SPECIAL WEEKEND VISITORS!

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

Abuelito got here on Nico's 6 week birthday!

After I picked him up from the airport, we went to Abel's near downtown on the water. abuelito, Nico, and I had a great yummy lunch!!

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

Tia Manuela came in this morning to meet Nico officially for the first time.

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

It's been an exciting weekend so far...and it's only Saturday afternoon!!!!

Mommy and Daddy even got to go on a RUN together and NAP!!

Where to start?

OKay, first off, IT IS SNOWING OUTSIDE. Not super cold rain that you can squint and pretend is snow, or frozen rain that bounces off cars and the ground....it's SNOW, the white, fluffy, lite, real deal stuff. The trees, poolside benches, sidewalks, cars, fences, apartment roofs, shrubs....everything. You name it, it's cover in a not so thin sheet of whiteness. I've tried explaining it to Nico but he wanted nothing to do with the snow...he's a single track mindset kind of guy: MILK!

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

On another note, equally as exciting (for me), this morning was my 6 week postpartum visit! She says i'm recovering beautifully. We also spoke about different forms of birth control; which i'm undecided on as of right now. There are so many different options to choose from. Some can be put in place for up to 10 years! That is just crazy and scary. She wanted to steer me She said that breastfeeding is a pretty good birth control....BUT I'M NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES!!! Like my sex-ed teachers in St. Thomas used to say: there is only 1 form of 100% birth control---and we all know what that is.

I'm happy to report that my uterus is doing great and she cleared me to formally start exercising!!! Though I need to ease into a regimen, i'm SOOO EXCITED!

WORLD get ready---I'm making my come-back.

My first RUN!

I've attempted about couple minutes here and there in the past couple weeks but yesterday was my first REAL attempt at running...well...jogging.

Yesterday morning, after yoga, Peter invited me and Nico to walk. Shortly after we started, I got this really strong urge to RUN and so I told Peter and he said..run to the tree (which was 20 feet in front of us). I ran to it stopped and wondered what would happen if I ran a little more. My 6 week postpartum visit is Tuesday....what's a couple days head start???)

There was nothing graceful about my run, or shall I say brisk walk with a hop in my step...A run that for years I made look easy and effortless for miles now was the total opposite. My tight chest and my panting breath reminded me of days when I'd run 400 workouts at 5 minute mile pace, with the exception that this feeling was now coming over me after just a few steps. My arms were heavy and my steps were slamming into the ground...so loud that runners could hear me coming for a mile behind them (if i were attempting to pass anyone). Needless to say, i was not very discrete in concealing my exhaustion. I would stop for breaks periodically and WALK! More I think I stopped because I knew that I shouldn't overexert myself, however I can't deny that a part of me want to PUSH through and keep going. But back to the statement I made, Yes i just admitted to walking. If you know me, you know how difficult it is for me to accept the fact that i needed to walk during a run and secondly, confess it PUBLICLY. With sweat trickling down from every pore of my body, as well as Peter and Nico there supporting and encouraging me, I felt my old runner self slowly awakening. I'm not sure if it was the endorphins or just plain happiness, but I was all smiles for those 3 miles (of which i might have run half).

This road to recovery is going to be a bumpy and slow path, but I am excited to finally be back in my running shoes.....shoes that have been guiding my stride since I have recollection of memories as a child. It's been the driving force that has lead me to where I am today... with my sanity intact (or so i believe, you can be the judge of that).

This morning I woke up earlier than Nico, like a child on Christmas. I looked to the front door and saw my running shoes there waiting for me, ready for our adventure to begin.
We'll see how far they take me today.

MOMMY DATING

I thought my dating days were over now that I'm married AND have a child...but NOPE!
I am now dating in a different circle...the mommy circle.

Making new mommy friends is just like dating. You meet other moms randomly or through other friends. You talk about the obvious things you have in common (your child) and then get into other topics and see what other commonalities you share. Toward the end of the encounter, you wait out to see who wins the tug-0f-war going on in your head of whether or not to ask (give) the new mom your number. Asking for it prematurely might give off the impression you are desperate...but then again, what's wrong with that if you really are desperate to meet other moms? After the phone number exchange comes the question "When do you call to hang out again?". We know that other moms are as busy and free as we are....yet we are not really sure when to MAKE THE FIRST MOVE and call for a follow-up date.

