Nichols Family Notes: Busy September! (lots of pictures!)

We have just been going and going! I've had SIX diaper cake orders so far in September (http://sarasdiapercakes.blogspot.com/). I've been working hard on my pricing model, coming up with new ideas and setting up my Etsy online store (http://gracenotedesigns.etsy.com/). I have a few cakes that I'm about to make and list on my store, so stay tuned for some really neat ideas!

David found a job!!! YAY! He'll be an independent contractor, installing premium indoor shutters for a company called Houston Shutters. They just got a huge deal working with all the Home Depot stores in the DFW area, so David will have his own region in which to install. He flies down to Houston on October 12th for five days of training, and will start installing at the end of October. Praise God that His timing is perfect; David's unemployment runs out in November! Since the job is contracting, there are no set hours. He will know a week in advance his appointments for the following week, so for now we're not sure if we'll put Gracie back into daycare or not. He may even be able to do some telecom contracting in his spare time, which will bring in some nice extra cash. We're VERY excited!

My job is still just nuts. Our new Service Director is very hands-off, which is discouraging to all of us when he micro-manages every tiny thing. We're used to Ken, who would tell us what we could improve while being right alongside us, working just as hard or harder than we were. Because of all the stress, I decided I needed to use up some of these vacation days that are set to expire at the end of the year. I took three days off after Labor Day, giving me six full, uninterrupted days to forget work completely and focus entirely on Gracie. I had what I call a "Gracie-cation". I made no plans whatsoever, and Gracie, David and I got to wake up together (a simple thing that I've missed terribly since taking the morning shift earlier this year), eat breakfast together, go to the park, play play play and play, and just have a wonderful time together as a family. David even went to play golf one day so that I could have Mommy-Gracie time. We had so much fun painting, dancing to silly music, sprinkling cookies, playing hide-and-seek, throwing the ball, singing songs, making forts, and dancing and spinning some more. It was so nice to fall in bed at night exhausted from laughing and playing all day, instead of stressed and irritated. Made me really miss being a stay-at-home Mommy. I feel like I got to know Gracie better, and I'm so thankful that I had that time. I've noticed since my vacation ended that I've been a little happier, am taking more time to be positive, and appreciating the simple comforts I already have. It definitely has made work more bearable. I highly recommend taking a vacation like this every year, for everyone, and just focusing on family, making no plans whatsoever and just letting the days wander on. It was wonderful.

Gracie went to the doctor on the 14th, at 21 months and 2 days old. She weighed 27 lbs and is 33.5 inches tall. She has finally evened out and is in the 50-75th percentile in height and weight of her age group. The BEST NEWS: There is absolutely NO fluid on her ears, meaning she will most likely not ever have to get tubes in her ears at all! Her hearing is perfect, the pressure in her ears and nasal passages is GONE, so her breathing is better and her ears are draining just as they should! We are so thankful to Dr. Conger for working with us to try different ideas to avoid tubes and expensive Ear/Nose/Throat doctors. The inhaled steroid we've been giving Gracie twice every single day has worked wonderfully, and exactly as we'd hoped. We're to continue giving it to her on the same schedule until her 2nd birthday. Hopefully at that time we can cut down to once per day or a few times each week. But for now we are so glad that it worked! Yay!

Good news in our family:
-My dad is now working with an organization called the James Group to develop a new series of prevention programs. Thank God that he is no longer unemployed!
-The results from the tests on the lymph node removed from my mother came back negative for any cancerous cells! Thank God for answering our prayers!
-David's sister Brandi is expecting baby Gunner (our nephew!) in just a few weeks! Praise God for a healthy pregnancy so far!
-Greg is finally coming home on Friday, the 25th! He's been gone since January, and we're very excited to welcome him home for a few weeks!

I'd also like to thank everyone for their prayers over the past week, as we grieve the loss of David's grandfather, Burton Young. We went to Honey Grove, TX last Thursday morning for the funeral and got to visit with some family. Burton was Gracie's last remaining great-grandfather, and the last grandfather between David and I. We will miss him.

Well, here are a TON of pictures (of Gracie) from the last month or so. Hope everyone's fall is getting off to a great start! Go Cowboys! =)

Gracie's playhouse that we decorated with paint and ribbon. It is now covered in stickers, and at the rate Gracie is going it won't last into next year, but here it can live in pictures.

First day of my vacation, playing at Kids Kastle playground.

Swinging with Daddy

Playing with chalk out on the deck

Being silly

Second french braid! This one was much prettier, but still didn't last long.

Cookies we sprinkled together! Gracie really liked the red sprinkles, haha.

Dancing!

A GREAT picture, peeking out of her playhouse!

We went to the butterfly festival in Southlake. Gracie wasn't too sure about the butterflies, and instead wanted to eat the watermelon used to attract them, haha. Maybe next year...