There's No Place Like Home!

 My New Year's Resolution is to be more organized- starting with our blog! Considering that I haven't updated it in about 4 months now would probably be a good time to start!

I arrived safely in Naples on Friday after a glorious 8 weeks in the US. It was an extremely bittersweet departure. I was thrilled to be reunited with Ben and our furry children but devastated to leave my family, friends, and the comforts of home. Especially during a time that I am extremely hormonal, eek!

22 weeks pregnant. Baby's getting bigger! 

By now the cat's out of the bag that we are expecting our first child, a baby girl (!) due on June 11, 2011. We are incredibly excited and cannot wait to welcome this baby girl into our lives. I've had the pleasure of seeing her onscreen about 5 times already and each time it never fails to amaze me how fast she is growing! Or moving- during all of her ultrasounds we watch as she kicks furiously.  Even as I type this she is kicking me. If this is an indication of what her personality is going to be like Ben and I are surely in for an adventure, and we can't wait! Read my other blog post to be updated shortly, Feldman Baby on Board, if you are interested in hearing about how we learned about her upcoming arrival and how the pregnancy is going.

Back to our trip. After spending 8 1/2 months in Europe Ben and I were ready to go home. Let's take a look back at 2010 first. While we love living abroad and having the opportunity to travel, we had gone through so much change in 2010! 2010 started out with a bang as the 2009 holidays sped by and we finished the last minute details for our wedding. Our wedding was absolutely, 100% perfect and everything we have ever dreamed about. It was so beautiful and the love exuded to us by our family and friends was amazing. It was truly the picture perfect wedding! The wedding sped by and we departed for our two week honeymoon in Asia after. Yet another place Ben and I could only have dreamed about and we both agree that it was the most magical place we have ever been to. We returned to San Diego and immediately began the process of packing up our home for the move to Italy. The movers came and went and we were ready to say goodbye to our families and friends. February 26 was D Day, and it came, and went. We had learned that the Navy personnel in charge of my government paperwork and Visa had lost the application documents in transit and had no idea where they were. This put off our departure by another month and while we were happy to have the opportunity to be with friends and family for another month we were literally without a home. We were taken in by our sweet friends, Jen and Sean over the time being. Once the Navy got their act together, we left for Napoli and began our newly married life together. We arrived in Naples with no expectations whatsoever and did our best to get acquainted with our new home as quickly as possible. While in Italy, we got through the culture shock slowly and focused on the wonderful trips we were able to embark on throughout the year: Rome in April, Florence and Tuscany in May, Prague in June, Prague again in July (my trip with Mom), Barcelona in August, Germany in October, Assisi, Siena, and Tuscany again in November, and Belgium in November. How lucky are we?! We found our apartment in Posillipo and fell in love with our view and proximity to the hustle and bustle of downtown Italian living. We were not so in love with our 100 stairs or the 20 minute crazy drive to the freeway but it is what it is, right? Wrong. Unfortunately we had to decide that those 100 stairs and the crazy daily commute for Ben would not work for the next 2 1/2 years that we had left. After unpacking and settling into our Italian home, we packed up our things once again and moved back to mini-America, aka the US military base. We were elated to now have 1,800 sq feet of space, closets, a huge kitchen, and zero stairs! Now we could settle in to living on base and a new routine smoothly, right? Wrong. One week after moving to base we learned that I was pregnant! We were very, very happy and blessed just very, very surprised. :) We spent the next 2 months unpacking our things but to this day still have one room filled with boxes and our walk in closet has yet to be organized. This was the morning sickness' fault, no joke :) It gives me another project and while it sounds weird, I'm actually looking forward to working on it! During those final three months before the holidays, we celebrated a fun Pre-Thanksgiving dinner at our home with friends, went to Tuscany and Belgium, AND ta-daaaa, acquired Luigi our official Naples stray literally picked up  from the streets of Chiaia downtown. So, although I went on a tangent, that is a synopsis of how we spent 2010 leading up to our trip back to the US in December. Whew! I think it is understandable that Ben and I were overwhelmed (though happily overwhelmed) and were in major need of a trip home to regroup and exhale from the events of the year.

I was basically dancing throughout the days leading to my departure to the US and can honestly say it was one 15 hour trip I was overjoyed to take. Those who know me well know that I can't stand flying (even though I married a pilot, go figure) but even the turbulence didn't scare me. I stayed awake during the entire flight and groggy as I was upon arriving in SF as my mom put it, I practically kissed the ground. The reel they play on tv screens depicting scenes from the US' sights and welcoming you to the US? Yes, I got teary eyed at those. Me with my hormones + groggy from travelling and lack of sleep + arriving in San Francisco + being surrounded by non-military oriented citizens speaking English = an emotional wreck. As ridiculous as it sounds, it was probably my favorite day of 2010 besides my wedding day. The best part was that I came out of customs and was greeted by my mom and sister with a bouquet of flowers. It really couldn't get any better than that!

