Eat, Drink & Be Merry!

My Daddy!!

Trying a big girl cup. I sort of get it?...

LOVE to chew. And still LOVE to jump, of course.

I am eating rice cereal now!! Fun & Messy...

Relaxing with the doggies

Now that I love to move all over the place, things get more complicated!!

Playing with my great friend Kaelyn!

Touching!

Hanging with her is SO fun!

Ready for the cold!

Morning fun: Taking the dogs out. It is getting cold here!!

Yes, I moved over here right next to Nico all by myself, as soon as my mommy wasn't looking.

I am fast!

Eating like a big kid!

Holiday Party fun with Jamie & Kaelyn!

Visit from Skip!!

I am about to be 6 months old! I had a pediatrician visit today, and I weighed 16 pounds & 11 ounces. I am getting big, and I have been having SO much fun this month. I have had lots of fun with my great friend Kaelyn, and her mom Jamie. We hang out usually every week, going for walks, our moms get coffee, and sometimes we play. I even went to a holiday party at her house yesterday. This week we went to Toddler Tunes, which is when we go to this building and this man plays the guitar and sings fun songs. There were tons of other kids there singing along. I was wide eyed and SO excited. By the end of it I actually conked out on my mom's shoulder. The good news is, that I think we are going to go every week!

This month one of the best things is that I have started eating rice cereal. It is SO fun. I sit in my high chair and dad or mom feeds me. I eat from a spoon! I make such a mess. It is great fun. I also have tried sipping from a big girl cup, but haven't been particularly successful just yet. But, it is practically like a toy! I ALSO said a word TODAY! I woke up this morning and mom took me into her bed. I immediately rolled over to see my daddy (as usual) and today I said, "Da Da." It was great. I think my mom & dad first did a double take, and after I said it several more times, they may have even gotten teary. I even whispered it a few times, kind of like I was practicing. But I have found an entirely new voice today. This voice that can say "Da Da." I was showing off a bit tonight for Josh & Skip. Skip is here visiting from New Orleans! I have heard so much about him & his family. It is SO fun to meet. I can totally tell he is a Dad.

What a month people, what a month!

PS. It is totally winter now.

Giving Thanks 2009

Preparations...

Turkey making magic

What will it be Isla? Will you be a veggie lover like your mom??

Or... a bit more of a meat lover like your Dad??

Food time!

Isla's first Thanksgiving!!

Ahh, the effort was worth it. Without a doubt.

Taylor's terrific turkey, as expressed by Ben

Hanging with Uncle Wade.

Post hedonistic extravaganza, with thanks.

Alexis!!

Family Photo: Oh, so sleepy...

We had SO much to give thanks for this Thanksgiving, she's in size 3 of diapers, likes to pretend cough to get your attention, and talks to herself in a sweetly soft voice as she is about to fall asleep. It was so, so nice to have all the Dansby Brothers reunited and for Isla to have two of her uncles right here to hang out with. We had other visitors as well, Alexis came up from NC and Carl, Paul and Ben came up from NYC. Everyone had their moments helping with Isla while we cooked and prepared. Uncle Wade entertained Isla with song, and Uncle Will held her close. The food was amazing, and there were many hours of lovely relaxation, conversation and laughter. Isla was a holiday hit. The days were lazy, aside from some serious cooking and eating. Mornings were slow with lots of coffee. The french press(es) had their work cut out for them. It was filled with lots of lovely moments and we are thankful for the memories that will last forever. I am already nostalgic.

Watch out world: 5 months!!

Baby's got her blue jeans on...

Loving to explore, everything...

Tripod: almost sitting?...

OK, so embarrassing- but worth it, at least once.

She is not yet crawling, but she can scale a room in a matter of minutes

Out on a stroll- the leaves are hanging on...

I want to touch & taste EVERYTHING!

Story time.

