The past month has been pretty quiet.  Grace is growing up so much lately....really turning into a big kid.  She has been learning some really funny songs at school.....and yes, I am attempting to capture them on video to upload here.  Definitely worth a listen. 

She is very exctied about Thanksgiving and was quite the little helper this weekend cleaning the house. We are hosting 13 people for dinner and Grace asks every single morning if it is Thanksgiving yet. 

This morning, we got up extra early, put on our red shirts (since we arent allowed to wear political shirts in polling places around here!), and headed to the polls.  We only had to stand in line for 47 minutes...not bad for such a historical election.  Grace really wanted to vote but settled for a sticker instead. 

Halloween this year was great.  It was really the first time Grace was actively involved.  She was so excited to be the "real" Cinderella....none of that "fake" stuff for her....the costume was entirely from Disney thanks to Allie, Matt, and my mother. 

Since our neighborhood doesnt have many young kids, we took Grace over to her best friend's house for some group trick or treating.  It was great.....until the skeleton on someone's door started making noise, scaring Grace.  And that was only the first house!!!!!

She got some great candy and I have found a great hiding spot for all of it. 

We are having some busy days here. 

2 weekends ago, we headed to Upstate New York for a wedding.  Grace spent 2 days with her friend Ashley in Rochester while we enjoyed the wedding in Syracuse. They had a great time playing and dressing up. 

Last weekend was Grace's first tap class.  I loved it as a kid so I signed Grace up for it. She loves the noisy shiny tap shoes the best.  There is a new video of the class....noisy.  Next weekend I will remember to bring the Tylenol with me.  :) 

Just when I thought the fall weather had arrived, I checked the 10 day forecast..yep, 80 degree days to come!  I was planning on spending time this weekend packing away all the summer dresses and bringing out the few pieces of fall clothing that will fit again this year.  Maybe next week.

Preschool is going very well.  Each week, there is a Letter and a Number of the week as well as a theme.  And twice in September, Grace came home with homework.  Yes, HOMEWORK IN PRESCHOOL!!!!  Granted, it was simple - count certain items in your house, read a book and color a picture to describe the book.  But still.  It involved sitting at the kitchen table with Mom doing school work.  Not sure how I feel about it.  Grace was very proud to do the homework but was just as happy to run off and play at the end of the homework session.

Last weekend, we took a road trip to Upstate NY for a wedding.  While we partied with our friends in Syracuse, Grace had a sleepover at her friend Ashley's house in Rochester.  They had a blast and we are looking forward to seeing them again in VA soon.

This weekend was a big one.  Grace finally got her glasses!!!

Last week, we headed back to John Hopkins for yet another eye appointment.  The difference this time was that when we left the doctor's office, we left with a prescription for glasses and the final word that eye surgery is not necessary at this time.  I definitely was feeling better after hearing that news!

After preschool on Friday, Grace and I went to the store; she got to pick out a present for the big day.  She picked a Hannah Montana purse with a few Hannah accessories for the purse.  She takes it everywhere with her now.  Adorable. 

She picked out pink wire frames for the glasses.  They even came with magnetic frames that lay on top of her regular glasses to turn them into sunglasses.  Bob, the glasses consultant who works with Bill and I, helped us out with Grace's glasses.  I wanted the lens as thin as possible and frames that could take anything a 4 year old could give.  He rose to the challenge and Grace adores him.  Hey---who ever thought we would have a personal eye wear shopper!??!?!

Grace is doing pretty well with the glasses.  We do have to remind her every few hours that she has to wear them all the time.  But she is very good about putting them in the case at naptime or at night.  She is very proud that she can put the sunglasses on all by herself!

I am curious to see how she manages them at school.  We shall see how that goes tomorrow!

New video and pictures of the glasses experience!

Time flies when you are having fun.

Between work trips, doctor appointments, and wedding planning, time has flown by this summer.  But we are having a great time, even though there doesnt seem to be enough hours in the day.

