He made it!  Happy birthday my sweet boy :) 

11 months

Our son is officially a toddler. The transition from baby to toddler was subtle--like when you're outside playing ball and then someone flips on the court lights and you realize the afternoon slipped into evening, and holy crap, it's almost dark out.

Jesse is 11 months, and toddling. He took his first official steps on Oma and Opa's anniversary (which made up for us forgetting) moving from the table to the couch. Then he had to get from the couch to the stairs, and a couple toddles later, he basically had the hang of it. I was a little bugged that he never walked to me. As a kid I remember trying desperately to get my brother Matt to walk to me. My mom had the "camcorder" out as I sat there calling, clapping, yelling, and then crying as Matt walked to my pain in the ass brother Dave, who, I should add, could have cared less.

From the moment Jesse discovered he could balance on two legs, he became a crawl snob. He's over the crawl. He adamantly does his walking without help, and beats my hand away if I so much as try to hold his. I would have liked to have been more involved with this milestone, if only to soothe my childhood memories of baby rejection, but I really did nothing to coach him along. On top of full time toddling, Jesse got his first hair cut today. Technically that's not true-- we've trimmed it here and there, to keep the hobo look at bay, but every attempt has failed as he stubbornly muscled us out of it. But not today. I sat him in his highchair, gave him a chew toy (is that what they're called?) and snipped off his entire mullet. An ordeal worth my while. It's bad enough that he's almost a year old and has never worn shoes-- I couldn't just let a mullet happen.

Mulletless, toddling, and saying 'Ma-ma', I have resolved to quit calling Jesse a baby. He also is learning to kiss with his mouth closed, taking my clothes out of the laundry for me, and navigating his chubby butt around the house with my laundry basket, complete with reversing, re-routing, and unloading. Yes. Chores are on the horizon.

So we have moved out of the in-laws house, and have been living in our new home for one week. It was such a blessing to be able to live and learn at the Harskamps, and let them get to know their little grandkid. But, we were feeling a nudge in this direction, and it has been good.

The house is fully furnished and a gift from God, because I'm not sure when we will ever again have the luxury of living in a place without landlords above, below, or beside us , which has been the case of our living situation all of our married life thus far. It's liberating.

We are enjoying it-- the place came baby proofed (done by the preceding renter family) and my job is a whole lot easier. I no longer have to chase Jesse away from stairs or out of cat bowls or out of garbage cans and cupboards. There are no stairs, there is no cat, and the cupboards came with rubber bands.

God has been good to us. We have been praying that things might fall into place, and that those 'things' might fall in order. God listens, and He gives, and we are humbled by this more and more. We have been blessed with steady work, a new vehicle to get to work, and now a house to make home. We've crawled for a time, but now that we are up on our feet-- I marvel at the subtlety of each transition, and the Hand that's lead us here.

Only two to go...

The 10 month mark has hit, and here's where we're at.

What Jesse likes to do:

- play pass

- take his toys out

- put his toys back

- throw his toys down the stairs

- throw himself down the stairs

- place rings on their stand

- place rings on everything

- pull out rolls of toilet paper

- pull plants off the tables

- bang on glass

- climb the stairs

- slide down the stairs- fast

- crawl off the bed

- open cupboards and pull everything out

- crawl into the dishwasher

- stand behind the exercise ball and push it around

- chase the cat

- yell at dogs

- pull the laundry out of the basket

- bite

- give kisses (occasionally)

- eat meat

- wave and blow on his tongue

- crawl everywhere

- dance to any beat

- get chased

- cry at 2 am

- play by himself

- get outside and explore

Aaaaand....WALK! That's right folks. J bear is on the move!

Now, What Jesse doesn't like to do:

- pinch his fingers in the cupboards

- sleep at night

- take a bottle

- cuddle

- acknowledge discipline

That last one is the kicker. I just read that at 10 months, you can start to see a pretty clear personality coming through in your kid. Jesse's current reaction to discipline is laughing. He gets 'no'. He just doesn't listen. I'm curious who he gets this from...

Today I knocked the wind out of myself in a surprising dive at Jesse's ankles as they disappeared over the stairs. A very close call, but in my defense, I had NO idea he was just going to dive after his ball-- he's been getting good at the turn around technique. So, I will resume keeping an ever vigilant watch on my son, especially now that he finds using his knees overrated, and he has taken to the two leg approach.

