All I Want for Christmas ....

Oh wait, I already have my 2 front teeth! Here are some pics of Gabriella with Santa. Of course mommy had the bow on the wrong side of her head! Oh well.

Hmmmmm

I think someone must be sneaking catnip into the sinks. If I find the 3rd one in there, I'll know for sure!

Ho Ho Ho

I finally finished decorating the Christmas tree and putting up my village today. Now, we just need Santa to deliver the presents!!






The tree is actually much bigger in person that the pictures seem to indicate. It's not as skinny as it looks.


Next task is to somehow get a picture of Gabriella in front of the tree without her grabbing it. May be an impossibility.

Random Weekend Photos

Silly, silly cat.

Sitting pretty

I couldn't get one single one with her eyes open. She knows the flash is coming.

Christmas tree shopping(this isn't our tree though - they were getting ours loaded up). I'll take a pic when it's decorated. I have to say, I envy those for whom tree shopping means finding one and cutting it yourself instead of inside a tent to protect it from the Florida sun. But, I don't want the snow and cold that goes with that location.

We went out to eat Friday night and it was the first time Gabriella sat in a highchair for an entire meal. She was so good.

She tried Macaroni & Cheese and liked it.

Hamming it up for the camera

Bing is quite interested in the water in the tub.


Sitting in Daddy's big chair.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day everyone!

I'm the Luckiest Mom on the Planet

This is how Gabriella greets you whenever she wakes up in the morning or from a nap. I simply couldn't be any luckier than to have this smiling face looking up at me.

More weekend pics

Here are some more pictures from the weekend.

Gabriella and Aunt Karen(Ferdy's sister)

She spies the bling on her sweater and on her neck.


Oh no... We'll have to watch out for Titi Karen!


I like it up here......


Getting a bottle from Grandma Maty


Some more from the baptism




Check out her top teeth!!

Of course, had to throw in the obligatory antics with Bing picture

The Baptism

Today was Gabriella's baptism. It was such a wonderful day. I was completely stressed when we got to the church because the main church where the later service normally is held had an issue with the heat and it was apparently freezing in there(don't laugh,the 40's are pretty cold for Florida). So, they decided to hold the service in the historic chapel. Now, don't get me wrong, I just love the chapel. It is a beautiful white wooden chapel that was built in 1885. Stupid me forgot to take pictures outside the church. I will get a picture and post it later. Ferdy and I got married in the chapel 12 years ago and I am a wedding coordinator for the church and do many a wedding in it. But, I was worried about how small it is knowing we had about 20 or so people coming plus the regular parishioners. The church holds 95 VERY close friends. About 85-90 comfortably. We are a small congregation, but it is Advent Sunday and I worried more than the usual crowd would show up. And I knew they couldn't reserve the pews for everyone like in the large sanctuary. So, I was pretty stressed over the logistics.

I needn't have worried. The church was comfortably full and in the end, it was pretty awesome to have Gabriella baptized in the church we got married in. In the car on the way home, Ferdy's mom said to me that God knows what He is doing and she was right.

Gabriella was asleep for most of the baptism itself as it was her naptime. She did wake up at the end to be able to greet the congregation.

It is a tradition in Puerto Rico to have some kind of small wooden cross that is blessed during the Baptism and is kept in the child's room. Ferdy's mom brought this one for her.

Ferdy's mom also made the dress and it was absolutely gorgeous. The pictures don't do it justice. I will probably try to take a picture of just the dress so that the detail can be seen. It is white linen with lace trim and long white ribbons.



This is a picture of all of the family

The cake was just gorgeous. It was even more beautiful than what I imagined when I ordered it.

As you can see, Ferdy decided since everyone was together that we would celebrate my birthday which is coming up December 4. Sarah got me my favorite - White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake - mmmmmmmm. Pay no mind to the huge number on the cake!


Of course, we had wayyyyy too much food. We had a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas and special occasion feast of roast pork, rice with pigeon peas and pasteles(the closest thing would be a tamale, but not really like that as they are made with plaintains or yuca, not corn meal). We also had various other yummy snacks and I'm sure nobody went home hungry. We'll be noshing for days.

Meeting Sares

Today, my best friend Sarah from Nashville came into town. Sarah is Gabriella's Godmother and is in town for her baptism on Sunday.

Here are some pics of the girls. Gabriella will meet lots of new people this weekend, including grandparents, aunts and uncles.

This is Gabriella's Elvis snarl

Happy Girl

A couple of pics I took today. Gabriella is really starting to try to get up on her knees to crawl. She can scoot backwards a little. She has at 3 or 4 teeth coming in on the top. I continue to be amazed that it doesn't seem to make her cranky or upset.