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Buona Pasqua!

I went with Mamma and Daddy to Italy on 24 March 2005 for ten days. Unless you count the time I went with them when I was inside Mamma, this was my first visit to Mamma's home country.

Mamma and Daddy have discovered that I can get a bit grumpy if I'm hungry, tired, too hot, too cold, around people who I don't know, around people I do know but feeling a bit fed up, have a dirty nappy or just feeling a bit miffed that my surroundings don't meet my exacting requirements. Understandably our journey to Italy was a bit stressful.

I didn't enjoy flying at all; all this changing air pressure played havoc with my eardrums and made me A Bit Upset. If I hear Daddy sing 'The Teddy Bears' Picnic' or 'Nellie The Elephant' one more time I'll swear I won't be held responsible for my actions! It didn't help that the airplane between London Heathrow and Milan was delayed meaning that Mamma and Daddy had to run to catch their connection. I was carried in a baby carrier, which proved to be quite invigorating. The second leg of the journey between Milan and Palermo was a bit better and I managed to get some sleep.

Nonna Carmen was waiting for us at Falcone - Borsellino airport just outside Palermo. Nonna was very pleased to see me, and although I was a bit puzzled about whom she was to begin with (tinky-tonk?) we soon became reacquainted. We stayed with Nonna Carmen in her apartment in Palermo.

Nonna was surprised at how big I have become and how much I can do now. I can now roll both from back to tummy and vice versa, can grasp and play with rattles and other toys and I am starting to make complex gurgles (lala, lili, brrreeee, naadaa). Bath time is now wonderful excuse to get everyone wet and play with plastic ducks. I'm also starting to generate excess saliva, a slight nappy rash and a strong desire to desire to put everything in my mouth and gum it. I am not very happy about this development at all. Daddy tells me that this is called 'teething' and all this discomfort will be worth it when I have a set of beautiful white teeth. Mamma looks worried when Daddy says this; I wonder why?

I've nearly figured out crawling now. I can hold my head up and get my legs pumping away correctly, but my arms get in the way so I tend to turn round and round on the spot. Mamma is encouraging me to sit upright and I'm nearly there. Mamma has threatened to get something called a Bumbo for me to help with my sitting up. I wonder what that is?

I met a lot of people for the first time while in Italy. From Mamma's family I met Nonno Gary, Bis-Nonna Cristina, Pro-Zii Clara and Claudio, Pro-Zii Adriana and Franco, and Zii Sabrina, Vincenzo, Susanna, Andrea and Viviana. I also saw Zii Zoltan and Faby again and met Zia's family. Zia Faby's youngest sister is called Giulia, just like me! I met Nonna's friends Rita and Alba, Mamma's friends Chiara, Nadia and Lucia and Mamma's godparents Saro and Irene and their friend Giusy. I also met Nonna's immediate neighbours too. Meeting all these new people was too much for me so I did what I normally do in these situations - I let everyone know that I was Slightly Unhappy by yelling at them. My parents found that the only way to allow all the friends and relatives to see me in relative peace was to lay me down on a soft play mat and let me roll around and play with my toys. Much better!

People seemed to like me in Italy. Everywhere we went, people (even complete strangers) kept saying how beautiful I was, and how much they liked my big, round eyes. I could get used to this level of attention!

I saw something called the sea for the first time! It was at a place called Mondello, a small resort just outside Palermo. The sea looks like an enormous bath with lots of funny metal and wooden things bobbing up and down on it. Some of these things are big enough to carry people around in. In the sea there are apparently fish and octopi and squid and prawns and lots of other delicious animals. I didn't see any of these creatures in the sea while we were at Mondello. Perhaps they are shy. Later in the week Nonna cooked some baby squid, prawns and swordfish for Mamma and Daddy. All of these creatures were caught in the seas near Palermo. It would have been nice to examine the sea more closely but unfortunately Mamma told me that in Late March / Early April the sea is far too cold to go swimming. Mamma has told me that I will be allowed to play in the sea the next time we come to Italy in September.

While in Italy I tried a little piece of chocolate and banana for the first time. They were delicious! My parents have promised to let me try lots of different foods as I am weaned off of breasty milk and onto solids. I wonder if breasty milk comes in different flavours too?

Just before we came home, an old man in white called Giovanni Paolo II died. He must have been quite popular because every television show was about him for three whole days.

The journey back was better than the journey out. I spent most of my time either feeding or sleeping. Poor Mamma and Daddy looked more tired after their holiday than they did before!

Photos From Easter 2005

			I met Zia Faby and her family. Giulia, meet Giulia!
			Meeting the family. Nonna and Mamma obviously I know quite well, but that other nice lady is my Bis-Nonna Cristina.
			Look! Ducks! I like ducks!
			At the seaside in Mondello.
			More fun at the seaside.
			I met my Nonno Gary for the first time too. I really liked him.

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