In other news, James has had 6 straight days of work with a healthy mix of supply teaching and working construction. I got called in yesterday, but was unable to swing a sitter at such late notice and had to turn it down. A bit of a bummer, but until I have a babysitter on call, that's the way it is going to go. Tonight we are going out on our Valentine's day date, and I am definitely looking forward to a night out with James.

Getting a little tired of kid songs, zaboomafoo, and poopy diapers :)

Time to get out and dance.

Up and Out

It's January 21, 2012, and I am no longer sitting in sunny Quito to update my blog. Our three man clan is a little West of home, but home nonetheless. The flight went surprisingly perfect, all things considered (all things being 2 stop overs, a 9 month old, and 19 hours of travel time).
And now here we are, 21 days into the month of January, with a Christmas shindig, a family wedding, and a whole season of Survivor under our belts.

It was sad leaving Quito. We had such an incredible time getting to know the people, the culture, ourselves, and our God. Some of my friends came over the night before we left to throw a party in our honour. It was pretty cool to form such close bonds with people that we had only known for a short 2 1/2 months. They are people with generous hearts, and although a lot of them don't have much, I was spoiled with gifts and food and hugs and a pretty sweet little goodbye party. I miss them.

But being in Vancouver has been good. A little hectic with Christmas and wedding plans nearly colliding, but there has been a nice amount of family time, and it is always a treat seeing James in his natural habitat-- namely, in B.C with Brian. They share a very unique, florbily type of humour, and although Ali and I have our moments of questioning WHO we married, exactly, they make us laugh.

Jesse took a good week to adjust to a host of changes in his little life, and was a bit of a grump butt to everyone. I can understand that a new country, new foods, new faces, new bed and new teeth can be unsettling, but it's been difficult letting him cry it out at night with a house full of people. He'll get there.
James and I were reading up on the 9 month stage, and were pleased to see Jesse developing according to the standards set by a total stranger on the interweb. So, he is figuring out the pincer grip to eat his cheerios, pushing his highchair around the kitchen, climbing up and down stairs, standing unaided for 5-7 seconds, waving hello and goodbye, understanding the word 'no' and experiencing mild stranger anxiety with his Oma :)
The article cautioned parents that now certain things can freak out a baby, like hair dryers etc, so be sure to calm him with a cuddle. I learned that interesting tidbit a little late... my cure for vacuum cleaner freakouts was simply vacuum Jesse until he realized it was fun. And it worked. He now has another toy to add to his repetoire of spatula and turkey baster.

Another bit of good news is that James got his first call to supply teach at his old middle school.
Yay! I'm pretty pumped about it, because James wants to work, and this is a great opportunity for him to try his hand at teaching. It might make for a long day holding down the fort, but I'm getting used to this now, and Jesse IS entertaining. 9 months is a good age.
PLUS my mom and dad are coming out on Wednesday, which is awesome! It took some persuading--we definitely dangled Jesse as bait, but it worked, and their flights are booked.
It will be so good to see them and to show them around this beautiful province. Here's hoping the rain holds off and the sun shines brightly.

We are still unsure about how long we will be here, where we will live, and what we will do, but we are sure God knows, and that is enough.
It is good to be home.

Jesse's 8 months!

Time to size up: he's outgrown the 12 month sleeper..

I will now take a moment to sum up Jesse.

Cute.

On top of that, he now has 4 teeth, and chews everything-- the most popular item being a turkey baster.

He successfully climbed up the entire staircase, stopping midway to wave both his hands in the air while balancing on his two stumpy legs. My blood pressure levels fluctuate.

Noise is essential to his existence. Favorite surfaces to bang on = alluminum hottub lid and glass coffee table.

Outside remains his sedative. He doesn't make a peep when he can stare at the trees.

Favourite foods: 5 grain cereal mixed with guayaba. Papaya, banana, and mango are close seconds, followed by bread (he's a huge fan of actually using his new teeth these days...which has not boded well for my pointer finger)

He loves Ginger- the Jonkman's cockerspaniel/poodle-- but the two have regular skirmishes over Ginger's blankie and leash. Neither let go in a 'tug-of-war' situation, even though Ginger inevitably wins.

Jesse knows what's bad for him- such as light sockets, dog food, glass cups, boiling tea, t.v. remotes, open hottubs--- and makes a beeline for them. Discipline is underway.

He does not "play strange" with strangers, and the Ecuadorians love him for it.

He has proven to be a very social kid, and it's hilarious watching him interact with other babies and toddlers.

