Another meal, another mess!
Cousins (Malcolm, Gabby, North) 
Splish'n & splash'n
So darn cute! Sunday, December 21, 2008
Pictures!
We finally replaced our camera, so enjoy some pictures from the last couple of days...
Cousins (Malcolm, Gabby, North)
Splish'n & splash'n
So darn cute!
Cousins (Malcolm, Gabby, North) Splish'n & splash'nSo darn cute! 
Thursday, December 18, 2008
2009 is upon us!
Hi everyone!
First, let me apologize - I've been remiss in my blogging. Of course, I have all kinds of excuses, but they're really just excuses. I cannot believe it is almost 2009!
We've had a busy couple of months! We went out to visit Traci, Matt, and Malcolm in Seattle in mid-October. Our time in Seattle was great but the plane rides were horrible. Gabby was pretty much a total nightmare - crying, whining, squirming, throwing things, etc. Thankfully there was an empty row in the very back of the plane on both legs of the trip. I'm pretty sure that the lady sitting next to me on the way to Seattle wanted to strangle Gabby. About halfway through the flight Daniel turned to me and said "Never again." I think the problem with Gabby and airplanes is that she is an extremely active kid and it's just too much for her to be confined to a tiny little airplane seat. We may not be leaving Denver again (at least on a jetplane) for the next several years!
At the end of October we came home on a Wednesday to find that our house had been broken in to. In addition to taking ALL of my jewelry, a Bose aviation headset, our camera, and lots of other little items, they took our checks, so we had to close our bank accounts and open new ones. That is a HUGE hassle and I would not recommend keeping your extra check books in your underwear drawer, as that is apparently the first place burglars look for valuables!
We have also been busy doing some home improvement projects. We finally pulled up the 50's-style 1-inch tiles in our entryway and re-tiled. We also had our carpet pulled up and the hardwood underneath refinished, which required that we move out for a week (the timing was perfect in that my parents were out of town and we were able to stay at their house). Next up is our pink bathroom, which really is pink (pink tile, pink walls, pink sink, pink toilet, pink tub... I think you get the picture) and REALLY is in need of a makeover.
On the adoption front, we had our second post-placement visit in mid-October, which went really well. Around that same tine, we finally submitted the paperwork for our validation, and we just found out today that the court approved it. The adoption was finalized in Colombia and Gabby was a U.S. citizen when she set foot on U.S. soil, so the validation is just a formality. The main benefit is that Gabby will get a Colorado birth certificate, which will make things easier down the road.
On the Gabby front, she continues to learn and grow and fill our lives with joy. She is at a very fun age (difficult at times, but fun). She is full of personality and so unbelievably smart! She is talking like crazy - she probably has 30 or 40 words right now that she really knows, plus she repeats everything we say (naughty OR nice). Right now she repeats the last few syllables of just about every sentence. For example, if I say "Should we go change your diaper?" she says "Diaper." If I say, "What do you want to do now?" she says "Do now." And, if I stub my toe and say "Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!" she says "Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t." She understands almost everything we say whether it's in Spanish or English and she follows instructions in either language (as much as 19-month-olds follow instructions). And she makes these amazing connections - the other day she brought me a picture of Matt and Traci and exclaimed "Baby!" Mind you, she's only seen Traci a couple of times since she had the baby and the last time was several weeks ago! She recognizes herself in the mirror and in pictures and calls herself "Dabby." We marvel each and every day at how lucky we are to have her. She is the absolute light of our lives and we are so proud of her.
I don't have any recent photos to post right now because our camera was stolen. It had several weeks worth of pictures that we hadn't loaded onto the computer yet, so the last photos we have are from September. I don't know why we haven't replaced it yet - that's definitely on our "To Do" list and I think we're finally going to do it this weekend. In the meantime, enjoy this random, silly video that we took a couple of months ago.
First, let me apologize - I've been remiss in my blogging. Of course, I have all kinds of excuses, but they're really just excuses. I cannot believe it is almost 2009!
We've had a busy couple of months! We went out to visit Traci, Matt, and Malcolm in Seattle in mid-October. Our time in Seattle was great but the plane rides were horrible. Gabby was pretty much a total nightmare - crying, whining, squirming, throwing things, etc. Thankfully there was an empty row in the very back of the plane on both legs of the trip. I'm pretty sure that the lady sitting next to me on the way to Seattle wanted to strangle Gabby. About halfway through the flight Daniel turned to me and said "Never again." I think the problem with Gabby and airplanes is that she is an extremely active kid and it's just too much for her to be confined to a tiny little airplane seat. We may not be leaving Denver again (at least on a jetplane) for the next several years!
At the end of October we came home on a Wednesday to find that our house had been broken in to. In addition to taking ALL of my jewelry, a Bose aviation headset, our camera, and lots of other little items, they took our checks, so we had to close our bank accounts and open new ones. That is a HUGE hassle and I would not recommend keeping your extra check books in your underwear drawer, as that is apparently the first place burglars look for valuables!
