The Gibbs

Gracie Leigh turns 2!

2012-01-10T20:27:00.001-07:00

Did I have any idea the effect you would have on my life two years ago today? No.

Did I have any idea how your smile would continually melt my heart every day for two solid years? Maybe.

Can I imagine my life without you in it? Absolutely not.

You continually make me laugh, cry, and beam with pride at your personality.

But where did the time go?

When did I blink so long that you went from my sweet, life changing baby, to my beautiful and crazy toddler?

Do you have to grow up? Can't you just stay this age forever?

You are my sunshine. You have made my world better. Every morning and every night I thank God that he sent you to me. I can't believe, even now, that I get to raise you. You are a brilliant, beautiful, fun, crazy, emotional, dramatic, little girl. But, you are mine. I am so happy that we have had these two years together and I can't wait to spend more years together. I love you my Gracie Leigh, Happy 2nd Birthday.

Gracie's Birthday Party

2012-01-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

We had a birthday party for Gracie on Saturday. It was so wonderful. Earlier in the day our wonderful friends Kyle and Natasha Bodily, MaKayla, and Hannah, came up to visit us. It was so great to see them. We miss them so much. They brought Gracie some dress up things that she LOVES, and we got to sit around and chat. They also got to meet Evie. It was so wonderful. That night we had family and friends over to celebrate Gracie. She had a blast. Connor and Logan were there to celebrate with Gracie and that made her whole night. She loves her cousins. They were kind enough to bring her a bag of suckers and of licorice. Aunt Tiffany and Uncle Jens made sure that Gracie was not deprived of her sugar that night :) We all watched as Gracie, Connor, and Logan ate their way through a bag of licorice. She was in Heaven. She had a blast and we had a blast. I made her cupcakes and topped them with piped white chocolate. Ya, I watch too much food network channel. We ate pizza, Gracie's favorite food, and watched her open her presents. It was a fun night.

"pretty mommy pretty"

2012-01-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

Days at our house are obviously never boring.

Top events of 2011... Gibbs style

2012-01-01T09:05:00.003-07:00

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY GRACIE LEIGH!


Became owners of a beautiful pure bred Golden Retriever named Ruby. Said goodbye to her before our move this summer. We miss her like crazy. She was the sweetest dog.

I performed in our wards Musical Rendition of the "Ten Virgins" It was so much fun to be on the stage again. I had forgotten how much I enjoy performing.

SURPRISE! Baby #2 is on their way! :) Found out in February

Gracie experienced her first Easter Egg hunt.

Opening up her eggs to see what kind of treats she got.

Beau made a decision to switch majors and go to school at University of Utah. So, we packed up and moved in with his parents for the summer. Gracie loved the packing.

We bought our first tent as a family!

Gracie ate her way through her first box of doughnuts...we didn't know she had done it until it was over.

I turned 26 and Beau turned 28

BEST SUMMER EVER WITH ALISON PETERSON AND KIDS! My life was saved when she showed up on my doorstep. I cried.

First time at splash pad!

We spent the summer swimming like crazy! Gracie is a fish.

Happy Fourth of July! First parade and first slurpee. Good day!

Baby girl turned 18 months! Beautiful!

We spent the weekend in Park City and went to Olympic Village. So fun!

Daryl surprised us for two weeks this summer. It was so wonderful. We have missed him and his sweet family so much! What a fun surprise. It felt like old times. Just what Beau and I needed.

Went to the Zoo with our Great friends the Bodily's

Started getting Gracie interested in the Potty. She has to read on the potty hahaa.

30+ Weeks!

Went to the Cabin for some quiet family time.


Happy Halloween!

Carved pumpkins.

Our last family photo before the baby joins!

Thanksgiving with the Coy Cousins

Finally in labor with our future baby girl!

Finally here! Baby Gibbs 8lbs 4 ounces

What's her name?? We don't know!

Finally we figure it out! Evie Ruth Gibbs!

Sisters meeting for the first time! Gracie LOVED to kiss her

Cousins came to stay!

Lights at Temple Square :)


We had such an amazing year. It was the hardest yet most wonderful year of our lives thus far together. We are so happy to be together and to have experienced all that we have. We have much to look forward to. Happy New Year everyone!

So this is Christmas.

2011-12-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

For Christmas this year we went to Moab. Traveling with four girls was a challenge but, we made it safely. My mom had put us in a condo for the weekend, which was so nice! There was a huge kitchen and a hot tub. I was in heaven. That first night I got to see my best friend for the first time since we both had our babies! Unfortunately I didn't get to meet her new Amelia but, she did get to hold Evie. It is so amazing to look back at all we have gone through together and then see where we are now. Having someone who knows me better than anyone else is such a blessing. She keeps me very grounded. I didn't take nearly enough pictures of the weekend so this may be a boring post :)
On Christmas Eve Beau and I made a big roast dinner for my fam (those who were around) and then Nat's kids came over and we decorated cookies for Santa, played scattegories, laughed too loud, ate too much food, tracked Santa, and stayed up way too late. It was fantastic. Playing Scattegories with my family is a dangerous venture. We are strict about the rules and very competitive. It's weird, the only games I take seriously are word games.
Anyway, the next morning we woke up and got ready then went over to my sisters house to open presents. Because of how late Gracie stayed up (10:30pm) and how early she woke up (4:30am) she was not super excited about opening presents. It took a good 30 minutes before she would open anything. Finally, she got the hang of it but Christmas wasn't totally complete for her until dad wheeled out her big present from "Santa" A Cozy Coupe car. Her face lit up and she was so excited. She is in LOVE with her "bike" and threw a melt down fit when we had to load it in the car to come home. We ended up driving home on Christmas, both girls slept almost the entire way, and then we got home early enough to eat dinner and put the babies to bed on time. It was so wonderful. We had such a great weekend and I am so glad we were able to be there.

Cousin Week

2011-12-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

My mom took my nieces Maggie and Emily up to see my nephew Noah in Montana this weekend. We were lucky enough to have her drop them off at our house for the week. Our plan was to play and be together and then take them down with us to Moab for Christmas. It was a wonderful week and we were all exhausted by the end. Gracie LOVED having her cousins with her and cried when we had to finally leave them. Family is wonderful. I should have adopted a seven year old before I started having kids. Maggie was the biggest help ever and made my week with four girls wonderful.

My dad also came down for visit and he got to see the girls. They loved seeing their Grandpa and he also got to meet new baby Evie. It was nice to see my dad and visit.

Bathing Beauty

2011-12-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

Somebody has begun to enjoy bath time :)

Temple Square

2011-12-17T11:08:00.002-07:00

This year Beau and I bundled up our girls and decided to take them to see the lights at temple square. The parking was INSANE but once we found spot it was worth it. Beau put the baby in the snuggli under his coat so she was nice and toasty and Gracie was wrapped from head to toe in warm clothes and snuggled into the stroller. She eventually wanted to get out and wander so we let her run. It was a really fun night to be together. The lights were beautiful.

Snow!

2011-12-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

This girl is a SNOW girl! She LOVES the snow

In fact, getting her to come inside after playing

outside in the snow was torture

Yes, I did dress her for 20 below weather when it was

only 40 outside. I am one of those mothers.

Don't judge. Have you ever seen A Christmas Story?

At least she was the warmest kid on the block

And the cutest if I do say so myself :)

sleeping beauty

2011-12-16T15:51:00.001-07:00

newborn pictures

2011-12-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

I am a Child of God

And He has sent me here

has given me an earthly home

with parents kind and dear

lead me, guide me, walk beside me,

help me find the way..

teach me all that I must do

to live with Him someday...

you're so vain...you probably think this song is about you

2011-12-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

My beautiful daughter, shown above, knows she is beautiful. She will put on my shoes, her dads shirts, a towel, any random item she can find really..then come out and say "pretty" while twirling from side to side. If I do her hair she says "so cute!" Am I giving her a slight complex?

Anyway, I always thought that it was just what little girls did, until the other day when she wouldn't eat lunch unless I sat next to her singing "you are so beautiful to me" over and over again. It was a fluke, or so I thought. Now, that is the only song she will let me sing to her. If I start singing a different song she says very loudly "No, No, No! Pretty, Pretty!" It's her pretty pretty song. She gets the biggest grin on her face and twirls around....I think I may be in trouble.

My Girls

2011-12-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

I just realized that my last post made it seem like I can't stand my oldest daughter. So I thought I would update everyone on our first born and let you know that she is my life. It's true when they tell you that love comes with time. I could not imagine my every day without Gracie. In fact, if she goes somewhere with Beau and I stay home, I miss her like crazy. Yes, she drives me nuts, she doesn't listen, she hits her baby sister, she cries and yells, she ends up in time out more times than not, but, she is mine. She also gives hugs, kisses, says the goofiest things, calls me "mommy" which I LOVE, she dances, makes me smile, makes me laugh, loves to be with me, is my best friend, and is the sweetest girl I know. Gracie is so smart. She loves to talk and is learning new words every day. She will repeat any word we ask her to, which is amazing, and she loves to say new things. Gracie also is such a good helper. She will help me pick up toys and if she sees clothes on the floor she knows where the hamper is and loves to put things in it. Her favorite movie right now is A Charlie Brown Christmas and will ask to watch "Brown Brown" all day. In fact, I don't even like that movie anymore because we watch it about 15 times a day....I am not exaggerating...At least it's a good show right?? Gracie is fascinated right now with the box that our Christmas tree came in. She plays in that for a good solid hour. As we are getting more used to having the baby here with us during the day, Gracie and I are getting along better. I know that sounds weird but, she was having serious issues with me when we brought Evie home. Since the baby naps most of the day, I get my alone time with my Beautiful Girl and she loves it as much as I do. We watch movies, color, dance, eat lunch, read stories, rock in the chair, than go down for naps. I have seen a change the last couple of days in her and in my patience with her now that we are more on a routine. I love my Gracie Leigh.
Evie is doing well. She eats constantly and is growing like a weed. The poor thing got the cold that Gracie had and is so congested that eating is really hard for her right now :( We squeegy her nose, put her in the bathroom with steam, use a humidifier, nurse extra, etc...but, she is still so clogged. I hate when babies get sick it makes me so sad. She is the sweetest baby still though. She has issues if I eat cheese, milk, chocolate, beans, broccoli, or garlic. Though, she does better with handling the gas than Gracie did. She cries and then stops and then cries a little than stops. Eventually she gets tired of crying and falls asleep. I love to look at her and listen to her coo. She will just sit and stare. Evie generally wakes up right after Gracie goes down for her nap so I get some alone time with her too. She is so beautiful. There is nothing sweeter than a new baby starting to be aware of her surroundings. She is perfect. I am taking her newborn pictures today so I will post pictures soon.
I have been feeling better. I think the pains after my second were harder to deal with than after the first but, I am finally starting to get better. I am not so scared of two kids now so that is good since I am home with them all by myself every day. It's a process but I'm so grateful that I get to be a mother. I love my girls. They are my purpose on this earth. I can't imagine my life without these two beings. If the only thing I accomplish in this short life I get is to successfully raise my girls and make sure they know how completely I love and adore them, than I will have lead a good life.

