Pirate Duckies!

This morning, while we were letting Mama catch up on her sleep...


Gabi watches her new pirate duckies swim around.
...we decided to try out Gabi's new pirate duckies! Papa is probably more excited about this new toy ("pirates are cool!") than is Gabi ("oh look, little yellow things"), but our little girl really liked watching them swim around this morning. In addition...


Gabi plays in the sink with her pirate duckies.
...the pirate ducks are helping little Gabi overcome her hydrophobia--up until a week or so ago, she really hated her baths, but she's been much more tolerant of them as of late. We spent a good 5-10 minutes splashing in the sink and watching our duckies swim. We sang some pirate songs, including "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" and "An Unserem Lagerfeuer"

Mama hasn't seen Gabi play with her pirate duckies yet, so this post is a good morning surprise for her. Good morning, Mama!

Standing

As Gabi's new favorite passtime is standing up, she really enjoys her stationary bouncer. She's still so small that we stuff a blanket around her to help support her, otherwise she wabbles a bunch. She enjoys watching the duck and batting at the other toys on the saucer, but she is startled if she punches the star (which makes it sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star) or spins the rattle cylinder full of colored beads (which makes a fair amount of noise). She can turn all the way around in the bouncer, although I'm not convinced that she intends to do so when she does. Gabi likes this toy that allows her to stand up so much that she'll play happily in it for quite a while, especially if she can see me the whole time.


Gabi playing in her bouncer.

Goodbye Little Rock

Gabi has been smiling at us for a while now, but every day she seems to share her smile more. Gabi has also started giggling, which she does to express how happy she is when Mama walks in the room, when we pick her up, and when I am preparing to feed her. She also giggles when we play peek-a-boo, a game she is now adores. Yesterday, we discovered that she is ticklish, too.

Gabriella is getting so big now! She loves to stand up, and she is quite strong even though she hasn't yet mastered the balance required to stand on her own. Sometimes she even prefers standing to being cuddled! Her favorite is standing in front of a mirror, as Gabi likes to watch her own reflection.

Gabi loves to stand and smile. 6/9/2005

Gramma requested a picture of our little baby yawning. She is quite cute when she wakes up, I must admit. Additionally, this picture illustrates how young Gabriella can curl her tongue -- a talent that her mother does not possess.


Gabi curling her tongue
6/9/05

Before moving to Atlanta, Gabi made the rounds to say goodbye to everyone in Little Rock. Unfortunately, Gabi won't have as many daily visitors now, but the rumor that "a new baby is moving into that house" has already spread around the neighborhood, and thus some of our neighbors have dropped by just to meet our little girl.

Goodbye to Ninong 6/9/05

Goodbye to Tita 6/10/05

SuperGabi!

Pictures of SuperGabi©, Baby of Steel!
(5/23/05)

So a few weeks ago, Gabi and I were letting Mama take a nap, when Gabi decided she needed a "new trick." These photos are the first recorded evidence of that new trick--flying. Lolo and Lola were so delighted with this trick (and the big smile it elicited--see the second picture) that they dubbed her "SuperGabi" (you know, because she flies like Superman). I was thinking of just calling it "flying" but "SuperGabi" seems to have stuck... mostly because Lola kept repeating it everytime I'd hoist her up.

At any rate, it's a totally fun game to play now, because it always gets a big smile (as well as a large amount of drool spillage if I attempt it unassisted). I'd attempted to introduce it about a month earlier, and the results were less than spectacular--Gabi hated it. Since then, she's developed her back muscles quite a bit, and she loves to show them off. I'm surprised that we have only these two pictures of SuperGabi, as often as we show off this ability, but then, I suppose that most of the pictures belong to those adoring fans who have witnessed her super powers in person.

By way of exposition (and so that you can complete your superhero collector cards), SuperGabi can not only fly, but also has the strength of many babies and can stand with minimal assistance. She fights crime with her uncanny bubble-making ability (of the saliva variety) and her mama sense.

Note: SuperGabi "fights crime" in that she "keeps her parents occupied so they don't get into mischief." Mama says she's not old enough to be a caped crusader or anything dangerous just yet. She's not even old enough to be a "terror that flaps in the night."

Of course, her greatest superpower is her super cuteness, which even now is captivating the lot of you, gentle citizens and evildoers alike.

So once again, the day is saved, thanks to the cutest superhero out there, SuperGabi.

White Sheet Pics

Peek-a-boo!

The other day, Gabi was hiding in Mama and Papa's bed. Papa took some pictures. Tita Chrissie likes the picture above, while Mama likes the pictures below. Not much else to say... except that our baby sure is cute!


Gabi and her Bunny


Gabi with her Bunny (with different lighting and a tasty hand)

A Trip to Gonzaga

Hello again! I'm still being cute!
(5/5/05)
Our (extremely cute) little baby has been travelling all over the country as of late. You've seen pictures from her road trip out to Brenham, Texas for a wedding, as well as two trips out to Atlanta to go house-hunting with her parents. Most recently, she traveled with her parents and much of Papa's family up to Gonzaga to watch Tita Chrissie graduate... and to meet Tita Chrissie for the first time. We had such a fun time in Spokane playing with all our family.

