Wednesday flight cancelled

We received an email this morning that our flight for tomorrow was cancelled. Long story short...after hours on hold and a short spat with a Continental rep, we are now going to be flying either Monday with British Airways or Tuesday with Continental.

I have to say that today was probably the lowest day. We had to work really hard to keep each other focused on the end product, which is a flight home. We took turns making each other laugh and of course, there was a little wine involved.

Yesterday, we took the opportunity to take Lucas into London and get his photo snapped in front of some major landmarks. We had wanted to do that before we left, but never found the time. On Sunday, we enjoyed the beautiful sunshine with friends in Richmond by having a picnic on the Green and mint tea to end the day.

We're Stuck...

This really does seem like something from a really bad movie:

Fun, free-spirited couple goes on a three year adventure in Europe. They close their adventure with the birth of their first son. Chaos ensues when a volcano erupts in Iceland, sending volcanic ash across the UK and Europe, shutting all airports and stranding them with no way home.

What timing...we are currently rebooked for Wednesday, but it all depends on which way the wind blows.

Our Stuff

See you in 5-6 weeks!

The wheels are turning

Today we moved into the Richmond Inn Hotel. We were able to get the largest room in the place, thank goodness, and it has two bathrooms, which means Lucas gets his own bathtub! In our flat, we had him bathing in his little baby bathtub that was really too small for him. He doesn't know how to act having the whole bathtub to splash around in! They also provided a pack and play for him to sleep in. He was really busting out of his little crib that our friends let us borrow, and I think he is very happy to have some room to stretch. I was a little concerned about his bedtime tonight since things are so different right now, but he is such a champ. Went right to sleep as soon as I put him down.

This morning, he had his last set of immunizations, so he is officially ready to be a jet-setter! Afterwards, we met up with some friends and their very cute kids for lunch, and then we headed to the flat for a packing spree. We are pretty much finished with everything. Tomorrow we will go back and do a walk through to make sure everything is separated into air and sea cargo piles and that we haven't missed anything crucial.

Catalina and Sebastian met us at the hotel this evening to say goodbye. Oh the tears that flowed. Cata has been such a blessing to have here in London. We have had so many good times together and I really can't say enough how much her friendship has meant to me. What a small world that she went to college with Edgar back in Colombia and wound up here all these years later after falling in love and marrying an Englishman!

Off to bed now...another busy day tomorrow!

HI!

I have been away from the blogging world for quite a while now. Sorry to all my fans out there (I think there may be about 5 of you...hehe). Things in the Castro household are ticking along. Lucas is growing like a weed and we are busy preparing for the big move back to Texas.
If anyone has any advice on long haul flights with a baby, please send them my way. I've already packed his little carry on suitcase, which is actually a big carry on suitcase. I am probably way over packing on the formula and diapers, but my worst fear is running out of either at any point between Heathrow and IAH.

Edgar has had a 4 day weekend! Friday and tomorrow are Bank Holidays, so Lucas and I have really enjoyed having him around so much! I don't know what I'll do when Tuesday rolls around and I'm back to single duty again. Edgar is the greatest, most supportive and understanding man in the world! I have slept until at least 9:30am for 2 days in a row, haven't changed one dirty diaper, and my back is finally feeling a bit recovered. My doctor gave strict orders at my 6 week check-up that I was to do nothing that would stress me out (had a bit of a traumatic birth experience), and Edgar took him very seriously. I can say without a doubt that my smooth recovery, both physically and emotionally, has been due to the overwhelmingly amazing support I have at home. He always knows just exactly when I need a break.

So, these next two weeks are going to be spent winding things down here...returning the cable box, switching the utilities out of our names, cancelling the cell phone, etc. The hardest part will be saying goodbye to our friends. I won't talk about that right now, because I am in a very happy mood and that topic will just be a downer.

Hope everyone has had a great Easter. Next year, Lucas will be searching for the golden egg!

Happy 4 Months!

Four months already! Lucas is the light of our lives and brings endless smiles and laughter to our days. At last check (about a week ago), he weighed in at 15.74 pounds! Yes, he is a giant and thank goodness Edgar takes over on the weekends to give my back and arms a break. Speaking of Edgar, I just can't say enough how much I appreciate him. He is a most excellent father and husband and makes being a new mommy so much easier. Thank goodness he has taken the lead in all the logistical planning for our move back to Texas. If I were in charge we probably would be on a slow boat to China.

