Reporting from Costa Rica, Part Two

My Abuela Miriam

Most of you know that the reason that I came to Costa Rica was because my grandmother is very ill. My father has been over here for over a month. He has been her main support; taking her to and fro the hospital and doctor's appointments, and staying with her in her home. My dad is a good son, and takes his responsibility toward his mother very seriously. My grandfather has been gone since I was born, and since then my father and his siblings have stepped in to take care of her.

My grandmother's house is in Puntarenas, which is on the Pacific coast side of Costa Rica. The picture above is of her house. There is no air conditioning in the house, but all the rooms have a fan of some kind. The temperature reaches to about 90 degrees on average, although when we were there, it reached over 94 degrees. And talk about humid! My hair did not stand a chance, which is why there are no pictures of me anywhere.

It was definitely different being at my grandmother's house this time. There were two focal points: my grandmother's needs and Gideon's needs. Gideon's needs remained pretty much the same, with the addition of constant sunblock, and insect repellent. His bath time routine changed a bit, since we didn't have a baby bathtub. He ended up taking a bath in the sink where next to the washing machine, the room called "el cuarto de pilas" which translates to the room with the sinks. Every home in Costa Rica has one.

Gideon LOVES bathtime

My grandmother stays pretty much on the couch in the living room. She only eats liquids or purees. Her left arm is almost immobile, so unfortunately, she really couldn't hold Gideon. I really felt that our visit cheered her up. I am so glad we came. Gideon met new cousins and new uncles and aunts. He met my Tio Fili (short for Filiberto) who looks very much like my father. He was really puzzled about him, since he adores my father, yet here is this man who looks like him, yet was not him.

You could be my grandpa....if he wore gold chains.

While we were there, Costa Rican Independance Day took place. We really enjoyed all the festivities, but I will post about that tomorrow.