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Showing posts from 2010

Christmas Time is Here!

 Santa was in a hurry, he left a mess!   We love our girl  A happy family  Christmas morning was a busy time...actually the entire days was very busy.  Gabby woke up, we woke Daddy, and then went down stairs to see what Santa brought.  Gabby instantly knew the gifts from Santa were for her.  She went directly to a small one, picked it up, and began tasting the wrapping paper and playing with the tag.  She played with her wrapped gifts while mommy got dressed and cooked the homemade cinnamon rolls.  Once everyone began to arrive an hour later, we opened gifts from Santa, a few from mommy and daddy, and Grandma and Papa.  Then, Gabby took a long nap and then graced us with her presence.  We instantly began opening gifts when she woke up, but the sea of gifts was still overwhelming.  We continued to open gifts ALL day long.  We started opening at 9:00 in the morning and officially finished at approximately 3:00 in the afternoon (with

Christmas Time is Almost Here

Christmas Eve was an eventful day.  First we went to church and saw "real" snow that was man made.  Gabby LOVED church, they played a lot of loud music and Gabby would dance and "sing" along, it was adorable!  Then, we went to Grandma and Papa's with Grandma and Grandpa and had a gumbo dinner while visiting with Chelli, Aaren, Nanny, and Aunt Ellen.  After eating, taking a nap and socializing and tasting yummy treats we gathered around the computer to educate Gabby on how Christmas is supposed to go! Her cousins, Cate, Reagan, and Molly Skyped and we watched them open their gifts!  It was a lot of fun watching the fun of opening gifts.  Gabby was very tired so after we finished watching the cousins in Japan celebrate Christmas we headed home to get ready for Santa.  We set out milk and cookies (which Gabby took a taste of) for Santa on his special plate and then went to sleep so Santa could come. 

Gabby's First (and Second) Thanksgiving Meal

Gabby celebrated her first Thanksgiving in Dallas with Grandma and Grandpa McIlroy, Aunt Sharon (with Brody in her tummy), Uncle Lee, Emma, G.G. McIlroy, and of course Mommy and Daddy.  The entire week we were in Dallas we were busy with days filled with fun! Gabby's first Thanksgiving (on Thursday, actual Thanksgiving) was an intimate gathering.  She enjoyed her first tastes of turkey, cranberry sauce, and corn.  She seemed to like all of the different flavors and loved the company.  The next day we we had our SECOND first Thanksgiving!  We went to Great Aunt Donna and Great Uncle Kenneth's house and celebrated a late Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving (for Gabby at least) started off rough.  A lot of family members she was not familiar with were there and Mommy and Daddy left only a moment after arriving Mommy and Daddy left for the park to play football.  Apparently Miss Gabby Girl cried the entire 45 minutes we were gone! Poor Grandma, Grandpa, and everyone else who had to endur

Halloween Fun '

Gabby began celebrating Halloween early.  While visiting Grandma in Dallas, we went to the arboretum.  Gabby was introduced to the festive holiday by a sea of pumpkins (literally!).  Pumpkins were everywhere and Gabby loved touching them and looking at them.  She was just precious in her Halloween costume.  A stranger literally stopped and took a picture of her.  I guess I'm not the only one who thinks she is a beaty! We began celebrating Halloween morning by turning on the news and seeing Gabby! The funny thing is no one in the family saw the video, but one of Aunt Lacey's friends mom saw her on t.v. and asked us about it! Gabby was really excited to see herself on the television screen.  Gabby's Halloween was a very busy day.  Gabby became famous, she went to a masqurade ball/wedding, and went trick or treating for the first time! Sea of pumpkins  Gabby ready for Halloween  Gabby helping herself to Halloween candy Gabby at the

