Archive | December, 2011
The Baby is Imminent.
26 DecAfter waiting for nine months, we are ready for the baby.
Any day now.
The holidays are done, the cradle is set up next to the bed, we have a supply of diapers and blankets; now we are just making minor tweaks to our plans.
I love this baby.
This is our third child. After going through two labor experiences, we have a good idea of what to expect. During the birth of your first child, everything is new, and a little scary. The second time, it is familiar and exciting. This third time, I’m expecting a fast, easy labor with lots of strong pushing and gentle music, warm baths and candlelight, and a trance-like state that comes from being completely in tune with the heroic changes that a human body can only make a few times in its life. (And only a female human body, at that.)
Although it has been my habit to work in the city ten minutes away, it is too far; now I work from an office just down the mountain from our house, so I am on call at any hour to jump to my wife’s side and keep her hydrated and calm.
Our other two children were born in the afternoon, with contractions starting in the middle of the night. Will it be the same this time?
One thing we are all sure of, is the labor this time will be fast. A woman’s third child usually comes out faster than her other two. Zaden was born in 6-7 hours, and Indilea’s labor was four days long.
Johanna’s sister, who was the third child, was born very rapidly.
22 minutes.
Start to finish, that’s how short it took. With this spice in our gene pool, we’re expecting a fast, easy delivery.
The baby is big, which means we will have a healthy boy that doesn’t get sick. Living in the tropics, we don’t have to worry about colds and flu. Our small house is cozy, clean, and ready to accept the baby into it.
Our whole lives seem set up for this moment. Johanna’s parents spend hours with us every day, tending the house and the children. The weather is bright and cheery. Little Taos will be here any day now.
We are asking for our friends and family to help us aid his transition into the world, by being there in spirit.
Please click on the picture above if you would like to receive a phone call when labor starts. (I will also be crowing it through my social media profiles – connect with me on the sidebar if you haven’t already.)
When you get the call, light a candle and pray for a safe, healthy birth.
Sunshine, kids, and a pool.
23 Dec
Sunbathing by the pool. Kids are rescuing toys from the water. Fresh bananas at my side. It was a good idea to take the morning off of work.
Surprise Baby Shower!
19 Dec
'0' Birthday for Baby Taos
This weekend Heather Gamewell (Indilea’s ballet teacher) and I put together a surprise baby shower for Johanna.
The cover story:
I told Johanna I was being interviewed by a reporter from El Financiero, the Costa Rica’s version of the Business Journal. I left in the morning to set up the party, and called her an hour before party time with the message:
He’s got a photographer with him, and when I told him about you, and the kids, and about Summerland, he got all excited! He wants to do a photo shoot at the pool with the whole family. Can you put on some makeup and be ready in an hour?
(This was Cherie’s idea. I never would have thought about how ladies don’t like to show up to their own surprise parties looking frumpy – a lesson I should have learned for Johanna’s 28th birthday, when I took her to a Nia class, and we returned home to a dozen unexpected friends, and we were all sweaty and red-faced.)
Anyway.
Johanna was not thrilled. AND she knew something was up. She played along, and was really happy that she did, when we got to a pool festooned with balloons, and 3 friends ready for a party!
(Everyone else showed up half an hour late. It IS Costa Rica, after all.)
Although she knew SOMETHING was up, she did not expect a big event like this. When I told her there were flyers, and a secret Facebook event, she was very happy we had gone to so much trouble for an amazing, wonderful, nurturing mother like her.
It was apparent during the party: everyone loves Johanna.
Some photos from the day:
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- ’0′ Birthday for Baby Taos
The potluck was Dairy Free AND gluten free. (Its Johannas party, I told everybody, she should be able to eat anything she wants to.
The pool was a big hit with the kids, and kids and adults played some really fun games, hosted by Heather and Zane. We stuffed ballons in big t-shirts (to empathize with the pregnant lady), had a sack race, and played a really cool game where everybody had a balloon tied around their ankle. By stomping everyone else’s ballon in a chaotic heel-thrusting crowd, the last one with a balloon was the winner.
After the party, we went back to the house, had a quiet family dinner, and the kids and I played games and cleaned while Johanna took a bath. It was a wonderful day; the kind of day we see a lot here, in Costa Rica.
The baby is full term.
16 Dec
Doctor says he’s healthy and hearty. His due date is my birthday, January 7, 2012. From here on out, we are ready to expect his entrance at a moment’s notice. Stay tuned for updates!
A Moment of Enlightenment
12 DecIt was within predictable circumstances that I achieved a moment of enlightenment.
Photo by Bogenfreund
The house was silent, and I took a scalding hot bath, soaking for half an hour. I spent the time feeling grateful for my life, from the grand unexpected circumstances that brought me to living in Costa Rica, to the small mundane aspects of existence I traditionally take for granted, like having toes and the joy of breath.
After drying off and spending some time sitting in a chair, basking in gratitude, I found myself in the state of mind that has been called enlightenment.
Whether I achieved the degree of enlightenment that ascended masters have attained, I cannot know; the state of mind was so markedly different from my traditional mindset that at least, I can call it my own version of enlightenment.
I was blissed out.
Joy was suddenly infused with every fiber of my being. I was happy and joyous with every thought, and every observation.
I paused, in this blissful repose, to examine the experience.
Enlightenment is something that is available to every human creature, in every moment. We all have the capacity to attain this state, and we can even make the choice to do so, at any given time.
Why do we continually choose to ignore this mindset of bliss, in favor of our everyday? (more…)
New ride
11 Dec
Seats the whole family. 94 Isuzu Trooper. Solid ride, 4×4 for bumpy Costa Rica roads, and a color that doesn’t show dirt.
I drove seven hours to San Jose and back the day I bought it, and it performed like a champ.
We’re considering names for the car; suggestions are welcome in the comments!
I’m Caelan.
Father of 3. Digital producer of websites, videos, and content marketing campaigns that help businesses connect dramatically with their audience. My office is my laptop in Costa Rica.
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