Daddy is feeling better! Yay!!!! It turns out he has parasites in his belly but the doctor gave him antibiotics and he has no trouble holding me again. Yahooooo! Well, I had a very nice 12th week. Did you know that if you drool just right and blow at the same time you can make bubbles? Heeee heee. Well, I surprised my dads by starting off the week sleeping through the night twice, but I won't do that again for awhile - hah hah - faked them out. On Sunday Daddy and Papa's friends Pete, Mickael and Jim came over. I loved meeting all these new friends, but the excitement was a bit much and when my dad's left to go out to dinner and dancing with the guys, leaving Pete to babysit, I lost it. Poor Pete had to listen to me work out the excitement, but he persevered and in the end we had a nice night and I fell asleep. Papa's friend Tony Koester came over Thursday night.  He was very funny and sweet - I liked smiling at him but he smelled of smoke and every time he held me I cried. I don't like smoke. San Francisco is in a heat wave. Yay!!!! I love the heat. Daddy and Papa and I have had lunch and dinner on the deck several times and Papa took me to the beach with his friend Ramon. I still love the sounds of those waves, weeee.

Week 11

Daddy is still sick and went to the doctor. He can’t eat much and doesn’t have a lot of energy. He claims he doesn’t have enough energy to pick me up.>  He gives me these looks begging me to understand.>  But he just doesn’t get it. I have needs too. And he’s already been alive for a very very very long time.>  I have things to see, people to meet.>  Hello???? The good part is when he naps during the day, I get to nap with him – that’s my favorite.>  For this Sunday Date Night (SDN) Tony and Mark came over.>  Mark is very fun and energetic and Tony very calm – it was a fun mix. Daddy and Papa went out to dinner with their friends Francesca and Guido, but Daddy came home feeling worse. On Monday they were supposed to take me to three bbq’s but Daddy only made it to one and then Papa took me to one other. I have to say I love meeting all these interesting and fun people.>  I’m glad I found my way to a social home because I think I am going to be a very social person too. On Wednesday Daddy looked at me and started giggling and I couldn’t help it and we had a little giggle-fest together.>  I’ve never laughed so hard in my life, but of course that isn’t saying much.

Week 10 (photos)

Paul, who was Daddy and Papa’s first roommate (before me) took care of me so Daddy and Papa could go on a date on Sunday (they’re so goofy they’re going to have a standing Sunday date night).>  Daddy went out of town on business for a few days but Papa took great care of me. I even rolled over for my first time, from my stomach to my back when I was on an angle.>  But I haven’t figured out how to do it on a flat surface.>  Karen, who used to live in my room, came over and took care of me for a night so Papa could go to the gym. Daddy came home from his trip and then got sick with a stomach bug.>  He doesn’t look very happy but we smile at each other.>  I felt bad for him so I gave him a gift of my first giggle.>  He’s so silly he keeps trying to make me a giggle again but I giggle only when I want to. I giggled for Papa on Saturday so he didn’t feel left out.

Week 9

Daddy says I am the easiest baby in the world, but Papa is the one who is home with me most and gets to take care of me when I am fussy.>  Auntie Cheryl is over a lot and I like her – she makes me feel very calm. Papa started back at work and Daddy is home more to help out.>  On Wednesday AJ came over and played with me, he’s going to be my Wednesday regular nanny. I like this. It looks like this schedule they worked out just might work.>  I get separate time with each of them and then time with both of them together – Daddy is cooking a lot and friends come over for dinner.>  A few times they have laid me on the dining table while they eat.>  This is a fun family! I also found my thumbs! They’re even better to suck on than my whole hand, but it can be hard to just get that one thumb hooked in my mouth.

Week 8 (photos)

I have fingers!>  They are so cool! I can suck on them and even reach and grab with them.>  Although I’m not the best at reaching and grabbing (cut me some slack because I’m not supposed to be able to do that for another 4 months). Daddy and Papa seem very impressed with how far I can see and how alert I am, but this place is fun and I don’t want to miss anything.>  They keep trying to exercise me on my tummy but my favorite exercise game is being pulled by my hands to a standing position.>  It is tiring but a total blast – you should try it some time.>  They say I have great head control so this kind of game works for me. It makes me smile a lot.

Week 7 (photos)

Many people from Daddy and Papa’s synagogue lent them baby clothes and I got a whole new wardrobe of cool clothing now with creams and yellows and blues and greens. They also fed me with smaller bottles and low flow nipples which work a lot better for me.>  I’m still very small. Papa stayed home with me and Daddy went to work, but came home early to play with me. I knew already I was going to like this place.>  I let everybody know by smiling.

Week 6 (photos)

I went on a long ride and slept the whole way from Marin to San Francisco. Daddy and Papa met me at a drop-off site in the Mission district.>  They signed a lot of papers and held me. They decided upon seeing me that my true name is Serafina Gabrielle Persiko Benjamin. That first week I met a lot of new people, slept a lot, and enjoyed getting to know my new home. Daddy and Papa had a lot of shopping to do and had to get things in order.

Weeks 2-5

The couple in Marin loved me very much.>  They bought me pretty pink clothes and fed me from large bottles, although I spilled a lot of formula on my clothes when I ate because the nipples were too large – I kind of liked it though.>  They called me Sabrina. They lived near the ocean and I love the sound of the ocean.>  I learned there that I love music and the sound of men’s voices.>  I had a very happy time in Marin, but that family was not certified for adoption, although they wanted to adopt me.>  I didn’t know that my true home was waiting for me and that Daddy Geoff and Papa Craig had already told the county that their home was ready for a little one like me.

Week 1

I was born June 20 at San Francisco General Hospital.>  I spent 4 days there while San Francisco County Department of Social Services tried to find a loving temporary home for me. My birth mother loved me very much and knew that she could not take care of me. She named me Gabbriel, a name her mother had wanted to name her. On Day 4 I went to live temporarily with a couple in Marin County.