Procrastination

I am very excited to be in Arizona for the holidays - see previous post. However, the whole organizing/packing/cleaning part that comes before the hideously long trip...those parts I could do without. These are some of the questions I don't want to think about:

• How many diapers do I need for 28 hours?
• How many different climates will we be exposed to between summer in Argentina, shuttles that may be over air-conditioned or may have no air conditioning. Airports, planes, snow in New York (our lay-over where we plan to just be in the airport but who knows with storms), Arizona winter, while is generaly mild but sometimes chilly??
• How much food do I need for the baby?
• What baby food items will be allowed past security?
• Does he really need toys?? He doesn't use them THAT much yet.
• How many videos does Mario need? Will he even get to watch them?
• Should we bring cards for our 6+ hours in airports, or will we spend all of that time either in security lines or tending to Gabe?
• Will anyone want to see Gabe's immunization record?

And that doesn't even start with what will we want when actually there, and visiting various winter climates, and what size of clothes Gabe may or may not grow into in the next 6 weeks....so I am procrastinating, and posting some cute recent pictures of Gabe instead.

This is his mall Santa picture, and he looks so cute in it, but he is a tiny bug in the middle of this very poorly organzed background.... so I cropped it in closer so you can see how cute my child without shoes is (he won't keep them on).

This is Gabe's friend Felipe who is exactly 6 months older than him. Felipe crawls all around the floor during Relief Society and Gabe laughs histerically watching him, just jumping at the bit to be crawling and join him.

These I took this morning after Gabe got out of the bath, just because he was irresistibly cute.

Here is Mario who did in fact help decorate all 100+ sugar cookies for our neighbors.

Anticipation

Christmas day last year

I love Christmas. Or rather, I love the build up to Christmas. I love the decorations, the cookies plates, the Christmas carols, the crowded shopping experiences, the stressing over what to give to people, wrapping presents in beautiful paper, receiving Christmas cards, being together with my crazy family, and no matter how old I am, I still love the happy, nervous, anticipation of waking up too-early on Christmas morning to open gifts. I'm always the last to wake up, always trying to tell the others to go back to bed, and yet even as an adult I still get that silly grin of happy anticipation when I know we get to unwarp all those beautiful boxes under the tree.

Last year I had my first Christmas away from my family. It actually was a lot easier than I thought because it's hot here, and it's not hot at Christmas time, so I kind of think that Christmas was just skipped entirely, not that I had to celebrate it without my family. Having Christmas less often makes me love it more.

This year we get to travel to Arizona, and celebrate our first child's first Christmas with the Smart clan. As well as his first time in the US! Anticipation has been on over-drive for me. I am anxiously awaiting Mexican food as soon as we get off the plane, and then walking into my mother's fabulously festive house and going into each room to inspect my favorite Christmas decorations.

For those of you who are not yet familiar with my travel plans, we arrive in Phoenix on the 20th of December. We plan to be in Utah from Dec. 29th until about the 3rd of January, when we will return to Arizona stopping in Las Vegas on the way home. We are going to be in southern California Jan. 10 - 13, more or less. We will be in Arizona the rest of the time until Jan. 31st. If you will be crossing our path - LET ME KNOW!

Never has a trip home been so heartily anticipated. We can't wait to see you all!

Happy 6 months to Gabe today

Even though I am constantly planning blogs in my head, they rarely come to fruition. And if you don't blog for 2 weeks, instead of writing funny, witty, or snarky commentaries, you can get away with general summaries of what you've been up to. I am a lazy blogger, I admit it. So here is what I've been doing instead of blogging:

We had our Relief Society (church women's organization) Christmas activity. I got a little over ambitious with my new cutting machine and decided we should make each woman a ribbon with 24 Christmas shapes attached, on the back of each shape a different scripture for the 24 days before Christmas. 24 scriptures x 40 women + some shapes had "shadows" so were double = WAAAY TOO MUCH CUTTING. Here they are all hanging ready to give away, they loved them, and they'll never be getting them again!
We also made Gingerbread houses, which I was kind of worried about because when I told Mario he said "what? why are you doing that? what is the purpose of that?" So I thought maybe gingerbread houses were so cultural they wouldn't translate, but I should know not to trust him. I constructed the basic houses and they had a really fun time decorating them and they were even eating that nasty frosting... and the best part is I had planned to make the gingerbread cookies, which would have been a lot of annoying baking and broken cookies, but then I found these sheets of something that resembles in taste and texture thin cardboard, but is actually edible, that they use to make little castles on top of communion cakes apparently??? but could be cut with an exacto knife, doesn't break, and is super light-weight so dries and sticks together easily. Might be better than actual gingerbread...
Gabe's doctor said he could start "playing" with food 2 months ago, but after one ambitious cooking of carrots, it mostly seemed like a pain so I was content to stick with nursing/bottles until he reached the more commonly accepted age of 6 months to actually begin with food. As 6 months approached, and I have to go back to the dr. and tell him how it's going, I decided I better actually start. After spending hours on the internet looking up recipes and regulations for making baby food, we finally got to one ice cube tray of individual portions of squash, frozen and ready to be pulled out as desired. He really likes it and eats it right up. I've kind of avoided the cereal thing because here the second ingredient on the box is sugar. But I discovered I can grind oatmeal, rice and barley with by food processor until it's powder and make my own cereal. Did all the grinding, it's waiting in ziplocks in my fridge, haven't gotten around to actually cooking it yet.

Now please let me explain myself by saying that I am not an overly-ambitious, no preservatives, organic food only, granola mom. Other than baby cereal that is mostly sugar, baby food is NOT AVAILABLE in Argentina. Yes, you read that correctly. They have no aisle in the grocery store with lots of nice little jars of carrots, peas, squash, etc. So if my child will ever pass the milk only stage, I will have to make the food. If anyone out there has any tips, I'm all ears.

Santa Claus has officially arrived to the malls of Rosario. Mario told me he would be getting home from work early last Friday so I excitedly/mistakenly invited him on my planned outing with a girldfriend to take our kids to the mall to take a picture with Santa. When we got there, Mario declared that the line of approximately 15 people was WAY too long to wait. He clearly is not acquainted with the normal Santa/mall chaos. However, there was an empty spot in this creche so he ducked under the cords blocking it from the public and this is the Christmas picture we have of Gabe instead. 20 minutes of waiting averted, $10 saved.

I am not excited about this, but Gabe appears to be getting ready to crawl. There is an assortment of rolling/scooting that is getting him closer to the term "mobile".

He is also growing so much that when Ashley brought this fun new toy a month ago, his feet barely touched. Now he is almost completely flat-footed on the ground, and practically runs in circles on it.

Gabe has been invited to two birthday parties in the last two weeks, and I am allowed to go as chaperone. Here is the birthday princess Sofia on her throne.

Gabe didn't really get most of the party, but he loved it when I put him in the balls. Yes Ashley, I know they are a cest-pool of bacteria and germs, but Gabe thought they were pretty cool. Especially when the other kids almost jumped on him.
Our electricity went out the other night as Mario was preparing to take a shower. I saw a sudden light in the bedroom and when I went to discover it's source, found Mario totally naked with a head lamp on. Hilarious.

I think there are videos to share, but I have to get them off Mario's palm, which I will do after I have all the young women over tonight to spend time with the bishop, and make sugar cookies for the widows in the ward, and do all the decorations for the ward Christmas party, and any other pre-trip planning required.

Good Things

Solid Food

Gabe has started on cereal - or the closest sugar-free approximation I can find here. He eats it right up - so he must like it!! And I know the baby books say it has no correlation, but he has slept 11 hours both nights after eating. You notice from the double chin that he was starving before and needed more food...

Cousins

New Cousin Khloe was born on Sunday!!! She is beautiful and has her sister Kallie's mouth and we can't wait to meet her. You can keep updated on her and her siblings on their new blog.

Cousin Pilar came to our house for a few hours while her parents did some errands, and Gabe LOVED her. He had missed his nap, but did not care as he had constant entertainment watching her run around and play with all his toys. He loves her, and we're very happy to report she is over her jealousy and liking him a lot too these days.