Grace was the flower girl for my best friend's wedding this weekend.  She did great...walked down the aisle by herself and didnt make a sound during the ceremony.  Well, except when she said "Silly Allie" after the bride made a joke about the groom's ring never falling off.  :)  Perfectly timed.

More wedding pictures to come but a few are in thr albums now. Go check them out!

Doctor visits are going okay for Grace.  She is getting glasses in a few weeks so keep checking back for new pictures of her in the most fabulous pair of glasses ever. 

It has been a pretty hectic month here. 

This weekend, we confirmed that Grace, like her Daddy, has Marfan Syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder.  We visited John Hopkins Hospital and met with the world's best Marfan Syndrome doctor.   She has a mild case (if that's possible) of the disorder but we are monitoring closely to make sure it stays that way.

Its hard to type this out and talk about it every time the phone rings.  So, I apologize for the repeativeness if you have already read the following (I am copying it from an email sent to our family this weekend). 

 I realize that the news of Grace's Marfan Syndrome diagnosis is very
emotional for everyone.  It is for us as well (though I think that's
 obvious).  I also realize that it may be a little easier for us to deal
 with because Bill and I have done so much research so that we can
 understand the syndrome.  For me, I need that so that I can feel better
 about both Bill and Grace's health, now and in the future.

 Marfan Syndrome is a fairly rare syndrome, though we read recently that
 it is one of the most common inherited connective tissue disorders.
 There is so much more information available now than there was when Bill  was diagnosed in the mid/late 1970s.

 Here are some links to help you understand the syndrome.  If you have
 any questions about it, please ask.  We want you to understand the
 syndrome as much as it is comfortable for you.  As you read some of the
 reports and findings about Marfan Syndrome, please remember that Grace (and Bill) are mild cases of Marfan; many times the reports and
 information talk about severe Marfan Syndrome to illustrate what can
 happen within the syndrome.  Marfan's tends to mimick itself within a
 family; Grace's case will be similiar to Bills---not severe at all.
 See----silver lining can be found if you just look for it! :)

 Again, thank you for your support---just knowing that you all love Grace
 is enough for us.  We love you too!

 National Marfan Foundation: www.marfan.org

 Characteristics:
 http://www.marfan.org/nmf/GetContentRequestHandler.do?menu_item_id=4

 Treatment Options:
 http://www.marfan.org/nmf/GetContentRequestHandler.do?menu_item_id=7

 Pediatric Marfan Information:
 http://www.marfan.org/nmf/GetSubContentRequestHandler.do?sub_menu_item_content_id=5&menu_item_id=42

Ocular Concerns:
 http://www.marfan.org/nmf/GetSubContentRequestHandler.do?sub_menu_item_content_id=10&menu_item_id=42    Grace's lenses are subluxated.  2 eye doctors in Northern Virginia want to remove them and put her in glasses.
Dr. Dietz has strongly discouraged this procedure at this point.  We
 will be visiting the eye clinic at John Hopkins to get Grace glasses
 that will correct her vision without removing the lenses.  Surgery will
always be the last resort.  Later in her life (late teens), lens replacement could be possible but that is far down the road.

 Cardiac Concerns:
 http://www.marfan.org/nmf/GetContentRequestHandler.do?menu_item_id=22

Grace has a slightly enlarged aorta and will be taking Atenolol to
stop/stall the growth of the aorta.  In 3 months, we will visit the
doctor again to make sure she has the right dosage.

Grace's doctor at John Hopkins is Dr, Hal Dietz.  He is the Chair of the
Professional Advisory Board for the National Marfan Foundation and is a
world reowned expert on Marfan Syndrome. We want the best doctor in the world for Grace and we got him!  Dr Dietz is also getting a genetic
profile from Bill so that he can isolate the actual gene mutation.  Here
is his Hopkins profile:
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/geneticmedicine/people/faculty/dietz.html.   The next link is a press release that talks about both Dr. Dietz and Dr Victor McKusick (Bill's genetist at Hopkins when he was a child): http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2004/06_29_04.html.