Sint Maarten

On 11 November many provinces in Holland celebrate Sint Maarten's Day. Even though it is very popular, noone has been able to explain me the real origins of this Dutch tradition. But that is not really important, because what really matters to every kid is that on the evening of 11 November they can go door by door with their self-made hand-crafted lanterns to sing Sint Maarten songs and get -in return- candies, lots and lots and lots of candies!!

Tonight it was the first time that we participate. Noah (our eldest son) is now almost 3 year old and has decorated his own lantern at the kindergarden. He also learned some songs and practiced a lot.
At the beginning Noah did not really get the idea of singing and getting candies in return. But it only took him 2 or 3 houses to understand it and from then on, he started a non-stop tour with his friend Thijs. One door bell for Thijs, next door bell for Noah and they went on and on and on....
They were simply adorable, truly lovely to watch. Can't wait for next year when Fedde (our youngest son) will also walk with his lantern!

Noah, Onno and Thijs

Integration complete

In September last year (2013) I realized that I met the requirements to apply for a Dutch naturalization!
The IND office (Immigratie en Naturalisatiedienst, Inmigration and Naturalitation Service) controls the very long list of possible scenarios to apply for visas, resident permits or other documents to allow you to stay in The Netherlands. My husband and I had a very positive experience so far with the procedures to bring me from Argentina to Holland, but applying for my Dutch citizenship was the final piece of the big jigsaw puzzle.

I applied for my Dutch naturalization in November 2013, after living together for more than 3 years with a Dutch citizen who happens to be also my husband. Next to that, one key requirement that I also met was to have a Dutch diploma proving that I DO master the Dutch language good enough to live and interact with the Dutch society.
Around May this year (2014) I heard that the King had approved my request and that my naturalization would be official once I participated of a formal ceremony at the city council.

That ceremony (a very nice one) took place today (July 8th) so I am now Argentine and Dutch. I did not have to give up my Argentine citizenship due to international regulations but I got the Dutch one as a second one.
I am soooooooo happy! No more worries about residence permits and meeting requirements to stay in Holland with my beloved men. From now on, just enjoy life and being together.
My husband surprised me with a big bouquet of red roses with a card that says: "Gezellig" and the name of my husband and sons. It is a huge bouquet because he bought as many roses as my current age. I will not reveal my age, but you may try to count them on the following photo if you can.... :)

 

No recipe

It's been more than one year ago since I wrote my last post. I am really tempted to continue writing only in Spanish (as it's much easier for me), but that would be difficult for all English speaking readers. Hence, here I am again, trying to organize my Spanish thoughts in a not-so-spectacular English. :)

It's already January 2014. This coming May it will be 4 years that I am leaving in The Netherlands. Certainly I did not have a 'recipe' to do the move from my home land to Holland, nor manual or instruction book to indicate the steps I would need take along the way and how I would feel. These have been 4 busy years...

During my first year in Holland, everyone here asked me if I liked it to be here and if I would miss my family and friends. Nobody asks that question anymore now.  Probably it's not so important anymore whether or not I like to live in Holland (by the way, I do).  But how about the 'missing' part? Let me tell you something: I do miss everyone, and not a little bit, a LOT !
It's awkward, because it's a feeling that I can compare with the lost of my dad. When I lost my dad the pain was great, but with time it slowly became a silent companion I was always aware of.  It's the same now: I miss my family and friends a lot, but I -sort of- got used to the feeling, and I look forward (with a positive attitude) to our next trip to Buenos Aires or to a trip that someone from Argentina will do to come this way.

So how do you settle down in a new life (because it's not just a country) without a 'recipe'?
The first things I did when I arrived in Holland was to get the 'basics' to get back my independence: learn the Dutch language, get my Dutch drivers license, find a job, practical stuff. I even went to the supermarket with a notebook and a pen and spent 3 hours studying all the products available in a Dutch supermarket, trying to find back the ingredients I was used to find in Argentina.
In no-time I was reconnected to my professional environment but I gave me no space/room to adapt to my new reality in a new country.
Everything was fine, but after a while I started to feel the lack of a social network here, someone to share a coffee with, someone that would share a bit of my past with me.
Sometimes I ask myself: I am the only one that is different here?  I know that there are lots of expats in The Netherlands, but somehow I have the impression that for them it's easier than for me to adapt to a new culture and language.

