New Year, New Adventures

Happy Really Late New Year!!

It's rare to have much time to post anything now but I am going to try to more often as so many people have said they read this for updates.

Lukas is 6 months and 25 days old and a busy busy boy! Naps are usually a mere 30 minutes only. He likes to sit up now and watch the world go by. We are so lucky to have such a healthy and happy boy! He has started eating solid food, and while he wasn't convinced at first he now enjoys apples, peaches, mango, watermelon, pears, cereal, spinach, avocado, carrots, and squash.

We spent New Years in Fusa at the Finca. It was a challenge to stay up past midnight for all of us but we managed to do it! It was so hot there and a nice break from the chill and smog of Bogota. The photo above is of a beautiful flower growing in the yard.

My time here is coming to a close, for now. We have started the long and difficult immigration process again, and pray that Peter is back in Canada with us as soon as possible. Lukas LOVES his Daddy and of course vice versa, so it will be a difficult separation with too few visits as the tickets are expensive and the vacation time needs to be used wisely. We are, however, grateful that Lukas is young enough not to really remember all this time we will have to spend apart. My feelings are understandably mixed. I want to go home, where I can go out and not be concerned with who is watching or have my family here repeatedly warn me to be careful. I want to be able to drive places and go whereever I want without worrying about people taking advantage of my "foreign-ness" . On the other hand we are missing time together when Lukas is little and fun and changing almost every day. I will miss the bakeries and fresh produce and the people who are ALWAYS happy, despite this country and it's craziness (at times).

We don't have anything ambitious planned for our last couple of months here in the apartment. Weekends sometimes we travel to the Finca or go to the park and hang out. But mostly we just try and spend as much time together as possible! I have already started cleaning out my clothes and shoes, giving away what I don't need or want anymore to people who really need it here. We will be homeward bound before I know it.

First Christmas Fun!

Today was Peter's company Kids Christmas party. It was held at a club here, Colsubsidio Bellavista. It's a country club, with tennis, pools, games, lounge chairs etc. that Peter's company pays for us to belong to as part of their benefits package.

Although he's so little, Lukas was able to participate with some infant stimulation exercises. A massage lesson, tactile fun with loofahs and sponges and styrofoam marbles, smelling some different scents, tasting lemon and sugar, and playing on a mat. He was a little overstimulated at the end of all this, and liked watching the other kids best of all. We had a nice bbq lunch, and then of course a very special visit from Papa Noel! His very first Christmas present is an annoying Barney doll, that warbles away and plays songs with different instruments when you press them. Fun!

Food Fun

So most of the time the food here is 100% enjoyable. I am an adventurous eater for the most part, and usually will take at least one bite of something, or try something suggested by a relative here. However, there have proven to be a couple of exceptions during my time here in Colombia.

One exception was Mondongo Soup. Upon visiting Peters Aunt Carmen, who is 80+ years old, and very old time proper, and who had formally invited us to lunch, I found myself staring down a bowl of Mondongo Soup. Most of you might know Mondongo as Tripe. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't bring myself to eat it. The texture, taste and look of it were just too much. I tried to sneak it across the table to Peters Mom, but alas Tia Carmen is sharp only at inopportune moments. She falls asleep mid channel change while watching tv, but the jig on this was up in 30 seconds flat. So I had to fess up and have the offending dish removed.

So, on the odd occasion something just proves too much for me.

Last nights foray into the culinary delights at the Parque Nacional Christmas display was another time when it just proved all too much. We stopped at one of the vendors and I asked Peter to buy me an empanada. An empanada is a wonderful little deep fried, meat and potato filled, corn dough encased wonder. Add some Aji (hot sauce) and they reach levels of addictiveness. These are empanadas.

SO. Peter bought three of what I thought were empanadas, same shape and size. Oddly people were calling them Pastele, but I thought nothing of it. Lukas was tired, it was getting too late and I was too hungry to think it through. When we got home, I excitedly opened the bag and took a BIG bite. An empanada it was not.. here's what it was...

