The first few weeks of baby and me

Lara's first week at home

Before I got pregnant I heard many new parents saying how tired they were after several sleepless nights with their newborn baby. So waking up at night was no news to me nor to my husband before we decided to have a baby. But I guess no one (or books or antenatal classes) will ever prepare you enough for those first few weeks with a tiny new arrival in your family.

In my case, Lara came five weeks early, on what I thought would be an ordinary night. I had my Aqua-fit class after work, showered, had dinner and when I was just ready to snug on the couch I felt a watery leak. My husband and I waited until 3am to be seen in the emergency room in the Rotunda Hospital. At that stage all we wanted was to go back home to our cozy warm bed. We were almost asleep when the doctor confirmed what I feared: my waters had broken. “You'll have the baby tomorrow, she's breached so you'll have a c-section”, that's how quickly our peaceful evenings on the sofa have ended.

Looking at daddy after her first bath

Of course we were happy, we were waiting for that moment for so long but we kind of froze in panic and smiled at the same time. “What? Tomorrow? C-section?”, we asked staring at each other not knowing how to react to that. We realized how unprepared we were. Thankfully I had my suitcase and the baby's packed the day before but all the pharmacy like products still had to be bought; we were still waiting for the buggy and car seat we ordered months before; we didn't have a moses basket and the changing table and my nursing chair had to be put together (no doubt my husband left that for the last minute). We also didn't expect a premature baby so my mister had to run around the shops looking for the smallest clothes he could find.

So that was how a new chapter of our lives started. Lara was born the day after I was admitted and it felt like a switch turned off on my life leaving everything else behind. For the next few months she would be my only worry, my pleasure, she would consume all my time and when I thought I could finally rest she would wake up again looking for attention.

It was a beautiful time but tough going. I had no sleep for about two months, Lara was mixing up day and night so she'd stay awake for hours at night making those first few weeks even harder. Apart from that, breastfeeding proved to be one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced. I was determined to breastfeed but I didn't know it could be that difficult for a baby to latch on. The fact that Lara was five weeks premature only aggravated the issue. She was still developing her sucking reflex, she struggled to get my nipple into her tiny mouth and after a few seconds of so much effort she would get tired and fall asleep. She lost one pound on the first three days of her life and I wouldn't let her lose any more so I started to express my own milk and give her on the bottle.

On those first few weeks I became scared of the night. I was so exhausted and sleep deprived that I was afraid to fall asleep holding Lara. Every time she woke at night I spent around 45/50min to feed her; up to 30min to wind her; a few minutes changing her nappy (sometimes twice); if she got sick I had to change her clothes too and around 1h to 2h of walking and bouncing her trying to make her sleep. After that I had to wash and sterilize all the bottle/pump paraphernalia so by the time I was back to bed I only had 1h of sleep before the next feed. Sometimes I wonder how did I manage to stand up with all that without collapsing in deep sleep at some point but I guess mothers have some kind of super powers to get through these kind of situations.

A happy moment when Lara was only one month

Thanks to a lactation consultant I was introduced to a nipple shield which saved me a hell lot of time. The consultant was also the only professional who diagnosed Lara with a tongue-tie which explained the difficulties I was having to feed her. My poor baby had to have a procedure on her tongue when she was just three weeks old. Furthermore, she was also referred to an osteopath who improved considerably her sucking reflex. But all that has paid off. Two weeks later (five weeks after birth) Lara finally succeeded on my breast and I almost went to the street screaming “she latched on, she latched on!!!”. It felt like that was the biggest achievement of all my life. Of course her latch wasn't perfect, my nipples cracked a few times and the pain was horrific so I still had to use the nipple shield on and off until week 12. She's four months old now and both me and her love feeding time.

We, mothers, go through a lot on the first few weeks of a newborn's life. All that made me appreciate even more the mother I have and also to admire all other mothers that are in the world. I had a hard start to motherhood but all that seemed so irrelevant when I saw Lara's first smile. Suddenly a wave of emotions diluted all my exhaustion and I melted in happy tears.  

