.. is so wonderfully accepted everywhere and anywhere. 

I have exclusively breast fed Malu from birth.  She has never taken a bottle or pacifier.  And it’s a bond that has truly been amazing for both of us.  Thankfully we have never experienced any big problems throughout this journey. It is something I love and cherish.

With that said, at 1 year and 3 months we are still going strong.  She still breast feeds all the time various times a day.  And at around 10 months we stopped night time feedings.  

Ideally I would like to continue till the age of 2. In the US, they call this extended breastfeeding.  There are wonderful benefits for both mother and child from extended breastfeeding. 

In Brazil I have felt comfortable anywhere, in any situation, breastfeeding.  It is the norm here, at least in my village.  You can breast feed without a nursing cover/blanket in all public places and no one will bat an eye.  

But sadly this is not true for the US.  

I have read various horror stories of mothers being criticized or given a dirty look for breastfeeding in public.  Or worse, being directed to breast feed their child in the bathroom {I mean who wants to eat in the bathroom, I know I sure don’t!}  or thrown out of a public area/transportation.  And the topper, threatened by the police. 

I know this is not true in all parts of the US, but it does exist much more widely than here.  I wont get into my own personal opinions on this topic, because I could go on for days!  Let’s just put it this way, I believe there are some people with some serious hang-ups.  

And now we are heading back to the US.  

And I am still breastfeeding Malu. {whom is a toddler now, which gets even more criticism.}

And thinking about the two of them together gives me anxiety.  

Breastfeeding toddler + USA =  CRITICISM 

I hope I don’t get made to feel uncomfortable feeding my child in a public place.   

I hope I don’t get criticism for such a natural thing.  

I hope I don’t have someone ask me to put a blanket over her.  Because Malu will not go for that!

And I hope I can continue on this journey the same as I have done here.  

I am prepared to stand my ground, shall I have to.  

I am prepared to take the criticism, shall I have to. {But not without a heated discussion}

After all, I know what is best for ME and MY child.  

I will miss a lot of things about Brazil.   

But one thing I will miss the most, is living in my tiny village, and not having judgment passed on me for every little parenting choice I make.  

Any thoughts/opinions or experiences on this?  Please share with us in the comments!  

Beijos, Tanya

Screams of love …. 

Mamãe and Malu

Beijos, Tanya

We went with a few friends.  

Listened to some live music.  Ate some good food.  

Basked in the sun. 

Walked around the huge, lush land.  

And swam in the river.  

At the end of the day it poured rain.  Then the sun peaked through and we got a beautiful rainbow.  

What a wonderful way to end the day.  It was a nice change from the beach.  We will definitely be doing it again soon.  

Beijos, Tanya

But I am annoyed.  

Ok, let me backtrack a bit.  I have a blog for my daughter {kinda like a baby book for her} documenting all of her growth, stories, and photos.  TONS of photos.  I plan to make it into a book for her to have as an adult.  It is a PRIVATE blog, for only friends and family.  I have set it so it wont come up on google, and it has a password.  

Well me being the freethinker I am, allow my ONE year old daughter to romp on the beach and in the house nakey.  As a matter of fact she is naked 99% of the time.  It’s so HOT here and well, it’s probably the only time in life we can run around naked without being judged. {I wish I could join her!} 

Well apparently NOT.

My sister-in-law seems to think different. {yes she looks at Malu’s blog and NO I don’t post photos with her VAG showing, if you were wondering.  But yes, some naked photos.}  

She makes a point to tell my husband EVERY time they talk on the phone that we shouldn’t let Malu run around naked.  That we should at least put undies on her. Her theory is, that it is dangerous.  That she heard a story in school of a girl that had a caterpillar crawl up her bum.  

WTF?!?!  

Ok, I know it can happen. But seriously how often do you think a doctor sees a patient with a caterpillar in their bum?!?  {Danielle, your boyfriend is a going to med school, ask him for us!!}  I mean if it’s about that, a caterpillar could just as well crawl in your ear or nose.  

So then in turn, my husband comes to me and says we should put undies on Malu more often. {and this came after telling me I should spray our whole room down with Raid bug spray, clothes and all, because of some bugs in the room.  Arrrgghh!}

I told him that I think his sister has some serious issues with nakedness and it’s not really about a caterpillar crawling up her bum.  I just think it may be that us in the US are a little more laid back about nakedness in general.  

