Canada Day 2 - Niagara Falls

For a long time, my dad has been saying that 2 of the places that he wants to see in the US are the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. My parents are retired and they usually spend 3 months in Colombia and then 3 months in Tampa. They travel often and enjoy seeing new places. They are over 70 and enjoying life, except this year because of Emma they are staying in Tampa. I love traveling with them, so we decided that our first trip with Emma would be to Niagara Falls, Canada via Buffalo. The Grand Canyon was another option, but considering the longer flight we decided Niagara was a good start. I didn't care much about seeing the falls. It's one of those places that I didn't have at the top of my list of places that I want to see or in my bucket list. They were more beautiful than what I expected plus I was really happy to visit a new Country for all of us and I was extremely excited about visiting Toronto. 

Since we decided to go to Niagara, I knew that me and the baby would not be going on the "Maid of the Mist". Andre wanted to go but he was getting sick and didn't want to get wet. My parents just decided not to go. If I ever return to Niagara, I would definitely like to see the falls from the boat. The mist was so much from the sidewalk I can only imagine how it is when you are in the water.

My favorite sight was at the top of the falls. Seeing all the water before dropping was really spectacular. We stayed in that area for a while admiring the force of the water and feeling that the trip was worth it. 

My dad's dream and our first family trip were really wonderful. We spent the night in Niagara. Andre and I drove that night to see the falls illuminated. We didn't even realize that less than a block from our hotel there was a nice place to watch the falls and fireworks. Emma was very upset when we got back to our room. My mom was babysitting but we have some (serious) issues with her only wanting me at night. I didn't know they were so bad until that night. The following day was Andre's birthday and our plans to go out in Toronto we're not looking that good. 

Canada Day 1

We planned this long weekend trip at least 3 months ago. Less than 2 weeks away from our departure, Emma got really sick. I was really close to canceling this trip several times. I was really happy that our plane tickets were from southwest and you really never lose the money with them but we were definitely losing the hotel money because I prepaid to get a better rate. That week was probably the worst week I've had since Emma was born. We took her to the doctor and she had some tests doen. When the lab results came back (a week later) they showed that she had salmonella. She was already doing really well when I heard back from the doctor telling us that she needed to test her blood. Since there are different bacterias that cause salmonella, some of them need antibiotics. In order to determine that, Emma had to have a blood test. I consulted with my uncle who is a pathologist and he said she was most likely ok, but she really needed the test. Apparently, when doctors say results take 48 hours, it could turn out to be over one week turn around. As a bonus that same week, she also got pink eye probably from the doctor's office. Another week passed when I received a call from her doctor saying that we are still waiting for test results!!!!! Basically, while we were in Canada, I was anxiously expecting a phone call from her doctor. I'm happy to say that she never called. I'm glad I didn't cancel the trip. 

We planned this trip because one of my dad's dreams was to travel to Niagara falls. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to take our first trip with Emma. A relatively short flight to Buffalo and a short drive to Niagara and Toronto made it a perfect long weekend trip. Also, having my parents around would be really helpful with Emma. We took advantage of a Southwest Airlines sale and purchased our plane tickets for less than $200 round trip. 

Our flight was delayed for 2 hours in Tampa but we used the time to eat lunch at the airport. Emma had a perfect flight. She took a nap at the airport and didn't even cry during the 2.5 hour flight. Her ears were OK. On our way up, she ate and on the way down I gave her he pacifier and made sure that she kept it in.  

After getting the rental car, driving towards Canada, and crossing the border it was time for dinner. We drove by the falls on our way to the hotel, but decided to have dinner and go to bed early. We were all exhausted after our first air traveling experience. We ate at an Outback steak house located outside our hotel. We were surprised to see that the prices were double of what we pay in the U.S. and that there is an additional sales tax for non-Niagara Falls residents. As we discovered the rest of our trip, Canada is very expensive. 

Hello Canada!

