Siesta-Time Part 2

Katrina ended up taking a nap in the hammock too today. After she ate a late lunch of pasta (how many of you guessed it?) she wanted to lay down. Abuela was in the hammock and Katrina asked her if she could lay with her. After about 2 or 3 swings she was fast asleep.

Soon, however, Abuela's leg fell asleep and we carefully helped her out of the hammock and left Katrina there to finish her siesta. Siestas must be cultural because in the States she has basically given up her nap but here she has taken one every day! Ha! I think it might have more to do with the heat and how hard she plays here than the culture, but whatever it is, siestas are nice for kids and mamas!

Siesta-Time

Guess who fell asleep in the hammock?

Samuel! He has had an "off" day today. He woke up about an hour early and has not really wanted to eat too much. He has just not been himself. He does have a cold and I am sure that is what is causing this "off-ness."
So, early this afternoon Abuela took him outside and pretty soon we heard the hammock swinging. Samuel fell asleep in the hammock and took a good nap.

Primos

Katrina and Samuel only have one cousin (prima) so far and she lives in Venezuela. Veronica is 10 years old, a young lady already. But she LOVES her cousins and has enjoyed every minute with them. She plays with them and helps care for them. She was disappointed we bought such a small pool but we said she could get in with them and she jumped at the opportunity. Even though it is very crowded, they all have a GREAT time in the pool together.

Photo Update

Here are some pictures to show you what we have been up to since our arrival in Venezuela on Christmas day.

Both of the kids are sleeping well every night, praise the Lord! Samuel has a pack-n-play and Katrina has been sleeping in bed with us. her cousin, Veronica, really wants her to sleep with her but Katrina has been more comfortable with us up to this point.
Both kids were absolutely exhausted when we got here (NOT to mention their parents!). They slept great that first night and have slept great the other two nights since then. We are praying it stays that way!

Panchito's sisters and our niece LOVE being at the mall, Orinokia. So, we have been there twice I think since we arrived. We even went on Christmas night! Being back in the Venezuelan culture has been a shock for both Panchito and for me. It has been three years since we were last here and we have really become accustomed to life in America and the ease of everyday things there. Don't get me wrong, we are enjoying our time more than ever, but we are having to get used to again how things work here in Venezuela.

On Saturday night we were invited to Panchito's aunt's home for dinner. She and her husband have four daughters, one of whom is a chef. She made us a delicious arabic meal with all the trimmings (I am sure arabics don't say trimmings but I have no idea what word they would use!). Panchito and his sisters got a picture with their closest cousins. Katrina enjoyed picking Tia Marja's flowers and putting them in her hair.

Yesterday was church and we all participated (minus Samuel who slept and let his abuela carry him around). Katrina sang with the worship team Feliz Navidad. Panchito and I shared a testimony of thanksgiving. We were able to take a few pictures during and after the service. Katrina REALLY enjoyed the praise and worship. She could dance! The bottom right picture is Katrina with her favorite (and only!) cousin, Veronica. They are having a ball together even with a 7 year age difference.

Last night there was a wedding at the church that we were invited to attend. Here people, ladies, I should say, really get decked out for weddings and special events. I spent quite a bit of time looking around town before leaving for just the right outfit with no success. So, I packed a few things in hopes of my sisters-in-laws help in dressing for this special occasion. Well, Francys had a new dress that she lent me. It is definitely different than what I am used to wearing but I fit right in to the Venezuelan picture! Katrina was given a new dress... Anyone recognize it? This is actually the dress that Veronica, our niece, wore for our wedding 8.5 years ago. Panchito's mom has been saving it for Katrina and she was looking through her closet yesterday trying to find something for herself for the wedding and she ran across it. Katrina was already dressed in her Christmas dress but when she saw it (being pink and all!) she said, "Please can I wear it?" I couldn't say no. And it fits her so well. Veronica was just two years old when she wore it and Katrina is nearly four but it fits her well. It was longer on Vero than on Katrina but through the bodice it fits her perfectly. It is really special for me that she has this dress now.

