That I am not the only one enjoying my gift from Papa Noel...
We are like two little kids together!Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
32 weeks!
At 32 weeks my baby's bones are well developed but still quite soft. Rhythmic breathing movements are present and the central nervous system is developing. The baby is accumulating body fat while he/she learns to regulate his/her own body temperature. Up until now, I have had an impeccable pregnancy, very little nausea, very minimal weight gain, no real change in energy level...However, a week ago I began having some interesting symptoms that my doctor did not seem the least bit concerned about. I was going blind. Not literally blind, but 3 or 4 days on one week my vision began to blur, I could not see straight and clear, and I felt weak, a bit dizzy, and out of sorts. These episodes were almost always followed by an excruciating head ache that could only be dealt with by a dark space and a few hours of sleep. My doctor's response to this was, "Go to the eye doctor."
So I did. It was there I found out I have perfect vision, with no problems in the iris or imbalance in the tension of the eye. It was there I found out that what it sounds like I am experiencing is called: Aura Migraine. Apparently these are common in pregnant women due to the extra amount of hormones floating around a soon to be mommy's body. The blurry eyes are a warning sign of what is to come. What neither the eye doctor, nor my obstetrician told me, and what I found out on my own, is that migraines are a common part of the third trimester of pregnancy, BUT... are usually indicative of low iron levels! So I upped my iron and cut out my every once in a while coffee and my every day piece of chocolate and have not had an episode since.
Now knowing what stage of growth my baby is in, it is only logical that even the slightest stimulant could cause the central nervous system to go overboard, which is probably exactly what was happening.
Other prego news: I have started my pregnancy gym class! I go twice a week to do cardiovascular exercises that strengthen and ready my body for labor. We work the specific muscles that will be necessary at the moment of labor, as well as the breathing methods that will be useful to help me through the process. It is a great group of soon to be mommies and I really like going!
Then on Tuesday nights Claudio and I have started going to informative lectures about labor and parenting. We have gone to two classes so far and they are super interesting. The first was all about exactly what happens at the moment of labor and all of the different methods that exist to deliver a baby. The second was all about anestisia, something I have chosen not to have. If I was decided agains having the epidural before the lecture, I am far more decidedly against it after the lecture. What a scary scary process!
These are the dangers:
Epidural typically involves using the opiates fentanyl or sufentanil, with bupivacaine, Fentanyl is a powerful opiate with a potency and side effects 80X that of morphine. Sufentanil is another opiate, 5 to 10Xs more potent than Fentanyl. Bupivacaine is markedly toxic, causing excitation: nervousness, tingling around the mouth, tinnitus, tremor, dizziness, blurred vision, or seizures, followed by depression: drowsiness, loss of consciousness, respiratory depression and apnea. Bupivacaine has caused several deaths by cardiac arrest when epidural anesthetic has been accidentally inserted into vein instead of epidural space in the spine. Epidural correctly administered results in three main effects:
- Loss of other modalities of sensation (including touch)
- Loss of muscle power (hence, a risk of falling)
- Loss of function of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls blood pressure
I would rather feel all the pain 100% than take the risk of the epidural.
And that doesn't include the side effects and aftermath:
- Epidural slows down labor significantly because it lowers the blood pressure whereby decreasing both adrenaline and oxytocin, the hormone necessary for dilating.
Tonight we will be going to hear the lecture about newborns. Lets hope it is far less scary than last weeks seminar.
I must have been a very good girl!
Christmas in Argentina is not exactly like Christmas in the U.S. For starters, we are in the middle of summer here, AKA, it is hotter than crap-ola! Secondly, Santa Claus goes by the name Papa Noel. Papa Noel does not wait until the little kiddies are fast asleep to bring the presents, he comes at midnight on the 24th of December. After dinner, we wait anxiously, then run into the streets to look into the sky, filled with fireworks, and sometime someone dresses up as Papa Noel and can be seen in the distance, on a roof-top, or in a far off field waving. Then everyone rushes back into the house and presents are everywhere. But Papa Noel doesn't just bring presents for the children, all of the presents that are exchanged on this night are from Papa Noel. We then open a bottle of champagne and cheers to the night.
Well, this year I must have behaved extra good because, while Papa Noel didn't leave me anything under the tree, "our neighbor" (Claudio) called me to tell me that Papa Noel had left my present in my front patio...
This is me enjoyng life on Christmas day.
Thanks Papa Claudio, I mean Noel!
Well, this year I must have behaved extra good because, while Papa Noel didn't leave me anything under the tree, "our neighbor" (Claudio) called me to tell me that Papa Noel had left my present in my front patio...
This is me enjoyng life on Christmas day.Thanks Papa Claudio, I mean Noel!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Feliz Navidad!
On this very Merry Christmas Eve, Octubre and I, the baby to be, 
Claudio and Brownie, the baby and me,
Claudio and Brownie, the baby and me,
Are falling all over ourselves with kisses and wagging tails...
To tell you all how much we love and miss you during this holiday season.You are in our thoughts, today and always, from all the way down in the city on the river in the southern tip of nowhere...
We love you!
We love you!
Two birds are better than one
Yesterday I ran around on a while turkey hunt, literally, looking for a turkey in every nook and cranny of the city, only to end up settling for chicken. I have never baked a turkey before, in fact, I don't think I have ever made Christmas dinner before, which is why I decided to volunteer last minute to make my first attempt. Sometimes I ask myself if there is not something neurologically wrong with me, WHAT WAS I THINKING!?!
I stood, belly up to the stove for nearly 4 hours yesterday in the sweltering heat, perspiration dripping from every crease in my growing body to merely prepare for an entire day of baking today.
God must have heard me bitching and complaining under my breath, for this morning the rain has come to wash away the heat. There is a fresh breeze that comes with the calling of the mud hut making swallows and I am happy to be preparing Christmas dinner, not only for my first time, but for what will be the first "Traditional North American" Christmas dinner for Claudio's family. (It is typically so hot here on Christmas, we eat salad and ice cream.) Lets just hope she also hears my pleas for this experimental meal to come out excruciatingly tasty!
The menu consists of baked chickens,
stuffed with homemade hand cut bread stuffing
(no prepackaging here folks)
fresh hand cut french-style green bean casserole mini portobello mushrooms (again all fresh ingredients), and candied butter-nut squash topped with cinnamon toasted walnuts.
Finally, for dessert, I thought I would make pineapple upside cake, something that does not exist here and is sure to be the hit.
Where this sudden fire came from to prepare so last minute, I am not exactly sure, though I am grateful for it's burning sensation.
I stood, belly up to the stove for nearly 4 hours yesterday in the sweltering heat, perspiration dripping from every crease in my growing body to merely prepare for an entire day of baking today.