Emma did great during her first flight and also during take off and landing. Having 4 adults for one kid was a great idea! I'll write more updates later. 

Capture the Colour

I found out about this contest on my friend's Andi's blog. I decided not to enter since I don't really have that much time to read other blogs and keep track on who was nominated or even have 5 bloggers to nominate. I still wanted to look at my old pictures and remember some of my previous trips. Here are some of my favorite pictures. 

WHITE

Kalapaki Beach, Kauai.

Every time I go to the beach I take pictures of the water bubbles. I do it as a way to remember what it felt like to have my toes in the sand. Kauai was our honeymoon destination in 2011. I have been thinking about it a lot since we spent 10 days in paradise exactly 2 years ago. Our second anniversary was in August and when I was there, I said that I wanted to go every 3 years to Hawaii. I went to Oahu in 2008 and at the time, it seemed reasonable to return in 2014. We have a few trips planned for the following year. Unfortunately, Hawaii will have to wait a little longer. 

BLUE

Kauai, Napali Coast

I'm obsessed with the beauty of Hawaii. The Napali coast is best seen from the air or from a boat. We did that, but we also drove to the end of the road and went hiking. I took this picture while we were doing one of the easy trails. The picture doesn't show how impressive the mountains are. I love how the horizon gets lost because the color of the ocean is almost the same as the sky. 

GREEN

Quito, Ecuador

This woman was selling scarfs in downtown Quito on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I got a few scarfs to help her and also because I wanted to ask her for a picture. She kindly agreed. I love how her daughter also smiled for the camera.

YELLOW

Tampa, Fl

One of the best things about living in Florida is watching beautiful sunsets. My favorite place in Tampa to watch the sun go down is near the Davis Island Yatch Club. The pictures that I've taken here are never the same because of the clouds and the boats.

RED

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

I had the hardest time finding the perfect "red" picture. This old car was parked on one of the main streets in historical side of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. Last year we went to Uruguay as a day trip from Buenos Aires. I loved the town. We took hundreds of pictures that day.

FYI: You don't have to be nominated so feel free to participate and spread the word. 

How to Survive Pregnancy (According to me)

One of the most surprising things that happen after having a baby is that you forget how miserable you felt while you were pregnant. When I talk about my 39 weeks of pregnancy I feel like I'm telling a story about someone else. Before I completely forget, I wanted to create this list for my friends who want to become mothers. 

• Maternity clothes are extremely comfortable. Accept your new body and love stretchy pants since early in the pregnancy. There is no need to be tight and uncomfortable. Some of them can be fashionable if you are willing to spend money on a pair of designer jeans. I never got a pair because I didn't know how big my butt was going to get. However, after the 3rd or 4th month the part of my body that really grew was my belly. 

• Buy comfortable shoes, I never thought I was going to love crocs. Your feet will get swollen. I never got a pair of crocs before. I wore them everyday the last month when the weather got too cold for flip flops. There are some prettier ballet flat like styles. They are really comfortable and wide enough to fit your new elephant size feet. My feet were 1.5 sizes larger while I was pregnant and now I'm a permanent half size larger. 

• Watch your weight. Its normal to gain a good amount of weight. However, the heavier you get, the more miserable you will be at the end. Try to gain what the doctor says its healthy. I gained 30 lbs and it was "normal" (up to 40 it's ok). I didn't have any cravings but I ate what I wanted!! I can't imagine how many pounds you can get if you get cravings. Many women lose weight at the first months because of morning sickness. It wasn't my case. 

• Morning sickness can happen at any time of the day. Mine was every day until I was 14 weeks, after 6:00 pm. At least I could work all day and come home to lay on the couch until I fell asleep. Iced lemonade and crackers helped a lot. I should have said no to many visitors or late dinners while I was pregnant and I didn't. All I wanted was to take it slow. You shouldn't feel guilty to say no. Pregnancy is exhausting and people should understand and respect that. 

