So here is his adorable face (with some good chubby cheeks!) at 23 days old.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Gordito
Today was Isaac's "control", or routine check up with our pediatrician. We had to go back at 3 weeks old since we needed to make sure he was gaining weight appropriately. Well, good news! He is doing GREAT with his weight gain. He went from 2.1 kilos to 3 kilos in 2 weeks and now weighs 6.6 pounds, which means over the course of his life he has gained 1.5 pounds in 23 days (after losing about 10% of his birth weight). So, needless to say, the doctor was very impressed since he is on track to gain 1.5 kilos in one month (which he said is VERY good). I'm ecstatic. It has been a rough road feeding wise since we have to breastfeed, then supplement with bottle, then I have to pump, which means every 3 hours I am spending about 1.5 hours feeding. This has been exhausting, and with Sadie around to throw a wrench in things at any given time it has been a challenge (although with Aunt Vicki here, the Sadie part was much easier!). I will not be deterred though. I am hoping to stay positive and continue giving Isaac as much nourishment as possible (the kid eats like a horse, it's uncanny). I really want a fat baby!
So here is his adorable face (with some good chubby cheeks!) at 23 days old.
So here is his adorable face (with some good chubby cheeks!) at 23 days old.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Los Dominicos
Saturday we went to Los Dominicos, which is a little village-like artesanal marketplace. If you're ever in Santiago, it's something to see, and a great place to get your local souvenirs. They have everything from pottery, leather shoes/belts/bags, paintings, sculptures, and jewelry to handmade wooden toys, flowers and bird cages (lots of bird cages as well as birds...). The market is an old village converted into small shops and cafes/restaurants at the edge of Las Condes (a suburb of Santiago), so it has a great view of the Andes almost right behind it. We went with Aunt Vicki and can be seen below enjoying coffee and some empanadas. Aunt Vicki bought a bracelet, Steve bought a sculpture of a Spanish soldier made out of a match stick, Sadie got a wooden puzzle of a seal (she picked it - I would have gotten her the cow), and I got a locally made coffee mug with some wise old owls on it to add to our collection of mugs from where we have lived. Fun day!
the DMV vs the Fortress
My darling Isaac has dual citizenship for the US and Chile. While it's a great opportunity for him (he can own land in both countries!), it was kind of a pain for me to get him registered. Not terrible, but you wouldn't believe all the documentation we needed to get our hands on. And, let me just say, for Chile, it was easy. For the US, it was ridiculous.
Think about going to the DMV. It probably makes you want to throw up a little bit or even poke your eyeballs out. Well, that is what I would compare the Registro Civil to, which is where you have to go to get a birth certificate, an ID and your child's passport here in Chile. While it looked like the DMV with all the people waiting and all the "windows", etc, it was actually virtually painless. All we needed was the birth certificate (which Steve had already gotten - you have to go there separately for that), Steve's and my passports (we both had to be present), and our child. When we take a number, we get a preferential number since Isaac is less than 5, which meant we waited about 10 minutes before being helped. They took his pictures right there (so we didn't have to deal with going to get passport photos at least for that), and it was all said and done in about 20 minutes. We go back to pick up the documents (his ID card and passport) in two weeks. Done and done.
Now, for the US. In order to get him his US birth certificate (which is actually an official document of a birth abroad) and his US passport, we had to get our passports, an original copy of our marriage certificate, original copy of college transcripts, diplomas, fill out 2 thick forms (including showing where we have lived in the US for our entire lives - a daunting task for both Steve and I), and my favorite part is you have to bring a pre-paid DHL envelope to them if you want them to send it to your house. So, thank goodness Aunt Vicki is well-versed in Spanish and is not afraid to venture out into an unknown city by herself so she could go to DHL for me! Thank you, Aunt Vicki (for that among 100,000,000 other things!!!). Then, you have to make an appointment and wait for about an hour. It was like entering a fortress. You should see the US embassy here. Luckily it is close to Steve's office, so it's not far for us to get there, but this place is gorgeous with tons of marble everywhere and fenced in like we are doing super secret important business that no one can even get a glimpse of. Long story short, if you ever need to register your child in Santiago, let me know because the requirements seem endless!
Now, for a little pic of my "gordito" as I am starting to call him. What other baby at 3 weeks old houses 3 ounces of milk ever 2.5 hours??
