December Babies

December 26
Happy Birthday, Noal!

December 13
Happy Birthday, Meliss!

December 9
Happy Birthday, Kryztie!

December 6
Happy Birthday, David!

Being sick all month kept me out of the blogosphere more than I had planned, which prevented me from posting about all the December babies in our family! We love you guys!!

Baby Pics of the Whole Family

Daddy

Mommy

Most of the Elenas

Maria Elena - 1945

Elena Marie - December 1978

Gabriela Elena - December 2008

I wish I also had a baby picture of my Nana, after whom I am named. Then the set would be complete.

Gabriela's Christmas Skillz

A Christmas Recovery!

Finally, we are all feeling mostly better! We seriously have been sick ever since Thanksgiving. No gracias. I did nearly all my Christmas tasks that couldn't be done earlier because we were sickies. We sent our Christmas cards out on Monday, listened to Christmas music all day long, finished our shopping before the big day (though some gifts are arriving late), and we had a delicious meal.

Feeling remorseful for my lack of pre-holiday planning, I decided to pull out all the stops for Christmas. We made cinnamon rolls this morning for breakfast, had carnitas for dinner, and, for the grand finale, I did it. I finally decided to make tamales without my mom around to supervise. I decided to do it because, after all, that's what moms do at Christmas time in my family, and now I'm a mom. I am here to report that it was a great success.

I was also ready to make some cookies, but decided not to since we received a delightful Harry & David Tower of Treats from Lane's parents with all kinds of sweet goodies.

Merry Christmas!

My mommy couldn't figure out how to change the order of the pictures, but this was at the end of the day. Daddy and I were all tuckered out after Christmas!

With Daddy in my cozy Santa Barbara outfit

My Nana crocheted this fancy sweater for me, and also sent me one she made for my mommy when she was my size.

mmmm, These Robeez are delicious!

Thank you for the book, Auntie Cynthia. And check out my bracelet Auntie Theresa made me!

Auntie Ann & Uncle Jesse, I love my cool books. Especially the Spanish ones!

My first Christmas was so much fun. I got lots of other neato presents. Boy, was I good this year! Thanks everyone!

Christmas Eve

Checking out the Tree

Reading Twas the Night Before Christmas

Gabriela's Latest Pastime

Date Night

Lane and I went on a date!!! We went to his work Christmas party at the 18th Street Lounge in Dupont. Even though we had a really good time, I couldn't want to get back home to our baby girl.

She was in the very competent hands of our lovely neighbor-friends, Sean & Jess. They gave Gabriela a stellar report. We were so proud of her. I know she had fun and was well taken care of. Thanks guys!! We really appreciate it!

Five Months Old!

Gabriela is five whole months old. She is such a big girl.

Just this week she started sitting up by herself for a few seconds at a time. She has shown herself to be a very resourceful girl. If there's something on her baby blankie out of reach that she wants, she will grab her blankie with both hands toward her until her item of choice is within grabbing distance.

Gabriela talks a lot these days. I am so happy she never lost her baby hair. She is starting to grow some new hair underneath, and it seems to be a much lighter blondish brown color... sort of like her Daddy's. Gabriela puts EVERYTHING in her mouth now. She especially likes to put her fingers in her mouth on the sides. She won't let me take a peek, but it feels like there are some bumps in there that may end up being teeth.

Gabriela really has a thing for my hair lately. She doesn't *pull* it, but she always likes to have a little handful in her hand if I'm holding or cuddling her. Sometimes if she starts getting fidgetty during the night, I'll give her some of my hair and she goes right back to sleep.

She's been rolling over from her back to her tummy since she was about two months old. But Gabriela only recently figured out how to roll over from her tummy to her back. It's funny because all the baby books we have read say that rolling from back to tummy takes so much more strength and that babies usually aren't able to do that until they are about five months old. While she can do both now, she still hasn't put the two together- that if you keep doing them in the same direction, you can go all over the place. We haven't let her in on this little secret yet.

