People always say that no news is good news, well, I disagree. Good news is good news! Yesterday we went as a family group, Juani in tow with his toy cars and all, to the doctor's to have our first ultrasound of our newest addition to the family.
We sat their patiently, well, Claudio and I did at least, and awaited our turn. Juani, on the contrary was full of questions: "Is the baby going to come out today?" "How does the baby eat?" "Mommy, you should have them take the photo from your back so we can see if it is a girl or boy, because if it has a pony tail we will know it is a girl." Everyone in the waiting room, needless to say, was in stitches.
Well, because I am not one to worry, I went right in, unbuttoned my pants and laid down on the gurney, after all, I am a seasoned veteran, or so I thought.
But when hey put that gewy gunk on my stomach and began searching for the little bean inside of me, I felt my anxiety rise. "Is he/she healthy, does he/she have all 10 fingers and toes, is the little head properly formed???"
Hesitation. The worst! Then the doctor says: "I am going to need you to go to the bathroom as we usually only ask you to retain urine when it is the first ultrasound."
"This is the first ultra sound,"I responded.
"Oh, well here it says you are only 8 weeks but based on the size, I would say you are more like 14."
After relieving my very full bladder, I laid back down and he proceeded to show me the tiny hands, one up and covering his/her face, the other stretched above his/her head. His/her tiny face with a button nose and his/her feet stretched out in what appeared to be a relaxing pose! He/she had a hiccup at one point, and kind of jumped with a start. His/her head shaped in a perfect walnut, fully formed and beautiful and the best part, he/she measures 7.5 centimeters!
As we got to thinking about how big or small that really was, Claudio grabbed Juani's Hot wheels car and measured the circumference as well as length and we realized baby bean is the exact same size!!
haha!!
So, I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, but if I had my intuition prior to the ultrasound about it being a girl, I am convinced 10 times over after seeing the delicacy in her structure. Then again, anything measuring 7.5 centimeters is likely delicate!
I will try to scan photos of the ultrasound so you can see them too, but hopefully, in the meantime, I was capable of drawing you a nice mental picture.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Sunday, August 24, 2014
I'm Back!
Hello dear members of my family. The last time I wrote was a little over 2 years ago. I can't believe it. So many things have happened, I couldn't possibly keep up with the blog and with all of you and I am sorry for that, but, today I have made the decision to make special time, even if it means just once per month, to keep you all in the loop of our lives here down south.
The biggest and best news we have to share with you is that we are having another baby! Now, this wasn't necessarily planned, but as John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens when you are busy planning for it." And we couldn't be happier about this little surprise.
Juani is especially happy. In fact, I think he has been wishing and hoping for a brother or sister for about a year now. He is convinced it will be a boy and has decided the name will be Marco. I, in the meantime feel pretty strongly that it will be a girl and have decided her name will be Amara, meaning "the beloved."
I have my first appointment with the doctor on Monday the 25th to make sure everything look good, and I am sure it will as I feel pretty good, (other than feeling quite exhausted).
They always say that every pregnancy is different and that there is no real handbook for going through it. But this time around all I want to do is lay around on the couch, sleep 10 hour nights, take long naps, oh, and EAT! I can not believe how hungry I am!
We estimate that Amara's (or Marco's) estimated arrival date will be around the first part of April. This means that us coming in July is pretty much out of the question so we will shoot for Christmas, only this time, instead of 3, we will be 4.
The biggest and best news we have to share with you is that we are having another baby! Now, this wasn't necessarily planned, but as John Lennon once said, "Life is what happens when you are busy planning for it." And we couldn't be happier about this little surprise.
Juani is especially happy. In fact, I think he has been wishing and hoping for a brother or sister for about a year now. He is convinced it will be a boy and has decided the name will be Marco. I, in the meantime feel pretty strongly that it will be a girl and have decided her name will be Amara, meaning "the beloved."
I have my first appointment with the doctor on Monday the 25th to make sure everything look good, and I am sure it will as I feel pretty good, (other than feeling quite exhausted).
They always say that every pregnancy is different and that there is no real handbook for going through it. But this time around all I want to do is lay around on the couch, sleep 10 hour nights, take long naps, oh, and EAT! I can not believe how hungry I am!
We estimate that Amara's (or Marco's) estimated arrival date will be around the first part of April. This means that us coming in July is pretty much out of the question so we will shoot for Christmas, only this time, instead of 3, we will be 4.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Please Forgive Me!
Oh man oh man! So, while excuses are just excuses, and there is really no justifiable one at hand, I will simply begin by saying Sorry.
Finding our footing with our new family roles, taking on transformations of paramount importance and trying new ideas on for size, have kept us busy little bees. Though I am sure none of this surprises you in the very least.
So, hmm, where to begin?
