Levi Pictures

This little guy loves to smile and I mean big open mouth smile and occasionally he likes to laugh with a big open smile.  It's really hard to get on camera though.  I'll keep trying though.  Here's a few more pictures for those of you who have been asking.

And just to prove he does open his eyes, this is our best attempt for his passport photo.  We applied for it yesterday.  They want a picture on a white background with his eyes open, looking at the camera.  Seriously?  He's 2 weeks old - that's nearly impossible!

Driving in La Ceiba (the big city)

A few weeks before we left, Trish (my missionary neighbor) and I went to the city on our own.  We wanted to visit Igelsia Gran Commision, a big church hosting a women's conference that weekend.  This church is supported by the church we attended in Toledo - Cedar Creek Church.  Some of our friends from Cedar Creek had flown to Honduras to speak at this conference.  Although we could only stay for an hour or so, it was great to see familiar faces from Toledo and make plans to come for the whole conference next year.  We're gonna try to bring several woman from our rural area if we can get sponsors to cover their conference and housing costs.

This was the view on our way to go pick up some groceries before returning to the hospital.  At first I didn't think anything of it since this is how driving in La Ceiba always is.  But then I thought, this didn't used to be normal for me.  I should take a picture and share it with all of you.  Lines on the road and traffic laws don't matter.  This is the main road/highway in the city where traffic usually moves between 30-60 mph. depending on the time of day.  These 3 buses don't have a problem driving 3 wide because they don't think the other is moving fast enough.  That pushes on-coming traffic onto the shoulder.  

Typical Honduran driving - make your own lane

What this street should look like.

Rimas loves driving here.  He thinks common sense rules and likes that 3 cars will all make a left turn all at the same time rather than single file.  He thinks it gets us around faster or maybe it's just more fun to drive like that.

More Levi Pictures

A re-cap of the last few days...

Abby started having contractions early Wednesday morning.  They weren't very strong yet, so we got our stuff together, had breakfast, took Aliyah to hang out with her cousins, and then headed to the hospital around 8:30am.  We checked in, got assigned a room, and settled in a bit. 

After 9 1/2 hours of labor, Levi was born at 1:38 pm on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

He came out crying very loud pretty much immediately. After a while, however, Levi lost a bit of color and while breathing he was making grunting noises.  Apparently this is a sign that he is having difficulty breathing, so he was taken to the nursery for extra observation.  Rimas stayed with him in the nursery for about six hours after which his rapid breathing slowed to normal levels, he was no longer grunting and was allowed to go back to Abby's recovery room.

We went home from the hospital on Friday morning.  They were all very nice there, but it's been nice to be out of the hospital and we can now start settling into a routine. 

Aliyah has been a very interested big sister.  She gets very concerned when Levi cries.  She's learning very quickly how to be gentle and loves to help with everything.

To see the two of them together, it's really amazing what just a year makes in a child's development.

Levi is here!

Last picture of us as a 3 person family - dropping off Aliyah at Aunt Rachael's on our way to the hospital in labor

Baby Boy

Levi James Miknaitis

1:38 pm central 2/15/12

7 lbs, 0 oz

20 1/2 inches

We're heading home this morning and will update you with more pictures and the story soon.

In the nursery for observation for 6 hours,

Aliyah - 15 months

Aliyah loves to play outside and the cold doesn't seem to bother her, just chap her cheeks.

Aliyah is just days away from being 15 months old.  We went to our favorite pediatrician, Dr. Kershaw, today to get her up-to-date on her shots.  Well, most of them.  We've held off on some until later.  I forgot to take a picture with all the questions I had about details (how to do vaccines and circumcision) for the up coming baby and all of Aliyah's tears from her shots.

So here's Aliyah's stats:

At 15 months:

24.25 lbs = 69% for weight

32.5 inches = 94% for height

46 cm = 49% for head circumference

A recent trip to the hot springs in the Lis Lis river just before flying back to the States.

She loves to eat (apparently from the increase on the growth chart for weight!).  She frequently out eats Rimas and I at meals.  We started giving her cow's milk about 3 months ago but now we're supposed to change her from whole to 1 or 2%.  No problem here but she'll have to drink the boxed radiated milk in Honduras to get low-fat milk.

She loves to run, climb, mimic the monkeys and chickens outside (well in Honduras), play peek-a-boo, help with laundry by handing us the clothes to hand or clothespins, give high-five, and give kisses and hugs.