God must have heard me bitching and complaining under my breath, for this morning the rain has come to wash away the heat. There is a fresh breeze that comes with the calling of the mud hut making swallows and I am happy to be preparing Christmas dinner, not only for my first time, but for what will be the first "Traditional North American" Christmas dinner for Claudio's family. (It is typically so hot here on Christmas, we eat salad and ice cream.) Lets just hope she also hears my pleas for this experimental meal to come out excruciatingly tasty!
The menu consists of baked chickens,
stuffed with homemade hand cut bread stuffing
(no prepackaging here folks)
fresh hand cut french-style green bean casserole mini portobello mushrooms (again all fresh ingredients), and candied butter-nut squash topped with cinnamon toasted walnuts.
Finally, for dessert, I thought I would make pineapple upside cake, something that does not exist here and is sure to be the hit.
Where this sudden fire came from to prepare so last minute, I am not exactly sure, though I am grateful for it's burning sensation.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Baby Shower
My baby shower was one of the most beautiful days of my life and something to be remembered for all time.
There is a group of ladies whom, like me, have fallen in love with an Argentine man, married him, and have decided to stay here in Argentina to build a family.
All together I think we are about 7 that live here somewhat permanently. We have all met in different ways, and are all very different, but we all have one thing in common. We are foreigners in a culture that is not ours, that will never really be ours, who all miss our families and friends, and have found a special kind of friendship and support group amongst each other.
From left to right: Kim, holding Lucia, Adrianne's youngest, Valeria (my best Argentine friend,) Susan, Me, Janette, Gordana and Anisa.
Again from Left to right: Kim, holding Lucia, Gordana, Valeria, Me, Adrianne, Janette, and Anisa.
Adrianne, a lovely Mormon mother of two made me this two layered cake of diapers and pads to prepare me for the first week of being a mommy.
Susan, an inspiring Human Resources consultant that has worked all over the world, made the real cakes, banana cream cheese cake, (the best ever ever!) and Chocolate poppy seed bunt cake. Susan used to live in Fiji where she owned and ran her own cafe, that is when she wasn't doing team building for th UN. Just an amazing woman!
As we found our seats around the table, we began by first stuffing our faces with sweets, and continued with a game that the ladies had organized. Adrianne had tracked my mother down, called her and questioned her on things like, "What was Stephanie's favorite toy as a kid?" "What was Stephanie's favorite food as a kid?" "Who was Stephanie's first best friend?" "What was Stephanie like as a little girl?" etc...
All the ladies had to write what they thought the correct answer was and then they read off the answer my mother gave to them. It was so beautiful to remember that my favorite toy when I was a kid, was not a toy at all, but were my books! I remember reading for hours and hours! Not much has changed I suppose. And how my favorite food was strawberries. Not only where they my favorite, but at 18 months old I apparently crawled into my mother's strawberry patch and ate every berry on the vine. Later that evening I broke out into a sort of alergic reaction of blisters all over my mouth, hence impeding me from continuing to suck my thumb.
The funniest thing of all is that I was very prissy as a child! Hahaha! According to my mother, I didn't like to get dirty, I always wanted to wear a dress, and I spent hours "primping" myself. A far stretch from the Stephanie of today. hehe
When we finished the story telling time, the girls did something I had never heard of before. They formed a birthing chain for me.
This is where every woman places a bead of their choice onto a wire. While placing the bead on the wire they declared a wish or a desire they have for me and my soon to be born child. Making it's way full circle, it was then ended forming a chain to grip onto while I am in labor as well as a way for each one of my friends and loved ones to be present with me in the labor room. As you can imagine, there was a steady flow of tears that was only exaggerated when Adrianne appeared with the telephone in hand and my mother on the other end. They had set aside two beads, one for my mom and one for my sister so their wishes and presence could also be felt labor room.
Have you ever seen anything so lovely in all your life?
I could not stop touching it for the first few days, thinking of all the lovely things each one of my friends had hoped for me, feeling myself overflowing with love over and over again.
There is a group of ladies whom, like me, have fallen in love with an Argentine man, married him, and have decided to stay here in Argentina to build a family.
All together I think we are about 7 that live here somewhat permanently. We have all met in different ways, and are all very different, but we all have one thing in common. We are foreigners in a culture that is not ours, that will never really be ours, who all miss our families and friends, and have found a special kind of friendship and support group amongst each other.
From left to right: Kim, holding Lucia, Adrianne's youngest, Valeria (my best Argentine friend,) Susan, Me, Janette, Gordana and Anisa.
Again from Left to right: Kim, holding Lucia, Gordana, Valeria, Me, Adrianne, Janette, and Anisa.Adrianne, a lovely Mormon mother of two made me this two layered cake of diapers and pads to prepare me for the first week of being a mommy.
Susan, an inspiring Human Resources consultant that has worked all over the world, made the real cakes, banana cream cheese cake, (the best ever ever!) and Chocolate poppy seed bunt cake. Susan used to live in Fiji where she owned and ran her own cafe, that is when she wasn't doing team building for th UN. Just an amazing woman!
As we found our seats around the table, we began by first stuffing our faces with sweets, and continued with a game that the ladies had organized. Adrianne had tracked my mother down, called her and questioned her on things like, "What was Stephanie's favorite toy as a kid?" "What was Stephanie's favorite food as a kid?" "Who was Stephanie's first best friend?" "What was Stephanie like as a little girl?" etc...
All the ladies had to write what they thought the correct answer was and then they read off the answer my mother gave to them. It was so beautiful to remember that my favorite toy when I was a kid, was not a toy at all, but were my books! I remember reading for hours and hours! Not much has changed I suppose. And how my favorite food was strawberries. Not only where they my favorite, but at 18 months old I apparently crawled into my mother's strawberry patch and ate every berry on the vine. Later that evening I broke out into a sort of alergic reaction of blisters all over my mouth, hence impeding me from continuing to suck my thumb.
The funniest thing of all is that I was very prissy as a child! Hahaha! According to my mother, I didn't like to get dirty, I always wanted to wear a dress, and I spent hours "primping" myself. A far stretch from the Stephanie of today. hehe
When we finished the story telling time, the girls did something I had never heard of before. They formed a birthing chain for me.
This is where every woman places a bead of their choice onto a wire. While placing the bead on the wire they declared a wish or a desire they have for me and my soon to be born child. Making it's way full circle, it was then ended forming a chain to grip onto while I am in labor as well as a way for each one of my friends and loved ones to be present with me in the labor room. As you can imagine, there was a steady flow of tears that was only exaggerated when Adrianne appeared with the telephone in hand and my mother on the other end. They had set aside two beads, one for my mom and one for my sister so their wishes and presence could also be felt labor room.Have you ever seen anything so lovely in all your life?
