Flag Day in the USA!

(Caroline helping me with the laundry :)

Hi everyone, I am finally ready to catch you up on the last few months.  We are finally settled into our new house in Arlington, and Caroline is doing 110% better. 

Let me explain.....no, there is too much, let me sum up.  (Princess Bride :)  Pretty much, Caroline had pretty bad colic the first few months of her life.  Colic is defined as screaming 3+ hours a day (not right in a row) 3+ days a week.  There were a few weeks when Caroline could scream 10+ hours a day.  The pediatrician's office tried to reassure us at first, "All babies cry" etc etc, but after we came in and told them that in the last 24 hours she had only slept 4, they took us seriously.

We tried everything under the sun, including a really strict elimination diet for me.  After cutting dairy, then soy, then all legumes like peas and peanuts, something out there was still bothering her, but it is really hard to diagnose allergies at this age, and an elimination diet is tricky because of the lag time between when you eat and when the baby is affected.  This week, we made the switch to hypoallergenic formula, adding some rice cereal to help settle her stomach, and it has made a world of difference.  It was a little scary for awhile a few weeks back -- her stomach was bothering her so much that she was eating less and less each time, until she was hardly eating anything at all, just screaming.  She may have lost about a pound in weight, which is a lot when you only weigh 12 pounds.  We will see if she has allergy issues in the future, but we're hoping she is able to grow out of them after her stomach heals.  I definitely felt a lot of societal pressure to continue breastfeeding, but as soon as I mentioned that I wanted to switch Caroline to formula, all the doctors were very supportive.  I get the feeling that no matter how beneficial breastfeeding might be, it's not going to help as much as a happy, healthy mother, and a non-screaming baby.

Meanwhile, we've been trying to work our way back to reality.  I made pancakes this morning, and I kid you not - I felt as proud as if I had won an Olympic medal.  Bursting with pride.  Mike has been working non-stop on setting up everything in.....our new house!  We bought a townhouse in the Shirlington area, and we love it.  Parks and trails and restaurants all nearby. 

I had a bunch more I was going to blog about, but I can't remember what it was.  More later!  Here is our Flag Day picture with our brand new flag!

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).