Our Last Major Trip!

It has been over a month since the last blog post, ending a fairly good record of consistently blogging. The past month has been filled with fast paced adventures with few dull moments in between. Our month has revolved around traveling and the baby. Get ready for a long post ya'll!

We planned a trip to the US, which was about five weeks in the making. As luck would have it, I woke up feeling a little groggy two days before we were supposed to fly out. Within 24 hours I was at a clinic being told that I had a stomach bug. Traveling in a car for very long was not an option, let alone in a plane. The trip had to be postponed.  So much for our plans. 

The timing actually worked out okay. A few things happened during that time that needed to be addressed in person. It was not fun being sick, but the timing worked out. It seemed like most of Oregon was getting snow flurries anyway, which would have made our visiting plans a little more difficult.

We were on a plane within five days of our original flight date. Our first stop was staying at my brother's house. We got to see our niece and nephew and also enjoyed a hike. My mom also planned a small baby shower. Our second stop was staying with my parents, who live about 90 minutes from my brother. Robert and my dad went golfing. I snuck in a yoga class. We visited friends as well.

Baby shower gifts!

Hiking Cooper Mountain Nature Park. The jackets were off within 15 minutes of that picture.

The next stop was Arizona. We stayed with Robert's parents.  We went to Tucson and bought cloth diaper covers, ate at Tucson Tamale Company, and visited the Biosphere2. Robert and his dad went golfing, and I snuck in some yoga! We tried to visit with as many people as possible.

Our trip was also focused around eating food we normally couldn't eat. Del Taco, Arbys, and In n Out, were some of our go to fast food places. Robert and I also ate at Si Señor, which has amazing New Mexican style food. My mom also made some classic family foods, including one that her mom used to make! Blueberries were eaten like candy in both states.

People seemed to have some similar questions regarding the pregnancy. Here were a few things that were commonly asked.

• Are you showing yet?
• Yep! I had a small belly in Oregon that wasn't super obvious. It was a little more obvious in Arizona. This is more of an update, but people do ask!

• Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl?
• Nope! We aren't finding out until s/he is born. We use the pronouns he and she interchangeably when discussing the baby...just an FYI if you talk to us. 

• Do you have any names picked out?
• We've talked about it but have not settled on anything. 

• How are you feeling? 
• I am feeling great! I generally workout/do yoga 4-6 times a week. The trip was a bit of an exception, but I am now back to my regular routine. Being active is a nice way to relax for me.

• Where will you be giving birth? Are you using a doctor, a midwife, a ?????
• I am under the care of an OBGYN that Robert and I both like and trust. One of our next things on our to do list is to find a private hospital in Panama City, which is about an hour away from us. 

Did I miss any questions? Let me know!

Robert and I are back to our normal routines here. We enjoyed our visit to the States, but it's great to be back home too. I did take pictures were taken throughout our trip. However, I forgot to send them to my email before we left. All of the pictures are on my US phone. Thanks to my sister in law for taking the two photos above used! Also, thanks to everyone we got to visit. Seeing family and friends is always one of the best parts of visiting. Until next time USA!

The sunrise from this morning

...Brrr it's cold in here!

..okay, it is still around 85*F (29*C), give or take a few degrees. Both of us got colds. I got it first and then decided to pass it onto Robert. Sharing is caring right?

The good news is that Robert was loading up on vitamin c. Although he got a cold, his symptoms were a lot less significant than mine and only lasted a few days. Me? It took me about two weeks and over 4 boxes of Kleenex to fully recover. Coconut oil was my best friend for my nose, which would have rivaled Rudolph's without it. All better now. Let's just hope it stays that way.

Carnival was last week. We stayed in, but other people we know went out and joined the festivities. For those who may not remember from previous posts, the carnival last week is not one with clowns and games...although I guess there could be. Carnival in Panama and throughout most of the world is a festival that occurs before Lent. Mardi Gras in the United States is a take on Carnival.

Everything else is going well, otherwise. I realize that I haven't really been posting photos in my recent posts. I will try to get some with future posts. Let's be honest, nobody wants to see what was going on since the last post.

Also, since this is a question that comes up in conversations...a few updates on the pregnancy. I am not showing. I am feeling baby move though, although at this point the feelings are very subtle. We are choosing not to find out the sex of the baby a surprise until s/he is born. We haven't decided on any names yet; we have time though!

Did I miss anything? I hope you all are doing well

Three Years of Living Here

It's hard to believe that we've hit the 3 year anniversary of living here. The time has gone by so fast that I almost forgotten the month had come. Here is a recap of some of the highlights from the last year.

Visiting Hacienda San Isidro and trying out different types of rum, including one that costs over $100/bottle

Taking a Discover Scuba course in Santa Catalina

Hiking became a thing this year, including going to Los Cajones (not cojones...)

Buying a Panamanian flag to celebrate the independence days in Panama, and hanging it off our balcony.

Finding out we are going to have a baby!


