We live on opposite coasts, but luckily we have stayed close through the years. I think it’s because of this that I already feel so close to her little ones. We’ve met the kids before and have spent time with them, but this was the first time hanging out with them on their turf. It didn’t take long for them to warm up to us. KK had already fallen in love with Mike (my husband) when she first met him at my sister’s wedding, so it was like we jumped right back into things.

They are the most precious kids.

C has this fiery, spiky red hair and the biggest blue/green eyes you’ve ever seen. He’s the happiest baby I’ve ever seen, and man can that boy eat! The cutest thing ever was when he’d be done eating and he’d do sign language to say “all done” with those little hands to his mommy. She’d get him out of his highchair and he’d laugh out loud, and wiggle and kick, so proud of himself that he could communicate.

And KK is just so precious and bright. She loves to dance and she’s so smart for a 2 1/2 year old. She would “cook” for us in her kitchen and make up her own stories when she “read” us books. She made me read her the first four pages of one of Rachel’s cookbooks over and over and over again. When she gets excited her little hands shake and she jumps up and down like a little jumping bean until she wears herself out.

It’s funny because I’d feel proud when other grown ups (beside her parents of course) wanted to play with her and she’d come to me instead (I’m sorry I know that’s so selfish!) She’d sit on my lap and snuggle and look up at me and say “I wuv you!” My heart almost burst right then and there.

It’s funny, because I know they aren’t mine, but when I got on that plane to go home I felt a little lump in my throat. Will they remember us the next time we see them? Will they know who we are and still want to hang out with us? By then C will be walking and KK will be reading for real and we are going to miss it!!!!!!

After all of the joy from our week, the house seems eerily quiet.

It seems so stupid to be upset, but how do you NOT get attached? It’s hard being away from family. Kids just amplify it because it turns what you’re missing into something tangible. So, for now, we’ll video chat and we’ll have to plan another trip to look forward to in the meantime!

How do you deal with living far away from your family? And how do you stay in touch?

Graco donated six full collections of baby gear from the Ashford Collection, sold exclusively at Walmart, and a Nautilus 3-in-1 car seat for each child to enjoy once they get big enough.

We hope it will make taking care of SIX little ones all at once a tad easier!

Check out more information on this great family here on Oprah.com.

Do you ever wonder if your baby recognizes you more easily with a camera in front of your face than without? I have a feeling many mama bloggers may agree.

Gracie turns six months old tomorrow, so I know what we’ll be doing tonight: Photoshoot!! I’ve come to really love my monthly recordings of my daughter’s growth and development. With the busyness of life, I never did get around to reading cover to cover in the “Your Baby’s First Year” type books, but as the 29th day of each month approaches I do take the time to read about that particular stage, think about what happened over her last month, and write a special letter to my daughter recording our special moments.

And, thanks to the creative couple behind Young House Love, I also have a very fun way of recording Gracie’s physical changes each month. I love picking out fun fabrics for her to lay on for each snapshot – and I’m thinking I’ll make a quilt using all twelve when Gracie’s first year is done. (Full disclosure: I did totally hesitate to show y’all the how-to link since I get SO MANY compliments about each month’s onesie. Most people didn’t have a clue that it was Photoshopped.) If you don’t have Photoshop available to you and you want a similar effect, search etsy – there are lots of creative ladies out there selling “Month to Month” badges like Jenny uses on her blog.

I know lots of mommy bloggers have similar creative ways of measuring their little one. Have you guys seen Eleanor’s photos on Making it Lovely? They’re one of my favorite sets.

Another super easy and fun thing to do would be to pick out a favorite stuffed animal (not tiny – probably as big as or a little bigger than your baby when she comes home from the hospital) and take a photo of Baby & Stuffed Lovey next to each other each month. It’s fun to see them trade roles: first the baby lies there looking tiny next to the stuffed animal, but then before you know it the little one is towering over the lovey and trying to chew its ear! I tried to Google this to put an example here, but no avail. Has anyone done this who could share a link? So fun!

I love the creative energy that flows from blog to blog – most of my best baby ideas seem to come from one online friend or another. Do you have any ideas to share with us about how you measure your little one?

