We're Back in Brooktondale... and a belated happy 8 months b-day!

Eu e meu primo brasileiro, Pedrinho!

Looking Cool!

Minha família

We're back in Brooktondale! Bye-bye, Brazil! Estamos com MUITA saudade de nossa família lá. We didn't take the trip to Vila Velha this year, but luckily, we did get to the beach in Rio before we left. Behind Dani's apartment complex is a nature reserve and little ferry that goes out to a barrier beach. This was so beautiful! We are hoping she'll stay in Rio so we can go again! : ) She may have other plans, however...

Last week was somewhat hectic and stressful trying to readjust to the Northern clime and to the many unknowns of this upcoming year. Nicky spent the week wondering where all those loving titias went and why no crowds of people were surrounding him in full-fledged adoration. Just Mommy... He was very "juju", or whiny, as we say in English. Actually, we all were! Even Inca was refusing to eat properly.

In my Bam-Bam carnaval costume! Bam! Bam!

Nicky's crawling is going well. He is enjoying exploring the living room and kitchen, finding all the dangerous corners. Luckily, he is still slow. He has been happily reunited with his toys, but his gym is no longer as captivating as it once was. He definitely prefers balls, trucks, wheels, and anything like a cord, power outlet, or drawer. He is very into the "head-shaking" game (he shakes his head, waits for you to do it, does it back again), and in general is becoming more interactive-- saying sounds back, like da-da, ma-ma, and so on. He's never been a big fan of imitation, but this is changing.

This week we've been trying (rather unsuccessfully) to find a place for Nicky to stay a couple days a week during the morning, so Mommy can make more progress with her dissertation. Most places do not accept infants part time, or charge so much that it would be impossible for us to pay the fees. However, Nicky is very social and we want him to have the chance to play with other babies, in addition to giving Mommy some time to work uninterrupted. He just LOVES to play, and he loves a crowd... at Cynthia's baby shower (only a few more weeks til little Tom arrives!) he was totally elated with the other kids!

Below are some photos from Nicky's visit to Aldeias Infantis SOS in Brazil. Our visit was such fun! The kids have a really nice home where they live with the "mae social", their mom. Even though these children have suffered a lot, they are in a good spot and it's a cause definitely worth supporting. They loved meeting Nicky and he loved them too! He brought them a whole bunch of school supplies to help them with their education.

And of course, with all this, we wish Nicky a belated happy 8 months birthday. With six teeth, an expanding vocab of babble, and true gusto for food and play, you are the bestest babyest everest, particularly in Brooktondale, and perhaps in all of Brazil! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!