Gabby 6 months

Gabby is growing up so very fast.  I cannot believe she has been a blessing in my world for half a year already!  She went to the doctor today for shots and I was talking to the doctor and he informed me that 6 to 9 months are the funnest time with a baby.  So far I have to agree! She surprises me so many times a week now.  Her brain is a sponge she quickly catches on to new things every day! So far she can babble "mamamama" "wawawawa" '"dadadada," she has a great sense of humor and only people who are not holding her are funny, and she can push buttons to turn her toys on.  Such a smartie pants! She loves to be scared, by someone saying 'boo,' she loves to hang upside down, she loves to playing with anything that crinkles, she loves Stiffy, she loves her mommy and daddy, she loves every food she has tried with the exception of sweet potatoes, she loves to eat her feet, she loves to making the Indian sounds, she loves to try to do things on h

Slumber Party and 5 years of Love

On Saturday Mommy and Daddy celebrated their 5th anniversary (although Friday was officially 5 years).  Michael has always promised me an eternity band for our 5th anniversary; however, I got something much better, although early...Gabby!! Michael also had a plaque made for the brick from our wedding it said: "The Brick" The Brick represent our first 5 years of marriage. It symbolizes the foundation on which we build our life. As long as we can keep our foundation strong, We will have a long and prosperous life together. This was a very sweet and romantic gift, the first thing Michael has ever written for me! At about 4:00 we dropped Gabby off for her first slumber party ever! We went home, got ready and went to Pappasitos to celebrate our anniversary, while I am sure Gabby entertained Grandma with her newest discovery...her feet; although she doesn't realize they are her feet!  She stares intently at them, waits for them to come within arms reach, and then po

Good Morning Sunshine! (Before the sun is up)

This morning at 4:30 I woke up because I heard a noise and thought the power went off.  At 4:45 I realized it was my little girl I was hearing not anything else.  Since she was starting to fuss I walked in the room to give her her pacifier to hold her off for another hour before breakfast; however, when I walked into her room and peek in the crib Gabby gets a huge smile across her face and flaps her arms and glees in excitement.  Obviously we are not going back to sleep.  So I scoop her up and carry her into our room.  I precede to feed her (thinking she will go to sleep as soon as her tummy is full) and her eye lids get heavy.  I sigh with relief and figure I can probably sneak in a 45 minute nap before the alarm goes off at 6:00, but yet again Gabby realizes Mommy is falling to sleep and starts kicking me and talking to me.  We go into the guest bedroom as to not wake up Daddy and we lay down in the dark.  I kept my eyes closed, but never went back to sleep I just enjoyed listened

Nicknames (Besides Gabby)

Gabby has acquired quite a few nicknames from various people over the last 4 months (not to mention the ones from before she was born).  I thought I would give you all a laugh by telling you the nicknames, because none of them make any sense! Mike and I call her monster when she is wrestling to wake up or when she is beginning to get hungry.  We say things to each other like "uh oh I think the monster is waking up." Of course we don't really think she is a monster, it's just there is typically a wail that occurs when she wakes up, especially if she is hungry! I also call her bugaboo ( I don't know why or where it comes from) and bugers (Mark used to call Catie that and for some reason I picked it up even though it's awful).  Pretty much since she was born I have called her Honey Buns because she is so sweet! And I also call her my little angel. Lacey calls her Gabster and Gabs, which apparently is catching on because my friend Chelsea even calls

4 Month Birthday!

Gabby is officially 4 months old! Wow, how the time passes.  It has been over a year since I took Michael to Freebirds and told him about our future little bundle of joy.  Now I can't even imagine life without her and it's only been a year since our adventure began.  She is now able to: Roll over both ways Squeal Grab objects Switch hands with objects (which is apparently advanced for her age) Hold her head up very well Localize sounds Smile Coo (agoo, agee, wmawma), razz, and squeal with delight Laugh Smile Kick her monkey Shake toys to make their music turn on Sleep in her own bed Push herself up when on her tummy Look up and follow small objects from side to side According to her four month old appointment she is 13 pounds, 11 ounces and 22 inches long; meaning she has grown 2 inches and gained over 5 pounds! That is more than she will ever grow again in her life. Think about that percentage wise, it's amazing how different she looks and the wonderf

