bicentennial

tomorrow marks argentina's bicentennial - 25 de mayo. since it fell on tuesday this year, they also made today a national holiday. since friday the city has been a ghost town as most locals are taking advantage of a long weekend by getting out of town. those who've stayed are lining 9 de julio avenue where parades, concerts, speeches and all kind of patriotic fanfare is happening. we are holed up here in our cozy apartment enjoying the slower pace of the city. yesterday it stormed for hours and i pitied the poor souls stuck downtown to watch a parade or get a cab back home in the thunder and rain.

the days wiz by faster and faster as my due date approaches - august 5th. in between going to preschool with valen (she's still not adjusted to being on her own yet), going to prenatal yoga classes, attending an instructor course in yoga therapy, writing and going to my thursdaysatthree writers group, i've been looking at apartments for us to buy and going to car dealerships. with one kid, we managed to squeak by maintaining a fairly low profile lifestyle with minimal stuff. with two, its just a different ballgame. so, we are getting a car - a minivan that is popular here and in europe but not available in the us called a chevy zafira. we're also looking to move to a bigger apartment - one with 3 bedrooms, a maids quarters and of course a parking spot. i'd like to have another homebirth so of course tied into all this househunting is a ticking clock inside me screaming "where is my baby going to be born!". yes, its the nesting period and this pregnant mom would like to have everything in order but who knows when.

last week was Semana Mundial de Partos Respetados. the direct translation doesn't make a lot of sense but its essentially the international week to recognize a birthing process that is respectful and natural. my ob is always involved in the events and workshops as he is a very outspoken and experienced natural birth expert. the local news channel telefe came to the yoga center where i take classes to film us preggos in action. after the class they interviewed us for a special program. to my surprise, they chose me and one other woman (out of 6) during the editing process. i wasn't sure when the program would air so didn't get to see it live but the following day the guy who run our local vegetable stand told me he saw me on tv and that i was famous. i've since been told by several people they saw the segment. its in spanish of course so for anyone that wants to test their bilingual skills, you can see the full program at this site: http://tobinatal.com.ar/humanizacion/smar2010.html first is the interview with my ob dr. lodeiro, then an interview with the owner of the yoga center and last is the interview with me. in the background of the first two interviews you may catch a glimpse of me or my big belly lollying about on a ball - i'm in black yoga pants and a white tank.