Thursday, April 29, 2010

Our Weekend


Laying out on the boat in her pj's


Hanging out with Daddy while he cleans the yard
Going shopping with Momma
Showing off my jellies


Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Blueberries and Spaghetti...

Not together of course, but Gabriella tried both of them for the first time this past week. I wasn't planning to give her "table" food just yet and we still are not at this point but I figured I make my yummy organic spaghetti from scratch and its pretty healthy. I do want to keep her away from all the things that she cannot have until 1 year old, but I want to expose her to various textures and spices little by little. It is very important for her to get her nutritious fruits and veggies and that is foremost what her diet conists of. Here are some adorable pictures which shows she clearly enjoyed both very much!

I imagine this is what she is going to look like with "lipstick", ha!








Saturday, April 24, 2010

Mancados!


That's basically mangos and avocados Gabriella loves them both-seperate or mixed together. These were her new fruits of the week. She ate them each alone, mixed with yogurt, pears and mangos, and then of course mancados, as we call them. I've also read that avocados and bananas are pretty tasty so we'll try that this week. We are introducing kiwis and blueberries next along with acorn squash. We'll head to Whole Foods tonight after mine and hubby's date night-romantic huh?


Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I Have A Plan

*Note-This is for mere personal satisfaction. I have always had a passion for traveling. In college I wasn't able to afford it, but as soon as we got married we started doing little trips here and there. My ideal job would be to travel the world taking photographs and writing about my travels. Ha, that would be in my perfect world. I want to go to Europe, Asia, the French Polynesia, New Zealand, Greece- oh my list is endless! Lucky my husband was in the military and was able to travel during his 4 years in active duty. We all know what's required to travel-time and money. Well I have the time being a teacher and having summers off, problem is teachers don't make enough to sustain the lifestyle of an avid traveler, so that doesn't help. We however have made traveling a priority in our household. That means we have a specific savings account designated for traveling. We are not into expensive gadgets or name brand stuff (unless of course its on sale), all in the name of vacation! So with that said, one of the goals that I have set for myselff and hubby is to visit all 50 states, hopefully it doesn't take us an entire lifetime! My plan is to tackle a few states at a time. I would love to do a cross-country trip one day and see how the country changes through the different states. I know once Gabriella gets older we will be able to take more road trips and such. For now I will highlight the states that I have been to, hopefully I can highlight more very soon.

*I have driven through many states  during our big road trips to Michigan, S. Carolina, and California such as Indiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, Arizona etc., but I do not want to count them unless I have spent the night and toured a city in that state.*

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

 Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

 Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Friday, April 16, 2010

Vacation Booked!

Let me first say that this (vacation planning with a child) was harder than I thought. There are so many things to take into consideration when traveling with a baby. Of course I want her to get used to traveling since mommy and daddy love to do so. We did not want to let Miss G stop us from traveling and the sooner she gets exposed the better. Plus everyone needs a vacation at least once a year and starting a summer vacation tradition is just the perfect excuse! We definitely wanted to do a beach vacation. We do one every year except last since I was pregnant and I'm dying to be laying out with my feet in the sand drinking a coctail.....and playing with G. Unfortunately I did not get Gabriella's passport earlier and by the time we actually considered an international trip it was a little too late and I did not want to stress over the passport arriving on time. Therefore we considered Puerto Rico, SanDiego,  Hawaii and Florida. I know I said I did NOT want to go to Florida but that is what suited us the best.

Puerto Rico was not a perfect fit for a vacation with a baby. It requires you to travel among the island to really get the best experience and there were not a ton of things to do with a baby. El Yunque Rainforest is a popular attraction and it would have been awesome except it probably would not have been the best idea to hike a few miles in very hot weather and a baby:( We decided not to go with San Diego since we've been there before and not necessary the "Caribbean" type beaches we were looking for. We entertained the idea of Hawaii for just a bit, but since we went there 2 years ago and Hawaii is not cheap it was easily discarded plus I did not want Gabriella's first plane ride experience to be for 8+ hours.

I did a ton of research and we ended up choosing to vacation in Naples and Fort Lauderdale/Miami for seven days. We wanted a family friendly destination with nice beaches, shops, dining, and nice resorts. According to my research Naples has beautiful white sand beaches (see the picture above) and is a very kid-friendly town. There is 5th Avenue with tons of shops and dining options and there is a zoo nearby. Captiva and Sanibel Islands are a short distance away and we will check those out too. We are staying at LaPlaya Beach and Gulf Resort and it looks fabulous. The resort is on the beach and it has excellent reviews.


We wanted to venture out a different city in Florida. We thought about Disney, but Gabriella is too young and I'm sure she will ask us to take her in a couple of years anyway. We decided to drive drive south to Fort Lauderdale/Miami and fly out of there. We'll be staying at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale. Although Miami is known for their nighlife there is plenty to do with the kiddos. We are planning to go to the Seaquarium, The Butterfly Observatory, maybe a baseball game, and of course have some Kilwins icecream. I also want to grab a bite to eat at Bongo's Cuban Restaurant.


I just booked our vacation yesterday and have to do more research and plan our itenerary. I will of course write a review after our trip which is not until mid-summer. I cannot wait for our first and much needed vacation with Gabriella!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

To My Daughter...

