Long time, No write

Ok, so it's been way too long since our last update. We have been in Rio over 2 months now...some of the newness has worn off, but I think that is a good thing. Sometimes that new feeling is great and exciting, but I am always looking forward to the day when things feel more natural...like a comfy, favorite sweater. Well, I wouldn’t' say Rio is feeling like a comfy sweater, but it is getting to feel more natural and more like a place we can make a home and grow.
Speaking of growing - Ailey is now 4 months and getting bigger all the time. She had her 4 month doctors appointment this week and she weighed 12.4lbs and had grown quite a bit too...I'll have to get back to you with her height. She smiles, giggles, laughs, babbles, grabs her feet, rolls, grabs and even has this awesome pilates/yoga like move where she lays on her back and puts her upper body & legs in the air at the same time. Thanks to Cheryl, one of our new friends, she has some great borrowed toys - an exersaucer, jumperoo, travel swing, bumbo & gym. I LOVE it because I can actually fix & eat lunch or take a shower. We have lots of videos on youtube of Ailey in Rio, so check them out at etawood.
We are still in our temp apartment and looking for our permanent place here. It has been sooooooo hard to find the right place. I knew it would be hard, but not this hard. There are not many places on the market right now in the area we want to live. I finally visited one yesterday just 2 buildings down from where we are living right now. This place looked really good and so we have started the renting process, but it takes a few weeks and we will continue to look in the meantime because you always need 2 or 3 good options here since things can fall through so easily...It's hard to get excited about any apartments because of this. We just keep praying for the right place at the right time.
One thing we have really enjoyed here is the food. There are so many great restaurants and the meat, veggie & fruit selection at the super markets are quite good. I actually like to purchase fruits & veggies from the street market. I also found out about a co-op you can join with organic fruits & veggies so I'm excited to pick up my order this weekend and try it out.
Well I have been trying to finish this entry for about a week now so I think I will post it and then just add another update soon...hopefully I won't wait 2 months like last time! Tchau. (sounds like ciao, but is spelled different than the italian version)

First impressions

Well we made it to Rio! We have been here almost a week and I thought it was about time to update you all. The flight went well althought it was really long - 12 hrs - for flying with a baby. Thank the Lord that they paid for Ailey to have her own business class seat. She is an average sized 2 month old and the bassinet was almost too small for her. She fussed some at the beginning of the trip but then slept some in her infant car seat. We have been really impressed with how well she is transitioning. The only hard thing has been her backtracking a bit on her sleep so that she wasn't sleeping more than 3 or 4 hrs between feedings at night, but last night was better and we think it will continue to get better.



We like our temp apartment. It's in busy Ipanema with a view of the ocean. We can walk to the beach and local shops & restaurants. The food has been wonderful and the local beers are tasty too and helps with missing good ol' texas shiner beer.



We started apartment hunting this week but so far havn't found anything to fit our needs. We will keep you updated on house hunting. Hoepfully we will have more news later this week.

Ailey pics 2 days old

Moving Time

Ailey will be 8 weeks on Sunday. Sunday morning is her dedication at church. We are really looking forward to this special time. We see this dedication as an expression of wanting to raise her up to know God and to know Jesus as her own Lord & Saviour. We know it has to be her choice and we pray that when she is ready she will make the decision to live for Him herself. My mom is coming in town for the special day and also made a special dress for Ailey's special day.

Praise the Lord! Ailey slept through the night 2 time this week. We still have a long way to go, she doesn't seem to think 9pm - 12am is sleep time, but at least we are seeing some progress. She is a WONDERFUL and happy, alert & active baby girl. We are loving being parents! She is growing up so fast. When we went in for her dr. appointment last week she weighed 9.5 lbs and is getting too big for her newborn clothes now.

Well the count down is on! Monday the movers arrive and we move into a hotel and the follow Monday (July 28TH) we board a plane for Rio. Time is flying and there are still so many things to do & people to see. We spent the last few days cleaning the house from top to bottom and sorting through closets & drawers. Erik's parents cleaned & cleaned and helped the place look fabulous. Grandpa Woodward also spent many hours holding & loving Ailey as I ran errands and cleaned. The realtor came and took pictures and the house should be listed by the end of next week. It feels good to slowly be checking things off our to do list.

It's been hard to find extended periods of time to spend reading the Bible, so I have found great comfort in short readings of the Psalms and in singing praises. Ailey has a "Praise Baby" CD that a friend gave her and it has been one of my favorite things to listen to lately as i sit & rock her to sleep or nurse her in the evening. Thank the Lord for these small times with Him because they are so needed right now and I look forward to when we can spend more time together.

We will keep you updated when we can! Thanks for your prayers and we hope to get to see quite a few people here in Houston before we leave. The Zener's are having a going away get together next Friday for us, so if you want to come and need the details, let us know!