Some more pictures of Jamila...8 weeks old


Jamila and I hang out in our apartment most days finding things to do and resting since she still loves to sleep. It is hard to believe that she has been in our lives for only 8 weeks. I remember things before she came but it is fleeting just like other times in my life where there has been a multi-dimensional change in the way I live. Now my focus is Jamila and trying to get enough time in with Dominic when she is resting. My energy is all on the family for now. And keeping myself healthy and happy.
This hat is from my sister, Sine, who wanted to give Jamila something not so obviously girly. Soooo cute!!!!
Bathtime with Papa, one of her favorite things to do. And it makes her sleepy too.
This may sound strange but Jamila picked this shirt out for herself. How you may ask did she do this? Well we held up different shirts up for her to look at and this one had the most favorable reaction of the raising of her eyebrows and opening her eyes wide. The other shirts made her cry.
Jamila seems to really enjoy Hand Hand Fingers Thumb. She gets very wide eyes and starts to try to talk while I read it. Also her legs get into the story too like she is very excited about the story pumping away.
This was a gift from one of my friend's children, Paula. Paula thought Jamila would like this octopus and she figured right. Paula is about 2 1/2 years old and she has great taste. The legs of the octopus when sqeezed make the notes of the scale. It sounds a bit like a harmonica.
These are Jamila's foot rattles to help her realize her feet are attached to her since she really moves those legs like she is going somewhere and fast. She really likes the cow but not the sheep. In fact the sheep made her upset when it was held in front of her and the cow made her smile.
Jamila is laughing and smiling without any sound and we finally caught it on camera!!! She really likes the pink pig with the corn-she always is looking at it and talking to it.
Such a sweet picture of her having sweet dreams. I love watching her sleep. There is something so special in being able to see Jamila in all her states and the sleeping one is the most vulnerable and oh so peaceful for her and for me.

Why Pensacola?

For those of you who don't know the story behind moving to Pensacola, here it goes. After I found out I was pregnant, Dominic and I decided I would give notice at my workplace, The Baha'i National Center. As the time got closer to when I would no longer be working, it seemed that Dominic's luck in finding a full-time job in the Chicago area was not surfacing. So we bit the bullet and Dominic flew out to Pensacola, Florida where our dear friends the Kumi's live. They had told us that there was a very good market of jobs for Dominic. In April, he flew out and got a job offer the first day he started looking and later he also found a part time job in addition to his full time job. This was the best opportunity he had since he was in the States so we decided to move to Pensacola for the time being. Hurricanes and all.....

At any rate, we are now settled in an apartment in a condo community and we have the major furniture set up with boxes here and there still.

Goodbye Chicago....Hello Pensacola

Such a move across the country has been very crazy. The following pictures are from the last couple of weeks in Chicago and our first weeks in Pensacola. We could not have completed the move without the help of my mom. She rode down with us and helped with Jamila and setting up our new home. It is strange leaving Chicago now that we became somewhat established there. We had made many friends of varying backgrounds and left many Tanzanians there which were our family from the first day we met them. Now we have to establish ourselves again in a new community.

Why do we have so much stuff? And it really isn't that much compared to some other people.
My step-mom, Nancy, me, Jamila and my father in the House of Worship. Jamila's second time there.
The grandparents playing with Jamila.
Two proud fathers with their children-Papa Nii and Jamila.
My birthing team Mojgan, Anne and Kim and my mom was the fourth person not pictured.
Israil and me for the last time in Gilson park. Miss you....
Tae-Jin and Vahid were the last people to see us in Chicago. We had a going away breakfast.
The Kambuga family leaving Chicago.
Goodbye Loyola El stop....
Goodbye yucky traffic on the Dan Ryan...
Dominic the truck driver. He had quite a job driving as you can see from the next picture.

The cutest girl in our lives, Jamila Nyamwiza. She is making all sorts of expressions and we try to catch them but it is hard.


Jamila chewing on her butterfly teether. She was very interested in it.