It probably won't be much longer before she's crawling. Gabriela loves when we sing to her. Just the other day she was really fussy, so I started to sing her Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I hadn't even finished singing the FIRST twinkle, and she was flashing the biggest grin ever. Her favorite story right now is Mr. Brown Can Moo Can You? by Dr. Seuss. She loves all the goofy sound effects.

Things I should be doing instead of being a total sicky

1. Sending out the holiday cards. You know, those ones I had shipped to myself in October. The ones that I made labels for months ago??

2. Christmas shopping, it's only about half way done. And I have to ship almost everything across the country.

3. Making Christmas cookies - the ones I call Mexican Wedding Cakes, that Lane calls Russian Tea Cakes that Sunset Magazine calls Louisiana Pecan Balls. They are so tasty, everyone wants to take credit and ginger cookies and all those other tasty goodies. But all I want to eat is chicken soup. Besides, who wants germy cookies??!?!

4. Playing holiday music. I Love, Love, LOVE Christmas carols and haven't gotten my dose yet this season. But right now I just love quiet.

5. Planning a Christmas Menu - complete with over the top delicious breakfast and equally fantastic dinner. Last year I made citrus french toast sandwiched together with Goat Cheese and a strawberry topping. It was divine.

6. I was even toying with the idea of having a little get together here. uh. THAT's not going to happen.

Okay, sorry for all the complaining. Can you tell I'm upset about this nasty cold/infection/germ-fest 2008?

New Gabriela Pics

I just love those little flip-curls :)

Dum-Dum Here

Yep, that's me. The lady who just escaped pink eye FORGOT to change her pillowcase and guess what?? I have it again. AND I have no voice and still feel like crap. You can start feeling sorry for me now. :)

Go Away, Germs!

Seriously, I am SOOOOO done being sick already. I haven't been feeling well since last Saturday. Gabriela has been feeling bad too. We went to the doctor on Thursday since she was having trouble nursing and sleeping because of her yucky nose. She has a little respiratory virus, had a nebulizer treatment at the doctor and received a prescription for an inhaler (and a little tube with a mask contraption so she can take it). Thank you, insurance for covering the inhaler, screw you, insurance for not covering the device that enables her to actually take the medicine.

I must have gotten her virus because I'm all wheezy now and, for the grand finale, on Saturday night I got PINK EYE. Pink eye is so nasty. But by this morning, my eye looks completely normal. I, of course, was freaked out that Gabriela got it, so I took her to the pediatrician this morning. Twice in one week. Two and a half hours later, we determined that she does not have pink eye, but they gave her a prescription just in case it sneaks up on her. They don't hear any more wheezing in her chest, so at least she's getting better, and (thank goodness) she's okay to go to daycare.

I then spent an hour at the doctor for myself, got two prescriptions, confirmed they are safe to take if you are breastfeeding and am eagerly waiting for their magic to kick in.

I'm also glad I can go to work tomorrow. Having to stay home sucks, from a financial perspective, because I used up all my time off while on maternity leave (and very happy that I did that), but I also have to pay for daycare, even when Gabriela misses a day, so it's losing money times two. boo for that.

I've been washing my hands like a crazy woman and they are all dry and red and cracked as evidence. Lane made me drop some breast milk in my eye. I expressed some, then used a dropper and gave all three of us this hippie treatment. I thought it was a little crazy, but then I looked online to find this: http://www.breastfeeding123.com/breast-milk-cures-pink-eye-conjunctivitis/ Maybe that's why my eye looks totally normal, and why Gabriela doesn't have any gross green looking crap in her eye anymore. Still, we both have eye drop prescriptions, just in case.

We missed a little reunion with our childbirth class participants and their babies since we were all infected. Cross your fingers that we will be better soon - we want to go check out xmas lights on Wednesday night and Lane and I are supposed to go out on the town on a date for his work's Christmas party on Thursday.

