Mary K's ramblings

30 October 2009

Sorry for the length of time it has been since I have written. I normally only have time when I am at my parents though now mom has lent us a mobile connection and I have been able to access at home on the laptop.

So, it has been 6 mont

hs since we were all in the states and a year since my precious little C was born. Granted she was born at night so she is not officially one yet but today is the day. I am amazed that a year has passed and so many things have happened.

Lets see, Chelsea is walking and recognizing words in both languages. She knows some sign language too so she can communicate some other things as well. We are working on amplifying the sign language vocabulary. Her hair is finally growing and it will be curly. She is 10 kilos and 74 centimeters. She is rotten to the core but what child is not. We are in a moment of transition as she does and does not want her morning nap and if she does nap, it messes with her afternoon nap as it is doing with her as I type. C is very loving and knows very few strangers. We will have to be careful with that in the future. She goes into the church's nursery without a problem. She is a GREAT eater. She eats everything and is desiring to feed herself these days. She obeys pretty darn well but does throw a good little fit every now and again. Today, her birthday, she nursed for the last time. Her first six months were completely nursing then we have used the Brazilian method of introducing food. She eats everything and with her 8 teeth and molar wanting to come out I don't have to mash anything at all.

She is a cutie and we love her to bits and pieces.

I will try to keep you better updated than I have.

fofinha posted at 3:15 PM

03 April 2009

Hello all, or those faithful few who stop by to see if I have written.

We are in the process of getting ready to make our first trip to the US as a larger family. Thank God for all the blessings He has showered down on us for us to be able to come up north. I am anxious about the trip. There are so many things to try to pack and so many things to consider. I am askign for your prayers as we get ready.

Also, if you are in the Lexington area and would like to meet the rest of my family, drop a note here or give a ring to my brother's abode and we will put you on the calendar.

Love you all. Thank you for your prayers.

fofinha posted at 7:16 PM

27 March 2009

Here are some pics and a video of the girl. Hope you enjoy.

Just a cutie with a really big head.

Ana Luisa came for a visit

Play in the exersaucer that arrive. She loves it.

Practicing being a big girl in the highchair.
Getting her used to it before we start to use it for real.

Just a cutie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fofinha posted at 2:16 PM

18 March 2009

Alright, to some of you this may seem pretty mundane and simple but to me, I see God's hands all over my current situations and it is pretty darn cool.

Let me take you back to the beginning of this whole story of potentially - now a certainty - of coming to the US. A friend of the family offered to pay my and little C's way to the US to help my parents with some stuff and so my Grandma/C's Great-Grand-Ma could see her. W said he wanted to be part of bringing lil C to the states so we began to pray and look at our situation, financially and spiritually. We wanted to make sure we were walking in His will not ours and that when we returned from the visit we did not regret the decision in a financial fashion, ie having spent our reserve money on the trip. As we prayed, I went about finding out if my SkyMiles were still in my account so we could get a ticket for W. I called SkyMiles only to find out that my miles had been cancelled, erased, thrown away because of my inactivity. I cried like a baby because it was a "no" response to my prayers of travelling to the US. I was sad and at the same time calm in knowing God had responded. But wait, God said "no" to this part but had more waiting in the wings. Not long later the same family friend called to see about life here and such and asked about me and W and lil C coming and my mom told mhim we had encoutered some obstacles and he offered financial help. God is so good. We got on-line and liiked at my dad's SkyMiles account and he had enough miles for W to have a ticket, so we were back on and with the financial assistance of the family friend, we could afford to get lil C's paperwork and W's new visa. YEAH GOD!!!

The miracles do not end here. We started on the programming a trip to the American Consulate and such right away and it felt like it would be an eternity before W could get an appointment. We went about getting the Brazilian passport for my baby and the paperwork together for our Consulate visit. On the 11th of March, we went up the hill and to São Paulo. (My first time up the hill in over a year.) The trip went smoothly and lil C did well. Her appointment was first and we offered all the documentation to prove that she is my child so she can be recognized as an American and gain an American passport. All the fees paid and we got her certificate of American Birth Abroad and "viola" an American exists. Yeah, lil C an American!!!!!! That afternoon was W's turn at the Consulate. Because we had lil C with us, they let us in a little early. It is nice to gain preferencial treatment because you have a small child with you. So we went in and got in the first line, went fast. Sat for the second item, Pre-Interview window, went quickly. Fortunately for us, all this occured during lil C's wake and nap time so she behaved and then slept well. We sat again to wait for the second window, Finger print window. After wthis window is the Interview window and then the cashier for any extra fees and as we exit, the mail window to have your passport mailed to you upon completion. LOTS of windows and lines to be in. So, the Fingerprint window was slow and then the girl behind the window went on break and another girl came, our number was a long way away. A second window opened and it looked like things would pick up in pace, it did a little. It appeared that the Fingerprint window was doing interviewing as well because the people behind the window were chatting a lot with the applicants. This was a bit frustrating as we were sitting there thinking we had the interview yet to come and the cashier and mail lines to batte as well. W's number came up and we all went to the window. He was mildly interviewed, as we were asking to change his visa type and low and behold, the man behind the window said W was approved!!! APPROVED!! No Interview window. All we had to do was pay the extra fee and take the envelope to the mail line and we were done. I was shocked and amazed and thrilled and praising God!!!!! We paid the fee, gave the receipt to the man behind the window, went to pay the mailing fee and we were out of there, in under 2 hours!!!!! No interview, we did not have to show the paperwork we had gathered and the visa W now has is valid for 5 years and it is Tourism/Business. W can come to a conference or just on vacation without having to ask for a new visa for 5 years!!!! Yeah, 5 years!!!!

