Rosie

Just last week, we bought Adeleigh a stuffed kangaroo to honor her "Grandma Great" and her Aussie heritage. We named her Rosie. Adeleigh's been carrying Rosie everywhere, snuggling tight as she sleeps, getting splashed with milk as she drinks, holding Rosie while we walk Rico. She loves Rosie more than any other stuffed toy we've bought her. She must understand her special purpose.
Just this morning I'd been thinking of my Grandma and had decided that I would call her this evening to give her our love and let her hear Adeleigh's voice. And then an hour later, I found out she was gone.

We'd always wanted our Adeleigh Rose to meet the wonderful woman she was named after. And then I remembered this...

Our sweet baby girl is there, 3 months along in my belly. 

We love you, Grandma Rose. You are already missed.

Don't repeat Mommy

We knew it was coming. The day when one of us would slip an accidental swear word in Adeleigh's presence and she'd repeat it. Up until recently, when one of us 'black-box over the mouth'-ed, we'd just look at our sweet little girl and say, "Don't repeat me" and then smother her with kisses. Well, this morning, I was running late getting out the door. I hurried and walked Rico and I took a few things down to my car. We went back upstairs and I got Adeleigh's shoes and jacket on, grabbed my coffee and went to grab my keys by the door. But they weren't there. I combed through every step I'd taken since I last had them. Adeleigh was chillin' on my hip, telling me everything we passed while I looked. "Rrrock."
"Yes, there's your rock. Now where are Mommy's keys?"
"Shoe."
I grabbed the spare house key, locked the door behind me and just hoped that I wouldn't have to haul ourselves back up those 2 flights of stairs to rip the house apart. Maybe they'll be resting on the sidewalk, or sitting in the ignition, or on top of the car....Nope. I had retraced every step I'd taken that morning at least 3 times since losing my keys and they were nowhere to be seen. It just didn't make sense. And for me to not feel rushed and stay on schedule, we should have left the parking lot 10 minutes ago. I suddenly felt really overwhelmed and stressed. And under my breath, I cursed, "Well, Sh**." Then, my girl, with her perfect lips and with the cutest, sweetest voice ever, said it too. And I couldn't help but laugh. And, as strange as it seems, I suddenly felt really calm about the whole situation.
So, with Adeleigh in tow, we made our way back upstairs so I could contemplate our next exit strategy. I happened to reach down by my empty hip and there they were. My keys had been tucked inside the top of my work pants the entire time - of course! Where else would a set of keys go if you didn't have pockets in your pants and your hands are full? I breathed a sigh of relief and smothered Adeleigh in kisses as I tucked her into her carseat.

So, the moral of the story is, buy pants with pockets. And if you're running late because you can't find your keys, learn how to Tokyo Drift  [Fast & Furious reference] your way safely to daycare. Oh, and don't swear in front of your children. :)

Adeleigh Tokyo Drifting in her cool ride with the windows down and her head band on.

Happenings

Everyone in the Gaglio home is excited that summer is right around the corner. We've replenished our sunscreen supply. Our sweaters and boots are replaced with shorts and flip-flops. And we're committed to more hiking excursions and camping getaways in the coming months. It's been a busy and fun Springtime.

Here are some of our recent happenings:

I started a new job working for a bank. The most stressful thing I deal with is making sure the new plants get plenty of water. It's a breath of fresh air to have found this opportunity.

We decided to redecorate our condo and give it a more cozy feel, a.k.a got rid of the futon, since after weeks of crunching the numbers and weighing our options we decided that we're probably going to be here for longer than originally planned. It's undecided as to whether our neighbors are 1) excited to have a bubbly, little bounding toddler screaming down at them from our 3rd story window as they come home from work, or 2) completely bummed that their nights will continue to be interrupted by a pissed-off toddler's screams of "Hold me! Now!" while she jumps up and down in her crib and shoots tear rockets from her eyes.
We've always loved this place, no matter how much smaller it seems to be getting. So, we're making the most of it. We filled up our storage unit to make more play room in the condo. We rented and quickly filled up a second storage unit. We moved our bed into the living room so the Little One has her own space. The first night in separate rooms from Adeleigh was the first in a long time that all three of us actually slept all night. It was weird and beautiful - all at the same time. Now that it's getting warmer, we're making sure to burn some cabin-feverish energy chasing each other around outside daily.
We bought our first real couch (more of a loveseat) where the three of us fit perfectly squished side by side. We decided to test new curtains and loved them so much they stayed. If you think I'm going to take them back down to actually iron them, you're wrong. There's no time for ironing. Not to mention, no room for an ironing board. The wrinkles will work themselves out eventually.
We bought a dining room table where, during our first ever family dinner sitting at a table that's not appropriate to put your feet on, Adeleigh said "Adeleigh" for the first time ever. Since then, she hasn't stopped chatting. She counts to ten. Then she skips a few and resumes at thirteen. She sings "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". "Up above the" is her favorite part. She tells you everything she's ever learned all at once. Don't even try to interrupt her. There's no guarantee you'll understand most of what she's saying. But it's pretty darn cute to hear her.
We discovered that she loves ice cream about as much as her Mommy does, but prefers to eat it with a fork like her Daddy.

She brings her artwork home from daycare now. What she doesn't proceed to shred to pieces or shove up her nose, gets displayed on her bedroom wall. She fist bumps. She says "No" - to everything. Especially everything Mommy and Daddy ask her. Black beans and stickers are pretty much the coolest things ever.

Her hair fits into pigtails now.

She has molars. Sometimes she lets us brush them. Sometimes she finds Rico's toothbrush and brushes them herself. She had her first dentist appointment where Dr. Joe said she's going to need braces someday. Seriously? She has a whopping mouthful of almost 12 still-budding baby teeth and we've already started saving for her eventual braces.
So, Neighbors! Hope you're comfortable having a toddler around. 'Cause it looks like we're here for awhile. At least until The Little One gets her braces off. :)

Happy Summer!