustion of having a newborn but I'm feeling it now!  Anyways, praying that this cold is not the kind that lingers forever (probably is)!

My baby girl will be turning 2 on Wednesday!  I just can't believe that it has already been two years since I had her.  I still remember the feeling of surprise at finding out I was pregnant and the excitement of knowing everything was going to change.  I had no idea how much better life could get!  I love that feisty little bundle of energy!

One thing I'm trying to figure out is when Grace decided it was okay to stop calling me mommy.  She calls me mom now.  I really don't like it.  I like being "mommy".   Why didn't she ask me what I wanted?

A daddy/daughter moment...brought to you by mom!

oday, during dinner, Gracie was being her cute, usual chatty self and she said,

"Daddy if I eat 2 green beans, can I have 2 more chicken?" 

Quite the little negotiator! 

(picture her saying that with her head cocked to the side and her eyebrows raised)

Levi started laughing hard and said,

"Gracie, you are brilliant and I love you.  No man is ever going to be good enough for you!"

Oh boy.

On another note, we had a great weekend.  It felt like we were going, going all weekend but it was nice.  My brother Brandon stayed the night Friday and Gracie loved playing with her crazy uncle.  They were so cute, I turned on a movie for them and Grace climbed up on the couch and curled up next to Brandon.  He was just beaming with pride.  All weekend she was trying so hard to communicate in sign to him and he is so patient trying to understand what she was saying and teaching her new signs.  My brother is such an amazing person.

 Saturday, the kids and I went to my cousin's baby shower while Levi took Brandon to the movies.  It was a lot of fun and Danielle got some great things.  We are all looking forward to having another baby in the family!I'm a little sad that some people had to come and cause a little drama.  But what get-together with 30 women wouldn't be complete without a little drama?!  After the shower we went to my parents house to swim.  We got Noah in the pool and he LOVED it! 

On Sunday we went to church and over the Levi's parents for lunch.  Noah and Gracie were starting to show signs of extreme exhaustion from being gone all weekend so we took the kids home and all enjoyed some naps!

Anyways, love my family and love the weekends!

And in regards to my previous post, it looks like the Lord is moving!  It seems as though he is moving me in a completely different direction than I planned.  I am praying very hard that this potential opportunity works out.  Any prayers you want to send my way would be so appreciated!

Ending with a few pictures:

Love this picture, love that face!

Gracie and her Uncle Brandon watching Cinderella.

At Danielle's baby shower.  Excited for Little Reece to come!

Julia and Grace, bestest friends!

My sweet and perfect, little happy boy.

As of today, my little Noah bear is 4 months old!  How did that happen already?!

Gracie and her goofy face with her Aunt Buggy.

For I know the plans I have for you...

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I love that verse, and read it continuously when I start to stress.  Sometimes I just wish that the Lord would reveal His plans for me--to me!  I don't really know what I'm supposed to be doing right now.  I have been trying to set up a daycare for a while now but every time it looks like it'll work out, something happens and it all falls through.  It's happened so many times, I'm starting to think that daycare is not what the Lord wants me to do. That or I just haven't found the right family yet.  I do know that I need to figure out something, financially speaking.  The thought of going back to work makes me so physcially sick that I want to throw up.  I don't mind working.  Infact I love having all the adult interaciton and have loved the last 2 jobs I have had; teaching and working at Guthrie but I cannont cannot cannot bear the thought of leaving my kids.  On top of all that, daycare is so expensive for 2 kids, it would almost cancel out working!

So what do I do?  I wish I could just have a one-on-one talk with God and he could tell me loud and clear what his plans are for me.  What can I do to make money that does not involve leaving my kids with a sitter?!

Gracie Speaks

Gracie's "naughtiness" of the day:

She was throwing her big blue bouncy ball around and it hit Noah on the head.  I told her to stop throwing the ball in the house or she would go to time-out.  She stopped and thought for a moment and said,

"Hmmm, I think I will go to time-out!"

 Then she throws the ball one more time and runs to time out.

What do I do with that?!!!! 

Gracie and Julia's 2nd Birthday Party

Carolyn and I decided to combine Grace and Julia's birthday parties this year.  Gracie's real birthday is not until August 25th but we tried to plan it to be exactly in betwen the girls birthdays.  We also thought it would be fun to have it after Conner's wedding so family from out of town could come!  We are so glad we did it because they had a blast! 

Gracie is just lovin life!

All the kids that came to celebrate with Julia and Grace!  They are so lucky to have such great family and friends!

Gracie and her Dora cake that she picked out herself.

My sweet little niece that we love so much!

I think Julia's favorite present was the M&M's.  She held onto those for dear life the rest of the night!  Sweet little girl with a sweet tooth!  :)

Some wedding pictures!

This is as much as I was able to get uploaded without pulling my hair out!!!  I don't know what google did to make uploading pictures so impossible but I hate the new changes!!!  Being as OCD as I am, I can't stand that some of the pictures are not aligned with others and that there is not even spacing!  AHHHHH!  I think I'll write google a letter!

Noah with his Papa Blake at Conner's rehearsal.

Sleepy babies couldn't even make it through rehearsal dinner.  AND it was LOUD!

Praise Jesus!

Look at that handsome little man!!!

So hard to get a good family picture!

Love my beautiful sister!

Gracie with her handsome Uncle Conner.  Conner has been stationed in Virginia ever since Gracie was a few months old.  She was a little confused when see saw him again because he looked so similar to daddy but didn't act or talk like daddy.  Now she adores him and we are all sad him and Lauren have to go back! 

Love these guys!  I don't know what I would do without them!

Papa and Noni with all six of their beautiful grandkids.  Can you believe they gained 6 grandkids in less than 2 years?

Such a great weekend!

Last weekend we had such a great and CRAZY weekend! 

Conner, Levi's youngest brother, got married!  The last of the brothers to get married!  It was a beautiful wedding.  Conner looked so handsome in his Coast Guard uniform and Lauren looked beautiful.  She looked like a little Southern Belle!  My handsome man and his two other brothers, Wyatt and Clancy, played and sang in the wedding and it was perfect!  So proud to have a husband with such a beautiful voice. I am really disappointed in myself because I failed to get any good pictures of Conner and Lauren.  The only few I got were so dark and unfocused from zooming in.  In my defense, I was really busy trying to keep my two kiddos from acting out during the ceremony.  What a lot of work that was!  Thankful my family was there to help!  Love them so much!

Then on Sunday, Carolyn and I combined Julia and Gracie's 2nd birthday party.  It was so much fun!  We had the party at BounceU and our little girls were in heaven!  We couldn't even keep them still long enough to get any good pictures.   Just some good action shots!  I love those little girls so much and am SO thankful for all the wonderful family and close friends to celebrate it with. 

We had such a fun weekend and are still trying to recooperate from the craziness of it all!  Grace is in heaven with all her new toys and Noah is sleeping like crazy to make-up from his lack of sleep over the weekend.

I have pictures of all the festivities but am having a really hard time uploading it to the blog now that they "improved" some of the blog features.  Is anyone else having issues with it?  Why couldn't they just leave good enough alone?!