We have also been busy doing some home improvement projects. We finally pulled up the 50's-style 1-inch tiles in our entryway and re-tiled. We also had our carpet pulled up and the hardwood underneath refinished, which required that we move out for a week (the timing was perfect in that my parents were out of town and we were able to stay at their house). Next up is our pink bathroom, which really is pink (pink tile, pink walls, pink sink, pink toilet, pink tub... I think you get the picture) and REALLY is in need of a makeover.
On the adoption front, we had our second post-placement visit in mid-October, which went really well. Around that same tine, we finally submitted the paperwork for our validation, and we just found out today that the court approved it. The adoption was finalized in Colombia and Gabby was a U.S. citizen when she set foot on U.S. soil, so the validation is just a formality. The main benefit is that Gabby will get a Colorado birth certificate, which will make things easier down the road.
On the Gabby front, she continues to learn and grow and fill our lives with joy. She is at a very fun age (difficult at times, but fun). She is full of personality and so unbelievably smart! She is talking like crazy - she probably has 30 or 40 words right now that she really knows, plus she repeats everything we say (naughty OR nice). Right now she repeats the last few syllables of just about every sentence. For example, if I say "Should we go change your diaper?" she says "Diaper." If I say, "What do you want to do now?" she says "Do now." And, if I stub my toe and say "Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!" she says "Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t." She understands almost everything we say whether it's in Spanish or English and she follows instructions in either language (as much as 19-month-olds follow instructions). And she makes these amazing connections - the other day she brought me a picture of Matt and Traci and exclaimed "Baby!" Mind you, she's only seen Traci a couple of times since she had the baby and the last time was several weeks ago! She recognizes herself in the mirror and in pictures and calls herself "Dabby." We marvel each and every day at how lucky we are to have her. She is the absolute light of our lives and we are so proud of her.
I don't have any recent photos to post right now because our camera was stolen. It had several weeks worth of pictures that we hadn't loaded onto the computer yet, so the last photos we have are from September. I don't know why we haven't replaced it yet - that's definitely on our "To Do" list and I think we're finally going to do it this weekend. In the meantime, enjoy this random, silly video that we took a couple of months ago.
We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season. I promise to post some photos soon.
Love,
Leslie, Daniel, & Gabriela
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
I'm an Aunt... x2!
Well, the biggest news I have to report is that I'm now an aunt again, two times over! I have three nieces on Daniel's side and I'm "Aunt Leslie" to some of my friends' kiddos, but now I'm an aunt on the Squires side. Both of my sisters had their babies and both little guys are happy and healthy!
Traci and Matt had a little boy, Malcolm Arkady, on September 11th. I haven't gotten to meet him yet, but Daniel, Gabby, and I will be traveling to Seattle on October 22nd to finally meet him. Jen and Kevin also had a little boy, North Matthew, on September 20th. I was there for the birth and Jen did great. Gabby calls him "Baby" and pats him and gives him kisses.
Gabby is doing great. She is all toddler, all the time. Here is a quick list of some of the things she's been up to, in no particular order:
1. Running
2. Eating with a spoon and fork
3. Drinking from a Camelback
4. Getting her canine teeth in
5. Playing hide and seek and peek-a-boo
6. Feeding and kissing her dolls
7. Talking like crazy - the other day, out of nowhere, she pointed at a tree in her book and said "tee."
8. Hugging and kissing mommy and daddy
9. Saying "mama," finally!!
She has very recently become horrified by pet hair. Strange and random, I know. Considering that we have two long-haired dogs and one long-haired cat, all with dark hair, and light-colored carpet, this could be a big problem. Seriously, the carpet looks like it hasn't been vacuumed in two weeks within one day of a thorough vacuuming. Whenever Gabby sees a clump of hair, she freezes, points at it, and makes this frantic, panicked sound. The same thing happens if she finds a hair on her doll, sippy cup, etc. Today she actually swung her stuffed puppy at a clump of hair. I think she must think they're bugs. So as not to turn this into a big, lasting thing, we try a) not to laugh and b) not to make a big deal of it. I have started saying "Gabby, it's just hair from one of the dogs. Can you please go put it in the trash for mommy?" The upshot is that our carpet is cleaner than it would otherwise be AND I've got Gabby trained to put things in the trash for me.
She is also starting to test limits more and more. The naughtiest thing she's been doing is climbing on to these chairs that we have in the office/playroom and standing and jumping on them. That would be bad enough on a stationary chair, but these rock AND recline! We try to avoid the behavior altogether by re-directing her when we see her heading for the chairs, but we don't always catch her in time (she's a quick little bugger). As soon as she sees us coming or hears the word "no," she just gets wild and silly and tries to get as far as she can before we get to her. And no matter how sternly we say "no" and how serious we are when we explain that she could get hurt, she just laughs at us. Oy...
