Back in May: Daniel's Pre-Kindergarten Graduation

On the last day of May, Daniel graduated from pre-Kindergarten! We were amazed at how special the ceremony was -- his teacher, Ms. Cooper, did a great job! They sang lots of different songs and even had a skit about being kind to one another. Of course I was emotional seeing Daniel graduate, looking so grown up. But it was particularly touching because I knew that he would have to say good-bye to his pre-school friends after being together for over 2 years. Daniel had a great time at his preschool and truly blossomed there. He started off as a very shy and insecure little boy but left very confident and social. And Ms. Cooper did a great job in preparing him for Kindergarten; we will always look back at his pre-school experience with gratitude. The next set of photos show what a big deal the graduation was!



Vovo Daddy, tia Fafa and Zolinha were there too!



Lining up to "parade" in




Daniel took it so seriously!

He did not look at us, but had a slight smile...



Daniel recited: "I can make a difference by being compassionate and kind."

With Ms. Cooper, his teacher.

Back in May: Historic Family Reunion

This past May was also very special because we had a historic family reunion: in addition to having my sister and niece visit for the first time together, my mother, step-father, father and step-mother were able to visit us as well (unfortunately, my brother-in-law couldn't be present). We had about three days when we were all together and we decided to record the time by having a professional photographer take photos of us all. Plus the fact that I was 22 weeks pregnant made it an event that will never be repeated. Here are some of my favorite photos taken on that special spring day:

 

 

Back in May: Meeting Zolinha for the First Time!

The month of May was very full, with the visit of my extended family. The greatest joy was to meet our niece Zolinha, my sister's daughter, for the first time when she was 17 months old. She is such a joy, such a wonderful child, with a lovely personality. She is very active, loves to dance and is so affectionate -- she loved giving the whole family kisses, with her cute pout, several times a day. And to see my sister so happy and fulfilled as a mother was such a gift! They stayed with us for over 5 weeks and we loved every minute of it. Daniel fell in love with his cousin immediately and was getting up around 6 am every morning (very early for him) in the beginning to play with her. And she loved him too! They played so well together it was so sweet to watch. When they left, the house felt very empty and it took us some time to adjust to being "just us" again. Zolinha, we love you and miss you so much; we can't wait until we see you again!

Daniel's Point of View -- Related to His Baby Brother

D: Mamae, so the baby is going to come out naked? All the people [in the hospital] will see him like that? I thought our naked bodies were private!


D: Mamae, there is something I have wanted to ask you in a long time.
Me: OK honey, go ahead [I prepared myself to answer something really difficult]
D: When I'm a teenager, I'm not going to get to spend much time with my brother because I'll be out a lot, driving around. So when will I see him?


[When we were choosing what clothes to take to the hospital for the baby]
Me: Daniel, which pants should we take? [I showed him some options]
D: Let's take the red one. I like that it has a heart on it because I love my brother!


[After Daniel helped me pack the baby's hospital bag -- he chose each outfit.]
Me: Daniel, tomorrow you can help mamae pack my bag.
D: Yes, we have to choose something that will make you look really beautiful. Like a really beautiful dress. Not the one you are wearing now.


D: Mamae, when I go to the hospital to meet my brother, the first thing I'm going to do is kiss him!


D: I want to help with my brother, like hold him and kiss him. But I do not want to change his diapers!


D: I can't wait to teach my brother to like all the junk food I love, like McDonalds, Pizza, Chick-fil-A... And I'll teach him to like to speak English more than Portuguese. He will be just like me!