12 Week Birthday

I took a few photos of Lucas today while he was doing tummy time on the boppy pillow.

He is 12 weeks old today!

Sleep Through the Night!!!

That's right...he slept through the night!!!
This one is for Auntie Shaila

SMILES!!!

Two months ago today....

...I was eagerly anticipating what the next few hours would bring...my new, beautiful baby! Happy 2 Months, Lucas!

Happy 8 Weeks, Lucas!

How does a little baby celebrate his 8-week birthday?

By taking a mid-day nap on a sheepskin rug, of course!

6 Weeks

The Birth Story-the quick and nice version

I love reading other people's birth stories and watching all those baby shows on TV. Now that I have experienced it myself, I thought I would share with you a short and nice version of what happened to me. I say short and nice because some details are a little too personal to put out there on the www and I don't want to scare off any readers who have not yet had a baby and plan to have one in the future :).

For a week or so before I went into labor, I just felt different. Lucas was moving differently, I was having aches and pains that I had not had previously, and I thought my bump looked different. Mom and Dad arrived on Tuesday morning, December 1st, I went to a coffee meet up and yoga on Wednesday and then on Thursday morning (the 3rd) at 6:38am, I felt a little cramp and thought "OK, now THAT feels different!" I thought it might be a contraction so I noted the time and went back to sleep. Twelve minutes later, another pain...and again twelve more minutes later. I decided to wake up Edgar and say those two words we've been waiting for for the past nine months... "It's time!" He called the hospital, who told us to come on in. I showered, and of course did my hair and make up...have to look good in all those photographs that are bound to happen! Our taxi driver manuevered through London's rush hour traffic and we arrived at The Portland around 9am. I got settled into my delivery suite, had a little monitoring done to ensure I was indeed in labor, and then I began the long, long process of waiting for things to change and progress.

All the normal things happened throughout the day. I managed to breath through my contractions until around 2pm, when I decided it was time for the epidural. My doctor had been in to check on me an hour before and said I would have the epidural within the next hour. I still felt I was coping fine at that time, but he was right! I don't know why I question this man...he is never wrong about anything with me. I had a mobile epidural which meant I could still walk around, bounce on my fitball, and basically be active enough to help the labor progress instead of being completely numb and confined to bed.

Around 7pm the doctor reappeared and decided to break my water, and wow, it was like a raging river! 11pm was go time. Mr. Spence-Jones came into the room in proper scrubs instead of his usual dress shirt and tie and said it was time to push! I gave Mom and Dad a kiss goodbye and sent them to my postnatal room to wait for the good news. This is where things got interesting and where I will make it short and sweet. Thirty minutes in, it was decided I would need the help of forceps and, and WOOWWEE...so glad I had the epidural is all I can say...he arrived a few minutes later at 11:48pm, twelve minutes shy of Edgar's birthday on December 4th! Some complications developed with me while he was being delivered that involved a trip to the operating room, a subsequent blood transfusion and 3 1/2 day hospital stay. But the end result was that Lucas was healthy, I would heal, and now we are a happy family of three...EdVon+1.

I loved pregnancy. Despite 20 weeks of morning sickness and all the unglamorous things that go along with it, I enjoyed experiencing this miracle. Labor was also great and I would do it again in a heartbeat, provided an epidural was available. I hope for a better delivery and postpartum period next time and my doctor has promised me it will not be as traumatic the second time around. I trust him...remember, he's never been wrong about me before. Although, I am not anxious for a repeat performance any time soon, so we will all just have to enjoy and spoil Lucas in the meantime.

Week 38 - Welcome Lucas Elijah Castro!

Our little Lucas Elijah Castro arrived on December 3rd at 11:48pm, just 12 minutes shy of his Papa's birthday. He weighed 7lb 8oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. Sorry for the short post, but just wanted to post an update and a photo to document the day. We are tired, as expected, but doing well. Thank goodness my parents arrived on Tuesday. I don't know what we'd be doing without them. Edgar is a superstar, taking care of me and Lucas around the clock.

I'll try to post pictures as I can. Thanks to everyone for your notes and emails...

