Happy Six Months Birthday!

Six Months Old!!

Dear Nicky,

Today marks six months since you were born. You have enjoyed many holidays, including Fourth of July (kind of), Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! We are all "astonished" at your active little self... big, smiling, curious, sweet, determined, passionate, and imaginative... everyday we think how blessed and happy we are to have you in our lives. Your grandmas can't get enough of you, in person or via Skype. Your grandpas are equally enchanted! In just over a month, you will finally meet the rest of your Brazilian clan (at least a fraction of them...) You still adore walks, baths, clapping, pinching, petting Inca and Manny, touching and grabbing anything, playing peekaboo, giving us slimy kisses, rolling into dangerous situations, growling, laughing, giggling, babbling, trying to crawl (tummy keeps getting in the way!), drooling, drinking juice and water from our glasses, eating bananas, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, and whatever else you can get your hands on! You look longingly at our heaping plates... waiting for the day that you, too, can dig in! Since one of your side incisors seems to be coming in early, this day is not long off, I'm afraid... Time to buy a highchair!

This Christmas, you got lots of great toys, including a wooden train, a musical workbench, a huge Mickey Mouse doll, and a cool 'leather' jacket. You had so much fun opening presents and hearing the crinkle of wrapping paper. You got to spend lots of time with Grandma and Grandpa (get well soon!!), Mommy and Daddy, and of course, Inca and Manny!
Nicky, we hope you will learn that Christmas (and hopefully life in general) can be about joy and sharing, and being with family. We will take you to make a donation to SOS Children's Villages in Juiz de Fora when we visit Brazil this February, so you can help some children who do not have families to care for them. (Nicky's fans: visit SOS's website to see if you can help, too.)

Nicholas, you are the joy of our lives! Happy six months!

Love, Daddy, Mommy, Inca, Manny, and the rest of your family and friends!!






Almost six months ago.... look how little!!! And what hair!

Merry Christmas... Feliz Natal

Hello everyone! Oi gente! Merry Christmas and Feliz Natal!!!!

Unfortunately, my mother lost our camera somewhere between the mailbox and the house after Daddy's graduation ceremony! Can you believe it? She can't! She thinks it fell in a snowbank, or worse, got plowed... hopefully it will appear once the snow melts... But, my grandma lent me her camera, so there will be pictures posted tomorrow of me enjoying my first Christmas! Boy, life is great! I love you all and send you lots of hugs and kisses, and of course, many smiles!

Infelizmente, minha mãe perdeu nossa câmera em algum lugar entre a caixa de correio e a casa depois da formatura do papai! Vocês acreditam? Ela não pode... Ela acha que a câmera caiu na neve, o pior, ficou soterrada por o camionete que limpa a neve da estrada. Esperamos que possamos encontrar a câmera na primavera. Mas, minha vovó me emprestou a sua câmera, então amanhã publicaremos fotos minhas curtindo minha primeira noite de Natal. Ay, ay... que vida boa! Eu amo todos vocês e mando muitos abraços e beijos, e claro, muitos sorrisos!

Beijos and Love,
Nicky :)

Winter Wonderland

This has been a week of trains and snow. We were fortunate to escape the ice storm that has ravaged much of the northeast, and instead have around 10 inches of fluffy snow. Snow, although it causes problems, is much less dangerous and destructive than ice. It has remained too cold, though, to make a good snowman. Today we tried-- we did manage to throw Inca some snowballs which she never could find... no wonder she was going beserk and wild. Nicholas enjoyed his little foray through the snow in his stroller. He was very content and tranquil all bundled up, and promptly fell asleep.This week, Mommy made, against all odds, a gingerbread train from scratch. She is NOT "crafty", and usually such projects, even if there were time for them, end in utter despair and disaster. But this one, spread over some 4 or 5 days, turned out reasonably well, if you don't look too closely! Actually, it was very fun.

The gingerbread train preceded the arrival of the HO-scale trains by a day or two. Bruno engaged in many a bidding war and surprise last minute bids to win his starter collection from eBay. Nicky seems to enjoy watching the train go round the table, and he tried to grab it once, resulting in a derailment...

This week we are looking forward to Bruno's graduation ceremony. Although he finished his B exam in August, he doesn't get to officially graduate until Dec. 20th. Grandma and Grandpa Spofford will be coming, so Nicky is pretty excited to see them again. We still aren't sure what our plans for Christmas will be, as we would prefer not to spend most of the day in the car. We are sure, though, that we're very happy to all be together this year, for the first time! We certainly hope to enjoy the holidays with as many friends and family as we can.

All I Want For Christmas....

Saturday at the Big Red Barn was Nicky's first Christmas party -- and his first chance to meet Papai Noel. However, Nicky soon realized he could pull off this particular Santa's beard, and accordingly, he was not too impressed.