Despite a few hiccups (due to teething, colds, flues, rashes, etc.) he is now in a healthy routine with 2 naps a day, and a full night of sleep. It's been wonderful.

Jesse-- you are such a joy to watch. You are a strong, curious, coordinated kid. You know how to protect your head when you fall (besides the bloody nose you gave yourself today :) and I can breathe a little easier as you pull yourself around the house. We love you!

And now, a glimpse of the past week or two.

English class "clothes relay". Topic of the day: Winter and what I will wear when I return to Canada. I had to raid James' closet to make this happen :)

Our church: lighting the Advent candles
Ecuadorian tradition: Candy bags for Christmas. Arlene, Erin and I stuffed about 150 bags for the church kids. A tradition to take home...
Jesse playing us a little jingle before we head to church.
Home school group's annual Christmas party. They had a parrot, and an amazing porch swing. And we sang Christmas carols..in ENGLISH!

Playing memory at the end of English class.
Papa James and baby Jesse--bonding time.
What a dude.
Coffee and Christmas cake at Sonia Liliana's place, with our buddy Joel Bron.
Church b-ball court.
Church Bazaar. Huge success-- raising $665 for the new building project!
Pincho's were a hot commodity-- sausage and 'platino' on a stick. Delish.

James and Fred, facing off.

Ricardo manning the popcorn /guacomole dip station. Very cute.
Jesse and James caught up in the Christmas spirit :)

That's all for now! Only two and a half weeks until we are wrapped up in B.C Christmas lights :)

Quininde

We survived Quininde. It's Saturday, 7:13 pm, and Jesse, who has been up for the past 7 hours and 13 minutes, has finally gone to sleep. So I am free to write.

The trip was an eye opener. The team, consisting of Jonkmans, Harskamps, and three Canadian missionaries left early Thursday morning with the objective of exploring the various mission projects Dr. Jenny is involved in in the tropical, humid, poverty stricken town of Quininde. The drive was a beautiful three hour trek through the mountains heading East toward the coast. It was also windy, and a little crowded with a squirmy kid that needed to be held because car seats are not part of Ecuadorian life. James also got car sick.

On arrival, we dropped the mens' things at El Refugio, and got down to business. First stop: Cesar Proano-- an afterschool child sponsorship program where three times a week children get fed, tutored, and mentored. The area is barren, the building simple, and barefooted children scamper in and out on a continual basis. We arrived, were served a very filling lunch of potato noodle soup, rice, beans, and platinos, with coke as the staple beverage. There was no way I could finish.

As we ate, children in blue T shirts began to fill the building, taking their seats expectantly for the noon meal-slash-swarming Jesse's stroller and touching his very white skin. Our team had the privilege of serving 100 kids their lunch, which was the same meal and portion size as that of the adults, and which posed no problem to any of them. Satisfying work.

After lunch, we cleared tables, talked with the kids, "helped" with homework, and watched the teacher led tutorials. A pretty neat operation, and quite obvious that the kids absolutely love the attention.

After Cesar Proano, we headed to the next site in Malecon-- and what I would consider the ghetto of Quininde. The project lot is situated in a very poor black neighborhood. It's on a dirt road that is lined with houses that line the river. These homes have no electricity, no running water, and worst of all, no bathrooms. The river serves a number of needs-- bathroom, shower, and laundry room. Prostitution is also rampant here, and the need to begin the project is obvious. So far, they have bought the lot, which came with the start of a building. Apparently the previous owner had tried, unsuccessfully, to build his home here, but could not continue due to theft, and eventually he was forced to abandon the project. From the stories we heard, God definitely had His hand in the purchase of this property, considering the former owner almost sold it to become another brothel house. Thank God it went to San Lucas instead.

But aside from a thriving banana tree (producing 500 bananas in a year!) the place looks like a bit of a rubble heap. But it has serious potential, and once construction starts, it will be an oasis in Malecon.

By now it is late afternoon; our son is getting antsy, and his parents tired. But-- on to the next project. This one needs some real vision, consisting of 2 acres of palm trees. They bought the property 5 years ago, and have been saving funds to start construction on a wall. The estimated money needed is 60,000, and the idea is to start a clinic, begin some minor industry (so that they can become a self-sustaining institution) and some educational programs to teach proper nutrition etc. Jenny is a visionary. (She really is amazing. Arlene told us a story of how a 'bridge' of two planks across a river terrorized Jenny to the point of rallying her neighbours, collecting funds, and building a proper bridge for motorized vehicles. Who does that?!)