survival mode

2011-12-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it, we survived one whole week with two kids. I like to refer to this week as "hell week" you know, like the first week of football practice/sports practice. Did anyone have to experience that? In tennis we never did because we were bossy girls that didn't want to but, I sure heard about it with other sports. Anyway, We got home from the hospital on a Monday and Tuesday night Beau had to take Gracie into the emergency room because of high fevers and pain in her ears. She had another serious ear infection so when she came home you can bet she was extra clingy. I felt so bad because she wanted to be held but on Wednesday my milk came in so holding a very squirmy two year old was basically torture. Beau had to go back to work and school, my sister had to go home, and so I was left alone. On Thursday Gracie's fever finally went away and was replaced by a horrible stuffy nose and chest congestion. Also, the honeymoon period of enjoying her little sister ended quickly when she realized that this baby was not going away but staying here with mom and her. That put a little wrench in her every day plans. I have been trying to be a good mom and spend time with her and the baby but, I have not felt well. Gracie has learned to love her time out chair and she frequents it often during the day. I am grateful for an amazing husband who helps me every chance he gets. My biggest blessing of all though is the perfect baby girl that we were blessed with. Evie is a dream come true. When Gracie was a baby she was a terrible napper during the day but, she did sleep through the night very early. Also, when she was awake she was crying. Grace never, ever just sat and looked around. Evie is the exact opposite. She is an amazing eater, an even more amazing sleeper, and if she is awake (unless she has a bubble) she will just sit and stare for an hour. She is so mellow. Even her cry is mellow. I keep knocking on wood and waiting for the other shoe to drop because she truly is too good to be true. I think that God blessed us with a mellow baby so that I would be sane enough to take care of Gracie at the same time. One of them surely would get neglected if she was any other way (and you can bet which one that would be, poor baby). So we have survived and I am slowly and finally starting to really heal. I am learning to survive on little sleep again and realizing that doing the best I can may mean not doing much at all but, as long as my girls are taken care of I'm fine. I just found out I have thrush again (ugh) which makes nursing basically a nightmare but, Beau brought home some coconut oil and I can feel it working already. Natural remedies are the best. School is almost over for Beau (only one more day of classes!) and I can't even tell you how excited I am! It will be so nice to have him home until 8:30 in the mornings. I love living so close to his job.We are moving Gracie into her big girl bed tomorrow, mainly so when she wakes up from her nap if I'm nursing she can get herself out of bed but, it's time. I will post pictures as soon as that happens. Oh, and we got to bathe the baby for the first time. She hated it. hahaha. Poor thing. She does not like being cold in any way, shape, or form. It's very different from her sister who was a hot body all the time. Gracie didn't like scrunching up her legs and being wrapped in blankets where Evie just wants to be held close, in warm jammies, and snuggled under blankets. She is a dream truly.

Evie Ruth Gibbs

2011-12-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful baby girl finally decided to join at 4:30pm on Sunday November 27, 2011. She was 16 days past her estimated due date. We are so in love. Her birth was so different from Gracie's it's unbelievable. I honestly didn't know what to expect or do. The whole time I was in labor I kept saying "this is just so different". Duh Amanda, different kid different birth. Anyway here is her birth story. It's been a couple of days so I hope I remember the whole thing. I was 16 days overdue and really, really uncomfortable and unhappy. I was ADAMANT that they didn't induce me though because I go natural when I deliver and I knew that if they induced me with pitocin it would not be a fun experience. However, my doctor told me he couldn't let me go too far past 42 weeks so he was going to break my water Sunday morning. On Saturday evening about 9:50 I starting having regular contractions. We timed them all night and about 2:30 decided to go into the hospital because I was strep B positive and needed the antibiotic. We text Tiffany and Jens to let them know I was in labor and Jens came right over to sleep on our couch until Gracie woke up. It was a life saver! Jens got there fast and I was a basket case because I forgot to pack anything realistic for Gracie to take over in the morning (sorry guys!) My sister Natalie was on her way up from Moab to be my doula basically. We got to the hospital around 3:00am and went to get checked in. They made us wait in the waiting room for a while than they took me back and made Beau wait. It was kind of bizarre so I asked them why and they wanted to make sure I felt safe with Beau and that it was ok with me that he was there :) hahaha. Anyway, finally they let him come back and my sister came with him. I got my IV with the evil antibiotic in it (it burned like nothing I have ever felt) and then we just kind of hung out. My contractions were regular but not bad at all. Finally when the antibiotic had run it's course I got to walk the halls. Nat took a nap on the couch (she had been up all night too) and Beau and I hung out. At about 6:00 we came back to the room and I took a little nap on the bed while Beau got breakfast. Probably not the smartest thing I have ever done. When I woke up my doc was standing there and my contractions had totally stopped. It was about 7:00am at this point so we discussed my options. He said at 8:30 I needed my second dose of antibiotic so he could start pitocin then or, break my water and see what happens OR, do both. Beau and I both said that breaking the water was the way to go so we chatted for a while then the nurse came in to administer my second dose. When that was almost gone they broke my water. Now, when I was in labor with Gracie they broke my water and everything went really fast, this time they broke my water and I felt fine. It was 9:30 and the contractions came back but very light. So, we were back to walking the halls. I was having contractions about every 3 minutes but I could have fallen asleep they really weren't anything. Oh I forgot to mention that when I came into the hospital that morning they checked me and I was already at a 5+. Anyway, so at about 12:30pm I had my first REAL contraction. Well, what I call a real contraction :) It hit me like a ton of bricks and I knew that this was what labor felt like when something was actually happening. So we walked as much as I could (keep in mind I am running off of no sleep. Gracie had woken up at 7:00am on Saturday morning so we had already been up for over 24 hours). Finally we went back to the room and I told my sister and Beau that I needed to get into the tub. They administered my third dose of antibiotic and then let me get into the tub. She checked me before I got into the tub and I was at a 7. So I labored in the tub for while until the contractions were just too intense. I got out and got back on the bed. My sister and Beau would hold my arms and help lift me off the bed during a contraction and that really helped because I was having intense back labor which I had never experienced before. The Doc came in to check me around 2:30 and he said I was probably still only at a 7+ or and 8. UGH! I was so frustrated because at this point I was SO tired that I couldn't even breathe through contractions. I just kept saying "I can't do this I'm too tired. I can't do this" Luckily my birth team was awesome again and they really helped. At probably 3:30 Beau suggested I get back into the tub because that really helped last time so I got back in but that only lasted for probably 40 minutes before I had to get out. I overheat when I'm in labor so I was very warm. After I got out I asked for a birthing ball so I could labor on my hands and knees for a few minutes. I felt like I needed to push but she checked me and said I was only at a 9 so it wasn't time yet. I had been sitting on a rocking chair until she brought in the birthing ball. She wanted me to sit on it and I said "no way" I needed to roll. Anyway, I was kneeling on the floor with Beau on one side and my sister on the other when I told the nurse that I needed to push. She told me not to because I would rip my cervix. I told her too bad I needed to push so, I pushed. I told her again that she better get the doctor because I needed to push again and I could feel the babies head. She she casually walks out, gets my doctor, and comes back. He comes in and looks at me on the floor and I said "I HAVE TO PUSH" and he said "ok". I don't think at this point he was taking me seriously. So I pushed again and the head was crowning. The doctor, who was just standing in his scrubs, not even suited up to deliver, tried to get me to get on the bed and I said "no it's not going to happen I am having this baby now" he walked around, saw the head, and ran back to the nurse to get scrubbed in. HELLO PEOPLE I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE A CHILD IF I SAY I HAVE TO PUSH AND THE BABY IS COMING THAN GET YOUR DANG ACT TOGETHER! Sorry, had to get that out. Anyway the nurse pages "all available nurses we have a situation come as fast as you can" hahahah. Six nurses came in and one said "oh my gosh" apparently people don't deliver on the floor very often at Ogden Regional. Anyway the doctor runs behind me, with only one glove on, I push one more really hard push and out comes my blue baby. I knew something was wrong when they wouldn't give her to me. I asked if I could have her and they said "no", had Beau cut the cord, and rushed her to the table. I still didn't know what was going on but when I saw Beau freaking out, and my sister freaking out I assumed it must not be good. I still hadn't heard her cry so I was starting to get really nervous. Apparently she came out very blue and was progressively turning more blue. The doctor said her lungs were full of fluid that wouldn't come out so he massaged her belly and chest until she finally coughed up the fluid and started crying. Music to my ears. It was about 2 minutes but felt like an eternity. Finally after delivering the placenta, stopping my hemorrhaging again (though it wasn't nearly as bad as when I had Gracie), and sewing me back up they let me have her. She was perfect. 8lbs 4ounces 20 1/2 inches long. Born at exactly 4:30pm on 11/27/11 totally worth the wait. She nursed right away and has been eating like a piggy ever since. We love her. They wouldn't let Gracie come see her because of RSV and all that other stuff but, they let me go home less than 24 hours later. It was much harder than Gracie's labor. I think because I was so tired from not sleeping that I just didn't have the energy to do what needed to be done. Luckily Beau and my sister were there to hold me up (literally) and I was able to pull through. Now, I'm a mother of two and it is crazy. :) Many are wondering about her name. When she came out we looked at each other and knew that this wasn't our Stella girl. We had talked about it a few weeks before that maybe Stella wasn't next but, once we saw her, we knew it wasn't her. The name Evie had come to me a couple of weeks before as we were brainstorming other names we liked, and kids we thought would be in our family one day. That night, after everyone had left, Beau and I looked at our beautiful baby girl and knew that her name was Evie. Her middle name, Ruth, is my grandmothers name. She is one of the strongest, most amazing women I know and deserves to have a great grandchild named after her. Evie means life and Ruth means friend. We know that Evie will be a life friend to all she meets.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T22:40:00.000-06:00

The festivities of Halloween were postponed until the last second this year. Usually I LOVE Halloween and we celebrate all month long but this year, I just haven't gotten into it. Luckily we were invited to a Halloween Party on Friday night so we finally had an opportunity to get into the Halloween Spirit. Beau and I dressed up (again) as Mother Nature and Father Time. With Beau's gigantic beard and long long hair he looked great. I looked 38 weeks pregnant but, what can you do. We had a ton of fun playing some games and eating very yummy food.