Needless to say, each day with Gabby is an adventure! We just adore her and love to see how much she is learning, growing, and blossoming. What a precious, beautiful gift she is!
Much love,
Leslie, Daniel, & Gabriela
Traci and Matt had a little boy, Malcolm Arkady, on September 11th. I haven't gotten to meet him yet, but Daniel, Gabby, and I will be traveling to Seattle on October 22nd to finally meet him. Jen and Kevin also had a little boy, North Matthew, on September 20th. I was there for the birth and Jen did great. Gabby calls him "Baby" and pats him and gives him kisses.
Gabby is doing great. She is all toddler, all the time. Here is a quick list of some of the things she's been up to, in no particular order:
1. Running
2. Eating with a spoon and fork
3. Drinking from a Camelback
4. Getting her canine teeth in
5. Playing hide and seek and peek-a-boo
6. Feeding and kissing her dolls
7. Talking like crazy - the other day, out of nowhere, she pointed at a tree in her book and said "tee."
8. Hugging and kissing mommy and daddy
9. Saying "mama," finally!!
She has very recently become horrified by pet hair. Strange and random, I know. Considering that we have two long-haired dogs and one long-haired cat, all with dark hair, and light-colored carpet, this could be a big problem. Seriously, the carpet looks like it hasn't been vacuumed in two weeks within one day of a thorough vacuuming. Whenever Gabby sees a clump of hair, she freezes, points at it, and makes this frantic, panicked sound. The same thing happens if she finds a hair on her doll, sippy cup, etc. Today she actually swung her stuffed puppy at a clump of hair. I think she must think they're bugs. So as not to turn this into a big, lasting thing, we try a) not to laugh and b) not to make a big deal of it. I have started saying "Gabby, it's just hair from one of the dogs. Can you please go put it in the trash for mommy?" The upshot is that our carpet is cleaner than it would otherwise be AND I've got Gabby trained to put things in the trash for me.
She is also starting to test limits more and more. The naughtiest thing she's been doing is climbing on to these chairs that we have in the office/playroom and standing and jumping on them. That would be bad enough on a stationary chair, but these rock AND recline! We try to avoid the behavior altogether by re-directing her when we see her heading for the chairs, but we don't always catch her in time (she's a quick little bugger). As soon as she sees us coming or hears the word "no," she just gets wild and silly and tries to get as far as she can before we get to her. And no matter how sternly we say "no" and how serious we are when we explain that she could get hurt, she just laughs at us. Oy...
Needless to say, each day with Gabby is an adventure! We just adore her and love to see how much she is learning, growing, and blossoming. What a precious, beautiful gift she is!
Much love,
Leslie, Daniel, & Gabriela
Monday, September 1, 2008
Odds and Ends
Hi there! We don't have anything in particular to report, but thought an update was in order. Gabby continues to amaze and amuse us.
We're pretty sure we have a little genius on our hands. Sure, we're a little biased, but Grandma and Grandpa think she's a smart little cookie too, and there's no way they're biased. Here is a list of the amazing things she can do:
We're pretty sure we have a little genius on our hands. Sure, we're a little biased, but Grandma and Grandpa think she's a smart little cookie too, and there's no way they're biased. Here is a list of the amazing things she can do:
- She can point to her belly button, nose, ears, and head when asked in english or spanish.
- She can identify several objects in her books, including balls, cows, monkeys, birds, airplanes, snakes, sheep, horses, cats, dogs, the sun, the moon, ducks, trees... there are a few more but they don't come to mind right now. Oh, and she can identify most of these things in english or spanish.
- She can follow a command like "please bring that to mommy" or "please put that back" in spanish or english.
And there you have it! Indisputable evidence that she is simply unmatched in intelligence! She is also hilarious. A couple of funny things that she likes to do right now are roar like a lion and look at people sideways (she'll lay her head on the table or her high chair tray, look at the people around her, and crack up).
Last weekend, we went to have our first professional photos taken as a family. Gabby did not crack a smile once. In fact, she was downright sullen. We assured the photographer that she really is a cute and happy little girl, but I don't think she believed us. As soon as we walked out of the studio, Gabby ran between us laughing and squealing in delight. Figures.
In non-Gabby news, we saw a tornado last weekend. It was the first tornado I can remember seeing and I've lived in Colorado my whole life. The tornado made it as far as about 4 miles south of us before it finally dissipated. It was exciting but scary! We were at a BBQ and the first thing the hostess said when she saw it was "great, my basement's a mess," which was totally classic and probably the first thing I would have thought of too. I'm going to post a couple of pictures below.
