Bex in Moz

Guest blogger: Eva

ICE-CREAM!

SWINGS!

MADELEINES!

GRANNY!

GRANDPA!

AVOS!

MY FAMILY!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Labels: Eva, holidays

posted by Rebecca @ 11:20 am 4 comments

In sickness and in health

Labels: Eva, illness, Joaquim

posted by Rebecca @ 12:44 pm 0 comments

Eva is 1

Yesterday was Eva's birthday. Her very first. It was a pretty cute occasion all round.

The birthday girl looked cute (here she is with 14 month old friend Renata).

The birthday cake was cute.

And even the other guests were pretty cute.

Is this what happens when you have a girl?

I'm happy to say that it was also noisy, messy and chaotic, so some things stay the same.

Labels: Eva, parties

posted by Rebecca @ 11:01 am 1 comments

New Year, new beginnings

I am no longer working at the Quirimbas National Park, as my contract came to an end on Monday. It was not unanticipated, and I'm looking into a number of other possibilities, but at the moment I am enjoying using our office in Chuiba, which has a lovely view over the coconut trees, and a nice cool pool just down the path.

Chuiba Palms was officially inspected, approved and inaugurated in December, which was a great relief and source of some pride to us. So we are open for business, and in the process of getting a website, marketing materials and good promotioanl photos together. (As you can see, I have things to fill my time with.)

Meanwhile, the boys begin a new year at school, with Sebastian happy in Reception at THE BIG SCHOOL and Joaquim in Year 3. The fact that all bar one of Sebastian's colleagues graduated from kindergarten with him, and that he knows many of the older kids already, have made the transition apparently painless. They are both also very proud of their new uniform, which is a rather smart but practical aertex shirt embroidered with the school logo, in a choice of 5 colours, and navy shorts. Have photos, will post.

Eva has also embarked on a new adventure of her own: mobility. She is commando crawling - at last - and I have no doubt will soon be all over the house and into everything. Must get that shelf up in the bathroom before she sidles up to the washing machine and downs a cup of washing powder.

Labels: Chuiba, Eva, Joaquim, Sebastian

posted by Rebecca @ 10:54 am 1 comments

Taking Halloween by storm

On Saturday we celebrated Halloween at Joaquim's school. We forgot our camera, which is a shame, as Joaquim won the prize for the funniest costume. (Also I was wearing a much-admired outsized witch's hat, and plenty of black eyebrow pencil, lipstick and wart to accessorize.) On the other hand, it's not such a shame, as he was wearing his alien costume again (see party pics below), only with new hands as he had popped the last lot, and eyeballs rather than pan scourers on his antennas. I rather over-inflated the hands this time which is apparently what clinched his win.

On Sunday night we had the first storm of this year's rainy season. Huge downpour, loads of dramatic thunder and lightning. Cue plenty of bed-hopping as the boys woke up and got scared: first Sebastian came to our bed, then Joaquim got scared so I went to his bed, then I couldn't sleep so I moved to Sebastian's bed, leaving Sebastian to sleep in our bed. Eva showed great sang-froid. She woke up at the beginning of the storm, drank her bottle of milk and slept through until 6.30 the next morning; as we all did.

That's called a lie-in in these parts.

Labels: Eva, Joaquim, parties, Sebastian

posted by Rebecca @ 11:27 am 0 comments

Sleepy lions.

Aaah, look. Paulo and Eva enjoying a lie-in at the week-end.

Now, where have I seen this before…? Oh yes:

That’s Joaquim at a similar age. And then there’s this:

And where are all the pictures of me enjoying a lie-in with my children? Oh, yeah, I don’t get lie-ins with my children. Or indeed at all. Grumble, grumble.*

But don’t they all look cute?

Labels: Eva, Joaquim, Paulo, Sebastian, sleep

posted by Rebecca @ 11:07 am 2 comments

120 days.

Eva is four months old today.
She is growing and plumping up nicely.
She is starting to hold her head up.
She is grabbing things: toys, hair, necklaces, clothes.
She is paying more attention to people and things.
She is turning her head when you talk to her.
She is doing that cute hand-wringing thing.
She is sleeping mostly OK.
She is a delight.

Labels: Eva

posted by Rebecca @ 9:46 am 1 comments

Shhh, dare I say it?

Loudly sing huzzah (or perhaps I should whisper it), Eva has settled back down, and though she does tend to wake in the early hours needing a cuddle in order to sleep on (with us) until 5.30 ish, it's perfectly acceptable. Phew. I feel human again.

