Christmas is coming!

Together at Christmastime!

We are doing our best to be in the Christmas spirit during the Brazilian summer, and so we set up the tripod and took some photos. While the Northeast of the US is buried under 2 feet of snow, we are enjoying mild temps in the 70s and 80s, hikes along the serra, and Nicky even takes the occasional dip in his little pool.

I love my papai!


Mommy and me! We are so happy together!

This has been a wonderful, challenging, and many times difficult year, as we moved from the US to Brazil and Bruno started his new job... among other things! Just getting Inca to Brazil was enough work for the whole year! But all through the adventures of intercontinental moving, we were at each others' sides and had tons of support from our families and friends, without which we would have been completely lost.

It has also been a blessing to watch Nicky growing and changing through these months. Nicky is now an expert runner and climber, and he gives sweet little kisses and gentle hugs. His vocabulary ranges from "all done" and "acabou" (which mean the same thing, essentially), to "chocolate", "papar" (to eat), "meow", and "cracker".His bright and happy personality has given us perspective in more than one moment of difficulty or conflict. His excitement, interest, insistence, and joy in his everyday routine (play, eat, sleep, play, eat, sleep) serve as a constant reminder that simple life can be simply amazing-- if we allow it to be!

Ouro Branco, at last! Oh yeah, and Merry Christmas!

Me, Papai, and Papai Noel (er...vovó)

We are at last in our house in Ouro Branco after quite a crazy couple of weeks, and Bruno is working at the University-- to our delight! It's been a long time coming, and we are very thankful to finally have more stability in our lives.

Nicky is adjusting well to his new home across the street from a eucalyptus forest and the wetlands of the lake, at the base of the towering "serra", or mountain ridge. It is very peaceful and tranquil here, but he definitely misses the "movimento" of his grandparents' bairro. However, he likes that we go for many long walks, visit the playground, and can go fast (more or less!) in the jogging stroller without rattling his teeth out of his head. He also has more space to play here at home, and nice sidewalks in the neighborhood so he can walk on his own. This past week, he made his first friend, Luisa, who is just a couple of months older than him (and very beautiful!).

We have been pretty overwhelmed with the move, finally getting to open boxes that have been sealed up for months now and trying to organize our things. Luckily the house we are renting is spacious and even has a wonderful office where Mommy can FINISH her dissertation!

I love Santa! (although I am still calling him Vovó!)

Unfortunately with the timing of the move, the holidays and every other celebration have sort of gotten lost in the mix. We did get the tree up, and some other decorations, but cards and photos... well, if it happens, it will happen late, as I don't even know where the post office is yet! We should be getting on track within the next couple of months and be able to get in contact with more friends and family. In the meantime, we are sending our best holiday wishes, and hopes for a wonderful new year!

Photos of Nicky from October and November

The cutest Vampire in Brazil... or at least in Teixeiras, Juiz de Fora....

Watching futebol (soccer) with my Papai and Vovo

Happy Birthday, Mamoo!

Finally I got the photos onto our computer, so here are some shots of Nicholas in October and November.

At the beach with Papai


In the pool with my cousin Jo-Jo

Since Bruno was OFFICIALLY nominated for his appointment (yes, can you believe it?) we took the liberty of visiting Tia Renata and Pedrinho, as well as many other members of the Xavier clan, in Vila Velha, ES. Even though this meant traveling to the very hot coast in the beloved VW Parati (no air conditioning...), we had a wonderful time. Nicky especially cultivated his passion for the ocean and got a taste for the "chique" life, complete with pool and playgrounds. He also met many other babies and showed that he, like all other toddlers his age, loves to steal toys from his friends.

Right now we are arranging housing and a car WITH air conditioning for this poor northerner and her Swiss-blooded dog, who right now would rather be laying in a snowbank. Luckily we think we have found a house to rent across from the lake in Ouro Branco, so at least she'll get to swim! We plan to move the second week in December.

We hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving! Nicky will post a little entry for this very special holiday soon.

