The porcelain god

I started the week with a full night's sleep and a peaceful shower. I know, weird, right? Just as I was about to look in the mirror and yell WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY LIFE, Michael called to tell me that Gabriella had been puking all morning, in case I had forgotten who I was all the way down there at the Holiday Inn in Raleigh.

I had planned to fly home that evening but returned that afternoon instead to revive Gabriella from her cartoon coma with a bath and bedtime stories.

So then the next night I received a text message from Michael at work telling me in no uncertain terms that he too had the stomach bug. And I wanted to go, seriously? I know I should be sympathetic, but really? THE BABY COULD BE NEXT!

Let me tell you about the next 24 hours where Michael and Dominic perfected a chorus of vomit in between sips of Gatorade and Pedialyte while Gabriella handed out bandaids and Fisher Price Medical Kit injections. 

So I finally get to Friday with the family intact, and I'm trying not to feel cocky because my immune system, I don't know, kicks a lot of ass, when I wake up in the middle of the night with immobilizing nausea. OH YES I DID. 

I don't think I need to tell you how this story ends.

Count down

Courtesy of Polka Dot Design

Snow is glistening

This weekend snow blanketed Boston and Gabriella earned her first cup of hot cocoa by helping Michael shovel the sidewalk.

Overheard

Gabriella: I. NEED. A BOOK.

Me: Excuse me, little girl. That is not how you ask for something. You say, please mama, may I have a book.

Gabriella: I can't remember all that!

Jolly Old Soul

If Gabriella is this excited to meet a plastic Santa then stick a corncob pipe in my mouth and call me Frosty because I'm going to need to tether her to the ground before she meets the real thing. If I don't, she's likely to rise to the ceiling of the Natick Mall as if she were a float in the Macy's Parade.

Overheard

Me: Behave yourself. I'm watching you.

Gabriella: Don't look at me! I'm GORGEOUS!

The gift of Domi

Sunday afternoon we walked a block and a half for Dominic's baptism at the local Catholic church. The ceremony included my new favorite prayer:

God has brought joy to all mothers, as they see the hope of eternal life shine on in their children. May he bless the mother of this child. She now thanks God for the gift of her child. May she be one with her son in thanking God for ever in heaven.

Then we ate antipasto, bruschetta, chicken salad, mini hotdogs, popcorn and bacon-wrapped scallops at home with family and friends. Oh! And the men stood around admiring the features of our baby monitor as if it were the latest iPod touch and singing Happy Birthday a cappella to Gabriella because she asked them to.

Drawing the line

Gabriella got herself into a whole lot of trouble today with her father. The crime: bouncing up and down on her brother. LIKE A KANGAROO she later told me. Dominic usually puts up with his sister's rough ways, I think because he finds her so damn entertaining. But the other night Dominic was rolling around the living room minding his own business when Gabriella lassoed his head with a pink headband. I grabbed the camera and he looked up as if to say, seriously Mom, you too? Where's Dad?

Dear Santa

Today Gabriella turns twenty-nine months and the world turns the corner toward the most wonderful time of year.

Santa is a daily topic of conversation in our house. Gabriella gets the presents, the milk and cookies, the carrots for the reindeer. But the letter to Santa confuses her. She keeps listing toys she has instead of toys she wants. Until today.

Today in the grocery store checkout line Gabriella thought of something Santa could bring her: ice cream. And oh, she didn't want to go home to take a nap. She wanted to go to the North Pole.

Boy Crazy

The other night Gabriella spotted a little boy eating dinner at the next table and said, “I love him.” Michael almost had a heart attack. “I love him. He’s cool.”

Recently she’s been developing crushes on older boys. She calls Michael from Barney and Friends on the phone. She cooks him dinner, cries when he misses an episode (which I suppose is the toddler equivalent of being ignored after a first date.) I know. THE HEARTACHE.

I think Gabriella reacts so positively to boys because she just loves her three boy cousins, especially Jonathan who is the oldest and spends a lot of time entertaining her.

Two Divas and a Sock Monkey

For Halloween Gabriella dressed up as her favorite storybook diva, Fancy Nancy, and I dressed up as my favorite pop diva, Madonna. Obviously neither one of us subscribes to Coco Chanel’s advice on accessories: always take one thing off before leaving the house. And Domi? We dressed him up as an old-fashioned sock monkey. Because we can.

Bookworm

This shot was taken moments after Gabriella returned her first library book.

What can I say? The kid loves books.

She's trying to turn her brother into a bookworm.

So far it isn't working. Dominic is far more interested in grabbing, banging, even eating books than he is in reading them, with one very adorable exception.

Mademoiselle de Paris

The Garden in the Fall

Gabriella.
September 18th, 2009
Charlestown, Massachusetts