Wait, there is one more miracle. The passports were scheduled to take 6-7 working days for W's and 15 working days for lil C's. They arrived yesterday - 4 working days!!!!! Both of them came yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God is soooooooooooo good and still works miracles!!! Again, I about passed out with joy and surprise. Thank you Lord for your goodness to we who don't deserve it.

So, now we are working on our plans for getting to the US and what to do for the 20 days we are there. Pray for us that the trip goes smoothly and lil C does well on the plane, oh the plane - another miracle. We were able to get our seats together and, get this, a baby bed for lil C. Our planes have seating where they offer a bassinet for babies and we have those reserved on all the flights.

God is a God of miracles even today!!!!!

Here is my lil C, all 8.330 Kilos and 63.5 cm of her.

Her new Exersaucer

Practising sitting in her highchair

A friend's visit. Chillin' with Ana Luisa

Hanging with dad in the pool in the front yard.

fofinha posted at 9:15 AM

10 March 2009

I am sitting here going over what is needed tomorrow for our first trip up the hill and it will be all the way to São Paulo. We are going tot he US Consulate to get little C registered as an American citizen and for W to interview for a new visa. I am nervous that I will forget something, that something will go wrong, that W will get denied. I am full of nerves. Please pray for us and especially ME.

Thanks.

Will let you know the results of our trip when we get back.

fofinha posted at 6:50 PM

22 January 2009

Here is the rolling in action. Tried to upload this yesterday and it just would not do it. Watch and enjoy the getting older of my baby.

love and hugs

fofinha posted at 7:11 PM

21 January 2009

The three newest dads and there daughters.
From l to r: Leo & Sofia, Walmir & Chelsea, Breno & Ana Luisa
This is also from oldest to youngest.

Mothers and Grandmother of the same gals. I was counting tithes so I was unavailable so my mom stepped in for me. It is Marcia with Sofia and Isamara with Ana Luisa

Chelsea - today - Jan 21st 2009

Today was a monumental day in the life of Little C. I don't know if I can call her that any more, she rolled over from her front to back today. She is not so little, she is 6.7 kilos and 60 cm. She is getting so big so fast and is so cute and smart. She does well with "Tummy Time" and for that reason I feel like she was good in her rolling over from belly to back. She is growing and hitting her milestones so well. She still is not reaching out for things quite yet but she is grasping her clothes and lifting up her dress skirts (we will have to work on that in the future, hehe) Chels is also doing very well in sleeping through the night and living on a schedule. We are a "BabyWise" family and are doing very well with that. She still ifghts a bit to nap but that is nothing huge. She is also entering the second phase of stretching out her sleeping of the evening - YEAH!

Well, as my life is mostly about the baby, that is pretty much it. Hope you like the pics.

Love hugs and licks to you all!!!!!

fofinha posted at 2:49 PM

25 December 2008

Sending you Christmas greetings from our side of the equator. We have had our Christmas lunch and I am taking advantage of a moment while Chelsea is fighting sleep. She is wrapped and in the grandparents' bed.

We pray that you are all being blessed by Our Heavenly Father!! May you enjoy the season be it hot, cold, snowy, rainy or whatever.

Hope you enjoy seeing our little C with our Santa here.

Love and hugs to you all!!!!!!!!!

fofinha posted at 3:00 PM

17 December 2008

I know I have disappeared and it is for a good reason, Chelsea Isabel made her way onto the scene. It has been a busy and trying 6 weeks. She is a blessing beyond words. There have been moments of great trial and wounds in places where wounds should not be and are very sensitive.

Nevertheless, we are starting to have a fairly regular routine now and the wounds are on the mend, thank the Lord. Since everyone is wanting to see her, I am adding pics of her here for you.

Not long after being born

Getting Vaccinated

Just being cute in my "made in Brasil" onesie

With mom after getting ears pierced

First pic with Santa and being out on the town.

fofinha posted at 12:16 PM

15 October 2008

Okay, I have been writing more than normal and that is because I have been at the parents' house more than normal. My wonderful hubby does not want me at home alone now that we have reached a critical moment in the pregnancy. I will be at 38 weeks on Monday coming up and at that moment, little C can be born and not considered premature. Granted, she is already a big girl so if she were born today she would only be premature in name only. We went for our next to last ultrasound Monday and she is a big girl. She has been head down since week 14 and that has not changed. My inner thighs hurt more often than not so I feel as though she has engaged in the pelvis. She has a big head, thanks to her dad, and she is doing well with her weight. The ultrasound showed she is about 3.440 kilos give or take a half a kilo. So what that means is she is anywhere from 3 to 4 kilos which is anywhere from 6.6 to 8.8 pounds. She is a healthy gal. I hope she is nice to her momma on the way out.

Keep us in your prayers and we will keep you posted.

Love and hugs to you all!!!!!

fofinha posted at 3:15 PM

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