Naughty & Nice

I ordered Gabriella's Christmas stocking on Monday. Unfortunately, the one I wanted was sold out, so I settled for a plain red quilted one. Well, today, I got a surprise package from my mother, and it was the sold-out stocking I wanted but ordered too late!

Here are a couple pictures--one naughty, one nice--of Gabriella and her meant-to-be Christmas stocking:

(too much egg nog)

(sugar and spice and everything nice)

Rice Cereal

Gabriella's first bite of solid food--homemade rice cereal--was a success!

Of course, she got it all over her hands, my shirt, everywhere but the bib :)

GFR @ 5 months

Happy five-month birthday, Gabriella!

The highlight of my day was taking you on a long walk, just the two of us. It was unseasonably warm and you seemed as grateful as I was to escape from the Thanksgiving chaos, if only for an hour. Here are a couple pictures from our trip:

I love you!

Happy Anniversary!

In honor of our third wedding anniversary, here's one of my favorite pictures from our big day.

And here's Gabriella celebrating the occassion!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9569914568

Massive Headwound Harry

Friday morning, Michael left the house at the crack of dawn for a one-hour day surgery to correct the mastoiditis in his right ear that had claimed 50% of its hearing. He was supposed to be home by noon. This is how he came back ... 12 hours later.

We've nicknamed him Massive Headwound Harry. My favorite though is the reaction that Gabriella (and her friend Henry the Hippo) had when he walked through the door.

GFR @ 4.5 months

Here's a sneak peek at the professional pictures we had taken this weekend.

The photographer, Michelle Carr, really captured Gabriella's playful and inquisitive personality at 4.5 months.

Dinner at Houston's

Gabriella was an angel for her grandparents last night, who babysat while Michael and I enjoyed dinner at our favorite restaurant. She slept the entire time so, other than kissing her goodnight (below), their only interaction with her was through the video monitor :)

Happiest Baby on the Block

Somebody told me today that Gabriella looked happy. It was the best compliment. Then it occurred to me : her happiness is now my single greatest goal. In fact, I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to make her smile, and go to even greater lengths to make her laugh.

Tonight, as I look at recent pictures of us, I realize that I look pretty happy myself.

Breathable Bumpers

The first of many pointless baby products to enter our home, I'm sure.

Soulful little girl ...

Daylight Saving Time

What's wrong with this picture?


Well, it was taken at 3:30 in the morning! Thanks to the end of Daylight Saving Time and a four-month-old who's in the midst of re-organizinging her sleep (i.e. taking longer and obviously too-long naps)--it's the middle of the night and there's a party in her bouncy chair. I used to love the extra hour of sleep we get at this time of the year. Now, well, I'm a mom and a good night's sleep, never mind an extra good night's sleep, is never guaranteed. But the payoff? I get to play with the little girl in this picture while the rest of the world sleeps.

Halloween

Halloween was officially my favorite day as a new mom so far. We took Gabriella for her four-month doctor appointment. She weighed in at 14 lbs 7 ounces and measured 26 inches. Michael had to work at night, so Gabriella and I went for a long walk through the trick-or-treating madness near Boston's Bunker Hill Monument and visited him at the restaurant.

Here's Gabriella tolerating her costume because she thinks her carrot rattle is edible ...


And here she is after realizing the carrot is made of satin and I've simply dressed her up ... yet again. I imagine this is the same look she's going to give me as a teenager, a mix of utter disbelief and genuine pity.