Jamaica

I never thought it would happen to me, but a couple of months ago I won a trip through the local radio station to Montego Bay, Jamaica for 7 nights at an all inclusive 5-star resort. We just got back from our trip yesterday, and I have to say, it was fantastic. The resort is only a year old, it's humongous and beautifully landscaped. They actually took us to our room by a minibus, because it would would have been too far to walk and the place is so big we never would have found it on our own. Our room was very elegant with marble floors, a huge jacuzzi tub and of course, a king size bed. We had a fountain surrounded by greenery right outside our door (pictured below). There were 10 restaurants, 9 bars and 5 pools. The temperature was around 30 degrees everyday. Being a winter baby, Christine really enjoyed not having to wear a lot of clothing. We took a trip to the YS Falls about 2 hours away. The got to swim in the crystal clear water after jumping in it with a Tarzan rope. Because we had the baby with us we weren't able to go tubing down the winding river, (which I really wanted to do). I guess, we'll just have to go back in a few years and do it then :)
The forest surrounding the falls was so different than what we're used to. Most trees were unknown to us. Later, we learned from our tour guide that they were mango, papaya, orange trees, etc. There were also tons of banana trees as well. We had "Jerk Chicken" (famous Jamaican specialty) for lunch at a little local restaurant. Wherever we went the food was excellent. With each breakfast, we had the choice of 10 different milk shakes made with fresh fruits and vegetables. I got the recipe for my favourite one from the cook, so I can make it for the girls at home.
The Jamaican hospitality is one of the best in the world. They're so friendly and they all love children. They couldn't get enough of the baby. Then again, she's a real cutie! The night before we left we had a "Goodbye dinner party" right down at the sandy beach where we watched the sun disappear into the ocean. Christine turned 3 months that day so we dedicated the beach party to her.

11 weeks old

We visited our family doctor 2 weeks ago for the girls' shots and a check-up. Interestingly, Sarah hasn't gained any weight since the last visit which was 3 months ago. Her height on the other hand is stunning. She's almost 3 feet tall. Even the doctor said - at 18 months - she looks like a 3-year-old. Christine weighed a healthy 11.5 lbs. She's growing so quickly. She already wears size 3-6 months clothes. She's able to hold her head up now, so Peter installed the Jolly Jumper for her last night. When we put her in it for the first time, she wasn't sure what to do, but after a little encouragement she really enjoyed it. I love seeing her smile, it's so cute and honest. She can't fully laugh yet, but she came very close to it in the jumper yesterday.Sarah is picking up new words by the day. About a week ago I handed her a bottle of milk and just out of the blue she said: Thank you! I was shocked and overwhelmed! I couldn't believe she was not only able to say those 2 words so clearly, but she new when to say them. I took a few moments to look back on the last year and a half of hard work, sleepless nights, thankless efforts, my sweat and tears and hours of teaching and explaining to get to this day and finally see the fruits of my hard labour, to hear her say: Thank you! It brought me to tears inside.