Just Because

check out my snowman shoes from Auntie Meliss!

Bananas, Anyone?

We finally took the hint from Gabriela that she was interested in our food. She seemed mesmerized every time one of us was eating or drinking. But when she actually grabbed a cracker out of her daddy's hands yesterday, we decided it was time to give her some of her own food (and possibly, teach her some better manners!).

Here she is, trying bananas for the first time. Gabriela didn't cry or spit it out, but she still wasn't quite sure what was going on. She looks like such a big girl in her booster seat!!

Underneath the Christmas Tree

So I thought it would be fun to put Gabriela in one of our Christmas boxes for some pictures...

She had other plans. Apparently, our Christmas boxes are very tasty and soothing to the gums.

Gabriela's New Hat

Betsy, one of our volunteers at work, made Gabriela the sweetest hat. It just looks darling on her. Here she is modeling it for your viewing pleasure:

Gabriela's First Christmas Present

Okay, don't tell us we're cheaters because Grandma Janice TOLD us she was sending a box and INSTRUCTED us to open it as soon as it arrived. We were just being obedient!
What is it, Dad??
You mean, this is for me???


Grandma Janice, How sweet it was of you to send Gabriela her very first Christmas ornament for her very first Christmas. We put the ornament on the tree nice and low so Gabriela can enjoy it all season long. Thank you!!

We didn't forget!

We FINALLY got video of Gabriela laughing. She's been doing it on and off all this time, just not for the camera. Here she is all giggly and happy with her daddy.

My Post-Pregnant Self

I read about how you shed like crazy after having a baby. I thought I had skipped that lovely phase by the second month or so, kind of like how Gabriela never lost her baby hair. But that is not the story. You know how when you wash your hair, a little bit always comes out? Well that doesn't happen when you're pregnant - hormones or something. So I guess in one month I'm shedding a whole year's worth of hair. It is no fun.

At least the breastfeeding has had added side benefits. You burn calories like crazy when you breastfeed. This might be why I weigh 11 lbs less than when I GOT pregnant. I've even been able to wear stuff from my "DON'T EVEN BOTHER" pile of clothes.

I am loving walking as fast as I want, and not having to think twice to pick something up off the floor. At work, I don't even mind when the tray of the copy machine, which is inches from the floor, needs to be filled. I happily walk the 10 minutes to work from the metro (instead of huffing and puffing and getting all sweaty and arriving in 20 minutes - or just waiting for the shuttle).

I probably wouldn't even mind wearing high heels again if my FEET HADN'T GROWN. I swear, they are at least 1/2 a size bigger now. *sigh*

But the best part is all the happiness just from being Gabriela's mama. When she wakes up in the morning she is always in such a good mood and she'll just look at Lane or me and give us the biggest, sweetest grin she's got. It melts my heart. She "talks" to us lots these days. She also started having conversations with the Christmas tree on Friday. too cute.

SOO Much Cooking!

This weekend has been out of control in the cooking department. My poor husband got sick Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. So, instead of getting my Thanksgiving cooking started, I made him chicken soup. And then I made the spinach gratin and the turkey and the gravy and the mashed potatoes and the stuffing and the pumpkin crunch. Friday I made Turkey Soup. Saturday I made an enchilada casserole - quick and easy, way better than making individual enchiladas. Sunday I made a turkey salad with turkey, celery, dried cranberries, toasted almonds and apples with a dressing of plain yogurt and apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Then I got all Martha Stewart and roasted some butternut squash and cranberries with fresh grated nutmeg and blended it all up together in the food processor with GOAT CHEESE. mmmm. It's delicious and such a pretty color. What am I using this for, you ask? Ravioli filling. Don't worry, I'm totally cheating and making them using wonton wrappers. As if that weren't enough, I made more turkey stock and then made a turkey pot pie and used cornbread (from a box) as the crust. It turned out pretty tasty.