In other non-Gabby news, both of my sisters will be giving birth at any time now! Unfortunately, Traci lives in Seattle so I won't get to meet her little one right away, but I will be at Jen's delivery and I am going to catch the baby! Okay, maybe the midwife will catch the baby, but I will be close by! Best of luck to Traci and Jen - I love you guys! Gabby can't wait to meet her cousins!
Well, that's it for now. Enjoy some photos!
Much love,
Leslie, Daniel, and Gabriela
Photos of Gabby
Helping mommy in the kitchen
Enjoying an ice-cold beverage
Watching the big kids play
I wasn't expecting that!
Relaxing with Mommy
Friday, August 8, 2008
Our Travels
As I mentioned in my last post, Gabby and I traveled to Seattle last weekend to visit Tia Traci and Tio Matt. While we were there, we were also able to see my Aunt Sheri and another family that we met online, Monica and Michael and their daughter Isabel. Monica and Michael adopted Isabel from Bogota and she is just six weeks older than Gabby! We've been talking via e-mail for the last few months, and Monica's extensive packing list came in very handy for our trip to Colombia. The girls were very cute together and I hope that we will stay in touch.
Leslie, Daniel, & Gabriela
Gabby's first swim lesson with Tio Matt
Helping Aunt Traci open presents
Gabby and I with Aunt Sheri
Let me start by saying that traveling with a 14 1/2-month old is challenging in and of itself. And maybe it was being away from home and daddy, the four molars that were coming in, the time change, the hectic schedule, a combination of any and all of the above, or something else entirely, but this trip was especially trying. The good people of Seattle got the version of Gabby that we call "Crabby Gabby" and the version of mommy that we call "Frazzled, Exhausted, On-the-Verge Mommy."
On the plane ride to Seattle, we had an empty seat next to us. That was a very good thing because Gabby was pretty wound up and climbed around like a monkey for the entire flight. I had several new books, juice, milk, Cheerios, blueberries, and dried apples in the diaper bag, which held her interest for approximately 8 minutes. Needless to say, it was a long flight. We resorted to playing with the vomit bag and in-flight magazine and taking trips to the restroom for entertainment. It was exhausting. However, there were only a few minutes of fussing, whining, and/or crying, so I don't think it was too bad for the rest of the passengers. The flight home was entirely full and we were seated in the window seat next to a very large man that took up all of his seat and about 1/4 of ours. I believe we both muttered a few choice words under our breath when we saw each other. However, Gabby slept for the first hour and a half of the flight and then sat pretty quietly until we landed.
Toddler challenges aside, we had a good time and it was great to spend time with family and friends. We were able to spend an afternoon with Aunt Sheri, enjoy the Tour de Fat at Gasworks Park, meet up with Michael, Monica, and Isabel on Lake Washington and then again for dinner, attend one of Traci's baby showers, and go swimming with Matt, all in just three days!
Here are some photos from our trip - enjoy!
Leslie, Daniel, & Gabriela
Isabel & Gabby's first meeting
Monica, Isabel, Gabby, and I at Tutta Bella
Gabby's first swim lesson with Tio Matt Helping Aunt Traci open presents Gabby and I with Aunt Sheri
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Six months!
Yesterday was the six month anniversary of the day we met Gabby, and what a six months it has been! We really can't believe it - it feels like yesterday that we were sitting in the lobby of the ICBF building, sick with nerves and anticipation, waiting to meet our little girl. We talk again and again about how incredibly lucky we are to have her.
I read the book "The Kite Runner" several months ago, before we met Gabby. There is a scene in which Hassan says to Amir, "For you, a thousand times over." That really struck me when I read it. Fast forward to a couple of months ago when I decided to watch the movie (the book is better, by the way, as is usually the case). That line literally took my breath away and I started crying and just couldn't stop, because it so perfectly expresses what I think every time I look at Gabby. I would do it all a thousand times over for her.
On a lighter note, she is doing all kinds of funny things these days. She loves to play in the toilet. Ditto for the bath tub. If we don't put the toilet lid down, we find her splashing around in the water and/or putting all sorts of objects in the bowl. So far, she has put shoes (hers and mine), a battery-operated toy, a spoon, and my hair brush in the toilet. She clearly doesn't understand what "yucky" or "dirty" mean yet. She also likes to drop things in the bath, and if I don't notice them amongst the bath toys before I turn the water on, they get soaked. These items, to date, have included my flip flops, the same battery-operated toy (which miraculously still works), my hair brush, a cd case, several spoons, and a box of band-aids.
She also loves to dance and shakes her little booty just about any time she hears music. She used to just sort of bob up and down, but now there is foot shuffling and some stomping as well. And she really has great rythym, which she must surely get from me. She is also starting to give hugs. I wish I could say that Daniel or I are generally the object of her affection, but it's actually the cat. It is so cute - she will drape herself over him, lay her head on him, and smile this contented little smile. And she loves books! This makes me very happy, as I have always loved to read and think that it led to my love of learning. She'll bring a book over to one of us, climb in our lap, and open it up. She has a short attention span, so usually after about, oh, 10 seconds, she's climbing right back out of our lap, but it's usually to go get another book (and then another, and another) and repeat the process.