First off, we have some pictures with the rightful star of the weekend, who probably had some of her deserved attention stolen by our little one. I don't think she really minded, mostly because our baby was being so sweet to her only aunt. We're all super proud of Tita Chrissie for graduating from college. Go Zags!

Gabi meets Tita Chrissie (5/5/05)

Gabi with Papa and Tita Chrissie (5/8/05)

During this trip, Gabi and her parents stayed in a hotel room which adjoined Lolo and Lola's room. This meant that her adoring grandparents got to spend a large amount of time holding and playing with their only granddaughter. There were some (such as Lola Gigit) who warned that she'd get spoiled with all this attention. But really, you can't spoil babies this age with too much attention. At any rate, she certainly enjoyed all the extra holding-time. Here are some cute examples of Lolo's extended time holding Gabi.

Gabi on Lolo's shoulder (5/6/05)

Gabi napping on Lolo (5/6/05)

In addition to all the extra holding, there was extra playtime, during which Gabi showed off all her tricks (tracking, talking, and occasionally smiling). She also showed everyone how strong she is by kicking her legs and wiggling her arms. She can even stand for a little while if you support her--she has the strength, but not the balance or the stamina. See?


Gabi standing up for Mama and her audience
(5/6/05)
We would be remiss if we didn't mention who made up this audience of admirers. Making the trip up from San Mateo were Lola Gigit and Lolo Ruben. Also, we saw a great deal of Tita Chrissie's beau, Jordan, and his family who drove in from Yakima and Prosser for the graduation. And also traveling out of Little Rock were Ninong Edward, Ninang Sylvia, and Cousin Steven, who are always more than happy to spend time with little Gabi.


Gabi with Ninang and Steven
(5/6/05)
Finally, in a twist of fate which probably interests Mama and Papa more than it did Gabi, we ran into an old friend from Notre Dame, the lovely and talented Danielle Rose (nee Skorich). Danielle's younger brother was graduating as well. Tita Chrissie assures us that Notre Dame-Gonzaga connections are highly common, but it was still uncanny to run into the young lady who lived next door to Mama in her dorm back at ND.


Gabi with her parents and Danielle Rose Skorich
(5/7/05)

More Baptismal Pictures

Gabriella Christine's baptism was such a momentous event, we figure that more photos are appropriate. Unfortunately, as you will see in some of these pictures, Gabi did not particularly enjoy her baptism ceremony because she was hungry at the time and did not appreciate the delay in being fed. The priest gave a fantastic homily, though, and Gabi did stop crying during the actual pouring of the water on her head (I think because she was confused as to what was going on).

Gabi borrowed Steven's gorgeous Filipino baptismal gown.

The priest annoints Gabi just as Samuel annointed David.

Gabriella pauses from her "I'm hungry" cry to watch the priest.

Gabriella is called to be a light for the world.

Monsignor Hebert, Ninong Edward, Mama, Papa, and Ninang Sylvia with the newly-baptized Gabriella.

Gabriella (still hungry) with her parents and grandparents after her baptism.

Claimed for Christ

Gabriella Christine was baptized on Saturday, April 23, 2005. Due to some camera difficulties, we were unable to obtain pictures until now. We are very happy to welcome our little Gabi into the Church, as we promise to raise her in the faith so that she may grow to know and love the Lord.


Ninong (Godfather) Edward, Ninang (Godmother) Sylvia,
Mama, Papa, and Monsignor Hebert
celebrate Gabriella's baptism.


Gabriella Christine,
baptized in the name of the Father,
of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.


Grampa holding the newly-baptized
Gabriella Christine
(4/23/05)

Many thanks to Grampa for the fabulous pictures of this special occasion in our daughter's life.

Vaccinations

Gabriella had three shots today at the Pediatrician's office, which included five immunizations: Prevnar, DTaP, eIPV, Hib, and Hep B. The Pediarix shot includes the DTaP, eIPV, and HepB vaccinations, which helped cut down on the number of shots Gabi received. Gabi has definitely needed extra love and cuddles today, as well as a little Infant Tylenol.

Today, Gabriella weighed an even 12 pounds (a gain of 1 lb 11 oz in the past month) and measured up to 23 inches (2 inches longer than one month ago). She is such a big girl now! She is also impressivly good at holding up her head, which now has a circumference of 15 and 7/8 inches (7/8 of an inch more than last time). It is so fun to watch our Gabriella grow.