I'm just trying to use up all this turkey!! The extra enchilada sauce, the enchilada casserole, pot pie, turkey soup, and some of the ravioli are all in the freezer. It's my new thing. I love pulling something out of the freezer and having a delicious home cooked meal, even on the days when I'm tired and the last thing I want to do is go in the kitchen.

Tonight I plan on assembling more ravioli and cooking them in a browned butter sauce with fresh sage and pine nuts.

We are still eating Spinach Gratin and Stuffing and dessert too. Oh my goodness, the holiday season has begun!!

Oh, Lane!

I have two ornaments that spell the words NOEL and JOY. This is how my husband chose to put them on the tree.

Bring on Christmas, Baby!!

Are we supposed to eat these, Dad?


We are teaching Gabriela all about Christmas. She's listening to Christmas tunes, watching us bust out the Christmas tree and helping with decorating. So far, she loves this holiday almost as much as her mama.

Thanksgiving

Every year I fail to capture the deliciousness of our feast on film. This year we had some friends over who were staying in town. We had a potluck-style meal. Here's the one and only photo I thought to catch at the last moment.

So we had some cheese and meats and olives and shrimp cocktail for appetizers.

Lane and I took care of our thanksgiving staples - turkey with an herby onion mixture underneath the skin, sinful mashed potatoes and gravy, spinach gratin, and stuffing, which will forever be known as hippie stuffing thanks to my brother, David. It is my favorite part of thanksgiving. This year I used rosemary and olive oil sourdough bread, spicy italian sausage, toasted pine nuts and pecans, dried apricots, fresh cranberries, apples, onion, celery, fennel and portobello mushrooms with parsley and sage and thyme and rosemary, moistened with some unfiltered apple juice. mmm.

Alex and Matt brought some fabulous champagne, the shrimp cocktail, wine, a turnip mash and brussel sprouts and our friend Patti brought a roasted butternut squash soup and fresh, homemade cranberry sauce.

After gorging ourselves silly, we took a break and then feasted on Pumpkin Crunch, a recipe from Malia which has since become a Thanksgiving essential, and homemade apple pie and homemade vanilla ice cream, courtesy of Alex and Matt as well.

It was a fabulous day with good friends, laughs, and very full tummies.

Lane was very nervous about having enough turkey for leftovers and feeding everyone. So, he bought an 18 lb turkey (We were 5 adults). We only cut half of the turkey and only ate HALF of that! We are going to be eating thanksgiving for a while now, and we can't wait!

Gabriela, the little Mexican

Gabriela tried desperately to get a taste of some mole yesterday. It was hilarious. I was wearing her in her Moby and eating at the same time. Every time I put my bowl closer to me to take a bite, she'd reach her hand out toward my food and then bring her hand to her mouth. I wish Lane had been home so we could have taken a video for you!

Our Cutie Pie

Gabriela has been trying to master this skill for days and days. Every time she gets distracted by her thumb being so close to her mouth and she starts sucking that instead. Today her hard work finally paid off!

Gabriela is going to get tons of use out of this sweet hat this winter. Thanks, Ida!

Back to Worky Work

Here I am with all my Family Tracing colleagues. It's great to see them all again, but boy do I miss my baby girl!

Nov 20 - Four Months Old!

Gabriela is 4 months old. What a big month this has been for her! She had her first Halloween, helped her mom vote for the next president, started actually enjoying tummy time, discovered her feet, and *sigh* started daycare.

Gabriela LOVES to suck her thumb these days. She also drools like nobody's business ALL the time and sticks everything she can grab into her mouth.

She is sitting up very well in her little Bebe Pod - a chair that helps support babies who are learning to sit up themselves. She also holds her head up for a long time while on her tummy, and rolls over every chance she gets.

Gabriela interacts more and more each day - smiling and blowing little raspberries at us. She's also starting to get a little ticklish. She is so much fun!!!