That's not nice!

Since I always show you my smiles, Mommy though you should see my not-so-happy side, too. I'm usually a pretty happy camper, but man, when I'm tired and stuck in that stupid car seat, this is what you get.

Yum, yum, real food!

After 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, we thought it was time to introduce my tastebuds to the wonderful world of real food. None of us knew quite what to expect with the first bite, but in true Isabelle fashion, whatever is put in front of me goes directly to my mouth.
Ohhh, this is gonna be good!

Mmmm. Homemade rice is actually pretty tasty.

Hey, where are you going with that??!! Not so fast, mister. I want more!!!

Xai Xai

Hi! We went to Xai Xai for the long weekend and were so excited to have a sunny weekend away at the beach. When we got there, the weather was so sunny and warm! It was perfect for a nap by the pool in the shade.






Then when I woke up, it was time for a little dip in the pool. I splashed and played until mommy made me get out. I love the water! I think I’m going to be a water kid, for sure. .. just like mommy and daddy! I’m excited to go back to California this summer so I can swim with my cousins!








After we played in the pool, we went down to explore the beach. We didn’t even try to go in the water, though, because the undercurrent and waves in that part of the beach are too strong. But we did run from the waves and see a bunch of little crabs in the sand!

d! The beach was almost completely empty except for four other people a ways down the sand… turns out they were people mommy works with!

Good thing Carioca was too busy relaxing to notice the monkeys in the trees.





At night, we laid out on the deck and looked at all the bright stars in the sky. Daddy pointed out all the different constellations and told us about how he learned to follow certain stars when he was in the Amazon. We could also see the Milky Way and mommy’s friend, Jen, saw 3 shooting stars!!

Mommy and daddy planned to go snorkeling the next day, but when we woke up to rain pounding on the roof at 5:30am, we knew that could end up being a problem. So, we waited for a while and when the rain still hadn’t let up five hours later, we decided to play it safe and leave a day early so that we didn’t get stuck in the sandy roads getting out.

So, now we’re home and trying to pretend the compound is as fun as the beach… I’m far from convincing myself, though. Talk to you again soon!!

It's been a while

I hope you're not mad that it's been a while! I haven't written because I've been too busy playing with mommy and daddy in their free time to sit down long enough to write. I'm getting so big, though, and want to share all my news with you!

I love my mouth. I put everything that I can get my hands on into it. It's a lot of fun exploring the world this way. Soon I'll be exploring foods, too, but right now, it's just toys...

and books...

and weird tooth brushes!

I just celebrated 5 months and am getting sooooo close to rolling all the way over from my back to my tummy. I practice rolling by grabbing mommy's finger and letting her help pull me the rest of the way over. Give me a couple of weeks , though, and I'll be able to do it all by myself.

I am getting better and better at sitting by myself every day. Here's a some clip that shows how good I'm getting:

It's time for bed now...

Vovo is visiting!

This pretty much sums it up. I have been a pretty happy girl lately... I'm sleeping well, eating lots (can't you see how chubby I'm getting?!), and everyone is giving me a lot of attention. So, why wouldn't I be so happy? Like I said in my last posting, Vovozinha, Tia Fernanda and Tio Marcio are visiting from Brazil. I know Vovozinha loves me because she can't stop giving me hugs and kisses since she arrived!

She came at a great time, too, because I'm getting to be much more entertaining. I smile and laugh a lot now, especially with all the silly songs she sings to me. I'm also getting totally spoiled from Tia Fernanda and Tio Marcio. But, hey, I'm going to get all the attention I can while they're here.

Tio Marcio says my name like "Isabellellelllellelle" and it really makes me laugh! We got some of it on video so that you could hear it too:

Well, I should get back to mommy... Love, Isabelle

December in our new home

After four wonderful months in California, it was time to come back to Mozambique. On our way out, we went to Disneyland with my cousins, Grandma and Poppa Drew. We had so much fun! I loved all the colorful lights and noises in the kids' rides. I was too small to go on most of the others, though. Marissa and I got our first pair of matching Minney Mouse ears, too. Then we went to Washington, DC for daddy to do his citizenship interview. He passed!

Last stop before getting to Maputo was Frankfurt. We stopped over to rest in the middle of the long trip so daddy could have some German beer and sausage. It was really cold, but I was all bundled up in my stroller and slept the whole time mommy and daddy walked around town.

Then, back onto another airplane. It was never a problem for me- I just ate and slept the whole time. All my neighbors liked me since I never bothered them. The nice flight attendants even gave me a Lufthansa pacifier clip so my binkie stayed safe on the flight too.

Settling in has been going smoothly. I had a pile of baby gifts waiting for me from all the people who had sent presents, and all the baby stuff we sent from CA arrived safely a few days after we arrived. My room is all set up now... but we've hardly used it since I sleep in the pack n play next to mommy and daddy's bed. Easy access is key at 3am when I'mhungry. I am really starting to talk a lot and I can finally hold onto my toys long enough to put them in my mouth! What a relief, because my fists were getting a bit boring after gnawing on them for the last few weeks.
My nanny, Rosa, started taking care of me a few days after we got here. Rosa worked for some friends of mommy's who left Mozambique. As much as she'll miss her friends who left, it was also a blessing that it worked out for her to help take care of me while mommy's working.

I went to my first pool party last weekend. Two of our neighbors had birthdays- Santiago turned one and Alexa turned two. So, I put on my pink flowery bathing suit and headed outside for a few ours of fun... Aren't I adorable?! The water was a bit cold, though, so we sat in the shade under the big tree and watched dad and his friends drink beer instead. There are lots of kids for me to play with here, so I am going to have fun when I get a little older. There are swings and a sandbox for me to play in right in front of my house, too!

Santa came to visit us in Maputo a few days early. He stopped at the Ambassador's house to bring gifts to all the kids yesterday. Mommy was a little worried I might be afraid of him with his big white beard and loud laugh, but being the super chill kid I am, I wasn't afraid at all.
Now, Vovozinha, Tia Fernanda and Tio Marcio are here from Brazil for three weeks, so we're going to be traveling a lot. We'll put up more pictures and stories in a few days.
Love you all!