I spent the first few days catching up with my family and my close friends. I was able to spend time with my nieces and nephews who I am very, very close to and could not believe how much they've grown! Especially my favorite baby boy in the whole, entire world, my godson/nephew Tristan who is now almost two and practically talking! I was able to see my best friends and announce my pregnancy. I cannot begin to describe how special it was to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our baby with my dearest friends who have known me for the past 13 years. This is the first baby in the group! In fact, while I was at home, I was able to bring my Mom and best friends to two of the baby's ultrasounds so that they could share the excitement with me and see her on the big screen. It was truly amazing.

Jen and Jacqueline come to visit me from San Diego! 

I took full advantage of the US amenities and things I had always taken for granted before- going to Starbucks for my favorite mocha, going to grocery stores, going to the movies, even going to Target (!), were now huge luxuries for me. I was in heaven. In fact, the first time I walked into Safeway, I walked through every aisle in awe. If there is anything that Ben and I can take from living overseas it is to not only treasure the relationships we have with our family and friends that we miss with all of our hearts each and every day but to realize that as Americans, we have so much to be grateful for. I know it may appear materialistic to be grateful for things like food options, shopping, etc, but I honestly think that no one ever stops to think about the big picture- the ease and efficiency of life in the US, not to mention the friendliness and questions asked by complete strangers "How is your day going?" - until you have been away from it. I found myself transforming into the person I was before I left, someone who finds joy in all of the events of daily US life: going to Starbucks, picking up my little nieces and nephews from school, having dinner with my family, driving on non-chaotic freeways, having conversations with strangers in stores (I wanted to talk to everyone!), all of the little things I had never thought about before. It was as if the moodiness I had been feeling over the past months had disappeared right along with the morning sickness and a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. I couldn't wait until Ben arrived so that we could share it together!

Ben arrived about two weeks later and we loved spending Christmas with my family. We had a family dinner (family, as in 20 people consisting of my immediate family!) 4 nights in a row and enjoyed every second of it! We drove through San Francisco feeling like tourists and "sightseeing," went throughout the neighborhood marvelling at Christmas lights, did our Christmas shopping, and at the end of the trip, had a 3D ultrasound performed where we learned that our baby was officially a girl! His time in San Francisco was chock full of special moments.

We were able to go back to Boston for New Year's and did it all over again! We spent time with Ben's family, enjoyed being with his friends, and had a wonderful baby shower that almost felt like a reunion with people that had been able to attend our wedding earlier on in 2010! Ben's sister, Eve, put together an adorable compilation of Ben and my baby pictures that we were able to watch and display for our guests.We also drove throughout Boston like tourists and felt like we were in a winter wonderland as we loved the snow on the ground and didn't even mind the cold! I extended my trip to Boston by a few days so that Ben and I could be together for a bit longer before he was off to Florida for Navy related training and then on his way back to Naples.

Like father, like son! 

A wonderful Boston baby shower with family and close friends! Ben's family hosted the shower at the ideal venue and Eve compiled an adorable slideshow of our baby pictures. It was perfect!  

I returned to San Francisco and was showered by my family and closest friends at our baby shower! Complete with a craft table where my friends could "decorate" onesies for our baby, baby games like determining which baby food was which (it was fun, but not a fan of baby food!) little centerpieces filled with beautiful flowers, handmade invitations, favors, and a cake, and wonderful gifts, my sisters and best friends, Lydia and Vanessa truly went above and beyond to make sure it was an unforgettable experience. I am so blessed to have my amazing sisters and best friends in my life. :)

The cake- made by Sofia! 

A whole new series of onesies for Baby, designed by all of our guests! 

Lydia spent so much time putting together arrangements and decorations, Vanessa spent all of the time putting them up and decorating the house and my beautiful sisters spent time cooking and putting the shower together. I'm a lucky girl! 

Our baby shower guests 

My beautiful sisters 

My best friends and hostesses 

 The remaining few weeks (which completely flew by, where does time go?!) were spent organizing baby items for our Navy shipment. One of the great benefits that the Navy offers is to pack up your baby related items from a location in the US and ship it overseas to your duty station and unload it for you. I was thrilled to hear about this from my friend Jennifer and arranged it right away. Ana and Tono's garage was filled with tons and tons of baby items (and some household items, shhhh) and I'm sure it was a huge relief for them when the movers came to pick everything up! It was a flurry of activity getting everything put together combined with spending as much time as possible with my family and doing girls' nights with my friends. My mom rearranged her schedule completely and put aside each day to spend much needed quality time with me. It was a very special bonding time for us as soon there will be a little peanut added to our mother daughter mix!

