Julia

A petición popular y para evitar más reclamos he aquí unas fotillos de la Julia tomadas hoy. Not much more to say except she's a delight and a very considerate boss so far. Se siente muy fuerte la presencia de un nuevo miembro en la familia, aunque todavía no nos ha caído el peso de ser cinco, como muchos auguraron con ojos como platillos y expresiones de mitad horror-mitad lástima. Supongo que por eso bien reza el dicho que dice que donde come uno comen dos y así sucesivamente... Además, Pablo es una ENORME ayuda y con Diego he contratado ayuda! jajaj (Pero por si las moscas, para cualquier donación contactar a la administración de este sitio...)

All in all, the first weeks are very tough, there's no getting around that. I have not slept through the night, not even 5 straight hours, during all this time (and I guess it's kinda starting to hit me - note the Spanglish, very seldom used on my posts). However, I am not really doing much more than sleeping and eating when Julia sleeps, nor does anyone expect me to do anything else. I'm starting to wonder for how long I'll be able to play the "I just gave birth and I'm breastfeeding" card.




I most definitely love being a mom more than anything else in the whole universe -more than music, more than chocolate- but it's the toughest job around, do not be fooled by my enthusiastic-romantic take on the whole thing. It's also the most rewarding. Como diría mi papá, no hay nada realmente bueno en esta vida que sea rápido, fácil o gratis.


Ok, I guess there was a bit more to say...

Nacimiento de Julia

Parece mentira, pero cuando para algunas cosas me sobran las palabras, adjetivos, opiniones, etc., etc. etc., para otras, usualmente más importantes o significativas, me quedo corta.

Este evento, sin precedentes en nuestra familia, no es la excepción a esa categoría de cosas que tienen esa trascendencia y profundidad, pero que lo dejan a uno con una emoción tan intensa que las palabras le quedan chicas a la hora de describirlo.


Así fue la llegada de Julia...

Mi persona favorita en el universo (por lo menos por unas horas): la anestesióloga!!
Y mientras yo posaba para la cámara, buscando mi mejor ángulo, los doctores me hacían toda clase de maldades, tratando de traer a la muchacha a este mundo.
Hora: 12:05 a.m. del viernes 31, unos 3 minutos después del nacimiento.



Julia recibe unas visitas muy importantes.
En la foto, Pablo, el orgulloso hermano mayor.



Pablo y Diego haciendo relajo en el cuarto.



Julia Zevallos Earle

Preview of Julia!

Today we went to check out how little Jules was doing and also whether we should expect any action any time soon or what. Everything's good, in fact so good she doesn't seem to have any plans to come out around these days.

So looks like I'll be able to attend with Gustavo, for like the tenth year in a row, Fiesta Alrededor del Mundo, and no less important, get a few more precious hours of sleep before I'm recruited...

Anyway, I give you... JULIA! The most beautiful baby in the world. ;)

Las patronales de San Gustavo

Desde el jueves Gustavo decidió empezar a brindar por su cumpleaños (yo lo acompañaba con algo comestible naturalmente), aparentmente preocupado que iba a ser demasiado licor para el sábado que era la fiestecilla. Llegó y pasó el jueves, luego el viernes en la misma cosa y afortunadamente no faltó qué ofrecerle a la gente el sábado.

Primer regalo para el cumpleañero (y sus dependientes)


Lovely ladies celebrating with the cumpleañero (cumpleañero already wearing one of his presents, a.k.a. "my new favorite t-shirt")


Munchies hechos con amor para el cumpleañero y nuestros amigos. (Clockwise from top left: Cherry tomatoes stuffed with olive tapenade, Dark chocolate truffles, Stuffed mushrooms -30 more seconds and the picture would have been of an empty plate)

Gracias al clan por celebrar con nosotros, y de nuevo FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS GUSTAVITO (AHORA SÍ)! We love ya!

Un par de fotos más AQUÍ!

August 12, 1999

Almost exactly eight years ago Pablo was born and everything changed for the better in Gustavo's and my life. This past Sunday we celebrated the occasion (2007 version) with a soccer themed party and a bunch of his closest friends.


Thanks to everyone who accompanied us, and thanks to you Pablo, for having chosen us!

TE QUEREMOS MUCHO HIJO!

More pics here!

ps: I swear I'm still pregnant, Pablo's friend's head just happened to cover all of my belly...

Pablo & Gustavo Expeditions presents

Playa Venao - Isla Iguana 2007

El 3 de agosto de este año, un par de aventureros dejaron la ciudad de Panamá rumbo a provincias centrales, para irse en busca de olas y tesoros naturales desconocidos para la mayoría. Regresaron no solo con una enorme sonrisa dibujada en sus rostros y reflejando la satisfacción de una misión cumplida, sino con muchas historias que contar (y picadas de chitra a tutiplén).