• Get many pedicures and manicures because you will miss having time for yourself and I don't mean time to take a shower. After the baby arrives, you will barely have time to take a shower and that's if you are lucky. My first manicure was when Emma was 6 months old. Take as much time for YOU as you can. Go out to dinner with your friends, watch movies, go out of town often, and even take a babymoon. You can still do those things with kids but it takes a lot more time and effort. 

• The really restrictive diet begins when you are nursing because there so many foods can make the baby get gas (even if it never gives you gas). Enjoy everything you like now. It's a long list. I gave up dairy fro months just in case Emma's colics were my fault. I didn't have broccoli, cabbage, onions, or citrus just to name a few. 

• The pregnancy "glow" is a lie. I had acne the first months and I haven't had acne since I was 15!! 

• Get as many used baby items as you can from your friends and family. It will save you a lot of money. I will be eternally grateful to my friend who mailed huge boxes from Houston filled with her boys stuff. Most things are animal themed and can be used for boys and girls. I have tons of burp cloths that have cars or are blue. Really, who cares if you don't have a girly design if it will be used to clean up spit ups. Use the baby shower to get the most useful items. Don't add clothes to your registry. Most people buy the baby clothes that they like. Also, don't be shy about adding the most expensive items since many people like to buy one big gift as a group. If you don't get them as a gift, most stores will give you a discount on the items from your list. 

• Read the book "what to expect when you are expecting" in the month that you are. It's a LONG book but if you read it by chapters you will actually remember it. The movie doesn't count. 

• The nursery won't be used for a while after the baby is born. If you don't have it ready before the baby comes, you will not have enough time to do it. Also, it's fun to prepare for the new member of your family and to get dad involved. 

• Keep extra clothes (pants and underwear) with you and a few pads at all times. Nobody tells you this but sometimes accidents do happen. When you are pregnant you need to pee A LOT. At the beginning because of hormones and the baby pressures the bladder as it gets bigger. When you think it's bad, it will get worse. The accidents are not a lot but enough to be uncomfortable. Besides you can't really run anymore and sometimes there are lines for the restroom and nobody ever offers to let you go first. 

• It's a really good idea to take a birthing class and tour the hospital. You will be happy you did when the time comes. I had to go 3 times to the hospital because of my high blood pressure and it was easy to get in alone. I drove and waited until someone met me there.  This leads to the next item... 

• Pack your hospital bag, breast pump, and baby bag ahead of time and put everything in your car. The day of the first false alarm I had left my bags ready on the stairs. Emma decided not to arrive that day, but I also learned that at least someone other than your partner needs to have keys to your house. I never took a breastfeeding class and I wish I did. Breastfeeding is really challenging. There is a whole post about that coming. 

• Have a plan B. Ideally, contractions start when you are at home, but knowing that my sister's water broke at work I was terrified that it would happen to me as well. I thought of the many things that could happen and tried to have someone at work ready to call Andre, drive me to the hospital, and call someone to clean up in case my water broke. This never happened, but it gave me peace of mind knowing that someone was in charge while I was panicking or in pain.  

Last but not least, get dad involved. If you are single, get your friends and family involved. Don't try to do everything yourself including all the nesting at the end. I went to a lot of doctors appointments alone but there are some good ones that its nice to have someone with you. I went with my mom or sisters several times. They loved to come and see the baby or just knowing that they can help. The day you confirm the pregnancy, the first ultrasound, the day they check for the sex and when you hear the heart beat for the first time are special moments to share as a couple. I had 2 urgent appointments so there will be some scary moments too. Sadly i was alone during those. Also, you will get blood taken sooooo many times that it's nice to have someone for moral support. It's hard to believe that there is a human being growing inside of you. It's even harder for men, so help them out by making them feel important.

I thought I didn't remember but it looks like I did. If anyone wants to add anything to the list please do. When you are pregnant you can't get enough tips and advise from other mothers. Just for the record, you should always listen to your doctor. Every pregnancy is different and you should always follow their advise. 

