Picture of the day, # 4

I´m sitting at an internet cafe in Quezaltenengo (Xela, for short..it´s mayan name) and there´s a thunderstorm raging outside. Xela is 8000 feet up a mountain and while this is the first reeal rain we´ve had, it´s a doozie. So I have no idea if the power´s going to last long enough to get this posted, or if I´ll successfully be able to find the picture upload tabs on the web page which this computer has translated into spanish....my first test.

Having a great time here and learning a lot about the language, culture and people of this country that will now be a part of our lives, our family. we study one on one for 5 hours every day, and have optional trips, films and conferences on history, culture, and social issues in guatemala. I asked my teacher for this week to teach me a couple of Guatemalan songs for little kids, and also got a kid´s prayer (of the ´now i lay me down to sleep´ variety). I´m living with a guatemalan family and getting some good recipes for them. I´ll be cooking them my mom´s stuffed mushrtooms this week, and will try and find everything I need to make her red sauce and lasagne. I like cutural exchange that you can eat.
The picture is of various members of my homestay family, in their house.
Better try to post this before s power surge blasts it into free electrons....

Matt

Picture of the Day #3

Ok, so I haven't yet figured out how to change the orientation of pictures on the blog...but I am running out the door to go to work and I wanted to get one posted.

This trip, we had so much fun leaning Mateo against a stack of pillows where we could then play with him, or sing to him, or read him books. He loves being nestled in to the pillows, and we love being both able to gaze at him.

For those of you who have been wondering, Matt is doing well. I spoke with him last night and they are going to a regional market this weekend where they sell everything from crafts to food to cows and pigs. Guess it gives new meaning to "farmer's market".

Thanks to everyone who has been sending me notes to let me know you are thinking of us.

I very much feel loved.

Love from Oregon, Sarah (Love from Guatemala, Matt & Mateo)

Picture of the Day #2

Napping is so wonderful, particularly when you have a beautiful baby boy curled up against you. And it took exactly one hour to figure out that when the baby sleeps, the parents should sleep too. We took full advantage of that every chance we got while we were visiting.

Here's to many more naps with Mateo in the future...peaceful dreams to each of you in the meantime!!

Love, Sarah

Picture of the Day #1

So this is one of my favorite pictures which show Mateo's development. He can do tummy time now, and his eyes always feel like he is looking directly into your soul. The stuffed dog, named Trevor, is a gift from a dear friend at work, Barb Jensen. Matt slept with Trevor for about 3 weeks prior to our departure so Mateo would have something that smelled like him. It's amazing how much we feel like Mateo recognizes us, something for which we are very grateful. And by the way, for those of you who are tracking the process, we got our results from the DNA test and it was a match, so we are proceeding to the next step (getting the US Embassy to say the adoption can proceed). Here's hoping this picture makes you smile as much as it does me!

Love, Sarah

It's a small world...

Hi friends & family,

I am back safely from our most recent visit to see our son, Mateo. He is so precious and we had the most incredible time getting to bond with him. It was an interesting trip where we got to spend a lot more time with Mateo, and we were constantly amazed at how small the world is.

Small world example #1: One of the flight attendants on our plane from Atalanta to Guatemala City was one of the flight attendants on the last trip home from Guatemala City.

Small world example #2: The taxi driver who picked us up from the airport, Ernesto, is the taxi driver who took us to the airport the last time and watched over our bags so that we could shop at the artisan's market before we left.

Small world example #3: We met a couple at La Casa Grande (the hotel where we always stay) who were there to pick up their 8 month old son, whom they have named Terrence. Turns out that Jessica & Kevin (the adoptive parents) live in Milwaukie Oregon...a mere 20 minutes up the road from us. We took a picture of the two boys on their first meeting, hoping they will get to know each other as they grow.

Small world example #4: The taxi driver who took us to the Marriott on Saturday evening so we could get the photos from the digital camera onto CD for me to bring home was the same cab driver who picked us up from the airport the last time.

Small world example #5: I met a woman in the Atlanta airport whom I was sure I had seen in the Guatemalan airport on my departure. Turns out, sure enough, she sat behind me on the plane from Guatemala to Atlanta and then flew with me all the way to Portland. She was there visiting her daughter who is married to a native Guatemalan.

As you can see, we are always so amazed by the connections that exist in the world. Our time with Mateo was magnificent. As usual, he was happy, and healthy, and even a bit chubby! We were with him on his four month birthday (Saturday, April 15) and we were very pleased to see how much he had developed.

Matt will be the first to tell you that he is visually tracking past the mid-line, that he is actively using his hands to grab things, and he kicks better than any infant I have ever seen (of course, the scientific objectivity may be lacking here, but that doesn't really matter!!)

Best of all, Mateo really seems to know us, and to enjoy spending time with us. We were able to observe other parents who were there this past weekend to pick up their children, some meeting them for the first time. It's very clear to us that these children are bewildered at best, scared at worst, about who these people are. I believe in my heart, it is absolutely the best decision for us to visit him often until we can bring him home.

Guess that's all for now. I'll keep you updated on Matt's progress at language school, and any news from the process prior to my next trip down (on May 11). In the meantime, I will try to post a picture a day for your viewing pleasure (we have a couple hundred to choose from!!)

Hope all is well and that you enjoyed a blessed Easter!! Much love from Oregon, Sarah (Matt & Mateo send their love from Guatemala)