Gia's First Valentines

Video speaks for itself. Please, pretty please, pretend like the mascara smeared across my cheeks isn't there. Make-up and wardrobe were off for the day and Mother Nature has been unkind.

Technical Difficulties

Due to irritating technical difficulties, I will not be able to deliver any visual this week (video or pics). It's enough to put my whole writing out of whack, I can't generate a compelling reason of any sort to post anything. There is nothing worth describing in words. Hmmm.

Two Year Old Check Up:
Went well. Pediatrician noted that it was fine and normal for a toddler who is almost potty trained to untrain herself. Will delay potty training until there's a more reasonable climate available....say summer. She's at the 50-75th percentile for height (depends upon who's measurements you trust, the nurse's erratic get-it-done measurements, or my painfully precise measurements). She's about 50-75 percentile for weight. She's 110th percentile for cute and fun. So all is going well. She got her 2 year old shots and screamed like mad until snot came racing out her nose. Success was had.

Valentines:
Great. Mommy got a ring from Tiffany's and Gia got a jar of Jelly Belly's. Was the best Valentines ever. All five of us (Dad, Mom, Gia, Quinn, and Gia's dolly) snuggled in bed Saturday morning, stuffing our faces with chocolates. Made mental note to get the stains out later this week.

That's it for now!

Eat! Eat! Eat!

Gia has entered into a new phase of feeding, and for a while I thought it was because she was in another growth spurt....but....looks like... she just likes to eat. For example, last Friday morning she ate a bowl of Cheerios, a banana, and 4 oz. of yogurt. Two hours later, stuffed her face with Goldfish crackers. For lunch, a McDonald's hamburger, medium fry (she stold my fries), and milk. Snack after nap--Sesame crackers. Dinner--a 6" cheese Subway sandwich, more milk, and a cookie, of course. And then....there's more....she had a big hunk of Ethiopian bread with water.

At daycare, the teachers tell me she's always the first one done and typically wants seconds or thirds. She recently discovered tomato soup---and loves it. And is now eating apples, bananas, and oranges. She loves hummus (can easily down half-a-tub in one sitting) and raisins. Other than potatoes, she still turns her nose up to vegetables. But hey, at this point, I'm not complaining. Compared to six months ago, she's eating several protein sources and fruits. I can't complain.

I'm almost worried about the other problem commonly associated with overeating. Stay tuned, next week she has a physical and according to my calculations, she'll be at the ninetieth percentile for weight for her age. Where she carries this weight, I don't know. She's pretty lean and so of course I'm assuming she is genetically superior and just has a high muscle mass for her height. Hmmm, we'll see.

Erdole Finds Gia (Meretech)

A small world story.... We recently attended an Ethiopian Kids Community event and low and behold, eight kids came running up to Gia yelling her Ethiopian name, "Meretech! Meretech! Meretech!" Turns out this family's (yes, a family with 8 kids) daughter Erdole, who is now 2 1/2 years old, was Gianna's bed mate in Ethiopia. The two girls had shared the same bed for several months and it had been documented in a video the family received about their daughter, Erdole. When we went to reintroduce the two girls, they immediately recognized each other. It was a very touching moment. They were stroking each other's cheeks, hands, and hair, and had sustained eye contact (so unusual for toddlers). Gia gave Erdole a hug. As it turns out, this family lives in Owatonna, MN and we'll be able to see them as the girls grow. As a side story, the family is amazing....8 kids, 7 of whom are international adoptions. Very inspiring (except not so inspiring that I would do it myself...but still).

Enjoy the pics. It was hard to get the action shots with a digital camera, so the full extent of their love isn't really recognized here.

How to Get a Toddler to Eat a Banana

I finally discovered how to get a toddler to eat a banana (beside hiding it in a smoothie). Let her peel it! Proof that this method works is the picture....she ate two bananas in that sitting.

Monkey See Monkey Do

I was reminded last night how much our children mimic us with the following incident.

Gia has learned that Daddy's name is Rob, and that shouting his name at the top of her lungs is what her Mommy does. While drawing the water for her bath, I watched her as she stood at the top of the steps, stripped down to her socks, and threw her clothes down the steps shouting, "Rob! Rob! Rob!" And then laughed hysterically. Other than the obvious (shouting Rob's name), I'll leave it to you to figure out which part of that scene she picked up from me. The stripping? Throwing clothes? The mad giggle at the end? You'll never know.....

Photos of 2nd Birthday

Should be relatively self-explanatory..... Well, almost. We had her birthday party at the Blue Nile, an Ethiopian restaurant, and it was a quiet night so the kids took advantage of the extra space. Everyone was a good sport about trying Gia's favorite food. Some even said they'd come back! (Good, cuz then they can pick up the bill next time.)