Next weekend Gabby and I are going to Seattle to visit Tio Matt and Tia Traci. I'm a little bit nervous about flying alone with Gabby - I can't imagine keeping her within the confines of a 2x2x3 space for 2 1/2 hours. The person that should really be nervous is the poor soul that will be sitting next to us.
Well, that's it for now. I have a couple of cute pictures that I want to post but they're in the camera and I don't know where it is, so I will post them later.
I read the book "The Kite Runner" several months ago, before we met Gabby. There is a scene in which Hassan says to Amir, "For you, a thousand times over." That really struck me when I read it. Fast forward to a couple of months ago when I decided to watch the movie (the book is better, by the way, as is usually the case). That line literally took my breath away and I started crying and just couldn't stop, because it so perfectly expresses what I think every time I look at Gabby. I would do it all a thousand times over for her.
On a lighter note, she is doing all kinds of funny things these days. She loves to play in the toilet. Ditto for the bath tub. If we don't put the toilet lid down, we find her splashing around in the water and/or putting all sorts of objects in the bowl. So far, she has put shoes (hers and mine), a battery-operated toy, a spoon, and my hair brush in the toilet. She clearly doesn't understand what "yucky" or "dirty" mean yet. She also likes to drop things in the bath, and if I don't notice them amongst the bath toys before I turn the water on, they get soaked. These items, to date, have included my flip flops, the same battery-operated toy (which miraculously still works), my hair brush, a cd case, several spoons, and a box of band-aids.
She also loves to dance and shakes her little booty just about any time she hears music. She used to just sort of bob up and down, but now there is foot shuffling and some stomping as well. And she really has great rythym, which she must surely get from me. She is also starting to give hugs. I wish I could say that Daniel or I are generally the object of her affection, but it's actually the cat. It is so cute - she will drape herself over him, lay her head on him, and smile this contented little smile. And she loves books! This makes me very happy, as I have always loved to read and think that it led to my love of learning. She'll bring a book over to one of us, climb in our lap, and open it up. She has a short attention span, so usually after about, oh, 10 seconds, she's climbing right back out of our lap, but it's usually to go get another book (and then another, and another) and repeat the process.
Next weekend Gabby and I are going to Seattle to visit Tio Matt and Tia Traci. I'm a little bit nervous about flying alone with Gabby - I can't imagine keeping her within the confines of a 2x2x3 space for 2 1/2 hours. The person that should really be nervous is the poor soul that will be sitting next to us.
Well, that's it for now. I have a couple of cute pictures that I want to post but they're in the camera and I don't know where it is, so I will post them later.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Way too long...
I know, it's been WAY too long since we posted. Summers are always so busy - BBQs, birthday parties, baby showers, weddings - it seems like we're booked out every weekend until September.
Gabby is doing very well. She is walking like it's going out of style - it's her favorite thing to do these days! She still reminds us of a drunken sailor, but every day she gets more and more graceful and coordinated. Now she can stop in the middle of the room, lean over and pick something up, and keep going without missing a beat (that is, without doing a faceplant).
She is also talking A LOT - it's her second favorite thing to do these days. She is testing out not only her new vocabulary, but her vocal range as well. To date, we have not been able to locate a "volume" button and none of the dozen or so remote controls we own seem to work. Sometimes we simply give up on conversing in her presence because, well, we just can't compete. In addition to lots of chattering that we can't understand, she now clearly says dada, agua, water, uh-oh, qua-qua (quack-quack), guao-guao (kind of like "bow wow" but in spanish, and she yells it every time she sees a dog), gampa (grandpa), and mama. Mama is probably the word she says least often. I was feeling pretty wounded by that until I talked to another mom this weekend that told me her son said "mama" for the first time at around a year and a half and only after he started saying the word "elk."
During the last two weeks of June my boss was out of town and I worked full-time. I know that LOTS of moms work full-time, but I don't know how - it is REALLY hard. I felt like I hardly got to see Gabby, not to mention what the house looked like. I went to get a massage on Friday afternoon and when they told me there had been a "scheduling mix-up" and there was nobody there to give me my massage, I seriously had to excuse myself to the restroom so that I didn't CRY in front of the lady at the front desk. And that was after only two weeks of working full-time.
This past weekend my sister was here from Seattle for her baby shower. She and Gabby had not seen each other since March and had a good time reconnecting with each other. Gabby wishes Tia Traci didn't live so far away!
Well, that's it for now... We hope everyone is enjoying their summer and having as much fun as we are! I'll post some pictures tomorrow.
