July 4, 2013

Th 7.4.13

• there was no run past the US embassy, saluting the flag this year
• but instead an early morning appointment to renew our DNI's

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed...7:50am...waiting for our lady...not always so punctual here

• the lady helping us was 40 minutes late...then it was an hour wait...total time at this lovely office = 2 hours

where they send the foreigners...

• ...surely making me late for a 10am yoga class I was hoping to go to...grabbed a cab, arrived 10 minutes late, but got to enjoy the majority of the class
• so the half training thus far has not quite gone as planned...not at all what I envisioned, in fact (joint pain, slow, walk/jogging...it ain't pretty)
• so the yoga was a nice change in the week
• made it to Septiembre on time where we had no kids today!  WOO HOO! 
• instead, set-up for the school's "Muestra" was taking place all day
• this year's theme was Argentine Artists...students did a great job with all of their beautiful art work and projects! have a look...

my 7th graders' display...will have to get the story behind it and share later

Kinder hands-on creation station

on the walls of the Kinder room

1st cycle's hallway of art

• my little ones at Nightingale had their dictation mid-year exams today...the difference between a CVC short /a/ sound word and short /e/ is  SUPER difficult!
• was asked by a director there if I had two in there (referring to my belly) then asked how far along I was...when I said almost 5 months, she said I looked a big for 5 months.  thanks.
• convinced Jake to do a little 4th celebrating by trying out an American-ish bar in Palermo Soho called, Sugar
• apparently they were having a little US Independence Day party...I appreciated the many American flags scattered around the bar, along with red, white, and blue balloons...and they were playing Forest Gump on a couple big screens...love it

please forgive the terrible quality of my Blackberry photos...forgot the Canon
but you can appreciate the beer pong sign and table...as well as the US flag an balloons, right?

• minus the hour-long wait for our burgers, the food was surprisingly pretty tasty

Jake got the BIG Sugar Daddy Burger...which I'm pretty sure he enjoyed...see how tall it is?! he proceeded to tell me about the venison burgers from his childhood that always turned out looking like little black balls...M&P - I want to hear more about this

• good thing we opted for an appetizer this time...without those nachos, I would have died during that hour wait
• what's the 4th without dessert?
• tried to walk off our burgers a bit...so we headed toward home and decided on my new favorite neighborhood helado cafe, Via Vecchia
• I was craving their cinnamon apple ice cream, in honor of the All-American Apple Pie:

we shared

• the friendly staff asked us if we live in the neighborhood...then they gave us a flyer with their daily deals (dangerous) and reminded us that they deliver
• Jake joked that they hit the jackpot once they found out they have a pregnant lady in the neighborhood...ha
• HIGHLIGHT of the day though had to have been while lying in bed...I was sure this time that I felt the baby move! so I called Jake over and he felt it too!  ...just little sporadic thumps under my almost-popping-out belly button
• Jake swore it was me hiccuping but I assured him it wasn't me...we got some movement in there! YAY!!!
• happy 4th everyone! we're looking forward to fireworks, barbecues and family next year!

Hey there halfway!

Baby Notes...Week 20

• 20 weeks down, 20 to go!!! 
• every day/week/month is such a milestone for us prego-newbies...so please excuse my excitement with each passing week
• speaking of halfway...we're halfway through 2013! boy did that fly....6 months down, 6 to go...until Christmas...until we move home...until we have a little one in tow
• wore my first maternity clothes this past week...and let me tell you...they. are. comfy.   ...not sure what I was waiting for (I know I'll be sick of them come week 40, or maybe even 25!)
• what comes along with wearing your maternity clothes? people suddenly noticing you're pregnant...tonight at door duty, almost every parent asked, "Estás embarazada?"  Sí!!!

19 weeks 4 days...baby's size? you guessed it...mango

• sadly not feeling any movement yet...at least nothing that feels more than digestion...everyone says you can definitely tell the difference; well if it's supposed to feel like a "fluttering" or "bubbles" how is that any different from digestion or gas?  just saying...
• come on baby! start kicking me already!
• first time a stranger told me what he/she thinks I'm having...LAN airline worker, last week - girl...that following weekend...laundry lady downstairs - boy

