week 31

baby gear

I've got a lot to learn about baby gear.

Thankfully I have some wonderful and wise friends and family who have shared their recommendations and experiences with all things baby gear. 

While we are novices in the area, here is one baby gear item that Matt and I discovered that we are thrilled about...

The Withings Smart Baby Monitor

Shortly after we discovered we were pregnant, my sister sent me an article with 30 items that all new parents need. In the article, we discovered this baby monitor. We did a little more research and loved that the monitor was accessible through our iPad and iPhones.  When we discovered that the monitor was accessible anywhere in the world, we were sold.

Basically, Matt will be able to access the monitor from Colombia at any time. He can see the baby, play music, and even speak to our little Georgie through the app.

A few weeks ago we set up the monitor.

We were excited that it worked as well as we expected and we could view video, turn on a night light, play lullabies, and speak through the app.

We even tried it when I was in Colombia to make sure that Matt would have access to baby George.

This is a snapshot from our viewing party.

There's probably a lot of bells and whistles to this monitor that aren't really necessary, but the idea that Matt can take a peek at our little one any time he likes, makes me smile. 

While it probably wasn't created for first-time parents, who live in Colombia, but will have their baby in the US and spend the first ten weeks apart, it seems like a perfect piece of baby gear for our situation.

Speaking of baby gear, I am in Iowa this week, spending time with friends and family and celebrating George at a baby shower. 

30 weeks

a nursery project

While we've had the major components of George's nursery done for sometime, we've still got a few nursery items on the to-do list. 

This week we completed one of those projects. 

There are a few components of a travel theme in the room and Matt and I knew we wanted to have some kind of a world map.  I had several ideas including framing a world map, creating a canvas, but when I saw this chalkboard a few months ago, there was a new vision. 

I found a world map online and had it blown up. We cut out each of the continents* and then my mother's steady & crafty hand traced each of the continents with a chalk pen.

I love the way it turned out and think it completes our little reading, rocking, snuggling nook in the room. 

*Technically there are 6 continents on the map. We left out Antarctica. I assure you that when it comes to teaching my child about the world map, we will consult one that does in fact include Antarctica. 

oh bella

Yesterday Bella gave me quite the scare.
On Monday evening, I noticed she was holding up her hind right leg, the other leg, not the one with the  scar from last years ACL surgery.  With little Miss Ruby in the house, Bella does a lot of running and playing around, so I thought maybe she had just played too hard and made a mental note to keep an eye on it.
Yesterday morning she wouldn't move. Held up that hind right leg, refusing to put any weight on it, and wouldn't budge an inch. She had to be carried down the stairs {not by me this time} and when we reached the main level she still wouldn't budge.  After a lot of coaxing, we finally got her to lay down on a dog bed, while I immediately began to believe we were going to need surgery. I had convinced myself that this time she tore it all the way through, which is why she wouldn't put any weight on it and I would spend the next 12 weeks, right up until George's arrival nursing Bella's other ACL.
I called and made an appointment to have her seen and get some x-rays taken, while she laid on the bed and still didn't move.  At around noon, Tyler dropped by to help me transport/carry her {per my mothers directions} and she finally got up and walked around a little, still limping, but finally putting some weight on her leg.
Dr. Sam took a good look and her and assured me that he didn't feel like it was the same situation as last time, but just to see where we were at, he took some x-rays.
The diagnosis: Bella strained her leg a bit, but there is no follow up with a surgeon on the horizon.

For now, we have a prescription for anti-inflammatories and we are taking it easy. Well that's what Bella is doing.
I am taking deep sighs of relief on a pretty consistent basis that we're not preparing for boxer surgery.

week 29

While I haven't had any midnight must have, I need it now, cravings, I did highlight a few of my favorite things to eat lately.
It was that or compare our little darling to a butternut squash, which did not make my cravings list.

five things

{1}
I'm back in the US.
Leaving Matt was not easy.
It's was also strange to think about how much will happen from now until I return to Cartagena.
But I'm excited, because everyday we're just a little closer to meeting our little darling.


{2}
I was so impressed with Colombia when I left Cartagena on Tuesday. My pregnant status allowed me to walk in a VIP line in customs, which meant no line. If you've traveled to Colombia, you know there are a lot of lines {or what they refer to as a line}.  My special status ended there. I was chosen to have my bags searched, which meant I stood in a 'line' and waited for a Colombian cop to go through my luggage. By go through, I mean they took everything out, every piece of clothing, opened every zipper. I thought my search was over until it was time to board. Apparently I had to be searched again. So I went back to the Colombian version a line.  As I watched the boarding line get shorter and shorter my anxiety got higher and higher. This time a Colombian officer went through everything in my carry-on and personal item and then had to search me.  I had visions of missing my flight. But no, I was just the last individual on the plane.