Lately Nicky, who now weighs over 22 pounds, has been perfecting his rolling technique. He "suddenly" appears 3 feet from where Bruno or I set him down, looking as innocent as can be. He's also become very vocal again, babbling lots of sounds, especially Bs and Gs. One day I heard "mama", but this was by no means intentional or repeatable! Still, it's very interesting to hear near-words coming from our little sweetie!

Nicky is watching the presents pile up under the tree. He dictates the following "wish list" to me to write to Santa (and his trusty elves):

Dear all,

This year I will be just about six months old for Christmas! What I would like most is to visit with you! I love new faces, and I love to play. If you want to bring me something, I would appreciate a toy I can grow with and that encourages me to use my imagination, like blocks or books, even if they are a little too old for me now. I am developing really fast, after all. Hand-me-downs are just fine! If you bring clothes, size 12 months is a minimum! My Daddy and I are collecting HO scale trains, so we'd love anything like that! But I have lots of things already and what I need most is lots of love and friends. So, I hope to see you, sing with you, and squeeze your nose! : )

Love and Beijos, Nicky

Jumping for joy!

A short video of Nicky in his jumperoo:

Five Months Old! Cinco meses de idade!

Nicky and his daddy

Dear Nicholas,

Can you believe you are already five months old?? We can't! It's amazing to see you developing so well-- with your two teeth, your beguiling smile, and your "manhoso" cough, laugh and cries. You have two passports, you eat bananas, potatoes, apples, and cereal, you like to stand up tall, you love "serra, serra, serrador", and your favorite songs are the ones we make up....

Will you remember your recent trip to New York City to the Brazilian consulate? It was quite the ordeal getting there, especially to organize the paperwork and your jailbird passport photo-- and then, they still weren't satisfied with Mommy's birth certificate! But you saved the day, Moleque de Lata! You were sooooo cute, that everyone in the consulate went nuts over you! Viviane, the agent, picked you up and carried you into the back to show the other agents! We're fairly convinced that it was only because of your chubby cheeks that we got any paperwork filed at all that day. And will you remember our lunch at the Brazilian restaurant? All the waiters, big tough guys, were making googly faces at you!

Then you, lucky boy, got a jumperoo from Grandma and Grandpa as an early Christmas present! Even though your legs are still a bit short for it (and your weight is approaching its 25 pound limit), you seem to love the freedom of standing on your own. You truly enjoy the "rainforest"!

Your first Thanksgiving was a bit frustrating for you-- you would have liked to join in the feast! But, alas, you're just a few months shy of eating turkey, rice, and-- mmmm---gravy! Grandma's meal was wonderful, and all the more so for having you at the table with us, even though you were a bit mad about being left out of the eating. Still, you managed to smile and have fun!

You and Grandpa enjoyed watching some cartoons together. You guys kind of look alike, and have a similar passion for eating... It was so nice you had some time to hang out together!

Even though you are missing your Brazilian family, you were happy to spend time with your New York grandparents. And it sure was exciting to see the four white dogs again!

Happy five months Nicholas! We love you lots!

Love, Daddy, Mommy, Inca, Manny, and all your family and friends!

Lots of Visitors! Muitas visitas!

Nicky with his cousin Sammi

This past weekend Nicky got to see a lot of familiar and some new faces: Grace, Gustavo, and Tiago; Uncle Steve, and cousins Sammi and Alex; Daddy's rock band: José Carlos, Steve, and new keyboardist Camilo; and even Uelinton braved the cold weather to visit Nicky!

We enjoyed lots of good food and conversation this weekend! The band almost got frostbite playing outside in the snow, but Nicky appreciated it. We'll be visiting Grandma and Grandpa Spofford next week for Thanksgiving. Nicky will also take his first trip to New York City to get his Brazilian passport! He's very sad his Grandma Silvia will be going back to Brazil, though. He can't wait to visit her and everyone else in February!

Nicky is now 26 inches long ("tall", he prefers), he weighs 21 pounds, and his second tooth is almost through. As ever, he delights us with his bright smile and constant discoveries. Come visit us soon!

Adventures of SuperNicky

After taking a flying lesson with his Grandma Silvia, Nicky decided it was time to give it a try. He does have a reputation to uphold as Moleque de Lata, after all. So he suited up in his size 12 months (gasp!) pajamas, donned his shiny red cape (with a little help from Grandma), and set off to see the sights of Brooktondale. His report regarding his flight may have been a bit fanciful: something about an itsy-bitsy spider, an animal fair, and a cow jumping over the moon.

