We took Gianna swimming at the neighbor’s the other day and I found out just how much she enjoys water–thankfully, quite the opposite of her mother! Take a look at her not wanting to get out!

Remember that short documentary I made a while back and posted on here? Well, it has been accepted to the Sacramento International Film Festival!

It debuts at the fest on March 30th at 6:45pm at the 24th Street Theater in downtown Sacramento. Tickets and more information can be found on the festival website here: http://saciff.bside.com/2009/films/whynotdad_saciff2009

And if you haven’t seen the film yet, check it out at the official film website:
http://www.whynotdad.com I always enjoy hearing feedback too so don’t forget to watch it and post a comment back here.

Finally, we’re getting noticed in the world of filmmaking!

Today is Gianna’s first birthday and I’m in total shock at how fast this year has gone by. It’s also a little surreal that I finally have a memory to go with someone’s birthday. I mean, I actually know what happened to put this little life in motion. And that may seem really mundane to you but it came as a total surprise to me. I tend to think of birthdays as just another day of the year, albeit one I mark with candles and wishes. There are no thoughts of what it was like for me being born mostly because I have no recollection of that day, which I understand is pretty normal. So, of course I was surprised to find myself able to picture and relive Gianna’s birth on her birthday, shocked that all mothers probably do this each time their child passes another yearly milestone. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so blindsided by this simple truth if my own mother had been around to embarrass me with my own birth story and complaints of the labor pains I caused. In any case, I find myself oddly entrenched in today’s remembrances, connected in an unbreakable and timeless way to all Gianna’s future birthdays and I think that it’s super cool.

We had her birthday party last weekend and about 30 of our closest family and friends showed up to help us celebrate. I baked her cake and with MUCH angelic intercession from my aunt Lynn, the vanilla cake and mango-raspberry whipped cream filling, buttercream frosting and neon decorations came out like only a professional bakery could have created. It was awesome! Benoit is quite handy with a pastry bag as he did the majority of the icing.

Here is video from the big day!

Finally eating her cake!

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned before how much Gianna loves dogs. If I haven’t what a tremendous oversight on my part. To say she enjoys them is quite an understatement. For her, the company of a rambunctious corgi or playful pug is the equivalent of a four-shot latte, transforming her from a shy, cautious child into a squealing, bouncing, bundle of giddiness. What are her favorite parts about playing with the dogs? Well, the tongue-lapping of course!

Here’s a video of Gianna on Christmas Eve with Fallon, a young corgie, whom she just adores. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m going to have to be quicker with the video camera to get her reaction to the dogs’ wet kisses. Suffice it to say it was deafening and laugh-out-loud hilarious.