I could not stop touching it for the first few days, thinking of all the lovely things each one of my friends had hoped for me, feeling myself overflowing with love over and over again.
Time doesn't just fly, it soars...
So many things have happened since the last time I wrote, I don't even know where to begin. First and foremost, the construction crew has finished!!! Now all that is left are the details that Claudio and I are choosing to do on our own...like...
The bathroom, though not completely without tragedy, is completely finished.
The shower is made up of three slabs of granite called "Marron Malambo,"
weighing in at about 250 pounds each.
You can imagine how difficult they were to hang...it took three construction workers and
Claudio, all, of course, using great care.
The contractor, however, wasn't so lucky. As they lowered the slab, placing it on top of the first slab, he forgot to move his finger. They had to then use a crow bar to lift the slab and take his completely smashed finger out. The house of course was flooded with a roar of a scream that sent me running upstairs in a panick, only to discover th small river of blood flowing from his finger. I, nurse Stephanie, cleaned his wound with peroxide and recalled a home remedy my father always swore by...
I dabbed a bit of crazy glue on the tip of his finger, looking like something out the the Flintstones, in order to close his finger up long enough to get him to the the hospital where he later received 4 stitches.
I won't go into the ethical guilt trip Claudio and I took ourselves on after this whole event, but lets just say that there is something disturbing about a man being paid to place stones he will never be able to fathom having in his own home in the home of another and getting hurt, on top of it all, while doing so. We of course offered to pay for the doctors bills, though he wouldn't hear of it. Is that what you call "macho?"
So the rest of the virtual tour looks like this:
These stairs lead you from the living room downstair to a hallway upstairs, all naturally lit. We have yet to choose a railing, but have no fear, there will be one saftly welded in place before the little one begins to move about the living space. As you leave the stairwell you approach what will be the baby's room, with our room to the right and the guest room to the left. Then there is a small laundry station (also done in Marron Malambo,) illuminated by colored glass windows that lead out to the balcony that looks over our back patio and takes you up to the rooftop terrace.
Little by little it is coming together, though I wonder if one ever truly finishes remodel projects. It seems there is always one more thing to do be done.
laying the floors...
and painting...
The bathroom, though not completely without tragedy, is completely finished.
The shower is made up of three slabs of granite called "Marron Malambo,"
weighing in at about 250 pounds each.
You can imagine how difficult they were to hang...it took three construction workers and
Claudio, all, of course, using great care.
The contractor, however, wasn't so lucky. As they lowered the slab, placing it on top of the first slab, he forgot to move his finger. They had to then use a crow bar to lift the slab and take his completely smashed finger out. The house of course was flooded with a roar of a scream that sent me running upstairs in a panick, only to discover th small river of blood flowing from his finger. I, nurse Stephanie, cleaned his wound with peroxide and recalled a home remedy my father always swore by...
I dabbed a bit of crazy glue on the tip of his finger, looking like something out the the Flintstones, in order to close his finger up long enough to get him to the the hospital where he later received 4 stitches.
I won't go into the ethical guilt trip Claudio and I took ourselves on after this whole event, but lets just say that there is something disturbing about a man being paid to place stones he will never be able to fathom having in his own home in the home of another and getting hurt, on top of it all, while doing so. We of course offered to pay for the doctors bills, though he wouldn't hear of it. Is that what you call "macho?"
So the rest of the virtual tour looks like this:
These stairs lead you from the living room downstair to a hallway upstairs, all naturally lit. We have yet to choose a railing, but have no fear, there will be one saftly welded in place before the little one begins to move about the living space. As you leave the stairwell you approach what will be the baby's room, with our room to the right and the guest room to the left. Then there is a small laundry station (also done in Marron Malambo,) illuminated by colored glass windows that lead out to the balcony that looks over our back patio and takes you up to the rooftop terrace.
Little by little it is coming together, though I wonder if one ever truly finishes remodel projects. It seems there is always one more thing to do be done.
I can hardly wait to get to the decorating!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
29 weeks!
By 28 weeks, they say my baby's lungs are developed to the point that survival is possible outside my womb. His/her eyelids open and close and he/she should be weighing in around 2.5 pounds and be approximately 15 inches long.
We had a doctors appointment on Monday where my doctor confirmed that I have so far gained 15.5 pounds, my blood pressure is perfect, the baby's heart beat is strong and regulated, and most interestingly, the baby's head is already in the downward position.
When he said this, I of course immediately thought, "But wait! does that mean I could go into labor early?"
According to many baby books and websites, the baby doesn't typically position him or herself head down until the 32 week.
But, of course, this poses no threat whatsoever. As it seems, I am simply having the easiest and most beautiful pregnancy possible, with absolutely no worries of any kind.
The baby being "engaged," as they call it, can mean many things. Either the baby is simply swimming around and will continue to move and wiggle in and out of his required birthing position, he/she is quite large, and has been forced more or less into that position due to limited space, or he/she is just getting a head start on things, hehe.
Either way, I am still counting on my due date to be February 22nd, my Grandpa Sherman's birthday, a Pisces, dreamy and independent.
And if my motherly intuition does not fail me, the baby will be born a little boy.
As for other news:
Next week I begin my pre-natal classes, twice a week I will go to the hospital to learn how to breathe, Claudio will be attending as well in order to help remind me to breathe. (probably more important than me learning hehe)
The house is so close to the finish! I can hardly wait to post photos for you all to see the fruit or our hard work!
In the meantime, I love and miss you all and hope that Thanksgiving was fantastic, even if I wasn't there to celebrate it with you.
We had a doctors appointment on Monday where my doctor confirmed that I have so far gained 15.5 pounds, my blood pressure is perfect, the baby's heart beat is strong and regulated, and most interestingly, the baby's head is already in the downward position.
When he said this, I of course immediately thought, "But wait! does that mean I could go into labor early?"
According to many baby books and websites, the baby doesn't typically position him or herself head down until the 32 week.
But, of course, this poses no threat whatsoever. As it seems, I am simply having the easiest and most beautiful pregnancy possible, with absolutely no worries of any kind.
The baby being "engaged," as they call it, can mean many things. Either the baby is simply swimming around and will continue to move and wiggle in and out of his required birthing position, he/she is quite large, and has been forced more or less into that position due to limited space, or he/she is just getting a head start on things, hehe.
Either way, I am still counting on my due date to be February 22nd, my Grandpa Sherman's birthday, a Pisces, dreamy and independent.
And if my motherly intuition does not fail me, the baby will be born a little boy.
