Giulia, today you turned 16 months old. This month was pretty special for our family, because after your 1st trip to Brazil, when you were 2 ½ months, we went back there to visit our family and friends. Everybody was so happy to see you and you’ve managed to captivate everybody’s hearts again and again. Your dad and I were a bit worried – due to the fact that you’re bilingual – that your vocabulary would be a bit behind, but you surprised us all – people couldn’t believe what a chatterbox you are and how advanced your vocabulary is for your age.
We got to spend some time with your Dindinho Andre and Titia Ana in Sao Paulo. We had a great time going to Irabuera Park and playing in the swings, in the evening we saw this beautiful show at the Mongolian Grill where dindinho took us. It was colorful and there were women climbing ropes and dancing and doing circus acts – you absolutely loved it.
We arrived in Goiania the next day and had vovo Rita and vovo Nair waiting for us at the airport. You were half asleep when I handed you to vovo Rita and she said that when you opened up your eyes, you became extremely quiet, just staring at her the entire time. The next day you saw your cousin Maria, aka “Baby”, and when you initially met her, the 2 of you didn’t know how to react with each other and both of you felt like the other one was “invading” their space. Mamae and Daddy were a bit concerned because we both feel that family is so, so important and we both hoped you would be best friends. Fortunately, our concerns were alleviated the next day or so and as the 2 of you spent more time together, your bond grew much stronger. You watched Xuxa together (over and over and over!), played with the toys that vovo Rita, tivo Maria and Joao Pedro gave you and swam in the club (this time we couldn’t take you out of the pool!). Speaking of, we took swim lessons with titia Rogeria and Joao Pedro and I can’t say if it was you or daddy and I who had the most fun! You were laughing and excited the entire time, the cutest fishy I have seen!
There were many memorable moments…. Vovo Nair hosted a wonderful lunch for us and our entire family was there. We went to dinner with tio Toe, tia Cris, tivo Maria, tio Marconi, vovo Nair, vovo Rita and vovo Toinho. Your just loved watching and dancing with your dindinha Buba, who by the way, knew the lyrics and dances to every Xuxa song. You saw your vovo Paulo e vovo Sirlei. We took a day trip to Brasilia with vovo Rita and vovo Nair and met up with titia Mara and titio Helio at a churrascaria for lunch. Brasilia is a beautiful city, but your dad found the drive (to and from there) the most memorable time because you were singing Xuxa songs with me and your vovo Rita and you were learning the vowels with vovo Nair. Seeing all of us have such a great time with each other was one of the most amazing moments I’ve ever had in my life. Everything just made sense: it crystallized in my mind that the most important thing in life are the moments we share with those we love.
And Giulia, you go between being a baby and a big girl, you are so independent and yet, you still hold on to us like you so need us…. I am just looking at you, and you are holding on to your dad and pulling on his ears (just like your uncle Rob!) and you look so tiny, you are such a baby… defenseless, beautiful, needy… like you will always be to me and your dad. Always.
