Long time, no posts!

Dear Fans of the now 20-month-old Nicky,

We're sorry for having been "offline" for over two months! Nicky's mommy has been, er, a bit busy/crazy with her dissertation, and has put the blog on the back burner. However, an update is more than overdue.

Nicholas has changed a lot in the past months. He has learned many new words in Portuguese and in English (though mostly Portuguese), developed an obsession with Elmo, is learning to jump, decided to stop nursing (finally), listens to and occasionally heeds our requests, usually sleeps through the night in his own bed, can draw a circle, walks the dog, adds "sound effects" to his physical movements (i.e. "Boom!" as he jumps), is a wild splashing swimmer, enjoys digging in dirt and rocks, brings lots of flowers to Mommy, spits his toothpaste out as he rinses his mouth, cut one set of second molars and is working on the next, has a slightly obsessive sense of order and hygiene, and continues to eat like a champ.

His phrases are usually 2 words long now, which is par for the course... sometimes he says 3 word phrases, although I think this is mostly imitation-- such as "Tem que lavar" (It needs to be washed) and "I don't know". He will also say, for example, "I don't know ball?" meaning, "where is the ball?" or "I can't find the ball..." Now he says things like "feed Inca" "cooking" "trator papai dirigir" (roughly translated, "Daddy drove the car away"). He says "please" and "por favor", complete with mineiro "r" (very, very exaggerated). He also says thank you, often unprompted, but "obrigado" is much harder. He says mommy's real name, "Lilia", and is usually calling me Mamãe, but sometimes "Mamoo". It really shocked me when he said my name! In any case, he is very talkative and communicates his needs and desires clearly.

"Abrir" is probably his favorite verb, which really means "to open", but he uses it for lots of things, like to break, to take off, and to take out. He will also say "open" if asked-- we are trying to help him distinguish better between Portuguese and English. To be fair, many English verbs have mandatory prepositions and objects that make it harder for him (most likely) to figure out which sounds corresponds to the verb. He also likes "botar", a kind of slangy verb which can mean to put away or put somewhere. After he is done communing with Elmo, he orders us to "botar 'tador" which in Nicky speak, means "put away computer" (computador). Sometimes, he adds a "please", if we ask him too!

The electronic obsession shows no sign of abating, as this past month he discovered the iPod Touch, which he can turn on, unlock, and choose his favorite game from-- scary. He does, however, still adore reading, especially books about cats (Mimi is the name of EVERY cat now!). He enjoys watching a "show" now and again. It doesn't seem to affect him negatively, except when he whines to see a particular video. (He has gotten much whinier, alas). He is learning the alphabet in English right now, and can recognize almost all the letters, though a few he is reluctant to say, and he has his favorites. He also knows the numbers 2, 3, and 4. He has added "Daddy" to complement his now properly pronounced "Papai". This list could go on and on for some time, as his development has really taken off.

But what really strikes Bruno and me is that Nicky is no longer a baby. He is, without a doubt, a toddler, a little boy, and though he still looks somewhat baby-like in his diaper, I think his baby-days are gone. I am experiencing a bit of sadness, as if my role as mother has really changed now, and Nicky no longer "needs" his mommy in the same fashion. But I am also thrilled that he has grown up to be so strong and healthy, so lively and bright, and shows no signs of slowing down.

Nicky's mom is aiming to have her dissertation defense the first week or two of May, right after she and Nicky return to the US, and so is on a very strict schedule! Lots of work to do. I will put up some pictures of Nicky, hopefully later tonight.

Happy New Year! Feliz ano novo!

2010... wowee! We are wishing you all a fantastic new year. No matter how arbitrary the turning of the year may seem, it still carries a hefty symbolic value. One that is, naturally, still not clear to Nicky, but certainly is to his Mommy and Daddy.

We feel a certain relief with the tumults and transitions of 2009 behind us, and an eager anticipation of the possibilities of 2010.

Nicky has been a little under the weather the past two days, suffering from a reaction to his DtaP vaccine, with a lot of pain in his leg ("Doi doi") and an elevated fever. Today he is doing much better, and his fever seems to be gone. He did wake up this morning terrified of his pillow, shaking with fear-- the first time I have seen him really scared. Poor guy! Luckily he has his new kitten, Mimi, to comfort him! Pictures soon!

We are so excited to see how Nicky will grow and change in 2010. He will turn 2! He will accompany Mommy to her graduation from Cornell (again, though this time in fancier garb!). Surely he will begin speaking more complex phrases, and maybe he will learn to write and draw more clearly. Whatever he does, it doesn't much matter, except for how it helps him express who he is-- our beloved baby boy, sweet, curious, and much adored.

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!