Saturday night we carved our pumpkins. Beau designed and cut his own (he's so dang creative), I used one of those stencil things (I'm not a big pumpkin carving fan), and Gracie got to color on hers. She LOVES her pumpkin. She carries it around with her in her shopping cart and if it's not with her she is constantly asking me where her "pump" is.

Tonight, after Beau got home from work, we quickly got ready to go trick or treating. We just went around to a few people we knew so Gracie could get the feel of it. She was having so much fun carrying her little basket around to the houses. I think she was the cutest Red Riding Hood I have ever seen. When she was all done she just said "go car" and so we knew it was time to go home. Beau was the Big Bad Wolf and he looked so good! He did his own make-up and the pair of them were a hit. It was a wonderful Halloween.

4 years

2011-10-05T13:12:00.000-06:00

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old Mr. Webster could never define

What's being said between your heart and mine

Who would have thought that four years later

this is where we would be?

I can't imagine being anywhere else but here with you.

I love you Beau James Gibbs!

Happy 4th Anniversary!

Cabin Weekend

2011-10-05T12:28:00.000-06:00

We had the opportunity to go to the cabin last weekend. It was so beautiful up there! The leaves were all changing colors and the temperature was perfect. We got up there Friday night, ate dinner, roasted marshmallows, and went to bed. Nothing too exciting. Saturday we woke up and ate breakfast than decided to go on a drive. It was so beautiful. When we got back Gracie and I took a nap while Beau did homework than we went on a little hike to the water tower. It was so nice to just be alone. We came back and I chopped some wood with Beau while Gracie played. It was such a nice weekend to relax and enjoy the changing of the seasons. I love fall!

Summer wrap-up....finally!

2011-09-26T13:01:00.000-06:00

Ok, I know I am a terrible blogger. I always think I will stay on top of it and then, I don't. Oh well! I am going to attempt to write one huge long blog about the rest of our summer because it seems like it will be easier than writing a whole bunch of mini-blogs.

To begin with July was a great month. Ali was still here so Gracie and I got lots of play time with Ali and the kids. Some would say I even "monopolized" her time but, I didn't care and neither did she! ;) It was so wonderful to never wonder what we were going to do that day to stay busy because she was either calling me or I was calling her. I am so grateful for her. Ali is such an amazing friend and great listener. She also knows how to make you laugh when you really just feel like yelling. I miss her so much! We also got another surprise the week before Ali left...Daryl flew in! It was SO GREAT to see him too! It felt like old times to see both of them and it made my whole summer complete. You just can't replace family like that.

July seemed to fly by with a whirlwind of activities. We had a good time swimming, playing in the backyard, going on walks, and such. August came in quickly and we found ourselves trying to prepare Beau to go to school. He got accepted into the University of Utah to start their per-architecture program. He had to go to a transfer student orientation so Gracie and I met him at the university after his orientation to walk around and then go to Temple Square to walk around there also. It was so wonderful to be at the temple where we got married, walking around with our children (one in my belly :)) and remember that day we were married. We made our way over to the reflecting pool and Gracie decided she wanted to go for a swim. It took everything I had to drag her out of the pool. hahah it was so funny! What wasn't funny was the HUGE fit she threw in the middle of temple square after we pulled her away from the reflecting pool. Ahh the joy of having a little girl.

We went to the Hogal Zoo with our VERY good friends from Cedar City: Kyle, Natasha, and Makayla. It was SUCH a blast!! The girls just loved seeing all the animals, so did our crazy husbands. We miss the Bodily's so much and wish we lived closer. Luckily they are only in Provo so, not too far away :) It was hot and we walked for hours so by the time we got in the car, I buckled Gracie in and she basically passed out. What a very fun day. If you have never been to the zoo I suggest you go. It's very kid friendly and so much fun.

August came, and then it went...faster than I would like. Beau began working and going to school full time which means we never get to see him but, I know he is sacrificing a lot for our little family. One of my good friends from Moab got married and I was lucky enough to witness it. She is such an amazing person and deserves to be sooo happy...I think she is. We got to make a trip to Moab finally after a whole summer of not traveling there. Our time was fun, and felt very brief. We spent a lot of time with my sister and her darling children, which included a trip to the pool. My water baby had too much fun. She is TOO brave in the water. She will just jump in from any side or keep walking in the water until it is basically drowning her. It scares me to death but, Beau loves that she isn't afraid of the water. We plan on putting her in swimming lessons as soon as possible and hopefully, this winter, I can find a mommy and me swim class at the rec center. We have also slowly, very slowly, begun potty training. Gracie loves the potty and I have no doubt she will learn very fast once I actually put energy into it. We are still living with Beau's parents and so I haven't REALLY tried yet but, the minute we are in our new house, she is going full time.
I am doing well. Our baby girl is growing my last two week appointment is on Friday and then I start going in every week! This pregnancy has FLOWN by. Honestly I feel like I blinked and it's almost over. Gracie keeps me on my toes so that definitely helps. We can't wait to meet this little girl. I have been worried that Gracie won't like sharing the attention but, I have no fear now that she will be the biggest helper.

I have some stats on Gracie that I will post later but I can't find the paper right now. Other than these few large things, summer came, and it went. We are still fervently trying to find a place to live in the Layton/Centerville/Bountiful area so if you know of anywhere, let me know!! I post some random summer pictures of Gracie for your viewing pleasure...in no particular order.

Captin Destruction

2011-07-12T16:15:00.000-06:00

The other day I was having the worst day. Gracie would not listen, she was throwing fit after fit, screaming, yelling, throwing food, etc. Finally I had enough so I locked her in my bedroom with me, put on a TV show, and layed on the bed. Whatever she did in there I figured it was better kept to one area of the house instead of the whole house. Well, turns out she found a bulk bag of animal crackers I had put in what I thought was a safe place. I heard the bag crinkle and when I looked down to see what she was doing she dumped the whole thing on the floor. And then, she unpacked her clothes, threw them on the pile, and walked all over them. I was so shocked I just stared at her then layed back down. I figured I would let her dad deal with it when he got home.

She found a bowl and started piling the crackers in a bowl and then dumping them back out

18 months!

2011-07-10T19:04:00.003-06:00

My crazy baby is 18 months old today! Where does the time go?? I can't believe it has been 547 days with her. She is insane...really non-stop crazy fun. We can't imagine what our lives would be without her. Here are some things about Gracie at 18 months.

- She loves to eat
She says Hi, Bye, Hello, Mom, Dad, Stop it, No, Yes, Sit, Dog, Bird, Cat, Grandma, Night Night, Happy, Day, bath, shoe, sock, flower, cup, water, bread, more, please, thanks, eat, hat, and a whole lot of more words I can't think of at the moment. She will really repeat anything we say.
Gracie loves to collect as many things in her hands as possible
She loves to put things in baskets or buckets and carry them around
She is full of energy and is constantly finding new things to get into. In fact, the other day I spent an hour looking for her shoes and she had hid them in the toilet paper holder in the bathroom. After an hour I asked her where her shoes were and she led me in there. Duh.
She loves to be outside. I think she would live out there if I would let her.
She has no fear. She will climb to the top of anything, run to the ledge, fall of the bed and get right back up, she is a brave one.
She loves to go on walks and will climb into her stroller and just sit there until you take her somewhere.
Bath time is always a fun adventure. She likes to fill her toy cups up with water and dump them on daddy.
She can say her ABC's all the way to E.
She LOVES baby signing time and will ask to watch it all day long. Luckily we don't watch much TV or movies so I can generally distract her by taking her in the backyard.
She will pick up any camera and say "cheese". And if you say "cheese" and take her picture she will give you her biggest most beautiful smile...unless she doesn't want to hold still.
She never holds still. :)
Getting her to nap lately has been a nightmare but, we are surviving.
She LOVES LOVES LOVES to swim. We took her to the aquatic center the other day and she just ran off on her own. I was more out of energy chasing her than she was.
Pizza is her favorite food.
She has all but 4 of her teeth. Her second set of molars and her bottom K-nines
Beau taught her to copy cat...ya that has been fun
She is a sympathetic laugher and will laugh if she hears anyone else laughing
She loves to sing and will sing along with you
Nursery is going pretty well. She usually lasts about 1 1/2 and then starts to get mad
She has a temper like you wouldn't believe
Gracie will blow kisses and say "Bye Bye" to anyone or HIIIII to anyone
She is too smart for her own good :) :)

We love our beautiful girl. Even when she should be napping and instead is yelling and talking to herself. I get worn out but I couldn't imagine my life without this precious being in it. She is honestly my favorite thing. I wake up in the morning excited to see her and I go to bed at night thinking about her precious face sleeping. I took some 18 month pictures of her the other day so I will post a couple of those...at least the ones I have edited.

Aquatic Center

2011-07-06T16:24:00.000-06:00

The North Ogden Aquatic Center offers night swim on Wednesdays at a discounted price. So last week Beau and I decided to take Gracie swimming. It only cost 5 dollars for all three of us! WOO WOO! Gracie loved it. Beau even took her down the big slide and she had a blast. She couldn't get enough of the water...that is until she played so much she started to get cold and her little lips turned blue. We pulled her out then and I held her while Beau played with Ali and Daryl's kids. We had a blast and can't wait to go again this week.

Fourth of July

2011-07-04T16:00:00.000-06:00

We had a really fun fourth of July this year. We went to the Cherry Days Parade that morning, came home, cooked some yummy food, and then had two BBQ's. We were very full by the end of the day. I made red white and blue cupcakes and we got to celebrate Jim's b-day. It was a very eventful and fun day with everyone! Happy Fourth of July!

Nothing beats a slurpee at the parade!

My corn eater

The big girls! Gracie kept stealing food off Abby's plate when she wasn't looking.

swimming time

2011-06-28T10:24:00.000-06:00

We have been lucky enough to enjoy the water during this semi-warm summer. I say semi-warm because 80 degrees just doesn't feel like summer to me :) Anyway, here in Ogden they have a splash pad for the kids. We took Gracie there with some friends of ours a couple of weeks ago and we all had a blast. Gracie was scared to death at first but, Beau held her for about 30 minutes and showed her the water was not scary. Eventually she let him put her down and she was pushing kids out of the way to play in the water. It was so funny.

