SaME SaME bUT dIFFERENT

2011-02-09T13:16:00.003+07:00

Can I just say, I gotten so good at cooking Thai food, muffins, pizza and salads that I really have to post this...I'm really really pround of my thin crust pizza (photos coming soon)...
I am actually thinking there may be room for a shift a careers..Once I finish my masters in ED I'm going to cooking classes...

So to the right we have:

Tom Yam Soup...spicy but light - great for weight loss!!!
Basil Chicken
Plain Rice

2011-01-04T21:16:00.002+07:00

Feeling great about this year, guys? I do. We've got some superb trips lined up...Japan is looking good for April - we're trading the snow for cherry blossoms and our boots for trainers and flip flops...Then Romania...a 5 wks extravanganza at home...can't wait...Andrei bless him mentions Cluj every other day ..:)

We've got a lovely lady who comes and does our dinner and it's been fabulous...had stir fried veggies and ssour soup for dinner ...that's me, cause dieting has started 2 weeks ago...yay!!! After 2 kids I'm ready to get into my old clothes:)

Happy New Year!
The Bangkok Gang

2010-11-04T20:45:00.003+07:00

Japan postponed...:(

Well, unfortunately a combination of unfortunate events(Ake's mom broke her leg...poor woman) and sky high prices for flights to Tokyo (nearly a 50% increase to travel in December) mean that we wont make it this December to Japan...

We've initially set on a 3000/ 4000 euro budget for it, but a quick overview of travelling expenses meaning flights + train passes alone would have meant 2500...ummmmm...

Not to despair though...Japan is still top of the list...but...will take on noodles and sashimi in April...fingers crossed there'll still be some snow left on the peaks for good snowball fight...

Sooo...APRIL=sakura blossoms...end of November possibly a quick trip to Kuala Lumpur...

Otherwise, life is superbly serene in our corner of the world...:)

Photos of our Vienna trip this summer...and our castle..:)

2010-09-21T12:32:00.003+07:00

Trips

Where to go? where to go? We've got some holidays approaching quite fast and early booking is essential... We're still not sure how December will be...but if we've got our finances sorted we'd love to go to Japan. Ski if possible...Now the only thing is Japan seems quite expensive...15 euro meals for 4 , 3 times a day...it adds up...it's a wait and see, but highly likely that will happen.

Now October...that's manageable....I've love to take the kids to an elephant camp..but that's WAAAY up north and traveling overland with 2 kids...ummm...it's a lot of entertaining...

or...we could just go to the beach...:)))...

2010-09-14T14:05:00.000+07:00

We've moved house!!!

Bangkok traffic - not for us thank you!!! We are now walking to school and work. We've moved into this posh condo next door from the school in the heart of Bangkok...pool, tennis courts, squash, gym, sauna, playgroung, library...ahhh, that's the life!!!!

Coming very soon...photos of our place and views of Bangkok!

2010-08-29T22:50:00.001+07:00

Waiting anxiously for my parents to get here...for another year, TOGETHER in Thailand. It cant get any better folks! Except perhaps if next year granny comes for a short visit...Granny, who's never had a pasaport has decided to visit us...

YAY!

2010-08-26T13:30:00.001+07:00

Some of the days we were on the road were just too hot - mind you, not as suffocating as it can get in Thailand...and we improvised a quick tub play in the sun...the kids loved it!!!
Here's the kids in the my aunt Silvia's front yard enjoying a little splash.

2010-08-21T21:58:00.000+07:00

Back from Romania and short stop in Austria...cant quite get over how beautiful it all was...
We're very very excited about our own little house and the garden around which is just heaven. Lots and lots of pictures with Andrei and Sofia running around like crazy...some wild days we had...
Aahhh, good old European summers...:)

2010-07-25T22:59:00.002+07:00

ok...we've done just about everything...and are now ready to take off which will happen tmrw night after a busy busy day...cant tell how beat I am after chasing 2 kids in the indoor playground at funarium and climbing up and down the stairs of our house...
I'm am so ready to live without stairs for a change!!! I HATE stairs in a house...I mean I can do with a flight, but that's my limit...

still have no idea what will do in RO for 3 weeks, but plain hanging out in parks and seeing granny and friends sounds divine...I need my dose of Europe...!

2010-06-15T15:31:00.004+07:00

looking forward to...

Couple of weeks left of school , then we'll be doing our summer camp and testing that awesome pool equipment we got from the US. Thanks again George!

Then off to sunny Romania - kinda too sunny from what I hear - but just generally looking forward to NO PLANS...waking up everyday, even if that means 5 am with Sofia :))) and not having anything lined up.

We're flying straight to Cluj with a baby, a toddler and two bikes...YEAH...The bikes bit has been decided 2 summers ago when we were desperately looking for some decent wheels.

Can't wait to see granny and spend at least a week with her at her mini farm...Andrei was up at 5 am everyday with her for the daily duties: milking cows, feeding the chickens...plus running around with the dogs...Granny's got two of the friendliest dogs I've ever seen.

Then, back to Bangkok - eyeing our next two big trips for the year - October in Hong Kong and December in Japan...The only question is: Do we take Sofia skiing with us in Japan?...The kiddo is ALL EYES every time we leave the house and does extremely well outdoors...but not sure if I can leave Ake and 2 kids in the snow while I make my runs...I'm thinking: if she'll walk by the time she's 13 months (which will be in Decemeber), I'll take her! Bring on the sushi!!!

2010-06-04T12:28:00.002+07:00

On kids and time off...yeap - none!

Have managed to escape last night and see a movie with Ake...it was nothing amazing, but it felt good to hang out and finish a conversation for once without having to chase the kids, bfeed, or do whatever toddlers do - don't get me wrong, I love it!!...again, we felt sort nice and fresh, only to come home and find Sofia crying cause mom wasn't there to put her to bed, and poor mom didn't want to call us cause she wanted us to have a good time....awwww...I thought I could afford ONE night out...Nope!!!

The truth is...we are absolutely loving having 2 children, but, boy...the days are VERY LONG...late late nights...It actually feels like it's not double the work, but more like 3 to 4 times.

Can't wait for Sofia to walk though...my back is killing me!:)

In an effort to get back in good shape I've started doing Pilates at home with Andrei...It's 2 peek-a-boos and a 100.

2010-05-19T13:32:00.005+07:00

All about Sofia

Sofia is 6 months old...yeiiiiii..

Well folks, the world around us is falling apart..literally... but Sofia is such a doll...what can tell you: BIG LOVE!!! :)

And...more photos from Penang...

2010-04-18T13:29:00.004+07:00

Hola Penang!!!

Loved loved loved Penang...my only complaint is that it was too hot..sizzling really at times...was on the beach for a total of 5 min - sand was BURNING.

I'll be posting in more details in the days to come, so this is just a taste of what it was like for us...beautiful hotel, warm pool, great coffee, yummy chinese and indian food, great architectural mix...

2010-03-25T13:49:00.004+07:00

Ready? Backpacks on. Kids? Yeap. 2 Grandparents? Yeap. GO!

Yei...back to traveling again, now that Sofia is 4 months. Our first major trip comes beginning of April, an 8 day bonanza to Malaysia, specifically it's colonial jewel, Penang. Booked into what appears to be a very nice hotel - Traders...4 stars at the heart of the city ...

We are all buzzing with excitement....Our general goal is simple : walk - stop at cafes - cool in the pool - off to the beach in the evenings - take the tram to the penang hill which is supposed to be very cool - more cafes - parks with the kids - massages at night - yummy food (curries are said to be GREAT)....

Downloaded some photos from Lonely Planet - mouth watering. :)

Fingers crossed for decent temps - nearly 38 C yesterday in Bkk, and we're NORTH of Malaysia:)

2010-03-05T22:53:00.002+07:00

What a week!!!

Can't even begin to talk about how busy this week has been. It' now Friday night 11:00 pm and I'm finally feeling like I'm having a rest...after a VERY LOOONG Day.

Did a lot though... our trips until August are sorted....YEI!!!

We're having crazy thoughts about Japan in the winter....brrr...would love to!

Below, photos from Sofia's swimming lesson and our trip to the Ministry of whatever to get her passport.

2010-02-24T21:09:00.004+07:00

Work & leisureeee..

It's boiling outside guys...thankfully there're some great pool to cool of in good ol' Bangkok.

I'm exhausted today after the Swimming Gala at school...great fun though!

Just thought I'd post some photos of us swimming with the kids...Yei!

Right, back to work! I've got masters paper due in one week!:(

2010-02-11T11:21:00.002+07:00

Chomsky Talks...

The Nobel Peace Prize, of course, is not concerned solely with reducing the threat of terminal nuclear war, but rather with war generally, and preparation for war. In this regard, the selection of Obama raised more than a few eyebrows, not least in Iran, surrounded by US occupying armies.

US military expenditures almost match the rest of the world combined, and the US military is far more advanced technologically. Nonpartisan budget and security monitors report that the Obama administration's request for $538 billion for the Defense Department in fiscal 2010 and its stated intention to maintain a high level of funding in the coming years put the president on track to spend more on defense, in real dollars, than any other president has in one term of office since World War II.

taken from Noam Chomsky's HOPES and PROSPETCTS

Well worth reading the entire article.

