Park play

Just saying it out loud I fear jinxing myself but I'm too excited to keep the news to myself. Valentina is sleeping through the night. Monday it was 9pm - 5am. Then 9-5:30 then 9-7 and last night 9 -6. Always goes back to sleep after nursing and a bottle for another 3 hours. Starts her day around 9 or 9:30am with a huge smile and giggles. Is this a fluke or is it her new routine? I don't know. All I know is that the birds chirp louder, the sun shines brighter, the summer peaches taste sweeter and I don't wake up with a scowl. Sleep is a wonderful thing.

Argentines vacation in January (the July of the southern hemisphere). All around the city hand made signs posting vacation dates hang on closed doors. Most of my new mommy friends have returned and we are now starting to gather with the babes in the afternoons. Tuesday we met at Parque Las Heras. At this point the babies are too young to interact but we sit with them while they coo and burp. At least we have a chance to exchange info on sleeping patterns, feeding and tricks for calming the cry. My friend Mariela (Argentine) works at a telecom company and was the only one of the group to go back full time at three months. Her husband Paul(Australian) has one of those oddball expat jobs. He is paid by an Asian company to attend the local soccer matches and report the play by play to them via international cell calls so they can bet on it. I suspect its on the up and up the way he tells everyone freely what he does but it sounds fishy to me. Anyway, he is the stay at home dad. He joined our last mommygroup for a bit and complained there is no support for dads here. (which is true - stay at home dads are nonexistent) He asked me if Valentina jerks her head back when I hold her and how much she eats at each feeding. I try not to play the comparison game but its hard not to. Valentina has the most hair, the biggest sweetest smile and the cutest outfits by far (thanks to friends and family).