Grace's First Christmas Party

This evening Grace attended her very first Christmas party. It was a get together with her Daddy's coworkers, and she had a great time. She was so well behaved while we were there. She spent a lot of time playing by the Christmas tree. She is getting to be more and more independent everyday. She gets in a "toy trance" sometimes where she sits by herself and plays with her toys with no concern for what's going on around her. That's in stark contrast to her nosy times where her head goes from back and forth at record speed as she tries to take in what everyone around her is doing.

After being sick all week, Grace is finally starting to feel better. She still has the cough, but seems to be feeling much better. It seems we've all made it through. It was a tough week for all of us, and it was truly a family effort to take care of Grace all week. I was home with her on Monday, Daddy on Tuesday, and Uncle Billy on Wednesday. Then Nana and Pop-Pop watched her at their house on Thursday and Friday, which was a lifesaver! We couldn't have done it without their help.

On Thursday night, when Grace was staying with her Nana and Pop-Pop in Waco, Martin and I did some Christmas shopping and then met Uncle Billy at our favorite bar for a quick drink. It felt so strange to be out and about without Grace. It's been quite a while since we hit the town without a stroller in tow :-) We missed our girl like crazy and were so thrilled to see her on Friday evening. Our home felt so empty without her!

Nana and Pop-Pop spent the night at our house on Friday night, and we all had fun playing with Grace. Nana got Grace these singing Christmas characters, and we cracked up as we watched Grace's reaction to them. There was a Santa, a reindeer, and a snowman, and each one took turns singing. Grace's eyes followed along as each character sang, and we were thoroughly amused. Good times...

Nana and Pop-Pop got to spend a few hours with Grace this morning before they headed home, which gave Martin and me a chance to sleep in. We welcomed that opportunity since sleeping in is a luxury we don't often experience these days. We spend the rest of the day relaxing, and I worked on our Christmas cards and wrapped some gifts. Then we went to the Christmas party and had a nice time. It was a late night for Grace since we didn't get home until 10:30 PM. She's now sound asleep, and I'm heading that way too. Good night!