During the 2nd year, I got pregnant with Noah (our eldest son). From the moment we heard we were expecting, I started preparing myself to give birth in a different country. Since it was my first pregnancy, I had no clue (even not in Spanish) what to expect, so I read dozens of magazines and books (in Dutch) to learn the vocabulary that would be used during my regular check-ups.  It was tough at the beginning: I could not understand a word of what was explained to me during the first echo.

Since Noah is born (Feb 2012) it looks like the time really flies, and I realize now that almost 4 years have passed by. Fantastic things have happened to me (and to my husband) and we did it all with 'no recipe' at all.

I am blessed; I am REALLY blessed.
My husband loves me (and I am crazy about him too) and we have now 2 adorable boys, Noah and Fedde (born in Dec 2013). Both boys are healthy and sweet and sometimes I cannot believe they are ours, so beautiful they are.
My family and friends in Argentina are the best and they are always there for me, even when an ocean put some obstacles in our way to stay close.

 

 

And now that I have become a mother, a entire new world of challenges begin for me, it's again the 'unknown' waiting around the corner, cooking with no recipe, travelling with no map....
But that is life, and that is exactly what makes life wonderful, the unexpected, the surprise, the unknown, the magic. And I am lucky enough to walk that path hand-in-hand with the love of my life and our dear sons. No recipe is needed, let us go and improvise!

Yes, I do

Almost no time to write these last 9 months, but these dasy are too important and I really need to "dump" some feelings into words: everything together is too overwhelming.

We are flying to Buenos Aires tomorrow morning...
... for the first time in Noah's life. He is now 9 months old.  Everyone is waiting to hug him :)
... to marry the love of my life -and Noah's dad- Onno, who teaches me every day a new meaning for the word "love".
... our honeymoon will be in my beloved Argentina, where my heart will live forever, no matter how far my body decides to go.

I cannot be more greatful to God.  I cannot be happier than I am now.

..  Only -perhaps- if my dad could be by my side... maybe....  But I know that God needed him by HIS side.  I am happy dad, happier than I have ever been, I hope you can see me wherever you are.

Welcome, little Noah

**If you don't read Spanish, you just have to scroll down and you will find an English version of this post + extra photos!**
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Nuestro varoncito nació el 22-Feb-2012.
Ya no le decimos Baby-G, como solíamos hacer durante mi embarazo (ver posts anteriores).

Ahora es nuestro pequeño Noah.

El embarazo fue muy bien hasta las últimas semanas, cuando mi presión sanguínea se descontroló.  Por ese motivo se me aconsejó dejar de trabajar y comenzar mi licencia por maternidad en mi semana 34 (2 semanas antes de lo que yo había planeado).
El mismísimo día que Noah y yo entrábamos en nuestra semana 36 comencé a perder líquido amniótico...
Había llegado el momento?  Iba a dar a luz ya? .... No, al menos no todavía.

Mi bolsa no estaba realmente "rota" pero había una fisura y una apertura con el mundo exterior.  Por ese motivo Noah y yo estábamos en riesgo constante de contraer infecciones.  Esto no era bueno porque cuando la bolsa se rompe, el parto debe desencadenarse.  Pero Noah no estaba listo...  Los bebés son considerados "prematuros" hasta que alcanzan la edad gestacional de 37 semanas (y nosotros sólo estábamos al comienzo de la semana 36).
Luego de 96 horas de incertidumbre y múltiples visitas al hospital, mi bolsa se rompió completamente y en menos de 5 horas Noah llegó a nuestras vidas.  Él ya estaba con nosotros -por supuesto-, pero ahora podíamos realmente verlo y abrazarlo.

