Monday, September 1, 2008
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.
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