Did I miss any highlights?

Panama has brought so many amazing things into our lives. We are grateful for the adventures, lessons, and experiences our adoptive country has given us.

We Got Good News Ya'll

We are happy to announce that we're expecting a baby in July! Both of us are really excited and are looking forward to all the fun and challenging aspects that parenting brings.

Here are some frequently asked questions I've been getting:

• Where are you having your baby?
• The plan is that Baby will be born in Panama at a hospital. My OBGYN is amazing and we both like her. Bonus!

• Are you excited?
• Yes we are!

• How did your parents react?
• Both sets of parents are excited. This will be the third grandchild for each side. 

• Are you finding out the sex before hand or keeping it a surprise?
• That is something we need to discuss. The great thing is that we can always change our mind later if we want to know!

• Any gift registry plans?
• Right now we are working on something. Please email either of us, personally rather than commenting, if you want updates. 

• Are you showing yet?
• Gas bloat, food baby, baby bump? Not sure. I'm guessing the best answer at this time is no. 

• How are you feeling?
• Pretty good. I am able to workout regularly and incorporate light weights, cardio, and yoga. 

• Do you have any strange cravings?
• In regards to pickles with dirt, and ice cream? Mmm...yummy! No. But I am craving foods I normally don't eat/don't like. Foods include cold cereal, toast with butter and jam/jelly, and orange juice. 

Did I miss any questions? Let me know if I did!

A New Years Resolution I didn't Intend to Keep

I am not one for making New Years resolutions. I learned very quickly, in first grade, that keeping them was not realistic. What kid can stay away from chocolate forever? From then on out I would either avoid making them or I would jokingly make one, with no intention to actually keep it. Joke's on me, since I actually kept it!

It turns out that this year I unintentionally kept my resolution: to read at least 12 books this year. While it might not seem like a big deal to some of my bookworm friends out there, it is to me. I am either interested in a book, or I am not. I either finish a book within a few days, or I do not finish it at all. A 600 page book has been read within a day and a half. My eyes typically hurt after I finish a book, and it isn't something I am eager to redo.

I do not know what was different about 2017. New glasses perhaps? What books did I read? Here are a few, in no particular order.

• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe-Benjamin Alire Sáenz
• A Man Called Ove-Fredrik Backman
• My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry-by Fredrick Backman
• Orphan Train-Christina Baker Kline
• The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Pakistan and Afghanistan-Kim Barker
• The Help-Kathryn Stockett
• China Rich Girlfriend-Kevin Kwan

The book I am currently reading is "The Good Soliders" by David Finkel. I've only recently started reading it. So far so good!

This new year has no resolutions for me. I plan on continuing my yoga practice, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and hopefully have new adventures in 2018. Do you have any resolutions? If you have any book recommendations, let me know!

I hope you had a great first week January, and that 2018 is filled with adventure, peace, and wonder.

Merry Christmas Ya'll!

'Tis the season to be jolly. December has been a relatively busy and fun month for us. This post was supposed to be written a week ago, but time really just got the best of me. Now is a good time to start slowing down, with Christmas around the corner, and New Years following close behind.

Our Christmas will be spent here. Robert's parents came down for a few weeks; they left before the actual holiday. I don't blame them since Panama can be a bit overwhelming this time of year, since it turns into a giant party with festivities.

Robert's mom helped decorate our Christmas tree. She and I also went shopping at a mall 40 minutes away. Going was kind of a mistake since it was packed with holiday shoppers. We celebrated early with them and had a totally untraditional dinner consisting of steak (for the non vegetarians), potatoes, roasted veggies and pie. Yum!

I am not sure what Robert and I are doing on Christmas day, but it will likely be very relaxing. We'll probably open up presents we got for each other, watch movies, and go for a walk on the beach. One of the perks of living here is that the weather is usually around 80-87 Degrees Farenheit (26-29 Degrees Celsius) year round. Although I do admit, a nice cup of hot chocolate, a cute pair of boots and cool weather don't sound too awful right now either...

What are your plans for Christmas? May you have a safe and Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to anyone reading this. Unlike the US, today is another typical day for most people in Panama-unless of course, you're an expat with friends from the United States! This time is always a fun year for people from different countries to share different traditions.

Ironically enough, stores here do participate in Black Friday/Black Weekend sales. It seemed like most stores participated after the Canadian Thanksgiving, celebrated in October. I haven't paid that much attention to see whether there are additional sales for the US version of the holiday.

We have so much to be grateful for. Remember the 365 days of gratitude practice I did a while back? While I haven't made a physical list, that has become something I still practice. Don't worry, I won't bore you on everything. But life really has been good to us.

This year we are having a pot luck Thanksgiving, hosted by some of our friends. Robert is making pies, while I am making the dressing. We'll see what other yummy goodies we get to try when we get there. Who knows, maybe we can sneak some turkey for the dogs? Haha!

From Panama, happy Thanksgiving!

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