Abuelas

Gabe loves his Abuela Susana. She calls him "pitufito" or little smurf, and he always rewards her with big smiles and laughs. We celebrated her birthday here with French Dip sandwiches and chocolate cake. both very yummy.

Ice Cream

I decided that for Family Home Evening Monday night we should make ice cream. Mario was very skeptical, but I put the ingredients in a zip lock bag, put that in an old baby formula can surrounded by ice and rock salt, and after 20 minutes of rolling it around on the floor, VOILA! we had chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream!! (You didn't think I would choose any or flavor did you??)

Baby Boys

Gabe is getting very wiggly. I'm not sure I'm a fan, but I guess I don't have a choice. Here he has wiggled his way right out of his chair and almost falling on the floor. Don't worry, I didn't run to his rescue, I ran to get the camera so I could post it on my blog. I am dedicated to you my dear blog readers!

blonde like his mother

mi baby Gabriel is getting blonder as her mother!!!!!...Papá
mi bebé Gabriel cada vez está más rubio...como su mamá...Papá

World Economics 101

**warning, if economics bore you, please skip this post.

On ocassion I switch from my standard programming- CNN International - to watch the local news. I think it counts as studying Spanish and is much more interesting than my verb workbook that I haven't even picked up in probably a year.

Plus, although it seems like a crazy foreign show, sometimes they talk about stuff that is actually impacting my life. For example, the other morning I was watching a morning news/talk show as they talked about inflation. In January of this year this program went to the grocery store and bought a variety of items like bread, bananas, canned peas, tomato sauce, milk, etc. Their total cost was 10 pesos. The returned to the same store in November and bought exactly the same products, and this time their total cost was 17 pesos!!

I already thought Argentina is outrageously expensive for Argentine's, and knew the prices were rising, but didn't keep close enough track of the nubers to realize how much. It's TERRIBLE! I've started asking everyone I know here for their opinion on what's happening with the economy so that I can repeat what they tell me and sound informed, but basically all anyone says is "oh, it's cyclical, we'll be in a depression again soon and then climb out of it again."

But the other night one of Mario's friends came to dinner and I got a little more informed opinion, which I have regurgitated witha few other more informed friends. This is my summary on where the economy is currently:

1. The dollar is falling all over the world (as we know) but has remained strong in Argentina with the exchange rate around us$1 = 3.17$arg at last check. This is because the government wants to support the exports. Soy in particular is a huge export for the country, and their largest sourse of foreign reserves, so the government maintains the exchange rate to keep exports competitive.

2. The government maintains a strong dollar exchange rate by buying up the extra dollars on the market. However, there are so many extra dollars on the market that in order to do that they've had to print more money. This newly printed money is not backed by anything, it's just printed up and then put into circulation. The currency used to have a sentence on it saying it was backed by US dollars and fully convertible. The new money does not have this sentence.

(common opinion is that most countries in the world right now, including the US, are freely printing money not backed by anything)

3. Let's face it - whether you like it or not the economy is global. And the US being a huge consumer, they pretty much set prices for most of Latin America. So for most goods we pay dollar prices even though we earn pesos.

4. Prices are rising, but demand is still growing. It's crazy. I feel like such a small sector of the population can afford current prices that certainly they must go down, right? We earn a decent income and we certainly can't afford these outrageous prices. But two things are keeping the prices high. A) there is lots of money circulating around due to the increased printing of bills (side note, apparently they are not printing coins because NO ONE EVER has change, not stores, not taxis, and they're all really annoyed if you don't pay in exact change and always just round in their favor) 2. Due to the crisis of 2001-2002 when the banks automaticaly changed all savings to pesos and froze the amount people could withdraw, no one has any confidence in the banks. In addition, it's very hard to get credit to buy anything substantial, like a house. So you combine: lots of currency floating around + no ability to save money + no big payments like mortgages = people just spending their money on shoes that cost 400$pesos and cell phones that cost 750$ pesos. Seriously. A good friend of ours makes about 1500$pesos a month. He is single and lives with his parents, graduated from college, no car, and just got a new cell phone worth $650 pesos. His cell phone is half of his monthly salary!!!