Dear beautiful darling Gabriella,
Hi it's me Mommy.You know when you were in my belly I promised to compile lots of letters for you and as you see I have not done so and I apologize. Last night I was going through your baby pictures, and while you're still a baby I'm talking about a tiny newborn little baby and I cannot beleive that that was you. You have changed so much in these past 7 months little girl. I started reminiscing about the past few months since you were born and am afraid that I cannot slow the pace of time. I thought back to the first day that I was left alone in the hospital room with you. Daddy had left to school and the nurses called and said you were going to be released from the NICU. I was so utterly excited and could not believe I was going to be able to have you in my room all to myself. They wheeled you in your little crib and there you were so tiny and fragile. And there we were just you and me.You were just looking at me. Honestly this was my first time that I had ever taken care of a newborn and I admit I was terrified! What would I do if you cried, if I couldn't soothe you, if I couldn't change your  diaper right? Of course I look back and think how ridiculous that sounds because I just knew how to take care of you from the very start. Someone once told me that my mother instinct would immediately kick in and it did. If you cried I would nurse you and hold you in the warmth of my arms and you would settle. Of course you were also a pretty easy baby so I have to give you some credit. Thanks for cooperating with me, sweet girl.

I still rememeber the day we were going home. I dressed you up in the Baby Gap onsie Daddy had picked out for you and a pink headband. We waited for Daddy to pick us up and there you were swimming in your infant carseat. Just recently we had to switch to the convertible one since you were getting to heavy to haul around. I think back to the day we got home from the hospital, the sleepless nights, your first bath, the time we took you to the pumpkin patch-at 5 weeks old I may add! Thinking about your first holiday season and your beatiful tree we put up especially for you makes me warm inside.

I remember the days where we would take naps together. You would get all snuggled up on my chest and I loved to feel you breath on me. We still take those naps every once in a while but you much rather be scooting on the floor, chewing on a toy, or being squirmy while mommy is holding you. I love your smiles, and coos, to now your f contagious full blown giggles and laughs. I love your bath time as much as you do because you have a blast every time.

These days you have become a lot more independent, yes even at 7 months! You sleep so peacefully in your room and no longer need me to hold your bottle. You have recently started putting food in your mouth (puffs, which you love) and I imagine that the day when I won't need to spoon feed you will soon arrive. By the way you love your veggies and fruits especially squash, carrots, and peas. Bananas and yogurt are your fave also!
I cherish every single moment with you sweet baby. Everything that I was once told about motherhood is just that and so much more. You will know what I'm talking about one day when you become a mother. It is the most beautiful undescribable joy and I have you to thank for all of it.

Happy 7 Months old beautiful girl.

Love,
Mommy

Guess Who's 7 Months Today!

Gabriella is 7 months now and its definitely an adventure having her around! She's such a happy baby most of the time, and it's amazing how her little personality shines through. She does let us know when she gets bored and wants to do/play with something else, though. We've learned that she gets bored easily and needs to be changing sceneries often and she lets us know with a loud scream. I love that she has such a strong personality and expresses what she feels even at this young age. She has continued to be a good sleeper, knocks on wood and we really appreciate that about her. Miss G is still doing the army crawl and has not yet learned to crawl on all fours. Her new entertainment is giving herself milk baths. That's right, when she's decided she's had enough to eat she starts to play with her bottle, turning it upside down and squirting milk all over herself. It was great when she started holding her own bottle, but now we have to be watching her to make sure she does not end up drenched in milk:)

Gabriella has been on solids for a month now and is really enjoying all her food. So far she has had all of the foods below. Her favorites are marked with an asterisk, as you see  its most of the food. Her absolute favorite are bananas and yogurt with anything. She devours the yogurt!

Peas ***
Carrots **
Sweet Potato
Green Beans*
Squash**
Bananas***
Apples*
Pears*
Peaches**
Avocado**
Yogurt***
Toast**
Chicken noodle soup***
Tiny bits of chicken breast**

We have tried a combination of a lot of these foods and I try to introduce at least 2 new foods a week, ensuring to wait the 3-4 days to look out for allergic reactions. The two new foods for this week are mangos and blueberries. Although we gave her some bits of chicken to try she is not on meats yet. We will gradually introduce them closer to 8 months. We started giving her puffs (with the ok the her pedi) to have her practice the finger grasp concept and she quickly got the hang of it. The sippy cup was introduced at 5 months and she finally learned to suck and drink out if it a few days ago. I only give her about 1-2 ounces of water in her sippy cup with dinner to have her continue to practice with it. It's been really fun cooking her food, introducing new foods, and trying out differnt combinations.

Gabriella is still wearing 9 month clothes and size 3 in shoes. This weekend she was sportin' her new Baby Gap jellies and bug-eye shades...pictures to come. Its a blast having her in our lives! Here are some more things Miss Gabriella has been up to lately.

Months 7 & 8
Parents.com


Senses: A lovey rules just about now -- the familiar feel and smell of a treasured blankie or teddy is reassuring. Gabriella has a favorite blankie given by Aunt Dill. She rubs it and puts it in her mouth as with everything else nowadays.


Body: Your baby gets up on his hands and knees, rocks back and forth, and may even crawl. Gabriella is doing the army crawl and scoots herself all over the floor, but not yet crawling.


Brain: Your infant has a crude understanding of cause and effect -- for instance, if you let go of something, it will fall. Gabriella has definitely learned about the cause and effect due to gravity, ugh! She drops her toys a million times and expects us to quickly pick them up for her.


Communication Skills: He responds to his name and probably looks up when you say "No!" Time to start setting limits, Boss. Your baby also whines when you take away a toy or (more likely) a forbidden object. Gabriella has known her name for a little while now. Even when we're on the phone and say her name she looks up thinking we're talking to her. She gets very upset when you take any forbidden object away from her such as the remote, cell phone, or bottle( when she's spilling milk).


Aww Factor: She drinks out of a sippy cup like a big girl!


Fave Toy: Pots, pans, cell phones, remotes -- all things adult are the rage.