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."
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