19 weeks 4 days

• I've also been told twice that my face is looking a bit more...gorda...says the laundry lady (also the lady who first called me out about being pregnant...at 5 weeks! lied straight to her face...completely caught off guard!)...the other time was by an adult student of mine...I told her a nicer way of saying it was "rounder" not fatter or fuller...she also said I had the "pregnancy glow" which I'll take as a compliment I guess
• I gained 5 kilos (~11 pounds) between my last two appointments (~5 weeks time)...to be fair, 12 of those days I was in the States with a hefty appetite, ready to eat, and not restricting myself in anyway with what I wanted to shove into my mouth (nausea = gone; appetite = back IN FULL!)
• since I'm already halfway to the recommended weight gain for pregnant ladies in Argentina, I better slow down a bit...at least I'm halfway in the pregnancy too, but I think baby has a lot of growing left in him/her! (dr. hasn't scolded me yet...phew!)
• I never thought these body changes during pregnancy would bother me too much...I knew I'd be ecstatic just to be pregnant in the first place, and I mean I'm gaining weight for a reason...I'm growing a human being for goodness sakes! but I'm gaining weight nonetheless and my body just isn't the same...(hello back pain post-run!)

20 weeks

• hopefully I can stay at a healthy weight for me and baby and not worry too much about the more "motherly" appearance of my "rounder" face and growing tummy/hips/everything!

20 weeks

• yesterday I posted about Day 1 of Half Marathon Training
• well today is obviously Day 2...which brought a little disappointment...super slow, hilly 4 miles and a bit painful...round ligament pain? pelvic girdle pain? not sure...but I'm waddling around like a penguin today after the morning workout
• pregnant runners, I'm taking any and all suggestions! might be a long 10 weeks!
• my 7th grade students have been a bit funny about the pregnancy since sharing the news...saying/doing things like:
• do you know you can't lift heavy things now?
• is that ring (pointing to my SMC ring) the ring you wear instead of your wedding ring while you're pregnant?
• you should name your baby Pedro Filiberto (now their nickname for the babe) 
• touching my stomach daily...starting at week 13
• eating their tuna sandwich quickly because the smell makes me nauseous
• ...and a special little gem from today: look at you now! imagine at 9 months! you're going to be "re-vaca"! (how they say my name, Rebecca) translation: very cow
• [about today's outfit..the one below] you wear tight clothes even though you're fat
• they're funny

la panza @ 20 weeks!

• had a 19 week doctor's appointment last week...a follow-up from our 16 week ultrasound
• dr. said everything looked good/normal...heard the heartbeat...sounds strong :)
• was instructed to get two vaccinations: flu and tetanus 
• dr. said to go to a pharmacy...but after visiting 5 pharmacies and 3 hospitals, I finally got these two vaccinations...one at private hospital Trinidad (paid for tetanus) and the other at public hospital Fernandez (flu shot was free)
• also instructed by dr. to schedule my next sonogram...the ecoscan fetal
• after discovering that this scan was not covered by our insurance (everything else has been 100%, thus far) because I'm under the age of 32, I began to worry a bit
• why does he want/need to do such a detailed sonogram?
• but after emailing the dr. (I'm a paranoid first-time-foreigner-future-mama), he ensured me that it's a routine procedure
• anyone else get this done? or know the exact term for it in English?
• I'll get the scan in a few weeks and see him again shortly after for our monthly appointment
• hopefully we'll receive good results and a better picture of our little one (now a banana in length :) ~6.5 inches)
• wanted to wrap up with a little reflection on how amazing this whole pregnancy thing really is...I know that women around the world are getting pregnant, walking around pregnant, and giving birth every second of the day...but how amazing is creation, really?!

Labor Training

• Half Marathon Training Day 1
• 19 weeks 6 days pregnant
• why?

• for fun and enjoyment, to keep myself sane, to stay on track health and fitness-wise (me and baby), to build strength and endurance for labor, and let's be honest, to somehow prepare myself for the pain of labor...if that is even possible
• training for and running a race can be a painful experience...you really test your limits both physically and mentally...which to me, although I have yet to experience it, seems to parallel the whole labor process quite nicely

wouldn't be a blog post without pictures, right?
look how happy I'm going to look while running pregnant...haha...

• we're hoping to have as natural of a delivery as possible...so what better way to train for this than building strength, health, and fitness, not to mention the mental toughness that running provides?
• trust me, I've talked with others and done some research...and after reading other women's stories (and here), I figured, if they can do it, than so can I!
• of course, every body is different...I will not run if I'm not feeling well or if my dr. advises against it...race goal: finish safely
• and really, I have a feeling that not much "racing" will be going on come race day...walk/jogging might be more accurate (or waddling...or some call it "chugging"...SMC XC ;)
• I'm the type that needs a race to train for in order to get me out the door and actually clock some quality miles during the week...so I feel like this is just what the dr. ordered!
• I plan to mix in light weight training and hopefully some yoga into the plan...and will definitely be taking my miles a bit slower