As for other news:
Next week I begin my pre-natal classes, twice a week I will go to the hospital to learn how to breathe, Claudio will be attending as well in order to help remind me to breathe. (probably more important than me learning hehe)
The house is so close to the finish! I can hardly wait to post photos for you all to see the fruit or our hard work!
In the meantime, I love and miss you all and hope that Thanksgiving was fantastic, even if I wasn't there to celebrate it with you.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
lost and loosing?
I am reading a book called the Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peal Pie Society, a novel based on a compilation of hand written correspondence during the second world war. All the while I am reading it, I stop to ask myself, "Have we really advanced thanks to technology?" With the newest and latest always out dating its predecessor, we just might communicate a bit quicker, maybe with more frequency even, but do we really communicate with the lost and loosing art form that we once did? When communicating from a distance required a pen and paper, silence and thought, and of course, time. When our thoughts were slower and more developed, did a hand written letter have more sentimental value? I, speaking from personal experience, find that receiving something in the mail certainly entertains a different kind of excitement than that of opening my electronic email account and seeing it full of small notes and spam.So then why don't I take the first step, I ask myself, why don't I begin to write more hand written letters, why don't I, become an artist of a loosing art? Well, it isn't efficient, that is for sure, and cost wise, I would only be able to send 10 hand written letters per month for the same cost as having internet, and well, probably more importantly, and certainly selfishly, I want to receive hand written letters too! So in the end, the art is only beautiful if it is reciprocated. Perhaps this is the winning argument to the definition of art: For something to be artistic, it must be a two way street of communication, a reciprocity of the artist's confection and the viewer's reception.
Does anyone remember having a pen pal?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
O.K. Ok, Okay!
It has been way too long since I have written and really, being busy is no valid excuse!
It is just that there is so much going on! We are about two weeks from finally finishing the second level, which means my world will again begin to revolve around me and mine instead of turning in circles around unpunctual construction workers that say one thing and do another.
I had a lovely visit with an old time friend who spent the last 2 weeks here with us in our chaotic home where we all three slept in the same room. And on top of it all, business is at it's best yet!
It is just that there is so much going on! We are about two weeks from finally finishing the second level, which means my world will again begin to revolve around me and mine instead of turning in circles around unpunctual construction workers that say one thing and do another.
I had a lovely visit with an old time friend who spent the last 2 weeks here with us in our chaotic home where we all three slept in the same room. And on top of it all, business is at it's best yet!
We have had three Australians, one Irish man, and two Germans this month!Spanish in Rosario!
Now, while I now you are all
"oh so interested" in my day to day life, I am sure that what you are all anxiously awaiting are more belly shots...
You want `em, You got `em!
Doing what I do best...
Cooking!
A little roof-top family love
Claudio had this great idea of making a certificate to honor Regan as a non-blood Aunt. We presented it to her on the roof-top rather than the boat tour, avoiding, at all costs, seasickness.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Morning Philosophy Anyone?
I am completely and totally perplexed by this thing called Life. Not, as in, "what is the meaning of life," more like, "why do we give life?" First and foremost, giving life is one of the strangest things one could possibly wrap their minds around. You make love, and BAM, a spontaneous combustion of cellular activity coagulates to form what will grow, little by little and with a little help, into what will, 9 months later, be a tiny little person, 100% dependent upon you, as it's socially ordained mother, not only for a matter of months, but for it's entire life!
And what will life have in store for this soon to be person? How will we teach him/her that there is more to life than simply being a cog in the system of work and slaving to the capitalistic economy. Then I think, wait, is there more? I mean 1/3 of our lives, we are sleeping, resting up in order to return to work, so we can earn a piece paper called money, so that we can buy things, both necessary and necessary, to live. Is this life?
WHAT?!?!
Then I take the positive approach. The meaning of life can only be found in happiness, it is found in loving your slave like job, enjoying each minute that you are not contributing to the disastrous and vicious cycle that is economy, and resting peacefully for each coming day. So then, is the answer then to be: blissfully ignorant, or happily aware?
Perhaps both.
And when we plan to bring life to this life, what is it that propels us to do so? Is it biological? Is it socialized? Do women realllly have a biological clock, or is it just a silly myth we have grown to believe and repeat during centuries. A myth to influence our contribution to keeping the species of man kind alive?
I wonder if it isn't something more emotional...
Apart from your mid thirties, society labels you as "middle age" . Middle age means you are closer to "old," an unfortunate label turned negative thanks to our consumer nature.
"I need new shoes, mine are so OLD." Throw away the old, get some new...but there was a time when "old" was cherished, when old was synonymous to wise.
Maybe giving life acts as a sort of "rebirth," allowing one to start at the beginning again, not feel so "old" perhaps find their "inner-child" in their new child.
Maybe it is for all of these reasons and maybe it is for none of them, nonetheless, it is a thought that consumes me.
I am anxious to be a mommy. Not anxious in the nervous senses of things, anxious in the sense that "I can't wait" to hold my little one and look into it's eyes as it looks back at mine, and know, he/she was made of pure love and happiness. I have no fears or doubts about my journey into "motherhood." I only hope the journey is a long and beautiful one
And what will life have in store for this soon to be person? How will we teach him/her that there is more to life than simply being a cog in the system of work and slaving to the capitalistic economy. Then I think, wait, is there more? I mean 1/3 of our lives, we are sleeping, resting up in order to return to work, so we can earn a piece paper called money, so that we can buy things, both necessary and necessary, to live. Is this life?
WHAT?!?!
Then I take the positive approach. The meaning of life can only be found in happiness, it is found in loving your slave like job, enjoying each minute that you are not contributing to the disastrous and vicious cycle that is economy, and resting peacefully for each coming day. So then, is the answer then to be: blissfully ignorant, or happily aware?
Perhaps both.
And when we plan to bring life to this life, what is it that propels us to do so? Is it biological? Is it socialized? Do women realllly have a biological clock, or is it just a silly myth we have grown to believe and repeat during centuries. A myth to influence our contribution to keeping the species of man kind alive?
I wonder if it isn't something more emotional...
Apart from your mid thirties, society labels you as "middle age" . Middle age means you are closer to "old," an unfortunate label turned negative thanks to our consumer nature.
"I need new shoes, mine are so OLD." Throw away the old, get some new...but there was a time when "old" was cherished, when old was synonymous to wise.
Maybe giving life acts as a sort of "rebirth," allowing one to start at the beginning again, not feel so "old" perhaps find their "inner-child" in their new child.
Maybe it is for all of these reasons and maybe it is for none of them, nonetheless, it is a thought that consumes me.
I am anxious to be a mommy. Not anxious in the nervous senses of things, anxious in the sense that "I can't wait" to hold my little one and look into it's eyes as it looks back at mine, and know, he/she was made of pure love and happiness. I have no fears or doubts about my journey into "motherhood." I only hope the journey is a long and beautiful one
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Show Off!