We also had the opportunity to go swimming at this beautiful condo we stayed at in Park City. I will post pictures of the whole park city adventure later but, here are the swimming pictures. Gracie LOVES the pool. She floated in her yellow raft for a while but then wanted out. We got her out and she decided she wanted to swim on her own. It took all the strength I had to hold onto her. She would paddle her arms like daddy and kick her feet. It was so cute. Beau LOVES that Gracie loves to swim. He was having even more fun than she was. My two little fishes.

3+1=4

2011-06-16T20:55:00.000-06:00

Well, I suppose it's time to announce that I am not just gaining weight at a ridiculous pace from overeating, I have not just been hibernating in my home avoiding all people and places for fun, and I don't normally fall asleep standing up. All of these things are a result of a big surprise for us all.

I'M PREGNANT!

Almost 19 weeks pregnant to be exact. We didn't tell people until now for many reasons but, I couldn't keep it hidden any more. We went to the doctor on Monday and found out another suprise...

IT'S A GIRL!

At least right now it is :) We will see in a couple of weeks if she remains that way. I think she will :)

Other than that we have had lots of things going on but I am too tired to write about it now so you will get a long blog eventually. To end, here is a picture of our beautiful daughter for your viewing pleasure :)

A month of being grateful in pictures: Day 1

2011-06-01T21:32:00.000-06:00

Today I am grateful for warm days where I can sit outside and have a picnic lunch with my beauty queen.

A new tent finally!

2011-05-14T17:35:00.000-06:00

After almost 4 years of marriage we FINALLY bought a tent. We love it! We also got a killer deal on it. We were planning on camping last weekend but we live in Logan so it was too cold at night for Gracie. Oh well, we still set the tent up in the front yard just to experience it!

Photo Shoot

2011-05-14T17:32:00.000-06:00

I wanted to take a picture of Gracie the other morning because she is so darling and my favorite thing to take pictures of so I took one. She began throwing a huge fit until I relented and continued to take pictures of her. I love how her face changed with each picture. She is such a ham.

Box Fort

2011-05-14T17:27:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago Beau built Gracie a fort out of packing boxes. She loved it and would hide in it all day. I came out to look and saw that she was playing in her fort. Beau also came in and when Gracie saw him she came running out of the fort and grabbed his leg, dragging him into her fort. I thought "fun I want to come" so I got down on my hands and knees and started to climb through the doorway. Apparently I wasn't invited because she quickly pushed me out and pulled daddy in more so I couldn't get in. I was only slightly offended.

Going on a walk

2011-05-14T17:22:00.000-06:00

Gracie really wanted to go on a walk so instead of waiting until the rain stopped, we had lunch, and got dressed, she just took matters into her own hands. However, I don't think she realized that getting out was going to be a lot harder than getting in was.

hahahaha

2011-05-14T17:16:00.000-06:00

My kid is awesome...she thinks she is soooooo funny. I happen to agree with her.

Goggles

2011-04-20T13:17:00.000-06:00

Who doesn't love walking around with a pair of pink goggles? I sure do.

Daddy Time

2011-04-20T13:14:00.000-06:00

There is nothing better than sitting with your dad eating a chocolate cupcake. Especially lounged in a chair.

Two peas in a pod.

Mountain Climber

2011-04-20T13:12:00.000-06:00

I couldn't find Gracie the other day which is never a good thing. I started calling her name and I heard her yelling "Ma, MA!" So I run in her bedroom and this is what I find.

Apparently she was ready for bed....or just trying to reach new heights. Who knows.

just waiting

2011-04-15T08:27:00.000-06:00

Sometimes waiting for Daddy to come home can be so hard....

February Wrap-Up

2011-03-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

Apparently I am a terrible blogger...obviously. Well life at the Gibbs house has been anything but dull. Gracie is growing too fast for me. I wish she would slow down. She likes to talk and run everywhere. Sometimes I wish she wasn't walking yet because she refuses to ride in the cart at the store now. She just wants to get out and walk. She cracks me up. She likes to say her ABC's with me though, she can only say A so she will just repeat "A, A, A" It is so darling. She also likes to count with me but she can only say one so she counts "one, one, one, one" It is so darling! Beau and I can't get enough of our sweet girl. She weighs 18lbs now and I am not sure how long she is I will have to check.

Ruby is so much fun to have around. Having a dog is one of the best decisions we made. Gracie and Ruby are so cute together. They like to play around and Ruby does really well with her.

Beau has decided to change his major. It was a really tough decision and he really had to pray and put a lot of thought into the change but, he eventually decided that he is not wanting to be a math teach but an architect. We are so excited about this change. He will have three years left here at USU and then we will go somewhere else for his masters degree. It is the perfect major for him, he loves to draw and is great at design and math and so, I just know he will be doing exactly what he is supposed to do.

I have been enjoying life at home with my sweet though, I got really sick a week ago and ended up in the hospital. They had to give me a couple of shots so that wasn't fun. Then, just the other day I had the same symptoms and was super sick again. Ugh! Not sure what's going on but, hopefully it doesn't happen again.

Gracie has been really sick the last couple of days so life has been a little hard. Poor Beau has been taking care of both of his sick girls. We finally got Gracie to start eating ice chips so hopefully she is on the mend.

February went by with a whirl. We didn't do much in the way of Valentine's day since I was sick and so was Beau but, we love each other and we don't need a day to remember. :)

We are ready for the warm weather so we can get out more. Well that's all for now. I will try to be a better blogger. Enjoy the pictures.

New shoes!


My two girls playing together.

Gracie regularly hangs out in Ruby's kennel and doesn't let her in.


The other night I was sitting in the rocking chair with my blanket. Grace came up and decided that she needed to sit in her rocking chair right by me and put my blanket on her lap too. She is so darling.

The beginnings of a big snow storm. This was us shoveling at 7:00pm. It got progressively worse through the night.

on a hike last weekend with the baby and the dogs.

Tornado Gracie

2011-02-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

I am almost embarrassed to post these pictures but, if anyone knows me they know I like to keep my house clean. I was always the one in the family that cleaned and organized our house when I was little. Naturally I carried on that OCD trait into my marriage and we have always enjoyed a clean house. However, my daughter doesn't believe in it. She thinks I need to get over my OCD problem. I appreciate her concern but her tactics are a little much for me. This morning I woke up to a spotless house. I had cleaned the night before when Gracie went to bed to surprise Beau for Valentines Day. This afternoon after Gracie's morning nap I was in the kitchen getting ready to do the dishes when I heard a crash and then Gracie's little feet running across the floor. Uh-oh. I came into the living room and the following pictures are what I found. Mind you, she accomplished all this within a 5-10 minute period. I feel like I am in OCD boot camp. Baptism by fire maybe?


the little tornado

Going Private

2011-02-11T15:31:00.002-07:00

As many of you already know, due to facebook, we are making our blog private. We really thought about it and decided that it was the right decision for our family. However, I know how frustrating it can be so we would love it if you would send us your e-mail addresses, or post on here, and we will invite you. Thanks!

2011-02-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

The bib says it all. hahah isn't that face the cutest thing you have ever seen!

The newest member of our family!

2011-01-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest member of our little family

Everyone is excited, especially this little doll in pink. She just can't get enough of Ruby.

Gracie's Cake

2011-01-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post pictures of Gracie's cake I made for her birthday.

so this is love...

2011-01-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

I think I may have blinked too long, because this year has disappeared before my eyes. Why must time move so quickly? Look at that face. She was only a couple of hours old. My heart aches for that sweet face again. Time...ugh. However this is not a sad post, it is a happy one. My beautiful queen is a year old. ONE YEAR! I can't believe it. It seems only a short time ago I was holding her 8lb 6ounce body next to mine as she opened her eyes for her daddy for the first time. We are so in love with her. Sometimes Beau and I will get out of bed and go watch her sleep...we still can't believe she is ours. She makes us laugh constantly. I really didn't think I was capable of this kind of love. To read her birth story click here

Gracie today you are one. You are so precious to us. Who knew the love you would bring to our home. Here are a few things you love to do.

*Dance- doesn't matter where or when you will get your right arm swinging
*walk/run- especially in church you love to run up the isle during sacrament
*eat- you eat your food and then mommas food
*talk- you jabber all day long and love to say hi to everyone at the store
*play alone- you really like to do your own thing
* read stories- you bring me books and I read them to you constantly
*go on walks
*look for daddy- you will go to the back door and knock on it saying "da da"
*play with cousins
*climb on anything
*sing
*take a bath- daddy has taught you how to blow bubbles in the water and you think you are so cool- you are so cool
*make noise
*did I mention eat??

We love you so much and we are so glad you are ours. Our lives wouldn't be complete without you here. Happy birthday my sweet. I hope you have a hundred more just like this one.

Christmas Day

2010-12-30T22:52:00.000-07:00

When we finally got home from our week long trek across the state we were both terribly sick. Between staying up all night and eating lots of sugar/unhealthy food we were done. I couldn't wait to sleep in my own bed!
Christmas morning we got out of bed around 8:30 and went out to help Gracie open her gifts. We decided not to get gifts for each other this year though we did have a few things from my family to open up. She was so funny when she saw her toys under the tree. I didn't wrap many things and so when she walked out there she had the biggest grin on her face and she ran over to the tree.

We spent the morning opening presents and drinking lots of fluids. It was a wonderful Christmas. Gracie loved everything she got but, her very favorite was from My mom and Shel- The princess walker/bike. OH MAN. That toy is her pride and joy. She will walk around pushing her bike, find wherever we are, and then just sit on it and wait for us to push her around. She cracks me up.

Since Christmas Gracie has been talking more and more and walking all the time now. She is trying to run but can't quite get it yet...give her a couple of days :) I can't believe my baby is almost a year old! Merry Christmas everyone.

It's Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

For Christmas Eve this year we were with Beau's family. It was so much fun! The entire day ended up being such a wonderful time.We started off the day with a trip to the ice skating rink. It was a blast. I hadn't been ice skating in years. Sadly, they wouldn't let us skate and hold the baby so luckily Aunt Stacie was there and she played with the baby so we could skate. Thanks again Stacie!! We had so much fun skating around together.

When we got back home we put the baby down for a nap and started to play a game of tripoly. While playing we also watched Christmas movies, munched on veggies and got dinner ready. We had a very yummy dinner of Steak, potatoes, salad, beans, rolls, and a pear cobbler for dessert. It was so good.

After dinner we all settled down to hear dad read the Christmas Story and to talk about the miracle of Jesus. It was such a special moment to hear him read Luke 2 and then discuss the choir of Angles that were there when that happened. I hope I was one of those angels singing at the top of my lungs Glory to God!

