Our Move to the Big City (a.k.a. Pregnancy Countdown)

And the final leg of the journey has begun! It started off at home with a few final slightly neurotic days (I use “slightly” to be kind to ourselves) of packing, preparing, organizing, cleaning, and fixing things around the house for our two-month departure. As I packed and completed the menial labor my girth would allow, Chris worked round the clock as if he were on a Trading Spaces episode, cleaning the cracks and crevices of the house, patching holes in the ceiling, making shelves for baby stuff, scrubbing cabinets, running to and from town for last-minute household supplies . . . It was his very own pre-labor nesting phase!

The last couple of those days were also spent welcoming Casa Mariposa's wonderful new residents and caretakers, Jon, Hethyr, and their dog Garr. They put up with our rambles (so long and detailed any grandpa would be proud) and we did our best to introduce them to the workings and idiosyncrasies of things around the property and casa. Wilder took a special liking to Hethyr and spent these couple of days courting her – trying to get her to go on walks alone, inviting her to play, engaging her attention at every turn, riding with her on the ATV, and even going so far as to ask for her phone number! A true Bross Casanova. Such budding love threatened not only Jon's marriage, but our smooth departure, yet in the end, Wilder accepted a hug and a kiss bid Hethyr adios. And in our absence, everything at the house seems to be going great so far -- Garr and Phoebe have made fast friends and Jon and Hethyr are so far charming the neighbors and taking such good care of our house, animals, and property, that they just may render us useless. We may have to check up on squatters' rights to secure our return! Thanks, you guys, for everything! We hope Ron and Jane have as great of an experience when they arrive to take the helm next month. (That is, if they can find their way there via the convoluted detour they must take to bypass the collapsed road between Arenal and Tilaran! Ah, Costa Rica's reliable infrastucture.)

So we left Arenal last Tuesday afternoon and made our way four hours south to the outskirts of the big city of San Jose. We're actually in the eastern hills overlooking San Jose's central valley in the small but bustling city of San Rafael de Heredia (Heredia being a bigger, more bustling city and province, and San Rafael being a town within its expansive hillside limits). It's a nice little community with a little bit of the city bustle, but not too much hustle. We can hear the church bells ringing from our villa and on Sunday morning at the town square half the people on the street file into the large, ornate Catholic church and the other half meander down the aisles of a block-long farmer's market. The square also provides refuge and space for a little playground and the neighborhood kids, many of god's teenage messengers passing out leaflets, families lazing in the shade, packs of roaming street dogs, and (at night) a whole host of unsavory characters. Like every other Tico town, this is the place to see and be seen. On our visit there yesterday, we met a very nice Tico family whose 6-year-old son Esteban befriended and played with Wilder while we chatted with his parents and fawned over their 5-month-old, Vincent. We hope to see them next week too.

We're acclimating quite well to our newfound environs. After almost two years out on the campo without a television, food delivery service, or a shopping mall, we are taking to civilization with unequaled gusto! The house here is a bit more civilized as well – smooth tiled floors, a cushioned sofa and two plush chairs, window curtains, a microwave . . . all the creature comforts that set it apart form our rustic little casa in the country. It doesn't hurt to have daily maid service either; just what I need these final weeks of swollen anticipatory joy, someone to sweep and mop the floors, make the beds and change the sheets, do the dishes, clean the toilets and take out the trash. I'd say I could get used to this, but I already have.

I admit with a bit of shame that the television has been a welcomed intrusion. As much as we try to “limit” it, it is, of course, the center of our small living room and highly visible from every space of downstairs, including our eating area. We are fast learning all of the Discovery Kids' names, the Power Rangers' programming schedule, and we are all becoming addicted to the Food Channel. Wilder's favorite show? Iron Chef!

We've also enjoyed some great food since we've been here. A friend of Chris' from work down here took us out to a very nice Lebanese restaurant Friday night where we blissed out on falafel, babaganoush, tabbouleh, hummus, dolmas, quibbe, salmon, shishkabobs, and cheesecake. Oy! As if that wasn't enough, the next morning we were up before dawn to go meet and follow our midwife Uva to an organic farmer's market. Let me say it was well worth getting up early for and we will be going back every Saturday henceforth until it is impossible to do so! First, it was a good thing we followed her because we never would have found our way across the valley and through the obstacle-filled city streets on our own. As it was, it was like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride trying to keep up with her! When we made it there, we first got to meet Uva's passengers – another pregnant mama Crystal and her 4-year-old son Ezaiah. They also just moved here to await their new bundle (she's due 5 days after I am!), and they are living in an apartment across the street from Uva. Needless to say, we all hit it off and Wilder's got a great new friend to play with here. But, back to the market . . . .Oh! Orgasmic! It was like being in Sebastopol on a Saturday morning – Costa Rica really does have a crunchy community – of Americans and Ticos alike – replete with lots of tie-dye! The people were wonderful – many of them new or pregnant moms of Uva's acquaintance – and the selection of goods and produce was heavenly. We ogled, sampled, smelled and drooled over the various pickings, coming away with organic papaya, bananas, eggs, spinach, zucchini, cilantro, rosemary, parsley, goat cream cheese and feta, homemade pesto and peanut sauces, and almond and blackberry cake . . . (Insert Homer Simpson drooling sound here.) It was a fantastic, feel-good place and really helped to make us feel even more at home here.

As for the pregnancy itself, I'm doing quite well if you consider that sitting, standing and sleeping are highly overrated. Three more weeks, mas o menos, of carrying this baby around in my pouch. I feel really good, but I'm simply getting a little tired of rubbing my belly up against counter tops and strangers. We are all so ready and excited to meet this little one. Now all we need to do is wait for the little Tico to be ready for us! We'll keep you posted.