Yup, an egg. And rice. Deep fried together in batter. Normally I am a fan of the egg, and of the humble little rice grain. But when you are expecting lovely hot, greasy, deep fried meat and potatoes and this is what ends up in your mouth as a bedtime snack.. well it's just not the same.

Christmas has arrived in the BOG

If there's one thing Bogota DOES know how to do it's celebrate Christmas. Way before Halloween I started to see people dragging Christmas trees home... well that was just a tiny whisper of what happens once November/December rolls around. Decorations and trees and EVERYTHING festive EVERYWHERE you look! There are five public parks that are all decorated with five different lighting themes. Tonight we went to Parque Nacional where the theme is "Tierra" or Land/Earth. Soooo pretty, butterflies, geckos, vines, mushrooms all made out of lights. Lots of vendors selling yummy street food, comedians, balloon sellers and lots of happy people enjoying it all. The pictures will never do it justice, but I am posting some for you to enjoy anyways. I plan on dragging my husband to all five parks, so more pictures to come!!

Back to the BOG

We're back in Colombia again. Our trip home to Canada was wonderful and I want everyone to know how happy we were to see everyone, and be with my family for even a short while. Thanks to everyone who gave us gifts for Lukas, he's the best dressed kid in the city!!

Lukas is finally settled back into our apartment and routine here. He had a hard weekend when we got back, babies have short memories and it was like adjusting to a new place all over again. He had a few overtired meltdowns but we're through them.

No sooner had he gotten settled then we had his 4 month checkup and vaccines. The vaccines were awful, two full days of feverish whimpering and just not feeling well. Since baby tylenol makes him sick all over he refuses to take it. Finally he's back to his super smiley and sweet self now! We visited our own Pediatrician (spelling may be creative!) Dr. Castro. He is a very kind man, very thorough and gentle. Lukas is a big boy at 16 lbs 8oz, and 65 cm tall. Measured on the North American standards charts he is in the 95th percentile for his age. Oh my aching back!

For me the adjustment back to the city here was much shorter this time. It didn't take long to acclimatize, and the familiar sights of buses and taxis were normal, the hiss of pressure cookers cooking in the streets and multitude of horns honking seemed like par for the course now. The doorman and maintenance guy in our building proclaimed it a "milagro" (miracle) that I was finally back.

So, life goes on.

My new ride is a Lexus & a Two month update!.. Lukas

Happy Birthday Grandpa Moulton!!

Mommy bought me a "Lexus"! That's what model our fun new stroller is! It has three big rubber wheels for easy riding on the sidewalks/streets here, which are often uneven and full of holes. I really like my Lexus. Now when we go for walks I can see all the trees and cars and people passing. I like the supermarket with all the colours and smells. I still like my SproutPouch when I am feeling like cuddling, but the Lexus makes me feel like a prince in a chariot! (pictures to follow, this dang site won't let Mom upload pictures today)

Today I had my two month checkup! Once again I passed with flying colours.. not that there was a test or anything. I am perfectly within the normal range for head circumference and height, but exceed expectations when it comes to weight. I weigh in at 12 lbs 5 oz. I am an enthusiastic eater! People here go on and on about how I'm gonna have to go on a diet (AS IF) but Mom's pretty sure I'll slim out once I start to walk. Her and Dad are pretty slim and Grandpa and Uncle Ian are so tall I'm bound to be too!

According to Mom's bible "What to Expect the First Year" there are monthly things that "Your Baby May Be Doing".. let's see what I am doing!

By two months I should be able to:

Smile in response to my Mom's smile - Yes I can!

Respond to a bell in some way, quieting, crying etc - Yes!

I will probably be able to:

Vocalize in ways other than crying - Yes I can coo and babble away

On my stomach, lift my head 45 degrees - Yes

May even be able to:

Hold head steady when upright - Yes, but briefly

On stomach, raise chest, supported by arms - Yes

Roll Over - Not yet

Grasp a rattle held to backs of hands - Not yet

Pay attention to an object as small as a raisin - Yes

Reach for an object - Mom's not sure if this is voluntary or not, but I do like to bat at things I love

Say "Ah goo" or similar - yes