A Day of Celebration!

"The adorationof the Magi"-
Italian Renaissance master Andrea Mantegna.

This morning I woke up realizing I had a very long list of items which I need to do, this year I made sure I wrote my list of Resolutions! I feel as though I am already so behind on my list!

What better day to begin, focused then today. I hear myself telling my son of amost five years old that he can accomplish anything and everything he sets his mind to, he just has to make sure he pushes himself! Now I begin to listen to my own words!

This day in Italy is a huge day of celebration- The Epiphany! This is what adults know this day as, but the children here in Italy know it as the day of the Befana. On this very morning they awake all wide-eyed to stockings full of candy, if they have been good, or black coal (a black sugar candy in chunks).

Growing up in Texas, this day was know as the day of The Three Kings, or the day the Magi/Three Wise Men arrived with gifts forthe baby Jesus. As a child, my mother referred to this day as El Día de los Reyes (The Day of the Kings). This was the official day in which our Christmas tree was taken down for the the year. Older, living in Los Angeles, California I discovered a bread in which every panadería stayed up late and awoke early in the the morning to finish baking this bread. Inside the bread contained a plastic baby, whoever discovered it in there piece would have good luck for the rest of the year.

It does not matter where I am in the world on this dayit is still special!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

I am off to continue working on my list!!

Over a Month

It has now been over a month. I have begun to relax and enjoy the fact that my new treasure is now growing wondefully at home. Thankfully we are blessed with a second angel that sleeps through the night. Like my first child, he wakes only to eat and continues to sleep.

Looking back to my experience at an Italian hospital I can see so many differences between giving birth to a child in an American hospital (LA California) and an Italian hospital (Rimini).

In my next blog entry I intend to continue on this subject of, "Two Worlds and Two Births."

New Year, New Adventures!

So the new year has now arrived! I have already begun my first big adventure! We are now expecting our second child! The baby is now three months old.

I recall how much research, reading, and question asking I spent so much time on, during my first pregnancy. Can you believe, after weeks of careful searching, on my first visit with my gynecologist I had a list of questions in our first meeting! I chose carefully, and we were very happy that it was a great choice.

Now my second child will be born in Italy! Wow, just in my first visit I already saw a difference!

As I was called in for my first visit, my doctor came out to call us in. We walked into a room with a desk, which is the doctors office and a patent's bed, and other medical items.

After I was asked a few questions, I was then asked to remove my clothing from my bottom half, then sit on the bed. Wow, I was waiting for the gown!

Then using a long prong like thing which was inserted, I could see my lovely little one on screen. No slimy stuff on the tummy here!

All in all it went wonderfully well. I am very interested in my future visits.

Giving birth in California and giving birth in Italy, it is still giving birth to a wonderful gift of nature!

More to come!