Coming up: Canada

After months of staying at home we finally have a trip coming up. Andre, Emma, my parents and I will be flying to Buffalo, NY and driving to Niagara Falls (Canada) and Toronto. Canada will be a new Country for all of us and the first international trip for Emma. 

I'm a little nervous about traveling with a 7 month old, but I'm so excited about seeing a new Country. I need to do some research and find out how everything works. I only know that Emma will fly on my lap and that I need to give her a bottle to help with the ear pressure at take off and landing. 

Can anyone give me some advise? I know that everyone does this but I'm new to traveling with kids. I don't even know what are the rules about liquids or how many personal items I can take with me. Other than that, we are ready to go!!!! 

My baby girl is 7 months

As a working mom, I am away from my daughter so much that leaving her even for an hour a day to go to the gym makes me feel like a horrible mother. Going away for longer, like a weekend without her is not even a possibility right now. I enjoy every second that I have with her. I have been back at work longer than what I stayed at home during my maternity leave. I don't pump during the day anymore. I'm only breastfeeding in the morning and at night. Emma finally likes formula and I don't feel like a cow 24/7. I still don't sleep the whole night and I don't know what to do so I gave up and now Emma and I share a bed after she wakes up at midnight. I know, I know I shouldn't do that but I need my sleep. I never thought that I was going to be so attached to Emma. I knew I was going to love her but its more than what I ever imagined.

Tomorrow, I will start going for one hour to the gym after work twice a week. Andre will pick Emma up and I will get home just in time to bathe her and put her to sleep. I still have several pregnancy pounds to lose and I will be a bridesmaid in a month. I have some extra pressure to look good. I have been working out but without a routine I end up skipping workouts and losing my motivation too often. 

I have a few posts that I'm writing to help my friends with their future pregnancies and babies. One of my closest friends had a baby last month and giving her advise has given me some ideas of things that every new mom should know and that nobody tells you! Hopefully I can help by sharing my experience. 

Emma at the beach

Last Sunday, we took Emma to the beach for the first time. She LOVED it. She was a happy baby playing in the water. We went to Treasure Island, our favorite beach in St Pete. 

                               

                               

I got a tent to protect her from the heat and the sun. The 3 of us ended up spending most of the day under it. I also used baby sunblock for her delicate skin! (my mom asked if I did). We were lucky to find a few trees and a nice shade. It was a hot summer day and this tent was the best way to enjoy it.

                     

It was an "adventure" to get all set up but once we got comfortable it was probably the best Sunday of the year. I worked many hours for 2 weeks and it was our anniversary weekend. I really needed a break from the routine and I'm sure that Andre felt the same way. I can't wait to be back to the beach and I'm sure that Emma will continue to enjoy it more as she learns how to play with sand. 

I'm going to follow a good friend's advice and keep this blog open as a way to keep some of the activities that I enjoyed before becoming a mother. Motherhood is amazing but one thing that also happens is that the list of your priorities is endless. First comes the baby and your partner, your job, house work, and some social life to make you feel normal and after all that there is time for you and what you like to do. Please forgive my typos and lack of formatting since I will be using the blogger mobile app and I will have very little time to edit. 

Update

It's been a while since I wrote anything here. The past few weeks have been exhausting. I always say this so it might sound like it is always the same. It has been really exhausting. Probably as bad as when Emma was 2 months old. According to Andre, she sleeps the whole night. We finally took her out of our room but we are not doing so well... I gave up and I moved to the bed in her room. After she wakes up the first time we can share the bed and I can feed her sideways. The whole plan about stopping breast feeding and wean her off this month failed. She probably knew I was trying to stop and started to show me who's the boss around here. She is so attached to me. It's cute -and exhausting- but most of the time in happy to give her my full attention. 