Which may seem strange coming from a country like Brazil, when you go to the beach and see every woman wearing practically nothing but a string in her bum. But god forbid you should flash a boob, or let your 1 year old run naked, you may get the evil eye.  Or better yet, a scolding from your sister-in-law.  

Arrghhh!!  

What do you think on nakedness?  How were you raised with it in your household?

**{{Yes, I know that in this world lurks perverted people as well, that like to look at children.  That is why my eye never leaves Malu on the beach and in a years time she will be in a bikini.}}**

Beijos, Tanya 

Pssttt .. stay posted for Writer’s Block Wednesday tomorrow.  I have some great photos to show you.  And no, they are NOT naked ones!

Praia do Madeiro has always been my favorite beach.  Beautiful, big, and one of the less crowded beaches {in terms of vendors}.  It’s also the best beach for laid back surfing, meaning the waves are forgiving and quite chill.  The best beach to learn surfing, if you ask me.  

Three years ago when I arrived it had one main restaurant with a hotel at the top of the cliff, a few barracas selling drinks etc, and one other small restaurant and two surf schools and that was IT.  It was wonderful because you could go and lay in the sand with your sarong on the end of the beach, and not be bothered by numerous people trying to sell their goods.  You also had that choice to lay in the sand and not spend R$20,00 on a beach chair for the day.  I mean really, people that live here don’t have R$20,00 a day to spend on a beach chair rental!!  

But it seems in the last year it has exploded with people.  People coming to the beach and setting up shop to sell their goods and rent their chairs.  Leaving no room for others to lay in peace without renting a chair.  It really started to look like a mini-favela {slum}on the beach.  It was quite unsettling to me and many others whom live here.  It was getting to the point where I didn’t even enjoy going to that beach anymore.  

So, they put a stop to it.  They came in and destroyed all the barracas. As reported on Pipa Tevê  blog {I will translate here}

The barracas were knocked down by Police and Environmental officials, claiming irregular work{people without permits}. People that arrived to the beach this Thursday and today came across this scene:  coolers with frozen items, frying pans, freezers, and cut up pieces of tents strewn across the ground.  

Gradually people climbed the stairs leading to the beach with what could still be used, the only work that remains.

Angry with everything that was happening, officials and owners have seen years of dedication to be destroyed within hours. Neither the oldest and most famous Bar do Jegue remained standing.The owner fell ill and had to leave the site. Some people have complained of violence that has been addressed.

Last Monday vendors were informed that the withdrawal would be made within forty-eight hours, a deadline set by justice. The vendors have always argued the authorization to practice in this place, since the previous administrations, some that were here for eight years.

A Surfing school was also taken down. This is one of the main activities and the great attractions of the beach, that always has a surfer gliding on the waves. The teacher always wanted to get a permit for the school with the current management of the municipality, but even without this, and after all that happened, it will remain working.

In total there were fifteen barracas. Some very traditional and well known in the region. A portion was overturned yesterday afternoon and another this morning. Now the unemployed workers plead for justice.

source: go here for original post and videos{in portuguese only} and photos of the mess 

 In Brazil, they have local laws and permits that people must get in order to set up a barraca on the beach and sell goods.  Of course no one abides by this, and after a period of time they just send in the Environment Police to take order.  I have no doubt that within a month’s time people will start setting up shop again.  As I have seen before on other beaches here.  But it really is sad.  They take over the whole beach.  I have no problem with a few, but 15, come on .. its TOO MUCH!!  

I know what you may be thinking, that I am heartless and not considering the families that are trying to make a living here.  But I see it from a different point of view.  In Pipa, we are lucky.  There are NOT a lack of jobs.  There are a TON of jobs.  For all types of people, even those who may be uneducated.  We are a huge tourist destination, with a large year round international community.  So there are jobs to be had, that pay the normal monthly salary.  I think that people do this because it’s easier.  From what I have seen in Pipa, people are lazy here.  They don’t want to work all day, nor do they want to have set hours.  They want to do as they please.  Come and go as they please.  So I guess that is the risk they take with setting up shop on the beach, potentially losing all of their stuff.  Meh.  It seems like a bit much for me.  I don’t know that I would risk that.  What do you think?  Am I not seeing another perspective?  Am I heartless for thinking this?  I would love to hear others opinions.  