Jenny explaining the future vision of the site.

By this time, Jesse is really ticked. We were advised not to let him toddle around on the ground, because the bacteria in the dirt could get him really sick, and this didn't go over well with him. He's an active creature. Unfortunately, we had no option but to hold him all day.. which didn't suit any of us. We were definitely getting antsy to head to Jenny's, and call it a day.

But, the group needed to eat, and the general consensus was to go to a restaurant. James and I opted out of this arrangement, and decided we'd rather go hungry than hold Jesse for another minute. So, we were dropped off on Jenny's palm tree plantation--a 30 minute drive over rocks and potholes that finally soothed our son to sleep, and created back spasms in the rest of us. And here, the adventure's really began.

I should start by saying James and I are a couple that compliment eachother, most of the time. Our differences often balance out our relationship.

However, there are times when they don't.

The coastal region of Ecuador has a lot of bugs. There are big beetles, bats, wasps, frogs, centipedes, frogs that can kill you, moths the size of your face... things that might not be so bad if you grew up in the country. If you are from a suburb in Surrey, however, these things are bothersome. In addition, if you are accustomed to sanitary conditions, like you might find, for instance, in a biology lab, life in the tropics would appear alarming. A bucket for a shower, dead bugs on the floor, live bugs on the wall, bats- affectionately termed 'night birds' in the dining room, a wasps nest IN the living room, geckoes in the bathroom, and the ever present threat of malaria from the mosquitos, which are all but welcomed into the home by the one functioning light and a sloppy screen cover that works more as a door for night time critters.

ALL of this to say that James has an eye for detail, and he noticed it. All of it.

I have to say that in this situation, I am glad that I am more of a 'big picture' person, or just plain unobservant. My ignorance in sanitation is bliss, and Jesse can just thank his lucky stars his dad was on the alert. However, this was a night when I needed to feel some security, and my balancing counterpart was having a hard time offering it in light of his bug phobia's, and preoccupation with sanitation.

ANYWAYS, we got dropped off here, at night, with no instructions but to enjoy ourselves because they would be out late.

Ten minutes later, the power went out.

Black does not describe a power outage in the tropics. James disappeared. Jesse disappeared (and I was holding him). There was just-nada. Until Jesse started crying.

We made a consecutive decision to deal with the blackness by going to bed and closing our eyes (yes, it was 7:30) After a long, tiring day, devotions and sleep sounded good. Neither was really possible with an upset baby. He was thrown off by his mosquito net, and felt the urge to pull it down and wrap it around his stumpy body. I decided it was OK if he got malaria, as long as he fell asleep. 30 minutes later, mid-prayer, the power kicked back in.

Praising God, I jumped out of bed and headed for the living room, only to see a bat spastically fly across the room. Gross.

10 minutes later, I tried again. With the bat out of site, James joined me in the living room, where we began twiddling our thumbs. I am not a dependent on technology by any means, but a house with no phone, T.V, music, or internet is a rare thing, and it leaves you feeling quite vulnerable. Especially when a strange man walks up the stairs, past you, and into the kitchen.

At this point, my nerves had had enough.

We figured out he was just dropping off groceries for Jenny, but after living in Quito behind locked doors and fences, the 'open' concept idea takes some adjustment, and I did not feel safe. So, back to bed we went, tucked safely under our mosquito net. Until I decided to plug the fan in to combat the humidity. "Electrocuted" might be a bit strong, but a white flash of light and a tingle in my fingers convinced me to leave the temperamental outlets alone and just go to bed.

I was out like a light.

This was our first day in Quininde. Had our mission work been located in this lovely area of the world, we may have only lasted a week. I think God still has a thing or two to show us, the obvious thing being an awareness of how spoiled we are.

Thankfully, everything ALWAYS looks better in the morning, and nothing could be truer of this place. Jenny and her husband live in a tropical paradise. Their house has a huge rectangle window (no glass, just open) allowing for an unobstructed view of the river, palm trees, tropical birds, and all the smells and sounds that go with it. Lovely.

Add to that a breakfast of fresh mango, and you can take on the day.

I will leave it at that for now. This is getting lengthy.

Very precarious bridge.

Mango for breakfast.

Burro in the backyard.

Wild tropical flowers.

The house!

Jesse's rocker

Swarming the stroller

Homework

The teacher's group

A pink chick. I have no idea...