Words, words, words

Nicky is "talking" up a storm and learning lots of new words. Some that come to mind:

macaco (monkey)
pato (duck)
cinza (grey)
dirigir (drive)
pera (pear)
pão (bread)

As you can see, he is picking up Portuguese much faster than English. I am not sure if this will change once we move to Ouro Branco, but obviously he is sensitive to the dominant language. However, he does understand the English words that refer to the same object. For example, if you ask him to point to various body parts in English or Portuguese, he will do so... even though he doesn't say any of these words yet. Mama and Papa will have to become more insistent about only using Portuguese around other Portuguese speakers and English only at home.

We are still waiting for official word on the job but, unofficially, we have every indication that we'll be in Ouro Branco the first part of December.

In other news, we've been enjoying lots of sunshine and 80 degree weather-- in November! Fun to be in "upside-down" world-- but will it ever feel "right-side-up"?

December 3rd!

We have almost official word that Bruno's ceremony to become a professor in the Federal university system will be December 3rd-- that's right, less than a month away! It still isn't published in the daily bulletin of the government, but should be this upcoming week. However, we are greatly pleased to know we won't be waiting "indefinitely" for Bruno to begin this job, which he is very excited to start. The campus is totally new, and he'll be responsible for building a lab and graduate program from scratch-- a great opportunity for Nicky's creative Papai.

So, we'll be off to our little "mountain town" soon...

Photos coming.... stayed tuned!

More words from Nicky!

It seems like these days Nicky is picking up 1 or 2 new words a day. Today these are "owl" and "door"; yesterday he learned the word "azul" (blue) and it seems he is referring to the color. He has become very fond of drawing with crayons, and this may be helping him to pick up the words for colors. He also loves songs... the current favorite is "meu pintinho amarelinho" about a little yellow chick.

Nicky is saying a lot of phrase-like utterances, but I can't quite decode them yet... I don't think it'll be too long before he is using something like a sentence, since he seems to understand fairly complex commands (er, requests... sometimes complied with).

He is fond of calling to his family members, louder and louder and louder....Lately I have been transformed from Mama to Mamoo, which I find very funny (does he consider me a cow??).

I will post photos of his vampire Halloween costume soon!

Happy Halloween!

Wishing you all a Happy Halloween!

Love, Nicky

(More pictures of our little "vampiro" to follow...)

Me and Papai hard at work!

Me and my papai are building a nice cabinet in the kitchen! Little do I realize that once the doors are in place, I won't be able to "mexer" (mess around) with the cans, the dishes, the utensils...

Some of Nicky's latest words

Nicky is picking up words very quickly these days, as he approaches 16 months. His vocabulary is a seemingly random mix of portuguese and english, though he tends to recognize both. Just this morning, he was "reading" (the first thing he does when he wakes up-- grab a stack of books) and one book, which is about colors, features monsters of various shades. He started to say "purple" while pointing to the purple monster. But he doesn't seem to recognize "purple" as a broad concept yet-- that is, other purple objects don't elicit a response from him. We'll see how that develops....

He is also happy to show you where the "lua" (moon) is, if you ask him. But the most oft-repeated word is "trator" (tractor), which he chants almost incessantly from morning to night, asking us to take him out to the street so he can look at the cars. "Mama, mama, pa, pa (up up)! Trator, trator!"

It's so astounding to hear these words coming from our little baby boy, who isn't too little anymore (around 25 lbs, I think). He's just so.... vivacious! Energetic! Perpetual motion machine! He really enjoyed visiting his bisavó Lourdes yesterday and playing with his priminha Carolina, slurping jabuticaba fruit (not something I've ever seen in the US) and smelling plumeria flowers.

A bowlful of jabuticaba fruit

This week we hope to have news regarding the "job" and our lives for the next few months. It has been hard not being able to truly settle into life here, though I guess we have begun to adjust somewhat. But, in any case, things are looking up: we managed to make a tasty pizza (the first one was a bit of a failure), and our ice cream machine (kitchen aid attachment) makes delicious chocolate ice cream!

Words that describe our Nicky

Nicholas is....

Caring, methodical, obsessive, sweet, playful, happy, insistent, determined, adventurous, needy, creative, joyful, constantly-in-motion, curious, friendly, tireless, demanding, gentle, fidgety, silly, generous, helpful, social, electric:

in sum, our wonderful baby boy! : )

Bubbles is ... making a bubble nest?

