A Thanksgiving/ Mother's Day to Remember

Really?! How was it that my last post was over a month ago? I promise, I had a draft of one. It just wasn't finished. Agh!  So here is the original post:

The great thing about living in an expat community is that you learn about cultures and traditions in other countries. Our first Thanksgiving consisted of people from 7 different countries celebrating a US holiday. How cool, right? This year's Thanksgiving Day (T-Day) was a bit more scaled down, but still very unforgettable. After all, how can you forget your baby's first round of holidays?

We had a potluck T-Day at a friend's house. This year 3 countries were represented: the United States, Canada, and Thailand. Robert did not make his famous pies; somebody else volunteered for that. Kind of a bummer, but it worked out since they are a bit time consuming to do. Instead, we made dressing, honey butter, and brought rolls.

It was interesting because Canada also has a Thanksgiving. It occurs in October and is about more of the harvest rather than the Pilgrims. Canadians say that this is a big day for people in the US compared to their version of the holiday. People in the States go all out and travel hours to see family. That sort of traveling tends to happen more on Christmas for Canadians.

Robert and I always have a lot to be thankful for. This year is no exception because we got to celebrate it with Brooke.

A Holiday Weekend and No Time Change

November is a busy month for Panama. Not only does it mark the time for snowbirds to come make their way down (snowbirds are people who live here during the winter), but it is also is when holidays begin. This weekend kicks off the holiday season.

Here is a list of the holidays this month:

Nov 2-Dia de los Muertos

Nov 3-Separation from Colombia Day. Gringos tend to call it an independence day, but it isn't. Panama was never ruled by Colombia

Nov 4-Flag Day

Nov 5-Colón Day. When the townspeople of Colón stopped Colombian troops from marching into Panama City (celebrated more in Colón than the rest of the country).

Nov 10-Shout to Villa de Los Santos. The start of the revolution against Spain

Nov 28-Independance from Spain

The explanations of these are fairly watered down, but I imagine you get the gist. Most of these are paid holidays as well. It is my understanding that Panamanians get something like 30 paid holidays each year, plus a month's vacation. Not bad, huh?

This weekend normally results in busy beaches filled with people and blasting music until wee hours of the morning (welcome to Panama). Not this weekend! It has been relatively rainy and kind of on the cold side, resulting in fewer people on the beaches. 

We went shopping a few days before the rush started. You have to otherwise lines rival Black Friday lines in the US. Buying milk and butter can result in you standing in a line for over 2 hours. Thanks, but no thanks.

Most of the world also changed their clocks today. Living in Arizona got me spoiled by not having to do this. Panama also does not change their clocks. How cool! We are now in the same timezone as the East Coast of the US, still 2 hours ahead of Arizona, and now 3 hours ahead of Pacific (Oregon/California) time. 

No pictures in this post. Kind of boring, I know. I have nothing to post! Robert and I have been hunkered inside. Take care and be safe!

Our First Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone! This year has been exciting in a lot of ways thanks to Brooke. Having an excuse to dress up is no exception. We got to celebrate Halloween for the first time as a family. Woohoo!

Panama does not celebrate the day. Trick-or-treating doesn't happen here. They celebrate Dia de los Muertos instead. This day is about celebrating and remembering loved ones that have died. Watch the Pixar movie, Coco, if you're curious. The movie is cute and it explains the holiday in a Disney/Pixar kind of way.

Okay, so no Halloween in Panama. Why did you dress up?

How could we not dress up Brooke on her first Halloween? There was a 5k/2k walk/run to raise money for a local swim team. Because it was on the 28th, participants were encouraged to dress up if they so chose. We used this as an excuse for a family costume (although it would probably have happened regardless). Neither Robert or I can really recall the last time we dressed up for Halloween; it's been at least 16 years for me.

For those who do not understand the reference...you're welcome by the way

Unfortunately, we ended up leaving before the 2k walk started. We waited over 30 minutes after our walk was supposed to start. It was hot and humid. Brooke was asleep so she didn't seem to mind it. However, we would have been done with the walk had it started on time. Looking for respite from the heat, we left. 

Surprisingly, Brooke wasn't the only baby there! It turns out there are other moms with littles in the area. The community isn't just a retirement community after all! It was kind of exciting. It was also nice to see friends and people I haven't seen since Brooke was born. 

As a side note/rant: please do not ever think you are entitled to see anyone else's baby. One woman (who I recognized but couldn't tell you where from) was overly insistent on seeing Brooke's face. Brooke was asleep and had her face buried in my shoulder. Any chance I can change my outfit from a mama shark to a mama bear? 

I get it. Babies are usually cute and draw a lot of attention. Don't be like that lady. Respect boundaries and know you are entitled to nothing when it comes to somebody else's child.

