July 2019 – ALIEN TO AMERICAN

Read Dash’s:

Growth: There was no five months doctor’s visit, so we are not sure of his dimensions or weight. But he is getting heavier and longer for sure, constantly growing out of his clothes every few weeks. Still wearing diaper size 3.

Highlights:

Started drooling profusely. Has to wear a towel bib every day. Sometimes goes through two bibs a day, because the first one gets fully soaked.
Rolls from back to belly. (He already rolled from belly to back at 2.5 months old.)
First time in pool. He liked it okay.
Aba is doing amazing in elimination communication. He catches at least one pee or poo almost every day.
Umma went back to work after 4.5 months of maternity leave. First day of work was great, not too busy. Not too bad being back at work. Happy for Aba and Dash to be spending time together. Lot less physical labor being at work, so less back and shoulder pain. A physical relief. Despite having gone back to work, Umma is still getting lots of sleep, is eating well, is pumping well, and am happy, due to Dash being a good, easy baby, who eats well and sleeps through the night.
Pumping at work – Bought a mini fridge for my office. Pump 1-2 times at work, because I’m able to leave early these days. Pump in my office with my door locked. Much easier that way than going to the (state-mandated) nursing room. Much prefer nursing over pumping, because pumping involves a lot of tricky gear and frequent spilling and splatter. Nursing empties the breast far more thoroughly and satisfactorily. Pumping makes my wrists uncomfortable. But pumping is going well over all.

Slept through his first story time, so left early.

Can sort of sit up if we lean Dash against something.

Can use his fingers in a more purposeful way.

Laughs and is happy during elimination communication time.

Holi Hindu Festival of Colors at the Cupertino Park.

For our last full day in Italy, we had decided to take it easy. Our friends were able to join us for the whole day, because it was the weekend. They showed us around the city.

First, we went to get pizza for lunch. Dash had a diaper explosion, so we came back home to take care of that. Then off we went to explore the city.

We visited several different ruins. I cannot remember the names. But there are ruins everywhere in that part of Rome, even unnamed ones.

The line to get in the Pantheon was around a block. We did not go inside.

After a fun day walking around the city, we came back home and our friends threw a dinner party and had invited their friends. I had so much fun getting to know their friends. What an awesome, fun, and exciting way to live to be an expat in a great city. I hope that one day, Care Bear and I get to be an expat, even for a short period of time, in a great city somewhere outside the U.S.

The next day, our flight was at the crack of dawn. The flight was smooth.

Putting Dash down for a nap in the bassinet

Dash slept through most of the 10.5 hour flight from London to San Jose.

That’s a wrap for Italy posts! Dash’s first international trip and second time on a flight (the first one was to Miami in the winter when he was two months old). Thank goodness for maternity leave. Dash’s next trip involving flights will be to Colorado at the end of the summer!