Today we bought a little pool for the kids. When I say little I mean little. Both kids barely fit in it. We didn't want to spend too much and so we just picked up this tiny pool. But, neither of the kids minded. They were just happy to be able to cool themselves down in the water. I am sure we are going to get the value out of the pool. It cost 50 Bolivares fuertes which is about $10!

We've made it thus far

We started our journey to Venezuela on thursday morning at 8:30. Well, panchito and I started at 5 when we woke up! I was pretty uptight about the driving to Minneapolis since it had been snowing and drifting. We finally got all loaded up and on our way by 8:30 (after panchito insisted on re-packing not only our suitcases on Wednesday night but also our carry-ons on Thursday morning--in the end he wasright and I did submit eventually but I put up quite a fuss at first considering the TWO weeks I spent packing and re-packing!). The driving was not bad and we made it to the sleep-n-fly hotel in a little more than the estimated three hours. We checked in, loaded the shuttle, shared a shuttle ride to the airport with our friends from church (Rauman's) and checked in at the continental kiosk. The flight to houston was scheduled to leave on time. We grabbed a bite to eat at Chilis Too, played in the kids area and went to the gate. We boarded a bit late but still caught our connecting flight in Houston with a bit more than two hours to spare! We left Houston at midnight and got to venezuela at 5:50 their time. Both flights went well for the kids. Katrina slept well on both and Samuel slept great on the first and ok on the second. He is not a big fan of being held while he sleeps for long periods so he was quite restless but exhausted nonetheless. Upon arrival we went through immigation, got our passports stamped and got our luggage. We checked three suitcases and they were the last three on the carousel. Literally! Our biggest one with the kids clothes and my clothes had a sticker on it that read, " ultima maleta." ("last suitcase") God provided yet another blessing in our luggage's arrival! So, here we sit like birds in the wilderness, to quote my dad, waiting for our third and final flight to Puerto Ordaz. We are praying it leaves on time at 11:30. If it does, we will be in PO by 1:00. The kids are doing amazingly well, laughing and playing as I type this post with one finger on the iPod (so excuse the mistakes, please!). We will post pictures later, hopefully! Feliz Navidad, everyone!

Failed Hearing Test

Does this look like someone who has failed at anything?
I think not!
But, today Samuel had a hearing test followed by a tympanogram and he failed the hearing test and the tympanogram did not turn out favorably either.
I took Samuel to the doctor yesterday to get his ears checked. The doctor believes that he has some food sensitivities/allergies which is causing a lot of the itching and scratching and restlessness he is experiencing. He recommended we go back to giving him Zyrtec at night and that has been successful two nights now (I did give him Zyrtec on Sunday night too because I had talked with the doctor on Sunday at church and he recommended it).
Then the doctor checked his ears and noted that he has had fluid around his ears for two weeks now. It seems that after his last ear infection (about 6 weeks ago maybe) the fluid has stayed. So, he set up an appointment with an audiologist for today and Samuel underwent a hearing test which he failed.
Apparently he hears better out of his right ear but it is still "elevated." (not sure why they call not hearing elevated?) And his left ear is quite bad. It was obvious during the test that he was not hearing well at all out of his left ear. He was chipper throughout the test, not realizing he was failing miserably (poor little fellow!).
So, where does that leave us with flying?
We are still going, for sure, but we have to watch carefully for drainage and screaming (the latter will probably not be hard to detect). Apparently there is a possibility that his ear drum/s could burst with the pressure changes. The audiologist did say, however, that it is actually better to have the fluid around his ears than to have a simple cold and a plugged ear. The fluid will actually allow less pressure changes to be felt.
Please pray about this. We are going prepared with the right drugs in case of a burst ear drum but not having our favorite doctor there to provide the best medical care is always scary. We trust the Lord knows and has this all planned out and we want to keep our minds fixed on Him because we know He will keep us in perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3)

Gift Day 2009

Because we are going to Venezuela for Christmas this year we decided to do our gift opening this evening. Also because we are spending quite a bit of money on our trip we decided to give each child two gifts this year. We found two gifts that fit them both perfectly and decided it was a good idea. I had read on another blog the idea of three gifts per child (like Jesus received three gifts from the wisemen) and we thought it was a nice idea.
We wrapped the gifts and Panchito brought them downstairs.

