Small

I feel like lately I've been craving the small, quiet moments of life.

I look at how big Grace is getting and it just makes me want to stare at her all day and not miss a facial expression.

I think about how I mentally complain about our small apartment more than I should, but really, our lives are never going to be this simple ever again. Once we are out of this place it's like we are going to have to grow up.

We'll be here another year and then I don't really know what is going to happen. For all I know we could be off to Missouri or Oregon or Lehi, Utah, ha ha. We could end up buying a house right in this same town of South Ogden, I don't really know.

Jeff starts school again in January. It's been really nice that he's been able to take a break. He finished his bachelor's in April, we had Grace in June, and the subsequent weeks turning into months have been full of learning how to be parents.

I'll never regret finishing my education before having Grace. And I'm really grateful that Jeff was able to get at least his bachelor's before she came into our family.

I watch so many of my friends go through the early stages of parenthood still in school and it seems crazy to me. How do they do it?

I feel like I'd never get any of those small moments if my life was that busy.

Once Jeff starts school we won't be seeing him very much. There are a couple of days in the week where he'll be gone from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Those days he probably won't get to see Grace cause she sleeps from 8:00 to 8:00. I just have to keep telling myself it'll be worth it in the end. Cause it will be!

My husband is such a hard worker, but that's no surprise to this blog cause I say that all the time.

Growing up my dad was the hardest worker and because of that amazing influence I always knew I wanted my husband to have the same work ethic. My dad has been able to do some awesome things from the benefits of working so hard. He never had to worry about providing for us, because of how hard he worked. I know Jeff has a lot of the same goals when it comes to that too.

I guess I shouldn't say "never worried", because I'm pretty sure the task of providing for a family is always worrisome. I think if you make the right goals and choices, though, it all works out and some of that worry leaves.

This Christmas I'm hoping our little house will be full of those small, quiet moments I was talking about. I think it's important to feel that especially this time of year.

Grace is about 5 1/2 months old now. She'll be six months on Christmas.

She's sitting up all by herself, which is kind of early for her age. Almost ever since her birth she's wanted to sit up though. I can remember even the first couple days of having her home from the hospital, she just wanted to be up. She's always been the most curious little baby, which in a lot of ways is hard to imagine because when you think of a baby younger than 5 months old you don't think that they really care that much about the world.

Grace does though.

Whenever we go anywhere she wants to see exactly what is going on and what new people there are to meet.

Last week she started something else new too. She can scoot backwards if she's laying on her tummy. She pushes with her arms and scoots back. It's usually when she wants to be grabbing something in front of her that's a little out of her reach too. When this happens she gets really frustrated cause she scoots further and further away from the thing that she wants. A lot of times she'll get stuck under furniture when she does this too, ha ha. Poor baby. Scooting forward is hard.

I think it helps a lot that her cousin who is 8 months old now is here three times a week. Grace IDOLIZES that kid. She stares at him constantly if he's in her view. Sometimes it seems like she's trying to copy his movements too. He has been army crawling for the past couple of weeks and I think Grace hates it cause he can do stuff that she can't. She can move too, but not with that kind of purpose, ha ha.

Babies.....they are my life.

I love it though. I'll gladly watch babies develop and grow everyday. I just hope I never take the chance that I get to do that for granted. I hope I can always appreciate the small moments, cause with babies they are all small.