Meeting Some Greats

Heading up to the mountains, we stopped by Great Grandpa Messmer's house to say hello and introduce the two of you. He was pretty smitten, and very impressed that you are such a relaxed little girl!

On our way back from the Adirondacks, we stopped by Brothers of Mercy to see Great Nana Piciulo. She loved visiting with your daddy (her grandson).

And she was so enamored by you! She was amazed (as I am every day) at how happy and calm you are. She loved the energy you three brought. You girls definitely brightened her day.  :)

The Adirondacks!

Your daddy and I were so excited to show you our favorite place in the whole world: the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. It was extra special this year for two reasons: you got baptized up here AND we got to rent the cottages at Cohasset Point!

 

This is the view we got to enjoy every day. You loved it! You weren't too fond of the water though...hopefully you'll be more excited about it next year.

You did, however, finally get excited about going on the boat. You even wanted to drive!

 

Daddy drove us all over the place: we went to Inlet for ice cream, Old Forge to look around, Nonna and Ga's place to play, and the Tangelder's place for dinner. You just sat back and watched the scenery glide by.

You especially loved all of the time you got to  spend with your cousins. You and Alden were fascinated with one another, and Christian absolutely adored you!!

 

You wanted so badly to be a part of the action. Your sisters helped to make sure you had fun.

 Your Nonna especially enjoyed her time with you...so did Daddy.

 Of course I did too! And just look at that face, you were having the time of your life!

 

I can't wait to watch you explore this place on your own in years to come. Your first Adirondack adventure is in the books!

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Our Baptized Beauty

Everyone gathered together today at St. Anthony's of Padua in Inlet, New York to witness you become a member of the Catholic church. It was quite a crowd! (Grandma and Grandpa were behind the camera taking this picture.)

You were a little beauty in your daddy's arms, with Mommy and your godparents, Aunt Jess and Uncle Mark by your side for your big day.

Father Shane presided and you took it all in stride. You didn't even flinch when he poured the water over your head!

Even though it was well past your nap time, you held on through the whole sacrament. We are so proud of you, Gabrielle Therese!

Finger Foods!

Today was a big day...you tried your very first finger foods! Excitement was written all over your face as you tried to pick up your pieces of cooked carrot and successfully transport them all the way into your mouth.

Way to go, Gabby-goo!

On All Fours

Today, while your sisters were climbing all over the gymnastic center, you decided to try something new too...you got up on all fours!

You started rocking back and forth. I can tell that you want to move, you just haven't quite figured it out yet.

 Look how excited and proud you are. Keep trying, you'll get it!

Girl's Best Friend

I just had to snap a couple of shots of you and Rockne. He's so sweet to you! You clearly love him too. Whenever he's around, you roll right over to play. I can't believe how he lets you pull and poke and prod all over him and he doesn't bat an eye.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that you take him on long walks with me (that's your little hand helping me hold his leash). :)

Roll, roll, roll your boat

Who needs to crawl when you can get everywhere by rolling?

Three-Quarters of a Year

Nine months have passed already. You're not crawling, but you're rolling everywhere you want to go! You're working on mastering the art of getting from a sitting position to the ground gently, but that doesn't seem to bother you too much.

You've got two teeth on the bottom right now and you know how to use them! You love the little cereal puffs, bread, watermelon, or cut grapes I put in front of you. And while they don't always make it to your mouth, your finger dexterity is getting better and better!

You're still the happiest baby; we rarely hear you get upset. You've mastered waving and you still love to say "Da da." "Ma ma" has finally made it into your vocabulary, although it's pretty much reserved for when you're hungry and want to nurse. That's okay, I'll take it!

I know you're supposed to start crawling soon, but I'm enjoying these moments of you content in the middle of our chaos...and I secretly hope you won't rush it.

We love you, Gabrielle! All 9-months of you. :)