{3}
I had a doctor appointment yesterday. George is doing well and I got to hear that precious heartbeat of his/hers. I discovered I'm anemic, which is caused by iron deficiency. I can't say I'm shocked given my distaste for red meat during this pregnancy. For now I am on iron pills and trying to beef up the iron in my diet.
I must say, while the doctor was explaining my blood results and answering my questions, I was happy to be in the US.

{4}
Yesterday I noticed Bella had some red goopy eyes and a possible ear infection. So I took her to Easy Vet Clinic, a new vet clinic my father and his friend and business partner opened. It works similar to a CVS Minute Clinic for us humans. It is open 7 days a week and evenings for convenience and you can walk in without an appointment. Given the amount we go to the vet, I love it. Bella and I got in this morning, she got a little eye ointment and medication for an ear infection and we were on our way.  We had an anxiety free trip to the vet and baby boxer Bella is on the mend.


{5}
I think it may be too early to officially be 'nesting', but I have gone into severe organization mode. George's closet got reorganized this week and projects are kicking into high gear.
Here's a little peak at the latest project.

week 28

a rare weekend

We had a rare weekend. Rare in that it was an actual weekend together. Matt had both Saturday and Sunday off. We racked our brains trying to recall if he has ever, since we've been in Colombia, had a proper weekend off.
Sure he has had Sunday and Monday holidays off, constituting a two-day weekend. Then there is the occasional visitors that allow him to take a Saturday off, but as far as the two of us spending a proper weekend together, it doesn't happen in Colombia.
His weekend is part of a new schedule at work in which every 4th week is considered a short week and  a work-free Saturday is granted. Don't worry. This probably won't last. His schedule tends to change in some capacity every 3 months, so I imagine this one will too.

We spent our proper weekend enjoying each others company. Enjoying peace and quiet. Enjoying minimal responsibility. Enjoying walking around exploring Cartagena. Enjoying intimate dinners. Enjoying the company of friends.

We spent the weekend together.

Tomorrow I make my way back to the US.
{My US doctor felt a little more comfortable with me cutting my trip short to return for the third trimester}

I look forward to returning to everything that is America, except...

...for leaving my husband.

If I had him by my side, it would feel a lot more like going home.

July 4

After spending three 4th of July holidays in Colombia, this day means more to us now than ever.

In the future we look forward to spending this day watching parades and fireworks, wearing our most patriotic attire,  and grilling with friends and family, while we take a few moments to acknowledge how blessed we are to call this great nation home.

Until our time comes to celebrate the 4th properly, we hope you are.

Happy Independence Day.

Our Very Colombian Babymoon

babymoon -  vacation taken by a couple that is expecting a baby in order to allow the couple to enjoy a final trip together before the many sleepless nights that usually accompany a newborn baby

Our babymoon began on Saturday. Our bags were packed and Matt had a half day of work, so a driver picked me up and I met him at the job site. From there we headed off to the Decameron Baru, an all inclusive resort that is located on an island right off the coast of Cartagena. We've twice visited the Decameron {here and here} and Matt received a weekend gift certificate as a birthday gift from a contractor he works with. We decided this was the perfect opportunity to fit a little getaway into our very complex schedule.  Matt's assistant called and made the reservation for us, which was fabulous, since it's been quite the process to make reservations in the past.  {booking over the internet doesn't exist, it involves phone calls and then paying the bill in person at a Decameron office to confirm your reservation}
A representative from Decameron called twice to confirm the reservation with Matt's assistant and let us know that the gift card was a three night stay. Our reservation also included Friday night. Since Matt had to work Saturday morning, his assistant explained that we would only be staying Saturday and Sunday.  We were confirmed and invited to come on Friday if our plans changed.

When we checked in Saturday afternoon, we had a slight issue explaining that although our reservation began on Friday, we were checking in Saturday and checking out on Monday. Our reservation was found and our babymoon began.


We spent a late afternoon at the pool, discussing things parents to-be discuss, including what the next 5-10 years may look like for us, while enjoying the opportunity to relax together.



We had a quiet Colombian dinner and ended our evening with a movie.

The next morning we woke for breakfast and made our way to the pool. We relaxed, read, ventured out from under our umbrella for some sun, just for 45 minutes, enjoyed some ice cream, a mocktail for myself and a few cocktails for Matt.


We even managed to pull out the baby name book.  We are fairly certain that we have a name for George, should he be a boy, although there are two other names that remain on the list just in case. Our girl names, which is the one we've struggled with from the beginning, has come down to two possibilities. While we bought the baby name book to specifically help us with the girl name, the two that remain are those that have been on the top of our list from the beginning.


We had a great day together, just the two of us, complete with lots of kicks from our little Georgie.

We packed up from the pool with plans that included a nap before dinner and a walk on the beach to take some pictures.

This is where the babymoon gets very Colombian.

