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Whoa! Mega-Cheeks!
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"I am loving"
May I remember to be loving towards everyone I encounter, especially my son & my husband.
"I am patient"
May I remain calm in all situations, patient with myself as I learn this new job as a mother.
"I am mindful"
May I learn to read my son's cues and respond to his needs in a calm & loving way.
Upon
waking and throughout the day I repeat this mantra to myself. “I am loving, I
am patient, I am mindful.” It seems to help, but I have to admit, today I had
one of those moments when I looked at Dylan and said “I don’t know what you
want right now.” He was upset and crying and I had tried several things and
nothing seemed to help… I have to remind myself that we all have a range of
emotions throughout our days…wouldn’t it be normal for my almost 3 month old to
have the same experience?
What
else is new here?
Pollution & Outings
March
& April is the summer dry season in Chiang Mai, when the farmers in the hills and mountains
that surround the city burn all the dried foliage to prepare for the next planting season. Chiang Mai is literally surrounded by a ring of mountains, so we’re in a bowl of sorts and unfortunately for us the smoke and dust particles from the
burning settles down into our little valley, making the air a deep gray haze. It stays that way until it rains, and it’s awful! I think
we would have had second thoughts about moving here had we known just how bad
it is…this year I heard that not only are the farmers burning the fields, they
are also burning TRASH! Including Styrofoam, rubber & plastic, which is why the air feels absolutely toxic! You feel it the instant you take your first breath in the morning. I check the level daily and the other day I read that children, the elderly, and people with respiratory problems need to stay inside. I have closed
every single window in our house and the doors are closed also, but in some places the
screens can’t be closed. We keep our bedroom closed off with an air
purifier and air conditioning running while Dylan naps and at night.
I
don’t want my little boy breathing this air! So…we’ve been staying inside A LOT
and as a result we’re both getting a little stir crazy!
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| Before and after burning season 2013, notice the mountain has completely disappeared! |
Which
leads me to outings. The first day I noticed that the air was really bad, I
figured the mall would be a good place for Dylan & I to hang out. This was a pretty big deal
for us, as it’s about a 20 minute drive and we don’t have a stroller. We drive out to the mall, and before we leave the car,
I get geared up with Dylan in the pouch and my diaper bag over my shoulder.
First
stop, lunch, where Dylan stays asleep in the sling while I eat. Success!
Next,
I see a sale…excellent! He continues to sleep in the sling. Success!
I
head to the department store, to pick up some new items, and he’s starting to
stir, and by the time I finish my purchase, he’s awake and ready to eat, NOW! I
quickly take the escalator up to the children’s department (I was heading up
there anyway) and use their “mother care” room. We had discovered this room on
a previous trip and my mom and I got to try it out…honestly, before even heading
to the mall, in the back of my mind I knew that I could head to this room if
Dylan needed a diaper change or to nurse. In this case he needed both. We
emerge from the mother care room a half an hour later ready to complete our
purchase in the children’s department. (Dylan got a toy, success!)
At
this point we’ve been out several hours and as I’m making our way back to the
exit, I spot a Starbucks, YES! It was just what I needed to complete the day!
But then I realize that I kind of need to use the bathroom…how am I gonna use
the bathroom with my baby in a sling? I don’t want to find out, so we quickly
made our exit.
Sorry
to give the play by play, but honestly I had never given much thought to how
difficult it is for new mothers to get out of the house with a baby! There’s
all this “stuff”, the diaper bag (which I always seem to forget at least one
item, usually the burp cloth), the car seat, the carrier, where am I gonna put
my purse? What if he needs to nurse? (I’ve never once seen a Thai woman nursing
in public, but they don’t even leave the house with their babies until they’re
3 months old…) So I’m telling myself to remain calm & patient while Dylan
& I learn how to do this efficiently. How do you get better at doing
something? By doing it!
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| We're often asked about the color of Dylan's eyes, here's a close up...we're calling them brown hazel. |
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| Dylan really loves his bear "Baloo" |
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| Love this! Hands...Dylan & Daddy |
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| Hands...Dylan & Mommy & Daddy, as you can see he's working on his grip! |
Becky, I think it's so interesting to read about your experience. Motherhood already comes with its huge challenges, but these things, like the actual logistics of going through a seemingly normal day with a new baby in tow are the types of things the books don't necessarily prepare you for. Also, raising a baby abroad has its own new adjustments. Just as you get adapted to your new country, you must get reintroduced in a whole new way. On a cultural note from my corner of the world in Buenos Aires, breastfeeding is a nonchalant, public affair. There's not the demure, blanket covering from the states, either. If the baby is hungry on a crowded bus, baby will eat right there, no problem and nobody bats an eye. I've even seen one brave woman running across the street before the light changed, with a little guy latched on. That just looked painful! Anyhow, I was thinking it was probably much easier for both the women and babies to not have to run and find a closet every time the baby needs to eat. I quite think they might have something right on this as it seems unfair to tell a mother "You must breastfeed for the health of the baby, but for heavens sake don't make us see it! Go find somewhere to hide that behavior." ;) Hope the fog clears up soon so you can go back out. Hugs to your adorable family!
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