2010-02-10T21:02:00.003+07:00

34 C in the shade

Sunny, gorgeous weather today in Bangkok for swimming! Being in the pool was so refreshing and energizing. If we ever leave Thailand, I'll know I'll miss the pools and the massage parlors...among other things.

Meanwhile we've got the first BIG trip of the year planned out(there will be several). One word for you: Malaysia!!!

Andrei and Peppe at the pool...

2010-02-09T08:48:00.002+07:00

Arghhh...

What a crazy couple of days...Alarm didn't work...Raced to school...Thank GOD for motorcycle taxis! JUST made it! Raced back home...there, one thing after the other...Literally crashed last night at 8pm right after the 2 pumpkins were asleep. Then again..this full on trottle is a great post pregnancy exercise.

We're on holiday next week, so we should be able to kick back a bit and chill. Yeaah.

2010-01-31T22:01:00.004+07:00

Weekend

We had a FULL ON weekend...park...ice cream...beach and pool on Sunday...where Sofia had her first swim at 2 1/2 months...LOVED it...we're all dog tired...kids fell asleep in a blink...yeaaaah...

I'm so ready for MONDAY. Bring it!

2010-01-29T13:18:00.002+07:00

there's something about Murray...

I love tennis and can honestly say...I don't generally mind whoever wins a tournament...I like Rafa's style but don't really mind whether he wins or looses...Most players that I watch, Federer, Verdasco, Tsonga, Davydenko, Del Potro, Gonzales are graceful winners or losers...

Can't say I like Murray's style, though...he's generally way too quick to praise himself and acknowledge HIS efforts...the guy clearly has talent and has worked hard to get here - no doubt about it, but a bit of humility would truly make him a champion. So, regardless of what happens in Melbourne...there's something about Murray...

2010-01-24T17:49:00.006+07:00

Starting clean
Thai children usually have their head shaved within the first months of life...Ake is convinced he's got good hair because of it and insisted we go through the same ritual with our lot...No probs with me! There are some things I'll fight against - shaving is not it...When we did that to Andrei, my in laws were very reassuring...."Don't worry, dear..It grows back in a month." Poor Andrei was browless for months and barely managed to grow a decent mane in about 6 months.

Thankfully, Sofia has inherited Ake's hair and so I was more relaxed about getting into the whole shaving . Plus Ake did it this time. His dad was sooo nervous when shaving Andrei that he basically shaved only patches of it - he he. Poor kid looked ridiculously funny until Ake got home and finished the job. Anyhow, back to Sofia..Bless, she's growing it so fast...eyebrows are back already...

Before...

A week after...:)

Hang in there, girl!:)

2010-01-19T21:29:00.002+07:00

Glimpses of OZ Open

I'm a tennis fan. I love sports in general. I grew up watching and playing just about anything. I remember my dad's friends saying that "there's this girl playing football with the rest of the boys"...that's was me. Not that I was great at it...just very competitive.:)

We've had couple of roller coaster weeks and it's just lovely to kick back and feel alive, feel the thrills and the ups and downs of following up a game...Vamos Rafa!:)

2010-01-13T13:54:00.002+07:00

360

It's Saturday morning. 10 days after Sofia's birth.

The phone rings. Ake's granny's not feeling well. She was playing with Andrei then she turned pale. Ake runs over to her house to help. She has been diagnosed with cancer just a week ago, but no dares one tells her. The doctor gave her another 6 months. She's 96. She's in pain already.

I'm starting to feed Sofia. Ake's youngest sister, Lek runs up the stairs to our living room and barely catching her breath tells me " CPR. Granny. Ake siad to come NOW."

I pass Sofia to mom and run down with her. I'm trying desperately to remember HOW MANY CHEST COMPRESIONS. I took my CPR about 3 times and everytime they change bloody number of chest compresions...12...15 or 20?...aaarrggh.

We get to the house. Granny lies flat on her bed. Eyes half open. Motionless. Ake has already started CPR. "Carmen, check for pulse?" There's no pulse. Her feet are cold. Her hands are still warm and so is her head...I keep checking for pulse and counting with Ake. Everyone's at home, Ake's mom and dad, all the sisters. They are literally in shock. Her hands are getting colder and still...no pulse. 15 min. Ake looks tired but very calm. CPR continues. The ambulance arrives. They take over from Ake...shock. nothing...another shock...nothing...more. Ake's mom is in tears and the rest of the women on the verge of it. There's too many people in a such a small room. Ake tells me to go back to Sofia.

Granny was taken to the hospital...they've managed to restart her heart...a very week pulse. She died that morning.

No comment.

2010-01-05T07:24:00.003+07:00

Pregnancy and parenting resources

Just wanted to pass on some of the info that has helped us lots so far. Many many thanks again to our friends for all the their tips and tricks.

Best medical book about pregnancy / birth and babies in my opinion. Thanks Lois!

Best website for birth (loved the birth stories):
Childbirth.org

And thanks to Gina Ford we're all resting at night (worth buying the book):
The Contented Baby

2010-01-03T13:50:00.003+07:00

Starting work

My maternity break ends tomorrow - and Tuesday school start officially, so me, Ake and Andrei are off...I'm sooo happy mom is here...a great relief to know Sofia is with her...and there's Ake's mom and dad as well who are just melting for her.

It's always really hard going back after having a baby. I'm ready to be around people although I must say having 2 meant we were always out - so I don't feel I've really been away...and certainly not on holiday.-:)

2009-12-30T22:04:00.002+07:00

Experiments

Andrei had really dry skin on his cheeks and no baby cream seemed to helped - in fact, whenever we used any lotion it made it worse. I tried a dozen lotions...In the summer of 2008 when he was 7 months we visited Romania and our Pediatrician neighbor recommended Avene - Great Success! It worked like a charm after only using the lotion few times.

Well Sofia had the same thing...except, you can't get Avene in Thailand ... So, I decide to give ONE try before bothering someone. I grabbed the most expensive cream in the house - my Garnier Firming Age Lift day cream and tried it on the poor thing. I wouldn't have been this brave with Andrei, but with the second one you kinda feel more relaxed...SUPERB results! As my in laws put it, Sofia has now the skin of a true Chinese beauty.:)

2009-12-24T17:00:00.004+07:00

Hi Guys,

It's been a decent "winter" in Bangkok so far - that is, temps roughly around 30 or less.

Went to the zoo this morning and left with Andrei kicking and screaming - it's pretty much a routine now - we take him to the park or wherever it's fun and refuses to leave even if he's so tired that he literally can't stand on his feet.

We're all pretty much immune to tantrums now! :)

Mom's baking a cake now, dad's brushing up on his Xmas outfit = Santa's hat, a red shirt from mom, red pants and a home made beard/moustache (cotton balls glued on a piece of fabric)..can't wait to see in Andrei's gonna recognize him.

A wonderful Christmas to all!

Sofia, Andrei, Carmen and Ake :)

2009-12-17T22:19:00.004+07:00

Not that I have much time these days, but once in while I get to watch someone like this...I know some of this linguistic work, but this was such a great addition.

Check out the modified links...thanks for letting me know Ralu!
Noam Chomsky on HardTalk - Part 1
Noam Chomsky on HardTalk - Part 2
Noam Chomsky on HardTalk - Part 3

2009-11-30T21:44:00.005+07:00

Sofia’s Birth Story

I gave birth to Andrei at a lovely private hospital where I was allowed to do pretty much whatever I wanted. I was drinking tea and eating chocolate in the early stages. Andrei’s birth was about 6 hours long, and I’m counting here from the first contraction.

Since no one intervene until after Andrei popped out I was feeling pretty good about having Sofia the same way. Coaching through birth, like when to push and how to breathe doesn’t make sense to me since you are the one feeling everything…Sure, it was brilliant having Ake there, cause he really helped when the pain was stronger. Rule no 1 when giving birth: NEVER make any decisions when you’re in pain…deal with the pain and decide later.

We have decided to drastically cut the costs for Sofia’s birth and went to the biggest Thai Public Hospital in Bangkok, Chulalongkorn. I had a lovely doctor here as well and whenever I discussed the birth with him he basically said, “ Well, I agree with you, but you’ll have to negotiate this with the nurses on the spot. They do things a certain way here and it will be tricky to change their minds. However, as a foreigner you have better chances than a Thai.” So there I was again with the same birth plan saying;
- No IV, no drugs, no episiotomy, no induction
- I’d like to move around
- I’d like to push whenever I felt like
- I’d like to eat in the early stages and drink

My water broke painlessly at 1 am on Weds morning. I quickly woke up Ake, cause Andrei had popped out 2 hours after that happened. We grabbed a few things, but forgot our wallets and surely we were checking in by 2 am…We knew Ake wasn’t allowed in the delivery quarter, so me and Sofia had to this on our own. They checked me in after signing tones on paperwork and I must admit I did get a bit anxious after entering the birthing center. I wasn't allowed to take anything from my bag - no cell, no clothes, nothing to drink,,, There were several women lying sideways, all hooked up on machines, IV drips and fetal monitors….brrrrr…saying no to all of it was going to be hard. I was sort of hoping for someone to distract the nurses away from me. SURPRISE though - I was already 5 cm dilated.

