Moose is loose in NH! 9:11pm

Hi, all! We've been in our favorite place, North Conway, NH

for the last three days. Came back a day early, because of pending

snow storm up there..here it's only raining! whew!

 

Here's a picture of Grace against the moose..

and last year's picture..I think it's official, she is taller than the moose!

 

  This was from May '12..

And from this weekend!! big girl..

 Grace with some of her favorite

friends.. Abigail & Jackson!

 

And a GREAT picture with Auntie Heather..

 

 

 

We had a good time.  Relaxing up there..

went to dinner twice, breakfast twice & had amaretto sours & ice cream..

Grace had ice cream, she couldn't wait to stuff the spoon

in her mouth..

 

 

 

Nice to be home though.. Going to bed very soon!!

 

 

Thanks for reading!

love,

pattie & gary, Gracie & maxwell

 



A new chair! 9:49pm

Grace got a new chair and table from her friends at Perkins!!  I'm very excited.. it's pink & purple, and was made especially for her.. fitted to her size!!

Here she is!

There's a pretty good support system to keep her in it..

but she does not like to be confined.

That's a new plastic toy, with flowers that have bells attached to them as well..

it's to help with her fine motor skills..and she likes it!

The material of the desk & chair is like cardboard.. not wood!

Very cool & she'll be able to grow in it!! (or with it!!)

 

 

We were going to head to NH today, but Grace came down with

 a spiked fever yesterday..sorta out of the blue.. she was fine with OT

in the a.m, and then after nap was very feverish.

A quick trip to the pediatrician, and they think just a viral infection..

she's on antibiotics & ibuprofren every six hours.

Today she has had no fever at all.

And of course, her teeth are really bothering her!!

 

So we're heading up tomorrow morning!

Just a few days to get away.. relaxing, a little shopping, and

The Blueberry Muffin

our favorite breakfast place in North Conway!

 

 

 

I'll try & post pictures when we can!

 

 

 

 

More snow predicted for our area on the weekend AGAIN!!

Arghhh...

 

 

 

 

 

love,

pattie & gary, Gracie & max

I love a tubie!! 8:34pm

Grace L. Pacella is a tubie baby & even when the tubie is gone..

she'll still be a tubie baby.

 

This past week, was Tube Feeding Awareness week.

My mother in law, just told me that her sister sent her an article on

g-tube babies..and asked if it was okay to send to me.

Sure.

I enjoy reading about other tubie babies..what helped, and how

they are doing.

 

That's why I bring your attention to my friend, Melissa..

who's daughter Addison (turned 2 yesterday!!), and has a tubie

since birth, just had it out as in January..as she is eating enough by mouth.

When I asked Melissa if she thought six months ago, that Addy would have

her tube out by her 2nd birthday, she honestly said, "no".. that Addison

wasn't eating enough to count as anything.

And that's Grace.. she is certainly Tasting, smelling, and picking up food

trying to self feed.. she's in 'training'..

but we are confident that she'll get to that place where she, too will have

her tubie out!!

 

 

 

Here's Melissa's blog, if you want to read about her beloved, Addison

& her twin brother Blake..

 

http://ourvalentinesdaysurprise.blogspot.com/

 

 

Melissa, thanks for all your encouragement to me & supporting me

from the beginning with Grace & her feeding!!

And Congratulations Addison, we are so PROUD of you!!

 

 



My big girl from today sitting in her Princess chair..

Look how good she is doing sitting in that chair..

sitting up straight, playing ball with dada & mama..

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading and keeping up with Grace's progress!!

 

 

Love,

pattie & gary, Gracie & maxwell

Grace's 2nd Valentine's Day! 7:54pm

Remember a year ago, this is Grace...

 

 

 

And Grace tonight.. enjoying her chocolate cake... (or throwing it!!)

 

 

 Valentine's Day Treats.. homemade chocolate frosting

on a white cake.. Grace gave Daddy that box of chocolates..

and we got Grace that book.. "I love you So."

 Grace loved the paper...

Grace & mommy got Daddy an iphone Alarm Clock..

(so he can hear the 3:00 a.m. feed!!)

 

 

 

Grace LOVES creamy clam chowder.. last night

she had Mike's chowder.. she had at least 1 tspoon!!

 

 

Today, she did so well with PT..she practiced standing up from sitting, to

standing against the couch with her foot braces on..

and then she spent 20 min or so seating on the floor..

she is soooo close to doing it herself!!

Sooo close!!

 

Proud of you, Gracie girl!!

 

 

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day all!

Enjoy your loved & precious ones every day..

 

 

 

love,

pattie & gary, Gracie & Maxwell

Finally Updated. 11:04pm

Now, we're updated.. These pictures were from today..

 my baby got a new pair of shoes!!

Sitting on the couch in her bumbo like a big girl..

Being silly with Auntie Dalila.. 

 Grace loves her Auntie!!

 

And tonight at dinner.. Grace had a ricotta filled ravioli

with creamed spinach!!

 

When she's had enough, she closes her lips tightly..

like in this picture.. "Mama.. no more!!"

 I think she liked it!!

 

 

 

Grace is signing, "more".. she's doing it alot now..

more so when I'm dancing in front of her.. she signs "more"

and then claps for me!!

Glad to finally find someone who appreciates my dancing!!

