Now What?

From my Day 1 this is what I ask myself every morning :) Today is no different. I feel I have exhausted almost all of my resources on trying to get Belle to sleep in her own crib which is in our room. She can be dead asleep in my arms and her little eyes pop open the minute I put her in her bed. Sometimes I catch her peeking at me with one eye when she is sleeping. It's like she is saying, "don't even think about it or you will pay." Swaddling, rocking, music, the neat vibration bed machine and even placing something warm down before I lay her down doesn't work. I even tried placing something that smelled like me in bed with her. 

I think she really is becoming more aware of her surroundings and wants to be in all the action. This too will pass I know but sometimes it's hard to see out of the weeds. Already time passes to quickly. 

Today is a new Day. I feel it :) For ever rough day there should be a good day right? We will see :) Off to catch 15 min of sleep before she realizes that she is in her own crib.

Tchau,

Sara

Foot in Mouth

First rule if babies: each day is different. Now she hates the moby wrap and her bed. My arms are being abused!!

One day I will sleep and then she will blame me for all her problems and attachment issues. Little does she know that I will always remind her that she made me carry her 13 lb booty around for hours on end.

Then again, who wouldn't want to carry this cutie around?? Hard to stressed when she smiles at you like this. There is a reason God made babies cute!!

Tchau,
Sara

Rock in Rio

The past weekend marked the first time in ten years that Rock in Rio returned to Brazil. The concert rotates between Portugal, Spain and Brazil every few years. Tickets went on sale earlier in the year for pretty cheap but almost impossible to get. The 600,000 tickets sold out in four days but what was even more impressive is that most of them sold out from people purchasing without internet. The good old fashion wait in line and purchase at a ticket booth. A friend of ours paid his maid to stand in line for 8 hrs to purchase as many tickets as possible.

Scalpers then took advantage of the situation and increased the prices from an original 200R to 800R a ticket. Nate planned on attending one of the days but opted out to stay home with me and Belle. Thank you!! Little did we know that the concert is shown on TV... live. So weird to me! I would be pissed to pay 800R a ticket to know that I could have avoid the crowd, traffic and other craziness to sit in the comfort of my home.

Check out the article in English describing more of the concert and the bands that are playing. A wide variety of groups to appeal to everyone! Such a great idea :) Rock in Rio in Here

From the looks of the concert on TV all of the tickets are standing room only. So pretty much a huge field with hundreds of thousands of people at eye level for a concert... no my cup of tea but to each there own.

Our friend that went this past weekend had an amazing time despite the pickpocketing scandal that took place. Apparently people trained for it and a large group set out to pickpocket everyone at the concert. My friend got his wallet stolen then a friend of his got his camera stolen with in a matter of minutes of walking into the concert. When they realized what had happened the kept checking their pockets only to find they fell victim again by losing their phones.

The police have arrested people and supposedly are investigating the incidents. Better nip this idea in the butt before the World Cup 2014 and the Olympics 2016. Set an example of these people that way no one thinks it is a good idea in the future!

Tchau,
Sara

PS- Funny bit: In Portuguese you don't pronounce the R when it occurs before a vowel which makes Rock in Rio pronounced Hock in Hee-oh :) Always makes me laugh.

Make You Smile

Here are a few photos to make you smile today. Belle being a diva in her big sunglasses and another one of her smiling in the swing!

Tchau,
Sara

Proof

Here is a photo to prove she is sleeping in her own bed!!

Love her way too much. Now I just want to pick her up ;)

Tchau,
Sara

Sleeping??

No way. I don't believe it. Belle has fallen asleep on her own, no crying, in her own bed three times today!! I haven't had to rock, walk, pat for hours on end to get her to close her eyes. Now that she is finally sleeping I have no idea what to do. I keep walking into the room to see if she is still alive.

I seriously don't believe that she is sleeping. I hear all those parents who say there kids fell asleep anywhere and anytime. Who knew that Belle would be ready to go all the time?

I guess I called it when I was pregnant. She moved all the time then and she moves all the time now. Today I have been taking advantage of her sleeping by trying to catch up on mine. Off to sleep some more!

Tchau,
Sara

Crazy Crasins!

Brazil is not the country you can see something in the grocery store and just buy without looking at the price. These days my stomach drives the car and I saw them and couldn't pass them up!! I just now saw the price... Almost 10 USD!!! Oops. I bought two packages. Note to self: Crasins are not worth 20$

Tchau,
Sara

Brazilian Passport Time

Friday Belle had her interview with the Brazilian Federal Police for her passport application. Maybe some of you recall the first time Nate and I had to venture into Centro for our Visas. If not then I will tell the story again.

In a country, or at least town, where it is acceptable for men to wear a speedo with no shirt or shoes into the grocery store it is UNacceptable for me to wear shorts into the Federal Police Station.

