Moving Day

Well, the moving company showed up a day early today, to pack our stuff and send it from Argentina, South America to Arlington, VA.  We weren't quite ready with everything sorted (air freight vs slow boat vs suitcases), but we decided to roll with it instead of sending them home.  You never know, if you send them away, if they'd actually show up again on time, two days in a row.  This is Argentina.  

The movers were surprisingly efficient, and finished almost everything in just 5 hours.  I'm sorta glad they came today - Mike and I sorted everything in 20 minutes, that probably would have taken me all day today by myself (I'm easily distracted, until the pressure is on!).

In other news, Caroline is doing great!  Her intense colic/reflux appears to be due to dairy/soy/all legume allergies.  Now that I've cut those from my diet, she is doing 100% better.  She naps well during the day, sleeps mostly well at night, and is super fun to be around while awake.

Except for the fact that she is screaming her head off in my arms right now for no apparent reason.  Guess I jinxed myself.

My Mom

My Mom (Carol) just left Argentina after spending 10 days here helping us and little Caroline settle in for our last month at post.  Thank goodness she came!  

She jumped up everyone time a diaper change was needed, she got Caroline to laugh and smile, and held her for hours when she was fussy.

She let us show her around town even though I'm sure she was exhausted.  And it was so nice to know she was just across the aisle ready to help on our 10 hour flight down.

But the real thing I'm thankful for is the new bond we have now that we are both mothers.  She knows just what words if encouragement I need to hear and knows what I'm going through, and I now realize how much I've under appreciated all the sacrifices she's made over the past 28 years.

Thanks Mom!

Baby's First Nap

Well, yesterday (March 24, my blogger app is apparently not publishing) Caroline hit 6 weeks.  Poor girl still has some tummy troubles but is doing much better than the first 5 weeks.  We've tried a dozen things and we're not sure which is working but at least something is.  She went from 4 weeks of crying all day to 2 weeks of being consolable if held and rocked (but we couldn't put her down).  Yesterday she took her first nap lying down on her own!!!

Oddly enough, rather than relief, I felt kinda sad.  Though it wasn't by choice, holding her 12+ hours a day helped me get to know her really well and understand how much she was reliant on me and Mike.  She'll just keep getting bigger and bigger till she won't even fit on my lap, much less want to be held.

Well, she has been really squirmy and has needed me to hold her for the past 1/2 hour.  Guess it's a little too early to get nostalgic!  :)

One Month

We survived the first month!  And when I say "we," I mean Mike and I AND Caroline.  Poor girl has had a rough go, some serious stomach discomfort about 24/7.  My heart melts when she looks at me with those sad eyes that say "I'm TRYING to tell you what's wrong, why can't you understand me?"

Although it has been a difficult month, when I say "we survived," I really feel like our little family has had to be a team, which will hopefully be a sweet memory to look back on in the future.  I'd like to remember the countless wonderful meals Mike has made me (y'all seriously need to try his meatloaf, outta this world).  I'll remember the few quiet moments we've had with Caroline, when she made a silly face or fell asleep exhausted in our arms.

And I'll remember how funny it seemed to my sleep deprived brain when we were checking out at the pediatrician's office, the baby screaming, and the lady at the desk said knowingly "Oh, she's had her shots today!"  "No," and I thought to myself laughing, "now I know we have had a rough time if her modus operandi is what other babies reserve for getting shots." I felt strangely validated and Mike and I had a good laugh.

Caroline is a healthy eater, growing well, and we have a very attentive pediatrician's office we're working with, right across the street.  But please forgive the shortage of pictures, texts, phone calls, and blog posts.  We'll get there!  Team Ritchie is on the up and up!

One Month on March 10th

Selfie :)

Introducing.....

Caroline Mackenzie Ritchie

Born February 10, 2014

8 lbs 1 oz 

20 inches long

We're all doing great so far!  Mike and I are actually getting quite a bit of sleep (she's sleeping well, and big thanks to my mom for spelling us off for naps during the day).  It seems, however, that no amount of sleep can make up for the mental exhaustion of trying to figure out what your baby needs.  We're learning a lot, but she is a fun and beautiful baby.

Sorry for the short post, but I'm typing on my phone with one thumb, as the other has been claimed in Caroline's mourh's death grip.

