A Hike in the City

Robert and I have been itching to go on a hike. Or, maybe it was just me and I convinced myself the hike was both our ideas? Both of us have been busy with work. A change of pace from the daily monotonies of daily life was needed and welcomed.

We found a hike in Panama City, at Parque Natural Metropolitano, Natural Metropolitan Park. It is the second highest point in Panama City, second to Ancon Hill, which we have been to on a few occasions.

The total hike was around 3.5km (2 mi) on trails that are well maintained. I have been able to stay active throughout my pregnancy, so this hike seemed doable. If nothing else, we could always slow down and/or turn around, right? To be honest, the thing I was worried most about was whether we would get hit with rain. The rain stayed away; no complaints!

This hike was just what the doctor ordered. The first part of our hike was flat and super easy. The second part of the hike was almost all up hill, which lasted around half a mile (1km). We got to the top of the hill and got to see some pretty cool sights. There were views of the city we haven't seen before. There was also this impressive line of leaf cutter ants. Pictures didn't do the line of ants justice.

Leaf cutter ants

One of the views we saw of Panama City

We took another trail down, which lead to the flat part of the hike. We then got breakfast and did a little exploring at a local mall. The initial plan was to go see a movie as well. The show time unexpectedly got pushed back an extra hour, which we did not want to wait around for. Maybe next time. 

The day turned out to be the perfect day. We got to spend some time together in nature, enjoyed a new adventure, and avoided rain! Woohoo!

A Mother's Day Post

Just wanted to send a quick Happy Mother's Day note to all the moms out there. Moms come in so many forms and you all deserve to be recognized. You all make a difference in this world!

The day is rumored to have started off as a day for grieving mothers. I know several moms that have experienced the death of a child. For that, I honor you. I know several moms who struggle with infertility. For that, I honor you.

I know others of you that are okay having four legged friends. For that, I honor you. Others of you have adopted communities and dedicated your life to service. You are honored. Of course, we cannot forget the moms who have children and get to spend time with them on a regular basis. You are honored!

To me, the day is about blessings. People have been wishing me a happy Mother's Day. It is an honor to hear that, although it is also very surreal. It's incredible to know that we'll be meeting our Thumper in about 10 weeks, but it's also kind of unreal too. The fun thing? Panama celebrates Mothers Day in December, on the Day of the Immaculate Conception. Perhaps then, the day will feel a little more real and a little less surreal. Haha.

I also want to send a shout out to our moms. I have an amazing mother in law. She is kind, loving, and generous. She helped raise her son into the man that is my best friend. Thanks for all you do!

Then there is my mom. She's strong and fierce. We might drive each other crazy at times, but she's the best mom I could ask for.

One of my favorites, 2011

May you find peace, happiness, and blessings on Mothers Day!

A Pregnancy Rant and and Update of the Past Two Weeks: Part 2

I decided that the posts needed to be broken up into parts. There was no way to keep two, relatively different topics cohesive in one blog post. That being said, can ya'll believe that July is just a few months away?

Robert and I have been busy wrapping our head around this. The last two weeks have been spent touring hospitals in Panama City. There are four private hospitals we were considering and wanted to see in person. We took a tour of three of the four, as the normal tour guide for one was not available.

Although the day was informative, it was also exhausting. There are certain things that we were curious about. Neither of us have much to compare with. I know plenty of friends back in the US that I could ask questions to that have given birth in US hospitals. Most new moms are supplied with peri bottles, the fashionable mesh underwear, and are given a stash of other freebies in the US. Are hospitals in Panama ran the same way? The answer is that it depends on the hospital. While the stash of freebies wasn't a make or break deal, it is still important and useful on what to bring when baby decides to arrive.

Source 

Source 

I had a list of questions on my phone, but both of us were also asking questions neither of us had thought of until we got to the hospitals. One tour was in English while the other two were in Spanish. Talk about learning a whole new vocabulary! I cannot speak for Robert, but my brain was pretty fried by the third hospital. Luckily the guides were kind and understanding. We were all laughing when hand and body gestures were being used. Who says you can't have fun while making a fairly big decision?