• so today begins our 10 week training plan 
• we have a 15K half-way on Sunday, August 4, 2013
• the Buenos Aires Half Marathon (same one we did last year) is set for Sunday, September 8, 2013...29 weeks, 5 days pregnant (for those who like the food comparisons...looks like I'll be carrying an acorn squash, almost a cucumber, in there by that time!)
• the BIG race date is still set for Tuesday, November 19, 2013 (our due date!)
• Jake is a saint for continuing to let me sign him up for these races...and continuing to be my training/racing buddy...
• he's really a great running partner, and as cheesy as it sounds, running gives us the opportunity to just talk and be with each other without other distractions...all while taking in the city, enjoying a little nature/outdoor time, and exercising our bodies...all things we value and find very important
• needless to say, I'm relieved to have him by my side through all of this...the training, "racing", labor/delivery, and everything that comes after
• wish us luck...cheer for us...we'll keep you posted on how training is going!

• p.s. are you a pregnant runner?  need to find some maternity running clothes? a friend recommended this site: http://fitmaternity.com/index.html    (I may have gotten the full-panel running shorts AND the Gabrialla support belt...hot stuff)

Father's Day...not forgotten

Su 6.16.13

• don't worry daddies, we didn't forget about you!
• I unfortunately was travelling on Father's Day this year and was neither with the future daddy, Jake, nor with my own dad...and I know Jake regrets not being able to spend time with his pops on this day (but thanks to the Condon's for letting me crash your Father's Day Lake Michigan boat ride!)
• we'd like to take this time to thank our wonderful dads for all they've done for us by sharing some photos and favorite memories

one of my favorite family pictures, minus one thing: Amanda is not present, sorry Amanda, but I bet you're in mom's tummy at this point...I just love the 2314, our first green apple from the apple tree, the Mickey Mouse and Spider Man, dad's shirtless 6-pack and mustache...haha

• Jake and I often reflect on how our parents raised us, and we talk about how fortunate we are to have parents who were so involved

this is the rest of the photo I posted on Mother's Day...what I love about this Christmas shot is the simplicity...I got a Raggedy Ann doll, Ricky a truck and ball, Matt a wagon, and mom and dad were content with their 4 cans of cashews...

• we have so many wonderful memories that prove this, for example: my dad teaching me how to ride a bike and golf (in the neighbor's yard...so we didn't ruin his beautiful lawn ;), attending every sporting, musical, dance, school event we ever had, staying up late to help me study for tests or check over my homework, driving millions of hours in "the hoopty" on our family vacations, hiding in the bushes at my golf meets so I wouldn't get nervous (embarrassing when my opponents noticed..."OMG! There's some guy hiding in the bushes!"), taking the time and money to visit me...no matter where I'm living at the time, being a die-hard ND fan and passing that passion on to us...

Senior Dad's Weekend...snuck Irish whiskey into the SMC on-campus tailgate to watch the Irish's highest scoring game of the season...will not share how the rest of the night went...

• and for Jake...the many road trips to soccer tournaments, teaching him to water ski in the backyard with a rope tied to a pole, snorkeling and fishing in the lake on small blow-up mattresses, observing thousands of vials of dead water bugs in the DNR lab, his dinners while mom had piano lessons...
• we have many, many more...
• but thank you to our dads for setting such a great example for us...we're confident that we can use what we've learned from you to be good parents ourselves

this is the night my parents and I met Jake for the first time...as you can see, they probably made a GREAT impression! (that's Jager...btw...and mom's shot looks bigger than dad's!)

• HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

• p.s....Paul, we'll add embarrassing photos of you once we're home and can sift through the archives! (sorry, didn't have any here in BA with us)

Color Run - BA style

Sa 6.1.13

• it had been a while since I last did a race...not since that terrible UNICEF 10k in March!
• so while in search of something fun, a friend, Elena, mentioned the Color Run
• these color runs seem to be all the rage in the US and I was interested to see what all the hype was about
• so we signed up...original race date: May 18th at Palermo Parks - postponed for a lousy 20% chance of rain (to be fair...it drizzled a bit in the morning...and our actual race date ended up being gorgeous!)
• rescheduled for today and relocated to the Parque de los Niños...much further north, but beautiful place to run along the river
• this is what a Color Run looks like in BA:
• pink color station before chaos ensues:

• clean race shirts and runners before chaos ensues:

• what you're supposed to do with the little bag of powder from your race packet:

• runners ready for a Color Run:

• views from the start:

• beautiful fall-ish day...can you see the mist of blue among the trees?