The event may not have worked out as planned. We ended up having a fun day. Dressing up as a family was fun. Looking forward to what we come up with next year. Have a great Halloween!

Sore Throats Throttle our Plans

Brooke had her 2 month wellness checkup a week ago. Naturally, there had to be a coughing kid. His caregivers are teaching that sharing is caring, because he cared enough to share it with some of us in the office, including us. How to the receptionists not get sick by the way? Also, please excuse any awful grammar mistakes.

Originally I thought I was not drinking enough water. I easily drink over 4 liters (a gallon) of water a day and it was morning when that little tickle started hitting. A bottle later, problem solved. Or so I thought! This illness has been a gradual onset for me with a sore throat. Robert has been a different story. He got hit hard and fast. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't take time off work so he has not had a chance to really rest.

I think Brooke is getting it too. Luckily my body is producing antibodies in my breast milk to help with whatever funk we all have. Work antibodies! Work! 

All this scrapped plans for an event I have been looking forward to for a while: taking Brooke swimming for the first time. The go ahead was given by her doctor at her 1 month wellness checkup, but those plans had to get postponed. The hurricane in the East Coast of the US gave us very strong waves, preventing us from taking Brooke out. Did I mention her pediatrician prefers us to take her out in the ocean versus a chlorinated pool?

This week seemed perfect now that the storm has died down and waves are nice and calm. It is with the exception of us being sick. We are not the only ones, however. It seems like there is a bug going around.

I am very fortunate that my symptoms are less severe than Robert's. Trying to clear your throat or cough quietly/gracefully in order to prevent from waking a sleeping baby on your chest, is a whole new ball game for me. I kind of have to chuckle about as I write this. Parenthood is everything I hoped for and more, in every aspect.

Things otherwise are good in Panama. Not a whole lot going on outside of the normal ebbs and flows.  Now if only we could get rid of our soar throats and head down to the beach! Hope all of you are doing well. Stay healthy!

Cloth Diapers, Milk, and Photos

I think it's safe to assume that our lives, especially mine as a nursing mother, has been centered around Brooke. Adjusting to parenthood is kind of a strange thing. Brooke gets what she wants, when she wants. She is great at communicating like that. We wouldn't have it any other way.

It is kind of strange to think that a small little being has so much power and control over your life. She is a great communicator if you pay attention. Hungry? Go to Mommy. Tired? Time to figure out what motion (bouncing, rocking, walking, a back rub) will help. Diaper change? Done!

It is amazing how fast she is growing though. Literally! While I cannot say for sure, I am confident that she has more than doubled her birth weight. She loves her dad, mom, and her milk! Her latest thing has been enjoying nursing while being bounced on an exercise ball. Being rocked on the exercise ball or having mommy doing crunches while nursing is also another thing Brooke loves. She however, does not like being nursing in a rocking chair. Although I don't blame her since her feet have to go through the little side bars of the arm rest. I don't like nursing her there anyways, so it is a mutual agreement. If this is not an indication that she is a great communicator, then I do not know what is.

The whole diapering thing has been an adventure. We originally intended to cloth diaper from the start. We have prefolds, covers, cloth wipes...the works. However, Brooke was born smaller than the intended prefold size since I opted out of the newborn size. She is ready to fit in them but now we are at the drawing board trying to figure out what we need to do to prevent the ever dreaded diaper rash.

In a cloth diaper

Disposables (sposies) have been used in the mean time. Those aren't cheap ya'll! We've spent about the same amount on sposies as we have our whole cloth diaper stash that is intended to last Brooke well into toddlerhood and could be used by other future littles! By the way, if you're keeping track, Brooke is not even 2 months old yet. I am also not fond of all the extra waste going into the landfill, but that is a different post.

People ask for pictures of Brooke all the time. If you're friends with me on Facebook then you know that I am not a big social media poster or that I post many photos. Brooke is no exception. I try to limit my screen time when she is awake. Sometimes she will be doing something adorable and cute that is "totally picture worthy." I found myself getting so caught up in trying to get the cutest photo that I missed out on what she was actually doing. Fast forward 5 or 6 photos later and I feel like my focus was on the wrong thing. But hey, at least I have a cute picture now. Right?

The other thing, to be quite frank, is I don't know who is seeing these pictures and what people are doing with them. I already have strange stories I could share, but that is for another time. Want to see her? Come visit! We'd love to see you.

A typical photo now a days so my focus is on her when she is awake

Becoming a parent has been an initiation by fire, for sure. It has been the best and hardest thing. Although she doesn't realize this, Brooke pushes me and makes me want to be a better person, not unlike Robert. Life is a little more crazy, and a little tiring. It's also a lot brighter and better. Life in Panama is good ya'll!