Gabriella is such a big girl! (5/1/05)


Gabi holds her head up. (5/2/05)

A hint of Gabi's smile (4/22/05)

Gabi sits up and watches her Papa. (5/3/05)

Visiting Atlanta

In the past few weeks, Gabriella traveled to Atlanta twice, meeting many new friends as Mama and Papa found a house. Everyone loved the opportunity to play with our sweet baby. Gabi spent a great deal of time with Peggy Tim, who accompanied Mama on many house-hunting explorations during the first trip since Papa was back in Little Rock.

While Mama and Gabi were staying with the Tims, Gabriella talked herself to sleep for the first time. It is nice that Gabi can now lie down in her crib and talk to herself until she falls asleep on her own, because even fun activities (such as walking around holding a baby until she falls asleep) can be exhausting in the middle of the night. It is also incredibly cute to listen to Gabi talking happily until she is too tired to stay awake. Gabriella repeated this nighttime activity on the second trip, when we stayed with the Cowdens. Gabi sure does like her little travel play pen!

Gabi meets Dr. Mike Tim (4/19/05)

Gabi smiles at Peggy Tim (4/20/05)

Tom Apker holding Gabriella (4/21/05)

Papa and John Cowden pretend Gabi is playing the drums (4/28/05)

Gabriella visits Stone Mountain with her family (4/30/05)

Gabriella plays with Lisa Cowden (5/2/05)

I must say that the picture of Gabi and Lisa is exceptionally adorable. Gabi was being so cute that day, just talking and laughing! I was glad to have the time to pay attention to her as well, since traveling and house-hunting was probably very boring for our little girl. Gabi does travel well, though, which made the trips easier for us.

Tracking

Gabi watching her new toy.

Papa had his birthday last week. Gabi got her first present-on-someone-else's-birthday on that occasion. We're looking forward to a lifetime of being ignored as people pay attention to our captivatingly cute little girl. A few days ago, Lola got her some new outfits while she was out shopping for Gabi's cousin's birthday present.

More interesting from a developmental standpoint is that Gabi really seems to have mastered the art of tracking objects. Okay, so she hasn't completely mastered it just yet, but she's getting there. As you can see in this picture, she will stare for a good while at interesting things. She'll even follow them for a while until they go out of her field of view. Some of her favorite things to track are her Mama, the flashing musical star on her play gym, and the little animal friends on her crib mobile.

I know you might be thinking, "that's not such a big deal... tracking objects is pretty simple... I do it all the time without thinking about it." Well, it's not all that simple, apparently. For example, if you wanted to program a robot to track objects, you'd have to do something like this. I just find it amazing that her little brain is figuring out all that. I suppose I ought to also find it amazing that my larger brain can do that and then some, but I'm not a cute little baby.

Gabi is so smart.

Growing Up

Gabi went to her one-month check-up when she was five and a half weeks old. The doctor weighed her in at 10 pounds 5 ounces (gain of 3 pounds, 12 ounces) and measured her to be 21 inches long (growth of 2 inches). She is so big already! When I compare Gabi to our friends' newborns (a one-week-old and a two-week-old), I can't remember when Gabi was ever that small, even though she is only seven weeks old now. It's amazing how quickly infants grow.


Gabi sitting on the rocking chair all by herself! (4/11/05)

The pediatrician was also impressed with how well Gabi can already hold her head up and control her neck muscles. She is quite strong! It's fun to watch Gabi develop. Over the past two weeks, she has learned some new skills. She is starting to smile and giggle when she is happy and when she sees me. She can track objects with her eyes, somewhat. If I walk across the room, she will turn her head to watch me. Gabriella is also starting to talk to us, mostly using vowel sounds at this point. She is also learning to control her muscle movements a little, and she bats at her favorite toys now--especially the ones that reward her with music or flashing lights.

Little Rock family

Gabi enjoys all the attention she receives from her family here in Little Rock.

Gabi snuggles with Lolo as she sleeps. (4/5/05)

Gabi and Lola dance around our living room. (4/5/05)

Gabi stomps on Steven's head while he watches TV. (4/8/05)

Gabi talking to Aunt Sylvia -- soon-to-be "Ninang." (4/8/05) Gabriella's baptism will be on April 23.

Gabi and Mama chatting in their night gowns before bed. (4/6/05)

Lolo watches Gabi sleep and stretch. (4/5/05)

Where's Mama?

Gabi smiling

We've gotten so many fun presents for Gabi. She has a lot of outfits she hasn't yet grown into, and we promise to post cute pictures of her wearing those when she's big enough. But here's a brand new outfit from Gabi's friends. It's a shirt-and-skort outfit with pretty flowers on the front.

It's super cute, especially on our Gabi... especially when she's smiling. By the way, you get 3 Gabi-points if you can guess where Mama was when this picture was taken. I don't know what Gabi-points are for yet, but it will be something cool. Maybe Gabi-fanclub stuff.

Also pictured here is Gabi's new musical bouncer. To our dismay, we discovered that we only have 2 size C batteries of the 3 required, so it looks like Papa will be making a trip to Wal-mart in the near future. The bouncer is pretty comfy, and Gabi seems to really like it.