This past week I met a new mommy friend randomly at my apartment complex while I was taking the stroller out of my car. I had seen her at Yoga class before but hadn't really talked much. I stated the obvious and asked if she was going on a walk. Then I held my breath. I had set up the stage and hoped that an invitation to join her would follow....AND IT DID! We walked for about an hour. The weather was very cooperative, setting a nice back drop for our walk. During that time we discussed life as a new mother, the difficulties of breastfeeding, and the never-ending list of household chores that never surface for acknowledgment. As we neared the end of our walk, I thought about asking her for her number, but before I could, she asked me for mine! I gave her mine and then saved her number in my phone. With a big smile on my face and Nico sound asleep from the walk, I walked into my apartment and immediately called my best friend to tell him that I had just met another mommy! 2 days later I called and invited her to join me on another walk. It went great as well. Sara, that's her name, is a really nice girl and Elijiah, her son, is really cute. He is 18 months old and began walking a couple weeks ago. He is much quieter than Nico. I hope that weather willing, we will be able to make our walks part of our daily routine.

Me and Nico =)

Meagan and Everett

Laurel and Miles

Monica and Dylan

Going on double and triple dates is much easier and relieves the pressure off any one person in particular. On wednesday, this past week, I met up with 3 other mommies and babies for a brunch date set up by Sarah, the doula that has been helping me. 2 of the mommies were from the bradley class- Monica (& Dylan) and Meagan (& Everette). It was the first time I had seen them and their sons since the class ended in early December. The other mommy was Laurel (with Miles). It was great! This week's topic was dealing with family members and friends, however we often found ourselves drifting into different tangents like babies peeing in nurses mouths at the doctor's office and discussions of when is it okay to run with the baby in the stroller. Dealing with family members both near and far (which is most of our cases) is challenging. It's difficult to turn down suggestions, advice, or comments tactfully. Thingss have changed, different people do things differently, and every parent has a different idea of what is BEST for their child...often making our elders understand that can be frustrating for both ends. One of the girls discussed that family weekend posed an added hassle instead of helping. We tried to think of ways to help her confront the situation in the best way possible, but might have come up short in reaching an answer. We'll have to work on that one next week too. Dealing with the friends topic is touchy as well. The germ-o-phobe inside moms wants to keep our babies away from everything and EVERYONE but the human side of us wants to show our babies off and share them with the world. Visits from friends creates an internal battle for us moms. We don't want to feel overly protective when we ask if people have washed their hands and when we quickly take our babies away from people who bring the smell of smoke on their bodies. People don't realize that how they smell and what they bring on their person can strongly impact our babies in this vulnerable stage of their lives. As moms, we'd rather be rude than deal with the effects on our babies. These were very thought provoking and real topics as I'm sure the topics of the following weeks will be.

Mommies and babies out for a stroll

Everett, Dylan and Nico after the walk

After the meeting, Monica, Meagan, Sarah, and I went on a nice walk around Sarah's neighborhood. I was having a little trouble keeping up but then I reminded myself that I've ALWAYS been a slow walker. I am looking forward to out MOMMY WEDNESDAY DATES! And I hear that there might be another new mom joining the group this coming week.

Stay tuned to hear updates on my new dating life.

1 month B-day gift

I finally finished the sign in Nico's room. I started this project a couple weeks before my due date. But I had no way of finishing since the jury wasn't out with the decision yet. Once we had his name, then there was no TIME between learning to breastfeed and simply trying to get the hang of the NEW WAY things were. It took almost 5 weeks for the completion of my first arts and crafts project for NICO!

Nico is 1 month OLD today.

Nico is 1 month OLD today!!!

4 weeks and 3 days ago Nico was born. I was nervous about the delivery but more anxious about the fact that we would be taking Nico home. I doubted that the doctors new what they were doing when they cleared us to take Nico from the Hospital that Sunday afternoon. The nurse said "Caring for your baby will be much simpler than what you are imagining." She failed to mention that the hard part is dealing with my own reactions to Nico's actions.

It's been a learning process. Peter and I are getting more comfortable with Nico and Nico has been getting more comfortable with us and with his own Body! Hearing him cry doesn't cause as much distress as it did in the first couple days...and waking every couple hours in the night has become easier to cope with.

Nico has grown A LOT!

Nico leaving the Hospital 1 month ago...

From 1001 Hello Nico!

Nico this past weekend!

From 1002 Todd Antu

On Wednesday we are going to the pediatrician's office for the 1month visit. There we will see just how much Nico has grown and how much he weighs!!!

Nico's first holiday!!!

Happy Valentines DAY!