 

 

 

 

 

Love you guys..

pattie & gary, Gracie & Maxwell

More Pictures & fun. 10:56pm

With no cable for the last few days, we listened to the radio..

Grace really loves music...and you should see her smile & laugh

when I dance!! (Some of you are smiling!! :)

I have a video of her & I dancing together..it's quite a hoot

in my red flannel pj's.. someday I'll be so bold to put it on utube for you all.

 

 

But for now..you'll have to settle for some cute pictures..

Grace, with her braces on..and standing up to the couch

  She's doing well with her braces.. we have to try to put her on her a little more time..bu we're building up to that.  She does move

her feet as if she's walking; and she does sit in her high chair with them on, srengthening her calves.  She doesn't seemed too fazed by them on..

 In feeding, we have found that if we cut up food pieces and leave them

on her tray, Grace will pick up the food bites, and either put in her mouth

or throw them on the floor. (like most toddlers).

Grace is trying new foods daily.

Like this one.. her first popsicle.. and with her very sharp teeth,

she bit off the top of this one...

 Eating pizza!!!

 

 

 

 

Grace is doing great!!

Thanks for asking about her, keeping her in your thoughts & prayers!!

 

 

Love,

pattie & gary, Grace & maxwell



Blizzard 2013 10:47pm

Finally, we got back our cable, internet & TV services today!

We were out since Friday evening.. the only thing we really missed was the internet..

I couldn't update the blog!!!

(with all the great pics of Grace, of course!!)

So now I'm flooding you with all our last 4 day of great pictures...

 

 We're going to head outside!

This is our front yard on Saturday afernoon.. total says 13.5" for Fairhaven,

but with the 65mph wind gusts it looked closer to 2 feet.

 Our porched in area, probably got 13.5" snow blown in!!

 

Grace & I made it outside in the snow for all of 2 minutes.. normally,

she likes the wind in her face..but accompanied by snow & rain..she wasn't having it.

 

We had a GREAT four days with NO TV..

Gary & I are considering reducing our cable bill, and getting Netflix instead..

we would be saving a ton of money on a monthly basis, as well.

Gary & I really 'reconnected'..

we talked more, we played backgammon more..

we PLAYED more with Grace..and really enjoyed our family time!

 

We are thankful that we didn't lose heat for more than six hours

saturday night..there are still people in neighborhood towns that still don't have

their electricity back on.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

love,

pattie & gary, Grace & max



Music & Ducks! 9:12pm

It's the beginning of a new week.. yesterday, Grace went to her

first "concert" with The Toe Jam Puppet Band

at our local, 'buttonwood park zoo'..

It's a children's band that plays there every Monday..

and now that we have a membership to the zoo, that part is free..

and then to see the band is only $5. per family. Kinda cool!!

And she loved it.. we danced & sang..

and the Hooley twins & mom met us.. lots of moms, and dads

there with their children.. it's a really cool way to spend an hour!

 

 

And if that wasn't cool enough..here's the ducks crossing the street,

in front of our car, on our way home!!

Can't wait for Spring..when we can go 'visit' the ducks & the zoo animals!!

 

 

Today, Grace had her follow up opthamalogy appointment,

and her eyes are doing great..she even had them dialted (she HATED that part)

and things look good.  Her left eye sometimes turns in a little, so we'll try

patching her right an hour to two a day, to strenghten the left eye.

 

 

Here's some mama & daddy pictures with Grace..

and Grace is teething pretty bad.. think they're all coming in at once..

Eating Sophie!!

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow we got PT at 8:30 a.m.,

and then Thursday is her 18 mo. check up.

Grace ate yogurt & berries this am..and some sweet potatoes at dinner.

 

 

 

Love you lovebug!!

 

 

Thanks for keeping up with us!

 

Love,

pattie & gary, Gracie & Maxwell

 



Eighteen Months! 7:07pm

I can't believe Grace is 18 months today!

I've been hesitant, lately when people ask how old she is..

not because I don't want to answer them, one is I honestly forget! I mean..

as someone once said to me,

'why do people say their ages in months? why not just say 'one".. 

but then secondly is because I don't want to give her 'actual age' & have to

hear.. (big sigh).."Wow, she's small."

It's a conversation I brought up to my Preemie Mom friends..

and most said they give the actual age..and if people say something rude, they

say something 'snappy' back.. and clearly I don't want to be as rude & say something

snappy back.

 

 

Buy you know what.. Grace has come along way in 18 months..

and as my preemie mom friend, Renee said..

She deserves to be 18 months old!!

 

And here she is..

as of Friday, she was 18 lbs. 9 oz..

still in a size 3 diaper.

 

She wears 9-12 month clothes..

Still loves music..

I sing to her & she CLAPS for me!! :)

She is soo strong..she can throw her toys, when she doesn't want them, across the room.  She's a very, happy baby..(she'll always be our 'baby')

She's the love of our lives!!

 

Six more months & she'll be 2! Better start thinking of her birthday party!!

(LOL)

 

Thank God, she hasn't had a sick visit for months..

no sickness this winter.. and hopefully not thru winter.

We are heading to NH in a few weeks, and excited to be away with her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eighteen months old!

Means 18 months without Maxwell..

there isn't a day that goes by, that we don't think of him..

think of what he'd be doing with Grace right now...

We love you, Maxwell Hathaway!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for keeping up with our story!

 

Love,

pattie & gary, Grace & Maxwell