Lilypie 3rd Birthday Ticker

Friday, June 27, 2008

GG Turned 2!

**EDITED TO ADD: Photos**

GG's birthday was yesterday......yes, my little baby girl is now 2! She has developed so much in the past months. She is no longer my precious baby girl, she is my precious little girl! Let's see what she can do....

1. Speaks in both Spanish and English
2. Count to 20!
3. Learning her ABC's
4. Speaks in sentences
5. Cuddles in the mornings
6. Loves to play with baby dolls and names them Maya

I took the day off of work yesterday to spend time with the birthday girl. The day started off with us taking GG out to breakfast to have her favorite Mickey Mouse pancakes. After breakfast we took GG to the doctor to get her cough check out. No big deal....no shots or anything. For being such a good girl, the doctor gave GG a lolly pop and a plastic ring and bracelet. She left the doctor's office a very happy little girl. We went home napped and played.

For lunch I took GG to a new restaurant in our area, Giggles 'N' Hugs. This restaurant is really cool.....grown up food with a huge play area for the kids. When we walked in she immediately said, "Toys, play!". I took her shoes off, open the gate to the play area, and she was off. I sat down at a table that right next to the play area. It was perfect.....eat lunch and watch GG play. She went directly for the area with the play kitchens. She loves to play with the plastic plates and plastic food. She will take one plate and get one food item, walk to another area and put down the plate and than place the food item on the plate. She will than go back to the kitchen area and grab another plate and food item. Walk to the other area and place the plate next to the other ones. She will do this over and over again. As she walked back and forth, she would sing along with the songs that were playing over the speaker system. She played with the kitchens for about a hour and half!

I was finally able to coax her away by telling her that it was time for cake. We sat down at our table and the nice people at the restaurant brought out a chocolate cupcake and sang Happy Birthday to GG. While she sat and ate her cupcake, I put her shoes back on.....I thought I could make a clean break for home after she was done with the cupcake. Boy was I wrong. I cleaned all the chocolate off her hands/face, picked her up and gathered our belongings. She freaked out and started pointing to the play area. When we got to the car, she was so angry at me. While driving home she was screaming at the top of her lungs saying she wanted to go back. She was so pissed at me! The 15 minute ride home seemed to take forever. When I got her out of the car, she wanted to play outside. I put her down on the grass and she told me to get away from her. She sat down on the front steps and collected herself. After a few minutes I joined her on the steps and she told me she was sorry. We kissed and made up.

In the evening we went Abuela and Abuelo's house for a pizza party. Joaquin, GG's cousin, was at the house waiting for the birthday girl. We all walked down to the street to the local pizza joint. We sat outside on the back patio and enjoyed the ocean breeze, pizza and the birthday girl. After pizza, we walked back to the house and had a ice cream cake. GG and Joaquin chowed on the cake. We said adidos to Abuela, Abuelo and Joaquin and drove home.

A friend of ours, Bruce, stopped by our house and gave GG a little present. He stayed for 30 minutes and played with GG. She absolutely loves Bruce.....probably because he is little kid at heart. He is silly with her and she loves it.

It was time for GG's big day to come to a close. When I put her to bed, I hugged her tight and showered her with kisses. I told her how much I loved her as I laid her down to sleep. A tear came to my eye.


The birthday girl!








Walking to the pizza place with Abuelo




Enjoying the pizza



Walking home with leftover pizza


GG's ice cream cake


Blowing out the candles


Cutting the cake

Monday, June 23, 2008

GG Get's Baptized

On Sunday, June 15 (Father's Day), we baptized GG at St. Monica's Church in Santa Monica. Our dear friends, Peggy & Jimmy, are GG's godparents. A few days before the baptism, we started talking to GG about what would be happening and that the priest would put water on her forehead. When she woke up the morning of the baptism, the first thing she said was, "Peggy, Jimmy, water!” She was very excited.

That morning the three of us meet Peggy & Jimmy for Sunday brunch at the Lobster. GG was so well behaved the entire time! After brunch we all went back to our house so that GG could take a nap before the big event. When GG woke up, Peggy & Jimmy gave her a little present to open. It was a beautiful white gold necklace with a cross. We got GG dressed and off to the church we went. I have to say that GG looked beautiful in her white dress and sandals.

There were seven or so other families baptizing their children that day. A Deacon of the church and his wife performed the ceremony. The Deacon read and few scriptures and than his wife went up to the podium and led us in a few songs. When the lady sang, she lifted her arms up to the sky and would shake her hips (a bit strange). I can't remember the song, but I do remember GG standing, singing, raising her arms to the sky and moving her body - just like the lady! The family in the pews across from us was looking at GG with big smiles on their faces. I thought to myself, that's my precious baby girl singing in church!

Our family was seated in the first few pews, which meant we had a great view of where the baptisms took place. We were the last family to be called, which was good and bad. Good in that we watched and knew what would happen - Bad in that GG watched 5 young ones scream their heads off when they were baptized. The entire time, she sat quietly on my lap and watched everything that was happening.

Our names were finally called.....it was the moment we all had been waiting for! I was sweating bullets, and not because it was warm in the church. I was so worried about my baby girl! Peggy held GG and the entire family walked to the alter. Peggy sat GG on the ledge and leaned her back over the small pool of water. The Deacon did his thing and poured water over GG's head, ALOT of water! The first pour of water scared GG and she immediately said "No water, stop it, Mmmmoooommmmyyyy! Peggy held onto her tight has he poured water over her head two more times. By this time, she had enough and was screaming her little head off. Peggy lifted her up and the entire front of her hair was dripping with water. She immediately lunged for me, I grabbed her and she held onto me tightly. So tight that I could feel her heart beating! The Deacon wanted to hold GG up and announced her to the congregation, but there was no way GG was going to the man who just dunked her in water! He realized that and announced her name and pointed to the screaming girl glued to my chest. Everyone clapped. We all sat down and I tried to dry her off. The ceremony ended and we tried taking a few family pictures by the alter, but she was ready to go home. We walked out to the courtyard and tried talking to some friends of ours who just happened to be baptizing their baby boy on the same day. GG was not up for chit chat. She was so grumpy and was yelling, "Stop it, car, home!” So we said our goodbyes and off we went. She was not happy the rest of the day. She even woke up that night and said she was scared (first time she has ever said that!).


Here are a few pictures of the joyous occasion!

Beautiful girl


The godparents


Getting ready


First pour


Second pour


Last pour


Mmmooommmy!!


The 'announcement'


Abuelo and Abuela and their grandchildren


Tia Antonia and counsin Joaquin