I’m engaged!!  Well, I have been engaged for a month – but it is my first time sharing it here…so… I’M ENGAGED!!  I met my fiance, Danny, a few years back in NYC while we were both living in the WONDERFUL city.  We made a quick trip back to “our home” in December to visit some close friends.  After much scheming, he got down on one knee, on the Brooklyn bridge, and asked me to be his wife.

After a few minutes of no-words, and utter surprise, I said “YES!!”  He was down there forever, but I was speechless.

Thanks to my fiance’s planning and our dear friend, Lee, we captured it all on film.  Lee followed us over the bridge without my knowledge.  It was romantic, and meaningful, and the scenery of “our home” was especially beautiful that night.

After a week of non-stop dinners, celebration, and champagne, things started to settle down and we got to planning. Now, for me, planning was heavily focused on the obvious next step -  a wonderful wedding.  I was overwhelmed and almost immediately ready to elope.  After-all, who has time to plan the ceremony, the reception, the mood, the music, the favors, the wedding party…(you get the point).  Danny, on the other hand, started to prepare for our life together… post-wedding.  Yes, he is the very logical & practical one.

He began by talking finances & budgeting.   Which lead to discussing the pros and cons of one or two bank accounts.  But this simple conversation began to drift in to MUCH larger ones…  Where we will live?  What side of the family we will see for each holiday?  When we will get a dog?  What type of dog? (This is a hot topic).  How many dogs?  How many kids?????????????????  PHEW.

Although I am so excited to start my life with Danny and am certain it will be full of so much joy, we have officially started our very own family of two.

Decisions no longer belong to me – they belong to US. This is a new perspective, but so far, these conversations have gone over smoothly.  Before getting engaged, we discussed these “hot topics”  in passing and we’re usually on the same page — it’s just finally sinking in how much we have ahead of us!  We have a full year to prepare for our family of two, before it is official.  And we will take that year to figure out the important stuff.  In my experience, your “plan” only works out about 30% of the time anyways.

From previous posts about family – I think it is obvious how crazy I am about mine, and how important it is that I carry on the value of family as I plan my future.

It is exciting to be part of something so special (although small – with just the two of us).  I can’t wait to start our own traditions and pass them on to our children.  Hats-off to all you parents out there who have done it so successfully!  I can’t even imagine the conversations that will arise then (I’ll stick to wedding planning for now!).  Danny and I hope to follow in your footsteps.

Do you remember starting your own family of two?  What were the hardest & most exciting conversations you had?  What about when your family of 2 became 3 or more?

Since the day I realized Gracie & I were now on our own, there has been a tug-of-war between feeling struggle and tears alongside experiencing joy and celebration.  For while I never imagined being without the Daddy of our new family, I was still Mama to this brand new precious life – a little one that I had waited so long for – and I wanted Gracie to always be confident that she was special, loved and, yes, celebrated.  I didn’t want her to miss out on any more than she already would.

From the beginning, my family & I knew we wouldn’t be inclined to spend Christmas in a traditional sense.  We were offered the use of a home down in Florida as respite from familiar memories; what a comfort that was!  Yet, in this battle with loss, I didn’t want to let go of everything that had been important and special to me – even before I ever knew Ryan.  So, in many small ways this year, we improvised and made December a time to remember.

Did you know that December 6^th is celebrated by many as the feast of St. Nicholas?  Good old St Nick had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him – and because of this gift-giving, he later became the model for Santa Claus.

On December 6^th this year, my Aunt Martha sent a wonderful package of stockings filled with treats (sound familiar?) for our little family – Gracie’s Uncle Ben, her grandparents (Nannie & Pops), and Mama all got our own beautiful handmade treat.  In this same package, Gracie also received a fantastic holiday outfit that she donned with style and pizazz for her first Christmas party later in the month – I assure you, she was a major hit.

Gracie modeled another beautiful outfit for our Christmas card photo – it was even more important to me than usual this year to send out a greeting wishing loved ones a blessed new year and assure them we were doing alright.  (Ok, so Gracie modeled a *lot* of adorable things throughout December!  What’s more fun than buying clothes for a little girl??  She is a well-gifted baby, that’s for sure.)

Another simple way we celebrated the season was by hanging a few special ornaments.  Ryan & I always had “collections” for our Christmas tree: Snowmen for him and Santas for me.  This year, I’ve added a new set – Elephants for Gracie.  I didn’t have it in me to go out to the tree farm this year and cut down on our own, but I found a gorgeous (and wonderfully scented) “Rosemary Bush” that stood in just fine.  (We also took Gracie over to see a “real” tree at my Aunt Lucy’s house… she was fascinated with the beads and the lights.)