I was searching through the 1,000′s of photos I have, to find a good shot of what Madeiro USE to look like, and for some reason all I could find was ocean shots!!  So I will work on getting more photos for you.  But for now, I will end with one of Malu on Madeiro, you can see just how beautiful the beach really is.  Ohh… and Maluzita too  

Did you know that Coconut water is…

Malu drinking coconut water

• 99% Fat Free
• Low in sugars
• an all natural isotonic beverage to re-hydrate your body
• loaded with potassium much more than a banana
• naturally sterile- water, permeates through the filtering husk
• containing lauric acid, which is present in human mother’s milk
• less sodium than sports drinks
• very high in chloride 

It’s basically the BEST rehydrating beverage out there.  Here we consume them fresh from the coconut with a straw poked through, and very cheaply {about $1.00}

We will miss drinking coconut water on a daily basis.  Its Malu’s absolute favorite. I am aware it is available in the US, but for a hefty price tag.

Not to say I wont buy it.  

As I will.

But  it will be a treat, rather than a daily habit  

Beijos, Tanya

Up until now I have kept my blog quite light, avoiding exposure of my personal life.  In light of some recent changes that have taken place and me feeling the need to write about these events, I have changed my mind and decided to write away.  So… the recent changes that have played a part in this….. well, Max got his Visa {greencard} to the USA in December!  After a looong two year journey we thought we would never see the day.  But it has arrived and we were informed we must go to the USA within 6 months of the issuing of the visa, which was December.  What does this mean for our family… yes, we are moving to the USA!!  In April we will go to Rio to spend two weeks with Max’s family and then May 8th we are flying to NYC.  It is our hope to find jobs, settle in with my family and then see where we would like to live.  If we have troubles finding jobs, settling in, etc .. we have already said we will return to Brazil.  As my husband has a good job here, and is leaving on an open-ended agreement, shall we decide to return.  Where does this leave my blog and writing?  Well I have decided to back track a bit, since I just started this blog 6 months ago,after two and half years of already living here.  I have been through a lot of ups and downs and huge experiences here.  I am really feeling the need to write about some of them in hopes of helping another.  And others for the pure, selfish reason of getting them off my chest, kinda like closure in a way.  I also plan to still write about Brazil current events, and all things Brazil related.  I wish to continue Food Friday as well, although I haven’t posted about that in a while, I will continue.   

So what is to come?   Take a look at my brief timeline of events here ..take note, these are only the major events and I will cover various other things.  

• January 2007: Arrive in Brazil
• Feb. 2007:  Met Max
• April 2007: Move to Praia da Pipa with Max
• April 2007: Trip to Bahia 
• May 2007:  My first trip to Rio
• June 2007: A friend arrives from NYC 
• June 2007:  I get stabbed in my neck twice and stomach once, nearly die
• July 2007:  The judicial process starts for my case 
• July 2007:  Max and I get married
• August 2007:  I apply for my Brazilian Visa
• September 2007:  I go to NYC for 3 months
• October 2007:  We apply for Max’s Visa to the USA
• December 2007:  I arrive back in Pipa from the USA 
• March 2008:  My daughter, Malu is concieved
• September 2008:  My sister and best friend come for a visit
• September 2008:  Max and I go to Rio for a visit
• November 2008:  We drop the attempted murder case/s we have in the courts {civil and criminal}
• December 2008:  Malu is born 
• April 2009:  Malu and I go to the USA for 2 months 
• June 2009:  Malu and I return to Pipa
• July 2009:  The Federal Police make a visit to our house to see if our marriage is legit, for my Brazilian Visa
• September 2009:  Max and I go to Rio to baptize Malu 
• November 2009:  We go to Rio for Max’s visa interview at the US Consulate
• December 2009:  Malu turns 1 
• December 2009:  Max gets his visa in the mail
• Feb. 2010:  Max and I  3 year Anniversary
• Soon to come … April 2010:  To Rio for 2 weeks, May 2010:  To the USA 

So these are a just a few stories I will cover.  Please, I would love to hear your input and/or if you are really interested in hearing about something.. comment away.  I want to know what you would like to read about and/or find more interesting.

I wanted to write about this awhile back and instead it just sat in my archives  head waiting to be posted.  

Let me introduce you to our new pet “Bicho de Pe”  pronounced {bee shoe jee pay.}  The exact translation would be foot thang {is how I like to say it, but better known as thing}.   Bicho is one of those words in Portuguese that is hard to translate.  It is one of my favorite words.  I guess you could translate it as pet, animal, thing, creature .. all in one, it can be living or sometimes not.  It’s just one of those words that isn’t really translate-able (if that’s a word)  Anyhoo.. I digress.   A few weeks back after Max came home from the beach with Malu I noticed a little thing on her toe.  It looked like a callous with a big black center, but very swollen.  I told Max to take a look at it and upon examination he told me it was a bicho de pe.  Now I have heard about them before.  And known many friends who have gotten them, but me myself have never gotten one or saw one on a friend.  

