Going out...
Just realized we haven't uploaded any photos with our new (well, now 8 mths old) car. We needed something we could drive around in Northen Thailand with the kiddo. This Toyota Vigo does the trick. Does really well on gas consumption too!!!

So there we are in the park. The minute we got there the kid got hungry and then slept through the whole 'let's learn about trees' experience. He was out for just about 2 hours including crossing a busy market on foot on our way back. We got home, open the door to our bedroom, and quietly put him down in his crib. Sure enough enough in 2 minutes he was up screaming. Didn't I tell you babies do really good outdoors!!..see what I mean!

Before sunrise he is your son...

1 - Haven't slept more than 3 hours in a stretch for 2 months now...and now, me and Andrei are pretty much left alone for the night feedings......this is what happens people: the sleep conquers even the most excited of dads. Once in a while though I feel (and do) like waking Ake up (' Darling, get me a glass of water!'). I have developed though the unbelievable ability of falling asleep in seconds literally.

2 - Babies are great travel companions. Maybe not all, but ours is..said the proud mom :). We haven't exactly traveled, but going out here and there has been excellent. In fact all the entertaining we have to do at home is replaced by all the NEW. He's puts on the most curious of faces for hours and seems to be ignoring us most of the time, unless he gets hungry of course... Where at home we have ' mommy let's play! daddy hold me!' , when we're on the go the kiddo entertains himself. What a puppet!

3 - We bought a breast pump...BEST 3000 bath (60 euro) we ever spent! This way grandma and granpa get to play while mommy is at work and Andrei keeps getting moms sleep inducing milk. (It's true! Human milk contains this protein that induces sleep...No wonder the kiddies can barely stay awake for an entire feed.)

4 - Mom's postparthum challenge: getting back to a decent weight. I put on 20 kilos folks. Sounds a lot, but most women actually put on pretty much around 20. 2 months after birth I still feel very 'motherish' in size...Second day after birth I was shocked : I'd lost ONLY...r u ready? Only 4 kilos!!!! Two months after birth now and I lost 12...That's probably only water or some kind of fuild. Do the math folks. I'm left with 8 kilos of PURE FAT. Starting swimming very soon though!

5 - One a different note. Great entertainment and directing! www.bmwfilms.com

Dowload and watch Clive Oven in THE HIRE series. several short films, by top directors, sort of short stories involving a driver (CO) and naturally his BMW. Wong Kar Wai's THE FOLLOW is especially beautiful and Guy Ritchie's THE STAR really fun.

5 - Enjoy the photos..Andrei now 2 months old.

Blood Diamond

Thanks to those darling granparents that are ever so ready to care for the little guy, we managed to get away for couple of hours and ran to the nearest cinema.TWICE!:)

(that electric breast pup we bought is priceless!!!)

A big impact movie, Blood Diamond...worth every penny we spent...Djimon Hounsou fab! Di Caprio very good also! I hope though Djimon gets the Oscar.

Not to mention that is directed by the same guy who did Legends of the Fall and The Last Samurai. Not to miss in my opinion!

Babel

Very good, but of a paler shade than Blood Diamond...sort of softer and very well done. I was anxiously waiting to see this one cause I loooved 21 GRAMS, Inaritu's previous movie.

I didn't get one thing though...everything was connected in the end apart from one character ...Santiago. Or maybe it all hangs in the 2nd hunting photo of the Japanese guy. Not sure...

Anyhow, back to being mommy...and my 3 favorite things:

- nursing quitely in the night (if I'm well rested , it's magic time)

- napping next to the little one during the day

- cuddling after a morning feed (pop in the Ipod and lay in our swinging chair for hours)

Still loving it...

Being a mom is great! Not great,... amazing!! And is especially good when everything is smooth and everyone is well rested and we all spend quality time together.

I take FULL credit for that! The not being dog-tired part...We worked on building a sort of flexible routine for Andrei, getting he's little tummy used to meal times....We eat/ we play/ we sleep. THAT, my friends is THE SECRET. Try we eat / we sleep / we play and you have a gassy baby. Make sense though! Eat, then sleep is no good for us, so why should it be for a baby? Naturally parents are all too excited about their precious bundle sleeping after a feed, that no one actually attempts to keep the little one awake. It was a bit tricky. I kept telling people, the hardest thing during the day is to keep Andrei awake and they looked at me like I'm nuts. :)

Night sleeping...

This was us - week 1 and 2:

Carmen nurses Andrei to sleep. Slowly raising herself from the chair, she eases toward the crib. While holding her breath she gently lowers the precious bundle and allows herself to smile. Then frozen, she awaits for peace to settle over the crib. All sounds good, so tiptoeing toward the door she slowly opens the door. What will it be? Freedom or failure? Hoping to escape, she knows that if Andrei fusses is "take it from the top" time.

I'm pretty sure most all first time parents start out like this. It's quite funny actually, how frozen you can be, praying for everyone to be absolutely still, so the little bugger would fall asleep.

Us - now:

Again, our flex routine does magic...The bugger is tired enough and just about ready for slumberland by 8, and doesn't need mommy rocking him to sleep...Well, that took a bit of getting used to...