Two Months in California

My wife and I have been in California for two months. It has been fun, and we have had a lot of free time. We had a baby shower that many of my friends attended. I was ambivalent about organizing the event, but I wanted my wife to have a baby shower because we didn’t have one in Mexico with her family.

Finding a Doctor

Finding a good doctor was a challenge. The first doctor we visited in Sacramento was one I had arranged through contacts in Costa Rica, so I wasn’t able to do much research beforehand.

When we arrived at the doctor’s office, I immediately noticed that the waiting room was a little dirty and disorganized. There were a lot of people waiting, and many appeared to be uninsured. There were also many non-English speakers and several Muslim immigrants. Growing up in Sacramento, I don’t remember seeing very many Muslims, but there seem to be many more now. It made me wonder how much the city has changed and how did it occur this way?

So, back to the doctor’s office. We waited about an hour to see the doctor, and the customer service was subpar. We felt rushed, as if the office placed a high priority on seeing as many patients as possible. On top of that, I had to pay out of pocket. I decided that that was the last time we saw that doctor.

After that, we had difficulty finding a prenatal-care doctor because many doctors were unwilling to accept a new patient who was already more than 30 weeks pregnant. We kept getting turned away. So I called one of the offices back and asked, “There’s got to be a way to see a doctor. What would Bill Gates do? Could he find a doctor? I said this because I knew we had a stellar insurance plan. The receptionist said she would ask around. She called back. Finally, though, we found a good doctor about 45 minutes away in the town of Davis.

Being Away from Work

Being away from work has been both good and bad. I miss the routine and the challenges of work. Every day, I wake up early with a clear assignment and a sense of purpose. When I arrive home, however, I feel relieved and happy to be home and with my wife.

Being away from work has given me a chance to slow down and spend more time with family. At the same time, I have realized how much I enjoy having a routine and responsibilities outside the home.

A Day on the Rivers

My old high school friend, Marques, invited us out on his boat to cruise the Sacramento and American Rivers. We departed from a restaurant on the river called Crawdads. From there, we entered the American River and headed upstream.

The Sacramento and American Rivers come together near downtown Sacramento. It was the first time I had actually seen the two rivers meet. What a treat!

Growing Up Along the American River

Speaking of rivers. I grew up next to the American River. Every summer, my friends and I would spend a lot of time down there, swimming and snorkeling while looking for whatever people had dropped. Of course having a few beers, getting tan and enduring 100+ degree afternoons.

And we found all kinds of things: sunglasses, unopened beers, lawn furniture, money, keys, and wallets. Once I found 107 dollars, with which I bought a wetsuit. Looking back, it was a pretty great way to spend a summer.

The Birth of Our Daughter

After 41 weeks of pregnancy, my wife still hadn’t given birth, so we started thinking about a cesarean section.

Then the baby was born!

Good Lord, that was tough. My wife was in a lot of pain. It was like something out of a movie. She was going through hell, and I was at her side, helping as much as I could. They poked and prodded her and even gave her an epidural, which had mixed results. I felt so bad for her. She was in so much pain and I watched helpless to lower that pain. 

When the baby was finally born, she came out quickly, and they immediately placed her on my wife’s chest. I just sat back in the chair, almost crying, but the tears didn’t come out. I was exhausted. I never imagined it was going to be so intense. Also, I was so happy that my wife was out of pain. 

We stayed one night in the hospital, many nurses coming and going in the room to take tests of Mom and of baby. Kinda annoying but needed.

Having a newborn daughter has been mind-blowing. There is so much love growing between the baby and us, and that is something I didn’t anticipate. I knew I would love my daughter, of course, but experiencing that love firsthand has been completely different from anything I imagined.

Saying Goodbye from California

A coworker and friend of ours is departing the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica to work at the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico. Since we won’t be able to attend his going-away party, Mayte, our newborn daughter, and I recorded a goodbye video for him.

We filmed the video in the backyard of my dad’s house—the same house where I grew up. It seemed like an appropriate place to record it, especially now that my own family is beginning a new chapter.

Conclusion

These two months in California have been a mixture of family, old friends, new experiences, and, most importantly, the birth of our daughter.

I’ve had the opportunity to reconnect with the place where I grew up and see parts of Sacramento from a different perspective. At the same time, becoming a father has completely changed the experience. The long days, doctor’s appointments, uncertainty, and difficult moments were like a scene from a movie that I always wanted to star in.

I’m looking forward to returning to work, getting back into a routine and embracing the Costa Rican world. I’ll arrive with a new daughter, a new perspective, and memories that had to be earned.