Leslie, Daniel, & Gabby
Gabby is doing very well. She is walking like it's going out of style - it's her favorite thing to do these days! She still reminds us of a drunken sailor, but every day she gets more and more graceful and coordinated. Now she can stop in the middle of the room, lean over and pick something up, and keep going without missing a beat (that is, without doing a faceplant).
She is also talking A LOT - it's her second favorite thing to do these days. She is testing out not only her new vocabulary, but her vocal range as well. To date, we have not been able to locate a "volume" button and none of the dozen or so remote controls we own seem to work. Sometimes we simply give up on conversing in her presence because, well, we just can't compete. In addition to lots of chattering that we can't understand, she now clearly says dada, agua, water, uh-oh, qua-qua (quack-quack), guao-guao (kind of like "bow wow" but in spanish, and she yells it every time she sees a dog), gampa (grandpa), and mama. Mama is probably the word she says least often. I was feeling pretty wounded by that until I talked to another mom this weekend that told me her son said "mama" for the first time at around a year and a half and only after he started saying the word "elk."
During the last two weeks of June my boss was out of town and I worked full-time. I know that LOTS of moms work full-time, but I don't know how - it is REALLY hard. I felt like I hardly got to see Gabby, not to mention what the house looked like. I went to get a massage on Friday afternoon and when they told me there had been a "scheduling mix-up" and there was nobody there to give me my massage, I seriously had to excuse myself to the restroom so that I didn't CRY in front of the lady at the front desk. And that was after only two weeks of working full-time.
This past weekend my sister was here from Seattle for her baby shower. She and Gabby had not seen each other since March and had a good time reconnecting with each other. Gabby wishes Tia Traci didn't live so far away!
Well, that's it for now... We hope everyone is enjoying their summer and having as much fun as we are! I'll post some pictures tomorrow.
Leslie, Daniel, & Gabby
Monday, May 26, 2008
Houston, we have a toddler!
I really should have written this post about three weeks ago, because that's when it happened. One day, I looked at Gabby and realized that she had become a toddler! I'm not sure I'm ready for this (I was really just getting used to having a baby), but ready or not, it's happening! A few tell-tale signs?
1. One day, she simply started turning her nose up at almost everything we tried to spoon-feed her. We had to switch almost exclusively to finger foods so she could feed herself. We've now restored some control over meal time and she'll eat what we give her as long as there are also things on her tray that she can feed herself.
2. One morning, she was screaming bloody murder in her crib and I rushed in there, expecting some horrific, bloody scene. The second she saw me, her face lit up with a huge smile and she said "Goo da ba go doh." That translates roughly into "Hah, I knew it would work!" There was not a tear in sight. Yes, she's learned the art of manipulation.
3. She's shows us what she wants. When she wants to walk, she comes over, grabs a finger on each hand, pulls herself up, turns around, and takes off. It's not up for discussion. She also points and grunts when she wants something that's out of her reach (usually it's grapes - that kid LOVES grapes).
So, as you can imagine, things are even more interesting around the Rojas household, what with a toddler and all! It is SO much fun though - Gabby has developed this assertive, funny personality and it's so amazing to see her learn and grow. She is all but walking on her own, so I suspect that the next time I post we'll have our hands even more full than we do now. Oh, one more thing... Gabby is turning in to a bit of a mama's girl, which I LOVE, partly because it reassures me that I'm doing okay as a mom and Gabby is forming healthy attachments, and partly because there is nothing better in this life than seeing a beautiful face light up every time you walk in to a room.
Below are a few pictures from Gabby's birthday party last Saturday. Enjoy!
Leslie, Daniel, & Gabriela
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Feliz Cumpleaños, Princesa!
Today is our precious little girl's first birthday! We had a great day together - I was able to switch my work week around so that I could spend the day with her, and Daniel was able to join us in the afternoon. We went to Red Robin for dinner and had lots of fun. Gabby got TWO balloons, the waiters sang "Happy Birthday" to her, and she got to have an ice cream sundae for dessert! She was all smiles and giggles on the way home. We hope she knows how much we love her and how much joy she brings to us every single day!
When I last posted, Gabby was sick with the stomach flu. She couldn't hold anything down, even Pedialyte or water, for two days. By the third day, she was dehydrated and clearly felt horrible. We took her to our pediatrician, who sent us over to the hospital so they could give her IV fluids and rule out more serious problems. By that time, she'd lost a pound in under a week (she had been weighed at her well-baby exam the previous Friday). She continued to throw up for two more days, and finally on the sixth day held down diluted formula and rice cereal. It was an AWFUL week. When she finally felt better, she was ravenous (and just a wee bit clingy and cranky) and we could not feed her fast enough. In addition to putting away more solid food than Daniel and I put together, she drank two extra bottles every day for a week. I think she might have set a world record. She is now over a pound heavier than before she got sick, so she's back in the saddle!