Labels: Eva

posted by Rebecca @ 11:34 am 1 comments

Eva goes to Ibo

Still struggling with the internet although the situation has improved.

Last week was spent on Ibo, for our second large-scale community consultation exercise. Last time (2007) we invited members of coastal and island communities to come and draw a lot of pretty pictures and tell us what they thought of us (the park). This time it was people from all over the park, almost 200 of them, drawing pretty pictures etc. It's always interesting hearing what people have to say, and though it was hard work it was enjoyable. Plus points: much enthusiasm for park initiatives such as marine reserves (more fish and bigger), blocks of fields (much easier to keep the ellies out, more food) and scholarships for girls (girls staying on in school, fewer premature pregnancies and marriages). Minus points: women still feeling that they don't have a strong voice, falling stocks of octopus and other seafood which they particularly rely on, no-one ever mentions tourism as a benefit of being in the park (note to self: a little more promotion of how many jobs have been created in this sector).

Eva behaved beautifully and was much admired. We are considering several proposals of marriage. But - alas, alas, wail and gnash teeth - her wonderful sleeping habits (an unexpected blessing after the two boys) have been thrown into disarray. She was going to bed at 6, waking only at 1 and then 4 for two quick feeds. Now she goes to bed at 6 and wakes up all over the place, at not more than 2 and a half hour intervals last night. That, combined with a never before seen intensity of mosquito activity (heavy rains this year) has devastated my sleep. I'm hoping, praying, that she settles back down soon. I'm not sure I can do this again.

Labels: Eva, Ibo, working mum

posted by Rebecca @ 11:44 am 1 comments

2s, 1d, welcome number three!

One or two people have mentioned to me that it's been a while since I last posted and so I have succumbed to the flattering impression that people want to read what I have to say. I can barely remember what I last wrote, but I think it was about my up-coming caesarian which is now - incredibly - 9 weeks past. As it happens, it was not particularly scary - although Paulo was so pale as we waited in theatre for me to be anaesthetised that I thought he was going to pass out ("Who's looking pale?" the obstetrician called out in alarm, and Paulo told me not to worry if he had to slip out for a minute, which I vigorously protested, but which didn't actually happen, I think the big blue screen helped him stay put and stay conscious, and he held my hand throughout, but I digress) - but it was pretty weird. I didn't like the pure medicated nature of the procedure, nor particularly the way the obstetrician had to tug and push and wrench to get the baby out. It was all distinctly unnatural, and I find it strange that women should choose to do it more than once. Give me a vaginal birth with an epidural any day.

That said, the recovery was not as bad as I expected, in fact it was easy, although not being able to drive for 6 weeks was an absolute pain in the *rse, and most importantly of all my gorgeous little baby girl arrived safe and well. As it happens she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck three times which may be why she couldn't turn over and which could have made a delivery dangerous, so all in all the c-section was definitely a good thing.

How can I have got this far without posting a photo? Here she is, little Eva at 4 days, as sweet a little bundle of joy as anyone could wish for:
Of course, she looks just like her father, as did the boys when they were born. I am resigned to my role as rent-a-womb.

And then, just as we thought we could relax and enjoy her, the fun and games started. A paediatrician who saw her on day 2 thought she looked dysmorphic, with her widely-set eyes and large head. "Have you met my husband and my sons?" I asked in vain. We were dispatched to see a whole bunch of specialists, including a geneticist who took one look at the lot of us, measured everyone's heads and sent us home. When they all gave her a clean bill of health she went on to fail her hearing test, twice. Cue referral to the ear, nose and throat hospital, where it was revealed that all she had was a little fluid behind her ear-drum, due to a cold, that should clear up by itself. (In between we slipped off to sunny Portugal for a week - lovely - but there were 10 days during which we were contemplating full or partial deafness.) Phew. But what's this little lump that has popped up in her groin? A hernia, no less, that required surgery.

At this point the gods - or to be precise Vulcan - must have taken pity on me for they caused my flight home to be cancelled, giving us time for the op and a free re-scheduling. So for the rest of you inconvenienced by the Icelandic eruption, sorry, it was our fault.

Eva is now absolutely fine, or at least seems to be, and we leave for Moz tomorrow. I have missed both the boys' birthdays (they left with Paulo 4 weeks ago, and are both smitten with their little sister), but I come laden with presents which should make up for it. See you there!

Labels: birthdays, Eva, Joaquim, Paulo, Sebastian, sisters

posted by Rebecca @ 1:20 pm 3 comments