On the road again...

We're hitting the road again...this time witih Daddy in tow...yeah! We're heading back to Jackson for Isabel's Christening. Here are a few pics to end out the month:

Happy Mardi Gras

We had a fun experience on Sunday going to the Children's Mardi Gras Parade in Lake Charles. It was Gianna's first parade and, despite being super tired from not wanting to nap, she loved it. I think we got a bigger kick out of it than she did.

Mardi Gras Parade

Just cause it's cute....

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Who knew?

Who knew that we'd start seeing our baby's name in the most unusual places? Even though the name "Gianna" is an old Italian name, we don't hear it used much here in Southwest Louisiana. It's been fun having people find "Gianna" in such unusual places.
This is a cowery shell that has been either carved or lasered. When my friend, Dana, was asked by a specialty shop owner in Key West, FL, what name she was looking for, Dana told her that she was sure she didn't have the name she was in search of.....the owner pulled out this shell.

This sparkling water was bought at Target in Lake Charles....

...and bottled in Gianna, Covignana Italy!These are cookies made with organic ingredients from Whole Foods in Baton Rouge (via my favorite friends at Vision Source - my optometrist's office!)

Just some cool little connections!

Grunt Fest

Oh boy.....the grunting is back and better than ever! We googled "seven month old grunting" and found that we are not alone. Apparently there are many parents like us who have this lovely background music throughout their day -- and their comments were hilarious. (The grunting in our home is not as often as it was before - but equally as irritating and pretty darn funny.)
It's tempting to use the word "possessed" to describe this 'precious' little display -- but we will refrain as to not label our baby....HOWEVER....there have been moments when I did expect to see her head spin around and spew out her pureed sweet peas! Add about 11 hours and 40 minutes on to this clip - and that was my day last Monday. Yep...nearly lost my marbles.

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Holy Cannoli

Holy Cannoli! What happened to our baby? If I weren't her own mother, I'd swear someone was slipping steroids in her bottles!

I think we're getting pretty darn close to the "maximum capacity" for our trusty friend, the baby swing. The swing's always had a soothing drone to it, but now that drone is accampanied by some creaks and squeaks -- ruh roh! That can't be good. It won't be much longer that we graduate from the swing and move on to other modes of movement.

Home again, home again ~ Jiggety Jig.

Well, Gianna and I returned from our little journey with wonderful memories and lots of good bonding time….but, boy – did we miss Daddy! (We’re pretty sure Daddy did a few little ‘happy dances’ around the quiet house….but I know he missed us too.)

First stop – New Roads to spend some time with the Johnson crew. Gianna had a ball – and was very entertained by Lilliana and Matthew (ages 8 and 7) and was a little too stimulated by the new environment to sleep well…so we scrapped the travel bed and she slept with me. She thought that was like being in Disneyland – unfortunately, that wasn’t quite my experience. We had a lovely time and are always met with such special hospitality at the Johnson’s.

Next day – back on the road for another 3½ hours to Jackson, MS to be with the Laurel (Moss) Jenkins, her husband, Phillips and their new baby, Isabel (now seven weeks old). Laurel has always been like a little sister to me, so it was almost like having a new niece to welcome. Isabel is so tiny and perfect. It’s always pure grace to have special time with a newborn ~ especially this one!

Gianna was so intrigued with the baby. Precious to watch. Next to Isabel, she looked like a giant on steroids. How amazing to think that our baby girl started out at 5 pounds!

We got to visit, play and even took a walk through a lovely outdoor shopping center for the baby girl’s first official “girls day out” shopping trip. What a fun memory to start their little friendship.

The ride back was a good six hours with a couple of quick bottle stops. Gianna was a champ….sleeping a bit and playing with her feet and discovering new sounds for the remainder of the trip. Not quite sure who had the happiest reunion when we returned home....Gianna, Daddy, Max or Mommy. So good to travel.....even better to come home!

Road Trip

Gianna and I are "hittin' the road" for a few days while Iain has a few late nights at work. It's been a while since we've been that long in a car.....since evacuation days (I shudder to remember those insane times!) Hopefully all will be uneventful and we will really enjoy some good visits with our wonderful friends. (We even get to meet new baby Isabel. Yay!)

Meanwhile: here are a few pictures we took on Sunday while the weather was perfect and lovely:

FAST asleep...

Yesterday, I put Gianna down on a blanket for some tummy time (still not crawling, still not interested, and we still don't mind a bit!) :) I went into the kitchen to get something and came back to find this:
Today, she and I were playing on the floor in her room. The phone rang, so I put the boppy behind her in case she should topple over. I came back 3 minutes later to find this:


Looks like someone needs a little more nap time. Actually, it's a toss up between Gianna and Mommy (and Daddy says he's throwing his name in the hat, too.)

Sassy New Hat

Okay, I know this borders on obnoxious, but she's so stinkin' cute in this hat. Hope it makes you smile.