Grace Face is {FOUR}

It's hard to believe that I have been a mom for four years now.

I still remember the night before my scheduled Cesarean, playing cards and watching the season premiere of True Blood with our friends, Isaac and I were so nervous. We thought we were ready, but we had no idea what to expect. I barely slept, and the ride to the hospital feels as fresh in mind as anything. I remember the thrill, joy, and excitement that we were feeling as we prepared to meet our baby girl for the very first time.

Fast forward four whole years, and I still feel that same excitement when she wakes up each morning. Grace is so smart, funny, and silly that I just can't wait to see what she has to say and what her little mind thinks up during the day.

Last year, I started an annual tradition of asking Grace questions about her favorite things. I plan to do this each year on her birthday to see how she grows and changes throughout the years. So far, they've turned out super cute and totally give you a little glimpse into her sassy personality.

At four years old, Grace still loves Noah, her across the street BFF. She loves to play with her sister, and tends to get a little pushy when Charley doesn't follow her exact orders. Charley looks up to Grace so much, and would follow her anywhere. She loves to copy her big sis and do everything that Grace does.

Gracie loves anything with princesses, especially Ariel, Merida, or Rapunzel. Although, I really think she likes Prince Eric and Flynn Rider better. She's also really into My Little Ponies lately and insists on having a real unicorn someday. She loves to swim and can do so all by herself with help from some floaties. She loves stuffed animals, every movie she's ever watched, and singing on her Frozen microphone. Her favorite color has always been blue, but recently she likes pink and purple and makes sure to point out that blue, green, or yellow stuff "is a boy color, mom!". Her current favorite songs are Turn Down for What, Beachin', and Wiggle. She loves to dance around the house and always in the car.

Grace is currently wearing size five in clothes, and size ten in shoes. She stands forty-one inches tall and grew over an inch in the last month alone! She loves to eat macaroni, cheeseburgers, apples, yogurt, and barbecue chicken. She favors sweet tea (probably because that's what she's made of) and purple Gatorade.

This girl is one of the toughest cookies you'll ever meet. She's so strong-willed and her strength amazes me. She doesn't put up with anyone's crap and will tell you exactly what's on her mind. She is not going to be one to mess with as she gets older.

Grace is one of the funniest kids to be around. She always tries to act so serious, and the way she says things sometimes has us rolling on the floor laughing. Here are some of Grace's funniest moments in the past few months:

Mommy: "Grace, we are going to meet Daddy at Macaroni Grill for lunch. Get ready!:

Grace: "Are you sure? Macaroni Girl doesn't sound very good."

Telling me about a girl at school getting into trouble - "Anna was so actin' up at nap time!"

Asking her what she wants for dinner - "I don't want to eat. I'm not starving."

In her sleep - "Yes we do. Yes we do! Yes we do, Daddy!"

Asking her how her day was as we're getting into the car after school - "Just wait. I will talk to you when you drive."

Talking to her crying sister as we drive in the car - "Oh, come onnnn! Don't make me cry. I can't reach it. You'll just have to deal with it. Gosh! You're gunna get big, you know that? You're gunna grow up whenever you want. Stay out of that smoke or you'll get burned, and we'll never see you again. So you better stop crying now! Thank you. We're driving ok. You better be quiet."

"When I grow up, I'm going to say all the bad words."

Grace: "Mom, I want to wear that dress!"

Mommy: "Grace, I said no."

Grace: "I need to talk to you about this for a minute."

Mommy: "You're not wearing those pink boots, Grace. They don't match."

Grace: "You're a bad mommy!"

Daddy: "This jelly is more like jam, huh?"

Grace: "Pump. Up the jam. Pump the jam, pump the jam."

Whenever all four of us are sitting somewhere together, Grace yells out, "family life!" So don't be surprised if you hear her shout out "family life on the couch!" or "family life in the car!" at random times throughout the day. (By the way - I have no idea where she got this.)

"I loved Spider Man when I was a kid."

Leaving the house, Isaac forgot to buckle Grace's seat belt - "You always for get to buckle me up!"