Nothing is decided yet on which hospital the baby will be born. We started this process assuming it might take some time to make a decision. Fortunately enough we are in a position where we can not only pick the OBGYN, but we can also decide which hospital the baby is born. Having that kind of flexibility is nice since I know that isn't always the case back in the US.

Next on our list is finding a pediatrician. This whole introduction to parenthood is pretty intense with a lot of decisions that need to be made. While it is just the start of a whole new us, the journey so far has been amazing. Undoubtedly the next three months are going to fly by and we'll be holding our son or daughter in our arms. Did I really just say that?! 

A Pregnancy Rant and and Update of the Past Two Weeks: Part 1

I have been debating on what I should talk about in the next blog post. There are two things that have been on my mind lately. One is kind of a pregnancy rant. The other is an update on what we've been up to in the last two weeks. Can the two be combined into one post? Let's see!

One thing I have been asked a lot lately is to post pictures or send pictures of my baby bump. Although my bump isn't the size of a beach ball (yet), it's hard to ignore my baby bump, even if I am lounging around in an oversized shirt.

My pregnant body seems to be changing daily in one way or another. Bending over to pick something off the floor is getting more difficult. It seemed relatively easy two weeks ago. Now it is becoming kind of a chore. Take a deep breath and squat/bend. Stand and exhale. Needless to say, some of the internal dialogues in my head can be pretty interesting on whether it is necessary to pick something up.

I am not the only one noticing my growing body. Others tell me their observations too! Well meaning people will tell me how good I look. In fact, I do not look over "three months pregnant," or tell me that I am barely showing. Others joke asking if I am having twins or triplets. One person, not Robert, commented on how my breasts are growing. While I try to smile and take it in stride, biting my tongue is not always easy.

I have never been one to really enjoy hearing comments on my body. Being pregnant has only reinforced some of these feelings. I get it, and it is something I try to accept. I am not against my photo being taken or published on social media. However, that doesn't mean I am posting belly bump pictures from the side either. If a blog post relates to me needing to be in the picture then I'll gladly post it. Just do not expect any side selfies from me any time soon!

Easter and Semana Santa in Panama

We hope you had a good Easter. We did! Traffic can get chaotic around here as people that live in Panama City spend part of the week in the countryside; aka, where we live. Beaches, roads, and stores get crowded. It makes for a great excuse to binge watch a tv series or work on a project you've been putting off.

All government offices were closed by Thursday at noon. Good Friday is a national holiday. I have read that government officials figure most of their workers are already absent mentally the day ahead, planning their trip and their holiday festivities.

Robert and I did all of our grocery shopping ahead of time. A typical 10 minute drive can easily be tripled when traffic hits. I read today that somebody's normal 10 minute drive took roughly 60 minutes. Yikes!

Somebody had too much fun. Traffico Panama

We tried watching some of The Divergent movies. I like some of the main actors (Shailene Woodley, Miles Teller, and Ansel Elgort) in other movies. What did we have to lose? The first movie was okay. We barely made it through the second movie and never discussed attempting the third.

I focused my attention on making cloth wipes to go along with the cloth diapers we plan on using. It has been years since I touched a sewing machine. Cutting two pieces of fabric into squares and sewing them together seemed easy enough, despite my lack of sewing abilities. It was, once I got a rotary cutter that had a sharp blade and I figured out/remembered how to use the sewing machine. It's safe to say that I will not be quilting any time soon. Haha!

My first two wipes finished and ready for duty.

Robert stayed busy as well. He helped me cut some of the squares. He also did some miscellaneous projects around the house and read. The weekend was mostly about relaxing for him, which is exactly what it should be.

Easter weekend is the last major holiday in Panama until November. Things are quieting down as snowbirds (people who live here half the year) from the US and Canada are heading back. Walking the beach for a kilometer or two (0.5-1 miles) is possible on the weekday. The rainy season should also start in the next couple of weeks. Time to enjoy the peace and tranquility of Panama.

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