Then on Christmas Eve, we retreated.  We took to the comfort of the beach and let our thoughts drift out with the waves.  It was a welcome break from all the memories of home to have this special getaway.

Not celebrating Christmas this year with gift exchanges or lights, cookie baking or big trees, extravagance or commotion ended up being somewhat of a gift.  For I was reminded that while Christmas is fun, it’s not the true “reason for the season.”  Christmas can give us joy – and one day, we’ll experience the joy of our old traditions once more – but what is really important is hope.  Gracie & I, along with our families, do have hope – hope that while we will always miss Ryan, we will still have good and full lives.  Hope that there is still so much more to experience, so much more to celebrate.

I hope the holidays (be it Christmas or anything else you may celebrate) were filled with love and joy for each of you – maybe they were traditional or maybe it was something different this year.  We just have to remember that there’s always something to hold on to – always something to feel gratitude for.  And if you’re feeling a little low, especially hold on to hope.

My “bump” and my baby are not new to this blog – remember us here and here?  – but this is my first time as a true contributor.

What’s more fun than a rolling roll of TP?   Here our LoveBird  “helps” her mom get ready.  Nonna could just eat her up.

Share some of your great photos of cuteness and awe on the Graco Flickr page.  Your little one may be selected for posting on our Wednesday feature Bundles, Bumps and Babies!  Come back often and stay tuned for contests and prizes as well.

Maybe you’d like to share that great shot of the ever-growing baby bump you are sporting, your newborn baby’s very first picture or anything that captures the wonder, humor, marvel of childhood and parenthood — here’s how!

Here is a list of my favorite ideas for New Year’s Eve this year.

Family time – Make special kid-friendly snacks. Who doesn’t love pigs in a blanket or a fun sundae making extravaganza. Craft your own party hats (or crowns) with some on-hand supplies, then get set to play a few games everyone can enjoy.

Couple time – Grab a copy  of  When Harry Met Sally (which, by the way, has one of the BEST New Year’s Eve moments on film, yes, I am a sucker for happy tears!), prepare some popcorn, and pop the cork on some champagne. You’re all set to snuggle in for the evening with your special someone.

Party time – New Year’s Eve in Time Square. I am such a Jersey Shore/reality show fan, I love that Snooki will actually be inside a dropping ball. Not the big crystal ball, but somewhere! Check out some other fun drops – Peach Drop (here in Atlanta) or a Hershey’s Kiss (in Hershey, PA). And if you can’t go, you can always keep with the 100-year tradition and watch the magic on TV.

Non-traditional time – Noon Year’s Eve. Radio Disney is hosting a giant dance party for kids in Smyrna, GA, complete with ball drop at noon. An event like this is great fun for little ones to celebrate without everyone having to stay up late. Event’s like this exist all over the country – just do a quick Google search to find one near you!

Disney time – It might be a little late for this year, but New Year’s Eve is traditionally the busiest day at Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. Both parks stay open late with fireworks and a special New Year’s Eve show at midnight. Check out these tips before you brave the crowds!

I still have to decide what I am doing with my own family this year. And since I do not see myself getting on a plane for an outrageous NYC adventure in my immediate future, I better pick one close to home. Guess that one will have to remain on my bucket list to review again for next year. 

What are you planning for this New Year’s Eve?

We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who participated. We had more than 925 entries from the Graco community — all sharing stories of loved ones who need a little extra help this Holiday Season.

We were so overwhelmed with the heart-warming stories from the past week that yesterday we added a Bonus GOGO with the chance to nominate a family to win an entire suite of Graco car seats.

It was so hard to choose just one deserving recipient, so our Graco Team decided to add TWO runners-up to also receive car seats.

We are proud to announce the winners of our Bonus GOGO:

Our Grand Prize Winner, taking home a suite of Graco Car Seats for both her and her nominated family is Kristal! She writes:

I would nominate my sister’s family for this. She is a 26 year old with 3 children, ages 8, 5, and 3. She is also diagnosed with stage 3 cancer and is unable to work due to that and the poor economy we are both having trouble finding work. Due to her financial situation, her children have always ridden in used car seats, which we all know can pose a danger! Her 3 and 5 year old’s have old, probably expired car seats, and the 8 year old is no longer using one because she simply can’t find one for his weight limit, or that will fit into the vehicle! This year or next could be my sister’s last Christmas, and I would love for her to be able to see her children have the gift of safety no matter what their financial limitations may be. Of course, my two girls could certainly use super-safe car seats as well, but I would much rather see her have them than myself.

