Watch this... big sister is already picking on Liana...
(Sorry this picture wouldn't rotate no matter what I tried!!)
Grace must have taken notes from Dan on how to be a pest... :)
But then she's so sweet you can't resist her, just like her dad...
Hard at work being cute
When are they coming home?! 
This pregnancy approaching birth was so normal and calm compared to Grace's arrival. For those that don't remember, labor starting the night before we were supposed to be closing on our house in San Antonio... Luckily this time we are in the same house, it is already home to us and Mimi was able to get in to town and have a day to settle. For a slight second I did think we were going to start this one the same way- Mimi's here, its time to come out! The evening she arrived here- 8/18- I was sure labor was starting. I somehow managed to go to sleep, power of mind apparently worked as I was hoping not to do an all night labor again. I was glad I had my OB appt. that day to see what, if anything, was going on. Something told us to pack our bags just in case...
The OB said grab some dinner and then plan to head to the hospital. Once things got going, it all happened really quick! Liana Rachel was born on August 19th @ 11:16 PM. The suspense while we waited for them to say if it was a boy or a girl- 'its a girl' and Dan says, 'Well, tell them her name.' Liana Rachel Carrington. Her version of a little chaos was to have pooped in utero (made her dad proud)- causes respiratory problems immediately after birth- and then to have issues with her heart rate dropping too slow right before she was born. She was fine, the nurses just wanted to take her first just to make sure, then we got to hold her. I was surprised that I felt completely calm while they were working her over and I was stuck in the bed and couldn't go see what was going on. She was in good hands. I nursed her and then they wanted to keep her in the newborn nursery for a little extra monitoring just to make sure her breathing was ok. I was fine with that- I was tired and if she was allowed to be in our room, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have slept b/c of worrying... 
It is crazy just how much these two girls look the same at least in these early days. I have a picture of Grace that looks almost identical to the one up above. Going to have to start labeling them really well.
Jealousy and regression...
but then she's incredibly sweet and loving to Liana. Patting or rubbing her gently, giving her smooches. While holding Lia, I leaned over Grace in the booster seat to give her a kiss and she reached out and gave Lia a hug- very sweet
I never processed just how big Grace has become until seeing her by her newborn sister.
We were so sure this baby was a boy and I was worried if Dan might be disappointed at all, but we are both on cloud 9 with this little girl. There is something extra sweet about having two girls.
I was beginning to get nervous, feeling that this baby might try to come and I wouldn't have taken a single profile shot of the belly... My good friends Abbey and Dinorah insisted on throwing a baby shower for me, which was very sweet, and I snagged Abbey (while I was actually sort of dressed up nice) to snap a few pictures
play water... fun water... jump water...
Minor incident... nothing a smooch couldn't cure.
BYE-BYE!!
Oh what fun! I was always the designated one to do French braids before volleyball games and gymnastics meets in high school. Its kind of something special to get to start doing them for my own daughter. The amazing part being that she actually sat still! And then I had to see if I could do pigtail braids... (not could I?- but could I get them done before she couldn't sit still any longer?)
and she let me....
Well, I had a slight glimpse at our upcoming reality. There were some fairly regular, frequent and noticeable Braxton Hicks contractions that started on my way home from work and lasted through dinner. I just kept thinking,'There's no way... No... not THIS early...not in July... I don't have anything together to go to the hospital and boy these legs need to be shaved!'
'Read you?'
'WOW...' was all we heard as Grace was putting on the strobe light show. She knows the good spot, there are 6 switches here for a very exciting light show. Based on this we figured she'd love the fireworks for the 4th or else be scared of the loud booms. Either way, Grace couldn't hang until fireworks time. The rough life of being almost 2!
the secretary
I think Grace is going to make a great big sister (for the most part...) Teaching Emma to count, '4, 9, 10', putting her to bed, reading books, taking her for stroller rides. There would still be the flinging of Emma, hitting her head against the wall, and 'beating' her to sleep. The encounters will have to be supervised... but I assume it is all with good intent.
Grace's FAVORITE book, 'Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots'. It ends up being read 8x/day and it is the only book with more than one word per page that she'll sit still for the entire thing. This reminds me of a card we were given in congrats for my pregnancy with Grace. It asked, 'Ever watch a movie 99 times?' Inside it said, 'Get ready, you will.' So here we go...Somehow she prefers Dan to read it to her and he loves princesses. Grace will come up to him at the couch and hand him the book and say 'read you?' I guess that comes from us asking,' Do you want us to read to you?' Its cute.
I took Grace out for a little photo session yesterday afternoon. I had put her in this dress and decided she looked too cute to just let it go and end up with dinner all over it. Plus, it felt like it had been awhile since I had captured the munchkin on 'film'- at least for me. Since any last attempts, Grace has learned to say 'cheese' and ham it up for the camera. She will also think she is posing just because she is saying cheese even though she is distracted and looking elsewhere. I take what I can get.
Grace likes to drink from a cup; she also likes to shake and pour her cup like a sippy cup, hence the wet front of her shirt and the fact that she is only allowed water in a cup for now
Fun at the pool! Darn, my daughter wants to go play at the pool, I guess that means we HAVE to go, that's too bad... The challenge, though, is the fact that Grace will sit at the edge of the pool and turn to slide herself in to the water-anywhere, even when its too deep for her. And she does not want anyone to hold her, yet of course she can't swim yet... Miss Independent...
Gracie and her Papa