When that was over we went to the more commercial side of Christmas and opened the gifts. We had Jens and Tiffany this year and they had us. The boys got Gracie the most DARLING purple batman shirt and a little duck that has a string and it walks with you. So much fun. They also got us a cocoa maker, cups, cocoa, and some yummy goodies, all wrapped up so beautifully. Mom and Dad got us a cast iron pot, blanket, a majhong set, etc. It was a wonderful Christmas. Gracie wore her red Christmas dress that Grandma got her and boy did she look so beautiful. We had an amazing Christmas eve and we are so grateful for the love that we felt while we were with everyone.

Swim Time!

2010-12-23T22:01:00.001-07:00

Beau used to swim in high school. He swam competitively for three years and he loved it! The Ben Lomond swim team holds an alumni swim meet every year in December where the alumni swim team compete against the current high school swim team. It is always so much fun to participate in for all of us.

Beau is the one in the middle.

Christmas time is here...

2010-12-22T21:26:00.055-07:00

Beau's amazing artwork for Christmas


Our little home all lit up for Christmas

As we prepared for the Christmas holiday we realized that we had packed our schedules super full. We were going to go to Moab for the beginning of the week to help my mom move out of her house and then we would be back in Ogden for Christmas Eve, and finally back to Logan for Christmas Day.The night before we left we had a house full of people over to eat turkey and celebrate the holidays. It was so wonderful. We love our friend here in Logan and are blessed to have them all in our lives.

We headed down to Moab after spending two days battling a stomach bug, and arrived on Sunday night. We were blessed enough to stay with my best friends mom and let me tell you, going there is like going to my second home. I love her parents so much and I love their home. I honestly consider her a second mother to me and being at her house always makes me happy. I also get to see my best friend who lives in Moab so it's definitely a win win situation. Our time in Moab was a whirlwind but, a wonderful one. It was very bittersweet helping pack up my childhood home. I stood in the kitchen imagining all the times I had friends over to cook with me. I looked in my bedroom and remembered summer nights when I would leave my window wide open to let in the desert breeze. Dates, parties, girl night out's, family dinners, etc...it was hard to let go. But, change in inevitable right? I guess you can't hold on forever. We had the opportunity to see my friend Cassie and her wonderful family and that was such a blessing. I miss her and her listening ear soooo much. I can't wait to go back and see her again. It was also great to spend quality time with my wonderful family. We miss them. Gracie had a wonderful time with her girl cousins. Emily was thrilled to have Beau there, in fact, she made him play barbies with her stating "but you have to be a girl because I don't have any boy barbies" heheh. Eventually though, we had to say goodbye and return back to Ogden. It was hard to leave and we are already planning when we can go back.

rockin around the Christmas tree

2010-12-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Finally I caught her walking escapades on video! It's kind of dark but, you get the jist. Isn't she the most beautiful, darling, fun baby in the world?

Ten Months

2010-12-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

My Beautiful Queen is almost eleven months old I have forgot to tell everyone all the amazing things she can do!

She loves to play in the Tupperware drawer. She will literally spend an hour sitting in the drawer, looking at Tupperware piece by piece, and then throwing it on the floor. It is her very favorite game.

She has started this new thing where she totally ignores me. She she will look away while I am trying to talk to her and then she sort of turns her eyes back to me. It is hysterical until it drives me nuts.

If she doesn't want to eat, she sticks her tongue out so the food falls. Real cute.

She loves to dance to any kind of music or beat. Even if it's just my singing she is grooving the whole time.

She loves to say her words: Hello, Hi, Papa, Mama, Love you, no, etc. She is a very good talker and we are working with her more on that every day.

She will walk, but only if I don't try and make her. It can be very frustrating at times for me but, she will start running when she's ready.

She gets really excited when we go to get her out of her crib when she wakes from her nap. She will bounce up and down laughing until I get in there and go to grab her and then she will drop down and crawl to the corner as fast as she can so I can't reach.

She loves to laugh. We spent most of our days laughing at nothing.

She makes this monkey face and goes "ooh ooh ooh" it is hysterical and I have no idea where she learned it from.

She will smile her famous smile at anyone. We have a hard time getting through the grocery store because everyone wants to stop and jabber with her. She will go through the whole store yelling "HI" to anyone who will listen.

Her very favorite game of all time is Peek-a-boo. She will play it with anyone or anything. Even if they don't play back.

We love our little darling. She is so much fun. Gracie is breaking four top teeth at once right now and man is she ornery but, she still manages to make us smile all the time. Beau and I are just busy like normal. Nothing new for us. He works and is finishing up school and I am home with the babe. We got our house all decorated for Christmas and it looks beautiful. So far Gracie doesn't even care that the tree is up. We have a train that goes around the base and she cares more about the train than she does about the tree.

We had a really good Thanksgiving this year. We went to Beau' parents house and had a wonderful feast and then played games with the family. It was really great to see Connor and Logan. They are such little miracles and to watch them play is just a joy. Gracie loves them both but, Logan is her favorite. She will do whatever he does and follow him around. It is such a sweet thing to see Logan play with her. Everywhere Connor and Logan go, Logan with turn around and say "come on Gracie lets go". It is DARLING. She really thinks he is the bees knees. At the beginning of the month we had our family home evening and Gracie was taking a bath. Both of the twins were dying to get in. Beau was the one bathing Gracie and so as we are all in the living room we hear Beau yell "Jens, Logan wants to get in the bath with Gracie" So Jens, knowing that they were going home soon says "Logan why don't we take a bath when we get home." and then we hear Beau yell "umm Jens, he is already naked" hahahaha so we run in there and apparently he had just stripped down and was about to jump in when Beau yelled for Jens. It was so funny. Those two boys are so well behaved and such good sharers.

My mom gave us an umbrella stroller and you know, if you can't find Gracie she is probably climbing on something.

Daddy teaching Gracie to do a pull up

Beau's amazing window art for Thanksgiving. He is so talented!

Her favorite place to be!


Gracie helping to hand ornaments to momma as we decorate our tree

Gracie with her favorite people ever

once again, couldn't find her and then I realized I left the bathroom door open.

She is such a goof

We got to go to Moab earlier this month and it was wonderful. We stayed with my very best friend Janece and her daughter Addisen. It was so fun...almost too much fun. I sometimes forget that I am not nearly as young as I used to be and really, staying up until 4:00am the first night, 2:00am, the second, and 1:00am the third, plus waking up with a baby, isn't the smartest thing we have ever done but, oh the memories. I loved being there and it was fun to see Gracie and Addisen play together.

Addisen and Gracie looking for toys

This month has been filled with ups and downs as usual, sometimes it feels like more ups than downs, but we will continue to persevere. I will try my hardest to be better at blogging. The days just go so fast that by the time evening is here, the baby is sleeping, and I am in bed, all I want to do is go to sleep. Ahh well, that is what you get for chasing a baby around.

Heart Broken

2010-11-29T10:52:00.000-07:00


Lacie Jo with newly born Gracie Leigh and Me.

I have a wonderful friend named Lacie Jo Robinson. She is one of those people that is nice to everyone. She radiates love, kindness, service, charity, beauty, and perseverance. Ever since the first time I met her in the old 27th ward we have been great friends. We were in the same classes and so we got to sit by each other and become close. Lacie is the type of person you aspire to be like. She is truly an amazing person. Lacie and I graduated together and traveled to Disney Land together. We are like soul sisters. We were meant to be friends.

When I found out I was pregnant I struggled a lot. Lacie was one of the first people we told and she supported me through it all. I had a lot of opposition, especially amongst family, about my pregnancy but I always had a shoulder to lean on with Lacie. We always joke that I named Gracie after Lacie :) Gracie has loved Lace since the very beginning of her life.

As I sit here and hold my beautiful little ten month old baby I can't help but choke back the tears. My heart is just breaking. This wonderful woman I have told you about has gone through more in her short 25 years than anyone I personally know. She has not only had to bury one child, but two. It breaks my heart to think of the pain and turmoil she has had to suffer. I feel like Lacie deserves to be a mother more than any woman I know. She is already to a mother to so many. She takes care of everyone's children as if they were her own children. It takes a special woman to do that.

I don't know what the Lord has planned for Lace. Sometimes, when I pray for her, I just wonder why someone would have to go through all of this. She must be being prepared for something miraculous. She already is miraculous. What I do know is that her angel babies are waiting for her. They were born on this earth perfect and they returned to Heavenly Father just as perfect. They were more righteous that this world was prepared for. They didn't need to be tested because they were elect spirits of God. So why must it hurt so bad? I wish I would take some of the pain away for Lacie. She doesn't deserve the heartache and trials. So all I can do is pray and ask that you all pray too. Pray for Lacie and Tayce. They are two of the most gentle, kindhearted people you would ever meet in your life. Know that if asked, they would do the same for you.

So today I will complain a little less that my daughter is teething and crying all day, and I will sit with her on the floor and hold her a little closer knowing that I am very lucky to get to be a mother. And I will say another prayer for Lacie, Tayce, and little Alice who returned home to be with our Heavenly Father and her brother so they can wait together for their momma and poppa to come to Heaven and be with them for eternity.

baby love

2010-11-07T19:08:00.002-07:00

The most beautiful child in the world lives at my house! Can you believe it? And yes, she is as perfect as she looks. :)

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T14:39:00.004-06:00

Beau and I LOVE Halloween. It is our favorite holiday. We usually celebrate all month and do lots of festive things. This year the month of October has been busy and I was sick for most of it. But, the week before Halloween we managed to get some good fun in.

We went to the Pumpkin Walk this year with The Ashcrofts and The Palmers. I was so tired and still getting over my chest cold/pneumonia so I wasn't in the best mood but, Gracie loved it. The local farmers donate lots of pumpkins to different organizations around Logan and then they get carved and put together in scene's. This year the theme was "the magic of animation". It was so cool to see things like The Muppets, Finding Nemo, etc carved out of pumpkins! Stupidly though I didn't take my camera. To see pictures of the pumpkins go to www.pumpkinwalk.com

Beau didn't have to work one day this week because of snow so, we put on our warmest clothes and began to do our tradition of painting the window for the holidays. Beau is an amazingly talented artist and he free drew the picture and then I helped fill in. Everyone in our ward that drove by was so impressed at his talent. I was also very very impressed.
On friday night we went with our friends to a huge costume party at one of their friends house. It was a blast. This year I was Wendy Darling, Beau was Peter Pan, and Gracie was Tinkerbelle. We got a babysitter from the ward to come over and we got to hang out for a couple of hours with just some adults. It was GREAT! We had a wonderful time.