Below are some pictures of the big day - enjoy!
When I last posted, Gabby was sick with the stomach flu. She couldn't hold anything down, even Pedialyte or water, for two days. By the third day, she was dehydrated and clearly felt horrible. We took her to our pediatrician, who sent us over to the hospital so they could give her IV fluids and rule out more serious problems. By that time, she'd lost a pound in under a week (she had been weighed at her well-baby exam the previous Friday). She continued to throw up for two more days, and finally on the sixth day held down diluted formula and rice cereal. It was an AWFUL week. When she finally felt better, she was ravenous (and just a wee bit clingy and cranky) and we could not feed her fast enough. In addition to putting away more solid food than Daniel and I put together, she drank two extra bottles every day for a week. I think she might have set a world record. She is now over a pound heavier than before she got sick, so she's back in the saddle!
Below are some pictures of the big day - enjoy!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Tidbits
Sorry it's been so long! The last few weeks have been good but hectic. Daniel has been travelling quite a bit for work, so I've been getting a taste of what being a single parent is like - good, but a tad more difficult! Last week was tax time (I work in financial services), we had a new staff member in our office, Daniel was out of town, and Gabby and I had the yucky cold that's going around. It was not an easy week but we survived it. We're still getting over the cold, and now Gabby has a stomach flu that is also apparently going around. She was sleeping when I started this post but now she is awake and throwing up on dad. Poor baby. My parents always said "I wish it were me instead" when I was sick as a kid - now I understand that sentiment completely.
Okay, I'm back, and Gabby is sleeping again. Besides the gunk going around our household, we are all doing really well. She had a well-baby exam last week (her late 9-month/early 12-month appointment). Everything looked great and she appears to be developing right on track. She has grown one inch and gained over three pounds since we first met her! She is in the 75th percentile for height and the 10th percentile for weight - long and lean like mommy!
I can't believe how time has flown. I realized the other day that our first post-placement report is due in Colombia in a little over a month. We scheduled the home visit for next Thursday. Our social worker will come to the house, see how we interact with Gabby, ask us all kinds of questions, and write a report that we will send to our agency in Florida to review, approve, translate, apostille, and send to Colombia. It is due in Colombia on June 1st.
Many of you know that I have been fortunate enough to be able to cut my work down to part-time. I work Monday through Wednesday and have Thursday and Friday to be with Gabby. It is working perfectly because I don't think I could stay home full-time, nor could I be away from Gabby all week. Even better, Daniel is essentially self-employed and has quite a bit of flexibility with his schedule, so he is often able to be home with her one or two days while I'm at work. When we both work, my mom, my sister, or Daniel's mom have her. We are really, really blessed to get to leave her with family when we can't be with her.
Did I mention that I only work part time?!? I love it! We have been doing all sorts of fun things on our days off together - walking the dogs, going to reading group at the library, swimming, getting together with friends for play dates, taking naps... we can't wait for summer and trips to the zoo, park, etc.
We hope everyone is doing well!
Love,
Leslie, Daniel, and Gabby
P.S. These pictures were taken on a field trip to daddy's "office."
Okay, I'm back, and Gabby is sleeping again. Besides the gunk going around our household, we are all doing really well. She had a well-baby exam last week (her late 9-month/early 12-month appointment). Everything looked great and she appears to be developing right on track. She has grown one inch and gained over three pounds since we first met her! She is in the 75th percentile for height and the 10th percentile for weight - long and lean like mommy!
I can't believe how time has flown. I realized the other day that our first post-placement report is due in Colombia in a little over a month. We scheduled the home visit for next Thursday. Our social worker will come to the house, see how we interact with Gabby, ask us all kinds of questions, and write a report that we will send to our agency in Florida to review, approve, translate, apostille, and send to Colombia. It is due in Colombia on June 1st.
Many of you know that I have been fortunate enough to be able to cut my work down to part-time. I work Monday through Wednesday and have Thursday and Friday to be with Gabby. It is working perfectly because I don't think I could stay home full-time, nor could I be away from Gabby all week. Even better, Daniel is essentially self-employed and has quite a bit of flexibility with his schedule, so he is often able to be home with her one or two days while I'm at work. When we both work, my mom, my sister, or Daniel's mom have her. We are really, really blessed to get to leave her with family when we can't be with her.
Did I mention that I only work part time?!? I love it! We have been doing all sorts of fun things on our days off together - walking the dogs, going to reading group at the library, swimming, getting together with friends for play dates, taking naps... we can't wait for summer and trips to the zoo, park, etc.
We hope everyone is doing well!
Love,
Leslie, Daniel, and Gabby
P.S. These pictures were taken on a field trip to daddy's "office."
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Gato!
I just thought I'd post an update to let everyone know we are alive and well! Gabby continues to amaze us and fill our lives with joy. She is growing like a little weed, eating us out of house and home, and motoring around the house like she's been crawling all her life. She is also, for the most part (fingers crossed), sleeping very well.