SO what is a ‘foot thang’ anyhow?  It is basically a little female sand flea/bug/worm that lives in the shaded areas of the beach.  It boroughs into your skin {usually under your nails in the feet or hands, hence the name ‘foot thang’, but can enter in any part of your body}  And it lays it’s eggs, digging in further under you skin laying eggs the whole entire time.  It looks like a callous with a little black dot in the center.  I think the whole thing is disgusting.  But more disgusting in thought, than actual appearance.   

SO …here is my one year old daughter with a little flea under her skin laying eggs *gags*  I-just-couldn’t-get-the-thought-out-of-my-head.  I have been here 3 years and on the beach daily and never once run in with the dreaded ‘foot thang’ but my one year old daughter picks it up in the first year of life.  

The only treatment of the ‘foot thang’ is to remove it , usually done yourself…… {the locals then put Vicks vapor rub on the huge crater that is left behind.  They say it closes the hole quicker and suffocates the flea if you didn’t remove the whole thing. Kinda like a tick, you must be careful to remove the whole thing or she/he will grow back} 

….BUT I brought little Malu to the local hospital in hopes that they could rub a numbing cream over it before removal.  NO SUCH thing at the village hospital.   Upon which the very hesitant doctor then replied “por isso”  {for this, I don’t want to remove this from your young daughter.}  But after some gentle convincing, yeah I actually had to convince him a bit, he finally did it.  I was very nervous, because normally my daughter is very *intense* but on this day, she just stared while the doctor cut her toe open and didn’t cry a drop.  AMAZING!  And then which the doctor replied “ela e boazinha”  ”She is a good little one”.  And which I replied .. “yes she is”, with a big proud, mamae smile.  After it was all said and done she had a *HUGE* crater on this little, tiny, toe of hers.  It took about 2 weeks to heal.  And yes I did put the Vicks on it .. I didn’t want to take a chance with the “pet” returning.  

I took some pictures of the actual bicho de pe {see below} but forgot to take after photos of the crater left in her toe.  :-/

Bicho de pe

Psstt .. you wanna prevent yourself from getting a Bicho de Pe?   Then you should always wear your shoes whilst on the beach in Pipa, otherwise sooner or later you will have a little ‘pet’ pay you a visit!

This post is for all my natural mamas out there, living in Brazil or here on vacation.  Since before giving birth I always knew I wanted to do cloth diapers.  One, and most important, they are the BEST thing for our planet.  Two, disposable diapers are sooo darn expensive, and I just can’t swallow the cost of them in Brazil to boot.  Three, cloth-diaper-butt is sooo friggin’ cute!!  

When I was 7 months pregnant, my sister came for a visit from the States and brought a bunch of gifts from my family.  I was lucky enough to be given 6  one-size Bum Genius dipes, along with a dozen extra inserts.  Thanks, mom!  I do love them. I love the quality, the colors, and the fact that they are so easy to put on, even my non-diaper-friendly-husband can use them with ease.  But on the down side of things there are a few things I don’t like about them.  Here, I must line dry everything.  Easy enough, love it.  But one, these all-in-one dipes take a bit long to dry and after one use you have to wash everything, cover, insert, etc.  Two, with my daughter now 11 months, she doesn’t enjoy diapers anymore {who would?} and has learned with ease how to take them off, due to the easy velcro on the front.  SO now I spend my days chasing naked baby around the house trying to get shorts on her, or picking up “accidents” !  Not pleasant.

With that said, I have done a ton of trail and error with cloth diapers here.  And I would love to share what worked for us.  Of course no two babes are alike so the best thing to do is buy a few different ones, try them out, see what one works best, and then stockpile.  First I must say cloth diapering here is *SUPER* cheap.  I’m talking the covers {basic pul covers with a thin net lining, happen to be my favorite}  start at R$2,50 and go upwards to R$ 8-9,00.  {that’s about 1.25-4.50 in dollars a dipe cover}  Can we say cheap, again!  In the US cloth diapers, especially the *cute* ones can be very pricey, and I really hate to spend a ton of money on dipes.   With that said, the diaper covers here aren’t super durable and tend to get a little grungy after a few months wear, but still saves a bunch of money.  I try to hand wash the covers as much as possible in order to preserve them longer.  And when the inner layer of net does get grungy on the inside of the cover, I still use them with the insert on top .. still does the trick with no leakage.