Think about going to the DMV. It probably makes you want to throw up a little bit or even poke your eyeballs out. Well, that is what I would compare the Registro Civil to, which is where you have to go to get a birth certificate, an ID and your child's passport here in Chile. While it looked like the DMV with all the people waiting and all the "windows", etc, it was actually virtually painless. All we needed was the birth certificate (which Steve had already gotten - you have to go there separately for that), Steve's and my passports (we both had to be present), and our child. When we take a number, we get a preferential number since Isaac is less than 5, which meant we waited about 10 minutes before being helped. They took his pictures right there (so we didn't have to deal with going to get passport photos at least for that), and it was all said and done in about 20 minutes. We go back to pick up the documents (his ID card and passport) in two weeks. Done and done.
Now, for the US. In order to get him his US birth certificate (which is actually an official document of a birth abroad) and his US passport, we had to get our passports, an original copy of our marriage certificate, original copy of college transcripts, diplomas, fill out 2 thick forms (including showing where we have lived in the US for our entire lives - a daunting task for both Steve and I), and my favorite part is you have to bring a pre-paid DHL envelope to them if you want them to send it to your house. So, thank goodness Aunt Vicki is well-versed in Spanish and is not afraid to venture out into an unknown city by herself so she could go to DHL for me! Thank you, Aunt Vicki (for that among 100,000,000 other things!!!). Then, you have to make an appointment and wait for about an hour. It was like entering a fortress. You should see the US embassy here. Luckily it is close to Steve's office, so it's not far for us to get there, but this place is gorgeous with tons of marble everywhere and fenced in like we are doing super secret important business that no one can even get a glimpse of. Long story short, if you ever need to register your child in Santiago, let me know because the requirements seem endless!
Now, for a little pic of my "gordito" as I am starting to call him. What other baby at 3 weeks old houses 3 ounces of milk ever 2.5 hours??
Sunday, August 10, 2014
We are not hippies, we are happies!
Today we ventured to the Chilean coast. Why not? Having a toddler and 2 week old should not stop us, especially since we want to make the most of our short time in Santiago. We finally bought a car last week (did I mention that yet? Guess that'll have to be another blog post at some point...), so we are more mobile, and Aunt Vicki is here to provide some much needed help (instead of taking an hour to leave the house it only took us 30 minutes!) So, we went to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, two places along the coast that are quite popular among Santiago-ians as well as tourists. All the pics are from Valparaiso since we didn't have time to get out of the car and just drove through Vina (which is basically the wealthier, well-groomed neighbor of the more eclectic, artistic Valparaiso).
The cities were gorgeous and the weather was perfect - sunny and fairly warm for this time of year (60s). Valparaiso is a very colorful, artsy town, with many of the buildings various vibrant colors and quite a lot of art galleries as well as artistic graffiti. We went to the part of the city called Concepcion going up the ascensor (or elevator, of which they have about 12 or 13 in the city since the city is built on a hill side surrounding a bay). This area was very charming and had tons of churches, cafes, restaurants, galleries and cobblestone roads.
The entrance to the ascensor concepcion. It was down a very narrow alleyway - you would hardly even notice it!
The view from the bottom to the top. A short distance, but VERY steep!
Aunt Vicki and Sadie getting ready to go up
A fun way up another hill (it was like San Francisco with all the hills and windy streets...). The top says "We are not hippies, we are happies".
Family of four (and a stray dog whose ear had been bitten off... recently...)
Aunt Vicki and her bestie
Family of four in front of a really interesting graffiti mural
We were trying to take a picture of me with my two kids, but of course Sadie wasn't cooperating, so Steve chose to capture the moment.
Pretty view!
The cities were gorgeous and the weather was perfect - sunny and fairly warm for this time of year (60s). Valparaiso is a very colorful, artsy town, with many of the buildings various vibrant colors and quite a lot of art galleries as well as artistic graffiti. We went to the part of the city called Concepcion going up the ascensor (or elevator, of which they have about 12 or 13 in the city since the city is built on a hill side surrounding a bay). This area was very charming and had tons of churches, cafes, restaurants, galleries and cobblestone roads.
The entrance to the ascensor concepcion. It was down a very narrow alleyway - you would hardly even notice it!
The view from the bottom to the top. A short distance, but VERY steep!
Aunt Vicki and Sadie getting ready to go up
A fun way up another hill (it was like San Francisco with all the hills and windy streets...). The top says "We are not hippies, we are happies".
Family of four (and a stray dog whose ear had been bitten off... recently...)