What a normal person you see walking around in a Speedo.
Trust me. Nothing you want to see..... ever!

Since we were new to the area we had a driver take us to the office where I quickly found out that I could not be admitted because I was wearing shorts. Due to time limitations and needing the paperwork to be done that exact day I opted to wear my husbands pants over my shorts..... I am 5'7" and Nate is 6'4". He out weighs me by a good 120lbs give or take. While Nate sat in his underwear in the car I wore his jeans rolled up and cinched at the waist. Everyone in the station laughed but I was admitted and the paperwork was processed. When I returned to the car I found Nate still in his underwear working away on his laptop while the driver continued to look at us like we were crazy.

I could have been friend with these guys with my baggy jeans!

This time around I went overboard with attire with jeans, closed toed shoes and a blouse. I have to say that it was nice to wear something other than yoga pants and a tank top. Nate was able to keep his pants on so I say the trip was a success!

All our paperwork was completed and all we had to do was sign some paperwork. Belle's photograph may be cause for concern. The dimensions we were told are wrong but the lady at the desk said it wouldn't be a problem. I doubt it and it seems like very lax security. Then again, the same thing happened for her US passport that arrived last week to the house. I think that security might not be as tight for an infant. Just a guess though.

Everything went great and we can pick up the passport in 5-8 days. They normally would mail it but the postal office is on strike. And you wonder why we never let anyone send us anything in the mail. another story for another day!

For now we patiently wait for the word that we can pick up her passport. Then I can start scheduling a trip home to see the rest of the family and friends!!

Equals trip home!!

Tchau,
Sara

Juan Valdez

Nate brought me home the best coffee ever! Last year a friend of ours brought us some from Columbia and I fell in love. Sorry Brazil but I am not a fan of your coffee at all.

Now I will have the energy to be supermom! He also bought a hand grinder for me. Don't you love the photo where you can see the ocean? Just thought I would share my amazing view this morning along with my special coffee treat!

Tchau,
Sara

Ps- Belle slept 5 hrs up 2 hrs with her dad when he got home. Then another 5... Feed for 10 min and back to sleep for 5 all on her own!! Guess she missed her dad as much a I did.

Let the Tears Fall

Even though Claudia came each day this week I still managed to break down and feel overwhelmed. A dash of feeling lonely mixed with uncertainty topped with tired makes deadly cocktail. Each morning I felt energized to take on the new day but by the end, with several failed attempts to get little Belle to sleep, I felt incompatible to be a mother.

The book says this and the mom next door's infant was sleeping by herself through the night at 5 weeks. So many opinions and information running through my head. When your tired, consistency lacks in everything you do. Most of the time you look for the quick solution and get frustrated when it doesn't succeed.

It's amazing how deflated you can feel in such a short amount of time. When you finally take a step back and realize that your baby is still a baby. A baby that is still learning and if she needs me to help her sleep then so be it! When she is ready to sleep on her own without being held then she will and I shouldn't feel like a failure because of some book or what another person's infant did.

Each day she makes huge strides in development. She found the swing toys above her head and now can tolerate the swing for 15 min. Tummy time has been extended to 5 min and she loves when I walk with her so she can look around. Each time she sees me she smiles and sort of giggles which melts my heart.

One of these days I will get some sleep and my arms will get a rest but only when Belle is ready. I will continue to try each day to see if she can tolerate it. Right now she is sleeping on her own in her bed without being held. I rocked her to 'almost' sleep and placed her down to nap. This lasted for about thirty minutes and then she woke up when she realized I wasn't next to her. I don't blame her. This world is scary!! I went into the room immediately then patted her belly and talked her down until she started to get drowsy again. I had to repeat this one more time but now she has been asleep for 45 min on her own. She is growing up so fast!!

The little steps. Maybe tomorrow there will be more progress but I am taking the win for today. Sad to say that I already miss the days where I didn't have to place her in her bed alone. I need to do what is best for the family and her development and help her through this transition. I guess I will need to get used to letting my baby go because for the rest of her life I will be teaching her to succeed without me constantly by her side and to be independent.

Can I have another baby please?

Wow. I must be tired :)

Tchau,
Sara

PS- did I also mention that Nate was gone for the whole week and that our power went out every single night? Talk about a stressful week. I am so grateful that Nate returns this evening. Adult conversation and someone to tell me it's ok Belle didn't get accepted into Harvard this week..... that can wait for 18 years!

Rattle?

Belle playing on her mat playing with a rattle that I placed in her hand and looking at some picture books so I can eat!!

Tchau,
Sara

Let's play!!

Recently belle has decided that she doesn't want to sleep ever!! Maybe she really needs me to hold her so she can sleep? Hopefully this will pass soon so at least I can get good sleep. The one good thing is that she doesn't cry. She just won't sleep!

