Nicaragua 1: The Intro

We were approached by a friend of mine, MMS, who invited us to serve as the “Program Coordinators” for an experiential learning service trip to Nicaragua for students from Allegheny College.  It seemed like a no-brainer when she asked.  I heart Nicaragua in a huge way, and I’m pretty sure that Tim’s love for the country is growing with more and more experience there… and of course Sebastian was eager to see the place where his parents “found” his name.  So, we packed up our bags and all the baby gear we thought we’d need for 11 days and headed to Nicaragua.

We made our way to Houston, where we met up with a group of 20 students from Allegheny College – 17 women and 3 men, most of whom are pre-health students.  They were an outstanding group of young adults – interested, committed, concerned and full of energy and enthusiasm (I had forgotten what kind of energy you have when you’re 20 years old!). 

Our purpose in Nicaragua was to work with Project Chacocente, a non-profit organization founded by a gringa who had visited the dump of Managua – La Chureca – and decided that she needed to do something to help out.  She purchased a plot of land with the idea that her organization would assist families living and working in La Chureca to relocate and build sustainable housing, a school, income-generating businesses, and healthy lifestyles.  Several families were selected to move to Project Chacocente, about an hour’s drive from the dump, and they committed to working in the community for a minimum of 5 years, after which time their houses and plots of land would become theirs.  In 2010, the community has grown to 8 families.

We worked on three main projects while were at Chacocente…

The first project was building a computer lab for their local school.  We did it all by hand from carrying the cement blocks to mixing the cement to laying the blocks and cutting rebar and wire reinforcements. 

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The second project was digging a septic tank for the toilets at the school.  Currently they are using latrines, but they needed something deeper, with larger capacity.  So we partnered in digging 20 feet down.  It sure gets tough to breath when you’re down that deep underground!  And yes, we did this all by hand…

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And the third project was splitting and digging up plantain trees and transplanting them into new holes that we dug – again, by hand – in order to space them out better with the hopes that it would produce a better crop. 

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Lots of sweat and sore muscles were poured into these projects.  Our students worked side by side with the folks from the community and didn’t complain about the scorching heat or their tired, achy bodies.  They made us all very proud, and we were honored to share in this experience with them. 

More to come on our adventures in the Motherland… poco a poco!

Seb’s 1st Birthday Party!

After a wonderful two weeks in Nicaragua we returned home with a day to finish planning and preparing for Seb’s big 1st birthday party.  We are so grateful for super family and friends that pulled together to help us pull it off…especially since I was still in the midst of Monteczuma’s Revenge! 

We gathered at the Pavilion at my parents’ church; it was a gorgeous day and we had lots of activities for everyone to enjoy and no one went hungry. 

Although the birthday boy was a bit uncertain about birthday cake in Nicaragua, by the time he had his second chance, he was convinced it was a good thing.  This is what he started with (mommy snuck in a blueberry muffin and decorated it with frosting and sprinkles):

which turned into this…

which turned into this…

and then this….

and finally this…

Our little tyke is getting to be such a big boy!  Thanks to all for sharing in our special day for Sebastian.  We were so glad to celebrate with our dear family and friends! 

I hope to post a slide show or photo album soon to give you a glimpse of many of the happy faces at the party. 

"nothing but net"

Check out this link for an awesome project that my cousin-in-law is doing. Please, please, please consider helping out! I'm the proud owner of a beautiful CJJ quilt. She's raffling off a gorgeous quilt to help fund mosquito nets for families in Africa. Having spent many a night under a mosquito net in Africa and other places around the world, AND having seen and treated many a case of malaria, I wholeheartedly appreciate and support her efforts!

Read all about the project on her blog, and click away to enter the raffle!

Oh yeah, and if you'd like to know what WE have been doing over the past two months, check back soon. I hope to post some updates in the very near future. Stay tuned! :)

Happy 1st birthday!

Can you guess what I've been doing to start celebrating my big 1st birthday?!? Boy, do I have stories to tell!

La Gran Manzana!

Sebastian had his first trip to the Big Apple, NYC, last weekend.  He did marvelously well.  I’m sure it helps that we spent time with great friends, “Tia” Jennifer and “Tio” Seth, who love & adore him and are just so great to be with.  We had a fabulous time checking out the sites, hanging with our dear friends, eating fantastic food, and quadruple parenting Seb for the weekend.  It’s super special to be able to spend time with friends who are invested in not only our lives, but also the life of our baby, and care for him as if he were their own.  Sea Bass (as they call Sebastian) had a wonderful time, misses you guys tons, and says “thanks and I love you!”