She doesn't like to be held too long (she's always on the go), too many people gawking over her at one time (she likes a bit of space), and being told she can't open all the drawers and cabinets she can find.

She's surprised us many times with how much she understands of what we say even if she's never heard the word before in her life, how much she sees like small birds way up in the sky, and how much she copycats us in our actions already.

We've been trying to prepare her for the arrival of her little brother.  The Brownings, missionary friends of ours, gave her a baby doll for her 1st birthday.  We show her how to treat her baby different than all her other toys and how we are gentle with it.  She carries it around extra carefully and gives it kisses.  Now we'll see if she translates that the baby doll is similar to baby brother.

I got my driver's license!

I finally got my Honduran driver's license.
I should have gotten it a long time ago, but I didn't for the same reason I don't blog more - we're working hard and are incredibly busy!  Anyway, I needed to get my license because I drive a lot here and since I'm a legal permanent resident, the Honduran government figures I should conform to the law like the rest of the citizens in Honduras.  I agree.

Over a week ago I got a driver's license appointment from the bank after paying 600L (about $32).  Many transactions for government stuff are done at banks which is a way the government uses to try to cut down on the amount of corruption here.

The plan was to go in to town early in the morning, get my license, do a little bit of grocery shopping and some errands, and be home early in the afternoon. No problem.
I tried to gather all the specific information and documents I would need to make my appointment successful (which is never a for-sure thing here) and showed up right on time for my 8:30am appointment this past Friday.  After waiting around for about a half-hour, the office finally opened up.  The guy looked through my documents and I seemed to have everything in order.  Then he said, um, I think there is a problem...  Oh, no. It's never good to hear this, especially when dealing with the government.  He said that they give out driver's licenses for 1-5 years, but my residency card expires in July, so he cannot give me a license.  It is true, my card expires in July, but I just have to renew it, my actual residency is good for 5 years.  I explained this and he asked if I had any proof to that effect.  I did have proof, but not with me, as this was not on the "list" of documents that other missionaries had ever needed before - it was back at home, an hour and a half away.  
After some discussion and more failed negotiation, it was decided to call Abby, who was at home watching Aliyah, and ask her to try to scan my 5-year residency document and email it to me.  Meanwhile, we drove to the immigration office to see if there was a chance they might have the required paperwork from my file.  The immigration guy wasn't there, but they said he'd be back in 5-10 minutes.  An hour later, he returned - just as Abby was finishing up scanning my documents back at our place!  I explained the situation to him and he went back, found my file and let me make a copy. Hooray!
Went back to the driver's license place.  Stood in line again. Submitted the documents, Everything is good.  Please pay another 300L ($16) and you'll have to take a class and test to get the license.  Um, okay.  Everything gets stamped, approved. Go to the office next door.  Stand in line.  Finally get ushered into the booth to get my picture taken.  My information is entered into the computer.  After about 5 minutes the lady says the system is being slow, it'll be just a few more minutes.  No problem.  5 more minutes.  The lady says the system is very slow, having problems accessing my information from my residency card.  Please come back after lunch, maybe it will be working then.
It's now after 11:30 and so far nothing has been accomplished. Bummer.
After lunch we go back. The system is working.  5 minutes later a man comes out with my new license!  But wait, I have to by a "driving rules and regulations" booklet for 100L ($5) before he'll give me my card.  No problem, I'd rather buy the book than sit through a class and take a test.  After an 8:30 appointment - 2:00 pm and I had my license! Success!!

Raising Chickens

So our chicken endeavors are finally taking off.  After 6+ months of searching to buy egg laying chickens (see previous post about the chicken mafia) and 2 miserable and smelly failures at incubating eggs with old incubator machines, we now finally have 1 chick and more on the way!

We finally started incubating them the natural way - aka, wait to have a brooding chicken and put some fertilized eggs under her to sit on.  We don't have any roosters, and don't want any, so we get our fertilized eggs from a local store.  Since all the chickens insist on using only 1 of the 4 laying boxes, the brooding chicken gets lots of company throughout the day and we put X's on the fertilized eggs to make it easier to differentiate the new eggs.

It takes 21 days to hatch an egg once it is being sat on.  These 5 are due to hatch Feb 1st but if you look closely the bottom right egg already has a pip mark (the chick is pecking it's way out).  Now we just hope they're all hens and no roosters.  My farm neighbor Brad says statistically they're 55% roosters and 45% hens or otherwise stated . . . 55% food and 45% egg layers!