February So Far

What can I say? Our little girl is getting so big so quickly! Just last week I put her into one of my favorite 3-6 month outfits and the pants went to her knees and the shirt sleeves to her elbows! I found myself scratching my head wondering what I had done wrong with that particular load of laundry, and wondering if I had shrunk any of her other clothes along with it. The thought didn't cross my mind again until Ricardo mentioned that while picking Ali up from day care, Mark (Ali's "daytime dad") said that he hadn't realized it either until he was picking her up out of her crib following her afternoon nap and realized that she had grown tremendously just in the last week! So I'm NOT seeing things after all! We just feed Alessandra well to quite well!

I know that every parent exclaims from the rooftops that whichever stage their child is currently in is their favorite stage, and I have now also joined Club Shingle Shouters. With Alessandra at 5 months and 3 weeks, we are having so much fun! She is doing something fun and new each and every day! Just last night before bed, she discovered how to move her mouth and tongue in that certain special way to form consonant sounds. You could tell that she was extremely fascinated with this new experience, as she was making very exaggerated shapes and sounds with her mouth. Imagine how hilarious it was when, after we all bid our good nights to each other, turned the lights and the TV off and rolled to our respective sides of the bed, out of the pitch black comes the tiniest little voice..."Da-Da-Da-Da-Da.." She just lay there with a huge grin on her face saying it over and over again: "Da-Da-Da-Da-Da". Now, one could argue that her first words were "Dada" and we can let Ricardo think that if that makes him happy. But as far as I'm concerned, I'm chalking this up to some syllabic experimentation until she starts to use those "Das" more discriminately. (Or until she starts saying "Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma")

Shame on me for not posting photos earlier, but also new since my last posting is that honey child has sampled the culinary delights of "solid food" as they call it in baby books. To those of you non-parental units, it's basically rice cereal and some of her formula mixed with just a little less water to make it a thicker consistency in order to spoonfeed the mush to her. Did anybody know Colonel Sanders was in town?



Alessandra didn't seem to balk too much at the new food texture, most likely because the same bland taste hasn't changed from the days of yore when it was just strictly bottle food. I was really looking forward to the screwed-up, confused facial expression that I have heard so much about upon a baby's first new food experience, but not so much with Ali Mae. Maybe with the flavors! She did very well with the whole process and took control immediately. She grabbed that spoon the minute it was within reach and shoved it food in her mouth like she couldn't get enough of it. A true Torres/Dambro child? I think so! Food is our Kryptonite!


In other news, my little sports coupe was totaled in a wreck on the way to work. Thankfully, I was alone when the accident occured and neither myself nor the other guy was injured. Since it wasn't my fault for once, his insurance company bought the Torres family a very family-friendly Ford Explorer. I have joined the ranks of motherhood once and for all! No two doors for this mom any more...Anyone need a ride to soccer practice? I already appreciate it so much more. It feels good to be higher up on the road, and as I already mentioned, the two extra doors are a godsend. Factor in the cargo space in the back and you have yourself one heck of a car. Downfall of course is the gas mileage, but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks in my humble opinion.
Finally, my adorable nephew Marley turned one on Sunday!! His one-year celebration comes on the heels of his first big boy steps too. We are fortunate enough to live in these days of modern technology so this proud aunt could watch him teeter across the room from mom to dad from the comfort of my office! Here are some recent pictures of Marley. As Chandler from "Friends" would say...Can this kid BE any cuter????



And I'll leave you with pictures of our gorgeous mamacita too:



Hugs and kisses!

Danielle, Ricardo and Miss Alessandra