Aunt Vicki and her bestie
Family of four in front of a really interesting graffiti mural
We were trying to take a picture of me with my two kids, but of course Sadie wasn't cooperating, so Steve chose to capture the moment.
Pretty view!
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Isaac's first outings
Outing 1: At 9 days old, Isaac needed to go to the pediatrician for a normal "control" as it is called here, which is really just a check up. Steve had to work, Aunt Vicki was on Sadie duty, so I told my nana to stop cleaning the house, and come with me to the doctor since I can't lift anything heavier than the baby (ie., lifting the car seat and the baby then is off limits). She was a big help getting the taxi and hauling Isaac around all over the place. Good news is he is healthy! Just need to work on him gaining weight.
Outing 2: Where else? But to the Jumbo of course! We needed to get Isaac's passport photos since he has to get a US passport next week AND he gets a Chilean one! My darling Chilean citizen... The passport photo place, cleverly named "Mi Foto", is located inside the Jumbo. Aunt Vicki was there to push one of the "carros" - thank goodness! And, Sadie was a trooper. It was a successful trip!
Outing 2: Where else? But to the Jumbo of course! We needed to get Isaac's passport photos since he has to get a US passport next week AND he gets a Chilean one! My darling Chilean citizen... The passport photo place, cleverly named "Mi Foto", is located inside the Jumbo. Aunt Vicki was there to push one of the "carros" - thank goodness! And, Sadie was a trooper. It was a successful trip!
Monday, August 4, 2014
Home from the hospital!
We are finally home from the hospital after a week for me and 5 days for Isaac in the NICU. It has been so incredible to be home together and have Sadie meet her baby brother. I can't believe how sweet she is with him and how excited she gets every time she sees him. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
A HUGE added excitement for all of us is the visit by Aunt Vicki from Oregon for two whole weeks! She arrived on Saturday and has been a complete dream. Sadie is loving spending time with her and we are all greatly benefiting from her amazing cooking! I'm not sure how I could have done anything without her! We are so appreciative for her visit.
Here are some pics of our homecoming. My heart just melts.
A HUGE added excitement for all of us is the visit by Aunt Vicki from Oregon for two whole weeks! She arrived on Saturday and has been a complete dream. Sadie is loving spending time with her and we are all greatly benefiting from her amazing cooking! I'm not sure how I could have done anything without her! We are so appreciative for her visit.
Here are some pics of our homecoming. My heart just melts.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Baby boy birth story: Part 2
Welcome baby Isaac Charles Shaul! Born at 11:08pm on July 28th weighing in at 5 pounds, 1 ounce and 17.75 inches, he came into our lives crying and enjoying his new found breath.
What is it like to give birth to a Chilean? We have been so fortunate to have a wonderful experience here at Clinica Alemana. I had heard nothing but good things, and now have seen for myself how great they are here. The doctors, midwifes and staff have all impressed us by their caring attitude and personal attention. This experience has been quite different from the one in Minneapolis when I gave birth the first time, primarily due to the severe health issues I experienced with the first delivery. Specifically, I was able to be awake this time for the birth. What an experience that was. I will spare you the details, and just say that one of the most incredible experiences of my life will being able to feel life being pulled out of me and then almost immediately hearing my baby's cry to let me know he had been born. Words can't describe my emotions.
Steve said the operating room was almost identical to the one in Minneapolis (i.e., medical practices for C-sections seem to be quite similar between the US and Chile), and remember I wasn't awake so I don't remember, although he mentioned that it felt more personable here in Chile - like the doctors were in a way more caring of their patient instead of more distant as you oftentimes find in the states. I think this is a cultural thing. For example, my doctor who performed the C-section kept looking over at me and nodding and my anesthesiologist kept coming over and reassuring me how great everything was going by giving me shoulder squeezes, etc. A little more hands on if you will. And, of course Steve was there by my side the whole time telling me how beautiful my guts were. After the operation Isaac was wheeled away to the NICU for hypoglycemia, and the recovery process began.
OB Care: Over this past week, I have been completely hands down impressed by my OB. He comes to visit me every day not only to make sure I'm feeling ok, but also to discuss how I feel the treatment has been for both myself and my baby. He is so patient and listens, and has been making calls to the pediatricians/nurses in the NICU on my behalf to make sure we understand what is going on with the baby. I feel like I can truly count on him and he really cares about my well being as opposed to just get me through the medical part of delivery and be done. A very impressive man.