Our Baby Girl, Brooke

This post comes a month late but...We are officially parents! Brooke was born on 16 July in the evening and weighed 5lbs 12oz. She is healthy and was a full time baby. Robert and I are head over heels with her and all her tiny preciousness. Here are some of the details you may or may not be curious regarding her birth. People have asked for these details though so here ya go...

My water broke Sunday evening while I was making dinner. Time to head to the hospital! Ironically enough, we still hit a little traffic with people heading home from the beaches area. Luckily it cleared up before we got to the city, and wasn't as bad as Monday rush hour traffic. I was not experiencing contractions at this point.

The doctor gave me 12 hours to go into labor without being induced. Robert and I both took naps. Word of advice: bring a blanket for dads/support people who are in the laboring room. Those rooms get cold!

No progress after 12 hours, so I got induced. Small contractions finally started happening. I eventually got the contractions but was not dilating. I was given medicine to help with dilation. It did not work. My ever clever doctor had some techniques up her sleeve. The baby was not in distress so my natural birth plan carried on.

Labor slowly progressed. My exercise ball and Robert were game changers. The initial birth plan was to go without an epidural. The words finally came from my doctor, "let's get you to the delivery room." Sweet Jesus, it's almost over with! By this point I was in a windowless room dealing with waves of contractions. I was ready to meet our baby.

People have asked how long I was pushing. They ask how long I was in labor. I do not know since I had no time reference. What I do know is that my doctor, the pediatrician, the laboring staff, and Robert were huge supports. They helped me do what I needed in order for us to become parents and without an epidural. I also know that Brooke immediately gave both of us an indescribable sense of joy and elation.

It's all Fun and Games for Now

The countdown is on for when the little will arrive. Workouts and yoga have temporarily stopped. Finishing last minute projects have been a focus. It seems like now is just a waiting game–pun intended. The last week has literally been about chilling out, relaxing, and playing games.

Robert and I went to Panama City last week and watched Sicario 2. We both enjoyed the first one and were hoping that the second movie would be released here. While not quite as good as the original (the first was really good), the second movie was still enjoyable and worth the drive to the city. Benicio del Toro brings his usual command and charisma to the screen. Put both of these movies on your "to watch" list if you have not seen either of these movies. You'll thank me later. This applies even if you are like me and find these movies a bit out of your typical movie genre preferences.

We had a game and dinner night with friends. We played Hand and Foot. The girls lost, but it was still fun. I also snuck in some Mah Jong. I am not very good at the game. Luckily the people I play with play to win but aren't super competitive about it either.

Has anyone been keeping up with the World Cup? I thought I would jump off the bandwagon once Panama was out of it. Wrong! Upset after upset keeps happening. Teams that were expected to be in the quarter-finals aren't, including Germany and Brazil. I wonder how many people who made brackets and placed bets actually made money this go-around?

Wednesday involved a ladder ball tournament with people who live in our building. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the game, you have a ladder with three bars. You can play either play with two or four people at a time, creating teams of two if playing with four people (which is the most fun by the way) Each bar has a point value of 1-3. You are then given balls that are attached with a rope and the object is to "hook" the balls onto the ladder. The first to a certain point value wins the game. It is like a hybrid of shuffleboard and horseshoes.

Lastly, this week involved me reading two books.  Every Man in this Village is a Liar: an Education on War, by Megan Stack, was the first. The book is about a journalist's accounts while she reported throughout the Middle East during the early 2000s. The second book, The Heart of Abshire House, by Tai Sith, is a sequel to The Incredible Secrets of Hadley Hill. One book made me think about views on foreign policy. The other was a mix of adventure, mystery, and romance. Both are good reads, depending on the kind of book genres you're into (read "Hadley Hill" before you read "Abshire House").

 

All of this meant I took a bit of a Facebook/technology hiatus. I posted something last week about how I was planning on staying off Facebook. Social media is great in a lot of ways, after all, I get paid to be on it and I enjoy staying up to date with family and friends. There comes a point where you just need a break. I got several messages asking about whether I was in labor. Nope, just taking a break.

Rumors seem to be going around that I am ready to not be pregnant anymore. FALSE...well sort of! I am ready to meet our kiddo on his terms. We are also about as ready as we can be regarding baby items. We are ready for her. I will admit, sleeping on my back again is going to be awesome. We are both in good spirits, and I kind of am enjoying the fact that taking care of the kiddo at this point is easy. I think other people are getting more impatient than we are.

Life is good though and we are officially on for Panamanian Baby Watch '18. As you might understand, a blog post every 2 weeks for a bit may not be possible for a while. The topic shift is likely change a bit too, as our Panamanian adventures shift into an introduction of parenthood in Panama.