Claudio is officially working at the School with me. He is mostly in charge of doing anything and everything I can't get to (administrative things like accounts payable and whatnot) and besides being the sexist secretary/accountant one could home for, he has also become the soul of our home, keeping it clean and tidy and making sure all of us eat 3 meals a day. (Thanks to this I have finally put on a bit of weight!)
Juani is going to school each day for 3 hours and he absolutely loves it. He has 10 little friends that he talks about nonstop, yes, he is my child, haha, if there were doubts before, now that his speech skills have come into play, there is no need to go on questioning. He is a chatty Kathy just like his Mommy. hehe
Before getting ahead of myself, I think it is high time I sent you some updated photos...
This when Juan had to go to school dressed as a fisherman and we made him a bamboo fishing pole and a wire-plastic-bag-look-like-a-net-thing.
Hehe, look closely, he is already an artist, yes, he is walking around our house in my boots, taking pictures with his digital camera.
The first time we went to a plastic ball playland. I think he would have liked to stay there forever!
This could be the most amazing photo I have ever taken. The wood box he is climbing into says, "Prince Products."
Ok, so back to other news. I have started a few side projects to help make ends meet. I am really excited about them. One is called Rosario Free Tour. It is a donation only walking tour of the city that we give once a week. The tour is 2 hours long and because it is "free" tons of people go, hence making the total amount of donations quite a bit more than if it were a paid tour.
I have given one so for and it was AMAZING!
The second side project I am doing with one of my teachers. It is called Barlingual and it is a monthly language event in a bar. We put together trivia night and different games and conversation topics for Argentineans who are learning English to be able to practice with native English speakers who are learning Spanish, and vice versa. We sell tickets for the event and at the first one there were roughly 40 people, so, I guess what I am saying is, Claudio quitting his job was quite possibly the best decision we have ever made as a family. It has allowed us to get creative, to spend much more time with each other as a family and we are now putting all of our energy into the same projects.
Soooo, I guess that's the rap. Loads of new ideas, dozens of creative endeavors, loads and loads of love, and time to enjoy it all. (just not time to write about enjoying it all hehe)
I love and miss you all so very much and I hope you are all happy and healthy and well. We are still planning to arrive to the US around mid December. As soon as we get tickets I will let you all know.
Thousands of long distance kisses to you all!
Finding our footing with our new family roles, taking on transformations of paramount importance and trying new ideas on for size, have kept us busy little bees. Though I am sure none of this surprises you in the very least.
So, hmm, where to begin?
Claudio is officially working at the School with me. He is mostly in charge of doing anything and everything I can't get to (administrative things like accounts payable and whatnot) and besides being the sexist secretary/accountant one could home for, he has also become the soul of our home, keeping it clean and tidy and making sure all of us eat 3 meals a day. (Thanks to this I have finally put on a bit of weight!)
Juani is going to school each day for 3 hours and he absolutely loves it. He has 10 little friends that he talks about nonstop, yes, he is my child, haha, if there were doubts before, now that his speech skills have come into play, there is no need to go on questioning. He is a chatty Kathy just like his Mommy. hehe
Before getting ahead of myself, I think it is high time I sent you some updated photos...
This when Juan had to go to school dressed as a fisherman and we made him a bamboo fishing pole and a wire-plastic-bag-look-like-a-net-thing.
A day at the park!
My boy!
Pinwheels...
Eating kettle corn at the park after a short bike ride.
Ok, so back to other news. I have started a few side projects to help make ends meet. I am really excited about them. One is called Rosario Free Tour. It is a donation only walking tour of the city that we give once a week. The tour is 2 hours long and because it is "free" tons of people go, hence making the total amount of donations quite a bit more than if it were a paid tour.
I have given one so for and it was AMAZING!
The second side project I am doing with one of my teachers. It is called Barlingual and it is a monthly language event in a bar. We put together trivia night and different games and conversation topics for Argentineans who are learning English to be able to practice with native English speakers who are learning Spanish, and vice versa. We sell tickets for the event and at the first one there were roughly 40 people, so, I guess what I am saying is, Claudio quitting his job was quite possibly the best decision we have ever made as a family. It has allowed us to get creative, to spend much more time with each other as a family and we are now putting all of our energy into the same projects.
Soooo, I guess that's the rap. Loads of new ideas, dozens of creative endeavors, loads and loads of love, and time to enjoy it all. (just not time to write about enjoying it all hehe)
I love and miss you all so very much and I hope you are all happy and healthy and well. We are still planning to arrive to the US around mid December. As soon as we get tickets I will let you all know.
Thousands of long distance kisses to you all!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
A bit more...
We have been here now for 3 whole days, 3 whole days is perhaps all you need to set in to a relaxation mode. Hmmm let's see, what have I done today...I have walked barefoot along the beach, bathed myself in the ocean's waters, read an amazingly written book, I have eaten a fantastically prepared lunch, and enjoyed a beautiful red wine...that, my friends, is what vacation is all about.