Como llegó 3,5 semanas antes de término, era muy flaquito (2530 gr) y un poquito azul y frío producto del trabajo de parto.  Pero todos sus órganos funcionaban bien y tenía una preciosa carita.  Luego de "solamente" 1 hora en la incubadora lo pudieron poner en una cunita chiquita junto a mi cama de hospital (no fue necesario llevarlo a la unidad de cuidados intensivos de neonatología).


Convertirme en mamá es la más fascinante aventura de mi vida.
Me sumerjo en ella junto a mi precioso Noah y el amor de mi vida, Onno.
La vida es muy generosa conmigo.



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Our baby boy is born on 22-Feb-2012.
We don't call him Baby-G anymore, like we used to do during my pregnancy (see my previous posts).

He is now our little Noah.

The pregnancy went pretty well until the last weeks, when my blood pressure got crazy.  Because of that I was adviced to stop working and take my pregnancy leave on my week 34 (2 weeks before I had planned).  On the very day that Noah and I entered week 36 I started to loose amniotic fluid...
Was this it? Was I going to deliver? ..... No, it was not (yet).

My water was not really broken but there was an "opening" to the outside world because of a minor 'break' . Now, Noah and I were at risk of getting infections.  This was not very good, because when the water breaks the delivery should occur.  But Noah was not ready.... babies are considered "premature" until they reach the gestational age of 37 weeks (and we were only at the beggining of week 36).
After 96 hs of uncertainty and multiple hospital visits, my water broke completely and within 5 hours Noah arrived into our lives. He already was with us-of course-, but now we could actually see and hold him.

Because he was 3,5 weeks ahead of schedule, he was very skinny (2530 gr) and a little bit blue and cold after the labour.  But all his organs were working perfectly and he had a beautiful face.  After "only" 1 hour in the incubator he was able to be placed in a little crib next to my bed at the hospital (it was not necessary to take him to the neonatal intensive care unit).

Becoming a mom is the most amazing adventure of my life.
I am diving into this adventure together with my precious Noah and the love of my life, Onno.
Life is very kind to me.

Unexpected while expecting

**If you don't read Spanish, you just have to scroll down and you will find an English version of this post + extra photos!**
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Ayer mi bebé y yo alcanzamos la semana 35 de mi embarazo y ahora quedan sólo 5 semanas más!
Las últimas semanas fueron un poco inciertas para nosotros…. Luego de un embarazo fabuloso de 33 semanas, durante uno de mis chequeos de rutina my presión sanguínea apareció con valores más altos que los habituales.
Tuve que repetir el chequeo 2 días después, pero con el mismo resultado = presión alta. Nunca había tenido antes problemas de presión y tampoco con mi embarazo, por lo que fue shockeante darme cuenta de que mi cuerpo no estaba respondiendo como suele hacerlo.
Usualmente soy muy activa y puedo continuar aunque mi cuerpo este cansado. Mi cuerpo siempre estuvo a MI disposición, y no al revés…
Con dolor tuve que admitir que el embarazo involucra prestar tu cuerpo durante 9 meses para una importante misión: el hogar de un bebé. Y durante ese tiempo no podés pedir que te lo devuelvan. Mi cuerpo me estaba pidiendo que bajara un cambio, que durmiera más, que descansara, que disfrutara. Pero yo simplemente continuaba con mis actividades, como siempre.
En el hospital no fueron flexibles para nada: tenía que dejar de trabajar inmediatamente y empezar a descansar y tratar de estar horizontal lo más posible para evitar que mi presión subiera. Me explicaron los peligrosos escenarios que podrían aparecer si no lográbamos estabilizar mi presión (no los repito acá porque son realmente tenebrosos).
Así que dejé de trabajar, pero un poco antes de lo que lo había planeado (2 semanas antes). Es tan difícil para mí dejar cosas colgadas y de pronto cortar con todo!!! Pero tenía que hacerlo, no sólo por mi salud… sino por la de mi bebé.
Y todavía no lo tengo entre mis brazos, pero ya haría lo que fuera por protegerlo.

