A New Routine

Your Mom has been helping out at the travel agency while Tia China and Tia Baby are travelling with 92 15 year-olds. ( Just wait for 2024 - you'll be one of them)

So after a lazy morning at home and a good lunch we all head out for work. We leave Uncle Randy at DeCandido's and you and your Mom at the agency. You visit with employees and customers alike all afternoon, and come home exhausted.

Time for a good book and a favorite toy.

Aug 24-30

The days after your baptism held no major events, no vaccinations, no other reasons why not, so your Mom and your Madrina Hilda took you to have your ears pierced. Now we just have to wait a month before you can start showing off all the pretty earrings you've received so far.

On Saturday night we were invited to Irunu and Jim's house where you showed off your new pierced ears and enjoyed the cuatro music.

Aug 17-23

Your Baptism

You were baptized Emma Victoria, in Christ Church Maracaibo on Sunday, August 16, 2009. Your godparents are Maria T. and Israel Carruyo, Hilda Zavala and Enrique Rincón. Four or five generations of friends and family accompanied you and you behaved beautifully.

Baptism

Baptism Party

Traditions

An infant baptism is a tradition of welcoming and inclusion into the religious community. Our congregational family welcomed you and promised to support and instruct you so that you may fulfill the promises made for you by your family and godparents. The greater celebration of your baptism was also built on traditions.
The dress you wore was first worn by my Uncle Louis in 1917, then by my mother, your Great grandmother Catherine, in 1919. I wore it for my baptism in 1950, followed by my sister, Marjie, in 1953 and my brother Andy in 1955. Your mother was the first of her generation to use the dress, in 1976. Then her cousin Bryan wore it in 1978, your Uncle Randy in 1980, cousin Katlyn in 1982 and cousin Erin in 1984. I had embroidered each name and date on the slip and will add your name now. Just think - my grandmother dressed my uncle in this dress almost 100 years before my daughter, your mother, put it on you. Hopefully it will serve more babies as well in the years to come. Who knows if you will put it on your child one day.
The favors we gave to your guests were also steeped in tradition. Aunt Belén has been making cloth rosebuds for family celebrations for years. I remember as far back as your Aunt China’s wedding. I have a collection of several of her flowers in a vase in my bedroom. (We’ll add one of yours.) So it was only fitting that she made the tiny cloth rosebuds for your baptism favors. Your mother chose a pocket cross token and had the poem printed to go with it. She and I both carry a cross in our pockets that your great grandmother gave to each of us years ago.

On the sweets table we had traditional Venezuelan “dulces”. Belén made “cocadas” and “dulce de leche” and “mantecadas”. Nina made you “suspiritos” which she still makes by beating the egg whites with an old silver fork – no electric mixers used here. And the silver candy dishes which held the almonds and the M&Ms with your name belonged to your great grandmother Catherine.
And what could be more traditional than Harold Zavala – your godmother’s father – playing the piano. Harold played for years each January for a joint anniversary party which your Grandpa and I had with Tia China and Tio Luis. There is a legend that your mother and Tia Hilda first met in a crib at one of those parties. His music has been part of iimportant events in our family ever since, and it was just right that he was here to play for you.

You took it all in and enjoyed yourself, passing happily from the arms of one to another, sleeping for awhile every now and then. It was a perfect day. We have so many pictures, from so many cameras. Someday you will remember this day through those pictures and those traditions which you will re-live many times in your life, and you will know that you were welcomed, accepted and cared for by so many people.

I almost forgot one of our more modern family traditions - Tio Luis' videos on YouTube to record important events:

The church

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxgVMnp5hJ4

The party

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyysUzu3e_M

The singing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN4T3lpIzP0

A Lull

Not only was this a relatively quiet week between your two-month celebration and your baptism. As you've learned by now we never go too long between festivities in thi family. But you also seemed to slow down physically. You've truly started to sleep straight through the night - often to your mother's discomfort in the mornings - and you've stretched out your feedings to every 4 hours or more. It's a good thing. You had been eating constantly and getting so chubby!! But now you seem to have stretched out and lost a lot of your tummy and one or two rolls around the neck.
You are fascinated with putting your two hands together, and often both of them in your mouth. It's getting harder and harder for me to take your picture because you are almost never still unless you are asleep, and even then you move yourself around the crib, wakng up in a different spot than you went down.
I spent every night during the week preparing food for your baptism party. We got the church programs ready and your Mom and Padrino Enrique worked on the cards. Your Tia Hilda arrived on Thursday and Maria and Israel were supposed to arrive on Friday, but their plane was forced to land in Jamaica due to mechanical problems and they didn't arrive until Saturday night - to leave again on Monday morning. Maria brought a whole suitcase of plates, napkens, plastic silverware, and the cross tokens for your baptism. Your Mom was up late putting the favors together. I finished up the food on Saturday, ironed your dress and the table cloths. We set up the house and then collapsed into bed. Tomorrow is the big day.

Two Months

On August 5th we marked your 2nd month. Nina, Belén and Tia China and Tio Luis came over. Tio Luis spent the evening putting up a shelf in your room - and Uncle Randy's DVD racks in his. Your Mom's friend Mariana came by with her twins Amanda and Esteban to help celebrate. It was a low key event and by the time we got around to the cake you were already in your pajamas. But I did sneak you a little taste of the icing.

Two nights later you had a visit from Paloma (along with her parents, Anabel and Francois). Paloma is an older girl, already 5 months old. She tried out some of your equipment and showed you how it's done. You're not quite up to grabbing directly for what you want like she does, but by the end of the week you had worked up to sufficient arm thrashing so that you occasionally hit the mobile and the octopus danced around. Maybe not as smooth as Paloma just yet, but you were quite pleased with the results. And we're pleased, too. I love watching you concentrate on things, cooing and trying again and again to control your hands. Each day is a new accomplishment, Emma, my dear. Congratulations on your second anniversary!

Aug 3 - 9

Settling In

Your furniture finally arrived!! We all got busy putting together the crib, changing table and swing and setting up your room. Your crib arrived just in time. You were outgrowing the little bassinet. Your feet reached to the bottom and the last few nights the lack of room seemed to make you uncomfortable. Now you look tiny again. Just a small babe in a large crib. You only sleep well at night if you are securely swaddled in all that new space.

Nina's birthday celebration on Thursday night was another highlight of this week. As usual, you were the center of attention and everyone wanted to hold you.

Tia China returned from London on Saturday and brought you a new friend - a musical Tooth Fairy. She's there in the corner of your portable crib - which served so well as changing table and bassinet while we were in Savanna. It has now been retired to Nina's house so you have a comfortable space when you visit there.

Another week of changes, but we did make progress getting you settled in here in Maracaibo.

July 27-Aug 2