Here’s my peeps on the Highline, a very cool walkway of sorts, created on old elevated train tracks.  See how they’re all loving on my baby?!  What a warm fuzzy vibe they emit. 

No pun intended on the cool bit… it was incredibly windy!

Believe it or not, I was there too!  Although, I was the least appropriately dressed.  Short sleeves and open shoes without socks – ummm, not okay. 

I love this picture of Seth and Sebastian!  Sea Bass has just learned to give kisses in the past week or so, and he was giving Seth a smooch, which I managed to catch on film.  So, so sweet!

Bath time in NYC is so much fun! Sebbie got to take a bath two nights in a row in S & J’s brand new kitchen sink (in their brand new kitchen), while Chef Seth was prepping dinner right beside him.  Farmer sinks are great for giving baby baths!

He (we) experienced all sorts of new things, including diaper changes on the bench in Central Park.  Note to travelers heading to Central Park – there are no baby changing stations in the bathrooms (at least the ones we were in) – but the bench seemed to work just fine. 

Of course there was time for crawling in Central Park, too! 

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And even a little time for family photos…

and some mommy and daddy smoochin’ time.  Sebbie didn’t seem to mind – he’s too preoccupied with Jennifer’s sunglasses. 

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Sea Bass was fascinated by Seth & Jennifer’s attempts at Super Man stunts…I think they’re practicing for a special routine for a special event! :) And I don’t imagine it will be too far off before Seb is trying some stunts on his own!

 

Our little guy still got his naptime in while we were in NYC (hooray!).  He was pretty tuckered out by all the excitement going on, and took naps each day in the Ergo Baby Carrier – which we were borrowing, thanks to Rachel.  We were doing a trial of Ergo baby wearing before we take the plunge and make the purchase for our upcoming trip to Nicaragua.  Sebastian was quite content! 

So there you have it!  A flurry of activity… with lots of other exciting and special things going on!  We even got in a visit with Linda and Lenny, some surrogate grandparents who live in NYC (previously in Lancaster), who met us for brunch on Sunday. 

We often comment on how much work it seems to take to get us ready to get out the door and go away somewhere.  But once we’re on our way and THERE, it all seems so very worth it. 

Good times. 

The method behind our madness

Here's a link to the article on sleep training that we read and have been following (with a few personal touches and variations): http://www.parenting.com/article/Baby/Care/Sleep-Training.
The great thing is that it's actually working. The nighttime routine is going beautifully! Tonight I nursed Sebastian and put him down in the crib, then walked out of the room. He was awake, and we never heard a peep after that. I went back about 20 minutes later to make sure he was asleep (and breathing and all that other stuff I do when I check on him), and sure enough...he was fast asleep. Last night I put him down at 8:15 pm, waited in his room for a few minutes, then left quietly...and this morning at 7:45 am he let us know he was awake by making a little squeaky noise. We're on day 9 of the process... and it's definitely a process. But being on this side of the fence makes it seem like those long, drawn out nights a week and a half ago were very worth it!
We're still having to work a little harder on naps, but they seem to be getting better too.
Just wanted to share, cuz I think it's been a great method, at least for us. We had briefly tried a little "cry it out" and "Ferber" methods, but it wasn't for me (us). Plus, we were attempting it right about the time that Sebastian started to really struggle with teething, which made matters significantly worse.
I've begun to think that Kim West (the "sleeplady") is a smart gal. I like her. And I like a sleeping baby! :)

Sleep training

So this is what happens when little boys are so, so, so tired… while you’re trying to sleep train them!  

He finally soothed himself to sleep after an hour and twenty minutes of effort, but he fell asleep slumped over, head face down in the mattress between his legs. 

It was all fine and dandy til mommy had to wake him up 15 minutes later (doh! bad, bad mommy!) to take him to a meeting at the clinic.  I was frantically calling neighbors to see if anyone was around that could sit in the house for an hour or so til I got home.  But to no avail…

Fortunately he was on his best behavior, like usual, at the clinic… despite the naptime being cut super short.  And later in the afternoon, he returned to take a nap (this time after about 35-40 minutes of effort) which lasted two hours and fifteen minutes.  Ahhh…

Day 5 and counting…

Times two!

These first two teeth seemed to take forever!  I mean forever.

But now they’re here, and the calm has returned… at least for a little while.  And we’ve learned a lot about empathizing with other parents (and babies) who are teething. 

I snapped these shots on March 30, 2010, which seemed to be the first day I could really see both teeth fully broken through the gums and actually looking like teeth. 