Sometimes I wonder how Nicky does the things he does. Like last night: Bruno was sweeping up the kitchen, and on his own, Nicky got the dustpan, held it for Bruno, AND dumped it out in the garbage can (when we asked him to). Now, perhaps his name for the fish was not intentional -- his repetition of "bu bu bu" suggested Bubbles to Mama-- but this morning I discovered Bubbles had built what is known as a bubble nest, awaiting a lady love to make some Betta Babies. At first I thought they were eggs, and given my lack of knowledge about fish, they could be, but in any case, the little tank is full of bubbles, and I remain impressed by this coincidence!

Dia das crianças/ Children's Day

On October 12th in Brazil, instead of celebrating Columbus Day, we celebrated o Dia das Crianças, Children's Day. Kids receive gifts and have the day off from school. I really like this shift from celebrating the dubious hero of the Euro-American encounter to celebrating the beauty and innocence of childhood.


Our celebrated baby boy got a fun dump truck from Mom and Dad and a baby Sylvester the Puddy-Tat stuffed animal from Titia Flávia. He caught Papa's cold (now Mommy has, too) and was suffering with a mild fever the other day, but within a day was back to saying "down, down, down" and insisting on running all over the house and playing with the most dangerous objects possible. Of special interest is Daddy's toolbox, full of drill bits, screwdrivers, and multiple choke hazards.


Before Children's Day, Nicky and Mommy accompanied Papai to Belo Horizonte, where he attended a conference. Nicky got to visit the zoo (the elephant was quite exciting for him, along with the lions), and the Science Museum at PUC Minas. Both were lots of fun! Nicky also learned how to take photos, which he loves to do, although his technique will need some work!

Nicky is also now the proud owner of a red Betta fish named "Bubbles". Tia Vânia brought it to him in a tiny tank the other day and the little guy seems to enjoy his new home!

He also has begun saying "Goooooooolll" (goal) when he kicks the soccer ball, which I find really funny!

We are still (alas) in limbo here in Juiz de Fora. To be honest, things are much more difficult here than any of us expected. We do hope that with some patience and perserverance, we will be able to make a great life for our family here. We have to give it a little time. But if things don't work out, it'll be USA or bust! Fortunately we have that option. In the meantime, we pray some rays of sun will shine into our life and our luck will change. But until then we just have to focus on appreciating the positives and not get too down.

Nicky keeps us all happy anyway-- he is just thrilled with his life! As long as he can run around and go for walks to see "tractors", all is a-ok! We are so grateful to have such a bright and sweet boy for our son.

Enjoy these photos of Nicholas and join us in wishing him a (now past) Happy Children's Day!

Some Photos of Nicky in August and September

Nicky, World Traveler!

Me and Papai at the beach on Long Island in August

It's been a while since we have been organized enough to get some photos up on Nicky's blog, but here are some to enjoy! These include his trip to Long Island to spend time with his Grandma and Grandpa, his trip to the cabin in Maine, and some photos from Brazil.

Building my first sand castle at Fire Island

My great-great grandpa J. Tenney Spofford's cabin at Orr's Island, Maine


Beautiful View at the Giant Steps, Bailey Island

Backpacking is a lot of fun!

Nicky is doing great, despite all the changes in his life. Luckily he is a resilient, happy fellow who adores novelty. His favorite word is "titia" (pronounced chee cheea) (Flávia is also his much adored aunt) and he loves to name us all. He is learning to "draw" with crayons and is walking/running everywhere. He blows kisses, says "tchau" as he waves bye-bye, gives lots of love to all the doggies (especially Kika/Kriska/Triska, who he calls "kaka"). He is rolling his "r"s like a maniac -- will be useful for Spanish later on! He likes to let us know when his diaper ("dah-gun") needs changing by saying "cocô" or "shi shi"-- for some reason he says these in Portuguese rather than English! And now he will bring us a diaper when asked. He is just beginning to sit on a potty to get to know what it is, though potty training is a long way off yet.

Some of my Family (including Inca!) in Brazil

Nicky also recognizes both Portuguese and English words that refer to the same thing. I've noticed him do this for "belly" (barriguinha) and "dog" (cachorro). For the first, he will show his belly, and the second, he goes "woof- woof"... so there's not much doubt what he means!

