Gabriela's love life

How does this happen in preschool??

The other day Gabriela informed me that she,"loves Aidan Howell and he loves me and I like him and he likes me.  When we are grown ups we are going to get married. Aidan says he will be the one walking and waving HI!!!"

This morning, as we gathered our valentines for school, Gabriela put a heart sticker on her shirt and was sure to bring her heart purse that Nana crocheted for her.

We then had this conversation:

G: I am Aidan Howell's girlfriend.
Me: Oh, really?  Did someone tell you that you were? 
G: nope, I just am.
Me: Well, what is a girlfriend?
G: You know, like Auntie Elizabeth is Uncle Noal's girlfriend?  I'm Aidan Howell's.
Me: What does a girlfriend do?
G: I don't know, but I am one!

Then, on the way to school, she told me that Mateus (who gave her a ring last week, which she immediately placed on her ring finger), is her boyfriend.

And then we saw Mateus getting out of his car to go into class and he shouted to Gabriela from across the street, "Hey, do you like that ring I gived you?????"

15 months old

Wow, it really feels like so much has happened with Easton over the last month.  For starters, he doesn't want to be carried anywhere.  He sometimes gets very upset when I won't let him just walk/run around exploring the world.  Easton even fusses when we go inside, because he just wants to be outdoors.  It's a little tricky managing his exploration - the little guy is fast and doesn't always want to stay on the sidewalk. But he has got to learn somehow.

It feels like he understands us so much more this month, or maybe he is just able to show it more.  He shakes his head no when we ask him to do something he doesn't want to do. If I ask him to hold my hand, he stops and opens his to grab mine, if I ask if he wants to walk, he starts reaching his legs down (all the time).  As a result, I haven't really bothered to teach him many more signs this month. He still has a few: Carrot, Alligator, Baby

Words: Easton signs a ton, gets by with head nodding and shaking, and yelling when he really, really, really wants something.  So he doesn't say too many words.  Ones that he does say (some are old, some are new) include Dada, Mama, Nana, on, up, door, dog.  I think I caught him saying goat and ball this week, but I'm not positive.

I have been showing him our family photos and naming everyone in them. When I do, Easton asks for more and so we do it over and over again. The other day as Lane carried him by the photo, Easton stopped, pointed, and clearly said, "Nana!" I, of course, immediately called my mom to let her know.

We think he called Gabriela "Baba" the other day.  Immediately, Gabriela smiled and said, "it's okay if he calls me Baba".  It was the sweetest moment, and I am pretty sure I got a little teary eyed.

Easton buzzes like a bee, barks like a dog, moos like a cow, neighs like a horse, and makes the cutest meow sound this side of the Mississippi. Easton also made up a little clicking sound for birds, which he always does now when he sees one.

He points to his ears, hair, nose, fingers, belly, and toes, and sticks his tongue out when you ask where it is. I am amazed to think that he didn't do these things last month. 


Easton signs for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and starts signing "up" right when we sing "Up above the world so high"

He constantly brings us books to read, and his favorites are always books with photos of animals.

We have also had a rough patch recently. Easton cut four of his incisor teeth this month.  FOUR! The bottom two are clearly through and the top two just barely have the pointy part showing through. No doubt about it, these four teeth have been the hardest for Easton. They are so sharp! Hyland's Teething Tablets are my new best friend.  And apparently, Easton's too. At first, Easton would scream and cry and try to pull them out of his mouth. He has had a change of heart though, and now pops them into his own mouth, immediately signing for more.

 I hope to post some updated photos soon, but first I have to take them. I have been horrible with the camera this month.

Remembering my Nana

Last night, as I lay in bed with Gabriela, she asked who made the afghan on her bed.  It was my Nana. This led to all sorts of questions like when did she die? Why did she die? Where was she when she died? What happened? What did her voice sound like right before she died?

I explained that she lived a long happy life, but her body got very old and sick, and she was in the hospital.  This happened shortly - like the same month- I moved to Washington DC. I knew this would be the last chance I'd have to see my Nana so I flew out to visit with her in the hospital, to hold her hand, and how, even in her sickness, she was sure to be a good hostess, and introduce me to the nursing staff as her granddaughter who came all the way from Washington DC to see her. And my Nana's voice was weak and tiny and fragile when I said goodbye to her. I explained how, I wasn't there, but my parents were and some of my siblings, surrounding my Nana in her house when she closed her eyes and took her last breath.  Gabriela asked if people cried.  Of course we cried, even Papa and her uncles cried.  I told her how I got up on a stage and read a poem for my Nana at her funeral, because she had requested that I do so, and how I cried when I was done reading it.

Gabriela, my sweet, sweet girl got all teary eyed, said she just felt so sad for me and began to cry. She told me that she wanted to write a letter to my Nana, even though she knew that my Nana couldn't read her letter.

I only responded to the questions Gabriela asked, trying only to answer what she was asking about, but she asked a lot of questions.  She asked if she ever met my Nana and I explained that even though she hadn't, my Nana still loved her.  That she crocheted a baby blanket (six) years before Gabriela was even born, and that we brought her home from the hospital in that blanket, how her middle name is my Nana's name, and how my Nana touched every bit of that blanket that keeps her warm and snuggly at night.


I told her maybe my Nana would visit her in her dreams. Maybe she would teach her how to make some yummy Mexican food or show her how to play a card game, or even how to crochet. 

And you know what? The next morning, she hopped into my bed telling me that she saw my Nana in her dreams, that she was going on a trip to visit her.  Gabriela picked her "I love Nana" shirt to wear today, and I don't think it was a coincidence.

Oh, how I love that little sweetheart of mine and her gigantic, loving heart.