Molly, Meet Gabby

Gabby took her second trip to Dallas last weekend.  We were very excited about this special trip because it would be the first time Gabby met her cousins and Aunt Danielle from Japan.  Once we arrived we walked in the house and were greeted by 3 squealing little girls and one adorable baby girl, Molly.  As I go to ooh and ahh over the little one and receive hugs from all of my other sweet nieces, to our astonishment, Uncle Mark appeared out of no where!  Uncle Mark was supposed to be in Iraq, but when he arrived they requested he return home.  He took two weeks of leave and flew half way across the world to visit his family.  What a great surprise!  I was holding Gabby and began introducing her to Molly.  Instantly they held hands! It was adorable, I only wish I could have taken a picture of them holding hands.  Such little babies reaching out to each other, it shows how some people naturally "connect" to one another. The girls had a wonderful weekend together.  Since Gabby a

Independence Day

 American flag, check!, hand made 4th of July outfit, check! family and friends, check!, fireworks, check!  Gabby had a big day yesterday.  There were at least 20 people here to celebrate Independence Day!  We had crawfish, although only half of them were alive (before we cooked them).  Family and friends gathered together and Miss Social, AKA Gabby, was the center of attention and kept everyone entertained.  She met Uncle Patrick's parents for the first time yesterday and Ken and Cherlene.  It truly amazes me how one baby can make so many people people smile. Gabby hung out in the house most of the day, she ate during the fireworks, so she missed them, but enjoyed her dinner with baby Alex.  Gabby had a busy day and didn't go to sleep until very late, but it was wonderful getting to visit with such wonderful family and friends.

Growth Spurt

Today I was lucky and didn't have to go to work until 1:30.  I enjoyed stealing extra moments with my baby girl.  Whenever I went to pick her up from Grandma's after work I was amazed! I swear she grew up while I was at work for 5 hours. I know they say that babies grow fast, but really?? How is it possible that I left my little girl and by the time I arrived to pick her up she was a big girl? I think she gained a pound and grew two inches while I was gone. I am surprised she wasn't like the Hulk and burst out of her clothing because she is so much bigger.  She also developed a "real baby cry" it's loud, strong, and determined to make a point and you better figure out its meaning fast or it increases in loudness and intensity!  Another way she improved her development over the weekend is that she now not only looks at her animals on the mobile attached to her bouncer, but she now kicks it (her monkey of course) so much that she almost slides completely out of

Cajun Culture

On the last Tuesday of May, Gabby and I took our first trip to Louisiana.  Grandma (Montie) and Great Aunt Ellen rode with us and it was a great trip! Grandma sat in the back seat with Gabby and she did great as long as Grandma gave her a lot of attention.  We didn't even have to stop one time!  In our 30 hours in Louisiana we were very busy! Gabby and I spent the night at GG's house and of course were spoiled with yummy food and lots of love.  Great Aunt Christine and Grandma's friend, Miss Kathy, came to visit Gabby.  Then, the next day GG babysat for an hour and I went shopping.  Then we went to Great Aunt Mary's house and met the entire Montie clan! It took us over 2 hours to get the 30 miles to their home, and luckily they all waited so they could meet my baby girl.  It was wonderful getting to see everyone, because I haven't seen them in about 2 whole years!  Gabby was very excited to meet the whole clan (and I of course was happy to show her off).  I hope tha

Little Fish

Gabby went in the pool for her first time on June 19th in the afternoon.  Michael and I were very excited that we had a controlled environment so Gabby's first experience would be positive (we tried on vacation to let her sit in a 1 foot pool but a kid intentionally splashed her so we left before she even touched the water).  The swim event was so controlled that Grandma ( McIlroy ) even warmed the pool to 98 degrees to be sure that Gabby would be comfortable and not too cold in the water.  Michael held her first in the water, but he was uncomfortable holding the wiggle worm so I held her.  She enjoyed the the water, but wouldn't even kick her feet.  She was put under the water twice for a second and she hated it.  She screamed for a good four or five minutes before calming completely, but we kept her in the pool a little longer to make sure we ended her swimming experience on a positive note.  I think she "swam" for about thirty minutes total (which is a significant

