Bye bye 2007 and hi to 2008

We're back in our rainy adopted city. Within the first several hours of our return, the weather gods gave us sunshine, dark clouds, rain, wind, and finished up with a crazy hailstorm that left everything as white as if it had snowed. We just had to laugh - it was quite the welcoming gesture on the part of the atmosphere.

We had a wonderful week down in sunny CA. Thanks to our many family members, we actually got to relax quite a bit, which was really the best holiday present we could have gotten. Unfortunately, our poor little guy picked up a bug and had a low-grade fever show up a few days before we left. I still don't get how 101 is low for a baby, but whatever. He spent the day sleeping and sleeping and it all felt quite peaceful. I mean, we felt terrible for him that he was sick, but he hasn't slept that much since he was a newborn and it really was quite restful for all of us! We marveled at how our kid isn't one of those that doesn't sleep when he gets sick.

Then we woke up the next morning and were nearly drowned by the massive river of snot coming out of our son's nose. We probably could have sailed home on it and skipped the plane altogether. Even though he's all better from the bug, his body is still producing massive amounts of mucus. I mean, it is crazy. Apparently, this is normal! Just goes to show you how much I know about kids. So we've spent the last several days wiping and aspirating and saline-solution-ing and generally getting everything we own covered in the remnants of M's cold. We are praying that when 2007 leaves, it will take the snot with it. Please, please.

To celebrate New Year's Eve, we had a lovely dinner with my grandmother and her caregiver tonight. Mateo roamed the house saying "hi!" to everyone and generally having a great time. We're home now, cozied up on the couch, and are planning an early bedtime. Could there be a better way to start the new year?

Actually, there could: today, Sacha felt the first flutters of the little one in her belly. It was thrilling for her and for me (and I think I might have felt something, too, when I had my hand in the right place at the right time) and filled us both with thanksgiving for events of the past year as well as those to come in the next. She said I could post some belly shots, so here they are.

First, her at 4 weeks pregnant, standing out in the sunshine.



Then, tonight at 17 weeks with her cute baby bump.


As Mateo might say, if he could grasp the concept of a new year, bye bye to 2007 and hi to 2008!