My Little Summer Sassafras...

Robin made this adorable "G" t-shirt for Gabi. It's just like the one Ella has. Isn't it so cute? Robin wins points for major craftiness! Thanks, Robin!

Every time that we told someone that we were moving to Houston, s/he would say, "Holy cow! It's going to be soooo hot!" Obviously, we knew that. And it isn't a 'dry' heat like so many geographically-challenged people think. We aren't in the dry part of Texas. We're in the disgustingly humid, drippy part of Texas. Needless to say, we cannot play outside during the day unless we're in the pool. The pictures of Gabi outside were taken at 7 p.m. and within 2 minutes of stepping outside I was dripping-- literally. Those of you who know me well, know what I'm talking about. You can imagine that when we get ready to run errands and get loaded in the car, I am sopping wet by the time I turn the car in. The whole ordeal of getting Gabi in her carseat and settled is too much. Yuck!! I can't wait for some of this to subside. I'm pretty sure that I have another 2-3 months before it does. Oh good!

Aunt Kristin sent a box of happies this week too! Gabi received lots of new bows, several outfits that Reagan wore (including the gingham top outfit in these pics) and some shoes. Gabi finally grew out of her sandals. She has the tiniest feet, but we finally had to buy some new shoes. I was ecstatic to see that these feet are not going to be size 2 forever. Thanks Aunt Kristin!

Gabi received another box this week that sent me over the edge. I have been friends with the G.'s since I was 8. I grew up with Jenny and Jessica at church, playing sports, swimming, lifeguarding. Janet, their mom, just folded me into her brood. I love her dearly, as I do Doc and Janet's mom, Grandma Betty. Well, Janet and Doc sent the most elaborate outfit I've ever seen. It is a layered tutu of sorts in dark pink and a 'twinkle' shirt to go with it. I will have to put GAbi in it and post pictures. It is hysterical and darling! Thanks Janet and Doc!

Busy, Busy Days

Gabi is keeping us busy. She recently removed the 'p' key from my laptop. She has several new words-- "hot", some version of "I love you" and a couple of others. She's still learning new signs, dancing, exploring her house, swimming and pushing various stationary objects around the rooms.

On Saturday, we went to the aquarium downtown and she enjoyed it a lot more than I thought she would. I wasn't sure how aware of the tanks she would be. But she surprised us by touching a stingray and excitedly pointing to the fish in the tanks that surrounded us. When the fish would swim by, she would pull her finger away as if they were going to get her. So funny.

Gabi is a champ at following directions. She helps us by bringing her diaper when she needs to be changed, picking up her toys, bringing a book to us to read and helping us cook. She's even pretty good at multi-tasking.

Here are some pictures of our girl from the last few days.

I Got a JOB!!!

As of this afternoon, I became the newest employee of a nationally award-winning school district in north Houston. I will be working at an early childhood/Pre-K school. I am very excited that this opportunity arose considering my previous employment plans fell through in a big way, just last week.

Woohoo!!!

Long Awaited pics

Sorry but these are of the house, not Gabi. Hope you aren't disappointed.

Also, I went to the doctor today ( I got in in an hour) and he gave me delicious drugs. Or at least I think they're delicious. I haven't taken them yet. He was lovely. While we were there, I weighed Gabi. She's well over 20 lbs. I was so excited.

In other news, I witnessed Gabi's first moment of slap-happiness today. She started laughing at Izzy and could NOT control herself. It went on and on. I thought I'd wet my pants. I didn't. No worries there.

And Gabi gets serious points for being the best kid to run errands with ever. I know it won't last, but she is so great about going from place to place. I know it can't be fun, but she's such a trooper.

More Pics Coming Soon!

I apologize for not posting more this week. I had two herniated discs in my neck last year and I think they are back. I woke up on Tuesday in terrible pain. Wednesday was better. Thursday was worse. Today was better. But I'm almost certain this isn't my usual pinched nerve. So I'm doing all I can to get things done around the house, run errands, entertain Gabi while trying desperately to nurse myself back to health.

I made new curtains for Gabi's room which turned out so cute that even I'm surprised. They are perfect for what I was envisioning. I also finished the bathroom up. Well, almost. Ed is going to hang the hooks up tomorrow and then they'll be finished. He's very precise (read: nerdy) about these things and he has about a hundred things to hang up. When that is finished I will take pics of Gabi's new bathroom and post them.

Please continue to pray for my friend Jill's baby, Logan, who is making incredible progress in the NICU in Springfield. We are so optimistic about this little guy. He's such a fighter. And he's a whole 2 lbs. 7 oz. today. Go Logan!!!

Braids and Stuff

Gabi let me braid her hair 2 days in a row. Obviously, it doesn't look as good at the end of the day as it does when I do it in the morning. That's primarily because I refuse to put hairspray on her beautiful hair. And it was just an experiement to see if she would let me braid it. Now that I know she will, I can do it occasionally. Despite my best efforts, the pictures are not great and they were taken right before her bath last night.

Gabi's Gone Bananas!

Mike, Can Gabi join your soccer team if you go back to coaching?

Gabi's Room and then some

I still have to make some curtains for the windows. It's low on the priority list at this point. I have to get the bathroom painted so that it is functional again. I also have to find the fabric I'm looking for. Then her room will be complete.

New Accomplishment for Little Miss...

I'm not sure if this is even a big deal, but I thought I'd put it down just to remember. Gabi stood from a sitting position completely independently tonight. We were wondering if it was something she would just figure out or what. She always needed to use some support to get up. We've been trying to show her she could do it for a couple of days. Tonight we caught her trying on her own. After a little verbal encouragement, she DID IT!!! She was so proud of herself that she almost fell over. She is the stinkin' funniest kid ever. Now, if I could just get her to stop putting things in the toilet and the Diaper Champ, we'd be all set. Oy!

Logan P. Arrives Early

My friend, Jill, had her little boy on July 4th! Unfortunately, he was born at just 26 weeks. It seems as though he was quite the bruiser. He was 14 inches long and over 2 lbs. Still, little guys like this struggle so much with lung development, possible brain bleeds, holes in their hearts, and a whole host of other things. At just over a week old, Logan appears to be out of the woods for brain bleeds and the hole that was initially seen in his heart valve. He's a tough little guy and they're starting to wean him from his ventilator and decrease the settings.

This has been an incredibly scary experience for Jill, her husband, Danny and the rest of their families. Logan is in the NICU in Springfield and they expect he will remain there for at least another 8 weeks. So far there have been many answers to prayer and we know that will continue to be the case. Please pray for little Logan and the peace of his family as they deal with the ups and downs of this difficult time.

My Little Ladybug

I hope I'm earning points on the blogging front for posting so much over the last week. I'm trying very hard to keep from being verbally assaulted any more than necessary.

Isn't my little ladybug the cutest bug you've ever seen?

Stairclimber

I've been wanting to get a video of Gabi climbing the stairs. Usually she goes up as fast as she can manage... and that's pretty fast. But my camera battery died, so this is as good as it gets.

New Pics to Follow...

My friend, Robin, has requested pics of the Gabi's new room. I promise to post them after this weekend when everything gets hung up. We painted the stripes in green and the two pieces of furniture-- the dresser and bookshelf-- in red. It turned out so well and I'm really thrilled about it. The changing table and crib are in a normal wood finish. Gabi's bedding is white with a green border and ladybugs on it. I think it all ties together pretty well.

Anywho... I'll post pics of the new bedroom and the ORANGE living room after this weekend when we've gotten some things on the walls.

More Pics from GG and Grumps' visits