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.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
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!
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