I mean, I was having contractions, but nothing too strong now. With Andrei, getting to 5 cm was hard work! It was GREAT hearing this…5 cm and NO pain…!!!

A lovely young nurse (LYN) asked me to follow her in the delivery room. Yet another cold shower here too…it was set up like a surgery quarter…brrr again… and here came the hardest part. I was sort of assigned to an evil old nurse (EON) to basically began saying NO to everything…like ….”ahhh…I’d like to go to the toilet!”…”Oh no, you can’t! Baby coming!” …I negotiated my through everything in Thai…I’ll use the bedpan once, you let me go to the toilet once……you can put the needle in my hand just in case – but no IV drip….. I’ll be in bed, but upright, sitting but definitely no stir –ups…LYN came back with 2 hot packs which I promptly put on my back and my tummy and this was a big help, it was starting to hurt a bit which again was good news – it meant no intervention…I was entering the active stage. Thankfully, so was the woman in the next room and cause she was making all sorts of noises and all the nurses rushed there…YEI! I was left alone…thank GOD! I felt sooo peaceful – I said to myself that as long as I keep quiet it will be ok, no one will interfere…

The next 2 hours flew by….it was relaxing just listening to all the sounds the other women were making, their fetal monitors, the nurses coaching them on what to do, me breathing ‘quietly’ through contractions … LYN popped in and out couple of times to change the hot packs …
I had lost track of time cause the clock in my quarter was twitching at 11:30, but after the woman next door had given birth I kindly asked to change the clocks (I wanted to time my contractions to see if I was making any progress contractions wise)…LYN changed the clock and checked me out…YEI – 8 cm already…and she phoned the doctor…and I was again ... alone…

All of a sudden I felt this HUUUGE urge to push…it was 4:50…It was so intense I thought surely there’s no time for me to get out of bed, squat and catch Sofia (I had to take the bedrails first which would have been literally impossible at that stage)…I hesitated a few seconds, but decided to call the nurses just in case…”Ahhh, sorry….I think the baby is coming…”…Both LYN and EON came in and began to frantically get towels, lift my legs up in stir ups and lower the bed…WOOOOOOW….STOOOP! I fought my way out of the stirrups, clinching to my comfy upright position and pushed Sofia right out with the nurses going bonkers in Thai MAI BENG! MAI BENG!!! (Don’t pushhh!) I really didn’t care what they were saying – I couldn’t have helped it any how…when the baby comes, there’s nothing you can do. The fight lasted less a minute, but felt more like a 10 min struggle … Luckily, LYN caught a screaming healthy Sofia at 4:55 and gave her to right to me then ran quickly to get a resident doctor…Sofia was amazing like all babies are and looked very much like her dad to me… I leaned over, grabbed a towel and wrapped her up and she cuddled up gently…This young woman doctor came and cut the cord and took Sofia to get her cleaned up….5 min later my doctor arrived …we both laughed… he asked if I can get the placenta out….whoosh! no probs…We had the funniest conversation as he was sewing me up…stitches are such an insignificant little thing and they heal soooo fast. Again, I didn’t really care about the tear!

Andrei came in the afternoon and looking at the 4 of us in that hospital room felt like one of those key moments in life that you want to hold on to and always remember…I love my kids!

PS. If I would have to pick a song for Sofia's birth...this would be it!

Se e vero che ci sei

2009-11-23T14:56:00.003+07:00

Home Sweet Home
The first night back home...dinner, bath , books, then all of us sleeping peacefully...precious. Pure happiness!:)

2009-11-22T10:58:00.004+07:00

Sofia

We're over the moon happy after the birth of our little Sofia...who kept us waiting for couple of days and came rushing in a matter of hours.

She's an absolute doll...or we just know better...?? I'm guessing it's both, cause we are just crusing the nights and loving the days...I mean...It does get busy....:)

Andrei did extremely well so far, maybe becuase we really tried to maintain all the regulars in his life (playground, friends, school), but he does want to try everything that the poor girl touches...her bed, her chair, her toys...Since she doesn't mind YET, that's totally find by me.:)

As I was saying couple posts back...I truly feel that women can give birth (provided all is well) without doctors / nurses etc...and once again, that's exactly what happened to us...and it was brilliant! Having said that...I love my doctor for arriving 5 min late and being totally cool and so natural about everything.

Birth story to follow soon...

Meanwhile enjoy day 1 photos...

2009-11-01T17:51:00.002+07:00

Funarium

Some days it's just too darn hot to go the park and we take Andrei to an indoor playground where he burns off tones on calories. Like this morning...there were 35 C at 9 am and Funarium looked so much more attractive especially to me (Carmen). I'm a waddling mama goose now and can take Bangkok in a swimming pool at this temp.

I've got the nesting insticts all over again...going for fancy recipes, sorting out clothes a million times...

We're making homemade hummus now and salmon and pesto pasta for dinner.

2009-10-11T19:46:00.003+07:00

Andrei for Plan Toys - Greece

The great thing is he earned some great great wooden toys after doing this commercial. An entire city plan with roads and train tracks that took 2 adults about 30 min to set up and still is the highlight of our living room + a rocking horse.

2009-10-09T09:33:00.002+07:00

New Zealand and other places by camper van

Friends of mine are camper van fans...they've traveled Europe by camper van (initially rented at 1500 E / week) than bought their own. According to them this is the best way to do it if you've got kids...It's trickier nowdays to park in big cities, but few years back you could park/ wake up in front of the Eiffel tower...yeah.

I have friends that have done it in the US...it was super easy to get around and back when the gas so 99 cents it came to almost nothing.

Anyhow...they've booked their trip to NZ by camper van again... 800 euros/ week in a 6 person camper van...cheap flights from Bangkok (600 euros/ pers)...what a life...!!!

It's a great time to travel to/via Asia now!

2009-10-06T12:12:00.002+07:00

5 weeks to birth..yei

After having Andrei, I totally agree with this lady, Laura. I gave birth in the hospital but basically no one but Ake whom I screamed at several times interferred. Sure, When it was all done I realized I had been start naked in front of the hospital staff the entire time...who cares?:)

Having said that, I will still go to the hospital with Sofia to put everyone's heart at ease...

Check the video on Unassisted Child birth here:

Unassisted Childbirth

2009-09-21T20:09:00.002+07:00

B-day

There's goes my bday present this year. I was going to buy tickets and see Nadal possibly playing someone like Tsonga or Simon at Thailand Open. Both dad and I were super excited...The guy is injured and won't be coming while Bangkok remains jam-packed with posters of him covering the event.

Ohh, well...that's life.

2009-09-09T11:10:00.003+07:00

On US OPEN

Murray's out.

The guy has had a good year - he just hasn't had a year that lives up to all the hype he's gotten. Someone please check on Simon Reed. Still alive?

Yeap, tennis gods are re-aligning the world order. Murray getting to No.2 was a universal hiccup.

Would love to see Fed and Rafa in the final.

2009-08-18T10:10:00.003+07:00

More on tennis...

Very very happy to see both Nadal and Fed in action...Men's tennis has some very strong competitors.
Women are less steady but Sorana's been doing very well so hopefully she'll keep it up.

Tomorrow the Cincinatti Open will be in full swing. Yey!!!
At the end of the week Í'll hit the 7 months mark - from now on it's all down hill. Yey!!!

Aaaand... More photos from Singapore...

2009-08-13T06:02:00.001+07:00

Canada Masters

So Federer gets Niemeyer (ranked #487), Djokovic gets Polansky (ranked #225) and Nadal gets Ferrer (ranked #19).

Vamos!:)

2009-08-10T21:31:00.004+07:00

Singapore - Part 1

Asia is soooo populated that keeping clean it's done either the Japanese way through self discipline or it's strictly enforced as it's the case with Singapore. Coming from Thailand were you find both ends, the slums and the posh boutique malls, resorts and so on it can seem over regulated...
Still if you manage to catch Singapore on a good day (less than 30 C) walking about the island can be very much enjoyable...

Great food according to Ake...so so..according to mum and dad who stay faithful to the Thai cuisine...They all agree that money goes a long way as far as food goes in Thailand...a good meal is gonna cost you in Singapore...

2009-08-09T17:06:00.004+07:00

On holiday..yeah...

We're on holiday guys. Well, all except me cause I'm typing my master's paper.
Mom, dad, Andrei and Ake are back from Singapore which according to them is great but slightly too commercial and way too organized...Just too many rules for their taste...No gum! No smoking!

Meanwhile I've got some photos from our latest trip at the beach. Dolphin Bay - Hua Hin - Thailand. Great place for kids, fantastic pool, huge breakfast and a decent beach but just a bit too far from Bangkok...nowadays I'm all about comfort...