NICU Care: I will be honest here and say I have been unimpressed and frustrated. I don't think it is the care that I have been unimpressed with as I know Isaac is being well cared for. What I have been unimpressed with is the communication and direction they have given us about what is happening. I believe there are two major factors at play here - culture and language barrier. There is not one doctor I can call and ask about Isaac's condition. They change every 12 hours and I have only found 1 or 2 that speak English enough that I can understand. My Spanish is getting better, but when you are put in a high stressed medical environment, it been difficult to communicate since I can't really ask the questions I want to and I'm understanding about 75% of what they are telling me. It also seems the nurses are very hierarchical and do not like to say anything to the parents of the patients unless the head nurse or doctor is present. It has left me feeling like I have to demand to talk to someone every time I go just to get a very blase answer like "well we don't really know much yet. still waiting 24-48 hours to monitor improvement. His recovery will depend on xyz". I do think the experience would be somewhat similar in the states since Isaac's condition is dependent on many factors, and no one really knows how long the hypoglycemia will last (it's a waiting game), but the language barrier and cultural differences would be null.
That said, I have been going to the NICU every 3 hours to see him and feed him, and I am truly falling in love. I can't believe how much he looks like Sadie when she was born. They have the same face and facial expressions. I keep getting deja vu.
So, we are hoping for a discharge of tomorrow for me and hopefully Isaac will come home with me or will not be far behind. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers!
What is it like to give birth to a Chilean? We have been so fortunate to have a wonderful experience here at Clinica Alemana. I had heard nothing but good things, and now have seen for myself how great they are here. The doctors, midwifes and staff have all impressed us by their caring attitude and personal attention. This experience has been quite different from the one in Minneapolis when I gave birth the first time, primarily due to the severe health issues I experienced with the first delivery. Specifically, I was able to be awake this time for the birth. What an experience that was. I will spare you the details, and just say that one of the most incredible experiences of my life will being able to feel life being pulled out of me and then almost immediately hearing my baby's cry to let me know he had been born. Words can't describe my emotions.
Steve said the operating room was almost identical to the one in Minneapolis (i.e., medical practices for C-sections seem to be quite similar between the US and Chile), and remember I wasn't awake so I don't remember, although he mentioned that it felt more personable here in Chile - like the doctors were in a way more caring of their patient instead of more distant as you oftentimes find in the states. I think this is a cultural thing. For example, my doctor who performed the C-section kept looking over at me and nodding and my anesthesiologist kept coming over and reassuring me how great everything was going by giving me shoulder squeezes, etc. A little more hands on if you will. And, of course Steve was there by my side the whole time telling me how beautiful my guts were. After the operation Isaac was wheeled away to the NICU for hypoglycemia, and the recovery process began.
OB Care: Over this past week, I have been completely hands down impressed by my OB. He comes to visit me every day not only to make sure I'm feeling ok, but also to discuss how I feel the treatment has been for both myself and my baby. He is so patient and listens, and has been making calls to the pediatricians/nurses in the NICU on my behalf to make sure we understand what is going on with the baby. I feel like I can truly count on him and he really cares about my well being as opposed to just get me through the medical part of delivery and be done. A very impressive man.
NICU Care: I will be honest here and say I have been unimpressed and frustrated. I don't think it is the care that I have been unimpressed with as I know Isaac is being well cared for. What I have been unimpressed with is the communication and direction they have given us about what is happening. I believe there are two major factors at play here - culture and language barrier. There is not one doctor I can call and ask about Isaac's condition. They change every 12 hours and I have only found 1 or 2 that speak English enough that I can understand. My Spanish is getting better, but when you are put in a high stressed medical environment, it been difficult to communicate since I can't really ask the questions I want to and I'm understanding about 75% of what they are telling me. It also seems the nurses are very hierarchical and do not like to say anything to the parents of the patients unless the head nurse or doctor is present. It has left me feeling like I have to demand to talk to someone every time I go just to get a very blase answer like "well we don't really know much yet. still waiting 24-48 hours to monitor improvement. His recovery will depend on xyz". I do think the experience would be somewhat similar in the states since Isaac's condition is dependent on many factors, and no one really knows how long the hypoglycemia will last (it's a waiting game), but the language barrier and cultural differences would be null.
That said, I have been going to the NICU every 3 hours to see him and feed him, and I am truly falling in love. I can't believe how much he looks like Sadie when she was born. They have the same face and facial expressions. I keep getting deja vu.
So, we are hoping for a discharge of tomorrow for me and hopefully Isaac will come home with me or will not be far behind. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers!
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