So not only will Belle not sleep but the power keeps going out. Nate is gone and I am breaking out the candles and flash lights taking care of a newborn. I really cannot wait for things to just work and for Nate to be home to help out!!

Tchau,
Sara

Sunny Day

Belle sportin her sunglasses for a walk. She didn't seem to mind them at all!

Tchau,
Sara

Game Day

Putting my camera to use! I need to get good fast because Belle has a very short attention span. Usually by the time that I have her dressed and ready to go she is ready to quit. I was able to capture a few cute moments! Nate picked out her bow this morning, out of the two options I gave him, and the onesie and tutu were a given. The girl needs more orange!

One thing I need to work on is lighting. Some look a little dark to me and I think that I was blocking the light. 

Bad thing about living in Brazil is that we can't watch college football :( terrible news. We did have a slingbox which enabled us to watch US cable through the internet but it had a glitch and refuses to work. Sunday football is making an entrance this year on Brazilian cable. I have seen more games on tv this year than last so maybe the trend is catching on. Only bad thing is that the games are all in Portuguese. 

Tchau,

Sara

Holding

I could hold this sweet girl all day long!

Tchau,
Sara

Bogota Columbia

Nate left for Bogota Columbia today and will return later in this week. I really get to test how well I can handle being a single parent! Well, not really. Nate went grocery shopping for me this morning and stocked the house full of food. Then I asked Claudia to come Monday, Wednesday and Friday so all I really have to do is look after our sweet baby girl :)

Poor Nate has a full day of travel to get to his meetings. There isn't a direct flight from Rio so he has to make a few connections along the way. I am actually a little jealous that he gets a chance to visit this country. To bad he won't be able to tour the city or see any of the sights. I have friends that live there and heard that it's absolutely beautiful! I really hope that he can get some pictures of something or anything. Who knows with boys though because the last thing they care about is photos. 

Picture of the city skyline that I found on the internet.

When he returns back home I have no doubt that Belle will have changed so much. Each day that passes she becomes more aware of her surroundings and fixates on random objects. In the morning she smiles constantly and recognizes both of us. I cannot describe the love I feel when her face lights up because she sees me looking down at her. I just hope that when he returns Belle give him the biggest smile ever because I know that I will! 

Tchau,

Sara

Smile Belle

This is what I get when trying to make her smile!! A nose curl :) guess I need to break out the big camera so she laughs more.

Tchau,
Sara

5 Week Check-up

Yesterday we went to a pediatrician in Macae just in case Belle had an emergency we would already know someone.

Nate and I walked in the building and immediately I felt like I stepped into a building somewhere in India. The atmosphere screamed third world and I wanted to take Belle and run. The waiting room, littered with mothers and their children, contained ten plastic waiting room chairs and a receptionist from a Stephen King novel. We opted to wait outside until Belle decided it was time to eat.... Every other mother had a boob out so I squeezed in between two people to take my seat and whip out the boob.

Imagine squeezing in to find a seat to BF your baby in a room like this?

As Belle was eating I thought to myself, how things have changed in my life and how far out of my comfort zone I have flown. I would never do this in the US. Well, I would but I would cover up and probably find a small corner to sit in and not just show the world! I could see Nate through the sliding glass door and every once in awhile we would catch each other's glance and smirk at the scene. Finally Belle finished up and I quickly cleaned up, got up and passed her to Nate outside. I went and waited inside for our name to be called per Nate's orders and against my wants.

The view in the doctors office didn't ease my worries of contracting something deadly. While we talked to the doctor both of us couldn't help but notice the rusty scale and exam table. The doctor brought up the fact that we haven't got the Tuberculosis vaccine yet and all I wanted to say was, "hell she doesn't need that she needs a Tetanus before coming to your office". I kept my mouth shut because I knew there was no real danger.

Belle's Stats:

     Weight= 5kg (11lbs)!! An increase from 3.7kg (7.7lbs) at birth
     Height= 58cm (22.8 in)!! An increase from 52 (20.5in) at birth

I just can't believe how much she has changed in the past month. She really is growing too fast. The doctor told us to watch her weight because it was above average percentile wise... then he showed us her height on the same graph for percentiles and she was almost in the 100th percentile. Shouldn't we take that into consideration when telling us to watch her weight or does he want us to watch that too! Ha! Belle looked like a toddler compared to the other babies in the waiting room so I am guessing that he is not used to big gringo babies :)

Overall things went fine. I really was a shocked to see the difference in health care in Macae compared to it in Rio. We will not be seeing that doctor again unless we have an emergency. Next month we will be traveling to Rio the Pedi that went to her delivery and she will get her immunizations. For now I will just focus on keeping her healthy and happy.

Tchau,
Sara

1 Month

A week late but here are some 1 month old photos. I love that she is smiling so much these days. Nothing better than seeing a response after weeks of blank stares. Belle also started recognizing people and stares at everything!

