off the grid...

our computer is in the final stages, i think, of stage 4 compu-cancer.

i´m currently typing on my neighbor´s computer, because eventhough the computer is sick, she´s still alive. barely. and her keyboard had some amputations (thank you, dr. samil) and the internet card is twisted and no longer fits in her bay.

we have a computer waiting to be picked up from the shop. but even that computer is missing a little part.

add our computer problems to our non-existant telephone line and we´re off the grid.

just a few days...

one of the hardest things of ex-patriating myself when i was so young was leaving behind my family and friends... one of the easiest things, though, is being young enough to make new friends easily.

alas. i miss my family. i miss my friends. i love my new friends here, but there is something to say for people who have known you for years and years. people who have watched you change and grow.

and still love you.

my brother has been here for the past five weeks and in just a few days he will be gone. we won't see him again until december and after that not until summer. i thought it would be difficult re-learning how to live with him - we didn't do such a good job at it when we were littles. but, i found him a teaching gig, got him a spanish teacher and we've kept busy enough to make it work.

and work it has.


amely already has him wrapped around her finger - eventhough he claims to hold her so much so that he doesn't have to help with anything else, we know it's because he likes carrying her.
and samil loves him. and has included his name is his preciously limited vocabulary. but only when he wants something. he's MAh-MAh and recently because of his stuffed up nose, PAh-PAh... but when he wants something, really wants it he's GANDEE. (you know, Danny, in Samil talk)
and i can't be more grateful for his help during this transition from 1 little to 2 littles. from help with the potty to cleaning up poopy-underpants to cooking delicious dinner and buying me empanadas.

we've got a few days. no teaching this week, but he's got spanish classes. as long as mr. mechanic fixes the car today we've got some trips planned to go out with a bang.

thank you..

growth.

last weekend when we were visiting the in-laws it was brought to my attention that amely is tiny. and by tiny i mean really skinny. i mean, we knew she was small and have been doing what we can to fatten her up on breastmilk - protein shakes, high protein foods, etc. but apparently she's decided to grow length wise and not width wise.

amely was born 8lbs even and 21 inches long, but when she was put in phototherapy for the jaundice she lost one whole pound. and four weeks later she had only regained half of that. so three weeks ago at her 6 week appointment, she weighed in at 7 and 3/4 pounds. something to worry about? no.

why not?

because the poor girl grew 5 centimeters. that's TWO INCHES. in 4 weeks. the doctor told us that most babies only grow one or two centimeters in the first two months. maybe three. but amely has grown 8 since she was born.

despite her obvious growth, everyone, and i mean everyone including strangers on the street, have their opinions on what we need to do. ignoring random ignorance has been a problem of mine and when samil was an infant i had to bite my tongue so many times it's a miracle i can still talk at all. so now, when people tell me how horrible breast milk is or how horrible we are i have to re-learn to keep my mouth shut. and my hands to myself.

i have a baby who sleeps 6-7 hours at a time, doesn't really cry a lot and is generally happy. no signs that she's starving to death. the only problem is she isn't fat like dominicans like to see their babies. she's beautiful and healthy and until the doctor tells me otherwise, we're going to continue doing what we're doing. so keep the opinions to a minimum and i won't have to hit anything.

last weekend in pictures (and some words)

samil and his grandpop

look close! you can see amalio up in that tree getting some (or 27) avocadoes.

i'll have you all know that it's rumored that this man never held his own children. and here he is calming screaming amely down.

she was not happy to have her picture taken with anyone.

notice that she's crying again. the two kids on the ends aren't ours - they're just some kids who hopped in the picture

casmerlys and me.

casmerlys and amely.

samil, amalio and casmerlys - the two cousins closest in age.

five of the seven grandbabies.

i wasn't here for this and have NO idea why that bike is in the water.

the littles playing with josue. he was such a good sport about being jumped on.

going to visit the aunties.

sneaky peak.

i'm tired. it's late. but i needed to make sure the baby was asleep before i went and crawled into my bed. so, here are two pictures from our weekend in the campo to hold you all over until i get a chance to post more.

i'm well aware that no one is here to see pictures of me. just my (beautiful) children. however, it's important for everyone to see me occasionally. amely only slept while we were walking. this kid my dad calls the devil child. he's a nice kid, but believe me, you don't wanna piss him off.

my brother's been here for a month now. our neices and nephews love him, he might as well be their uncle. amely didn't want anything to do with anyone. you'll see. she's screaming in almost every single picture. (more on that later).

no one can say my kids are sloppy...