**COVERS**

Below are a few pics of the covers I have found here.  While they range in prices from R$2,50 to R$9,00 {the most expensive ones being cloth fabric on the outside and with velcro closures instead of buttons}  I tend to like the cheaper ones for R$2,50 because the material on the outside {very cute as well}  is a thin, almost nylon but not really, material.  They dry in seconds outside {so if baby just does pee and a little gets on the dipe you can easily rinse out with water, stick it on the line and dry in 10 mins for use again in the same day.  That is, if you put the pre-fold on top instead of inside the netting on the inside {which is what I ALWAYS do, and never have leakage problems} 

While the velcro diaper cover above is ohh sooo cute, and a bit more expensive, I don’t care for them as much.  I hardly ever use them.  One, they are easier to put on, but my daughter has now discovered how to take them off.   Two, for some reason they pucker out on the top, by the stomach, which always created leakage.  EVERY-TIME-SHE-WORE -THEM!!   I feel like the ones with buttons {pictured above} get a snugger fit around the tummy, not too tight, and hold all the pee in.  

**INSERTS**

There are various pre-folds here.  Ok, they aren’t as good as the chinese pre-folds or as thick, but they work wonderful and dry sooo quick.  The brand that is best, also tends to be the most expensive {I think R$10,00 for 5}  is Cremer.  It’s my favorite, I wouldn’t buy any other brand.  I usually get the Cremer luxo {thicker ones} in plain white, although I do have the print ones as well.  When you first take them out of the package they tend to be a bit crisp, but after a few washes they get very soft.  

Here is how I fold my prefolds and it works like a charm every time.  I never have leakage.  Although, you want to be sure none of the pre-fold is sticking out of the side of the cover {especially in the inside of the legs} otherwise you will have leakage. 

As far as inserting the pre-folds inside, that is a personal choice.  There is a netting that you can do that with {it’s the proper way}  But I always place it on top of the netting to get more uses out of the cover in a day.  I am also a bit lazy to put it inside, easier just to lay it on top and put on baby.  

 I have bought all my covers and pre-folds at various stores.  But for the most part you can find these at any Atacadão do Bebê, baby store, this is where they are the cheapest.  You can also buy them online through this website, but beware they are a little more pricey {more than I like to spend} and I have never tried them.  So I can’t tell you the quality, although they look very nice.  This site is also only in Portuguese, and is based here in Brasil.  So if you don’t read Portuguese, you may need some help.   Covers are called tangas or calça. Or you can also ask for fraldas de pano, cloth diapers.

I hope this helps all the cloth diapering mamas out there!  And if you have any questions, please feel free to email me.  

Good Luck and Happy Diapering !! 

My email went like this ……

Since I have been a mother, I have felt feelings I have never felt before and taken notice of things that in my previous life probably would’ve missed.  Yesterday we went to Recife (about 4 hours by car from us) to register Malu at the US embassy and get her US passport.  Which I can now report as of yesterday she is a dual-national, with 2 passports, lucky girl!!  During our long gruesome day trip, there were a few things I took notice of and I thought I would share them with all of you !  One of them is depressing and the other, just a simple observation. 

Yesterday, while driving through the city of Recife, I was juggling two tasks at once.  Trying to keep Malu entertained in her car seat, so she wont get bored and cry, and soaking in all of the action, smells and sights of the city.  First let me give you a few stats on Recife. It sits right on the coast, in the Northeast of Brazil. It has one of the most beautiful historic areas in the Northeast, Olinda, which is very famous for their Carnaval.   It has one of the highest murder rates in the world, making it an incredibly dangerous city.  It once had beautiful beaches and now has turned into a commercial port city, and is horribly polluted. Although there are some wonderful beaches just south of the city, such as Porto de Galinhas, that are worth taking a trip to.  It has very few “good bairros” (neighborhoods).  Being the majority of the city is one big “favela” (slum,ghetto).  
Now, I know what you are thinking, “my gosh, how could you go to a city like that ?” One being, its the closest US embassy to us.   And two, well surprisingly it has some nice things to offer too, but more on that later.
  
