Can someone please tell me where my sweet little baby might be? I seem to have lost her and this sassy little girl has taken over her body. I mean, we're talking rolling of the eyes and death looks and everything. I expected attitude from her as a tween (and goodness knows I deserve it after my own preteen years), but not as a 20-month-old. Good grief. When did this happen?

I think everything started to shift when she began calling her brother by his actual name. Until a week ago, she absolutely refused to refer to Caleb as anything but Bubba. If we called him by his actual name, she would just shout, "NO! That Bubba!" Now she's all grown up and putting away the babyish nicknames. She also wants to put away the sippy cups and go straight to a glass. She wants real silverware and she's also boycotting highchairs in restaurants. It makes for an interesting meal. Apologies to anyone seated on either side of us lately. We're probably not going to be out much for a while, so feel free to go for it. Maybe there should be a warning system in place if we decide to dine out. I'll work on it.

She seems to have a shoe obsession that would rival Carrie Bradshaw and is always on the hunt for an unattended pair she can steal. Consider this your warning if you're around us. Keep an eye on your shoes if you want to leave with them.

Same goes for purses. And, ladies, be sure you check to make sure nothing is missing. I can't tell if she's a blossoming pickpocket or if she's just checking to make sure there's lipstick in case she needs some. We first realized this new trend while getting haircuts. Gracie just kinda let herself behind the counter, found a beautiful purse (Prada, no less) and opened it right up. I guess she knew that sneaking into a Prada purse is the only way she'll get that close to one again. At least for the next 17 years, anyway!

We had just enough of a cold spell to introduce her to jackets. We have a few that we were given at the end of last season while they were on sale. Her favorite part of the day is getting to choose which jacket to wear. One morning, I foolishly tried to explain to her that she didn't need a jacket because it was 73 degrees outside. That did not go over so well. I got the eye roll AND the death look all at once and then it went into some very emphatic gibberish and pointing and ended with an all out tantrum. She ended up strutting out the front door with not one, not two, but three different coat options.

I had a pretty good handle on what to expect from raising a boy. Boys are no less of a challenge, but they're a bit more predictable. I feel like every day lately has been a new lesson on raising girls and my teacher sure does have a lot of attitude for such a little body. The other day she yelled down the hallway, "Jacob! Jacob!" I reminded her that DADDY was at school. She sighed, "Oh. Daddy at school. Caleb at school." I smiled and she got such a sassy little look on her face and said, "Mama at Gracie School!" Yes ma'am, I believe you are right about that!