More reliable adventures, however, include his walk around the Cornell plantations with Mom, Grandma, and (sigh!) Inca, who was at the height of misbehavior. Muito levada essa cachorra! Grandma, who possesses the secrets of flight, actually caught a bird twice! A bit easier to catch a bird than to walk Inca, who escaped to jump in the swampy, stinky ponds.

Nicky is getting more and more "levado" himself, with a whole host of "fake" sounds, like coughing and crying. He likes to yell, giggle, and eat bananas. We suspect he is rolling over, since he somehow moves off the mat of his gym when we are not looking. And last night, he grabbed Mom's water glass so he could have a drink.

Nicky will be enjoying his final week with his Grandma, until he sees her again in February. They are great friends, and he will miss her a ton! O Nicky estará com muita saudade dela!!

The First Tooth... already!

The last couple of nights have been, ahem, less than restful since Nicholas is cutting his first tooth-- yes, already. Precocious 20 pounder that he is, Nicky has a sharp little tooth coming up on the bottom, front right. He is sleeping less and complaining more, but is doing well considering the pain he must be experiencing.

This past week has been somewhat eventful: it was Mommy's birthday, Tía Ashley's birthday, and the weather has been nicer. We've gone from the 20s to the 60s, very Ithaca!

Nicky is also getting much more agile and strong physically. His hips have loosened up, facilitating strong kicks; he is swiping, batting, grabbing, and squeezing (ouch!); he rolls from his tummy to his back, and from his back to his sides. His repertoire of sounds has expanded, though he hasn't abandoned the pleasures of a good ah-goo now and again.

Nicky, giant baby that he is, has also started having a little cereal. He also insists, occasionally, on a sip of water. Next week he might get to try bananas!!

He has been spending a lot of time with his Grandma Silvia, who has been teaching him many Brazilian songs and stories. She has been a great help, cooking and straightening up the house. And Mommy, for the first time since Nicky's birth, got to go to the library for a couple of hours while Silvia watched the baby. Normally going to the library isn't so thrilling, but just to have some time to concentrate was a true gift.

In short, Nicholas is big, healthy, growing, happy, and the love of all our lives! He hopes you come to visit us when you can!!

Four Months Old! Quatro meses de idade!

Dear Nicholas,

Today is a blustery, cold, terrible day... but your smile and lively spirit keep away the (early) winter doldrums. Even though it is snowing in October (sigh...), our lives are every day more joyful with your growing awareness, abilities, and with the love you give to us and others so freely. Just by being yourself, such a radiant being, you make the world brighter and happier! You are the cutest pumpkin indeed!

Lately you have been making many new sounds, and using your hands with increasing skill, especially to grab Daddy's nose! You have grown so big so quickly, everyone is astonished you are only 4 months old. Your eyes are big and bright, and anyone who sees them makes a comment on their beauty. You love bright colors now, and eagerly grab your stuffed turtle and bear and clutch them to your chest. Everything goes in your mouth; you bite Mommy's fingers with your toothless gums. You are adoring spending time with your Aunt Dani and Grandma Sílvia. Tummy time is no longer frustrating for you, although you try to crawl to no avail. But it won't be long before you are happily exploring the whole house!

We love you Nicholas-Prucolas! Happy 4 months birthday!

Love,

Daddy, Mommy, Inca-Incolas, Manny, and the rest of your big family and many friends!

Abobrão!!

This past Saturday, Nicholas wore his pumpkin costume at the Big Red Barn and competed in the Costume Parade contest. Although he had just woken up from a nap (just in time for the contest!), and wasn't very smiley, he managed to win the most votes out of a field of 17 kids! But, being a gentleman, Nicky decided (partly since Mommy and Daddy tallied the votes, and Mommy had organized the contest) that he would forgo his prize and let the next children, who were older, have a memorable Halloween victory. But, the truth is-- he was the cutest! : ) Ele foi a abóbora mais bonitinha!

Family, família

Together at last! Juntos por fim!

Nicky's past week has been eventful: he finally got to meet his vovó Sílvia and tia Dani! Nicky was all smiles at 7 am when we picked up vovó e tia in JFK airport. He has really enjoyed playing with his Aunt and Grandma since then, learning all kinds of songs and games! As for Sílvia and Dani, they have been a bit shocked by the unseasonally frigid weather we are having here-- walking on the beach in scarves and heavy coats was certainly a new experience! They have gotten to do a bit of shopping and sightseeing. Nicholas also got to spend some nice time with Grandma and Grandpa Spofford... everyone thinks he must be taking after Grandpa, with his blue eyes and big appetite!

Nicholas now weighs over 19, and maybe even as much as 20 pounds. Our scale isn't terribly accurate, but it does seem to give a general idea of the giant-ness of Nicky. He has had his first taste of rice cereal mixed with breastmilk, as his appetite seems to be overtaking my current milk production. But on the plus side, I have lost some more pounds!