• blue color station in action:

• dj turnin' it up at the yellow station:

• a little finish photo:

• runners post-color run:

• so I think Elena and I both agreed on some of the pros and cons of this kind of race:
• pros: fun, funny, relaxed, different, happy
• cons: not a race, powder in your eyes makes it difficult to see, powder remains in eyes, nose, and ears, as well as skin and shoes for the rest of the day and into the next (part of the fun though, I guess)
• not sure I really get the color run...not sure if I'd do it again, but we definitely had fun and I'm glad I got to experience it
• *special thanks to our photographer (Jake) for hiking it up north with us for this crazy lil' 5k! 

ricotta cheese

• shortly after moving in to our apartment a year and a half ago I was itching to make a lasagna...I finally had an oven!
• so I found a recipe, made my list, and made my way to the grocery store
• after searching for quite a while for the ricotta cheese, I gave up...and also gave up the idea of making lasagna (have never seen cottage cheese here either)
• shortly after this sad incident, I was at a yoga class and somehow this ricotta cheese story came up
• a guy in the class said, "They have ricotta cheese here.  It comes in a bag near the milk and butter." 
• what?! in a bag?! I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised since I soon realized that many other products are sold in a bag rather than a  plastic container, and at a cheaper price, such as: milk, yogurt, shortening, liquid laundry detergent or softener, etc.
• so I went back to the store, and sure enough, there was the ricotta cheese in a bag

• I happily brought it home to make my lasagna...turned out ok...had leftovers for lunch the next day, ironically, before a yoga class, then came home and puked it all back up
• was it the ricotta (in a bag)? bad ground beef? or the chef?
• we'll never know (definitely wasn't the chef though, right?)
• but now I know where to find ricotta...I still use it in some recipes and haven't gotten sick again
• isn't it funny that when Argentines are in the States, looking for a bag of ricotta, they probably think it's silly to find it in a plastic container?
• the world is pretty interesting like that...

Baby Q&A

• Thought it might be fun to do a little Baby Q&A today...

• Q: Are you going to find out the gender?
• A: Nope! (gasp! shock! haha)  We're going old school and keeping it a surprise!
• Q: What names are you thinking of?
• A: Again, it's a surprise! But we're open to suggestions ;) maybe a Spanish name...?
• Q: What is your due date?
• A: November 19, 2013
• Q: Are you having the baby in Argentina?
• A: Sure are!  We're happy with the medical care here.
• Q: Where will you deliver?
• A: Hospital Aleman in Recoleta...a private German hospital about a mile away from our home.
• Q: Does your doctor speak English?
• A: Yes, pretty well.  But he encourages me to practice my Spanish with him (eek!).  The nurses most likely won't speak English.
• Q: Will your baby have dual citizenship?
• A: Yes, apparently his/her whole life!
• Q: Will you be able to get your baby out of the country?
• A: Yes. (Don't worry Grandma Ruth!) But not before having both its American and Argentine passports in hand! (oh dear...the paperwork!)
• Q: When are you moving back?
• A: No date is set yet, but we're aiming for January/February 2014...this may depend on baby's paperwork.
• Q: Where to next?
• A: Chicago! :)
• Q: How far along are you?

photo from today's appointment...baby was all curled up and being a bit stubborn...
couldn't get a good shot, but this is its head and little hand

• A: As of today's second ultrasound, 16 weeks, 4 days...baby's between the size of an avocado and an onion. Heartbeat's at 152 beats/minute
• Q: Are you showing yet?

16 weeks

• A: As of about 15 weeks, Jake officially said I have a panzita (little belly)...baby's a-growin' in there!
• Q: Are you still running?

photo from Color Run @ 15 weeks 4 days...more on the run later

• A: Yes, not a ton, but some training plans for a (casual) September race are in the works! ;) ...just to kind of keep me on track, you know? I'm a fan of goal-setting. Of course I'll only run if I'm feeling good, well-trained, and am approved by my doctor.
• Q: Any cravings?
• A: I was quite nauseous until almost week 12, so I didn't feel like eating or drinking much at all, which is SO NOT NORMAL for me. I think my appetite returned around week 15 when I couldn't stop eating pasta one night...cravings usually include carbs...mostly bread and more salty things.  Really not digging salads, but forcing them down...seem to prefer hot, cooked food, which is probably better.  What happens is I see a picture of a food or hear someone talking about it, and it either sounds disgusting, or amazing and I want it NOW.  This happened with: garlic bread, pad thai, potato chips, mac and cheese, some fruits, cinnamon bears (which I'll have to buy in the States...none here!), and some others I'm forgetting.  Not really craving sweets which again is out of character, but probably a good thing!  As I've mentioned before, beef doesn't seem to agree with me, sadly.  I'm hoping that one changes so I can continue to take advantage of Argentina's delectable bife.  Need to drink more water!  Drinking less than before for some reason.

• Any other questions?  Please comment and let us know!