Baby Brain

Last Friday Hugh and I were walking Utta around Rosedal lake and noticed something unusual. Bumper to bumper traffic along all three main arteries out of the city. Yes, it was friday. Yes, it was a 3 day weekend. But come on. This was odd. It was yet another series of road blockades as part of the three month long farmers protest against the new taxes imposed by Presidenta Kristina Kirchner. Over 30 blockades preventing access to every major autopista in the country. Good thing we axed plans to head out of town. Noone was going nowhere fast.

Sunday evening the boom of pots and pans clanging together, horns honking and protesters marching filled the typically tranquil skies. The melody continued for 20 or 30 minutes, getting angrier and louder by the minute. Every balcony from our window's view had at least one or two people on it banging away. I guess we missed the email announcement on this one.

The tension and frustration is palpable. All of my Argentine friends and acquaintances (and strangers, taxi drivers, deliverymen) whale on about it. They use words like "disaster", "worse than a dictatorship", "face of a witch" (reference to the President - "cara de bruja". It's serious enough that when our next door neighbors (americans living here for 6 months) considered buying an apartment, the real estate agent (risking lost commission) urged them to put their money elsewhere. "don't invest here now" she warned. "things are going to get a lot worse and you do not want your money in Argentina when it does".

Meanwhile back on planet Baby, I dream of butterflies and unicorns, paint in cheery tones of turquoise and cantaloupe, hum to myself and pet my belly all day. Sunday I spent the afternoon painting. I've graduated to canvas and am working on different kinds of brushstroke techniques. That evening while the whole of the outside world raged with wooden spoons, cast iron skillets and clenched fists, I perused and subsequently got lost on Babiesrus.com. After peeling my eyes away from the 30 different varieties of breast pump, I registered for the essentials so that friends and family could partake in a Virtual Babyshower. Ok, that pint-sized yoga sticky mat probably falls outside the "essentials" category but HOW CUTE! I had to include it. Its not that I don't care or worry about the situation and how it will be resolved. We are affected. Our groceries are more expensive. We canceled a weekend trip to Rosario because the roads were all closed. Our friends and neighbors talk of nothing else. but....There's a happy hormone running through my veins, clearly immune to the nonstop chaos, misery and injustice in this country and our own. I guess nature planned it that way so that each species would survive. I'm just doing my part.

The Party's Over

Rachel and Rey fly home today. They spent a month in total here for the wedding festivities and honeymoon. Aside from their 4 day trip to Iguazu Falls, we've seen them every day. One night Rey made us Panzit (Filipino noodle dish) from the ingredients we found in Chinatown. Last weekend we rented a car to explore some of the more residential neighborhoods and wealthy suburbs north of the city. Then we took a boat tour around the islands of Tigre. It will be a rough adjustment for me no doubt tomorrow. Its been so nice having my sister so close (they rented an apt across the street), sharing daily mates and the routine of cooking meals and walking the dogs.

Tomorrow its a blank slate again. No more wedding to plan. No more visitors to entertain. Just me and my burgeoning belly hunkering down for the long cold winter. I'm wearing my warmest wool coat in the evenings now. Scarves and mittens too. I've outgrown most of my regular jeans and final appear as pregnant as I feel. In pictures of me I notice my face getting rounder and rounder like a red apple.

Last week we had the 20 week ultrasound and found out its a girl. Well, I've known since week 4 or 5. Call it mothers intuition or whatever but she has always been a she to me. She also started moving last week. The first feeling was very exciting - more of a flutter than a kick. But now she is active all day long. In the mornings before I get out of bed is when I can feel her the most. At first Hugh looked terrified to touch my belly like an alien might pop out but he is settling in to the idea a bit more each day.