That and this:
That and this:
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Long Needed
VACATION!
That's right folks, nothing but changes around here! After months of high level stress of high season work hours, Holidays, Birthdays, changes in lifestyle, and just one week into Claudio's change of profession, we decided to head to the ocean. I have lived in Argentina now for a bit over 6 years and it is hard to believe that I am only now becoming acquainted with the Argentinean sea!
Juani, on the other hand, is getting his first taste!
We left on Saturday afternoon, contrary to gut feelings and worries of leaving the school in the hands of the professors during high season but knowing that my personal health was contingent on taking some time off, we drove 7.5 hours south east to a small place called Mar de las Pampas.
It is a fairytale. I have never in my life seen anything quite like it. All dirt roads, tucked away cabins in the woods, all in front of a huge sand bar that one must climb to the top of to then look out over the amazing and breathtaking Atlantic ocean.
We arrived with no reservation and stopped off at one the first places that had caught our eye online, Calamaresco, and there is where we planted our base for the next week, just one block from the ocean.
These are the highlights thus far:
There are so many more highlights to come and many more stories to tell because, from this point forward, life will be different. I am no longer running and raising a child on my own but rather with the love of my life by my side 24 hours a day rather than 2 (and 8 sleeping hehe) It feels great, sometimes scary, but wonderful to wake up to a new routine.
Things that make us smile in the day are as follows: having breakfast TOGETHER, being able to ride our bikes to work (though Claudio was given the car as a sort of severance pay) eating lunch together, taking Juan to school TOGETHER, picking Juan up from school TOGETHER, cooking and cleaning TOGETHER.
Really, I think all my wishes in life have now come true.
So, I am going to now, finish my glass of wine, lay on the couch, ready my book and enjoy life the way it should be.
Hope you are all well and that you plan to read far more posts from this day forward as I plan to write a great deal more.
I am sending you my love from perhaps the most southern part of the hemisphere I have ever inhabited.
That's right folks, nothing but changes around here! After months of high level stress of high season work hours, Holidays, Birthdays, changes in lifestyle, and just one week into Claudio's change of profession, we decided to head to the ocean. I have lived in Argentina now for a bit over 6 years and it is hard to believe that I am only now becoming acquainted with the Argentinean sea!
Juani, on the other hand, is getting his first taste!
We left on Saturday afternoon, contrary to gut feelings and worries of leaving the school in the hands of the professors during high season but knowing that my personal health was contingent on taking some time off, we drove 7.5 hours south east to a small place called Mar de las Pampas.
It is a fairytale. I have never in my life seen anything quite like it. All dirt roads, tucked away cabins in the woods, all in front of a huge sand bar that one must climb to the top of to then look out over the amazing and breathtaking Atlantic ocean.
We arrived with no reservation and stopped off at one the first places that had caught our eye online, Calamaresco, and there is where we planted our base for the next week, just one block from the ocean.
These are the highlights thus far:
There are so many more highlights to come and many more stories to tell because, from this point forward, life will be different. I am no longer running and raising a child on my own but rather with the love of my life by my side 24 hours a day rather than 2 (and 8 sleeping hehe) It feels great, sometimes scary, but wonderful to wake up to a new routine.Things that make us smile in the day are as follows: having breakfast TOGETHER, being able to ride our bikes to work (though Claudio was given the car as a sort of severance pay) eating lunch together, taking Juan to school TOGETHER, picking Juan up from school TOGETHER, cooking and cleaning TOGETHER.
Really, I think all my wishes in life have now come true.
So, I am going to now, finish my glass of wine, lay on the couch, ready my book and enjoy life the way it should be.
Hope you are all well and that you plan to read far more posts from this day forward as I plan to write a great deal more.
I am sending you my love from perhaps the most southern part of the hemisphere I have ever inhabited.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Juani turns 2!
This year I was not the super mom that I was last year. There were few preparations, meager decorations, zero party favors, and last minute invites, but, we ate well and drank plenty.
We had a good time nonetheless and Juani was thrilled to have received a fleet of new toy cars, of which, he is completely obsessed with, to the point that, he goes to school with one in each hand, goes to bed with one in each hand and tries to take a bath, holding as many as his hands can hold.
I can't believe he is 2!!! He even blew out the candle all by himself! Here are a few photos of his birthday party at school and then his birthday party at home.
We had a good time nonetheless and Juani was thrilled to have received a fleet of new toy cars, of which, he is completely obsessed with, to the point that, he goes to school with one in each hand, goes to bed with one in each hand and tries to take a bath, holding as many as his hands can hold.
I can't believe he is 2!!! He even blew out the candle all by himself! Here are a few photos of his birthday party at school and then his birthday party at home.
Loves his mommy and daddy!! Can't believe he is already 2!
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