Recently we got our shipment and Nicky was thrilled to get a few of his toys again-- many are still packed up. Especially welcomed were his red car, "rocket ship", rocking horse, piano (well, Mommy's piano), and puzzles. Let's not forget the mixing bowls and tupperware... beloved favorites...

Who is this boy who knows how to do Fierce Lion? It's Papai! (That hair looks familiar, too!)

Daddy's smile reminds me of someone I know! Me!

We have traveled a couple of times to Ouro Branco, which is beautiful; however, we are still awaiting the university to officially hire Bruno. The government has allocated the funding and authorized the hiring as of October 1st. However, it seems the numbers are not what the University expected, so we are unsure if Bruno will be hired this round or asked to wait-- indefinitely. Which basically means we will go on with our lives, and if later on Ouro Branco calls Bruno to work there, we'll evaluate that decision then. Of course, this is not the situation we expected or hoped for, but luckily we have plenty of family support, so we do have some flexibility.

For now we are postponing any decisions regarding anything, pretty much, until we have a more definite timeline-- we should know by next week if Bruno will be hired now or "later"-- the famous Brazilian slogan, "daqui a pouco" (in a little while). In the meantime, Mommy is working on her dissertation, Nicky is learning to run and eating like a champ, and Papai is building some cabinets (and preparing his CV)!

Brazil!

We have been in Brazil for a week now, staying at Vovo e Vovó's house in Juiz de Fora. All is well! We have gotten to see all of Nicky's titias, including his tia-avós and his bisavó. He loves to say "tia", which he is pronouncing much more clearly now. He names everyone, in the rare moments he stops running around, turning on lights, opening cabinets, and so on.... and yes, we are getting into shape running after him!

Good news: we are expecting Bruno's job to be authorized by the government by the 15th of September, which means he will start working most likely in October. Up until now, this date had been in limbo. But this also means we need to find somewhere to live in Ouro Branco ASAP-- a small detail!-- especially before our container is ready for us, after it passes through Brazil's considerable bureaucracy. The container is in Rio as of yesterday, and it should be another 2-3 weeks before we get it, if all goes well.

So far, we are enjoying what we thought we would enjoy in Brazil, and getting frustrated at what we knew would frustrate us.... We love seeing family, enjoying fresh juices and great food, and the lovely weather. But the chaos, the litter, the NOISE (especially from the little music joint next door-- UGH!), the lack of access to our usual products and the lower quality of products you find here, the high prices of many things (a crappy plastic fan costs upward of $50, to name one example), no where nice for Nicky to play... it is definitely "culture shock" for us, and especially for me.

Considering Brazil's troubled history as a colony and under military dictatorship until relatively recently, things are going very well here and have improved substantially since Bruno was a child. We just don't realize in the US what kind of incredible standard of living we have-- with its own complex history. And still, that standard of living comes with a high price, often putting people deep into debt, stretched to the limit, or frantic from too many jobs and activities.

At least here, with credit less available, we will be less likely to get into debt! And, we do hope that our day-to-day life will improve. For example, here we will be able to afford someone to help clean our house and help out with Nicky while I write my dissertation, whereas it was a struggle to employ a sitter for just a few hours a week in the US. Also, in Ouro Branco, land is still inexpensive and we hope we can get a really nice-sized piece of land, and build a home there-- complete with gardens, pond, and fruit orchard. And a guest suite for our visitors! These are things that are luxurious in the US for most, and yet here are more accessible. So, despite the frustration, we must keep these positive things in mind, and try to make our dreams reality. And there is so much that Bruno and I hope we can contribute to the community here-- for starters, a nice playground for the kids in Juiz de Fora!

We are definitely missing Grandma and Grandpa after spending a few weeks with them. Yesterday was their 53rd wedding anniversary! Wow! Congratulations!

Still working on getting photos posted... but stay tuned! :)

Almost to Brazil...

During a grueling few weeks, we managed to pack and ship all of our belongings to Brazil (quite the adventure, that!), sold our car, closed on the sale of our house, threw away 700 pounds of garbage (how were we living with this all along?), and traveled to the Adirondacks, New York City, and to Long Island, where we are currently staying with Nicky's Grandma and Grandpa and their four white dogs. And of course we never, ever, ever could have packed everything without the help of our wonderful (and strong!) friends: Leo, Alessandra, Maria Clara, Katie, Esther, Uelinton, José Carlos, and the other Jose Carlos! Thank you so much!!