Happy Father's Day

Michael celebrated his first Father's Day in Dallas with his family.  Gabby wore an adorable onsie that Michale's mom made that said "Happy Father's Day" and "I love Daddy."  Michael and I aren't really gift people so he got a golf towl that said "World's Greatest Dad" and a framed picture of him and Gabby.  After opening gifts we went to lunch to surprise my friend Erin (who cried, she was so excited to see us and meet Gabby).  Then we finally got to see our friends Brendon and Priscilla's new house, which was beautiful.  It was wonderful getting to see them all we've really missed them.  It was a simple Father's Day but I think Michael enjoyed it.

Emma's Curiosity

Emma was very funny during our visit.  Wherever Gabby was Emma was no further than one step behind.  If the baby was crying she was stuffing her pacifier in her mouth trying to calm her.  If she seemed bored in the swing Emma was giving Gabby her toy and adding more if Gabby still fussed.  If Gabby had a dirty diaper, Emma was there to supervise that it was changed correctly.  If Gabby was changing clothes Emma was there to assist with the buttons.  If Gabby wore pig tales, by George, Emma was going to have pig tails too.  They were inseperable during our visit which had its benifits and downfalls because when Gabby was hungry Emma wanted to help feed her.  Since I am nursing Gabby I would go into the room to feed her.  I would tell Gabby that it was time for Gabby to eat so she needed to go see mommy and leave the door closed.  Emma said okay and walked out.  About thirty seconds later Emma walked in the room and was perplexed.  She asked me where the bottle was.  I told her that Ga

Meeting the McIlroy Clan

Gabby once again got to be a celebrity this weekend.  She took her longest trip ever, 4 and a half hours and she was an angel the entire trip.  We only had to stop once to feed her.  We are so blessed that she is such an amazing little girl.  Once in Dallas she got to meet a lot of very special people: her Aunt Sharon, her cousin Emma, her Uncle Lee, her Great Grandma McIlroy and her second cousin Leslie and Michael. Sharon informed everyone before she arrived that Gabby was hers for the weekend and she wasn't sharing (although she really did share her).  Aunt Sharon just found out that she was pregnant a few weeks before meeting Gabby, which made the bonding experience even more special.  Lee even seemed to really be interested in Gabby. He even admitted that he really enjoyed getting to bond with Gabby. I think it has a lot to do with his little bun in the oven. Emma wanted to hold Gabby at any opportunity she could find.  For example, one morning she woke up and walked i

Back to Work

Being back at work really isn't that bad because I am being broken in slowly.  Luckily I have gotten to take long lunches to go see Gabby to feed her and love on her.  It makes the days bearable.  I am even more LUCKY because Grandma (Montie) gets to watch her so I know she is being loved, spoiled, and taken care of very well.  I do not worry about her at Grandma's and honestly it's sort of nice being back at work.  I feel like I awakened a part of me that has been sleeping since Gabby was born.  I guess I feel like "me" again because work is the same as it was before Gabby, when nothing else in my life is.  I love my new life of being a Mommy, but it's nice to still feel like the old me too. Don't get me wrong, if I was rich enough I would stay home with Gabby full time until she was in school.

The Dreaded Day...

Tomorrow is my first day back to work.  That means 10 hours tomorrow without my baby! I think that this is going to be much harder on me than her, because she loves her grandma and will be spoiled all day by her grandma and Great Aunt Ellen.  I hope that I don't cry all day and I am sure Gabby won't cry at all. Wish me luck and Michael luck. He will pick her up when he gets off work, which will be the most father/daughter quality time they will have had together.