Singapore photos coming up shortly...:)

2009-07-15T17:42:00.001+07:00

2009-07-11T17:51:00.004+07:00

Hi, I've been watching some very cool commercials on You Tube..Nike ones are usually very very good and I just loove this one. If you're going to the gym or just love sports this will feel particulary good. Enjoy!
We're on school holiday but SUMMER CAMP is on...so technically still at work, just loads more fun...:)

2009-07-01T11:29:00.002+07:00

The Couvade Syndrome

Dads sometimes get pregnancy syndromes and Ake, bless him, he's had it with both of them...Throwing up when Andrei was on his way and now with daddy's girl kicking about he's again ... "extremely" sensitive...

Now, don't get too compassionate as I've been feeling like crap for about 4 months and a half...

Couvade apparently refers to hatching in French...

Kisses, Carmen

2009-06-29T21:36:00.003+07:00

5 months update

Yei! We're having a baby girl....Having seen Andrei's ultrasound we KNEW it right away this was a GIRL...It was really funny seeing Ake checking out the screen as he was expecting the second son...he he he...we both knew it before the doctor gave us the final: "Guys, this is a girl for sure!"

The monsoon is upon us in Thailand. We're still at work but will be heading over to Laos for a weekend in 3 weeks.

Yei!!!

2009-05-26T14:09:00.003+07:00

We're all hooked on tennis...we've watched all the clay court masters so far and just loove Rolland Garros.
Even Andrei seems to get into it...and will sometimes ask to watch tennis (VEDEM TENNIS - in Romanian).

I haven't posted any photos from last Xmas in Ro, so here we go. Notice that when a baby is involved you only get him plus everyone else's legs.

2009-04-16T09:57:00.003+07:00

Dear All,

We are waiting for baby no 2.:)

It was really strange seeing the other side of things, the ugly morning sickness (that lasts the whole day), the constant exhaustion. I haven't experienced it before, but now I can see what other fellow moms were complaining about.

It feels like Andrei has a 'gut feeling' that he'll have to share soon(although at this stage he thinks having a baby means having a big tummy, so according to him even grandpa has a baby)...he's become glued to us...trying to score points while he can.

Anyhow...as I'm beginning my third month I feel great!!! Mom and dad are due in Bangkok on Tues, no more protests in Bangkok, the noisy Thai New Year is over - all is good in Thai!!!

Below, photos of Andrei at school.:)

2009-02-24T14:33:00.002+07:00

The Curios Case of Benjamin Button

I sat in the cinema for about 3 hours and felt like time just flew...Don't miss this one folks! A real treat!

I just love these quotes:

Benjamin Button: Some nights, I'd have to sleep alone. I didn't mind, I would listen to the house breathin'. All those people sleepin'. I felt... safe.

Daisy: Have you slept with a woman before?
Benjamin Button: Never on a Sunday.

Benjamin Button: Some people, were born to sit by a river. Some get struck by lightning. Some have an ear for music. Some are artists. Some swim. Some know buttons. Some know Shakespeare. Some are mothers. And some people, dance.

2009-02-15T22:13:00.002+07:00

Dear Grandpa

Grandpa died few hours ago...:(
God Bless! Dear Dear Grandpa...

2009-02-11T09:33:00.004+07:00

You're about to get spoiled rotten...2 posts this week that is!

Couple of weeks ago we braced ourselves for a boiling hot day in the park...Needles to say, the Romanian winter was the main topic and a freezing our tails in December sounded so good again.

The 1 hour planned biking was more like a 2 hour actual walking...the butterflies are a hit at this age!

PS. Does anyone know how to add a border on blogger to these photos?

2009-02-09T16:06:00.004+07:00

Dear All,

We're back! The MA is a killer and January was o chock-a-block month... I vow to post news once a week...so stick with us...What else?

- First of all, many thanks again for all the presents...we came back loaded!:)
- Andrei started nursery(full time) and loves it!
- Mom and Dad booked their 1 year tickets to Thailand
- The weather is great in Thailand and we're back on track swimming wise
- I've been having fun watching Mircea Badea's show

I've got loads of photos from Romania...:)...not so much snow, but seeing everyone was great!

2008-11-25T22:09:00.003+07:00

Dear All,

We've sort of lost touch with blogging as September was a super stressful month..I'm rating this one 9 /10. Dad was in hospital and lost 4 toes due to a minor infection + diabetes, so watch those sodas!!!
Anyhow, things are great now, apart from the ongoing protests in Thailand. A ahndful of fanatics manage to harrass an entire city, even bloody close an aeroport today...that being a day before Ake and Andrei fly out. The police are still standing down for a fear of military getting involved, that triggering another coup....basically...we're screwed.

Many thanks for your emails, asking about us...we'll get back to news now...hopefully flights will be on tomorrow!
Meanwhile...we're facing anarchy...

2008-09-18T21:27:00.001+07:00

My friend Bryan in AFRICA...a superb read folks!

TWO AFRICAS - part 1

The first thing that impressed me about the Kenyan chicken farmers was that even though I wasn’t interested in buying a chicken, they still sat me down inside their tumbledown shack and offered a cup of tea. The second thing was that even though these men were just scraping by, selling eggs and corn on the streets of the second-biggest slum in Nairobi, one of them had an email address, and he made me promise to email him pictures of each of his friends holding up their prize chickens. I was so late in getting back to the Mercy Care School that the worried principal almost sent his teachers out into the slums looking for me. Although I felt embarrassed by the concern over my safety, I also knew that I needed to experience more of Africa than I would while on safari, even if I presently stood out as the only white man within ten square miles.

For those of you who are wondering how I went from Nevada to Kenya in less than a week, some backstory is probably necessary. A friend of my family in New York paid $8,000 to reserve space on a safari for semi-professional photographers in the Masai Mara Wildlife Preserve. Unfortunately, this summer the man suffered a fractured vertebrae after an unfortunate incident involving a ladder, a gazebo, and gravity. The tour company was unwilling to refund his money because the departure date was only six weeks away, and since no other relatives could take the time off, I was sent an email inquiring whether I wanted a free trip to the northern Serengeti Plains. A free African safari. Free.

Needless to say, six weeks later I walked into Los Angeles International Airport with thirty pounds of borrowed photographic equipment, bound for Kenya. I get compensated for my newspaper articles in frequent flyer miles rather than cash, which is how I managed to afford the airline ticket. But because I hadn’t been able to book the flight in advance, the best itinerary I could find took two entire days to complete and deposited me in Nairobi one day early. I found a place to stay in the foreign city using the website couchsurfing.com, which connects people like myself with hosts who are willing to let travelers stay in their houses free of charge. My host’s apartment hadn’t had running water in over a month, but her fellow renters were friendly and considerate, and the bed in the upstairs guest room looked irresistible after my exhausting journey.

My jetlagged body told me it was time to sleep, but the sun had just started to shine on Kenya’s capital city, so we squeezed onto a crowded van and headed for the downtown district. My host worked for a non-profit organization that focused on arms control and peace-building, and she helped orient me to the social realities of life in East Africa. Gazing out the window of the van, I was amazed at how clean and well-dressed each person looked, without exception, even though the city’s infrastructure – the roads and concrete buildings – seemed to be crumbling around them. Businessmen in the sharpest suits were literally walking through rubble to get to work. It appeared as if each Kenyan was trying to individually leap across the divide separating the First and Third Worlds, while the nation itself was falling behind.

Two Africas co-existed here… one showed signs of hardship, and the other of prosperity, but the latter vision was still only a dream for all but the most affluent of citizens. Desperate children sold peanuts to drivers stuck in traffic, while above them, stylish billboards advertised safari tours and cell phone plans. Both SUVs and hand-drawn carts moved through the city, highlighting the economic disparity that had contributed to political unrest during the last elections.

to be continued...

2008-08-30T20:49:00.004+07:00

Not meaning to, I have totally negleted this blog lately. My parents left fro Romania just a week ago and before that we hit the road and headed to the nearest beach.
We had a speactacular holidays on Dolphin Bay...a quiet beach, a superb swimming pool, cows and monkeys around...and a great playground for the little one.
The highlight of the week was hiring a fishing boat to take us around. For 300 baht (10 USD) we had the boat for half day...

The hard cold reality struck shortly after my guys left and we found ourselves hands full up to our knees in work.

Here's to Dolphin Bay!

2008-08-06T17:20:00.007+07:00

SUMMER CAMP - part 1
Hey guys...I know..long time no post... but we have a good excuse: WE WERE HAVING FUN! ...at summer camp... We ran a cool 1 month summer camp at the school and took Andrei with us to join the littlest of group: the Early Years.

Friends of mine tell how exciting is to take your child to his firt day at school. Well I got to see all that since I was running the early years group.

Andrei did awesome (when kids weren't hugging Miss Carmen - that was the only prob) and is missing school now...Houston, we have a problem! He gets every morning and points to the car wanting to go to school...

