Exhausted much?

Wow. I didn't realize how tired I would be having friends visiting down here. I feel like I have managed pretty good but my body is rejecting the late nights!

It started on Saturday night staying out until 2-3am in Buzios with dinner and drinks, not for me, and watching all the random bloco parties pass by. Of course my sleep is then interrupted by bathroom trips so I end up waking pretty early in the morning. Then Sunday comes along and repeats Saturday and then Monday comes and repeats Sunday. Ouch.

I am pretty sure that today is Tuesday but I know for sure I will not last the rest of the week like this. I do have to be thankful that we are in Brazil because if I was in the US showing up at all the late night things I am sure someone random would give me advice that I don't need to be out that late. Please, I am pregnant not dead!!

Once again I am up earlier than everyone because of the bathroom trip..... deep breath and get ready for the day :) Today we are planning to watch a little OSU vs Nebraska basketball at a friend's house and then see where that takes us. The good thing is I have no problem stealing a nap this afternoon at their house!

Bom Carnaval!

Tchau,
Sara

Ahhh

Friends made it ok on Saturday and we all made it ok to Buzios. It rained the whole time but we had an awesome time! No we are back home getting ready for a cookout at our place. I just got done eating a pack of skittles and life is good. Tomorrow I will try to get some photos up of the weekend.

Tchau!
Sara

Visting Friends!

Kari and Casey come today and right now Nate is struggling through the airport to pick them up. He just called to say that both the international and domestic parking lots are completely full and people are parking on all the curbs. The parking attendant even made him pay when there wasn't anything available and of course he tells her there was no parking and he shouldn't have to pay.... thats not what he really said but you get the jist.

As for now I am hoping that our two guests make it through customs and immigration fast and then turn on there cell phones. If they don't then there could be a problem. If Nate can't be there to meet them- Surely they will right? Then after the pick-up they are driving back to Macae to drop off bags and pick me up for us all to go to Buzios! So excited!!

The clouds and rain want to grace us with their presence but the spirit of Carnaval in everyone will prevail!! No matter the weather fun will be had I can promise you that.

Tchau,
Sara

Cavaleiros Beach

The waves have been so strong recently that two days ago they washed the beach walk away on Cavaleiros beach. Last year during this time the surf allowed for so much beach to be available. Now it looks as though not one person could layout. It amazes me how much the beach changes here from day to day. It only affected a small area but it is still very sad to see. You can even notice an uprooted tree laying on the ground :(

Tchau,
Sara

Ps- sun I am still waiting for you!

Sueste

Eating out at a brand new restaurant in Macae! The first place in our city that has Thai food :) I am so excited. I hope I can report something great! Wish us luck.

Tchau,
Sara

Electrocution

On this dismal drizzly day I fear that a man will be electrocuted in my home. Each time that we have someone come to fix a breaker or wiring or change the voltage, it never fails that they don't turn the power to the apartment off. The guy at my house now is working outside in the rain to fix the electricity running to the pool which is another story for another day. Needless to say the electricity in the house is live. Fingers crossed that I don't have to use my CPR skills. What a day!

Tchau,
Sara

Married life

This week has been the ultimate week of being married, eating at home, bed before 11, and some tv watching. It's not just the rain but I think we are both just tired of running around all the time.

Lately I have been sick of the food when we go out to eat, contributing to the married life. It's overpriced and not as good as what you can cook at home. Besides, all the restaurants in town get their food from the same places we get ours... if you go early in the morning you will see all the guys running around with seven carts full of eggs, meat, yogurt, fruits, veggies and cheeses. So when you really think about it what's the point of having them cook your food? One of our favorite places to go has an amazing patio but the spaghetti, just plain meat sauce spaghetti, goes for R30 which is about USD $12. If I was in the US I would laugh at this price and order something different. Down here though ever single restaurant is the same and half of them are owned by the same guy. We still go out to eat but not as often as we used to now that my cooking level increased this year!

Since the dinner's on the table at 7 when Nate comes home from work we end up watching tv together after eating at the kitchen table. It doesn't take long for us to get sick of watching the same commercials over and over again before we turn the tv off, I turn on my book, and Nate plays a video game or two. Then off to bed we go.

Not a bad little routine but I cannot imagine doing this forever! I am sure that once Belle comes things will be different. For now I know that we both can't wait for our friends to be visiting and for life to pick up the pace again!

Tchau,
Sara

Go away rain!

Reasons the rain needs to go away:

1. Keeping track of all the leaks and which buckets need to be emptied is annoying. We have 4 at the moment and yes we have called someone about them. The guy is waiting on materials.... it's been 3 wks.

2. Resetting the clocks is annoying. Basically you have to ask yourself how many times can the power flash in a week before I stop resetting them all together. Whatever that number is, I am at that point.

3. Power going off in general gets on my nerves. Every time it even threatens to rain the power goes off on our strip. The rest of Macae can have power but we can't. Most of the time the whole city goes blank and we end up eating by candle light. Keep in mind these are not terrible thunder storms. These are your everyday kind of rain.

4. I have no car so when it rains I end up staying inside. All day. All night. It's not really that bad for me because I would do this in the US too even when it wasn't raining but just a day off of work :) A couple days in a row though and I get a little stir crazy!

5. Finally, because we have friends coming down this weekend! This weekend is also Carnaval and I want Brazil to shine for them :) We are planning to be in Buzios this weekend to celebrate and then head back to Macae for some home town love. The hotels are booked and we are ready for them to come. Maybe Brazil just wanted to clean the streets a little and give the grass a break before all her guests come to visit. I am ok with that!

Rain go away!!!
Tchau,
Sara

Comparison Time

Today marks 18weeks and I although I seem to be growing everyday you all don't see me. Here are two pictures and one of them you saw at 14wks.... so that means in four short weeks I have grown this much!

I think this is 14 but it may be 13 or 15...

For sure this is 18wks!

Besides the belly do you notice the green bucket in the bottom picture? Yep that's to catch the water that is leaking from our airconditioner. Hopefully that will get fixed sometime this week.

Happy Monday to all!

Tchau,

Sara

Breast Milk Ice Cream?

While I was browsing the news this evening I stumbled upon this story on NPR. In England an ice cream shop created a new flavor using breast milk from screened mothers. While my initial reaction caused me to dry heave, I realized it's not that big of a deal. Really, I drank it for 1 year with my mom and what makes cow's milk any better? Break it down unemotionally and you have yourself a simple way to get nutrients.

Plus, maybe this will promote breastfeeding. Then all the women breastfeeding will either sell some to ice cream stores or decide to give to a donation bank. If more people are doing it then chances are that more people will donate. Save a hungry baby :)

If this catches on then I really hope to see more access to donation banks. The benefits of breast milk are so great and very cheap. People donate blood and plasma all the time so why not milk? Just a thought.

Tchau,
Sara