Baptism

We had the most amazing and most successful day yesterday.  It all started at 6:30 when I got out of bed, got dressed, made final touches on cleaning the house, and then Michael woke up.  Once I was ready Gabby woke up and we fed her to make sure she had a full tummy and was happy, which of course she was. By 8:30 the photographer was here and he set up his traveling studio in my breakfast area.  Gabby had a two hour photo shoot where we constantly were changing her positions and outfits (I swear she had at least 8 to 10 wardrobe changes that day).  Somehow Gabby managed to smile throughout the entire process and she never complained more than a few moments even though we interrupted her nap time. Then Gabby was passed around from one family member to another, until it was time to go to the church at 1:30.  She took a few "cat naps" throughout the day, but never got her beauty sleep.  Once at the church, we sat down along with 19 other families.  (When I initially learned t

Like Mother Like Daughter

Gabby is working hard to learn a new skill, it's one that I learned in utero . Michael and I have worked really hard to prevent her from being like her mom, but she is one determined little girl! She is getting pretty good at finding her thumb and placing it in her mouth.  It has taken her 10 weeks  to consistently get her thumb into her mouth, but she has succeeded! A little over a month ago was the first time she ever got her thumb in her mouth, and I must say it was the most coordinated time. The moment she stuck her thumb in her mouth and sucked once, Michael was swiftly pulling her thumb from her mouth because he was afraid she might realize she liked sucking her thumb.  Ever since that triumphant day she has been working extremely hard to repeat this action.  She enjoys sucking her thumb, but only works at it whenever her pacifier falls out.  It helps on car rides when she starts crying because her pacifier falls out of her mouth.  After a minute she usually remembers that sh

Aloha Grandma and Papa!

Grandma and Papa spoiled Gabby by showering her with gifts when they returned from vacation.  I think she got more gifts, then days they were gone.  She got three adorable Hawaian dressed (one with monkeys) a fresh lei with yellow plumeria flowers (the flowers from my wedding), adorable plumeria barrets, and the list just goes on and on.  We had a lot of fun dressing up and wearing our leis.  Thank you Grandma and Papa for all of the thoughtful beautiful gifts.  We missed you while you were gone!

Photo Fun

Here is Gabby on her 8 week birthday.  Daddy was out of town leaving Gabby and I to have a 3 day girls only slumber party.  I think Michael really missed his girls.  He was gone three days and was sad that he was going to miss so much of her life. Gabby and I were hoping to go with Michael so I could see my family, but we had to pick Grandma and Papa up from the airport and get her 2 month shots.  Gabby handled her shots well.  She screamed after she got them, but quickly calmed down.  She was only fussy for one night (we woke up every hour).  But I just let her sleep in the bed with me that way I could quickly console her.  On a positive note, Gabby loved seeing her grandparents after not seeing them for 10 whole days.  They spoiled her (but that's for another blog!).  So to have something to look forward to, I tortured Miss Gabby and dressed her up in a tutu and her bathing suit.  I can't believe that my little girl is already so old!

First Vacation

Gabby's first vacation started out in a monsoon! We had to drive about 20 or 30 mph half the way to our condo in Galveston.  Gabby could feel the tension and stopped crying once the weather got really scary.  Then Michael scooped Gabby out of the car and ran into the condominium.  I was in flip flops, so I cautiously walked into the condo.  Then Michael ran to the car and got Gabby's bag.  The weather was so bad that Gabby actually slept in the bed with us because we never went back out to the car until the next morning.  Our Saturday was drizzly so we stayed indoors most of the day.  We played putt putt and introduced Gabby to the beach.  Sunday, we had a busy day.  We went to Ashton Villa (where Michael and I got married) and Gabby took a picture on the staircase with Daddy.  Then we went to the beach where Daddy stuck Gabby's feet in the water which incidentally made her cry when waves hit her.  So we went to the 1 foot pool and our condo.  Michael was holding her and