It was kinda funny when kids were taking toys from him and Andrei was give me the "help mom" look and I had to give him the "Now, Andrei we have to share with our friends...or go and get something else to play with..."...and best of all...he learned to sit down and eat by himself (like all the other children) as we often had to do tricks to get him to eat at home. YEY!!!

We loooved it!

2008-06-12T13:24:00.002+07:00

Pigeons and 3 year olds...

Yahoo posted a link towards an article comparing the intelligence of 3 year olds and pigeons. Apparently the pigeons won, making quicker links. The interesting thing was that parents and animal lovers jumped at each other's throats defending their loved ones (see the comments).
Personally, I think the comparison is rather pointless. It's like saying bananas are better than apples. It's like comparing 2 children at their ability to add fast and deciding that the slower one is dumber.
Anyhow...check out the comments and the article below.

Smart Pigeons

2008-06-06T09:28:00.004+07:00

a day in the park

Mum and dad are here. That's so beyond fantastic...except the fact that now they are 4 over caring grandparents, and we (the parents) are left to clean the mess. And as it usually is everywhere, I get the blame for any spoiled elements in Andrei's behavior. he he he...Noh, just kidding...everyone's being a good sport but whenever Andrei needs a TALK I usually get the wink...

I'm on a mini holiday from school now and we hit the road to the park...We each had an cold shake (coffee and chocolate) then rented bikes...2 really good hours of strolling around and stopping for playground breaks ...by noon the heat chased us home to our air con rooms...

2008-05-27T09:29:00.004+07:00

The Dalai Lama: on China, hatred and optimism

An inspiring, soul-touching interview with The Dalai Lama on the subject posted below...My opinion: It will be terribly hard to change anything in Tibet without the Western World getting involved. No government said NO to the olimpics?

Thurman: You use the term "cultural genocide" to describe what China is doing in Tibet but have suggested that Tibet could live with self-rule within China. How do you define self-rule, and what are its advantages over independence?
Dalai Lama: Today, due to the massive Chinese population transfer, the nation of Tibet truly faces the threat of extinction, along with its unique cultural heritage of Buddhist spirituality. Time is very short. My responsibility is to save Tibet, to protect its ancient cultural heritage. To do that I must have dialogue with the Chinese government, and dialogue requires compromise. Therefore, I'm speaking for genuine self-rule, not for independence.

Self-rule means that China must stop its intensive effort to colonize Tibet with Chinese settlers and must allow Tibetans to hold responsible positions in the government of Tibet. China can keep her troops on the external frontiers of Tibet, and Tibetans will pledge to accept the appropriate form of union with China.

Because my main concern is the Tibetan Buddhist culture, not just political independence, I cannot seek self-rule for central Tibet and exclude the 4 million Tibetans in our two eastern provinces of Amdo and Kham. [Once part of an independent Tibet, Amdo is now known to the Chinese as Qinghai; Kham has been divided into the Chinese provinces of Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan. -- Eds.]

I have been clear in my position for quite a while, but the Chinese have not responded. Therefore, we are now in the process of holding a referendum on our policy among all the Tibetan community in exile and even inside Tibet, to check whether the majority thinks we are on the right track. I am a firm believer in the importance of democracy, not only as the ultimate goal, but also as an essential part of the process.

Thurman: To your mind, once self-rule is achieved, who should be in charge of the economic development of Tibet -- the Chinese or Tibetans?
Dalai Lama: Tibetans must take full authority and responsibility for developing industry, looking from all different perspectives, taking care of the environment, conserving resources for long-term economic health, and safeguarding the interests of Tibetan workers, nomads, and farmers. The Chinese have shown interest only in quick profits, regardless of the effect on the environment, and with no consideration of whether a particular industry benefits the local Tibetans or not.

Thurman: What is the environmental condition of Tibet today, 47 years after the Chinese invasion?
Dalai Lama: The Chinese have clear-cut over 75 percent of our forests, thereby endangering the headwater regions of their own major rivers. They have overharvested the rich resources of medicinal herbs and caused desertification of our steppes through overgrazing. They have extracted various minerals in environmentally destructive ways. Finally, in their frenzied effort to introduce hundreds of thousands of new settlers into south central Tibet, they are threatening to destroy the ecosystem of that rich barley-growing region by draining its major lake to produce hydroelectric power.

Thurman: What do you think it will take for China to change its policy toward Tibet?
Dalai Lama: It will take two things: first, a Chinese leadership that looks forward instead of backward, that looks toward integration with the world and cares about both world opinion and the will of [China's] own democracy movement; second, a group of world leaders that listens to the concerns of their own people with regard to Tibet, and speaks firmly to the Chinese about the urgent need of working out a solution based on truth and justice. We do not have these two things today, and so the process of bringing peace to Tibet is stalled.

But we must not lose our trust in the power of truth. Everything is always changing in the world. Look at South Africa, the former Soviet Union, and the Middle East. They still have many problems, setbacks as well as breakthroughs, but basically changes have happened that were considered unthinkable a decade ago.

To read the full interview click down here:
Interview

2008-05-19T21:05:00.002+07:00

Clouds...

Couple of years ago I was talking to a friend about the prospect of taking couple months off and touring the world, well bits of it... I would still looooove to do it when Andrei is old enough to get a good feel for travelling and hopefully my bones will still be up for it then.
Meanwhile I'm quite fond of taking a boat(cruise) back to Australia next time we head down under.Money-permitting. Our friends from Czeck Rep. just a had a fab working holiday in New Zealeand. Great great experience! I have a feeling will be doing some of that as well...

As I said, the weather was all sparkly, but we loved it anyhow...

2008-05-17T20:59:00.004+07:00

China's flame in Sydney

This message had nothing to do with politics. Our second day in Sydney we stopped for an hour and marveled at the chinese community in Sydney. Very strong and peaceful. It was actually quite moving. I've never seen anything this big. I guess what I liked tha most was that EVERY chinese was there, from little kids to 70-80 year old guys...

PS. Check out the cute Syndey monorail popping up in couple of the pictures!

2008-04-29T21:18:00.004+07:00

Sydney Harbour

A great place to hang out..in fact we spent several afternoons here, just 'taking it in'...great little cafes and superb views of the North Shore. Also THE spot for taking the ferries around...

We actually wanted to take the climb the bridge tour for some bird's view shots of Sydney, but gave up as it's quite pricey and you can't take your camera with you either.

The seagulls were comical and reminded us of their Nemo portrayal...the little scavengers...:)

2008-04-22T22:01:00.003+07:00

SYDNEY - Intro

Back from Sydney guys! What a cool cool city! We absolutely fell in love with it...I haven't got much energy left after chasing Andrei today, so I'll leave you promising an abundabce of photos and Sydney bits in the following days...

Our last photos of Sydney from the ferry...

2008-03-26T22:01:00.002+07:00

Boiling...

It's THAT time of the year folks! The thai summer that is! We're melting...and it's either air-con or the pool. We're thinking "green" so we're back in the pool.

Yeaaaahhh...

2008-03-24T21:28:00.005+07:00

We're still here...

I average these days about 40 min a computer a day outside work...that include a 20 min chat with mum and dad home and the occasional email / photo / news bit.

The main reason is...Andrei has started walking on his own (although still loves mami's hand). A great feeling guys, seeing your little one beam while waddling around. That means we're mostly outside running around or swimming.

Luckily for us, he's a water baby...well I swam pretty much everyday through my pregnancy, so he'd better be!!!...Andrei is a GREAT night sleeper...bless...we're all well rested, but usually after a swimming session he'll sleep 12 hours straight...mum + dad movie time..:))

This is a great age for both parents and toddlers. It's truly childhood magic time.

So, if you don't hear from me often enough...know that we're having a great time checking out the world with Andrei.

And travelling again...FINALLY...Australia - Sydney ...in 2 weeks time. :)))

pS. Sorry about the quality of photos...took'em with my cell...

2008-02-03T21:33:00.000+07:00

The weekend...

Ah, we had a great time... The weather was entirely swimming friendly...one of those days that reminds us why we're in Thailand.:)

2008-01-30T20:09:00.000+07:00

Marry ME!

Statistics folks! Browsing through magazines (and no, it's not Family Life) I found this article that claims that married people with kids live a longer healthier life.

Nevermind the popular talk about marriage as a source of bliss for the couple, security for the kids and social stability. Pair up any two people with often clashing needs, add in the pressure-cooker of kids, doctor bills, housework and there you have it. Still, these guys say that decades of research and data collection have shown that marriage - for all its challenges - is like a health-insurance policy.

Over a course of 10 years it looks like people who were not married were 58% likelier to die during that time than the married folk. And no wonder. Marriage means no more drinking at bars, no more ramen noodles dinners , you name it, it's gonna be NO.

So is it all pink for those who tied the knot?

THE RESEARCH

Married people live longer and are healthier throughout those extra years.

Studies have linked marriage to lower rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and mental illness.

Marriage helps both partners cope better with stress, though men benefit more than women (bastards!!!)

and the down side....:)

Marriage is fattening, particularly for husbands. Married men are nearly 20% more likely than unmarried men to be overweight.