Women's Retreat at Papallacta

Thursday morning Arlene and I packed the car, said goodbye to our men, and made our way through the mountains to Papallacta. Jesse and I had the privilege of attending the church's annual women's retreat, and it was such a blessing to be able to tag along. I've come to a few conclusions during my time here.

Conclusion # 1) Mountains sparsely populated are far more inviting than the ones jam packed with trees. I like to see mountains that look penetrable.

Conclusion #2) If I could purchase a big plastic ball, I would take it to the top of a grassy mountain and have the ride of my life. I would do it, because the mountains here are just that inviting.

So we spent roughly 2 hours winding up mountain roads, snapping some photos of Cotopaxi-the highest active volcano in the WORLD, and enjoying the beauty of road tripping. I love road trips, especially when Jesse sleeps through them :)

Cute picture moment.

We arrived at the mission house that can comfortably sleep about 30 women at around 2 in the afternoon (we took our time, having stopped for a very cheap and enjoyable lunch platter of sliders, onion rings and chicken wings-- worth mentioning)

Papallacta is a small 'pueblo' right in the mountains. The view from the dining room window was spectacular, but the highlight would have to be the natural hotsprings about 5 minutes up the road. Cheryl, Arlene and I went up to check out prices, and I thought we had stumbled into a 5 star resort. Thatched roofs, hot springs, beautiful flowers, a rushing river, wooden bridges--I can see why this is a prime retreat location. Not to mention, it cost $3.50/person for the entire day.

Conclusion #3. This country has no clue how to price things appropriately.

Another picture moment.

Sonia Liliana in the icy river

And so I spent Thursday to Saturday with a group of women that began as strangers (somewhat) and became a lot less strange as the retreat unfolded.

Conclusion #4 : Women do not get lame with age-- they just need an opportunity to step away from everyday life for a time to recover how fun/funny they actually are. Arlene has told me a few things about Ecuadorian women, and there just seems to be so much suffering. But for a brief women's weekend, they find their therapy in the Scripture, in cooking, and in eachother. For example, on Friday night all of the women decided to go for a late night 'hot spring' dip. The place is open until 11pm, and it was only around 8:30, so we went for it. Jenny said she'd drive the pick-up truck, and without blinking, 26 women attempt to get into the truck. Obviously, no amount of people stacking would make that possible, and so I moved along with the overflow into the back of the pickup. 11 grown women wedged in the back made for one hilarious night time drive. At one point, we hit a serious bump and almost lost Estella. Everyone screamed, then laughed, and out of the Spanish phrases being whipped around I hear Elda say in crystal clear English " I have a pain in my ass". This sets her off into hysterics, as we continue to zoom up the mountain side, in pitch blackness, under the briliant stars, with a stray dog chasing after us up the gravel road. Memorable. Very memorable. And then, considering it was freezing, the hot springs really hit the spot :)

(Elda, Rosita, Alex, and myself)

So it was a weekend of good food, great discussions, bible studies, hiking, swimming, caring for Jesse, and worship. I experienced a few more Ecuadorian dishes like cevicha, soup with popcorn, more choclo con queso, and then something that I'm sure was tasty but gave me a nasty case of food poisoning that lasted through the night and into the next day. I won't dwell on it, but it did leave me exhausted, and ready for home (so James could nurse me back to health, or at least watch Jesse while I tried to recuperate). Rosita (the Jonkman's maid) roomed with me, and she was an awesome help, taking Jesse at 5 am while he cried and I visited the bathroom. I'm sure our friendship will only grow stronger :)

We ended up having to leave early anyways because it was the weekend designated for Catholics to make their pilgrimage to some holy virgin statue. The roads would close at 3 leading to the Idol, and we wanted to book it out of there before getting stuck in too much traffic. From what I hear, this is an annual pilgrimage Catholics will make, and when they can drive no further, they park their cars and walk a ways, and then the last leg of the journey is done on their knees. They fast throughout the day, and when they make it to the virgin to pay their dues, they celebrate by breaking their fast and getting wasted. A true religious experience...

Anyways, we made it home earlier than expected, and it was nice to be back 'home' with James. Here are a few more pictures of the retreat.

Rosita unpacking the limes.

Hot springs!

Jesse involved in our Bible study

Prayer group outside

Beauty.

Early morning walk on the 'road'

At the top!

Playing outside

The Group

Some house in Papallacta

Boy walking his sheep

And a boy walking his donkey.

Hasta luego.