Everywhere around us we see signs of a supposedly good economy - construction is happening on every block in this city, you go to the malls or shopping centers and they are packed, with everyone carrying bags, new restaurants are opening up right and left, and seem to be fairly full, unemployment has dropped significantly. But prices have whizzed past anything that would be affordable for us.

This is the new Argentine President, Cristina Kirchner. She is an attractive woman but has serious problems with mascara clumps. Since everyone is complaining about government curruption and rising inflation, I can't figure out why they voted for the wife of the current president who has plans to follow in his steps.

Some here have voiced the opinion that the global economy cannot last, that the world must return to more regional economies with imports/exports being a much smaller percentage of goods. I don't really think it's possible to regress, and being the good capitalist I am, I don't necessarily think it's a good answer. But I am shocked to be living in a world with such high inflation, and anxious, in a not good way, to see what's going to come of it.

Have you noticed inflation in the US lately? Do you think a global economy is to blame for the woes of the 3rd World?

Gabe Discovering His Laugh

Abuela Susana bought Gabe a little yellow rubber ball, and if pure, delirious laughter is the measure, it is his favorite toy yet.

Recent Outings

I feel I need to counter my oh-so-dramatic claim yesterday that I never leave the house with a report of some of our short, but nevertheless fun, recent escapes.


#1 Gabe has started a swim class. These are not swim lessons, as in learn how to do the breath stroke, but rather, take-your-baby-to-play-in-the-water-and-gossip-with-other-moms classes. I love them. Basically the point is supposed to be to get your kid comfortable in the water, so we sing songs and then do the corresponding actions like kick, jump, splash, etc. Gabe isn't overflowing with glee, but is totally calm throughout, including when I float him on his back with nothing but my hand under his head, or when the teacher puts his face under water. An indoor pool being nothing but an echoing chamber, I sing loudly, not at all hindered by the facts that I don't know or understand the words and I can't carry a tune. We have a great time. The instructor is always doing little activities meant to stimulate development, like put colorful little floaty things in front of Gabe and catching his attention, then brushing his hand, to stimulate him to grab. She tells me I need to continue this at home to teach him, and not just hang colorful items in front of him but stay and encourage him to grab at them. Which of course I don't do. I think she's always a little disappointed that he doesn't progress more between classes.

But he is the chubbiest, youngest, pinkest, and I think cutest kid in his class.


#2 On Saturday, Mario, trying to help his poor distraught wife, took us to the river where we walked along the beach front. I had to take a picture of the dog sleeping in the shade of the "NO dogs allowed" sign because it is so emblematic of the attitude to all laws here that it made me laugh.
#3 This week is the gastronomic highlight of the year in Rosario. Colectividades - a fair in which the local associations of countries all over the world set up exhibits, have stages with folk dancing, and sell typical food. I will be honest, I don't care about the cultural displays, and once you've seen one folk dance you've seen them all. I go purely for the food. Seeing as there is a dearth in culinary variety here in Rosario, I try to get Mario to go multiple times during the 9-day duration so that I may fill my canteen, so to speak.

In Siria's stand Hassan serves me shwarma, and in the background young girls were dancing Arabic dances in age-inappropriate clothing.

The vegetable tempura from Japan was my favorite, and the pork kabobs from Austria were delicious, obviously being prepared by a native Austrian, shown below. But really, they made a small broom out of rosemary and used it to brush some kind of dressing on the kabobs as they cooked and it was amazing delicious.#4 Taking advantage of the hour before Gabe's morning nap and trying to be inspired to action be Jessica, Gabe and I trekked out to Parque Independencia this morning. It was really beautiful, and I think I managed to jog a whole 2.5 blocks.

The pathways are really nice, and the garden below is called the French Garden, and is my favorite part of the park. Too bad the park is a 25 minute walk away, so we pretty much walk there and then turn around, without spending too much time actually in the park. Maybe if I ran I'd get there faster and have more time to enjoy the park. Not likely!