Now, as we are driving through the streets, my eyes are overstimulated from all the sights.  In Brazil at every intersection there is some guy juggling, someone doing some sort of street performance, a guy trying to wash your windows, someone selling water, coconut water, chips, you name it, they have it.  All of this comes along with the ones who have “nothing”  and just flat out ask you for money. 

Now living in LA, NYC and traveling quite a bit, I have seen my share of desperation and homelessness.  But this was the breaker for me. 

As we approached the light, in the sweltering sun,  I saw what appeared to be a man. Almost shirtless, with a very large tummy and a can of “cachaca“ (brazilian rum) in his hands, barely able to stand.  He was begging from the cars at the front of the line.  I thought to myself, how sad, but not much more than that.  I have to admit I am a little “de-sensitized” from seeing it so much in my life. 

The light turned green and on we go.  As we passed the drunken man only then did I realize it wasn’t a man after all.  And in fact was a very pregnant, 8 months or so, woman, so drunk she was barely able to stand, with rum in one hand and a cigarette in the other.  My heart broke into a million pieces for that child inside.  All I could think about is how much I love my daughter, and how precious she is to me.  How my purpose of living life has completely changed and I now live for HER.  How I want to provide all the nourishment and love I can for her.  How I want to be the best role model I know how.  Then my mind instantly switched back to the child inside that womb.  That child, being exposed to chemicals and malnourished, and hasn’t even been given a choice.  That child, who will most likely be shown only one kind of life to live. As we drove away, I wiped the tear from my face and bent over to kiss my daughter. As I thought of what a precious gift I have been given.  A gift I must guard and protect, from this mean world that we live in.  

Ok, Recife isn’t all bad, like I mentioned above.  There are a few things there that can be appreciated.  

After leaving the Embassy, with no problems, we decided we deserved a nice lunch.  So we went to the mall to indulge in some sushi.  Now the malls here are not what we are used to in the US.  They actually have very nice places to eat and just about everyone that is in the working class, goes to the mall for lunch.  As we sit down to order  (yes they have waiters there too) Malu decides its a great time to be fussy.  She wants boob and she wants it now, along with a nice dirty diaper to be changed !!  So off to the “babyservice” area.  Yes, the malls in Brazil have a very nice “babyservice” area just for families.  And that’s exactly what they call it too, babyservice.  Another one of our good ol’ imported English words into the Portuguese vocabulary, very funny.    I had noticed them before but never took the opportunity to use one, as I have never had a problem with whipping the boob out in public.  Though this time was different, she had a dirty diaper to go along with the need to eat. I thought ok, this was my chance to get to know the “babyservice” room.  Off we go. Upon arrival I walk into a mothers dream in the mall.  First, there are separate changing table “booths”.  A TV.  Bathroom stalls, each complete with an adult toilet and a mini-toilet. A toy room.  A basket that provided all the extras you need including diaper rash cream, wipes, diapers, a microwave to heat bottles, etc.  And the topper for me was a room complete with thick, comfy, reclining, rocking chairs for nursing.  WOW !!  Now if you’re a mom who has nursed in public, I’m sure you know how it can be. Nursing in an uncomfortable place, chair etc…,it sucks !!  This was a dream come true, in Recife !!  I was so impressed and amazed, I almost had Max go get my sushi so I could eat in this extra plush chair! 
But I didn’t want to go pissing people off, after all, we are in Recife, one of the murder capitals of the world.  

Ok, I am officially done blabbing.  Hope you enjoyed a day in the life through my eyes.  More to come later..  

And that completes my email.  I wanted to add pictures of the babyservice area, but at the time I was in Recife, I did not take pictures.  But virtually all malls in Brazil have them.  SO yesterday when I went to Natal (the city closest to me, where we do all shopping)  I went to the mall and took pictures of the babyservice area there, to show you all.  But I must add, it’s not nearly as nice as the one in Recife.  They had chairs for nursing, but not big plush, cushy ones.  And their changing station just wasn’t as nice.  But it sure beats a bench in a smelly bathroom.   I mean really  who wants to eat lunch in a smelly bathroom?!   And all the strollers you see, those are free to use, (I know what you are thinking .. germs, but I saw these ladies scrubbing them and they don’t mess around)  all you have to do is leave your info with the attendant, and off you go!   What a nice touch.  

Changing Station

Nursing Chairs -The Local-

strollers, microwave, etc..

the free products provided

Stay tuned for more photos on Writer’s Block Wednesday, tomorrow !