Katrina was thrilled with a basket full of gifts. Samuel, on the other hand, was more interested in the fact that the stairs were not blocked and he continually was escaping to the stairway to try to climb! I didn't take any pictures of that because we are trying to teach him that he should not climb the stairs.
Both of the kids enjoyed opening their gifts. Katrina got a princess magnet activity book that will be perfect for the trip as well as a treasure box filled with princess dresses and all the accessories. Both things that are right up her alley. Samuel got a guitar and a race track with several cars. I am sure at some point these gifts will interest him but for now, he was more excited about getting up the steps!

Here is Katrina in two different outfits. She tried on the Princess Aurora outfit first and had that on for a little while. Then, before I knew it, she took off the top and put on the Snow White skirt as a shirt with the Princess Aurora skirt as a skirt. This is one of her absolute favorite looks. More often than not you will find her at our house with a skirt on as a dress.
Gift day at the Duran home was a "lovely night" according to Katrina. She really enjoyed the gift opening and is enjoying the gifts as I post this. She played with the race track too and she is hopeful that Samuel will play with her and the track in the morning. He is already in bed!

11 months

This picture really captures Samuel's personality. He is a serious little fellow. He laughs a lot too, but we have heard, "He is serious, isn't he?" WAY more often with Samuel than with Katrina.
Either way, we love him mas que nunca...
At 11 months of age he has started to take some steps on his own. He is quite wobbly but he is getting more confident each day.
He eats basically all table food. He is a BIG eater too. For breakfast, usually his biggest meal of the day, he eats a bowl of oatmeal mixed with either yogurt or fruit and a cereal bar and some milk. I wouldn't be surprised if an adult ate less for breakfast!
He loves taking baths with Katrina regularly. They really have fun together. He does like to stand in the tub which makes it tough for me!
The last time I had him at the doctor he weighed in at 23 pounds 4 ounces (sorry for the 28 pound comment in his 10 month post!) and measured 31 inches. He will see the doctor in the morning so I will know for sure how much he weighs and how tall he is.
He is sleeping through the night still but the last few nights have been rough. I am hopeful that after his appointment tomorrow we will have a better idea of what is troubling him. I have two thoughts: ear infection or at least fluid in his ear or the flaring up of his excema which is causing him to itch and scratch and wake himself during the night and have a rougher time sleeping during the day as well.
He says "Papapapapa" but not really to identify Panchito and he says "Mamamama" (although less frequently) but not to identify me.
Samuel, you are such a big boy and we are so thankful that you have been with us in this world for 11 months. They have absolutely flown by and we cannot even believe you will be one year old in a month. We are going to celebrate your first birthday with a big party in Venezuela in about three weeks, so look out!
Te amamos mas que nunca.

Ready or Not?

I am not sure how to answer this question.
In many ways, I am ready.
In other ways, I am not.
But, ready or not we are leaving on Thursday.
Today we spent a few hours in our bedroom (the WHOLE family) going through the suitcases (Samuel and Katrina in ways I would have preferred they NOT go through...) to be sure we have everything packed that we need to have packed. We weighed all three suitcases and we are quite positive all are under the 50 pound limit (50 pounds is not that much, you know?). So, hopefully between now and Thursday I will get all the final things we need in order and we can leave for Minneapolis around 11:30 AM to fly out at 5:00 PM.
We would appreciate your prayers for the travel and all that entails with two young children. I hope to post from Venezuela, but we will see how things go!

Feliz Navidad

Feliz Navidad
Today the kids wore their "Christmas clothes."
Both Panchito and I really wanted them to wear coordinating outfits and we think it was a good choice. We heard so many comments about their clothing and we just had to share their look with you all!