Work is really busy too. I have a big deadline and not enough time. I worked last Saturday for 4 hours and I should have stayed longer. Andre deserves a big award for best dad and babysitter. The babysitter is on vacation and we have been doing shifts watching Emma. Andre is working from 12:30 to 9 pm. He stays home with her in the morning. Then my mom and dad watch her at their house until I pick her up after work. Typically the nanny goes to my mom's house from 1 to 5 pm and I drop her off and pick her up. This week is the last alternate schedule week. 

Having a baby has been the best thing that ever happened and the most difficult thing that I've ever done. I'm really happy to watch her grow and every day she makes something new that make me smile. 

June will be a great month

I don't know why but my best friends live far away. Call it karma but I can't seem to have a best friend in town. I have made good friends in Tampa since I moved from Colombia, but currently my closest friends live in different cities or countries. 

In June I will get to see 4 of them. Starting this weekend, I will have one of my best friends since kindergarten staying with us for one week. She is coming from an 8 month trip to Asia on her way to Colombia. She wants to meet and babysit Emma for one week. Another friend of ours will be driving her from Miami on Saturday and she will stay one night with us. She is also my friend since first grade. 

The last weekend of  the month I will get to see 2 dear friends: Andi and another friend from Colombia. Andi will be coming to Tampa with her husband Lucas to see Juanes in concert! I finally get to meet Lucas and she will meet Andre and Emma! I'm seriously counting down the days!! The day before Andi gets here we will drive to Orlando to see my other friend, her husband, and son. She is actually my second cousin but since we went to school together (since kindergarden too) we always called each other friends. They visited last year and we had a great time. They "met" Emma when I was 18 weeks pregnant. We will stay at the same hotel they will be staying and will probably just have a fun day at the pool. Let's see how many hours it will take us to get to Orlando. Lets see if miss Emma will do better than a few months ago. I'm really excited about this month. I can't wait to hug them and share some great days together. After our "trip" to Miami we got a different car seat and she seems to like it better. We never drive too far but we will find out in a few weeks. 

Just in case Facebook and Instagram pictures are not enough I'm adding one more picture of Emma.  

Happy Mothers Day

In honor of mothers, I'm sharing this video that I created for Emma while I was pregnant.

It sounds cheesy to say that the happiest day of my life was when my daughter was born, but it truly was. The anticipation of all those long 9 months and the moment that I was so afraid of was over. I'm blessed to be a mother and even more blessed that my mother has been with me to guide me in this new role. 

Night out in Orlando

For months I was waiting for Fonseca's concert. Fonseca is Colombian and one of my favorite singers. He was playing at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando. I got the tickets back in January right after Emma was born. I assumed that by the time she was over 3 months we would be sleeping the whole night and that my mom could babysit one night. No big deal! The reality is we are still waking up at night and my mom had a hard time making her fall asleep. I didn't know that babies love routines. Since she was not in her home, she wasn't happy. We got back from Orlando after 2 am and Emma woke up at 5:30 am. This showed us that even with a babysitter, going out will never be the same. However, we had a great time at the concert and walking around Universal's CityWalk.

Date at L'Eden

Last Saturday Andre and I had our first date after our baby was born. We picked one of our favorite restaurants in Tampa. L'Eden is a small French restaurant in Downtown Tampa.

I had a quiche Lorraine and Andre had the pecan chicken. I forgot to take a picture before I started to eat. We saved room for dessert, a crepe of course. This time I did take a picture before we ate it. The chocolate crepe was the best part of our meal. They added bananas because we requested it. This crepe reminded us of our trip to Paris 3 years ago. We started dreaming about planning a trip to Europe next year. We were only dreaming since our first trip will most likely be to Ecuador to introduce Emma to her father's family.

The chef/owner was cleaning tables and making coffee. You can see that he really loves this place and it shows with everything that they serve. He makes his own pastries. Sadly I never make it in the morning to try one of the freshly baked chocolate croissants. I'm jealous of those that work in downtown and can grab one every morning.

