Welcome Marissa

On June 19th at 6:10 a.m. we welcomed a beautiful, healthy baby to our family.  Marissa Hope weighed in at 6 pounds 10 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long.  She took us by surprise by arriving a little earlier than we had planned.  My "mommy sense" must have kicked in because I finished packing my bag for the hospital the morning before and her bag the day before that.  I had joked to Demetris over the previous weekend that I was "nesting" as I was washing all of her clothes and linens and getting everything organized.  You would think that since this was my third baby, maybe I would not have worried so much about getting the bags ready, especially since the clinic is only about a ten minute drive away.  However, things are different in Cyprus than they are in the US.  In the US, the hospital pretty much supplies everything that you would need for the birth/delivery. In Cyprus, you are expected to bring many items yourself.  The clinic gave a list of what to bring and included sheets for her hospital bed, receiving blankets, her towels, all clothing needed, and even diapers.  For me, I needed to bring my own hospital gown for the delivery as well as the usual stuff you would need.  So, I was careful to pack the bag on time out of fear that we would be rushing to the clinic and I wouldn't have any clothes or a blanket for her.  Surely they must keep extras on hand just in case, but I didn't want to take any chances with that.
As for the actual medical care, in Cyprus there is the General Hospital which is funded by the government and provides free services for Cypriot citizens.  I was able to get on Demetris' medical card to allow me to qualify for these services.  The main hospital for adults was built in the last ten years and appears very clean and modern.  But, the maternity ward is located at the children's hospital, which is quite old.  While I was pregnant and we were trying to decide where to go and what doctor to use, we decided to walk around the maternity section of the hospital just to see what it is like.  Let's just say that I didn't want to have my baby in that environment.  Plus, you are not allowed to chose the doctor you want to see and confidentiality appears to be a foreign concept.  Even the people who book appointments for you act like they are doing you a favor by being there.  Not at all helpful or friendly.  Based on the recommendation of our pediatrician, I chose a private clinic with a Cypriot doctor who had been trained in the UK.  The clinic is only a few years old and very modern.  One of the main reasons I liked this doctor is that he has a very low rate for c-sections.  Cyprus has the highest c-section rate in Europe with a rate somewhere between 50 and 70% depending on the source.  I have heard it suggested that one of the reasons for this is that some of the private doctors encourage c-sections because they can charge more for those services.  There are also many women who request c-sections to avoid going through the labor process.  I was very happy with the care that I received at the clinic.  The obstetrician facilitated a smooth delivery and our pediatrician was present at the delivery to check the baby once she was born.  Medical care in general is not as comprehensive here as it is in the states.  I think the doctors here think we overdo it there, and maybe there is a bit of truth in that, but it is more comforting.  Overall, we had to pay to receive the services that we wanted/expected but for us it was worth it and the end result was a most precious baby. 

Proud parents right after the delivery

Her first feeding

Alex said, "I didn't know she would be so pretty."

Adorable sisters

Introducing Marisa to Sofia's kitty (blah-blah)

Home from the clinic

Four days old

Aren't we blessed to have her!

Everything we needed for her hospital bag

A Third Time is a Charm?

Once Demetris had a chance to experience the North Side of Cyprus, he really started itching to explore the whole area.  A week ago this past Sunday we headed there one more time.  The tip of Cyprus is famous for beautiful beaches and he wanted to see them while I still felt well enough to travel and before the baby arrived.  It takes a bit more than three hours to make it there.  Diana, Mihalis, Tatiana, and Yiayia Electra went with us.  We stopped along the way for a picnic lunch along the coastline.  Our next stop was at the monastery Apostolos Andreas, which is almost at the tip of the peninsula.  At the time of the invasion this was one of the most well known monasteries on the island.  Currently, the monastery is in pretty sad shape.  It has not been maintained at all over the years, but at least it was not completely destroyed.  The Greek Orthodox church is trying to work out a deal that would allow them to be able to restore it.  It is still a popular spot for the Greeks to visit.  It also happens to be located in a natural donkey sanctuary, meaning there are donkeys roaming about the area.  They are a bit over-friendly from being around people too much and they pretty much freaked Sofia out.  Alex tried to feed them carrots by throwing them at the donkeys.  We then took off to find the beach and stopped at the Golden Beach.  It has beautiful sand and very clear water, but lacks amenities.  You can tell it is not well cared for but still an awesome beach.  Perhaps it is not given the attention it deserves because it is more difficult to get there.  Too bad, because it really is one of the best beaches around.

The large, white candle is from Sofia's baptism.  We left it at the monastery.

Giorgos Alexander in front of St. Giorgos

The outside of the monastery

View from the monstery

Donkeys had surrounded our car when we got back

Wild donkeys

Beautiful beach that is not utilized

Sofia

Alex

Sheep crossing the road leading to the monastery

Back to the North

After our birthday party on the North side of Cyprus, Demetris really wanted to return to see some sites he remembered as a child of 5-6 years old.  For Greek Cypriots, there are many emotions that are raised with a trip to the occupied Turkish side.  Since the borders became more open, there has been some controversy around Greeks traveling to the occupied side and spending money there.  They don't want to feel as if they are supporting the economy in any way.  There are several casinos on the Turkish side, which aren't allowed on the Greek side, and many younger people want to travel there just for the casinos.  This is still frowned upon by many Greeks.  We did our best to keep spending to the minimum, packing a lunch and snacks and avoiding the shops.  We did have to pay for access to the beach, beach chairs and the umbrella.  There was a sign at the beach that said bringing in outside food and drinks was prohibited, but I guess we didn't notice that.  Anyway, we also drove around the town of Kyrenia, through the town center which is located by the water front.  Demetris was hoping to find a beach that he remembered and we were lucky enough to stumble on it.  Remember, he hadn't been there since he was six so it's not like he knew exactly how to get there, just that things looked familiar.  We spent the rest of the day at the beach and then took a drive by the famous "five fingers" mountain before heading home.  Demetris has more places he wants to visit on that side, but since we are in the final month of the pregnancy I think that will have to wait until our next visit to Cyprus.

The Five Fingers Mountain

Mosque

Funny to see this sign so close to home

Don't tip!

35 weeks pregnant

Loving the beach

Look out Sofia.  The large rock formation helps keep the water calm.

Nice view of the mountains (and a huge Turkish monument) from the beach.