Valeria sent me a few more photos from the wedding a couple of weeks ago.I still can not believe I actually fabricated the featured dresses, and therefore, feel the need to show them off one more time!
24 weeks
Our baby now weighs in over a pound, and measures just under a foot long. It's eyebrows and eyelashes are fully formed. I know this because it said so in the Deepak Chopra book my mommy gave me, but also because we went last night to my second ultrasound.It was so fascinating and yet it still feels unbelievable! As soon as the doctor placed his magic little wand on my little baby bump we saw a crystal clear image of our baby, pudgy cheeks and all, in the middle of a full out yawn!
As soon as I saw him/her I began to giggle, whereby loosing the image a bit, only to come back to it and find the baby too seemed to be smiling!
It is wound up into a little ball, fully formed spine, brain, and heart, as well as feet, legs and hands, all in a jumble. But the sure fire sign that this baby is mine, can be found in the size of it's feet! We both burst out laughing when the doc focused in on our baby's wide duck like feet pushing up against my uterine wall. Ever so articulately, Claudio said, "I think it is a Cariker all the way."
All I could do was smile until my cheeks hurt...
So, here is the update.
With Summer approaching, I am entering my busy season with foreigners coming to learn Spanish which is super exciting, watching my business grow into a success.
We are also in the final stages of the second level of the house, all that is left is the stairwell and the flooring, and of course the decorative touches. I can not wait! I have been living in a constant state of hammers and dust since early July and have completely forgotten what it is like to have a clean house.
One of my closest long lost friends is to arrive on Tuesday and it looks as of right now, that she will be sleeping on the couch situated next to our bed that has been moved into our living room/office, until they finish the stairs. Soooo it will be a slumber party! Hope my hubby approves!
Because the previous photos do no justice to my sudden roundness, I think it is worthy of noting that I have officially gained 10 pounds and have finally resorted to not buttoning my everyday jeans but merely leaving them unzipped while covering them with long shirts and dresses. Gym clothes here I come!
23 weeks
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Wedding Dresses!
So do you remember way back when I told you I was working on my very first "Fancy Dresses?"
Well I have finished both of them, they turned out dynamite and Valeria and I were the prettiest dressed ladies at Friday afternoon's wedding, that is, except for, of course, the bride.
They came out so lovely, with a bit more practice, I just might start a side business of specialized dresses!
A Child's Angel
This is a religious legend given to me by my mother-in-law on my very first Mother's day. While I do not share her religious beliefs, I found it a beautiful way to explain something we don't completely understand...
The Legend tells begins with a child, soon to arrive to earth, asking it's maker: "You say you are going to send me tomorrow to earth; but how will I live, so small and defenseless?"
The maker responded: "Between many angels, I have chosen one especially for you and that angel will be awaiting your arrival, that angel will take care of you."
The child responded, "But tell me, here in heaven, I do nothing more than smile and sing, will that be enough for me to be happy on earth?"
And the maker simply said: "Your angel will sing to you, she will smile every day and you will feel her love, you will be happy."
"And how will I understand the people," said the child, "I do not know this strange language they are speaking."
"Your angel will speak to you tenderly, the sweetest words you have ever heard, she will have patience and show you love while teaching you to speak," said the maker.
"But how will I speak with you," asked the child.
And the maker responded, "Your angel will put your tiny hands together and teach you to pray."
The child, worried, asked, "But I have heard there are bad men on earth, who will defend me?"
"Your angel will defend you, even if it costs her life," responded the maker.
"But I will always be sad, for I will not see you Sir," said the child.
And the maker, assuring the child, said, "Your angel will speak about me frequently, she will teach you how to walk in my path, and I will always be at your side."
At this very moment, a heavy peace reigned over heaven, a sense of silence had taken place and earthly voices could be faintly heard, it was time for the child to go, but he had just one last question before he descended to earth...
But maker, before I go, will you please tell me her name? How will I know she is my angel?
And the maker responded, "Her name is not important for you will call her Mother."
This is for all the mommies out there!
May every day be Mother's Day!
The Legend tells begins with a child, soon to arrive to earth, asking it's maker: "You say you are going to send me tomorrow to earth; but how will I live, so small and defenseless?"
The maker responded: "Between many angels, I have chosen one especially for you and that angel will be awaiting your arrival, that angel will take care of you."
The child responded, "But tell me, here in heaven, I do nothing more than smile and sing, will that be enough for me to be happy on earth?"
And the maker simply said: "Your angel will sing to you, she will smile every day and you will feel her love, you will be happy."
"And how will I understand the people," said the child, "I do not know this strange language they are speaking."
"Your angel will speak to you tenderly, the sweetest words you have ever heard, she will have patience and show you love while teaching you to speak," said the maker.
"But how will I speak with you," asked the child.
And the maker responded, "Your angel will put your tiny hands together and teach you to pray."
The child, worried, asked, "But I have heard there are bad men on earth, who will defend me?"
"Your angel will defend you, even if it costs her life," responded the maker.
"But I will always be sad, for I will not see you Sir," said the child.
And the maker, assuring the child, said, "Your angel will speak about me frequently, she will teach you how to walk in my path, and I will always be at your side."
At this very moment, a heavy peace reigned over heaven, a sense of silence had taken place and earthly voices could be faintly heard, it was time for the child to go, but he had just one last question before he descended to earth...
But maker, before I go, will you please tell me her name? How will I know she is my angel?
And the maker responded, "Her name is not important for you will call her Mother."
This is for all the mommies out there!
May every day be Mother's Day!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
How we chose to see the world
I have been lost in thought lately, pondering all sorts of crazy existential issues about life, parenting, happiness, society, etc. For those of you that know me the best, you will not think this is out of the ordinary at all, in fact I probably appear to live in that la la land of thought...but that is beside the point.
One of the things I have become fascinated with is the way we see the world. It is a choice...
For we all chose to see it from different angles, shades, tones, and attitudes. What then goes hand in hand is how we see ourselves, and how we then see ourselves in the world around us, how we fit into that world and how we are seen by that surrounding world.
Here is how I have been seeing the world as of late...
And here is how that world sees me...perhaps a different perspective but the same shade of happiness.
One of the things I have become fascinated with is the way we see the world. It is a choice...
For we all chose to see it from different angles, shades, tones, and attitudes. What then goes hand in hand is how we see ourselves, and how we then see ourselves in the world around us, how we fit into that world and how we are seen by that surrounding world.
Here is how I have been seeing the world as of late...
And here is how that world sees me...perhaps a different perspective but the same shade of happiness.
A weekend in practice...
