Sixteen Weeks Old Already!

I cannot believe that Grace is 16 weeks old already - where has the time gone?  I used to think that having a baby in the spring was the best because then we could have all summer enjoying the weather but now I'm not so sure....I don't really remember this summer because it's been such a blur :)  I think we'll have to try to have our next baby in Jan or Feb so the yucky winter months fly by! 

So, what have we been up to?  Well, in the last few weeks Grace has started rolling a little.  It's still pretty random.  She hates being on her stomach so it's hard to give her enough time to practice.  I've been trying to put her on her tummy a little bit each time I change her diaper.  She first "officially" rolled on August 25th.  She also started laughing a little bit - her first real laugh was on August 31st.  She's still a pretty serious baby - I'm hoping the belly laughs start for real soon.  I think it's one of the best sounds in the world!
I think Grace has changed the most in the last 3 weeks so far since she's been born.  It's amazing how much more alert she is and how much more she pays attention to everything around her.  I love watching her change almost daily.  It's also been great that she's in a good sleeping pattern right now - she usually sleeps for 7-8 hours at a stretch at night.  It has definitely helped me to feel more human again!

She is also freakishly strong.  We put her in a SwaddleMe each night and somehow she is able to get at least one body part out, and somehow she can move herself from one end of the crib to the other and usually also turns herself sidways (as you can see in this picture).  This morning she had found a way to work one of her feet out of the sleeper she was in by forcing it through two of the buttons at the the ankle.  She might be small but she sure is mighty!!
Cross country has started up for good now - last Wednesday we had our first real meet.  It was my first time away from Grace for more than about 4 hours.  I think I had a harder time than she did!  Our friend Jill watched her from 2-5pm and then Jeff's mom, Sharon, watched her from 5-7:30 pm.  Jill had a bunch of kids at her house and Grace loved it.  She is fascinated by kids.  I was really glad she did so well while I was at the meet.  I was a little nervous because we had never given her two bottles in a row before but she took them like a pro!
Today we went to Jeff's mom's for a Labor Day party.  It was nice for Grace to see her cousins.  It was the coldest it has been since before Grace was born - I could hardly remember what it was like to be cold!  Grace tried out the swing at Grandma's and loved it - she fell asleep in it.  I think we need to get one of these!

We have a busy week ahead of us - tomorrow I have to take my stuff to enter in the Saline Fair (hopefully Grace's picture wins the Baby Beauty contest!) and we're also going to my friend's son's first birthday party.  Tuesday we start playing indoor volleyball, and on Wednesday we have another cross country meet.  I also have to get the house ready for a diaper party for a friend of ours who is expecting twins.  If only Grace could help clean :)