That last one is so true... although Ake hasn't gained anything extra since our wedding day....I know couple of married men who'd be cunningly smiling at this one thinking of the next batch of cookies.

2008-01-11T16:28:00.000+07:00

Diets...

Forget the marketing, the slogans, all that! This book is packed with precious info, it's fun really, whether you wanna loose weight or you just wanna eat healthy....It follows decent principles: you eat right, you exercise = you get in shape!

I've tested it my self! Take it from the guinea pig: IT'S GOOOOD!

2008-01-06T21:11:00.000+07:00

Be on the look out for... Plastic Containers

You may know chemical released by plastic water bottles can cause cancer (It is not the water that affects you but the chemical released from the bottle)
How to avoid: Check the bottom of the bottle there should be a triangle sign and there will be a number on it. If the number is higher than or equal to 5 --> then this bottle is safe to use. Numbers under 5 will release the chemical. For most bottled water, the number is 1. Remember to check and stop reusing those bottles.

Start checking these numbers people!

After reading this I look it up...There's actually an enormous amount of water bottled in no 5 plastic bottles. I bought several that had a 5 stamped on the bottom.

Wanna know more?...tons of info out there...google it!

2007-12-31T21:59:00.000+07:00

On Parenting -(what else?)

First time parents tend to be very picky I was told the other day. We had some wine on Xmas afternoon with friends and since pretty much everyone there had kids we hit the topic instantly.

I completely fit her "first timer description"....

"Now go to the hospital for example...You'll see parents running and playing with their children - those are the first timers...the ones reading the newspaper - those have at least 2 kids!"

Totally true...And so, have decided I need to also learn how to let go ...at least for a while...

Happy New Year Everyone!

Carmen

2007-12-18T22:14:00.000+07:00

..a month ago I promised I'll upload some more photos...Andrei's surgery threw our lives into chaos...Mom and Andrei slept in the hospital for 2 weeks, which apart from day 1 after surgery when and the tests before (shots and tests) were loads of fun...The hospital was equiped with huge play areas...plus loads of kids...twas great! By the 3 rd day Andrei was running in the halls while mom and dad were trying to manage the drainage tube.

anyhow, things are back on track...and the only real scar we came home with was the scare of white, cause nurses kept waking us up to check the BP, temp, the works...

we're on holiday now...planning to go to Khao Yai NP for New Year....

Andrei first word : MAMA

Andrei's second word : PAI (let's go in Thai)

Andrei's third word : Buuuurp (laughin his heart out in anyone says it in Eng)

Andrei's forth word: variations of HAIDA (da da da)

Later. Carmen :)

2007-11-11T22:13:00.000+07:00

Best Toys

We did it. We bought a whole bunch of wiggly, buzzy, singing toys only to have Andrei play the entire day with a plastic bottle or spoon, a balloon or a soft ball.

He looves books, anything with couple of pictures on and he's entertained for half an hour. I said to myself : I gotta get him those fancy touchy feely 3D baby books. He'll like those. Paid 10 euros per book only to have him toss aside in 2 min and pick up one of the free marketing leaflets.

Spoons, bottle and lealflets make also EXCELLENT traveling toys...

Stick to the basics folks!

Starting off with our BEST sea side picture.

2007-10-28T22:09:00.000+07:00

Just a quick note to let you know...we're back from the beach...had a fabulous time...Working hard at the next photo and video batch...until then, enjoy some of our favorites from Romania.:) Carmen

2007-10-17T21:43:00.000+07:00

Dear All,

Life not all roses...but is still pretty amazing...

Well we've had a really INTENSE month...among the endless working hours we've come to find out that Andrei will need a preventive surgery...The urinary valve on the left side is weaker and causes what's called a urinary reflux...That was a hit way below the belt, but we're coping...

We're all set up for 26th of November...Met the surgeon and put our minds at ease. He's this incredibly calm guy...a Thai Preston Burke sort of.

Meanwhile...we're going to the beach after 2 months of FULL ON ... Bangkok...Gotta shake some of it off...first time for Andrei...we're crawling, trying to walk and grabb everything that comes in reach...

9 months is really really a golden age...i'm loving it...and I get to be called MAMI first time in my life...it's great!

Hugs, Carmen, Ake and Andrei

2007-09-27T22:05:00.000+07:00

Jam Packed...

1 - Lots lots of work....man...I'm really beat!
But I gotta tell you...I love my job! I love the kids and I looooove my long holidays...

2 - 2 days. I'm gonna be 30 and can't even feel it....Andrei's gonna be 9 months...that I can definitely feel...He's starting to walk and we're literally doing the marathon around the house...I'm hoping this will do wonders for my weight loss plan...

3 - People told me while I was pregnant: " Go ahead, get fat, round and happy...you'll loose it like THAT once the baby comes..." Do not deceive yourselves ladies...it's HARD WORK...!!! And under no circumstances DO NOT gain more than 10 kg...(ok...make it 15...)

Andrei...Botanical Gardens...Cluj -Napoca...Romania...

2007-09-13T10:49:00.000+07:00

NEW

Hi, everyone! Good news! We have bought our very first domain...very excited...

It not up and running yet...give us a minute!:)
http://www.ctrl-alt-del.biz/

Back to our Romania trip...here's a glipse of the city and us wondering on the streets...

2007-09-05T22:21:00.000+07:00

Mothers at war...

Last week we went to the biggest baby/kid sale in Bangkok. The event happens every year, and it's packed with kiddies dragged around by their parents to buy all sorts of stuff. Within minutes the place turns into a regular stampede...no, really...no joke...:)...

You've got mothers fighting for car seats, grabbing 10 things under arm just to make sure no one else gets it...It gets ugly. :))

A mom (holding 4 carriers in hand with only 4 carriers left to sell)...

B mom: Com' on woman ,pick one, so the rest of us get something too....

A mom: I'm gonna buy these...

B mom: So, go and pay!!!!

At this point we cleared the boxing ring...:))

2007-08-25T22:20:00.000+07:00

Socializing .....in the hood...

I guarantee it, there are at least 2 grandparents and a dozen neighbours missing Andrei now...

The perfect play area, that was. Good weather, toys and kids galore and loads of attention! Ake was as usual the funny man, doing silly tricks to the kids, who by the end of our stay were knocking at the door to either ask for Andrei, or 'the magician' to come out and play. :)

2007-08-23T22:29:00.000+07:00

Back from Romania ...

Hang on to your shorts guys...we'll be posting like crazy...

Grandparents House

We had an absolute blast in RO! However, none of that sleep until lunch undisturbed ever happened. In fact Andrei kept waking up around 6 am every day, so that's when the day began for all of us...

The first thing on the list was visiting my grandparents...Andrei's great grandparents!

Rural Romania was as charming as ever....Here's some of the gang...

we did it all...drink fresh cow milk...feed the chickens...bathe in the sun...We had to! There were 43 c in the shade!

...go in the fields...I can never understand why granny complains of old age...we barely managed to keep up with her...city kids!!!

...cool ourselves with Pepsi in the evenings....

Ob La Di, Ob La Da

2007-08-22T08:53:00.001+07:00

2007-07-07T21:10:00.000+07:00

Goodbye Sam!

One of my dearest students heads home to US... Have a safe trip, Sam! See you in Colorado very soon!:)

We, on the other hand, are likes hippos on a hot day...especially me...that's cause loosing the baby weight is quite a struggle.
Listen to me ladies! If anyone tells you : go ahead, eat cause you'll loose it all in a blink...it's a LIE...no matter how long you breast feed...it's HARD WORK!

2007-06-24T21:50:00.000+07:00

Modeling...

Thais are in love with 'half-breeds' and so these are the kids that get all the advertising jobs, mind you, some of these pay really well...up to 2 months of mommy's salary for a couple of days work...I got stopped few times and asked if Andrei would be modeling, but since they weren't so keen on paying him a decent amount we just didn't bother.

Until...we got an offer from one of the big(I think) modeling agencies that works with kids...So, Ake and Andrei showed up for a shooting...and guess what, the bugger stared in amazement for 1 hour and refused to smile...he he he...his brilliant debut in modeling!!! 'Definetly come back in 3 months!'

Meanwhile...this is what we get at home round the clock...

2007-06-13T21:19:00.000+07:00

A heck of a month...a hospital scare for Andrei, then we ran like crazy to get our papers together in order to buy a house (a 'maybe' now?- as it turns out it's pretty hard getting a loan as a foreigner in Thailand), working like mad to finish off things at work before the grand holiday...5 hour sleep/ night...That's US....Andrei, however doing splendidly...a very good night sleeper...and a very happy kid...

2007-05-06T10:45:00.000+07:00

WEEK TWO: SAN FRANCISCO TO JÖKULSÁRLÓN
by Bryan Snyder

"Hey, that's just like in "The Terminal"!" the young lady
remarked, noting my creative arrangement of airport chairs into a
functional bed. I flashed my best Tom Hanks smile and waved back, but it was
half-hearted. The situation seemed much more comical in the movie.