On Saturday we went to our wards trunk or treat. It was raining so we held it in the gym. All the kids were dressed so darling but, the cutest one of all was this little green Tinkerbelle. She loved grabbing candy out of people's bowl it was so cute!

Today, as in the real Halloween, we are watching movies, carving pumpkins, eating soup, and making caramel apples. Happy Halloween everyone!!

Spaghetti Night

2010-10-20T21:27:00.006-06:00

When I was a little girl I loved spaghetti night. It was my very favorite meal. I would fill both of my fists with spaghetti and shove it in my mouth as fast as I could until a nice orange ring would form on the lower part of my face. I am happy to announce that Gracie loves spaghetti as much as I did and still do. She was so funny the other night when we gave her noodles for the first time. She tried to eat her bowl and then she dug right in. Good thing she isn't afraid to eat!

9 months old

2010-10-10T14:50:00.004-06:00

Today, my darling, you are nine months old. Where did the time go? You are getting so big and I can't seem to stop time from moving. I have now almost had you in my arms as longs as I had you in my belly :) What a precious blessing you have been in our lives. At nine months you have many things you like to do.
- stand
-crawl super fast
-eat all foods....and lots of it! I think you must have a hollow leg because I don't know where you put the food.
-grab fists full of cheerios and stuff them in your mouth until your cheeks are bulging.
-laugh- you are so silly all the time
-crawl away when momma comes to get you
-put everything in your mouth
-smile so big whenever anyone is around
-clap your hands
-read stories-well I guess I should say you like to EAT stories...we never get through a story before the book is in your mouth
-play with kids your size
-watch the dog play catch- you think he is so silly
-sit with mom
-be tickled by daddy
-talk all day long- words you can say "no" "momma" "dadada" and then lots of blabble
-playing peek-a-boo- in fact, you will play peek-a-boo with anyone around, including the dog.
-give momma kisses

You don't really like taking naps and you still aren't a fan of the car seat. Ahh well, maybe when we can turn you around you will love it.

Milestones as of 10/11/2010- you took your first THREE steps today without anyone holding onto you or helping at all. You just stood up and walked. You amaze me every day my darling child.

3rd anniversary

2010-10-05T09:14:00.007-06:00

You are the Cheese to my Macaroni'.....

the Peanut Butter to my Jelly...

The Sugar to my Cookie.....
The French to my Fry.......

The Fruit to my Loop.....
the marshmallow to my smore'...
the hand to my glove...
the twinkle to my star
the remote to my tv
the stem to my apple
the seeds to my orange
the music to my song
the stars to my nebula

And I can't think of anyone I would rather share my eternity with.
Happy Anniversary Beau James
I love you

Outdoor adventure

2010-09-29T14:11:00.002-06:00

Last Saturday we decided to take a little family hike. It was wonderful. The leaves were changing colors and the weather was perfect. We only hike about 1 1/2 miles before turning around but, it was well worth the trip. I LOVE the fall!

Big Helper

2010-09-22T15:23:00.003-06:00

Gracie is such a big helper. She loves to help momma while I do things like fold laundry (she likes to unfold it just to help me so much), work in the garden (she love to prematurely pick beans and eat them along with all the dirt she can :), pick up the toys on the floor (she helps by pulling them all back out), and just today she helped me clean the fridge. :) I am so blessed to get to spend all my days with my adorable, beautiful, funny, silly, smart, daughter!

I like to eat eat eat, pears and oatmeal

2010-09-04T21:27:00.003-06:00

Gracie has been eating solids for a little while now and she loves it. I feed her probably one meal of solid foods a day and she does pretty good with it. The other day we couldn't get her eat so we let her feed herself...hmmm...looks messy right? She had a ball!

7 months old

2010-09-04T21:03:00.005-06:00

Gracie Leigh is seven months old. She is such a wonderful child. We love being her parents and watching her grow. She has taken her first step already and she loves to stand on anything. The month of August was a busy one for us as far as changes goes. Beau got a new job roofing and started school for the fall. Gracie and I have been busy going on walks, crawling around, canning, hanging out with friends, and being together. I am the luckiest mom in the world. Gracie is hysterical. She laughs so hard sometimes that she gives herself the hiccups. Other than that nothing too exciting is happening with us. Gracie has three teeth, crawls super fast, tries to walk, eats like crazy, and is growing so big. She weighs 14lbs and 12 ounces and is 27 inches long. We love her more than words can express.

Our Garden

2010-09-04T14:49:00.004-06:00

Here are some pictures of our wonderful garden before, during, and and the end of summer. We have had such a wonderful time watching it grow.

a HUGE accident

2010-08-06T23:22:00.003-06:00

Well, tonight Beau and I decided to go to bed early to get prepared for his new job. We are both going to have to start waking up at 6:00 and since I am not a morning person, it's going to take me a minute to get used to it. Anyway, it was around 9:30when we heard a LOUD screeching noise and then a HUGE crashing sound. Beau and I jumped up and started getting dressed to run outside and see what was going on. Beau got out there first and he yelled at me to get my phone and call the police because "we have a runner" I get dressed and run outside while talking to dispatch because there is a car upside down right in front of our house. When I get out there dispatch was asking me if anyone is in the car and I asked Beau and he said "no he ran that way" (pointing west) so I was explaining this to dispatch when a police car flies around the corner and Beau yells "HE WENT THAT WAY" pointing to where the guy went. Apparently, from what Beau tells me, the guy got out of the car and Beau saw him and was approaching him when he stood up and started running. He ran through the church parking lot and hopped a fence. Thank goodness for Beau. So the whole neighborhood starts pouring out. I have never seen so many people decide to walk their dog at ten o'clock at night :) It was so crazy! So all the cops showed up and Beau had to ride in the cop car (like they twisted his arm or something, he was so excited!) and go over to where they caught the guy and ID him. Then, when he got, he had to fill out a report and everything. It was crazy. We all stood out there while they did the reports and everything. I am so shocked that, that guy walked away without even a scratch but, he was drunk so I guess that makes sense. P.S Gracie slept through the entire thing!

God made dirt so dirt don't hurt...apparently

2010-08-01T19:03:00.003-06:00

We were doing some weeding today as a family and I had put Gracie on a blanket in the middle of the grass. She wanted to be part of the party so she kept crawling over to the garden. She kept grabbing weeds and clumps of dirt and eating them...hahahaha what a goofy girl we have. Good thing she isn't afraid of dirt :)

2010-07-22T21:54:00.003-06:00

We were all able to get together while Jamie and Andy were here to get family pictures. I had found this FANTASTIC photographer to take them for us. Her name is Whitney Stark. I highly recommend her. Her blog address is http://whitniestarkimages.blogspot.com/ She was so patient and great. She let us just roam around and take as many pictures as we wanted. Here are a couple I pulled off of her site that she took for us. I can't wait to see what the other ones look like!! Go to her site and check her out.

We are in BIG trouble...

2010-07-19T21:56:00.003-06:00

Life at the Gibbs home

2010-06-25T12:40:00.007-06:00

Life at our home has been pretty busy this summer so far. We finally got almost all our decorating done so our house feels like a home now. It is so nice not to wake up in the morning with the feeling of dread because I am climbing over boxes holding a screaming baby. I also feel like I can officially have people over and not be constantly apologizing about the way my house looks...I hate doing that.

A couple of weeks ago we had to opportunity to go to the Cabin for cabin work weekend. Beau and I decided to go a day early with Gracie to have a little family get-away. It was so fantastic! It was really cold but so much fun. Gracie had a great time camping. We went on a couple of little walks and happened to see three different moose!! It was AMAZING! I have never seen a moose before so that was pretty cool.

We didn't stay outside too much because it was pretty chilly but, it was nice. We were up there because it was cabin work weekend so, on friday Zach and Stacie came with Mom and Dad to get some work done. They began cutting down a dead tree that was threatening to kill the cabin and Jim put me to work as the photographer. It was fun to watch the tree fall down. Gracie sat with Grandma the whole time and she was happy as a clam.

At about dinner time Jens and Tiffany showed up to stay the night. It was such a wonderful time. Gracie LOVES Connor and Logan. They are here best friends. Whenever she would start to get sad Logan would just have to come talk to her and she would laugh. She adores him. Connor loves to give Gracie her toys. Beau had fun holding both of them while Connor shared.

Jamie and Andy have come to town for a couple of weeks and it has been a whirlwind of activities. Gracie finally got to meet her Coy cousins and she has such a good time with them. We have been able to do things like the Leishman family reunion at Bear Lake, lots of bbq's, games, and other activities. It has been lots of fun traveling down to Ogden and spending time with everyone.

Gracie is eating solid foods now and she loves them...well...most of them. So far we have done rice cereal (which she hates), oatmeal (which she loves), bananas (another hate..in fact it's hilarious to watch her face when we try to feed her those), and cheerios. I am making my own baby food and have whipped up some peas, carrots, and other things to try in the future. I can't believe how big she is getting.
We had the opportunity to take Gracie swimming at the North Ogden Aquatic Center the other day. She LOVE IT! She is going to be a fish just like her daddy.

We have many more wonderful things coming this summer and I am happy to be living in the moment. We have a garden that is so wonderful! We already have tons of beans, pumpkins, tomatoes, watermelon, and many other plants. Were it not for the stupid ducks that live in our backyard, we might have even more. I will post pictures of the inside of my house and garden when I actually clean my house and take some :) Here are some stats about the love of our lives.

Gracie Leigh. I can't believe you are already six months old. Time has sped up and it won't stop. It seems I can't get enough of your cute smile, sweet laugh, loud cry, and darling personality. You bring me more joy than I could ever imagined was possible. Sometimes I feel my heart may just burst out of my chest. I watch you and you amaze me with your strength and intelligence.
Gracie, at six months here are some things you like to do:
-eat
-sleep
-crawl everywhere
-laugh when daddy kisses you--his beard is very tickly
-go on walks
-watch the ducks
-laugh at momma
-talk very loud so everyone can hear
-bounce
-stand up
-pull yourself up in your crib
-stick everything in your mouth
-smile very big when we make funny noises
-say "mammamamamama"
and "babababa" you are a very big talker
-scream...not cry just scream
-watch baby signing time.

you have a front tooth now to go with the molar in the back. You love to be on the floor and play by yourself. You weigh 13.5 pounds and you still wear 3 month clothes :) You are healthy just petite. We love you more than sand on the beach or stars in the sky. We couldn't be more grateful to Heavenly Father for allowing us to raise you in our home.

Gracie is growing and we are just amazed at her every day. Beau and I feel like the most blessed people on the earth. We don't have much but, what we do have is worth more than any amount on the earth.