 

Some days were rather trying to say the least…our little guy didn’t seem like himself. He was more irritable than usual.  He all of a sudden became clingy.  He would scream during feedings.  Yes, even our smiley, laughing baby would scream.  And Scream. Plus naptime and bedtime became huge battles.  What used to take a few minutes to get him to bed was taking what felt like hours.  Thank goodness for Humphreys and Motrin!

He now seems to be pretty much back to his normal, cheery self, minus the napping and bedtime routine.  That’s where sleep training comes in… which is what we’re in the midst of now.  This probably makes my friend, Rachel, a bit happy inside (it’s OK to admit it), because she has always envied Sebastian’s good sleeping habits compared to her little boys! Part of me wonders if she told him to act up like this in one of their private conversations they’ve had recently!  Sebastian sure won’t tell.  He’s great at keeping secrets!  So, Rach…Was it you?!

The first of many…

That’s what I’m told at least. 

That this will be the first of many:

Sebastian took a dive right into the corner of a wooden box/activity center and gashed his eyebrow open.  Talk about an ache in a mother’s heart!  That’s what hit me after my immediate first aid responder reaction, which involved gathering him up in my arms, rushing him to the sink to clean out the wound, then holding pressure while nursing til he stopped screaming.  After several minutes, his wound was still oozing, and my objective doctor brain turned off and my mommy brain and emotions kicked in.  And then came the ache.  I decided I should run down to the clinic to have one of my partners look at him. 

So one of my dear doctor friends (or better said, dear friends who happens to be a doctor), Rachel, came to the rescue.  She was initially talking about putting Dermabond on his wound, which is a glorified version of super glue.  It’s made for skin and holds things together nicely so you can avoid stitches.  Rachel’s words to me were: “so, do you want to hold him or should I board him?”  What!! Board my baby?  No way, I said…!  But then we decided that a steri-strip would be just fine.  So Doctor Rachel did just that.  And there was no boarding involved.  Thank goodness. Sure, I do it to other kids (strap them down on a board for procedures), but not my own baby!

She did a darn good job, that Rachel.  And she was kind, tender-hearted and compassionate as she did it (no strapping Sebastian down on a board or anything).  She even kissed little Seb when it was all over.

This booboo happened about 3 weeks ago, and the wound has healed very nicely.  There’s a faint little scar, which you can hardly see unless you’re looking for it.  Hopefully over time, it will fade altogether.  Especially if this really is the first of many.  Geesh. 

Easter 2010

It feels like forever since I’ve written any entries on our blog.  Life has carried on at a super fast pace, and blogging just couldn’t be a priority… however, I’ve got lots of catching up to do, so hope to be able to fill in some of the gaps. 

I’ll start with Easter.  The weather couldn’t have been any better.  It was gorgeous.  We started our day with breakfast at the house, followed by church, where we were able to join together in fellowship and support for our niece, who was baptized.  It brought back vivid memories for me, as I recalled being baptized myself some 25 years prior on Easter Sunday.  What a special way to celebrate our risen Lord and Savior! 

We then came home to enjoy brunch.  It was our first day off the Maker’s Diet, so technically we could have eaten whatever we wanted.  We hemmed and hawed about the possibility of going out to eat somewhere, but in the end decided to come home for brunch.  Funny, though… we ate only things which are acceptable on the Maker’s Diet.  We had scrumptious omelets and Ezekiel bread toast. 

In the afternoon, we headed out to Tim’s parents’ house for our family gathering.  Most folks went to the nearby park to hit some balls, but I stayed back at the house, because Sebastian had chosen to save his nap-time for the car ride.  We didn’t want to take him out of the car seat for fear he’d wake up – he desperately needed a nap – so we rolled down the windows and let him nap with me close by in hearing distance.  It wasn’t until two hours later that he decided to join the party.  I wasn’t complaining at all, though, because he napped well and I got the chance to sit in the warm sun and just relax… which seemed long overdue.

Tim’s family has a tradition of doing an Easter egg hunt with all the kids, so Sebbie got his first shot at finding some eggs.  He had a little help from his uncle and parents, but he did a good job! 

  I know I shouldn’t boast, but seriously… how cute are these two? Sebastian is spoiled to have many cousins nearby to play with and grow up with.  He continues to be a very social baby… and he loves to be up on his daddy’s shoulders, with or without a friend!  These guys are going to have so much fun together! 

 A good day was had by all… and in the end, we did have some non-Maker’s Diet foods, such as peanut butter eggs, pie and ice cream.  We were trying to enter back in slowly, for fear that our bodies might not tolerate such a shock to the system so well.  But it was oh. so. tasty. to have that cold creamy friend sliding down my throat!  And at the first bite of a dark chocolate peanut butter egg, I said to Tim, “the Lord has risen.”  And his response was “He has risen indeed!”