Already one week old!

Mateo is one week old today. We can not believe how fast time has gone by. We are all doing great and Mateo has gained 1/2 of the pound he lost. We are also set into a nice baby routine. Almost perfect!

The transition from the hospital to home went very smoothly. Nothing to report really. I think he knew it was home and it was glad to be back. Pretty soon we set Mateo or maybe he set us into his nice routine. This baby sleeps for 2 hours or more after a full belly and does not complain much except for the cold baby wipes when we change his diaper. Pat and I wake up at 12:00 midnight, 3 in the morning and 6 in the morning to go through Mateo's need. We are also cloth diapering now and it is great to have my mom helping clean them with her Ecuadorian system - using the sun to take the stains. I wonder if we got lucky to have this angel baby that does not represent much work but joy or, Pat and I have learned to be "logical" and "efficient" like Tuvak and 7 of 9 of Star Trek Voyager

Now that we are settled at home we would love to have visitors. Just let us know when you would stop by.

Time to go back home!

In a few hours we will be leaving the nice 3 1/2 day hospital stay. It has been a challenging yet amazing experience these past days. Pat and I have been able to bond with Mateo in a quiet and supported environment. Every time we needed some help we just called someone, and they came!
Mateo and I are getting better at breast feeding now. We are so glad because we really needed to have this figured out before we starved our baby. He actually lost 1 pound in the first two days and we had to give him formula which gave us some peace of mind. He is great now.
But, life continues and it is time to transition to outside the sterile hospital room and to our home environment. We need to see how he reacts to real life and things like our dogs Mazzie and Mr. Filiks ;). That is going to be interesting!
We hope to get settled at home soon and start having you visit. We will love that. You will be in for a treat!

A Whole New Life

Thanks so much to all of you for all the best wishes sent in our way. I am sure we will come to a day when everything is just joy. We are not there yet! Specially yesterday night and last night we had great difficulty sleeping and getting Mateo to eat and sleep. We knew this was coming and we are not complaining in any way. We just want to let you know so you can keep sending good wishes our way ;)

and please hold on to the visits and calls for a little while. We need to set back into a routine and most important, I think, SLEEP!.

I will send nice photos later when I can remember to look for the camera :)

While I have a minute

We are on day two of  Mateo's life and although everybody is doing fine, the biggest challenge so far has been to learn to breast feed for me and Mateo. My respects to all mothers out there. This wonderful gift takes time and practice and many hours without sleep and a crying baby. 

Well, we are positive that things will be better as the days go by. Pat and I are doing our best and Mateo too. I am doing very well that doctor said we can go home if we want to but we wont leave the hospital until we have Mateo and me more comfortable with breast feeding. Once at home we do not have the extra support we have here.

He is so beautiful and healthy

Mateo was born at 4:18 p.m. yesterday weighing 8 pounds and 21 inches long. He is just so cute!

He has been sleeping most of the time and no much luck feeding him yet. I need to be helped but it will happen.

I am doing well. No complications at all and I have walked a bit. Starting to eat again after more than 24 hours of fasting ;)

Pat is just so happy and can not stop loving Mateo. We love him and welcome to our lives.

Today is the day!

In just a few hours we will be heading to the hospital to help our little baby,  Mateo,  enter this world safely,  and for me to have surgery. I know that a c-section carry many risks of possible complications and as Dr. Robinson says with placenta previa we could run into few other complications as well. But, who wants to put her mind on that? Even thought I want to be aware of all this, I want to put all my good energy and thoughts in the birthday of our baby. I picture Mateo coming out very healthy and beautiful and my surgery going very smooth and with a fast recovery. 

We will probably be at the hospital 3-4 days till mommy and baby are doing fine and then come back home. There will be lots of new things to experience and I will take one thing at the time and one day at the time. I know I have a wonderful husband who is there for me always and now my mom willing to help in any way she can, not to mentions countless friends who would offer their help if we need it.

Thanks for all your prayers...

Staying in our path, on schedule

Pat, me, Mateo and my mom

Last pregnant pic

We have a date of birth for Mateo

After today's ultrasound our doctor has decided that the safest way to go for me and Mateo is to schedule a c-section on Thursday April 23th at 1:30 pm! I will be 38 weeks and 3 days. It felt strange scheduling a date of birth but we just need to go with the flow because we do not have any control of this. We are happy now and have a few more days to get ready. 

Everything is falling into place. We think we have all we need for the baby, my mom will be here tomorrow at this time, and I am finishing up with work stuff so I can enjoy my maternity leave time. 

Most certainly we will spend a few days at the hospital so I wont be able to post photos or comments but Pat will send an e-mail to all our friends and family when Mateo is here. There will be some pics too. Stay tuned.....

We have completed 36 weeks!

I can't believe we have made it this far! Now Mateo is considered full term and if he is to arrive early he will be just fine. Next Monday, we will see my doctor and make a final decision based on the ultrasound. If we are going to have a c-section it will likely be the last week in April or a little early. But if things look good, I will be allowed to complete 40 weeks and wait for Mother Nature to decide. I have read that babies could come 2 weeks early or 2 weeks late so imagine if I pass Mother's Day (my birthday this year) and I still do not have my gift! I will be surprised.

Here is a photo at 36 weeks

Now my body and mind are getting ready for the Big Birthday Day however it unfolds. We have interviewed a Doula just in case we will go natural. Even though I am a very positive person, I know I will need extra support to go through this experience. 

On another note, I need to say THANK YOU!!! to Carolyn, Diny, Nicolette, Maya and Kathy (Hidden Villa friends) for working together on a beautiful hand made quilt for Mateo. I will treasure this gift forever and I am sure it will be used a lot!  

Here is a photo of the quilt

I fit in Pat's T-shirts now!!

I did not want to let go of my little T-shirts to be around the house or sleep with. I keep thinking, they are okay, they are a little tight and let half of my belly show and get cold, but I can live with that. But yesterday, after a bath I asked Pat to get me a T-shirt and he suggested I wear one of his. Instead of thinking he was being rude by the offer, I tried it on and it FITS PERFECT!!!! He wears X-Large!  That is how big I am! I love the feeling of nothing tight pressing my belly, and when I see myself in the mirror I see a BIG glob with two legs, but I do not care. I feel so comfy! It is the best thing to do 4 weeks before my due date!