That Time Again

Every year since we have been living back in the States (2002) we have made hallacas at Christmas. Hallacas are a traditional Venezuelan food eaten at Christmas. We have honed in our skills and have sought out the best places to find the unique ingredients.
Well, because we are going to Venezuela this year and will eat our fair share of Venezuelan- made hallacas, we decided to suprass this tradition and start another one...
Making pan de jamon (ham bread).
Our dear friends, the Sterken's, really enjoy helping us every year when we say we are going to make Venezuelan food as they really enjoy eating Venezuelan food (or at least they say they do!). So, we called them up and invited them over on Friday night for a pan de jamon making night.
Thanks, Dan, Kristy, Abby and Lauren for helping us keep the Venezuelan Christmas food tradition alive!

Playing in a Winter Wonderland

Like I mentioned in another post, it snowed a LOT last night. Katrina has been wanting to go out and play in the snow since it started yesterday. I contemplated taking both of the kids outside to play but it just felt too cold for Samuel (he has had a bad cold for over a week -- besides I could not find my snow boots!). So, I decided that Katrina could go out and play by herself in the front yard and I would keep an eye on her from the front window.
Samuel wanted to go out as well, but he will get his chance this winter, I am sure!
Katrina's favorite part was eating the snow off of her mittens after she came back inside (upper right hand corner picture).

Snowy day creations

It snowed about 10 inches in our area yesterday and during the night and today schools were closed. For some reason, days like these motivate me to cook and bake. Unfortunately, as I opened the refrigerator to take out some butter to soften, I realized I onlyhad one stick of butter for baking. There are very few cookie recipes that I know that only require one stick of butter!
So, I began to think about dinner. I decided I wanted to make cranberry chicken and twice baked potatoes. The cranberry chicken recipe I have is chicken breasts and a can of whole berry cranberries and 1/2 bottle of French dressing and an envelope of French onion soup mix. I usually have all of those things on hand but today I didn't have the French onion soup mix and I wasn't about to run out to the store.
The internet is a marvelous thing... I looked up a recipe for how to many French onion soup mix from scratch, found the ingredients in my pantry and set to it. We are going to have a wonderful dinner this evening.

Wordless Wednesday

Tablefood Toddler

Samuel is basically on 100% tablefoods now and he is enjoying the variety that his mama prepares for him on a daily basis.

Last night he tried an ice cream snow man for the first time (his first time with ice cream too) and was a bit surprised by the chill. Although I could not capture his hilarious expression, these pictures turned out blog-worthy, don't you think?

What a difference a year (or 5) makes

This morning I was chatting with a facebook friend and I got to thinking about how the Lord has provided over the years. This is the time of year for nostalgia, right? So, buckle your seatbelts, we are going for a ride back in time...

Five years ago we were praising the Lord for choosing us to be part of a domestic adoption program. We had been trying for a biological baby for over two years and decided to pursue adoption. We were randomly (we don't really believe that, but that is what the agency claims) selected from over 90 couples to participate in a domestic adoption program in hopes of receiving a baby in 18-24 months from the time we finished all the paperwork and our homestudy.

The very next year, 2005, we were actually expecting Katrina, our first biological daughter. Can you even believe it? As I write this I am still in awe about the difference one short year made. Shortly after we finished all the adoption paperwork and the homestudy, we were "in the book" (the place where biological parents look for potential adoptive parents) and we found out we were pregnant. It was shocking and overwhelmingly exciting.

In 2006 we celebrated this time of year with Katrina, who was 10 months old. It was a joyful season, giving thanks to the Lord for His provision of the wonderful blessing of a child into our lives.

One short year later we were grieving the loss of two babies to miscarriage and unbeknownst to us, we were going to grieve the same loss one more time (February of 2008 we lost our third baby to miscarriage). This was a very trying time for us as we continued to seek the Lord, wondering why He was choosing this path for us to walk down.

Last year, in 2008, we were hopefully expecting our second biological child, Samuel. It was another joyful time, although we were a bit apprehensive about how the duration of the pregnancy would go and if the baby would survive.

This year we are a happy family of four! God has graciously placed the second arrow in our quiver and we are so thrilled.

It is amazing to look back and see what God has done over the years. In the midst of the pain, like the pain we experienced with infertility and then with the miscarriages, it seems like it will never end, that there will never be any joy. Yet, looking back, that has not been the case. How about for you?

"O taste and see that the Lord IS good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."

Psalm 34:8