 

November, December, and half of January

OK, we have to cover a lot in this post, so I'm going for bullet points:

• We spent November and December trying to ensure we have checked everything off our "Argentina" list (we'll finish up there May 1st).  
• We finally found a Thai restaurant that surpassed Mike's expectations (the curry was so hot, he was sweating and tearing up, PERFECT).
• We went to the botanical gardens down the street from our apartment (sometimes it's easier to get to know Patagonia than your own backyard).  The highlight of the gardens was the Mate bush section.
• We ate some great seafood at the Fisherman's Club restaurant, El Muelle, right on the Rio de la Plata.
• We had Mike's cousin, his wife, and little boy with us for Thanksgiving.  Thank goodness they handled the turkey, it turned out amazing.  I made my Dad's sweet potato casserole (I actually don't know if it's like how Dad does it, I just know that neither of us use a recipe).  I also made my Mom's homemade rolls.  
• It was fun seeing the sights with our cousins -- we revisted Recoleta Cemetery where Evita is buried, and ate some of our favorite Argentine foods (namely pizza, empanadas, and ice cream :)
• We headed to the U.S. at the end of December, and had a great Christmas with Mike's family in Rocky Point, Mexico (on the Sea of Cortez).  
• Our nieces handled Christmas like champs -- sharing toys (the coveted one was a plastic Disney Cars key chain that made noise), making us laugh, painting my face, and eating more vegetables than I think I've ever eaten in one sitting.  The youngest took a real liking to Mike, jumping on his lap whenever he sat down in the living room, and gabbing away at him. 
• Mike grilled up some Choripan for everyone to try (chorizo sausage on a nice toasted bun with chimichurri sauce).
• Mike's parents know how much we like Mexican food, and gave us ample opportunities to get our fill (LOVE the fish tacos down there).
• We also spent some time in Phoenix, saw some friends and family, and Mike surprised me with a visit to the botanical gardens with a fantastic Christmas light display, and tickets to the Phoenix Boys Choir concert (my favorite part was when Mike said, "That guy has been in the alumni choir since I was in the boys choir!).
• Our next stop was VA, to see my family.  
• We had Christmas round two (which worked out, because Kristi missed round one, as she was sick).
• We went to see the lights at the LDS Temple Visitor's Center, and got to see the new display with Mike's Grandpa's architectural model from when he was designing the temple back in the 70's. 
• We relaxed, got our fill of Taco Bell and other American specialties, and Mike headed back to Argentina and to work.
• Since then.....
• It has been freezing in VA (or below freezing).
• Mike has been melting in Argentina (heat indices well above 100F)
• We've been checking things off our getting-ready-for-baby list!

As you can see from the above list, we have been very busy.  My lack of blogging really stems more from that than from not feeling well.  I have had some issues with low blood pressure and poor circulation, and getting out and moving and doing things has helped (as well as yoga and the Atkins diet, weirdly enough).  I am 4 weeks from my due date, and still feeling great.  I do understand why women complain about feeling big, though I tend to forget that I am until I run into something (sorry, baby).  

PINK!

Well, we're having a girl!  February 10th is still our date, and the plan is for me to have the baby near my parents in the DC area.  Sorry for the lack of blogging, my mom says people will think I've been on bed rest, but to the contrary -- we have been so busy because I feel so great!

In other PINK news, I recently did a women's 5K here in Buenos Aires.  I'm really glad my friend Megan decided to come along and walk with me, because the other 12,000 motivated ladies left us in the dust!  It was really fun to get to know the racing culture here in Argentina.  My Grandpa Epps has run dozens of marathons, and I tried to stick to his rules as best I could (which meant I stuck out a little bit :)  I did NOT wear the race shirt until after I finished the race, but I only saw one or two other girls who didn't wear theirs.  At least I wore pink, I was afraid they were going to kick me out.

Speaking of getting kicked out, let me tell you a little about being pregnant in Argentina.  When we went to pick up our race packets a few days before, I was terrified they weren't going to let me participate in the race because I was pregnant.  There were all these notices on the website about how each runner had to bring a doctor's certification etc etc.  So, when we were standing in line, I tried to wrap my sweater around myself and hunch over so they wouldn't notice my belly.  Ha, yeah right.  They spotted me, and immediately moved me to the front of the line.

Being pregnant here has taken some getting used to -- the Argentines are very forceful about "You shouldn't be standing/You shouldn't be carrying that/You shouldn't be bending over."  I get yelled at several times a week for something I'm doing wrong.  I was waiting in line at the airport once, and an entire family behind me started pushing me towards the front of the line, "Pregnant women NEVER wait in line!" I tried to explain them that I couldn't go to the front of the line because I was waiting for my husband to buy me a bottle of water, but they just kept whispering to themselves about how pregnant women should never have to wait in line.  It was kind of funny.  I also got yelled at on the city bus when I got on by myself and stood by the front for a few minutes because all the seats were full (the bus was completely packed).  That time I cried, the scolding always surprises me, and I'm so shy about parading myself around like "Give me priority, I AM PREGNANT!" especially when I'm feeling so good.

Megan hosted a baby shower for me this past weekend, and it was so much fun!  Another friend Tanya helped out, and they really went above and beyond.  Salmon mousse on cucumbers and pink and purple macaroons, fun games and good company.  One of the ladies made a diaper cake (see below) with little finger puppets on top, which I love (and will use!).  Thanks for reading, more later!