Our first runner-up is Miranda who writes:

I would nominate John and Jessica Wells and their 5 children, with the youngest being 4 weeks old. They rent a home that was burned down about two weeks ago and lost everything. They didn’t have renters insurance and the house is a complete loss. They are currently living with family, but don’t have a lot of money. This would definitely make their Christmas a little brighter.

Our second runner-up is Heather who writes:

There is a single mother with 6 children (aged 9 months to 11 years) that just moved to my community. She is from Mexico. Her husband died and her parents in law took all her belongings and sold them and kept the money. Her and her children were left with nothing. Her parents couldn’t support them either, so they sent them here. She is living with a sister. They have nothing except a few things which have been given to them. We are planning to help this family out for Christmas, and it would be wonderful to be able to provide them with car seats.

Here is a recap of all our winners, Day 1 -5:

Graco GOGO #1: Graco SimpleSwitch Highchair: Laurne J

Graco GOGO #2: Graco Pack N’ Play Playard with Newborn Napper Station: Cassidy

Graco GOGO #3: Graco My Ride 65 Convertible Car Seat: Ashley M

Graco GOGO #4: Duo 2-in-1 Swing & Bouncer: Hayley C

Graco GOGO #5: Graco Highback TurboBooster Car Seat Donation and Giveaway: Andrea

Again, we are overwhelmed with the generosity of our readers, followers and fans, and are so grateful for each and every one of you. We know there are many others in need from your entries – so please be sure to check back in 2011 for many more chances to win and give.

From all of us at Graco, we wish you a SAFE and HAPPY Holiday!

Photo by aechempati

It made me think back on my stint as a “Santa believer.” I distinctly remember being in first grade and having my faith in Santa start to waver. In school, we wrote our letters to Santa and gave them in to our teacher and a few days later, we got a mail “delivery” from Santa.

Each child received a letter back from Santa. But, not me. I got TWO! Boy, did I think I was special. I must have been extra good to get TWO letters from Santa. The first letter was pretty generic, “Dear Melissa, I hear you were a good girl this year. Remember to put out cookies and milk for me and carrots for my reindeer. Always listen to your parents and be a good girl. Love, Santa.” I think if I looked at the other kids’  letters, they would say the same.

The second letter started out the same, “Dear Melissa. I hear you have been a good girl, etc…” the rest of the letter, however, read like this, “I know you secretly suck your thumb since Santa sees everything.  Stop doing that and Santa will bring you an extra gift.” I was floored! My doubt of the existence of Santa was OVER. He had to see everything if he knew about my thumb sucking. My faith in Santa was renewed!

Only a year later, however, my sister (who is now a lawyer), started to point out things to me. “Why do Santa & Mom have the same wrapping paper?” “Why does Dad’s handwriting bear a striking resemblance to Santa’s?” “How did Santa get into our house since we don’t have a chimney?” “Mom would never leave the door unlocked or leave a key out… so how did he get in?” The questioning became too much for me to handle. Finally, my parents ’fessed up that they were Santa.

It all made sense now–why they tell us to go to bed early, why I have to visit Santa PLUS provide a hand-written list of toys I want, why I heard shuffling in the hallway with boxes and finally, why nothing was ever assembled (my dad wasn’t really skilled in that area).

Now that I have a family of my own, my husband, Rob, and I are creating the magic of Christmas. I bought different wrapping paper so PP (one of my girls) doesn’t figure out that Santa and Mom have the same paper, we don’t put tags on any of the gifts (to minimize the handwriting identity) and I created a really cool Santa video. You pick answers to questions from a drop down menu and a custom video is created from Santa to your child. PP was beyond enthralled by what Santa said to her.

We are all ready for Christmas Day. We have carrots for Rudolph, we’re making cookies for Santa, the gifts are wrapped and in the personalized Santa bundles for each child, and our stocking stuffers are set.

How are you getting ready for the BIG DAY and how do you keep the magic of Santa alive?