From Sunrise to Sunset

Last Sunday I woke up at 6am with a sore head and almost still dizzy from the not-so-few glasses of wine I had the night before. As I left the house and headed to work I pictured my neighbours sleeping peacefully and negative thoughts started to seep in: seriously, who has to work on a Sunday at 7am if not a proper loser? The sentence haunted me until the sun popped out reflecting in a mirror building on the motorway. It was beautiful. Orange and pink waves danced in the giant mirror as I drove. For some reason, that image brought me back in time, to a time when I was still a dreamer. The difference was that instead of the sunrise, I used to watch the sunset on the motorway on every Sunday as my family and I drove back from our beach house to Porto Alegre, where I was born and grew up. How I loved to daydream, looking at the multi-coloured view, and wonder what was happening on the other side of the World where the sun was just about to rise. I wanted to see every corner of the planet, discover new cultures, learn other languages and simply to never stop travelling. When I finally got back to the reality of the “here and now” I realize how much I have done. I have learned Spanish, lived in Madrid and Barcelona, where I studied, put on weight, worked illegally, loved, broken up, lost all my weight and moved to the UK. I thought that I was fluent in English before I went to London, but once there, I realised I was mistaken and learning English became an ongoing process ever since. I made good friends and had some good experiences in that crazy city but in summary I mainly partied until I got bored and went back to Brazil. I have to say that Brazil, during the summer, is by far the best place on earth I have ever been. The problem is that when spring arrives everyone goes back to their routines pretending to be serious people. So that was when I got bored again and returned to Europe. This time I tried my luck with Dublin, where I planned a five months temporary adventure. Those five months turned into five years of fun, love, family tragedy, work progress, loads of travelling, a gorgeous nephew, wedding and a new house! So there I was, sitting in my car with a smile on my face celebrating a decade full of achievements. Happy to have a job in a country where I am a foreigner and where those “born and bred” are still struggling to find a job; happy to have recently celebrated a one year anniversary with a “full-package” husband; happy to have A House, with a capital A and a capital H as it is much better than I ever dreamed of – ok, not a beach-front house but only 5min walk off it. Oh and I almost forget, I have a new puppy, Charlie! Then I was ready to start work! With a happy face!

A Paradise at low cost

A morning view from "Katherina's" room. 

Let me tell you about a special place called Ios, a beautiful Greek Island that combines peaceful beaches and cheap hotels with top restaurants and great nights out. The various options of low-cost accommodation make it favourite hotspot of many European students and young Australians travelling around the World as rooms can be rented for only €10/p a night. But those that enjoy a bit of luxury also have the choice of staying in one of the Island’s top hotels while still paying a much cheaper fee than those charged in most hotels in central Europe.

My husband and I stayed in a family hotel called Katherina, which is also the name of the owner’s youngest daughter who is a great source of entertainment for the guests. Each member of the family has a special role in the hotel’s operation, except Katherina who is only 6. Although they all work hard through the summer there is a clear sense of joy in their day to day lives which makes all guests feel as comfortable as they would be in their own home. But the best thing about “Katherina” is the magnificent view of Malapodos Beach, which you can appreciate from any of the rooms as they all face the beach. Its breath taking! It made my eyes shine with joy especially considering we only paid €40 per night for the two of us. The location is also one of the best on the Island as its in-between the beach and the main village where the majority of bars and restaurants are based.

Global Gourmet, at Chora.

A great aspect of the Island is that all the restaurants are fairly reasonable and you rarely need to wait for a

table. My favourite was “Global Gourmet”, a traditional Greek restaurant located in the middle of a square in the main village of Chora where all the locals go for dinner and drinks after work. The food was simple and delicious. Mediterranean food has always been my favourite but I never realized how full of flavour the Greek cuisine can be. I had a stuffed aubergine as a starter – Greeks love aubergines and they cook it to perfection – which was almost enough for a full dinner. But considering it was so hard to convince my husband to try a traditional local restaurant for a change I wanted to make the most of it and taste other dishes. So I chose mussels with tomato and feta sauce as a main, it was so good that even “Mr. Fussy-and-Plain-Palate” who doesn’t eat seafood apart from Fish and Chips loved it. The atmosphere of the restaurant is also a must. Hidden behind the Cathedral and surrounded by trees covered with pink flowers, the restaurant faces the local’s favourite bar of the village. A group of Greek musicians gather together every night with their guitars playing traditional Greek songs and entertaining all the guests, the most authentic square of Ios, you can’t miss it.

Another Greek restaurant that I loved is “The Nest”, by far the most famous and probably the first restaurant of the Island. It wasn’t Eoin’s preferable choice but it was my favourite when I visited Ios for the first time four years ago and I had to go back. This time I went alone while Eoin watched a game in the famous “Fun Pub”. There were so many options that I liked that I got a bit confused and did not know what to order. If it were not for the hot weather I probably would have chosen something different but whenever the thermometer reaches over 30º I can’t deal with a heavy meal. So I order grilled mixed seafood, which was very good. But I was actually hit with food envy when I saw stuffed tomatoes and Mutzaca being served to the table beside me. It made me want to go back every night just to try a different dish. Although “The Nest” is one of the most famous restaurants on the Island it can be a bit difficult to find if it’s your first time in the Island. The restaurant is well hidden on top of the village between narrow alleys and interminable steps and where I got lost many times.

End of a sunset in Chora

This is what makes Chora so special, if you let yourself get lost in the picturesque village you will find a surprise around every corner: colourful alleyways, boutiques, Art galleries, jewellery shops and many bars.  I also highly recommend walking up to the top of the village to watch one of the most famous sunsets of the Greek Islands – not to mention Santorini Island. This is a “Must Go” for all visitors. 

