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...

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...

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:)

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.

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!:(

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.

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...

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.

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!

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...

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!:)

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!:)

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.

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

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.-:)