GIGI'S 3RD BIRTHDAY!

Gigi turned three marking yet another turn in a truly unbelievable year. When did she turn three? How exactly did this happen? She was wrapped in swaddles yesterday! This very silly, very bright and beautiful bug is growing daily. Hourly. And we seemed to have blinked. We celebrated Sebastian’s birthday shortly before social distancing. We had a bouncy house, dinosaur gift packages and food out on tables for folks to grab at their leisure. Seems like years ago. We did not have many guests for Gigi’s party. No bouncy houses or friends running in and out of the house crying about boo-boos. And that all seemed OK by her. Gigi is not the most social person. She’s thoughtful, sensitive and very much prefers the comforts of small, familiar company. As we prepared for her small home-based party — blowing up many balloons, decorating with spooky party favors and serving adorable ghost and pumpkin macaroons — we saw that Gigi was really enjoying the pre-party preparations. She liked chasing balloons and decorating her cake. She had a blast getting ready with Mama, doing her hair, brushing her face with makeup brushes and checking her black tu-tu outfit in the mirror. When Grandma Lorena, Grandpa Juan, Uncle Nico and Tia Lucia arrived with homemade yuca frita and chicharrón, Gigi became a little shy. She became a bit grumpy. She had to take a moment and switch on her “social” mood. After a good cry and a flip of her hair, she rejoined the party all smiles and giggles. We absolutely adore her personality.

Ever since the kids were born, Nicholas often writes down memories about the kids to make sure we don’t forget these infant/toddler moments. At the end of Gigi’s party, we discovered definitively that Gigi speaks with a small lisp, especially with words like “yes” and “juice.” She likes to watch “Hocus Hocus” and knows the movie well enough to act out scenes. She really enjoyed eating the chicharrón. Sebastian told Tia Lucia that he loves her and gave her a huge hug. He received a scooter from Papa Lorenzo and Nana Yvonne so he wouldn’t feel left out when Gigi got her scooter from Papa and Nana. He also received some trucks and construction toys from Grampa Juan and Grammie Maria.

2020 will definitely be remembered for many reasons. We wanted to make certain Gigi had a nice birthday despite COVID-19, and with the help of grandparents, mom and dad, Bashy and even Lady, Gigi got to spend her special day, “like a princess!” — (yes, she often says she’s like a princess — another good memory to jot down).