Lo que más quiero ahora es hacer todo lo que pueda para él pueda quedarse en mi panza lo más posible. Si logro quedarme tranquila y mantener mi presión sanguínea en el límite, lo vamos a lograr, y él va a estar más fuertecito cuando finalmente llegue a este mundo.
Tengo taaaaaaaaaaantas ganas de conocerlo. Sólo unas semanitas más!




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Yesterday my baby boy and I reached week 35 of my pregnancy and it's now only 5 more to go!
The last couple of weeks have been uncertain for us... after a fabulous pregnancy of 33 weeks, during one of my regular check-ups the doctors found that my blood pressure was higher than my normal values.
I had to repeat the check after 2 days, with the same result = high blood pressure. I have never had problems with my pressure before and also not with my pregnancy, so it was shocking to realize that my body was not responding as it usually does.
I am usually pretty active and I can keep going also if I am quite tired. My body was always at MY disposal, and not the other way around. :S

With pain I had to admit that being pregnant is like lending your body for 9 months for an important mission: the home for a baby. And during that time you are not allowed to claim it back. My body was telling me to slow down, to sleep more, to take some rest, to enjoy. But I just kept on going, as usual.
At the hospital they were not flexible at all: I had to stop working immediately and I should rest and lay horizontal as much as possible to avoid my blood pressure to increase. They explained me all the dangerous scenarios that could appear if we could not stabilize my pressure (I will not repeat them here because they are really scaring).

So I stopped working, but a little bit earlier than planned (2 weeks in advance). It is so difficult for me to let things go and suddenly stop with everything !!! But it has to be done, not only for my health.... but for my baby boy.
And he is not yet in my arms, but I would already do anything to protect him.

What I want now the most is to do my best so he can stay in my belly as long as possible. If I manage to stay calm and keep my blood pressure on the limit, we will make it, and he will be stronger when he finally comes to this world.
I am looking soooooooo forward to meet him. Just a couple of weeks more!

Falling in love again

**If you don't read Spanish, you just have to scroll down and you will find an English version of this post**
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Paso mucho tiempo. Demasiado, me parece.
Tengo varios posts grabados como versiones borrador en este blog, pero ninguno esta listo para ser publicado. Hay tantas cosas sobre las que escribir, tantas impresiones sobre mi nueva vida en los Países Bajos...
Pero saben qué?, hay sólo UNA cosa sobre la que quiero escribir hoy, lo más importante en mi vida en este preciso momento: mi bebé.
Mi bebé varón crece cada día. Puedo verlo crecer cuando miro a mi panza en el espejo. Ya estamos terminando nuestra semana 21 y todas mis prioridades e intereses están enfocándose en esta pequeña vida que empieza a estar presente y se hace visible.

Nunca pensé que yo pudiera convertirme en mamá algún día, pero parece que realmente va a suceder. Le decimos Gagarin (pronunciado con acento en la "i", como Yuri Gagarin, el primer ser humano que viajó al espacio exterior). Por supuesto que ese no es el nombre real, pero es una manera cómoda de referirnos a él en lugar de decir simplemente "el bebé". Baby G (como le dice mi hermana) está cambiando mi vida cada día, despertando sentimientos que no sabía dormían en mí.


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It´s been a long time. Too long, I guess.
I have many posts as draft versions saved in this blog, but none of those posts is ready to be published. I have so many things to write about, so many impressions about my new life in The Netherlands....
But you know what?, there is only ONE thing I want to write about today, and that is the most important thing in my life at this very moment: my baby.
My baby boy is growing every day. I can see him growing when I look at my belly into the mirror. We are already finishing our week 21 and all my priorities and interests are focusing into that little life that starts to be present and is visible now.

I have never really thought I could become a mom one day, but it looks that it is really going to happen. We call him Gagarin (pronounced with an accent on the "i", like Yuri Gagarin, the first human to journey into outer space). Of course that is not his real name, but it´s a convenient way to talk about him instead of just "the baby". Baby G (as my sister calls him) is changing my life every day, waking up feelings that I did not know where dormant in me.