Week 37

Wow...little baby is really growing now. He is putting on fat, which means pure weight and inches for me! Just in the past week, I've really started feeling pregnant, as in tired with no stamina. We had a small hiccup last weekend with some pain on my side and some elevated liver blood levels. The conclusion was that I must have pulled a muscle or ligament, which caused the pain, and the elevated liver levels were caught by accident while trying to figure out what was wrong with my side. In the end, the pain comes and goes, but is nothing to worry about, and the liver levels have returned to normal. Apparently they were a by-product of the stomach virus I had the weekend before. My doctor will never believe this. I've had such an uneventful pregnancy and in the two weeks he goes on vacation, all this drama happens.

Edgar is working so hard to get our flat ready for the baby. I do what I can, but it's not much these days. He is such a superstar and I really can't say how much I appreciate him. He is the perfect partner for this journey and I really could not have made it without him. He has fed me, clothed me, cleaned up after me, painted my toenails, provided me with endless ice cream...the list really is endless. I have a pregnancy journal that chronicles the changes in baby and myself on a daily basis, and since I've received it, he's read it every single night. It's our ritual before we go to sleep. I love him so much.

Mom and Dad arrive on Tuesday morning. We are very excited to have them for a few weeks! It should be a great Christmas!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! We are enjoying our last Thanksgiving here in the UK. Edgar got off work early and I made a little feast for us-turkey, homemade dressing, sweet potatoes and salad. We splurged and also had sweet iced tea. It's hard to believe I've missed my mom's Thanksgiving feast 3 years in a row now, but she assures me that next year will be no holds barred Thanksgiving. I'm sure she is going to make every single yummy casserole we ask for. We Skyped in this afternoon and visited with everyone at their house and now, thanks to Sky Sports, we are watching the Dallas Cowboys game!! YIPPEE!! Also, can you believe that this time next year, that little bump I'm sporting will be almost or mostly walking and eating turkey of his own?

Week 36

Week 36!!! We are in the homestretch!!! My regular doctor is on vacation until next week, so today I met his backup and she is really nice. I am in great hands either way. The best part was that she has an ultrasound machine in her exam room that she uses to check the baby, so I got to see the little guy again. She showed me that he has hair and I also got to see some fat rolls on his tummy. I told her my fear that he was going to be a gigantic baby based on my 4D ultrasound, but she said she didn't feel like he was. She thinks he is the right size for my body. PHEW! Everything looked great as usual and I was in and out in 10 minutes. I'll see her one last time next week and then it's back to my regular doctor until the grand appearance.

We finished our prenatal classes this past Monday and I have to say I was thoroughly impressed with them. Not that you can ever be fully prepared to be a parent, but the organization I took the classes through focuses on the whole process of having a baby, from pregnancy and birth, right on through to the transition to parenthood. So we learned alot more than just the stages of labor and the pain relief options, we learned what we would go through personally and as a couple and how to tackle some of the common obstacles that can make that transition more difficult. We met so many people right here in Richmond and now have 14 instant friends in the same position as us. The women in the group are fabulous and I am so lucky that they all live literally a block away from me. In fact, we were all so sad that the classes ended, that we are keeping our usual Monday night time slot open, but instead of meeting for class we are going to meet at different pubs and just hang out...at least until we start dropping like flies and then eventually start showing up again with newborns.

Sorry for the lack of posting on Week 35. Edgar and I came down with some kind of stomach virus on Wednesday and I spent Thursday at the doctor's offices and the hospital for monitoring, etc. to make sure everything was OK. I was pretty dehydrated, but the baby and myself checked out fine in the end. I was just sent home and told to sip water and sleep. By Sunday, we were fine and back to normal. Thanks to those of you who kept me on my toes (...Sharla).

A Package from Home!!

Our postal workers have been on strike and I've been anxiously awaiting a package from my sister for two weeks! It finally arrived this morning! It contained some great gifts! First, was a newborn Santa outfit. Since I found out I would be having a baby very close to Christmas, I've been on a mission to find one...Shaila found it first. Isn't it cute? Next was a booklight that I can attach to my books. This is a lifesaver because my bedside lamp is very bright and annoying, and even though he won't say it, I'm sure Edgar would rather I not keep it on while he is trying to sleep. Last but not least is a SNUGGIE!!!! I've been wanting one of these for over a year now!!! Now I can read, drink hot chocolate, and change the TV channel without having to unsnuggle from my warm blankety nest. And I like that it is leopard print...so chic. THANKS SO MUCH, SHAILA!!!