So, here we are at 5 months. Amazing to the both of us, that Isla could really already be this old. However, she is seeming older with each passing day. At 5 months we have, on our hands, a very active and enchantingly, willful baby girl. She is something else indeed. Isla is a "go getter," if this is even possible at such a sprightly age. She decides she wants to do something and she works to do it. Very, VERY determined. Isla wants to touch and taste and see everything she encounters. She is extremely interested in everything around her. This makes it difficult to feed her at times, as she is distracted by ANY noises or extraneous sights. She truly is taking it all in, as she goes about her day. Some new occurrences, lately, she is sitting in her highchair and she really enjoys it. She can now sit on the ground, supporting herself tripod style. She has been doing this for the past month, but is getting much more solid and increasingly less likely to topple. Speaking of solid, her physical frame seems to be getting more solid as a whole. Yes, she is getting bigger. It is subtle, and of course the growth is much less dramatic than earlier in her life, but it is happening. While this is obvious and expected, it is still amazing & a little wild to witness as a parent. She is still VERY talkative & happily, very easy to make laugh. Isla is also notably good at entertaining herself. She talks to herself and her Sophie the giraffe toy, etc. and to the dogs. It is extremely cute. She has also not only found her feet, but she now enjoys chewing & sucking on them at will.

Some amazingly special things Isla does that we will NEVER want to forget...

When rocking her in your arms, if she is sleepy, she will put her hand in your mouth gripping your lower lip and jaw.

When being held upright she leans out to the right or left, usually with the corresponding arm extended away from you, and appears as if reclining on her side on a chaise lounge, with an exceedingly casual and yet distinctive air about her.

When she is going down to sleep at night or for a nap, she reaches with eyes closed to feel your skin, usually your hand, as long as possible as she falls asleep.

When Taylor holds her she often finds a way to grip his chest hair with one hand (and if you recall her other hand & arm will be extended away from him, casually, of course).

Sometimes when she is in the jumper and you are not looking you may hear her make sounds that appear to represent fussiness, and then when you go to look you will find that she is simply conversing with Xela (our dog!).

She LOVES for you to sing to her. Any song, and at times the goofier, the better. A live song performance (a la mom or dad, sometimes both) can interrupt even her most tired cries.

The giraffe music box calms her just before sleep- she becomes mesmerized.

When she first sees you when she wakes up from sleep or a nap, the smile she gives you is truly to die for- Open mouthed, sparkly eyes and your melting heart.

November in Chicago!

Look out Second City, here I come...

Fun times with Mommy, Louise, Sara, Gina & Noni

Sleeping, finally, In Dan's arms: out for Chinese with the family

Afternoons with Noni

Ready to go! Let's do this.

Christmas decorations abound

Supervising the pizza making at Louise's

With My Mom

I love these ladies!

With my Nona!!

Shuffling around here & there with the ladies.

With my Noni!

Just relaxing at Noni's

Coffee shop chatting

Four Generations of Latanzi/Ugolini/Longinotti/Dansby Women

Meeting Noni & Aunt Louise!

Isla and I had the spontaneous opportunity to go and visit Noni, my moms' mother, Isla's great-grandmother, in early November. We met Isla's Nona there and Isla had the wonderful opportunity to meet a lot of her extended family on my side. It was such a fun and special time. We stayed with Noni and got to see lots of Aunt Louise. We had relaxing mornings at Noni's and lots of coffee shop time to catch up and talk. We had some delicious home cooked Italian meals thanks to Louise's yummy generosity. And, we are not ashamed to say that we spent a lot more time than usual in a splendid Chi-town shopping mall. We spent some special time with my cousin Joe's youngest daughter, Gina. What a lovely little girl (and such a lovely name...) We had breakfast at a pancake house that reminded me SO much of being in Chicago as a child, out with Noni & Grandad for pancakes. Isla's first real brunch outing & she was a rockstar just looking all around and entertaining herself while we ate.

We had a family dinner, out for Chinese, with Noni, Louise, Kim, Dan, Miya and Danny, and with Mark & Xiaoli and her sweet son. This was our first time meeting both Xiaoli and her son, and it was such a pleasure. Isla stayed out past her bedtime a few nights this week, which was exciting & tiring... Dan finally got her to sleep while out for Chinese one night, after much entertainment from family, new times sitting in a highchair, & the enchantingly expeditious & animated Chefs of the restaurant.

It was such a special week for me with my mom, for me with Noni, and for Isla with Noni- I think they both really took to one another. Plus, let me not forget to mention that it was Isla's first time to fly! That was a big adventure in itself, and oh so interesting for Mommy... Also Isla's first time away from her Dad, and there was much missing going on from both ends. Thanks for having us family!