Smiles, smiles, smiles

The Big Day

Hugh captured this image of me just outside the chapel at La Candelaria waiting for my sister to arrive in a white rose and cala lily decorated horse drawn carriage. The wedding day of her dreams in full swing. I spent the day with that mixed look of consternation and alarm - tromping through postcard imagery of castles, green pastures and lazy horses with payments to vendors, to do lists for the kitchen staff, orders for the band and 4 key cue cards for the actual wedding ceremony (the priests translator backed out last minute so I stood in).

Aside from a few minor glitches (one table missing from the reception set up, no corsages delivered for the moms, sun shrank behind the frosty clouds in the afternoon, Rachel dropped her expensive bouquet of orquids on the carriage ride to the chapel and one of the wheels ran over it) it was a perfect day and the wedding had a dream-like quality most brides strive for but - the typical Hilton rubber chicken served to 200 people you don't really know - just can't deliver.

I taught a yoga class in the morning to my sis and several others then the bridal attendants (me, my mom and aunt) settled in to the master suite in the castle for hair, makeup and photo taking. Rachel glowed thanks to six months of pre-marital 6am bookcamp classes, umpteen facials and genuine wedding day glee.

The ceremony was short but charming. The priest delivered it in Castellano and I translated the important parts (do you blah blah?). I held up cue cards so they could respond in spanish "Si, lo somos", "Si, nos comprometemos", "Si, quiero". Rachel looked straight into Rey's eyes when she was meant to say "I will/Si, quiero", but instead said "I love you/Si, yo quiero". It worked and many teared up. Rey's mother was apeased with the catholic priest and proper order of things including receiving communion. Then, it was over and we all headed to the castle for a champagne reception with a live latin jazz quartet I found on the streets of the San Telmo Fair a few months prior. The band was a huge hit and the dancing started early.

After the reception we meandered across the sculptured lawns towards the dining hall for dinner and more festivities. First came the Ballet Folklorico show and then the traditional asado feast. Eyes bulged as tray after tray of meat emerged from the kitchen. Hugh walked from table to table explaining the difference between "vacio and asado, chinculin and rinones". After dinner but before dessert the speeches started. Most were spontaneous and heartfelt. Rachel cried during most of it - always the sensivite crab. Just when the room felt heaviest Hugh delivered the most entertaining speech of all - an awards ceremony based on the absurd events and personalities of that week. We'd talked through the ideas for it a few days prior but he went to Lobos (small town near the estancia) that day to pick up a slew of accompanying gag gifts. I played Vanna White to his game show routine and delivered a big plastic butt to my aunt who fell on her ass the night of the party while dancing. My mom received miniature baby dolls for her obsession with grandchildren. Friends michelle and eileen got statues of a happy bride and groom for their blow-out girlfight the previous evening (married couple award). Rachels Dad received "extreme makeover Dad edition" tie (she'd sent him straight to the spa and for a new suit the day after his arrival) and so on. Squeals of laughter gave way to dancing. I found my second wind at 1am and boogied the bump and Angelina-esque boobs to Michael Jackson Off the Wall and other hip hop classics. What more to say?

Suicide Watch

I guess its no surprise after just a few harried days my body rebelled in a most unpleasant way forcing me to stay in bed with furried friends Utta and her cousin Dudley. I followed the "agenda" starting with early wake up on Saturday and walking all day, entertaining, eating, visiting, running around and stressing over each persons issues, travel needs and inconveniences until Monday night. Auntie Brenda, Hugh and I ordered take out from Garbis - a local middle eastern place that we frequent every so often. Then Brenda and I got massages at the spa down the street. Still not sure whether it was the undercooked Keppe al horno (most likely cause), the deep shiatsu just one hour after eating, or the previous three days of nonstop entertaining. At midnight I went to bed with a tightness in my chest just at the top of my ribcage that smelled of a heartburny something. At five in the morning I woke up with wretching pains in my stomach which moved from one side to the other and up and down. I knew something was wrong but I tried to ignore it hoping that falling back asleep would just melt it away somehow. Two agonizing hours later I got up and staggered in to my aunts room in tears - sure that something was wrong with the baby. Panic set in. She calmed my nerves and laid me down in her room but the pain wouldn't stop. Twenty minutes later I dashed to the bathroom and vomited what seemed like four full meals. Made two more such ladylike excursions to the porcelain god that morning before I finally accepted the truth - I was sick and out of commission for the day. It was a great disappointment as we were scheduled to take the train to San Isidro for my sisters hair and makeup trial. I made a half-hearted attempt to dress and my mom, sister and aunt put me back to bed with stern warnings to rest. The dogs stayed with me all day and when Hugh got home he said it looked like we were all on "suicide watch". There was a party for all the wedding guests that night that I had to miss too but by the next day the episode had passed and I got back on the wedding wagon.