Nicky's Mommy and Daddy were totally exhausted and depleted after this tremendous undertaking and have been relaxing at Grandma and Grandpa's house, nursing their shaky immune systems and enjoying lots of good food and rest. We've also been hitting the beach, much to Nicky's delight. He toddles right into the ocean, giggling with joy!

Nicky is walking almost all the time, toddling about like he is dancing the hula, and doing well with the long car rides and displacement from his beloved home and collection of toys. Especially missed are his red rocket ship and his red car. We also miss our home on Coyote Hill. We hope the new owners are truly enjoying the property. Nicky misses Inca, who embarked on the 19th of August for her new (temporary) home in Juiz de Fora. That voyage which poor Inca endured cost all of us a lot of time, hassle, money, and anxiety... but we couldn't part with our beloved "dogter", and we are so glad she made it there ok! Manny the cat decided she would rather stay with her grandparents, and in particular with her Grandpa, who offers her ham, salami, and -yes- a full sized steak bone, at regular intervals. I don't think she will miss us, but Nicky will miss his dearest "Mana". We'll be back in May to see if she wants to come with us then.

Now Nicky's Mommy and Daddy are homeless and unemployed... well, in a manner of speaking : ) Actually, Mommy is still enrolled in her PhD program, finishing her dissertation, and Daddy is awaiting official appointment as a university professor in Brazil, most likely in November. We leave within the week for Brazil, where we'll begin setting up our lives again-- new car, new house, and so on... We'll post updates here! Pictures to come!

Blueberries!

This weekend has been full of packing fun, but luckily included a visit from Ashley and Erik. Erik was kind enough to help Bruno chop up the part of the walnut tree that fell during a storm the other night, a huge job we were not really prepared to take care of at this stage in our moving preparations! They also helped us pack a lot, and took our tiller and chainsaw off to work on new forests and fields.
Nicky loved having visitors, especially ones that tickle his toes and play peek-a-boo! Saturday Ashley and Nicky and his mom went out to Locust Hill "Bluberrie" farm in Spencer, now for the 6th summer running (likely our last, for a while...)

The crop is amazing this year and we ate our way through the farm. Nicky was especially delighted, as blueberries are his favorite (right now). We spent a long time out in the fields, almost ran out of gas on the way home, and brought pizza back to the "boys" -- as we were sure they were starving... although they ended up staying out in the workshop a good while, building a crate for Bruno's drums.

We will definitely miss seeing Ashley and Erik on a regular basis, as they have been our great friends all throughout grad school. But it is good to know we will continue our friendship as our lives change in wonderful and challenging ways... :)

Nicky's mom is feeling very tired of packing already, but needs to find her second wind... we have roughly one week til move out day, so we'd better work a little faster! Closing is on August 7.

Nicky continues his quest to walk, and is pretty steady now for a few paces, and does fairly well holding someone's hand. He still likes to climb, and he almost always "desce de bundinha", as his Titia Renata taught him (to get down butt-first, not head-first!). He converses a little more, although no one can tell what he is talking about, and uses gestures and signs very transparently. He enjoys his bedtime stories, and now his morning stories, too. He seems to be pretty reliably down to one long afternoon nap, which makes for a nice break for Mom.

Speaking of which, Nicky's mom needs to get back to packing!! Only one week left on Coyote Hill!

Papai is home! And we're moving VERY soon!

Last Sunday Nicky's Daddy came home after 3 long weeks in Brazil. Luckily, it was a very successful trip and we will be calling him Professor Daddy beginning in November or so. We now also know where we will be moving to: Ouro Branco, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Although this is a small town (not smaller than Brooktondale, I hope), it is in a beautiful mountainous area of Minas Gerais, and features a nice lake (hmmm, sounding somewhat like Ithaca). The campus where Bruno will be starting his lab in Industrial Microbiology is a satellite of a larger federal university based in the nearby city of São João del Rei. Here is a picture of the lake and "serra", the wall-like mountain range in Ouro Branco:

There are some more photos if you search google under images. We are planning to rent a house for a while as we get to know the area. Eventually we hope to buy a piece of land and build a house there, if we decide we like the area.