So, the word of the week is GATO!
Many of you probably know that "gato" is "cat" in spanish. Gabby is apparently obsessed with cats, as she has begun pointing at everything and exclaiming "gato!" She does occasionally say other things, such as "dedo" (finger), "dog," "good," "caballo" (horse), and a few things we can't quite make out, but her standby is definitely "gato."
We have a very cool cat named Oscar, who could only be more mellow if he were dead. He is absolutely unflappable. One day shortly before we left for Colombia, I came upon one of our dogs dragging Oscar around the living room by his head. I shouted "No!" in horror, to which the dog responded by letting go, looking very startled by my outburst. However, Oscar simply looked at me and blinked, rolled over on his back, and swatted the dog playfully.
So, as you can imagine, Oscar is good with kids and has become Gabby's favorite playmate. She crawls around behind him, and upon catching him, usually performs a full-body tackle. Sometimes she pulls out chunks of his hair or painfully (at least it looks painful to us) yanks on his ears. When he is really "annoyed," he'll move about three inches out of her reach and flick his tail.
One day I was reflecting on what a nice 2-hour nap Gabby was taking when I heard some chattering coming from her room. I opened the door to find Gabby and Oscar playing in her crib. I don't know if she took a 1 hour and 50 minute nap and played with Oscar for 10 minutes or if she took a 10 minute nap and played with Oscar for 1 hour and 50 minutes. I suspect it won't be long before Gabby is outfitting Oscar in dresses and matching bonnets and pushing him around in a stroller.
I will post pictures soon of Oscar and Gabby at play. Every day I think "I should get a picture of that!" and then remember that the camera battery is dead. Why don't we simply charge it, you ask? Because we have a 10-month old! Some days I feel lucky if I simply make it out of the house with matching shoes on!
So, the word of the week is GATO!
Many of you probably know that "gato" is "cat" in spanish. Gabby is apparently obsessed with cats, as she has begun pointing at everything and exclaiming "gato!" She does occasionally say other things, such as "dedo" (finger), "dog," "good," "caballo" (horse), and a few things we can't quite make out, but her standby is definitely "gato."
We have a very cool cat named Oscar, who could only be more mellow if he were dead. He is absolutely unflappable. One day shortly before we left for Colombia, I came upon one of our dogs dragging Oscar around the living room by his head. I shouted "No!" in horror, to which the dog responded by letting go, looking very startled by my outburst. However, Oscar simply looked at me and blinked, rolled over on his back, and swatted the dog playfully.
So, as you can imagine, Oscar is good with kids and has become Gabby's favorite playmate. She crawls around behind him, and upon catching him, usually performs a full-body tackle. Sometimes she pulls out chunks of his hair or painfully (at least it looks painful to us) yanks on his ears. When he is really "annoyed," he'll move about three inches out of her reach and flick his tail.
One day I was reflecting on what a nice 2-hour nap Gabby was taking when I heard some chattering coming from her room. I opened the door to find Gabby and Oscar playing in her crib. I don't know if she took a 1 hour and 50 minute nap and played with Oscar for 10 minutes or if she took a 10 minute nap and played with Oscar for 1 hour and 50 minutes. I suspect it won't be long before Gabby is outfitting Oscar in dresses and matching bonnets and pushing him around in a stroller.
I will post pictures soon of Oscar and Gabby at play. Every day I think "I should get a picture of that!" and then remember that the camera battery is dead. Why don't we simply charge it, you ask? Because we have a 10-month old! Some days I feel lucky if I simply make it out of the house with matching shoes on!
For now, I will post a picture of our first Christmas as a family of three. Since Gabby couldn't be with us on Christmas, my family decided to leave the Christmas tree up and leave Gabby's presents wrapped until we got home. So, we celebrated Christmas in March!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Two weeks home!
We have been home now for two weeks and things are going pretty well. Gabby has been making the rounds meeting friends and family and is quite the little social butterfly - I'm pretty sure that everyone that has met her has agreed that she is, in fact, the cutest baby ever!
The biggest news I have to share is that Gabby is officially crawling! She has been somewhat mobile as long as she's been with us, but until the last few days she was doing the caterpillar crawl (on her tummy). She still does that, but now she also crawls on her hands and knees. She's not very fast just yet, but we suspect we won't be able to say that for long!
We have been working very hard to get Gabby on a schedule and thought we had succeeded until the last couple of days. Apparently, Gabby decided that her bedtime is not 7:00 as we had thought, but rather 9:00. In hindsight, we are pretty sure she told us this, but we are quite dumb and all we understood was "Dat bwoh doh blah doo goh."
I promised before that I would post pictures of Gabby's AWESOME bedroom - thanks Jen, Kevin, and Dad!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
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