I was reliving this Hollywood scene because the plane
coming from Iceland to pick me up was delayed six hours. My night in the air
had become a night at the airport. After a two-hour search through all the
dusty, unused corners of the terminal, this makeshift bed was the best
I could do. Unfortunately, once I discovered that my watch alarm had
broken, I had to give up on the idea of sleep altogether. I was certain that
I'd miss my 5am departure if I tried. I eventually made it to Iceland,
quite exhausted, and was given a place to stay by a generous Latvian family
who explained that their friend at the Keflavík airport had caused the
delay by ramming the plane with a luggage conveyor belt. These things happen.

Iceland is a turbulent island. Massive icecaps hide the
presence of sleeping volcanoes which come to life periodically,
unleashing devastating rivers of lava or creating floods powerful enough to carry
icebergs the size of skyscrapers. On the positive side, Icelanders
have created one of the world's most sustainable economies, piping
geothermically-heated water into all the houses and using subterranean
heat sources to generate cheap electricity.

One power plant has created a major tourist attraction by channeling its
condensed steam into an artificial pond called the Blue Lagoon. Guests
apply white silica mudpacks to their faces and lounge about wearing
sunglasses in the milky-blue waters. I joined them for a swim, but
with all the black lava, steam swirling everywhere and white faces drifting in
and out of view, I felt like I was being stalked by evil clowns in an
apocalyptic Mad Max movie.

Another family shuttled me to Þórsmörk – "The Woods of Thor" -
an anomaly in Iceland because of the presence of real trees, though
most were shorter than I was. From there I ascended 3,000 feet to a
mountain pass between the fourth and sixth-largest icecaps in Iceland. It was a
strain on my poorly-conditioned leg muscles to carry my 50-pound
backpack all that distance.

One evening, an arctic fox loped over to my tent to see
what all the commotion was about. From three feet away it eyeballed me
curiously. It wore a sleek, black summer coat, but its white, fluffy
tail had yet to make the transition out of winter. Satisfied with its
inspection, it scampered on down the trail, leaving me to shake off my
amazement and prepare another meal of ramen and potatoes.

The next day I descended past an endless series of waterfalls
pouring over lava terraces on my journey down to the ocean. Thick,
bulging growths of moss clung to every lava outcropping so that the place
looked like it was being hugged to death by giant, pale green caterpillars. I
slept next to a 200-foot waterfall, walked to the highway, and faster
that you can say "Þingvallavatnssiglingar" (which for me is about 3 hours)

I hitchhiked all the way to the southeast corner of the island – to
Jökulsárlón, a lagoon filled with icebergs at the foot of a massive
glacier. I sat down for a while, seeking words to describe what I
was seeing. Gravity was pushing snow down from the icecaps, forcing it to
run in flat rivers of ice towards the coastline like a rolling pin pushing
dough before it. At the leading edge of the glacier, great blocks of ice
stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a long wall, silent as soldiers, toes dipped in
the lagoon, waiting for their chance to break off with a thunderous crack
and topple into the icy water to join their brethren. Arctic terns tucked
in their wings and plunged into the spaces between icebergs, seeking fish,
while seals poked their whiskered heads above the lagoon surface and
snorted at all the tourists' cameras. But the grandest spectacle were the
icebergs themselves - each one a sculpture in its own right, sweating in shades
of crystal blue, sculpted by sun and seawater, spinning around the lagoon
until small enough to escape into the greater ocean.

Following rumor and intuition, I discovered my own private iceberg-filled
lagoon nearby, beneath the shadow of Hvannadalshnúkur, Iceland's
highest mountain. I pitched my tent on a promontory above the water and
exhulted in the sheer joy of being in the presence of such natural wonder. Or
maybe I was just plain gloating. This was exactly what I came to Iceland for,
I thought.

A night in the San Francisco airport was a small price to pay
for what surrounded me now. Glaciers creaked and groaned across the placid
water, while strange birds meowed in the distance like lonely kittens
stranded on icebergs. The sky at midnight was still the color of a
sunset, so I donned a sleeping mask to fool my body into thinking that night
had fallen, zipped up the sleeping bag, and reluctantly willed myself into
sleep.

2007-04-24T10:53:00.000+07:00

WEEK ONE: SANTA BARBARA TO SAN FRANCISO

by Bryan Snyder

(Many thanks, Bryan for all the stories and photos :) Carmen & Ake)

What is making all that racket? With growing irritation, I leave off packing and trudge outside to investigate. Around the corner, two wild turkeys are crashing into my screened bedroom door, thrashing their wings furiously and threatening to take their battle inside the house. The ruffians are too busy shoving their beaks down each other's throats to notice my presence three feet away, so before they can wrestle their way into my bedroom completely, I decide to break it up."Look, I can have Frank Perdue here inside of five minutes," I threaten. Two pairs of avian eyeballs turn to stare at me in horror. Dumbfounded and beaks open, the turkeys look like a pair of schoolboys caught by the principal. They scurry off quickly into the brush, and the bedroom door slams shut again.

My name is Bryan Snyder, an outdoor science teacher originally from Norwich, New York, and yes, this is my day-to-day life. I sleep in a log cabin in an oak forest, thirty minutes from the beachside glamour and million-dollar homes of Santa Barbara. It's a humble sort of existence; I could never afford to purchase a house in southern California, but I can afford four-month summer vacations if I'm willing to cook my own food and sleep under the stars. You'll be hearing of my adventures in the Rocky Mountain high country throughout the summer, as well as a few hitchhiking stories from Iceland and Norway… if I can ever finish packing.

Most critters fail to disturb me these days. My cabin is more or less its own complete ecosystem. Spiders prowl the shadows and prey upon herds of potato bugs - armored scavengers that roam the carpets for crumbs. Ants patrol the perimeter of each room, intent on finding fresh resources for their queen. Acorn woodpeckers hammer into the outside walls, drilling holes for acorn storage. It's a benign sort of siege, and since I'm about to hit the road for four months, I feel content to give up the fight for a while.

A breeze blows the front door open, and by the time it slams shut again, an alligator lizard stands in my living room, unmoving. It looks vaguely like John Wayne might after striding through the saloon doors in a Hollywood western. Appropriately, the creature has an reptilian glint in its eye and wears an alligator's shrewd smile, even as I approach it. It looks up and gives me an unspoken challenge: "You may chase me out now, but soon you'll be gone, and I'll be back." The wind opens the door a crack, and with a flick of its tail, the lizard is gone. For now.

I probably didn't need any further help saying goodbye to this place, but a few days ago I made a final camping trip to Little Caliente Hot Springs. Two hours of rutted, winding dirt roads brought me to a cleft between hills where stone and mortar had been placed to collect the flow of heated groundwater. When night fell, I lounged in the middle of three pools beneath the starlight, feeling hopelessly decadent. Leo's reflection rippled upon the steaming water, and I glimpsed the ethereal current of the Milky Way for the first time this year as it rose above the eastern horizon. Scorpio's right claw drifted into the glow of distant Santa Barbara city lights, and a shooting star flashed in and out of existence in the western sky. I need to remember these sights because I'm traveling to the edge of the Arctic Circle next week and may not see stars or absolute darkness for a long time.

The next morning, temperatures rose quickly into the 100s and every biting fly in the county seemed to come out and celebrate the occasion. Feeling a bit out of place next to a hot spring in summertime, I packed up and sought out some shady swimming holes which served to cool my blood until I could put myself in the path of Pacific ocean breezes once again. With memories of those brutal temperatures strong in my mind, I believe it's time I finished packing so I can take my gear up to San Francisco and catch a plane to Iceland. The lizards and turkeys can have full run of the place while I'm gone, and I won't envy them a bit.

2007-04-16T21:03:00.000+07:00

Dear all,

While some of us are on diaper patrol, there are others travelling the world...one of them in particular, my good friend Bryan whom I met in Colorado. For years now I kept receiving these great emails and photos from various places and since our backpacks are rusting in some corner I've asked Bryan if I could post some of his stuff...

Following shortly: Norway....start saving money NOW...once you read and see what he's done, you'd wanna go!!!

Can't do without posting at least one photo...:)

2007-04-10T21:13:00.000+07:00

We're changing size, moving to 3-6 mths outfits, which leaves us with couple of bags of stuff to give away to a nearby orphanage. As a mommy I find it terribly sad that there are actually women in this world who would leave their bundles behind.(FOR WHATEVER REASON...) Not to mention that, to this day I don't understand why Romania leads the way here.
We usually pass this orphanage on our way home...it's always hard...but it was unbearable the day we brought Andrei home from the hospital. Newborns are the most precious little things.
Happy Easter!

However....a big THANKS to the design team behind LAMAZE toys.:))

2007-03-29T20:16:00.000+07:00

Entering the world - the buddist way

I always knew there will be times when I'm gonna have to close my eyes(mouth?) and say 'well, the bugger is half chinese...'

This is one of those.

Traditionally, Thai or Chinese kids(in Thailand) shave their babies head and EYEBROWS(!!!!) after they've passed the first month. S - Day is chosen carefully based on mom/dad/baby's chinese horoscope.