Our family, here in Argentina, consists of 5 nieces and nephews, all of which are well into their adolescence, or late adolescence in some cases, all of them except for Clara. Clara is 8 years old. And for those of you who might ask, "Did Claudio's Italian blooded mother accept you right away?" The answer would be "Yes, absolutely." It was Clara that held the looming rings of fire I seemed to have to jump through, not only in the beginning, but up until about 4 months ago.
When I first met Clara she was 4 years old, a child without a father who had never heard the word "No." She loved her "Tio" more than anyone else, and insisted on calling me "Juana" for nearly two years. She refused to hug me or kiss me hello or goodbye and continually showed me who was boss whenever she had the chance. Yet all of this has changed in just 4 short months, coinciding with the announcement that she would no longer be the baby of the family.
This surprised me greatly, as I had prepared myself for yet another firing round of jealousy, first having stolen her super uncle, now her title...however it has been quite the contrary.
Clara immediately conjured up a gender neutral name "BianJu," a mixed version of Bianca, and Juan, so as not to assume the sex of the baby...She began wanting to sit in my lap, give me kisses, hold my hand...she even began calling me "Tia" something that, up until then, had be a rare mistake on her part. She wanted to touch my belly and was always concerned about whether Bianju would be upset by the noise, or the food...
The truth is, it has been a true 180` turn around.
Which is why this weekend was so incredibly enjoyable.
After discussing with Claudio, we decided to invite Clara to spend the entire weekend with us. On Friday after work Claudio drove to pick her up, overnight bag in tow, while I eagerly made her favorite dinner, steak and potatoes. (for those of you who have been to Argentina, this shouldn't surprise you.) By the time she had showered, (using her own big girl shampoo to prevent lice) she asked me to brush and braid her hair, we played a quick game of "chancho va," a card game that would be translated to "there goes the pig," it was time for bed. We tucked her into her couch bed, kissed her goodnight, and wished her sweet dreams.
The next day we awoke to her coughing, surely meant not to wake us, and as she crept quietly towards the bathroom, we sneaked quickly into her bed. Crawling under the covers and turning out the lights, we had hoped to scare her, though she is much to quick for us. Instead, she quietly made her way back to her bed and flung herself in the middle of where we lay, covering us in good morning hugs.
It was at that moment I thought to myself, "This must be what it feels like to be a parent, to have eternal unconditional abundant love from your child...it must be the most amazing feeling in the world."
After breakfast we dressed and left for Clara's first adventure. We drove across the bridge to the neighboring province, just to have lunch and spend the day in the quite space of Victoria's green grasses.
In case you are curious, this is what happiness looks like:
When I first met Clara she was 4 years old, a child without a father who had never heard the word "No." She loved her "Tio" more than anyone else, and insisted on calling me "Juana" for nearly two years. She refused to hug me or kiss me hello or goodbye and continually showed me who was boss whenever she had the chance. Yet all of this has changed in just 4 short months, coinciding with the announcement that she would no longer be the baby of the family.
This surprised me greatly, as I had prepared myself for yet another firing round of jealousy, first having stolen her super uncle, now her title...however it has been quite the contrary.
Clara immediately conjured up a gender neutral name "BianJu," a mixed version of Bianca, and Juan, so as not to assume the sex of the baby...She began wanting to sit in my lap, give me kisses, hold my hand...she even began calling me "Tia" something that, up until then, had be a rare mistake on her part. She wanted to touch my belly and was always concerned about whether Bianju would be upset by the noise, or the food...
The truth is, it has been a true 180` turn around.
Which is why this weekend was so incredibly enjoyable.
After discussing with Claudio, we decided to invite Clara to spend the entire weekend with us. On Friday after work Claudio drove to pick her up, overnight bag in tow, while I eagerly made her favorite dinner, steak and potatoes. (for those of you who have been to Argentina, this shouldn't surprise you.) By the time she had showered, (using her own big girl shampoo to prevent lice) she asked me to brush and braid her hair, we played a quick game of "chancho va," a card game that would be translated to "there goes the pig," it was time for bed. We tucked her into her couch bed, kissed her goodnight, and wished her sweet dreams.
The next day we awoke to her coughing, surely meant not to wake us, and as she crept quietly towards the bathroom, we sneaked quickly into her bed. Crawling under the covers and turning out the lights, we had hoped to scare her, though she is much to quick for us. Instead, she quietly made her way back to her bed and flung herself in the middle of where we lay, covering us in good morning hugs.
It was at that moment I thought to myself, "This must be what it feels like to be a parent, to have eternal unconditional abundant love from your child...it must be the most amazing feeling in the world."
After breakfast we dressed and left for Clara's first adventure. We drove across the bridge to the neighboring province, just to have lunch and spend the day in the quite space of Victoria's green grasses.
In case you are curious, this is what happiness looks like:
Bianju in the middle
He's going to be a great daddy!
Monday, September 21, 2009
5 am wake up call!
Everyone whom has experienced motherhood always talks about the most amazing part of pregnancy being the moment your baby first kicks. The emotion builds with each day, growing anxious for the baby's first signs of communication with the outside world...and you wait, and you wait and you wait anticipating the moment until one day, you fly out of bed at 5am to hear your cat screaming as though someone or something is torturing her to her death.
Saturday morning, my tomcat, who is really a tinacat, was loudly, and I mean earsplittingly, defending her territory from a male cat trespasser. This required her to scream and growl, yes growl, a consequence of having been raised by dogs, successfully pulling off her bad ass cat attitude, but secretely sending the crystal clear message of, "get me the Eff out of here!" I, woken from a dream that I will explain to you in just a minute, flew from my bed to open the door so that she might escape her trespasser, kindly gave her food as a reward for her bravery, and so she would let me go back to sleep, relieved my bladder, and tucked myself back into bed beside my cuddly lover, when suddenly I felt what can only be described as heavy gas bubbles. I laid there quietly assessing whether it was truly indomitable gas gurgles, or if my heart was still racing from having awoken with a start, and to my surprise it was neither. My baby was kicking! Kicking for the first time...or perhaps punching, one can never be too sure.
I laid there thinking I should wake Claudio so he too could be part of this very special moment, yet knowing that if I did, the baby would surely cease to communicate, (murphy's law) and then neither of us would be able to enjoy the full experience, so I laid there silently, presently, and ecstatically feeling my baby communicate for the first time!
Now, back to my dreams.
Everyone asks, "So do you know if it is a boy or a girl yet?" and we respond, "We want it to be a surprise so we are not going to find out." Yet, I secretly feel it is a little boy, and here is why:
I have had several dreams now, all of which are incredibly vivid and beautiful and all of which I am with my baby and Claudio in the coming years.