Just looking at these makes my heart melt so much. I still have to pinch myself because we have a baby and it's already been over a month!!

Tchau,

Sara

Play Time

During our rough no sleep night and day we still managed some developmental play time. She finally tolerate the swing for more than two minutes. I actually caught her smiling and playing in it!! Then we did a little tummy time... She didn't like it too much and rolled over to her back. Fingers crossed that she sleeps tonight because I am walking dead right now :)

Tchau,
Sara

Lobster Time!

I asked Nate if we could grill out hamburgers tonight and he brings home a kilo lobster. Belle out weighs him for sure but he challenges her length! We shall see how this endeavor turns out. We have to grill him and I bet it turns out dry. Nate is pretty good with a grill so it should be interesting!

Tchau,
Sara

Ps- we also have hamburgers... Good thing I can eat an entire grocery store these days ;)

Karma

Yesterday I laughed at my mother in law for blowing out her curling iron in the hotel. She plugged her 110V beauty supply into a 220V outlet. Needless to say the device smoked and quit. I smiled and laughed because I have been there before. Luckily my hairdryer didn't blowout but ever since then I have tried to be careful or at least aware of what devices could handle 220V.

The thing is, is that in Brazil some outlets are 110V and some are 220V. In our house we have both voltages depending on the need for the room. Nate went around with a volt meter and labeled each outlet to make sure blowouts didn't happen.

After dropping the parents off at the airport we returned to the hotel which only has 220V outlets. I plugged in my breast pump and after 3 seconds of running the entire electricity in the room shut down. I could smell the burning of the circuit board and my now bruised boob pulsated from double the suction. I can't believe that I didn't double check the voltage!!!

To make matters worse is that the warranty is out on the pump and Brazil doesn't even sell this type of pump. I am not even sure that they sell breast pumps at all! I have never seen them sold in any store and even if they did then the price would be ridiculous. The price in the US was ridiculous.... uggh!

Example of what I lost.... :(

Don't you just hate yourself for doing stupid things that cut your legs out from under you? I wish that I could blame someone or something but I am responsible for this mess. The freedom I felt from being able to give Belle a bottle and the bonding that Nate was able to achieve is severed. Now I really will have to be with Belle 24/7 for her every feeding need.

On brings the search for some sort of pump even if it is handheld. If all else fails then we will have someone bring down another pump for us. Probably not the same one but a very very cheap version like below!

Old school handheld....

Who knows, maybe the pump will come back alive... wishful thinking I know but that would make my day so much happier.

Tchau,
Sara

Helpin Out

Isabelle helpin out daddy with a little work for the night! Too cute to pass up a photo op :)

Tchau,
Sara

Don't Say the S word

By the S word I mean Shower... get your minds out of the gutter! I swear that each time I even mention taking a shower, Belle perks up and belts out her disapproval. Who knew that a moment of bliss for her mother would evoke such a strong emotion. One day I will be clean again. Until then I will continue to smell like sour milk which is another post all together.

Tchau,
Sara

The Great Diaper Search

Remember that I had previously posted that all diapers are not created equally? Well it seems that I keep finding that out the hard way!

I thought once you found a diaper brand and specific type that you liked the search was over. Little did I know that as your little one grows into a new size sometimes the diaper brand and size might change too!

Belle grew out of the newborn size, RN, and into the P size.... well P in Pampers just didn't cut it! She was too small for the P and too big for the RN. What's a girl to do? So I tried Johnson and Johnson. All was great except the tabs kept messing up resulting in messy baby, messy mom and messy bed. Perfect equation for unhappiness.

I finally crafted the Pampers to work then I opened a new package and my world fell apart. Turns out that Pampers had a manufacturing problem. They forgot to put a tab on both sides of the diaper.... what? At that moment I could have filmed a kickboxing video with all the air punches and air kicks I did. That should be illegal. How can a company leave a mother with a package of diapers that don't work? Uggh. Good thing Nate was here so I could run back to the drug store and purchase some more diapers.

Nana came with me and she wanted me to take the package back to them to possibly get my money back but you have to pick and choose your battles here and I just didn't want to deal with it. I did tell them what happened and before I left the store I opened the package to check them. Once again the package had the malfunction which left the store clerks dumbfounded. I asked for a different brand, because at this drug store you have to ask for the diapers they are not on display, and was brought a brand by Huggies called Monica.

This brand Monica was a gift from God! The size is perfect. The waist band amazing and snug. I see a dry future for my little girl and a happy momma :) Everything happens for a reason but I wish it didn't involve poop and pee...

Tchau,
Sara

Many Faces of Belle

The wide array of faces that change with each click of the camera! The smiling has started but I have yet to capture the full thing. The best time to get a sighting is early in the morning but I usually am not fully operating.

Tchau,
Sara