Coupla Weeks, Coupla Things

I regret to inform you that summer is over. Please refrain from checking your calendar, just trust me on this...It's over. Okay, well, maybe I'm overexaggerating a little. :) It just seems like once the weather gets to be worth writing home about, we tend to get the itch to do so much in such a little amount of time. My planner seems to have been filled up all the way through to September already. How in the heck are we already so close to Alessandra's first birthday?

And speaking of stuff worth writing home about and firsts, I have a whole boatload of firsts that I can't wait to share in this week's entry.

Alessandra's first swim!

She LOVED the way the water felt on her legs

She's also been doing this "special look" (this photo catches her in the middle of it) where, when she knows she looks really cute she bats and flits her eyelids and sort of halfway looks through her eyelashes and then scrunches them shut again. You just have to see it to truly know how stinkin' adorable it is. We just say "Oooh, Ali, you are SO pretty!" which of course encourages her further.

First sippy cup experience!

My girl FINALLY said "mama" last week. She's been saying "daddy" forever now. Go figure that we women who work so hard to grow and incubate those little voiceboxes to say those very words are the last to receive titular gratification. In talking to other moms though, it sounds like I'm not the only one who's endured such suffering.

Mama's girl! You can tell because we're always sitting on the couch together in this same pose, obviously. Don't we ever do anything different?!?

So, there we are, sitting on the couch (as usual!). Ali is napping on my lap and I realize that she is practically in the same pose in the very same blanket as she was during her very first portrait session at the hospital when she was just one day old. I had to snap a shot!!! You know I love my "now and thens". :)

Now

Awww....Then

And, this is just after the above nap. Have I mentioned that my child is a sweater? I love this picture because it shows how curly her hair gets when it is humid or wet...Because of the fact that the blanket was around her head. Her little noggin was sopping!

Cardo and I on our first "date" in awhile! It was a work event that we were both required to go to, but at least it was a FUN work event!

This is how close I was to Chris Isaak at the Best Buy Charity Gala. One of my vendors actually has pictures of me with my arm around him. :)

Aunt Yole sent Gianna's old Mexican traditional dresses. Here is Alessandra getting a taste of her culture! Bonita Senorita!

Alessandra LOVES it when we read to her. She patiently waits for us to finish reading the page so she can turn the page herself.

Uncle Val gives kissies the same way that daddy does. Guess it's in the genes!

Here's the family together for Katie's HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION at our fave Mexican restaurant. Congratulations Katie! We're so proud of you!

The graduate with Grandma and Grandpa Torres

I just really love this picture of the brothers

Ali with Grandma and Grandpa Torres

Katie with her second-smallest cousin

So, as you can tell, we've been busy and will continue to remain busy for the next couple of months. For those of you who check in from back home, we will be in Saginaw for a very quick and short weekend to get Alessandra baptized July 19th, so we will see you then!

Much love,

RAD (As soon as I realized that our names' acronym spelled this word, I instantly regretted not using it for EVERYTHING!)