The most memorable one went like this. I was peering through a hole in the wall, a hole into the future while Claudio waited impatiently at my side, asking over and over again, "Do you see anything?"as if he were a child on a road trip asking, "are we there yet?" I pressed my face to the hole and saw myself and our son 5 years from now sitting a park, lush with vegetation. We sat chatting and laughing on a white park bench, though I could not hear our words. I began relating to Claudio what I was seeing, telling him, "I see myself with our son 5 years from now! We are in a park somewhere, smiling and laughing. Oh Claudio, he is beautiful, he has your curly hair and your big dark eyes. This when I turn my face from the whole and look at Claudio. Filled with emotion I threw my arms around him and said, "He looks just like you!"
That is when I woke up.
So from that point on, I am 70% convinced the baby is male in gender. However, each and every morning, Claudio awakes to kiss my belly then my mouth, to wish us a good morning, and each day he says, " I am more than sure it is a little girl."
En fin, it is 50-50, and we will be thrilled with whatever awaits us...but in the meantime, it is fun to hypothesize about one's intuition.
Saturday morning, my tomcat, who is really a tinacat, was loudly, and I mean earsplittingly, defending her territory from a male cat trespasser. This required her to scream and growl, yes growl, a consequence of having been raised by dogs, successfully pulling off her bad ass cat attitude, but secretely sending the crystal clear message of, "get me the Eff out of here!" I, woken from a dream that I will explain to you in just a minute, flew from my bed to open the door so that she might escape her trespasser, kindly gave her food as a reward for her bravery, and so she would let me go back to sleep, relieved my bladder, and tucked myself back into bed beside my cuddly lover, when suddenly I felt what can only be described as heavy gas bubbles. I laid there quietly assessing whether it was truly indomitable gas gurgles, or if my heart was still racing from having awoken with a start, and to my surprise it was neither. My baby was kicking! Kicking for the first time...or perhaps punching, one can never be too sure.
I laid there thinking I should wake Claudio so he too could be part of this very special moment, yet knowing that if I did, the baby would surely cease to communicate, (murphy's law) and then neither of us would be able to enjoy the full experience, so I laid there silently, presently, and ecstatically feeling my baby communicate for the first time!
Now, back to my dreams.
Everyone asks, "So do you know if it is a boy or a girl yet?" and we respond, "We want it to be a surprise so we are not going to find out." Yet, I secretly feel it is a little boy, and here is why:
I have had several dreams now, all of which are incredibly vivid and beautiful and all of which I am with my baby and Claudio in the coming years.
The most memorable one went like this. I was peering through a hole in the wall, a hole into the future while Claudio waited impatiently at my side, asking over and over again, "Do you see anything?"as if he were a child on a road trip asking, "are we there yet?" I pressed my face to the hole and saw myself and our son 5 years from now sitting a park, lush with vegetation. We sat chatting and laughing on a white park bench, though I could not hear our words. I began relating to Claudio what I was seeing, telling him, "I see myself with our son 5 years from now! We are in a park somewhere, smiling and laughing. Oh Claudio, he is beautiful, he has your curly hair and your big dark eyes. This when I turn my face from the whole and look at Claudio. Filled with emotion I threw my arms around him and said, "He looks just like you!"
That is when I woke up.
So from that point on, I am 70% convinced the baby is male in gender. However, each and every morning, Claudio awakes to kiss my belly then my mouth, to wish us a good morning, and each day he says, " I am more than sure it is a little girl."
En fin, it is 50-50, and we will be thrilled with whatever awaits us...but in the meantime, it is fun to hypothesize about one's intuition.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Busy Busy Bee!
These last two weeks have flown by!!! Whew! It seems that after a loooooong dry spell, we have finally entered our high season for foreign travelers here in Rosario which means lots of work for me! We have had 4 students in the last two weeks: two from London, one from the US, and one from Germany...all of which are traveling South America on little to no Spanish. It has been fun, but I am glad it is Friday and I can hibernate in my home, where it is warm and quite and no one will know if I tuck myself in as soon as I am done writing this blog entry (shhh it is only 9pm here!)
So, I am officially 18 weeks along and finally starting to show. I mean, if you ask me, I was starting to show from the 2nd month, though it looked more like a food baby, it was more in my head than anything. No, howver, it is not only me who notices, but the entire world! Last week, for the first time, someone gave me their seat on the completely full, standing room only, bus ride towards downtown. This means that it is now obviously visable that I am with child. Each time this good natured act of civil kindness occurs I secretly smile to myself, tickled by the excitement of entering this new stage of life; motherhood.
Back tracking two weeks, here I am doing what I do best these days:
EAT!
I have rediscovered this cafe named Ross. It resides in the upstairs of an antique turn of the century home, declared as historical patrimony and seems to be forgotten as a hot-spot for lunch, meaning: it is a beautiful place to sit in silence, eat a homemade lunch, and read my book of the week while I quietly allow the sunshine to kiss me from the large arched windows looking over the busy streets of downtown.
The book I was reading does not really deserve to be mentioned as it did not even make it onto my top 2o list. It was entertaining enough and I sped through it though the storyline was lacked in quality and development...soooo on to better things.
There were said to be over 300 kites in the air at any one time. Kids running and jumping to catch the wind, adults running to catch their children and their children within...it was an absolute delight!
Playin a round
So, I am officially 18 weeks along and finally starting to show. I mean, if you ask me, I was starting to show from the 2nd month, though it looked more like a food baby, it was more in my head than anything. No, howver, it is not only me who notices, but the entire world! Last week, for the first time, someone gave me their seat on the completely full, standing room only, bus ride towards downtown. This means that it is now obviously visable that I am with child. Each time this good natured act of civil kindness occurs I secretly smile to myself, tickled by the excitement of entering this new stage of life; motherhood.
Back tracking two weeks, here I am doing what I do best these days:
EAT!
I have rediscovered this cafe named Ross. It resides in the upstairs of an antique turn of the century home, declared as historical patrimony and seems to be forgotten as a hot-spot for lunch, meaning: it is a beautiful place to sit in silence, eat a homemade lunch, and read my book of the week while I quietly allow the sunshine to kiss me from the large arched windows looking over the busy streets of downtown.
(as you can see, it is not only my belly that has grown in size and stature...)
The book I was reading does not really deserve to be mentioned as it did not even make it onto my top 2o list. It was entertaining enough and I sped through it though the storyline was lacked in quality and development...soooo on to better things.Other highlights of this week include, but are not limited to:
The 3rd Annual Kite Festival!!!!
There were said to be over 300 kites in the air at any one time. Kids running and jumping to catch the wind, adults running to catch their children and their children within...it was an absolute delight!