Ours turned out to be 14th of March...truly a good day, as Andrei was quiet as a puppet and slept through most of it.

After the first eyebrow...Mom managed to calm down / grab the camera.

And when he woke up...:))

I'm told this is the secret in acquiring one of those great dense Chinese buns and thick gorgeous eyebrows.

2007-03-21T20:27:00.000+07:00

Being a parents is such a trial and error experience....You find something that works one day, and the next day you something else pops up or the same solution doesn't work anymore.

Take breastfeeding for instance...How the heck it comes so natural to all the other mammals but us?...read any baby book and you'll find out a list of 50 things that could go wrong. I always thought I'll be this cool mom and that all this stuff is just a matter of instinct. Took me about a month to actually learn to hold Andrei properly...
Then there's the problem of the actual milk...I thought: "Hey, bring the kiddo to the breast..job done!! It works for all other mammals." Not for human cubs! They need to get the rich sleep-inducing milk that comes after the poor kid has been suckling for at least 10 min/breast..Trouble is, human cubs are such sleepy heads..so if you let them fall asleep, they wake up within an hour screaming their hearts out for food, not to mention that the foremilk(the watery one) taken in excess causes gas like you can't believe!...Add it all up...these guys basically feed for 30 min - 1 hour at a time...7 times a day (now, before 9-10)..you do the math.

However, once you've figured it out, bfeeding is a great bonding experience and nothing beats 'liquid gold'.:)

Un Elefant

2007-03-13T21:03:00.001+07:00

You realize guys, we are absolutely charmed with our bundle. If you are a parent yourself - you understand, if not - you'll get there!!! Same Same will swing somewhere between parenting and the occasional trip...

Until the summer, when we're packing our troubles and going to Romania, enjoy a video of our son. You'll also notice that I'm on a mission to get him at least bilingual. Ake is in charge of the Thai and the grandparents and chatting away in a mixed chinese-thai. I would be curious to know what he's thinking listening to all of us yapping in so many languages!!!

So, here it is, Andrei now 2 months and a half - still a very happy kid!

2007-02-27T17:18:00.000+07:00

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!

2007-02-21T20:42:00.000+07:00

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.

2007-02-12T21:06:00.000+07:00

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)

2007-02-06T17:15:00.000+07:00

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...

2007-01-24T22:15:00.000+07:00

Sleeping like a baby...:)

2007-01-21T22:16:00.000+07:00

Being a family..

Okay, we had some hardcore nights! What can I say, ROOKIES! :)))
It's just that human cubs are so helpless, and that is their greatest survival skill. Naturally all parents find their baby irresitable, and we're no different...but the parenting road is full of SPOIL ME traps...

So, it was hard ..and now it's getting easier....As 3 week old parents we set ourselves some healthy guidelines:

1. Andrei needs to be a part of the family NOT the center of it. Keep mom, dad and baby happy. (This is the best thing I've learned. Baby happy and at the center of things is the sure way to 2 ragged parents and eventually an unhappy kid).

2. It's OKAY to let baby cry...Eventually is only for couple of minutes. Instant gratification is no good.
Early days he got used to being held and cuddled most of the time. Nasty habbit! And the little buggers get attached to the good life so quickly...We had to unlearn that!:)

3. Stay close to a flexible routine...Life is soooo much easier with a baby when we can predict at least part of our day...

Ohh...and we loooove BATH TIME WITH DADDY!!!

2007-01-15T10:54:00.000+07:00

Thais love nicknames...

A : He's cute...What's his name?
Ake: Han-Ming.
A : It's Chinese. What's his Thai name?
Ake: Nope, just Han -Ming. And Andrei, the romanian name.
A: How about a nickname?
Ake: he he...sorry, no nick name. Just Andrei Han-Ming.
A: Ohhh...:(

On Postparthum Depression

I read loads of books on babies and pregnancy and one thing I couldn't understand was being depressed after delivery. Why would you? I was so ready to pop, so anxious to see the little guy..9 months was a long wait.
Doctors explain postparthum depression as a sudden hormone level drop. Anyhow, I never thought I'd even come close to feeling depressed...dog tired, YES...missing my care free life before baby, YES...but not depressed.

Here's how it hit me. First there's the awe of birth which lasts for few days. Then I ACTUALLY started missing having a tummy (weird, but I did) and feeling the kicks and the movements..that was on the outside, but really, my son and I were no longer ONE.
They say newborns do not realize they are a separate being from their mother, until the later months, and when they do, the letting go happens in tears...same thing goes for moms!!!...and most of them as we all know, NEVER LET GO. Three words: MOTHER IN LAW.

I know now how my dad felt when I got married.

2007-01-09T21:46:00.000+07:00

Just a quick note on a very very busy diaper day and couple more snap shots of Andrei.

I'm doing this spa for moms...a Thai traditional thing which is absolutely fantastic. This lady comes everyday to our place and for about 5 hours (without bfeeding and diaper change breakes) it's full on massage/ sauna / oil rubb / aromateraphy / herbal presses and some special tummy massage to readjust the uterus...my tummy is nearly gone!!!:)

2007-01-06T21:29:00.000+07:00

Birth of Andrei Han-Ming

Due date: 28th of December

I was having contractions the previous day when I picked my parents from the airport, nice steady ones, every 6 min, then the mucus came out ('the show' - which means labour could start within hours or days). Good sign! So, on the 28th, Ake basically said, 'Ok, I know the doctor said he might be late, but I just wanna go and have you checked out.'
28 December
1 pm
So off we go on the 28th at noon to BNH Hospital to find that I was actually in latent labour and didn't know it. 2 cm dilated. The doc was very reassuring and nice and told us we should definetly check in. I was gonna deliver probably tomorrow am.

Now, the labour suites at BNH are just fantastic, huge plasma screen TV, aromteraphy, exercise ball, mats, pillows, and at my request, a birth stool(a kind of a metal frame which allows you to sit on like you would on a toilet).

6 pm
We relaxed for hours, having KIT KAT and green tea and watching movies on HBO. And some of my favorites too, Lord of war..Anyhow, for hours now I was having contractions every 10 min. At 6, a nurse came to check me out. ONLY 3 cm dilated...I progressed JUST 1 cm in 5 hours...(for those who don't have kids - giving birth happens at 10 cm)...A nice progress is 1 cm / hour and I was dragging on...

From 6 pm onwards contractions started to pick up and by 10 pm I was having full on strong contractions, every 3 min.

11 pm
The doctor comes to check me out. I'm thinking I would be 6-7 cm by now, but bad news, JUST 4 cm...The trouble is, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HURT at just 4 cm!!! What the heck I'm gonna do at 10 cm, then...I keep rocking on the ball, doing my yoga breathing and chant with Ake 'Breathe, let the pain goooo!Breeeeathe!'...

I'd progressed 2 cm in 10 hours...that's slower then a pregant snail!

Around 11 pm I had this urge to go to the bathroom..and there was the most painfull 2 min of my life when my waters broke in a gush and I screamed my heart out.AGONY!!..Ake confessed later, THAT was the moment he was really scared.

Strangely enough, the contractions don't get stronger and I find it easier and easier to cope with...rocking on the ball, and pressing my back while in stir-ups really works, while I discover that laying down in bed in THE WORST thing to do.

MIDNIGHT

Doc comes again, and SUPRISE, I'm now 9 cm. I went from 4 to 9 in one hour... This is GREAT GREAT GREAT NEWS. I got such an energy boost...Ake keeps rubbing my back telling me, were nearly there...

1 am

I'm starting to feel the urge to push and make a run for the birth stool...Doc comes in and tells Ake in Thai, this might be couple of hours for a first time mom, so stay cool...Pushing is easy...in fact, getting to bloody 4 cm was the hardest part...and as the nurses slowly get ready, with Ake coaching me to push, OOOPS, THE HEAAAAD IS OUT!! I catch Andrei's head in my hands and push the whole body out. What a feeling! I caught my baby. And it's a little Ake!...My legs are shaking, I start crying with joy while the nurses are running for gloves. Andrei is in my hands crying his heart out. Go ahead son, work out those lungs!

Baby taking care of, and I lay down on the bed to get the placenta out. I'd push so hard that I have muscle spasms in my legs, but no urge to push...half an hour and the doctor can't get the placenta out through massage, cause I'm not relaxed. Luckily I know Thai, cause she says to Ake "were gonna have to prep her for surgery!" WHAT? No way. Not when I've come this far. I'm not letting any scalpel touch me now...I signal to the doctor 'Let me have one more push.' Hurray, the placenta comes out! I'm done!!!!

Sure, I have a 3rd degree tear, but those love hormones we're supposed to have in huge quantaties at birth are really really working. I can't feel anything but pure joy and sheer happiness!

Birth is fantastic!

Following...Postparthum Thoughts

2007-01-01T19:49:00.000+07:00

And ... the baby
Our finest moment...29th of December, 1:07 am...the birth of our son, Andrei Han-Ming.
We had the birth of our dreams...story to follow soon...
1:07

and the following hours...

it's mom's milk...but daddy wants a go at feeding...