Totally random - "When Charley gets bigger, can you give her a lunchbox with Cheerios in it? Charley loves Cheerios!"

Upon hearing her favorite song (which changes by the minute) on the radio - "Everybody get crazy!"

Isaac and Grace went to get some groceries one Saturday morning. When they came home - "Daddy got some milk at the store! You'll never believe it!!"

Getting ready to go out for the night - "You don't look so beautiful in that dress."

(Hey, at least she's honest!)

Mad at Daddy - "I'm gunna scratch you open!"

"andfsadnalkn vnsdgansdlf andklasmdkaml" - "That was a purple minion I never seen."

Charley crying - "It's OK, Charley. Come to me. Just come to your sissy."

Mommy: "Noah and Easton can come over to play."

Grace: "Well, my dad will be so mad."

Mommy: "Why?"

Grace: "He does not like when we mess the house up."

Mommy: "Grace, Charley doesn't want to color."

Grace: "Well, I will make her, because I'm her big sister, and I tell her what to do."

I had been crocheting Char a new blanky the past few days, and I heard Grace asking Isaac for a popsicle after I told her no. I went out in the living room, and she says, "Just go in your bed and put the blanky together. We will talk out here."

Asking if Charley wanted to go with me to the store - "Wanna drive Charley in your car?"

Asking Grace to go inside and get Charley's cup for her - "Ughhh! I'm just tryna relax, and I wanna ride my scooter!"

Seeing an ashtray at a restaurant - "Daddy, these are for pirates!"

Daddy telling her she can't have more fruit snacks - "You're not the best Daddy at all."

Asking her if she was good at school today - "My acting is not what I say."

(She's deep.)

Asking if Daddy can pick her up from school - "Do you able-ize he is gunna pick up us?"

Driving to Target for kites - "When I was a grown up, a long time ago, and I didn't have parents, I drove all the way around town and found myself a princess kite."

Mommy: "You are Grace Taylor Espejo, and she is Charley Anne Espejo."

Grace: "Call me Gracie Anne forever."

Mommy: "But that's not your name. You don't like Grace Taylor?"

Grace: "No, because I like God. God up in the air watching us. Hey! The trees are getting food from the sun right now!"

"You're being a whiny butt today, Char Char."

"Coyotes and strangers and bad guys are very dangerous, so we can't touch them."

"Mommy, I am so angry, because I want a cold water, but I don't want to get up and get it myself. I want somebody else to get up and go get it for me."

Making us dinner in her pretend kitchen - "Do you want a hamburger with cheese tossed with some sour on it?"

"Mommy, I just farted and achoo'd"

Telling her to go get her toy while Charley is bugging her - "She's going to follow me. I guarantee it!"

Mommy sick in bed with the flu - "are you gunna frow up or what?"

"Mommy, why does everyone in the world always say we're so cute." - after someone at the car wash said what cute girls we have.

Watching the slideshow I made of our Newport trip - "I'm the most beautiful girl!"

Mommy: "Grace, don't make me stop this car!"

Grace: "Well, don't make me take off my seat belt."

Riding in the car - "The clouds are moving over where. They're following us! I wish I could snuggle with a cloud."

Grace: "Mom, if someone spits on your pillow, will you have to get a new one when it's on sale?"

Mommy: "Sure, Grace."

Grace: "You're the best, mom!"

"Charley, just sit here and be safe and I don't want you getting hurt. Watch out for those bad guys. I am going to fight them. If they try to come in here, then you just run upstairs. I will save you. And then you can put a lot, a lot of puppies in your bed, ok?"

Grace: "Look! Two America flags."

Mommy: "Yep! America is the land of the free."

Daddy: "And the home of the brave."

Grace: "You guys are so smart!"

We have the most fun ever with this little girl. She is the apple of our eye, the spark in our sparklers, and our sun on the brightest day. I cannot imagine life without this sweet, sassy, brilliant, hilarious, tough little girl in it. We are so blessed and thankful that we get to be her parents and watch her grow into this amazing little girl. 

We love you, Grace Face! So, so, so much!!

Happy Fourth Birthday, Boo <3