New Places

2010-06-05T20:21:00.004-06:00

We have finally moved up to Logan and somewhat got settled...not really but I will pretend :) We LOVE the house we are living in. It has two bedrooms, sitting room, living room, kitchen, bathroom, and an office. We are so happy with the amount of space we have compared to the tiny apartment we lived in for a year. We also have a washer and dryer, fruit room, storage space, and an entire garden just to ourselves. We are ecstatic.

Today as I was unpacking the kitchen we decided that Gracie needed to get outside and be with papa and so we loaded her in the backpack and she helped daddy mow the lawn.

It was tough work. So tough in fact she fell asleep in the middle of all the work leaving daddy to do it on his own.
Isn't he dad of the century?? Gracie and I think so!
After she woke up I was still not even close to done unpacking the kitchen so we loaded her up in her exer-saucer and made an umbrella stand out of our tomato planter. She was outside all day and she had a ball. I am so glad that she is able to play outside and not freak out.

Beau is working for a construction company that he really likes. They are nice guys that pay him pretty good and will work with his schedule. Hopefully he can stay on with them, that is if they get another house to work on, and then he won't be out of a job again.

Gracie is almost five months so I wanted to list some stats:
-she loves to roll all over the place
-she can army crawl pretty good
-she laughs so loud and if you get her going she will just keep going
-she babbles all the time, she just has so much to say!
-she makes momma smile until her face hurts and laugh until she cries
-she goes crazy in her bouncer
-she is very independent and likes to do things her way
-does no like rice cereal...dang it
-but does love to eat all the time!
-has finally started falling asleep in the car (hallelujah)

I am totally in love with our daughter. Sometimes I can't think I could love her any more than I already do and then, I do! I miss her when she is sleeping and will find myself watching her while she sleeps. She is my best friend and I am so blessed that I get to spend so much time with her.

2010-05-30T10:43:00.006-06:00

Wow, it has been quite a while since I posted last. I haven't posted because honestly I don't have much to say. However, I realize that it is important to at least pretend like I have a life :)

Wait, yes I do, this Beautiful girl is my life. Every day I am so blessed to be able to play with her all day long. I know you are all very jealous. But, don't let that sweet face fool you. She can be mighty sassy when she wants to be. Beau got a job working for a construction company. He likes it so far but, it has been a challenge commuting to Logan every day. Luckily, last week, we found a place to live! It is a little two bedroom house that we only pay 425 a month to live in! Hooray! We are so very excited about this. We are moving in on Wednesday so, if anyone wants to help load up a truck from Ogden so we can take it to Logan we will happily use your muscles and/or babysitting skills.
Now that Beau is working, finally, Gracie and I get to find all sorts of things to do during the day. Grace loves to roll all over the place, crawl backwards, stick everything in her mouth, jump in her bouncer, and play in her excer-saucer. She is so fun! Gracie thinks everything is funny and she loves to smile/laugh at you when you make faces at her. We go on walks every day and it is our favorite part of the day. Gracie likes to go on walks and talk the whole time, well that is until she falls asleep in her stroller.

We have been in Ogden for about a month so far and it has been pretty good. I miss Cedar City. I miss our wonderful friends that we were so blessed to know. I miss the small town feel and our wonderful ward. Beau and I are just grateful to be together.

Other than that, nothing really has been going on. We are gearing up for some fun trips this summer and we can't wait for Jamie and Andy to get here in June. We also can't wait for our big Yellowstone trip with my family in July. I will try to be more valiant in my blog writing but, I make no promises :)

Locks of Love

2010-05-11T21:45:00.003-06:00

I did it!!! I finally cut my hair and donated it all to Locks of Love. 11 inches donated with a total of 12 inches cut off! AHHH! It is so short!

2010-05-11T21:36:00.002-06:00

We have moved! Finally after many stressful hours of packing, cleaning, and organizing we are up in Ogden. It has been a roller coaster ride that seems to never end but, we are surviving I suppose. Gracie has transitioned pretty well. On May 1st she cut her very first tooth! It is her back right molar! I couldn't believe it. Leave it to our daughter to be very unique and independent.

Finally two new posts!!

2010-04-06T12:34:00.004-06:00

Well I can't believe it is already April. Beau and I are in awe at how fast our beautiful daughter is growing up. I cried as I boxed up her newborn clothes and pulled out the 3 months. She is so funny and fun to be with. She will laugh at me when I do anything, including if I just look at her. Hahaha I love her so much. Gracie is such a wonderful blessing in our lives. Beau and I are doing well. We are trying to find a new car, a job, and a house up in Logan for us to move into. I feel completely scared to death because we are not prepared to move AT ALL but, everything works out the way it's supposed to right? Ugh...I sure hope so. Anyone have a car they want to sell us, a job they want to give us, and a house they want us to rent???? Please???? Oh for your viewing pleasure here are some pictures of the babe. OH I forgot to tell everyone I made Gracie a car seat cover because the one she had was a horrible material that made her sweat profusely. I got a lot of it pieced and sewed together and then my machine broke so luckily Mechel is an amazing seamstress and she helped me finish it :)

Gracie's Blessing

2010-04-06T12:25:00.004-06:00

This weekend we were able to go to Ogden to bless Gracie. It was so wonderful to have our closest friends and family, minus some of my family, there for her special day. She looked so beautiful in her dress made special by her Grandma Gibbs. I am so grateful for Beau and the wonderful blessing he was able to give her.

10 weeks

2010-03-20T17:36:00.002-06:00

Gracie my darling daughter. Here are some things you like to do at 10 weeks.
*Eat! You already weigh 11lbs!!
*laugh at mom and dad when they make monkey sounds at you
*grab everything! Including the diaper, wipes, butt paste when we try to change your diaper
*hit the butterfly hanging from your carseat and you smile when it jingles "Thanks Aunt Stacie!"
*smile very big-it makes momma giggle
*hold your head up very strongly
*scoot your legs under you during belly time
*try to roll over
*You don't like it but, you are already growing two teeth!
*You have grown out of all your newborn and almost all your 0-3 month clothes
*you love to sing with mom in the morning
*you also love to jabber jabber jabber
*You can stand so strong and would prefer it to sitting
*you love to kick your legs constantly which just reminds mom of when you were in her belly
*sleep at night..you love your eight hours of sleep

We love our baby girl. She makes us smile all the time! She is so fun to be around and we love it when she is awake so we can laugh and play with her. She loves her rattle and she loves her teething ring. We love being parents to the most beautiful and happy baby.

Nothing really new has been going on at the Gibbs house recently. Beau is still in school and I am still the apartment manager. It has been a learning experience with a newborn but, we are almost done! We will be moving to Logan in a little over a month and I can't believe it. We are still looking for a place to live and a job for Beau so, if anyone has any suggestions than let us know! Otherwise..that is about all that is going on. We are blessing Gracie on April 3rd at 4:30 at Beaus parents house. I can't wait it will be so wonderful!! Anyway, that is about all that is going on with us. Here are some fun pictures for your enjoyment.

8 Weeks

2010-03-06T13:58:00.002-07:00

We took Gracie to get her weighed and she is now 10 ponds and 5 ounces. She is growing so fast and great it is amazing to watch that little girl grow. W both love her so much.

6 weeks!

2010-02-21T20:53:00.002-07:00

Well we have made it to the six week mark. So far Gracie is getting so big!! She loves to smile at you when you smile at her and she thinks daddy is the bees knees. We love our little pumpkin! Janece came and took some fantastic pictures of her two weeks ago and I will post some. Also, we went to Moab for a GREAT baby shower last weekend. It was so much fun! Beau and I didn't do anything but put our baby to bed on Valentines Day but, it doesn't matter. Putting a baby to bed is the ultimate sign of love for us right now :) Life is beautiful and I am in love with my little family. Sorry this is so short I am having memory loss right now and can't think of the specific things I wanted to say :)

Windsor

2010-02-20T11:53:00.002-07:00

Well the time has finally come around where our boss, Brad, will be doing interviews for the apartment job here at Windsor. For those of you who aren't sure what I am talking about, we are moving to Logan in May and therefor we have to leave this great job. I am sad and happy at the same time. It is creeping up on us much faster than I thought it would. Time flies when you are trying to raise a baby :) Anyway, for those interested here is some information:

-to apply turn in a joint resume' to me ASAP! Brad will be doing interviews the first week of march so you only have two weeks to get your resume' in to me so I can turn it in to him.

-You sign a one year contract but he REALLY likes you to commit for two years. We, unfortunately, did not anticipate the school ruining Beau's schedule so bad and us having to move so we could only do one year but really he likes TWO.

-You must be able to have office hours m-f in a four hour block. We have our office hours from 9-1 every day but you can set them how you want.

-During the winter you will have to shovel and ice every time it snows. Also, you will be required to do all maintenance work that comes up including unclogging toilets, showers, tubs, sinks, fixing disposals, painting, etc.

If you have any other questions about the job you can post a comment on here OR you can e-mail me amandagibbs1@gmail.com

4 weeks old!

2010-02-07T20:13:00.004-07:00

It has almost been a month can you believe it!! I surely can not! We are growing to love our little girl more and more every day. It is amazing!! These four weeks have been hard for me; to say the least. I got home after losing a lot of blood in delivery only to get a very bad UTI and I had to go on antibiotics. Well, as most women know, antibiotics can cause a yeast infection and I happened to get a bad case of Thrush. I don't know if most people know what that is but, when you nurse it feels like fire burning and stinging. It was horrible. Needless to say I had no postpartum depression but it hurt so bad to pee or nurse that I cried a lot. Plus, battling the UTI, no sleep, blood loss, being a new mother, and having students constantly knocking on my door, I haven't been very positive about this whole parenting thing. Let me tell you, we love being parents. I am beginning to feel so much better which makes the lack of sleep easier, much easier, to deal with! It seems as though if I was going to get one sickness/infection, I was going to get them all but luckily things are getting so much better. Gracie smiled at us, I mean really big huge smile for the first time today! She didn't sleep at all until 6:30am and so when she woke up two hours later, to stop us from being mad, she pulled out the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. And let me tell you, I wasn't mad at all. She is beautiful and perfect and I am so happy to have her here and to have the opportunity to be her mother.

ugh

2010-02-04T19:45:00.001-07:00

Being a parent is a hard job...especially when your 3 week old decides that sleeping is not necessary ever.

Two weeks of pure love!

