My daughter just got her first passport photo in 2006.

Today is Juan’s 9th birthday. We started the day with his gifts and will end it with a dinner at the Fuddruckers (his request venue).

Juan inspired my first family website. It’s such a cliche to say “they grow up so fast.” But that’s because it’s so very true. He’s not a chubby-cheeked baby anymore—he’s a sleek pre-teen with a sharp wit and an impish smile.

Happy Birthday Juan.

It’s official. Say hello to Hurricane Katrina.

The winds have really picked up. There is a street sign and some large tree limbs have fallen down the street. The power is flickering more frequently. We can hear the sounds of transformers blowing.
The center of Katrina is going to pass over of us. That makes us in the path of the “bad part” of the storm.

I think I will get the laptop ready in case we lose power completely.

Humberto Maquilon.

Balsaje, un recorrido maravilloso a bordo de balsas de guaduas construidas por los nativos del lugar y enmarcado por los paisajes verdes de las orillas del río La Vieja.

Cuando uno tiene la suerte de estar en el Quindío. Allí, en medio de platanales, cafetales y heliconias de mil colores, cada segundo parece acortarse debido a lo mucho que se puede llegar a disfrutar.

La primera impresión en el camino la causa el verde. O mejor, los cientos de diferentes tonos de verdes que se mezclan con los rojos, rosados y violetas de las flores que se asoman a las orillas de las carreteras, tan estrechas que escasamente admiten dos carros en ambos sentidos; pero perfectamente pavimentadas.

El sábado 3 de Julio salimos de Armenia a Puerto Alejandría, para hacer balsaje en el río La Vieja. Son 30 minutos de viaje, viendo el hermoso paisaje. Nos esperan chalecos salvavidas en una balsa construida con 19 guaduas de nueve metros de largo, cuatro atravesadas (cada una de dos metros) y dos tubos de PVC a los lados para que flote más.

Cuesta creer que en ella caben 12 personas, como asegura Godines, un boga que corre de un lado a otro sobre las guaduas y nos lleva por el río con maestría, mientras nos cuenta historias del río y nos hace reír. Nos reparte deliciosos fiambres: plátano, arroz, yuca, pollo y “hogao”, preparados por la gente de la región y envueltos en hojas de plátano. También nos da instrucciones para entrar al agua y disfrutar los rápidos.

Dejarse llevar por el río es muy relajante, sobre todo por la vista de las montañas que rodean el río, el olor de la boñiga de las vacas que pastan en las orillas y la suave arena.

Casi sin darnos cuenta, las tres horas y media que nos tomamos en recorrer los 14 kilómetros se han esfumado. El tiempo paso demasiado rápido. En el Quindío entiende uno mejor eso de que el tiempo es relativo.

Gracias Patricia, Mama de Patricia, Monica, Maricel, Claudia, Hugo, Alejo, Mario por permitirme compartir con ustedes esta inolvidable aventura.

Un abrazo.

Michelle Maquilon was born late Friday evening. She was 7 lbs and 7 oz, 19 and a half inches long, and so perfectly healthy.

We will arrive at home on Monday and we are all tired, but have never been happier.

Life happens for us now at 2 hour intervals between feedings. Of course, I have thousands of pictures, but only time right now to share this one.

Many thanks to everyone who passed on their good thoughts to us during this time. I have so many stories to tell about our adventures of the last week. I hope everyone will have the patience to stick around and wait for me to find the time to write them down.

The ladies in Kelly Global Logistics surprised us with a baby shower. The food was great, the company even better. We were touched and overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity. We converted and resized the photos taken with our camera, and I’ve uploaded them.

We had our ultrasound this afternoon. What a miraculous experience. I just stared at the monitor, amazed. The nurse was a Cuban sweetheart. She looked at everything and each time she got to an organ or a body part, she told us that everything was normal.

For some reason, I can’t get the phrase, “four chambers in the heart” out of my mind. That’s what she said when she showed us the heart. And there they were, those four chambers, beating so fast. And all I could think of was how easy it would be for those four chambers not to be there, or not to be functioning properly.

Also, all signs point to the little one as being a girl. I am simply happy that she’s healthy. But a girl. Wow. There is something so special about little girls. Big girls too. Everyone says that girls are easier. I’m not so sure about that, but I’m sure about how happy I am.

The entire ultrasound is on VHS. I’m going to try to digitize it and put it up here.