Wow - Thank You Secret Blog Pal !!!

I received a package today from my SBP. In it I found a beautiful handmade photo album with purple fabric and a cute wooden butterfly on it. If it weren't enough, a little something for the kitties to play with too!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!



Crystal, here's your Gabriella fix for the day!!!! Sorry I haven't taken many pics this week. Bad mommy. Bad blogger.






She loves this book that has animals with furry and fuzzy stuff to touch. Her favorite is the long hair that the doggie has. Thanks to Paolo and his mommy and daddy Fran and Carlos for the book!




We are leaving tomorrow to go to Miami Beach for a wedding. It remains to be seen how this plays out. The wedding is on a yacht that will cruise Biscayne Bay for the evening. I plan on bringing the stroller and praying that Gabriella will fall asleep in it. She's never missed her 8pm bedtime by more than about 30 minutes since we came home and since we don't get back to the dock until 11pm, it could get interesting. There is going to be a babysitter available, so hopefully that will allow mommy and daddy a little time to relax and enjoy.

Moving her to the car and then into the hotel and in a crib there should also prove a challenge. It could be a long night for all involved. But, maybe she will surprise us.

She's never been in the car for more than about an hour at a time either. We bought a portable DVD player which she will hopefully find entertaining. She never watches TV because that would require sitting in one spot for longer than 30 seconds, but since she will be stuck, maybe she'll enjoy it.

Fiesta in the Park

Today was an annual arts and craft show downtown called Fiesta in the Park. Mom, Gabriella and I went. Phew, was it hot!!! Gabriella HATES wearing hats(and incidentally, all her adorable bows and hairclips now too). So, we snapped a few pics before she ripped it off of her head. Notice she is holding her hairbrush in the pictures. That's the only reason she put up with the hat for any period of time.






Her are some pictures I took yesterday. She still won't take those first steps on her own, though I know she could if she tried. And just so you know, that's only one week's worth of grass growth!! It got mowed today.



Only a matter of time before the leaf got the taste test.

Hot Again

Funky weather we sure are having. Sunday morning was in the 40's and today was almost 90.

She's a big girl now in her front-facing carseat! She was starting to get her feet squished rear-facing, so we turned it around.

Today, Gabriella and I went to the park. She loves being outside and really had fun in the swing!


Here are some pics from earlier in the week.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it. Happy Spring to everyone else!

A few pictures from today. Gabriella wasn't much in the ham it up for the camera mood, so I couldn't get any of her famous smiles. But, she's still cute :-)

The Call That Changed Everything

One year ago today at around 4:30 p.m. I received "The Call" with the referral of our beautiful baby girl. I had been pacing for weeks and was really reaching the end of my rope waiting as it had been 7 1/2 weeks, which at that time was unheard of with our agency. I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw the caller ID. And to repeat a cliche that so many have used, she was surely worth the wait! We were a bit concerned because she was so tiny (4 lbs 7 oz , 17 inches at 2 1/2 weeks old) and anemic at the time, but we felt confident that with some good formula and care she would be just fine. And, of course, she was. Within 2 weeks, she was rechecked and had already gained a pound and continued to steadily gain. She went from being way off the growth charts to now being between the 50th and 75th percentiles for height, weight and head circumference. At her one-year checkup a couple of weeks ago, she weighed in at almost 22 lbs!!!!

So, here are some pictures from referral:

Good Friday

The Easter weekend is upon us. And, like so many in the country, I now don't know what Gabriella is going to wear for Easter! So much for the sleeveless spring Easter dresses I was contemplating as it's going to be in the 40's here Easter morning. And if it's that cold in Florida, I know the rest of you are really looking at some brrrrrr weather. Sigh...... To think we almost hit 90 this week. I will probably see if I can find a sweater to put on over a dress for her.

Here are some pictures from this week. She is sooooo close to walking on her own I think. She will now just stand on her own for quite some time and walk with just one finger to hold onto. I know she can do it on her own, she just has to figure out that she can.

She just loves this cube. Each side plays a different song when you tap the top. She is so funny as she now goes up to it and smacks it a couple of times. She'll go play with another toy close by and when that verse is done, she comes back over and smacks it again to hear the next verse.


I seem to be able to catch these looks that say, "Who me???"



Come back kitty cat, come back.


There's that look that says, "What are you going to do about it mom?"

Hmmm, interesting view from this angle.





She went to see the Easter Bunny this week and just thought he(or she??) was the funniest thing ever! Nobody else was there(shock!) and so the bunny was able to come over and play with her and wave. She just giggled and pointed and grinned ear to ear. And just like when we went to see Santa, I had left my camera at home. I didn't get a CD with the pics, so I'll have to try to scan one and see if I can post it.

Just Chillin'

This weekend was so nice and so I sat outside and read and caught a few rays(just a few on my ghost white skin!). Gabriella loves being outside, so she was pretty content to hang in the shade next to mommy in the pack-n-play, unlike inside where she views it as a prison.

She's looking up at an airplane. Though we live a long way from the airport, we managed to end up in the flight path(we didn't know this until we moved into the house). So, lots of planes fly over and Gabriella loves to look at them.

Bing also enjoyed chilling outside by the pool as well.


Must have worn him out!