We've had a busy weekend. It started with Todd and Antu's arrival. Nico has been out and about Austin. He went to his first restaurant(Maurie's Milagro), town lake, golfing, whole foods, and to the Austin Marathon! Todd and Antu left today for the NBA All Star game. Peter and I are watching it here on our NEW FLAT SCREEN LCD TV!!

Here are some pictures:

Most girls HOPE that today they will get flooded with roses, get swept off their feet by the person they love, and hear how beautiful they are.

Lucky for me, I don't have to HOPE for it...Peter makes everyday feel like Valentine's day...or shall I say: Vale's Day! I pray that I never wake up from this dream as I sit here between the two loves of my life.

I can't imagine spending Valentine's any other way!!

1st Playdate

Wednesday Nico had his first play date or shall we say.."sit and don't look at eachother-date". Up on the left is Miles Dexter Stetlzer. He was born a week after Nico. Laurel, his mom, and I think that the fact that our due dates were 3 weeks apart contributes to the big difference between them now. However, Miles is a little chunkster weighing in at 9lbs at week 2 while Nico weighs 9lbs 7oz at 3 weeks.

We are exciting for the fun adventures we are going to have!

Cupid came by early this year!!

Last time it snowed here in Austin I went nuts...running around outside, calling everyone I knew to share the news...things have changed.

Today it snowed (sleeted too) here in Austin. Not only did I not know, but it wasn't even close to being the highlight of my day.

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

Instead today I Peter came home with 2 dozen roses, wine, shrimp cocktail and a surprise up his sleeve. As he took Nico from my arms, he said: "Get ready, the masseuse is about to get here". I could not believe that I was getting 2 hour massage by a Chinese woman with a massage table and all here in our very own living room. She yapped away about Belize, her son, and husband as she dug deep into my back and shoulders. I was in such pain and relief that I was able to zone her out...However I could still hear Nico crying. I just wanted to jump up from the table and pick him up. But I remembered that this was "MOMMY TIME". As if the day weren't great enough, Nico drank his first bottle of breast milk today! Peter finally got to feed Nico!!!

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

What a great start to Valentines!...Our 4th valentines celebrating together! I'm glad I ran into Peter and Dre's house in Gainesville to ask for parking 4 years ago.

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

From 2010-02 (by Eye-Fi)

Nico updated Pictures

Nico will be 3 weeks old tomorrow.

Nico will be 3 weeks old tomorrow. It feels like he's been here longer!

I'm happy to say that we've had a couple visitors. Once I got past my appearance, it was nice to have someone to talk to that actually responds and asks questions. After a couple monologues, it gets a little hard to hold on to your sanity.

Peter and I think he's been going through a growth spurt because he's been EATING consistently. When people say that breast feeding is a FULL TIME job.... they are not kidding!

Being that our family is so far away, it's been kind of lonely here, especially during the day when it's just me, Nico, and his crying. I must admit that some days are a lot harder than others. I showered him today for the first time by myself. I must say that it went a lot better than I expected. Today, for example, has been a good day. Right now I am able to post this entry because Nico is sleeping in the baby Bjorn on my chest allowing me the liberty of using BOTH HANDS! However most days aren't as smooth. They are really trying and draining. On those days, the mix of no sleep and the emotional roller coaster of the past couple months seems to turn into a huge tsunami and crash into me mercilessly. Few things keep me from drowning...one of them is knowing that Nico can't cry forever and that he can't stay awake forever either. Peter throws me a life jacket when he comes home from work, which is truly life saving.

Tomorrow I'm having a visit from the fairy doula-mother. Her name is Sarah and she is a doula that Peter and I met during our Bradley Classes.

doula is an assistant who provides various forms of non-medical and non-midwifery support (physical and emotional) in the childbirth process. Based on a particular doula's training and background, the doula may offer support duringprenatal care, during childbirth and/or during the postpartum period. A birth doula provides support during labor. Thus a labor doula may attend a home birth or might attend the parturient woman during labor at home and continue while in transport and then complete supporting the birth at a hospital or a birth center. A postpartum doula typically begins providing care in the home after the birth. Such care might include cooking for the mother, breastfeeding support, newborn care assistance, errands, light housekeeping, etc. Such care is provided from the day after the birth, providing services through the first six weeks postpartum. In some cases, doula care can last several months or even to a year postpartum - especially in cases when mothers are suffering from postpartum depression, children with special needs require longer care, or there are multiple infants.

I'm looking forward to seeing Sarah tomorrow just to have someone to hang out with and ask questions about things that NICO is doing...to see if they are normal or not. When I call the Pediatrician, I find it hard to explain certain things that he does.

Well...my time is up...Nico is hungry =)