We don't come here often and we love it. After our delicious dinner we decided that we will come to this place as a ritual on Saturdays for lunch with Emma and then walk to the Curtis Hixon Park for a nice afternoon walk (before it gets too hot). There is a new downtown location of L'Eden and we will check it out next time.

The Surprises About Traveling with kids

Emma had her first road trip last week. Packing took many hours the night before and the morning of our short weekend trip to Miami. She was crying non stop for 3 hours. We only got 50 miles from home (in 3 hours) when we decided to drive back. We knew that our "relaxing" weekend in Miami was going to be bad when it starts with a 300 mile ride each way with a crying baby. It was a torture for the 3 of us. We tried EVERYTHING to comfort her and all that she wanted was to get out of the car. After our long ride we were happy be home. 

Apparently all the traveling that we will be doing for now will be our daily walks around the house. We have to start making shorter trips to help her get used to the car.

Can anyone give some advise to new parents like me who can't figure out a way to go out and at the same time have a happy baby? The "let her cry until she falls asleep" technique did not work! 

My Favorite Place on Earth

I might have talked about San Andres Island before, but lately it has been in my mind a lot. Probably because I have been at home for so long. I was obsessed with this island growing up. We used to go on our family vacations once or twice a year. It was my favorite place on earth. I haven't been there in 12 years but I have hundreds of pictures that I scanned from our trips in the 1980's and 1990's. 

San Andres island belongs to Colombia, but is located in the Caribbean close to Nicaragua. There have been endless arguments with Nicaragua about who should have the island. Nicaragua recently "won" some marine space and all Colombians were really upset. The island is also close to Jamaica and that is probably why you will mostly hear reggae music and listen to islanders speak creole instead of Spanish.

I remember seeing many European tourists in San Andres. Not many from the rest of the world. There are direct flights from Panama City or Bogota. The hotels are not really 5 star resorts. The true magic of this place is the ocean which is called the sea of 7 colors. This island is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Many people travel to San Andres and the nearby islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina to go scuba diving.

Providencia and Santa Catalina are 2 islands close to San Andres that are more rural and absolutely beautiful. You must take a short flight from San Andres to Providencia. Once there you could take a boat tour to see these islands. There is a legend that pirate Henry Morgan hid his treasures in San Andres. There is a rock in Providencia that is said to be Morgan's head. In San Andres you can visit Morgan's cave where his treasure is supposed to be hidden. My favorite stop was always Cayo Cangrejo (Crab Cay). This tiny cay was full of black crabs that you could barely see because of the rocks. You can hike a small hill to see the endless ocean from there.

View from Cayo Cangrejo

The best memories of my childhood are in this island. Someday I will take my daughter to show her my favorite place and to continue to create great memories along with my family.

If you want to see more of San Andres, I found this video that was created as part of a National tourism campaign. 

What's going on in my world?

I'm a mom. I'm still getting used to that word. Emma was born on January 13th after 36 hours of labor. After the long wait, I ended up having a c-section. The first week was difficult since I wasn't able to move or do much. I can move well now, I just need to take it easy the first 6 weeks.

It's strange how many emotions I've had. I am extremely happy and extremely exhausted. My mood varies from moment to moment. Hopefully my hormones will soon be back to normal.

I have no idea what time or what day of the week  it is . The lack of sleep is to blame. We are staying with my mom and she has been amazing helping us with the late nights. She has also done a great job making sure that I eat enough and take naps. I'm surprised by how difficult breastfeeding is. I was told it was painful, but you never know how bad until you do it. I think nature plays with women's hormones by making us forget about the labor pain and the long months of pregnancy heartburn. I always thought it was a joke when people said that you forget about it when you see your baby. Now I know it's true. 

We had a short photoshoot at the hospital when Emma was less than 48 hours old. There is a team of photographers that go around the rooms asking if you want baby pictures. We couldn't resist. Here are some of my favorites. 

Photo credit: BabyFacePortraits

Photo credit: BabyFacePortraits

Photo credit: BabyFacePortraits