I could spend all day saying good things about Ios and why you should add this to your list of places to go but if I had to mention one negative aspect of the whole trip it is that it is quite a journey to get there. There are many options to get to Ios but if you are on a budget it can be a bit difficult. The cheapest option is to fly to Athens and from there take a ferry to Ios – a regular ferry cost about €20 and takes 6h, the speedy one costs double but takes “only” 3h. The best option is to fly to Santorini (note that there are limited flights two days a week during the summer) where you can stay for two or three nights and use the opportunity to have a romantic dinner watching the most famous sunset in Europe. There are daily ferries from Santorini to Ios and the journey lasts only 1h. This is probably why this paradise is still avoided by a mass of tourists travelling on a package holiday. Ios is definitely a lay back and charming place for those that enjoy a relaxing

day at the beach, good food, nice bars and, why not, a great night out till the sun comes out.

If you wish to get more information about the Island and its activities please consult the website www.loveiosgreece.com.

Friends in low places

Friday afternoon, it’s the start of a Bank holiday weekend and everyone is out and about ready for a big one.  There is a music festival starting tonight which is happening just by work. All week long I've been conscious of the traffic chaos that the big event will cause and had planned to take the motorway instead. When Friday finally arrives I forget all about it and there I am sitting in traffic listening to My Bloody Valentines.

As I pass by several groups of festival goers in such a party mood I try to figure out what feels more painful; the fact that I’m scheduled to work Saturday to Monday or the sore flu that has just hit my body. It takes me over one hour to get home and to finally have the best feeling of the day as I collapse into the sofa watching crap TV. The city is bubbling with things to do but I still have zero plans for the next few days except working from 7am to 3pm the whole weekend including the bank holiday. I take two flu tablets and soon I drop off.  

My husband is at a stag party in Las Vegas with another eight lads partying, betting, messing around and calling me drunk at 3am, not once but three times, making sure I don’t fall asleep again. For the next few hours I roll in bed sneezing and struggling to breathe until I decide that I’m not going to feel sorry for myself for the rest of the weekend. In no time I’m on WhatsApp chatting away with my Brazilian friends that are starting to get drunk on the other side of the world. No serious talk, just gossip and girly nonsense stuff. We chat about little secrets until it’s time to get out of bed.

As I imagined, work hurts more than the flu but at least I have some nice company around. It takes only 10 minutes for all the girls at the office to organize a happy hour after work and immediately I convince myself that I’m feeling much better. The clock ticks slower than usual in every watch I see but eventually it hits three o’clock and we are all out of the door.  

Dame Lane on a warm summer night

How can girls find so many subjects to talk about even when they have lunch together five days in a row? The truth is that at the pub it’s a totally different atmosphere and we share all our intimate secrets without inhibition, especially the most senior of the group -“Little Pony”, who is also the shortest, hence her nickname - as she really gets into the story telling us way too much of personal stuff. We end up begging her to stop: “Eew, less information please!” 

But the night gets even more exciting when the single one, who we call "Super Star", arrives. She’s dressed to kill and I can only hope she will make it through the night in her 10 inch heels. Very quickly all of us are hunting on her behalf and pointing out guys. We all miss those days of freedom, a single girl just adds a bit of spice to the group. As my husband says, “we look but don’t touch” all around and laugh at each other’s taste. After one pint too many I realize what time it is. How could it pass so quickly? I leave drunker than I’d planned but it was worth it. These simple moments are exactly what I treasure in life!

                                                        

A superb lunch with my family

If you are a seafood lover like I am, this restaurant should be on your list of places to go. As everyone knows, Howth is a great place to go for a fresh fishy meal. It’s even better, when you have your family around on a sunny Sunday afternoon. ‘Deep’ was recommended by a Portuguese work colleague of mine who is also a seafood addict. Coming from a girl that was raised eating bacalhau (dried salted cod) by the beach, I could only believe it was a good choice.

The menu consists of a selection of seasoned fish supplied by the restaurant’s own boat, ‘Sharalisa’. The boat’s captain and fisherman, Brian McHugh, is also one of the chefs. I loved it! The menu also has a variety of venison which would appease any palate.  

My sister and I shared a seafood platter for two, which was like Disneyland on a plate. We didn't know what to try first. Brett, my brother in law, had a pan fried squid which is his favourite. Everything was so delicious and fresh, perfect with a glass of good Sauvignon Blanc.  The staff were also very friendly, especially with my nephew, Otto, who was on and off throwing fries on the floor.  

Although all of the desserts looked delicious, we preferred to have ours in the Farmer’s Market which happens every Sunday by the Port. Not losing any time, Brett went straight to the Turkish stall and had a fresh Blakava, one of the most popular Turkish desserts which is made of a rich pastry filled with chopped nuts, syrup and honey.  At that stage, Otto was already in emergency mode and my sister and I went searching for nappies. We had no dessert in the end but ah well, what a lovely Sunday afternoon!

More detailed information about the restaurant can be found on their website: www.deep.ie.