Gustavo y Pablo trajeron de vuelta imágenes que merecen ser compartidas. Abajo el video que registra parte de la aventura. Disfruten.

In a nutshell

...and in no particular oder, this is what I've been up to lately:

Pablo's Soccer Final... Arsenal Campeón!!

The winning team, proudly holding their trophies


First half of the game, he scored a goal, second half he was goalkeeper (not a ball went in !!)


Gabriel's birthday party at Coronado
Choir singing Happy Birthday in at least 76 different languages, conducted by Heidi "Julie Andrews" Arias


Our room at the Coronado Resort, where Gustavo took me to spend that night and get massages the next day!!!!!


Latest Craving Report
I can tell this really was a craving because I usually bake stuff with chocolate somewhere in it and cheesecake has never even been something I picked for dessert when eating out. Well this lemon cheesecake made me a believer and I had no idea it was going to be so easy to make. 200% recommended!


Second mid-year vacation trip to Coronado
The water was PERFECT. It brings a smile to my face just to think how good it felt to be in it (I was doing somersaults in it it was so good!). We go more often during summer when the water's kinda cool so Diego had a blast this time and actually enjoyed a nice dip.

Pablo and Gustavo surfed, of course...

...and two dead animals washed up on the shore.

"The Pelican from Nemo"

Some sort of eel


Rainy season afternoon
This is one of the things I'll miss looking at when we move out of this apartment and into a house.


House projects
I had my mind set on a design for the kids' room (mini flip flops and a surf board) and decided to make my own stencils, grab a brush and see what happened.


Step two


It's back!
Anyone who knows me well knows that 1) I'm not big on television and 2) one thing I AM addicted to is this show. Guess the degree of excitement when I found out about this.


From Germany, with love...
Gustavo is so charming that a couple of his clients had promised to send him some German brot (=bread) flour so his wife (that would be me) baked him some and he could remember his childhood days. Well they actually did send them, 5 different kinds, along with the famous book by Janosch "Oh, wie schön ist Panama" and it's activity-filled companion for the kids (and me).

Anyway, that's it. So long and goodnight!

Audacity

So what does mommy do when she's left home alone? (Ok, besides eating)

You guessed it, put on the wig, grab the broom-guitar and play "rock star"!!

Actually, forget about the wig and replace the broom with a (beat-up, yes, but nonetheless real) guitar and this is what you get: Sweetness Follows

Audacity is quite the operative word here, and the name of the program I used to record this. It even lets you use multiple tracks!!

One more time... in slow motion please!

This is it. The infamous Williams-Sonoma Flourless Chocolate Cake that fell upside down last week mere seconds before it should've entered the 375°F oven. It was reduced to a puddle of brown goo sadly smudged and smeared onto part of my kitchen floor; needless to say, so was I.

Well I just couldn't leave things like that, I needed redemption, revival. So today, since we were having lunch with Juanpa and Kelly and Luis, Penny and Bibi, I decided I'd give it a second shot thinking that if something tragic happened at least I'd have group support.

Small yet mighty, one hell of a moist, rich chocolate treat.

It was so good that when I thought about getting the camera to take pictures of at least one of the wedges, so graciously accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream, it was mostly gone and instead I had to run and get my spoon.

And to further please Kira upon her request of a recent Craving Report, these stuffed tomatoes, along with scrambled eggs with sautéed onions and toast, were part of our breakfast this morning:

Lemony and fresh, with a side of Juanpa and Kelly!

The end of an era

Some things you live through and immediately move past them. Others make you think you've come to a full stop in your life, somehow freezing passing seconds as you stand there grasping the moment, digesting it. You are left contemplating the possibilities of what now lies ahead and weighing past events, baggage if you will, that you carry with you.

As I approach the 30 (years of age) mark, I got to thinking about the line that should divide my life before and after this date, which happens to be, time after time, the very last day of the year. I realized there was none. I remembered how life is made up of the big and small, and even the events you don't remember make you who you are and are no less important than those you never forget. So today I had to remind myself to be grateful for the things I already have under my belt because engaging in lengthy house projects, getting wrapped up on week after week of work or just dealing with the nuisance of traffic at 8 o'clock in this city can make you temporarily lose sight of much more important stuff or at least prevent you from fully enjoying them.

So yes, I'm basically excited to be entering a more grown-up decade, it means something when I say my age out loud and confirm my status as a twenty-something and I know I'll inadvertently expect some kind of change, even if it's secretly giggling to myself, now that I begin to say, "Hello, my name is Greta and I'm a thirty-something". Maybe I'll even start to believe I should know better. However, I am very fond of the years that have made up my twenties and I know I'll miss them dearly, but kind of like you miss your school years: they were great and who knows where you'd be without them but you wouldn't go back. I guess I'm looking forward to finding out what's behind door number 3.