Twas the night before....

the family arrived for an American-Argentine wedding bonanza and she couldn't sleep. Her mind raced with new themes for the maid of honor toast, the early morning grocery list (TP, paper towels, coffee and soymilk for Aunt B, what else could I be forgetting?), and the weekly plans ahead -

Sat: Rachel/Rey, Aunt B, Rey's family arrive. Hugh meet and greet at the airport. Imagine hectic crazed day helping everyone get settled. Group dinner at Don Julio's mabe??

Sun: Mom and Carlos arrive. Meet them at their apt to help with ck in and money exchange. Eveyone goes to San Telmo Antique Fair

Mon: Spa day for some. Show Aunt B around the city - her first trip out of the US ever! Sneak off for prenatal yoga class.

Tues: Girls take train up to San Isidro - wealthy suburb north of BA for bridal hair and makeup trial.

Wed: Hugh takes boys out to steak eating, chest puffing, girl watching excursion. eek

Thurs: Day trip to Lujan - visit the churches and altar of famous virgin saint lady. Group dinner and milonga.

Fri: Board bus for La Candelaria estancia. Enjoy lunch, horseback riding, games, tennis, naps whatever. late afternoon rehearsal with Father Renee.

Sat: Wedding day! Meet florist, band, cake lady, priest to coordinate set up. Harry Karry. Fabulous photos by celebrity photographer from SF.

Sun: Exhale a bit. sleep in and enjoy the last day at estancia. bus back to BA late afternoon.

Mommazilla wakes

Friend Elizabeth from NYC mailed me a preggo care package with two great long tanks from Old Navy maternity and two Belly Bands – neither of which exist here in Argentina. Just in time as last week the bump poofed out to noticeable form. I can now rest my hands comfortably on the top of my belly like an armrest. We went to the monthly doctors visit yesterday and heard the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. Very exciting. One of us shed a few tears of joy…

Hugh’s new nickname for me is “Mommazilla” as in the neurotic control-freak Bridezillas on TV. Maybe I have been a bit consumed with the coming birth but its going to take real effort and planning to have the baby naturally and possibly at home. Sadly Argentine hospitals boast 50% cesarean rates. Epidurals, episiotomies, vacuum, forceps and being strapped to a fetal monitor giving birth horizontal is the norm. There are no birthing centers here so its either a hospital or at home. When I mentioned my desire for a natural birth to my very conservative geezer doctor, he scoffed, shook his head and said “what a WILD idea”. He admitted that the field of obstetrics had gotten out of hand and moved away from the natural course of labor and birth but nearly pounded his fist on the table that “the risks are too great to give birth outside of a hospital with immediate access to blood and surgeons!” He asked me how I would handle labor without an epidural (with a haughty patronizing tone I might add) and I reminded him that I’m a trained prenatal yoga teacher. Yes, I can use various breathing techniques, postures and meditation. He rolled his eyes and waved his hand “you, with your yoga are in the clouds. I am down here on earth dealing with the realities of the situation”. Then he turned to Hugh (who by this time was well indoctrinated and terrified) and bellowed “you could lose her and the baby!!!!!!!” So, the appointment started on a high and ended with a thud of pessimism and confirmation of nonsupport. Mommazilla continues her search for a supportive OB and other options.