Good Nap Schedule = Entrapment

I was obsessed with ensuring that my baby would be a good sleeper. Before he was even born I had read "Healthy Sleep, Happy Child" and "Duermete Niño" (the Spanish equivalent to Baby Wise) cover-to-cover, and during his first weeks of frequent nightly wakings I re-read while I nursed. I can now report that we have had a good measure of success. By 10 weeks he was sleeping through the night. He now wakes up in the morning, is awake about 1 1/2 hours, takes a good 2 hour nap, is awake another 1 1/2 -2 hours, takes another good nap, and has a third 45 min, snooze in the late afternoon. He falls asleep on his own, in his own bed, in his own room. He starts to fuss, and I put him into bed with a kiss and chau.

However, all this sleeping means I can NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE, for fear of messing up his nap schedule, and thus suffering the whiny, fussy consequences. And I've trained him to sleep so well in his bed, that if he's NOT in his bed, he doesn't sleep so well. All of my out-of-house experiences have to be between 5 and 8 in the evening. During the week I've mostly come to terms with this, but Saturdays it drives me crazy!! I think Saturday's are the day to do something fun, yet I'm still trapped by his nap schedule, and seriously, what fun can be had in under an hour?? Some days I don't even change him out of his pajamas before 5pm because what's the point? He's just going back to bed! What did I do wrong and how do I fix it ??????

On a more upbeat note, Gabe is officially social. I was worried that he didn't really like other people because he tends to turn his head away when strangers try to talk to him, but he is just starting to react to and smile to other kids. Here he is happily sharing his toys with Sofia. He was all smiles and squeals and excitement at sharing with her, he was NOT happy when she repeatedly tried to hug him. Play with my toys all you like, just don't touch me.

Gabe 5 Months

Monday we went for Gabe's 5 month checkup and he continues growing like a weed and in great health. He is now 18 pounds, 26.5 inches long. I wanted to try a new pediatrician because I don't love his current one. Nothing major wrong, just don't love him. So I made an appointment with a new one, but at the same clinic because it's part of the hospital where he was born and it's convenient and I like it. So I spent the whole time I was checking in, and in the waiting room PARANOID that his regular ped. would come out and ask what I was doing...and thinking that if he did at least it would have made for a more interesting blog. But alas it was completely uneventful other than that the new ped. kept referring to Gabe as "Dr. xxx's patient". Maybe there's some ethical thing to stealing patients from each other so they're going to force me to go back to the original???

Here are some pictures from one of Gabe's many photo shoots.

His new tricks are blowing spit bubbles and rolling over. But he grunts and grunts until he rolls over, and then is ticked because looking at the ground isn't very interesting and he doesn't know how to roll back yet!

He also likes to suck his fingers and watch television. Baby Einstein videos are great, but really he's not that discriminating. It's REALLY hard to think about preventing a bad habit when you really want to get something done and you know that will buy you 40 minutes...

(p.s. I tried new picture options, and it's not so good. How do you arrange pics in this thing???)

Halloween in the spring time

These are my american friends, Janette and Stephanie. We planned a halloween party at Janette's house for ourselves and a few other anglophiles so we could dress up our kids and eat lots of suger.
This is Gabe THIRLLED to be dressed as a caterpillar in essentially what was a very warm sleeping bag, as we enter the muggy hot summer season here in Rosario. His mom did not care. Fashion is a sacrifice, better he learn that now.

This is the pumpkin cake Stephanie and I made, with the frosting melting off...

Gabe having a non-sugar snack.

Stephanie, Gabe and I with my "graveyard" dessert for lunch.

Janette even carved pumpkins and had a lighted path to the doorway. It really felt like Halloween!

Gabe the caterpillar. There was much debate as to whether or not caterpillars actually have legs, but the description when I bought it said caterpillar so stop calling him a centipede! I was a very poorly executed butterfly.
Mario and Claudio were Taliban. I'm sure that's not pc, but Stephanie got it together and I didn't have to do anything, so we went with it. Mario is making his best serious face. Gabe was tired of his costume and so I finally changed his clothes.