2010-01-29T16:54:00.002-07:00

It is crazy to think that three weeks ago I was in labor with this little beauty. We have had quite the learning experience these past three weeks. The adjustment for all three of us has been wonderful and hard all at the same time! Gracie has such personality and attitude already! She is such a good eater and a great sleeper. She will go to bed around ten and she sleeps for at least 5-6 hours before she wakes up to eat again. I have changed my diet and that seems to have helped her belly aches. Gracie loves her daddy. In fact, the other day she cried for two hours straight and nothing I did would console her but, the second Beau walked in the door he took her and she literally passed right out. I don't think I have ever been so grateful and pissed off all at the same time! She is a daddy's girl all the way. Gracie doesn't like bath time but she LOVES showers! We could keep her in there all day and she probably wouldn't care she loves it. I think she will probably like baths more when she understands how to play with toys :) Gracie is really good at holding up her head (since birth she could do this) and she loves to lean over dads shoulder and look around the room. We are so blessed that she is a part of our lives. We are finally starting to get into some kind of routine so it makes it easier for me to get better. I found out the other day that I have a pretty bad infection so I am on lots of water and anti-biotics to help me fight it off but, I am on the mend. Being a parent is nothing I could have ever expected but, we got lucky with our little girl. Look how long her hair is!! It just keeps getting longer and longer. It must be my vitamins :)

HAHAH this is probably my favorite picture. That is the look she gives me all the time...

The other day Beau was changing her on his lap and he all of a sudden felt something warm...hahah She just wasn't quite done peeing yet :)

Gracie Leigh Gibbs 1/10/10

2010-01-12T13:35:00.005-07:00

Finally a post about the long awaited day!! I feel like I have been out of the blogging and face booking loop for so long because I really couldn't handle the "have you had your baby yet?" questions I was getting. I can only say that I am grateful for the people in my life who asked how I was doing and didn't make me feel like I was broken because my baby hadn't come yet. Anyway, this is not what the post is about. This post is about the most beautiful baby in the world that decided to join our family.

My family came down on Thursday last week because I was having false labor. We thought it was real, it wasn't. I was so frustrated! I couldn't figure out what to do to have this baby plus, if I didn't have her by the next week they were going to induce me which I absolutely did not want. So Friday my sister made me walk up and down stairs all day, I ate everything in the "how to induce your baby naturally" book of stories, got a full body massage and everything. I seriously tried it all. That night I laid in bed and cried to Beau. He told me to just be patient and she would be here when she was ready. UGH! So that night I talked to my darling girl and told her that I would be patient and wait for her to be here. I slept great that night. In the morning I woke up and was being kicked in the center of my stomach instead of the right rib...wait a minute that isn't normal. So I turned to Beau and he agreed with me, my baby had definitely dropped. That is a good sign right? My mother and sister decided to go home because nothing was happening with baby so, they left that morning and Beau took me on a 2 mile walk. When I got home I cleaned and organized the entire house and then Beau took me on a date that night. It was the first night in a long time that I didn't feel frustrated about my little girl not being here.

Sunday morning I woke up, ate a yogurt, and got in the shower at 9:00am. While showering I had my first contraction....huh that was weird I thought. So I got out of the shower and told Beau that I think I was having contractions. So we started timing them. Automatically they were 5 minutes apart and then quickly went to 3 minutes apart. That is when my mother (who had come back to Cedar City) told me that we should probably go in because I was strep B positive and needed the IV. So we went to the hospital and they admitted us to a room. They began monitoring my contractions and the baby for about 1 hour. My contractions were 2 minutes apart and I was doing fine. I was dilated to a 3+ and then after an hour I was a 4+. This was good because they decided that I really was in labor and could stay. So they came in to give me my IV of penicillin, ouch, and then let me get up and walk around. Laying on a bed during contractions was one of the most painful things. I probably walked the halls for 2 hours with the love of my life, stopping during contractions to breathe, and then walking again. I kept doing this until it was really too painful to walk and then I walked one more time to just make sure.

The nurse came in and checked me because it had been three more hours..I was only at a 5! What! My pain level was pretty severe so she let me get in the tub and labor there for a while. She came in and said that Gracie was pushing down on my bag of water not on my cervix so that is why I wasn't dilating. April, the nurse, gave me an option. She said that either I could continue on in the labor process which could go for another 24 hours or she could call Lori in have her break my water which would put me into hard labor right away. Ugh..I was scared! I didn't know what to do but the contractions were coming pretty close and so I told her to let Lori in to brake my water. Lori came about an hour later to check me and I was at a 6 so some progression but not enough. Lori broke my water at 7:00pm and almost immediately the contractions came one on top of the other. It was then that I thought I couldn't do it. Luckily I have the best husband and life partner in the world plus a very wonderful and supportive mom and sister so they were there to hold me up. I will admit there was a moment that I turned to my nurse Megan and asked her if there was any form of pain medication, besides and epidural, that she could give me. She went to get Lori then and Lori said "why don't we try the tub again" So I got back in the tub and I will spare the details but, I told Beau numerous times that I just couldn't do it anymore. The pressure was so intense!!

Finally I looked at Lori and said "get me out of the tub I have to push this baby is coming now" So they got me out of the tub and put me on the bed. Gracie's heart beat started to drop so they were trying to put the monitor on my and had me move to different positions to help her come. I had to be on oxygen while going through contractions because the baby wasn't getting any oxygen so that was crazy. The details here are pretty hazy, lucky for you guys :) But, Lori did say at one point that I could push for up to an hour or for ten minutes it was totally up to me and how I pushed. I looked at her and said "no way it will not take an hour" so two more contractions, eight more minutes, and a little chubby blue baby popped right out. This may be a TMI moment but Lori let me deliver the baby myself. She told me to grab her head, which I did, and push and pull at the same time and I got to pull her out and onto my chest. It was AMAZING! She was 8lbs 6 ounces and 20inches long. The chubbiest, cutest, sweetest baby on the planet. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like with her and now I can't imagine my life without her.

I remember that the minute she was born my pain was totally gone. No, not even then minute, it was the second she was born my pain was gone. I looked at Beau and said "I could do that again" and then I looked at my mom and said "I'm starving!! Can I have some food?" Hahaha so while they were sewing me up and trying to stop my hemorrhaging (more details you probably don't want), My mother fed me a turkey sandwich. It was amazingly good :)

Beau was an amazing birthing partner. Honestly, he stood by my side, held my hand, held my legs, cried with me, supported me, breathed with me, loved me, carried some of my burden, talked to me, laid by me, sang to me, and just was with me. He held everything together so well and while I was pushing he coached me the entire time. I could not have even thought about attempting this birth without him. I love you Babe!!

Christmas at the Gibbs

2009-12-17T18:03:00.002-07:00

Here are some pictures of our tree, Beau's own tree, and the windows that Beau painted for Christmas....

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T10:38:00.006-07:00

Our thanksgiving holiday this year was so wonderful. We decided that we would go to Moab to see my family since we haven't spent very much time with them this year. I hadn't been home for thanksgiving in four years so I was really excited to go. My mom makes the best yams in the world so I couldn't wait to eat all week. We left Tuesday night after Beau's class and made it there around 9:30. My wonderful sister Marisa got us a hotel room at the hotel she manages downtown. It was SO nice!! On Wednesday morning we woke up and helped Natalie take some family pictures of her and her kids. They turned out so cute and Beau and I got to take a couple of pregnancy pictures as well.
That night we had family game night which ended up being a blast. We laughed and laughed and played games with everyone which hasn't happened in a very long time. The rest of the week was filled with family fun. We had a pot luck at Nats on Thursday, Dinner at mom's on friday, Nine-oclock showing of New Moon with my sisters, Friday night, Motocross race for Beau and Simon, and a lot of other great stuff. It really was such a wonderful week. I am so grateful for my family and the opportunity we had to go spend time with them. As we were leaving Beau said "that is the most fun trip we have ever had in Moab" and I agree it really was. I was sad to leave my neices and nephews, my mom, my sisters, my brothers, and my grandma but hopefully I will get to see them all soon when our little love shows her beautiful self at the end of this month!

34 weeks

2009-11-20T10:20:00.002-07:00

Finally, here is a picture. Sorry my face looks flushed and chubby but, that is what I get for being pregnant!

November Time!

2009-11-08T22:35:00.003-07:00

I love November. It is such a nice fall month where the weather actually starts cooling down. Plus, it reminds us to be thankful for all that we have and prepares us for the wonderful Christmas Season. I am not going to post a bunch of thankful blogs like I did last year instead, I am just going to say that I am thankful that I have all that I have. Everything in my life, good and bad, help me be even more grateful for what I have.

Just an update on the baby, she is doing good. I have been on and off of bed rest in October but, November is a new month and I feel great! Gracie is a mover and a shaker this week so that has been very very comforting to me. I love when she kicks me now because it gives me the assurance that she is there and she is safe. That is what I am most grateful for. We can't wait to meet our little love bug and we both can't believe that I only have 7 weeks left! Where did the time go? Am I really going to be a mom? It's crazy but wonderful all at the same time.

Beau and I painted the window for Thanksgiving this year and I love it! I also love that it was something that we did together. He did the drawing and I filled it in for him. I love my husband he is so creative. Also, I will post my 32 1/2 week picture but, it's not very good. I think the picture looks fuzzy but it could just be my eyes...who knows. Actually, I am not posting this picture it is way too fuzzy and Beau says it isn't my eyes SO I will post a 33 week picture on Wednesday :)

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-31T22:50:00.006-06:00

This October was full of action. I would have to say it was the craziest month of the year for Beau and I. We took some time last weekend to finally get into the Halloween spirit by carving pumpkins with our really good friends Andrea and Kevin. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into when they came to carve with us! We had the carving tools and pictures all printed out to carve. No more triangle eyes and goofy smile Jack o Lanterns for them! It was SUCH a blast we love hanging out with them.

Beau did this lovely Harry Potter pumpkin that he used the shaving and carving technique with. He had so much fun. He is a big pumpkin carving fan.

All of our pumpkins all lined up. It goes Kevin, Andrea, Beau's and mine! This picture is kind of fuzzy sorry.

Here is a picture of my pumpkin! I thought it turned out very cute and I was proud because usually I give up and let Beau do all the carving while I watch a movie and eat roasted seeds.

On Halloween we dressed up as Mother Nature and Father Time. It was so much fun! We went to a Halloween party that night and just had a blast. I think Beau looks awesome! We had a great time and hope everyone else did. Happy Halloween everyone!

Oh, I forgot, we also went to our wards Halloween party on Thursday where they had a pot luck and trunk or treat. It was too cold to trunk or treat so all the kids just went around in the gym and got candy. It was really fun that we got to dress up twice this year.

Me and my best friend Janece as the Ghost Buster.