Life has been busy while Daddy was away. First, Nicky and Mommy (and Inca) went to Old Forge to see lots of Spoffords and Polanskys. Nicky got a really cool toy car from his Aunt Kathy and Uncle Steve. We are waiting to put it together until we arrive in Brazil, though. He got to swim in the Moose River (and loved it!!!). Then, the day after we got home, Tia Renata and Pedrinho arrived, after a somewhat prolonged bus ride from NYC. Since then we have been busy hanging out with them, as well as doing things to prepare for our impending move. Hence, the blog has suffered!

Nicky still isn't walking, although he will take a few steps at a time. He is very connected to his world and good at communicating. He is starting to use sign language. Lately he has been obsessed with summer fruit (definitely my boy!), especially blueberries and cherries. He also has really been enjoying playing with his cousin and going outside with Titia Renata. He now points out objects in books and when he knows their names, he will say them. Some of his favorite things to point to include cats (Manny! he exclaims), balloons, lamps, and the moon. He really enjoys his bedtime stories and now insists we read 4 or 5 books before bed.

On Sunday we celebrated Daddy's 30th birthday a few days late, but with a cake from Sarah's Patisserie, we didn't mind.... Daddy got a fancy GPS! Fun!

Well, we are all VERY happy to be together again, and these next few weeks should be appropriately harried, but soon we'll be on our way to Brazil!

Nicky also had a great time meeting his Texas cousins Caitlin, Zachary, and Jenny, as well as his Uncle Jason and Aunt Carolyn!

I love my Papai-Dada

Nicky helps his Daddy put on his shoes everyday before work!

Dear Papai,

Today you left for a 3 week trip to Brazil and already I am missing you. So I thought that I would write you little notes on my blog, and tell you how much I love you!

You give great hugs and kisses, so strong that the camera cannot capture them!
You can be fun and silly (and your fierce lion face is getting pretty good!):

I like to sit in your lap, with our big dog Inca nearby:And you understand my innocence even when I throw my cup on the floor...
We play outside on the grass, and enjoy the sunshine and rain alike.
Everyday I wake up, I say, Dada! And I crawl over to you to give you a big hug and a kiss.

Mommy and I are thinking of you all the time and can't wait til you come home.

I will write you again soon, Papai!

Love, Nicky

Party!!! Nicky's Birthday Bash!

Feliz Aniversário! Um aninho de idade!

Before the party started: lots of dogs and balloons made Nicky quite delighted!

Nicky's party was a lot of fun, even though the morning's crystal-clear blue skies gave way to rain and thunder and Nicholas napped from 4:30-5:30 (the party began at 4!). And, Mommy may have bought slightly too much food... but in any case, a good time was had by all, especially Nicky. Nicky wore his new outfit that Grandma gave him, and really enjoyed the food from the barbecue.

Mommy and me!

His great pal Katie was there, and his two"girlfriends" (who are also babies) Maria Clara and Ainsley were there to play with him.

Nicky and Maria Clara play with the Old Mac Donald truck (lots of fun!) from Grazie.

They had a ball playing with Nicky's various toys and books, including his fancy car that he received from his generous Grandma.


We were happy to have Grandpa and Grandma there, but we missed seeing the rest of the Spofford clan. Nicky and his mommy will get to see Aunt Kathy and Uncle Cos and their families this weekend in Old Forge. Uncle Jason and his family will be in the New York area in mid-July, so we can't wait to see them then!

Some of Nicky's gifts

Nicky and his Mommy and Daddy

Notably, Nicky did NOT care for the cake, which unfortunately was storebought, though embellished with fruit meant for his homemade cake. He refused to eat it!

My homemade cake remains incomplete because the heavy cream I bought for it was spoiled (despite the date being July 31st). Oh well-- we froze the cake for now and will bring it to Old Forge where we can finish it and eat it up!

Nicky definitely missed his Brazilian family but luckily we had plenty of Brazilian friends at the party and he got to sing Happy Birthday in both Portuguese and English, while the family in Brazil watched over Skype. Vovó promises we will celebrate again once we all arrive in Brazil in August! The big move is approaching!

Viva o Nicky! : )