Here are my two favorite views of the day:
And now...drum roll please...
What you have all been, patiently, yet anxiously awaiting...
BELLY SHOTS!
I never thought I would be so thrilled to get round!
Hangin a round
Fartin a round
Jokin a round
And now...drum roll please...
What you have all been, patiently, yet anxiously awaiting...
BELLY SHOTS!
I never thought I would be so thrilled to get round!
Hangin a round
Fartin a round
Jokin a round
(I am totally pushing it out here)
and last but not least...
Playin a round
Today's message has been brought to you by: "Baby and Me Enterprises," paid for and financed by our supporters: "Daddy R US" and other contributing sponsors.
Thank you for continuing to support our public broadcasting station.
Thank you for continuing to support our public broadcasting station.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Our little Pisces
I spent the largest part of yesterday missing the people I hold most dear. I missed them so much it hurt to think about the love I have for them, exorbitant, unmeasurable. My grandfather, Sherman, was among those I missed the most. Uncountable are the amount of times I thought of him throughout my day.At 7pm, Claudio, the baby and I, had our second doctor's appointment, where we analyzed the results of my blood work and my doctor translated the gibberish that was the description of my ultrasound.
Based on the size and appearance of the baby at the time of the ultrasound, he/she is actually a bit younger than we originally thought. He/she is right where he/she needs to be according to weight and size and down syndrome has been completely eliminated as a risk. The heart rate is perfect and sounds as though our baby will be a horse lover just like it's mother, heart beating in rhythm to what sounds like a stampede of wild mustangs. The blood work, however, was borderline. It seems I am stable at the moment, but am erring on the side of anemic, which means more food, more greens, more nuts, and, well, unfortunately, more beef.
That is when the doctor tells us, that the projected date of arrival is not actually February 16th, but February 22nd, my grandpa Sherman's birthday. If you have been keeping up with the blog, you will have read that more than 2 weeks ago I sensed that the baby would be a Pisces rather than an Aquarius. And though these things rarely happen on time, my intuition seems to feel justified in knowing it was right, at least to a certain extent.
So, Mother, if you are reading this, I suggest you think about coming to celebrate my birthday, and the baby will surely arrive a day or four later.
Another interesting fun fact: (some of you know this already, some of you don't)
9 seems to be a reoccurring theme in our life.
I met, for example, Claudio on January 9th, 2006
I was born on February 18,1981 (18/02/81 as they write the date in Argentina, day first month second) 1+8 is 9 and 8+1 is 9.
Claudio was born on December 27th 1972 or 27/12/72
2+7 is 9 and 7+2 is 9
Also strange, is the inverse of our dates and years 18th of 81 and 27th of 72
Our address is 1260, if you add the numbers they will give you 9
I could go on...because like I said, 9 is a reoccurring theme.
So here is the our newest discovery:
If the baby arrives on the projected date, February 22, 2010 (22/02/2010)
if you add all of the numbers in the date, 2+2+2+2+1 is 9
Claudio discovered this one day when he was playing with numbers. We have decided that he enjoys numbers in the way I enjoy art. He could sit doing long equations all day and feel gratified by his masterpiece of finagling the outcome in the same way I could sit and sew or draw or paint...
So getting back to the point of today, surely the newest addition will be a Pisces...
The water bearer gives life to a little fish...
How incredibly appropriate.
How incredibly appropriate.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
16 weeks!
I get bigger by the day! Really, I swear! It's like my belly popped out from one day to the next and now it is a growing machine!!!! Especially after eating, it is like a double baby, a food baby on top of my baby baby!
Yesterday we hit the 16 week mark, for those of you who are terrible at math like I am, that means we are closing in on our 4th month.
While my tummy keeps extending itself, I have only gained 2 pounds, so far so good!
At 16 weeks, the baby is developing fine hair on it's head and is actively moving and making sucking motions with it's mouth. The bones are becoming harder each day and the muscles are now developing. Hence the reason for my newest addiction: Creamy.
Everything I eat needs to be creamy! I NEED cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt, milk, Alfredo sauce, Caesar salad dressing, mayo, which I classically hated, and an array of other things that seem to fall into the "creamy" category. This, I suppose, is because the baby's bones are calcifying. My body is asking me for an abundant supply of food products that contain calcium. Isn't the body amazing, if you just learn to listen to it???
With the coming of spring, and then summer, and the synchronized growing of my belly, I have dedicated many of the past few days to sewing dresses for myself.
This one is probably my favorite!
At least until I make the next one.
Yesterday we hit the 16 week mark, for those of you who are terrible at math like I am, that means we are closing in on our 4th month.
While my tummy keeps extending itself, I have only gained 2 pounds, so far so good!
At 16 weeks, the baby is developing fine hair on it's head and is actively moving and making sucking motions with it's mouth. The bones are becoming harder each day and the muscles are now developing. Hence the reason for my newest addiction: Creamy.
Everything I eat needs to be creamy! I NEED cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt, milk, Alfredo sauce, Caesar salad dressing, mayo, which I classically hated, and an array of other things that seem to fall into the "creamy" category. This, I suppose, is because the baby's bones are calcifying. My body is asking me for an abundant supply of food products that contain calcium. Isn't the body amazing, if you just learn to listen to it???
With the coming of spring, and then summer, and the synchronized growing of my belly, I have dedicated many of the past few days to sewing dresses for myself.
This one is probably my favorite!At least until I make the next one.
This is another one I made, but when Andi 
dropped by the other day and tried it on, it looked so darn cute on her,
we just had to make it hers!
Hope you love it Andi!
dropped by the other day and tried it on, it looked so darn cute on her,we just had to make it hers!
Hope you love it Andi!
Now I am working on my biggest challenge yet, I can hardly wait to post photos. I have never made a fancy dress, you know one out of taffeta or silk...and because I have a wedding to attend in October, I thought I would try to make my own dress so as not to have to buy a prego formal dress that I will wear once. And to tell you the truth, so far so good...
So good, in fact, that Valeria, another friend of mine who will also be attending the wedding in October, has commissioned me to make her dress as well!!! So maybe this means I have more of my Great Grandma Underwood in me than I thought! (she was a seamstress and an artist that read tarot cards and fell asleep while sitting in her lazy boy recliner almost nightly, vodka tonic in hand, cheese whiz at her side, a true inspiration!)
So good, in fact, that Valeria, another friend of mine who will also be attending the wedding in October, has commissioned me to make her dress as well!!! So maybe this means I have more of my Great Grandma Underwood in me than I thought! (she was a seamstress and an artist that read tarot cards and fell asleep while sitting in her lazy boy recliner almost nightly, vodka tonic in hand, cheese whiz at her side, a true inspiration!)
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