Week 34

Yeah, I know...my molehill has turned into a mountain.

A Perfect Viva Baby Shower

I was completely and utterly surprised when I opened an evite from Amber last month. She is always on top of the latest cool thing to have a party for...Pampered Chef, wall stencils, and well, other things...so I thought she had found some great new invention that I would have to check out. WRONG! It was an invitation for a baby shower in honor of ME, given by my best girlfriends-the Vivas-Amber, Carolyn, Marisa, Leslie and everyone's significant others!

Throughout my pregnancy I had tried to play it cool and act like the fact that I wouldn't have a good ole traditional American baby shower didn't bother me. But the closer I got to my due date, and the more my belly expanded, the sadder I got knowing I would miss out on this right of passage for every new mom-to-be. I tried to act like it was ok that I wouldn't play all the silly games, devour some cake and punch, and basically be the center of attention.

About a week before the shower, a package arrived from Marisa containing napkins, decorations, a CD with a great mix of music, and some little gifts. Little did I know all that was going on behind the scenes. James and Edgar were busy preparing the best chat-Skype vs. Google (Google won hands down). Edgar had been receiving emailed instructions throughout the week from everyone, and he had been busy getting everything ready on this side of the world.

So, this is how it went down (as my nephew Brody would say)...Our Google chat rings, we answer, and there is everyone on the screen with huge smiles on their faces. We started with snack time. Everyone at Amber's house had some great nibbles while Edgar handed me a plate of goodies he had prepared. We then went on to the party phase. We started with the tummy measure game. Amber was the winner, hitting my waist size spot on. I am going to overlook those who guessed my waist to be over five feet around ;) The camera does add 10 pounds! We did a word scramble/unscramble, and we drew a picture of the baby on paper plates while holding them on top of our heads. We then went on to the cake phase. While everyone pigged out on cake-Amber had gotten them a delicious chocolate on chocolate because that's my favorite-James held a baby-daddy-boot-camp for Edgar. He gave him the in's and out's on diaper changing, feeding, and how to get the baby into and out of those baby carrier contraptions. They finished with the diaper race, which I'm proud to say, Edgar won! After cake was gift time! Now this was a very clever idea...since it would be pretty impractical to ship gifts all the way over here, they had emailed Edgar pictures of the gifts they had purchased for us. He printed them out and put them in envelopes for me to open. I really felt like I was opening real gifts! We'll actually receive them when we move back. After gifts, it was entertainment time! Leslie, Carolyn, and Marisa did a hilarious rendition of our new favorite song, "Cheese Enchilada" by Big Smith. If you've never heard it, look it up! Amber and Cade then sang us a few original songs that we can sing to our Little Baby when he is taking a bath.

The end of the shower was upon us and they had saved the best for last. Edgar presented me with a package of Huggies and it was explained by Carolyn that each diaper contained some piece of advice or inspiration that I would discover throughout the use of the diapers. Everyone involved in the shower had emailed Edgar these little nuggets (no pun intended) of love and he had printed them out, cut them into individual pieces and placed one each in a diaper. I don't know why, but this just made me cry so hard. I knew that everyone had worked very hard to put this together, unbeknownst to me, and this just showed the thought that went into each and everything. All combined, they had sent enough tidbits for over 50 diapers!

I tried to express how genuinely happy I was to have been the recipient of such a thoughtful experience, but I was all choked up and couldn't even speak. I just buried my head in Edgar's shoulder and had a good cry (and trust me, when I get started these days, it's hard to stop). And then everyone else did to. I think all I could squeak out was "Thank you so much". I can't tell you how much this meant to me. I really felt like I got to experience the same thing every one else does. It didn't matter that I was in a different country or time zone, I felt like I was right there.

So...just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I get an evite from my sister a few weeks ago, and it seems I get to do it all over again with my family!!! How in the world did I get so lucky in life? I have the best friends, family and husband I could ever ask for. It's not easy being so far away from everyone you love (except for Edgar, of course) during a time as special as this. It just means so much to me that people have taken the time and made the effort to make me feel extra special. I appreciate it all and can't wait to report on virtual shower #2 in the very near future!