Our last Asian meal together :( 

Good-byes were extremely difficult and I dreaded each day leading up to my departure, but being home allowed me to recharge my batteries, so to speak, and begin a fresh start in Naples. All of the frustrations I had felt before I left were not as significant to me anymore as I know that my return to Italy signifies a new chapter in our lives. One where we can truly begin the "nesting process" and prepare our home and ourselves for the arrival of our baby. We have so much to look forward to- a trip to Paris (a delayed anniversary trip) this upcoming weekend, a trip to Portugal for President's Day, and our plans to explore different parts of Italy as my pregnancy progresses and it becomes more difficult to fly. My mom and company arrive at the end of April (thank God for this, since Ben will be in the States doing flight training and I would have panicked being on my own so late in the pregnancy game!) She returns in June to help with the early newborn stages and sleepless nights (again, Mom to the rescue!) and Ben's family comes in July to meet the baby! My sister and family come in early August to explore Napoli and then Ben and I plan to return to the States in early September to introduce the baby and spend time recharging our batteries once again! :) So much to look forward to and we are thrilled.

This weekend we were able to look at things with a sense of humor again vs. the rolling of our eyes that we might have done before. First off, I was greeted by absolutely gorgeous weather which never fails to improve my mood! It was wonderful to spend quality time with Ben and the dogs again and get settled back into our home. Here are a couple of shots of "daily life" that made us laugh:

Who needs a truck when you can strap your furniture to the top of your Fiat? 

Some people take the "boots with the fur" concept to a whole new level! 

This one not only had the leopard leggings, but the leopard shoes to match! 

An unlikely pair of friends

And taaadaaaa...Ben's new car/aka skateboard on wheels. He drives this beauty to work every day! All of our guests will have the opportunity to ride in it. If they're lucky:

*Stay tuned, I'm finally posting blogs that I had written way before Christmas! Just have to add the pics and they're up!

Cucinando di Vera: Ben's First Italian Cooking Class

Tonight Ben participated in his first Italian cooking class. I took pictures to document that yes, my husband, actually does cook (and he's good at it too :) ).

After questioning why we were paying close to $80 for an Italian "meal," Ben learned shortly that you are paying for the experience. During our time here, I have attended "Cooking with Vera", an Italian cooking session hosted by an ex-pat out of her home. What do you get when you go to a cooking class at Vera's house? A first course (actually several first courses), a main course, a side dish, a dessert, and unlimited wine. Not to mention bringing home extras which are good for another entire meal.

Ben had the duty of peeling and chopping the garlic (what he does best in my kitchen :) ) and sauteeing spinach, while I basically did everything else Vera asked me to do. The room is set up with different tables, so that everyone casually talks while the chop, saute, mix, you name it. Vera simply yells for attention when she is explaining a technique or tips on perfecting the recipe. It is a fun time because you not only get to congregate with other people and chat while you're cooking, but everyone has the opportunity to sit down at the end and enjoy the full meal and fruits of our labor.

It is a running joke between the regulars at Vera's to watch her Italian assistant, Donna, who does everything requested of her but rolls her eyes and grumbles at every opportunity possible. Not to mention takes smoke breaks every ten minutes. At night time Vera hires someone to watch everyone's cars in the grassy lot next to her house, to ensure that there are no break ins or incidents of theft. Keep in mind that this is not an unsafe area, just part of what they do to avoid sketchy situations in Naples! Hey, at least we prepare for the worst!

On the menu tonight: grilled portobello mushrooms with garlic and parsley dressing, spinach and ricotta pizza, spinach and egg pastry (very similar to quiche), Neapolitan lasagna, saltimbocca, and Italian chocolate mousse for dessert. We left with our bellies very full- Ben made sure to stuff our plastic take home containers with food "for the baby" (I'd be lucky if I had the opportunity to sniff the food before it goes off to work with him tomorrow)- and a full understanding of the Italian cooking experience in someone's home. What I will have are the food smells which remain on my clothes and my hair. Cooking in a Neapolitan kitchen may quite possibly give cooking in a Filipino kitchen a run for the money.

Two of the ladies talked about how they will be giving American cooking lessons to Italian ladies from their Church. A few of the Italian ladies' favorites? Enchiladas and banana bread! I guess technically enchiladas are not American but hey, it's definitely different from anything in the Italian cuisine!

My friend Kelly and I are always cooking buddies. We also made our first turkey together at my home over Thanksgiving!

To top off our night? We were minding our own business when we approached the base, got pulled over by the Carabinieri across the street, were asked several times in a row by the Carabinieri for our "documenti", were in the process of handing them over, and were asked, "American?" Umm...yes, and we just pointed to the base three times and tried to play dumb because we had absolutely no idea why we were pulled over...but were waved off saying "Okay, no problem," with a little wave, big smiles, and a honk goodbye as they drove by us. We are still scratching our heads over that one.

All three of us, Ben, baby, and I, will be sleeping well tonight!