After settling into our room, there was a knock on the door. It was the man from the Decameron who checked us in the previous day. He explained that our reservation was for Friday and Saturday and the hotel was currently sold out, meaning that someone checking in needed our room and we needed to vacate.
Yeah.
Matt explained, quite calmly, that there must be some confusion. Our reservation was through Monday and as he had explained to the man before, it began on Friday but we did not in fact check in until Saturday.
The Decameron man said he was going to call reservations and gather some more information and would return shortly.
My heart sank as I knew this situation probably wasn't going to end in our favor.

Matt and I have a saying about things in Colombia...
50/50
At any time, things have a 50% chance of working out as you expect them to.

You found strawberries at the grocery store last week?
50% chance they are there again.

You paid your cell phone bill at the cell store down the street last month?
50% chance you can pay your cell bill as you did the previous month, or that the store is even there.

You feel pretty comfortable with the process at the airport?
50% chance you will get asked to go to a random line and pay a tax that you've never paid before.

You make reservations at a hotel for a long weekend?
50% chance the reservations works out.

The Decameron man {who spoke limited English} returned with what appeared to be an young American man, who spoke English. He explained that our reservation was through Sunday and since the hotel was sold out we would need to leave. There was some back and forth about the sheer ridiculousness of this situation and how it was confirmed to us twice with the wrong dates. We were instructed to take that up with the company we booked through, which happened to be the Decameron.

Our babymoon had taken an unexpected turn. It was over.

While I was disappointed in how it ended, I can't stay I was devastated. If you have American standards, the Decameron doesn't rank in the 5 star category. But I was frustrated. Frustrated by the Colombian 50/50-ness of it all, frustrated about the story of our babymoon, and frustrated by the lack of customer service in the way the situation was handled. I don't know if I have ever mentioned it, but customer service literally doesn't exist in Colombia.

We were told if we needed help securing transportation, they would be available in the lobby to assist us. Usually when the Decameron provides transportation, it involves a charter bus. Matt stated that he would attempt to secure his own transportation {a driver was scheduled to pick us up at 10 am the following morning} which was a bit of an issue since it was a Sunday evening and there is no night shift on Sundays, meaning there aren't drivers available.  Thankfully we were able to secure a driver and by 5:30, we were vacating the premises with promises to never return.

The story is not in fact over.

We explained our situation to the driver and thanked him profusely for picking us up.  He informed us that it had taken him longer than expected to pick us up because the line for the ferry had been long. He told us that the line on this side of the island was very long as well.  As we drove to the ferry we were shocked when we stopped, no where near the ferry, due to the length of the line.

Two hours later we had made minimal progress. Still in line. In the rain.
Frustrated, but thrilled we weren't on a Decameron charter bus.

Finally we came to a point where the road split and there were many people gathered outside their cars. Our driver went to speak to them and discovered for 15,000 COP we could get on a ferry that was faster.  This was an obvious choice, especially when he told us that if we stayed in the original ferry line, our expected arrival time to the ferry was 11:00 pm.

We made our way to the faster ferry, which we quickly discovered was a private ferry.


The Colombian 50/50 was in my mind. There were about five or six vehicles ahead of us and a few that were behind us. A security guard approached our van and asked our driver if he was transporting tourists and we showed him our Decameron check-out receipt {or kick-out reciept as Matt and I called it}.  Then the driver explained that I was expecting. The security guard peered into the back to confirm my pregnancy.  He walked away and soon another security guard with a flash light came over to the car and shined the light directly on my pregnant belly.  After the flashlight fiasco, the security guards made their way to the front of the line without confirming whether we would be boarding the private ferry.  A few minutes later our driver made his way out of the van to further campaign for our spot.

Around this time I began thinking about how this babymoon had really turned into a representation of what parenting may be like. There are times, like during the beginning of our babymoon, where things seem ideal. You are happy, relaxed, and content. But things don't always go as planned, frustration takes over and your patience is tested.  Flexibility is required, help is often needed, and the unknowns of it all can be downright scary.
It's an adventure, much like this Colombian adventure.
Parts of this adventure are thrilling and others are just hard.
But I also had a feeling of thanks, as I realized how blessed I am to have such an amazing partner to share this incredible adventure with, even when things are hard.
We're in this together.
And let's face it, I need someone to make me laugh when situations get stressful.

While I pondered the lessons learned, our driver returned with news that we were one of the four vehicles allowed to board the last private ferry out.

The reason.

Our Georgie.
Georgie saved the day.

Due to my belly bump, our driver was able to convince the private security to allow us to board the ferry. We paid our 15,000 COP and made our way to Cartagena. We made our way home, praising our driver and awarding him with a handsome tip for his troubles and at 9:00 pm, four and a half hours later, we walked in our apartment and slipped into our pajamas.

We spent our Sunday in babymoon mode, with lots of relaxation and togetherness, and a few laughs about the day before.

The moral of this story:
If you don't want a built-in lesson on your babymoon, don't babymoon in Colombia.

week 27