The last couple weeks have been a little difficult as we had to endure Andrew's worst illness to date. The doctor labelled it a "gastro virus", I simply call it endless diahrea. We had to change his diaper almost every two hours for 8 days straight and the worst part of it was that his bum got so red and sore that it made the diaper changes extremely painful for the poor little thing. Thank goodness I had Abuelita here to help as it took the two of us to change him several times. And she made a special loin cloth for him, which helped give his poor little bottom some air to heal. Although he remained his adorable self, he became increasingly ridden with separation anxiety and freaked out whenever momma left his side. Once he finally recovered from the virus, he came down with a mid-grade fever that wouldn't go down. Since there were no other symptoms other than fever, we concluded that it must be due to teething...and he now has one and a half teeth, so at 11 months and one day, he's bound to get a whole bunch all at once. Nevertheless, we kept a close eye on him, and even brought him into our bed to sleep at night so that we could monitor his temperature throughout the night.
Fever gone, diahrea gone, on Sunday, Daddy and I had our first real date in a very, very loooong time...and it was amazing! We started the day off with a 10K race in Grasse, the famous village where most of the French perfume is made. Our race packet even included a free bottle of perfume/cologne, which I happen to absolutely love. The course was stunningly beautiful, in the picturesque and very mountainous region of the south of France. From there, we went home, showered and got ready for a play at the little theatre in old town. It is the only English production of the season so we were very happy to be able to attend. Afterwards, we walked through the old town and waited until 7:00pm when the kitchens open in the local restaurants and had the most amazing French dinner, complete with 3 courses, wine and of course plenty of French bread. Andrew was a saint for his Abuelita that day (or so she tells us anyway!) and he slept through the night that very same day. A perfect ending to a perfect day!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
La fete des olives!
November 11, 2007
This afternoon we went olive picking at my friend Karin's Annual Olive Party. She is an American, married to a Frenchman, and they live on a beautiful property that was formerly an olive tree farm. Every year they host an olive party where basically, you pick olives off her trees with these long rake type things, they fall into nets that have been placed all around the trees, dump them into bins, separate them from the leaves that have also fallen and take them to be pressed into olive oil. For me, it was a really neat experience, and I'm very excited for the litre of olive oil that we have "made".
On Saturday, the weather was perfect, so we took a long family drive around the surrounding villages and cities after our early morning swim class with Andrew. We started off with a coastal drive into Cannes and ended up in the quaint little village of Biot, where we walked around and got pastry from the local "Patisserie".
This afternoon we went olive picking at my friend Karin's Annual Olive Party. She is an American, married to a Frenchman, and they live on a beautiful property that was formerly an olive tree farm. Every year they host an olive party where basically, you pick olives off her trees with these long rake type things, they fall into nets that have been placed all around the trees, dump them into bins, separate them from the leaves that have also fallen and take them to be pressed into olive oil. For me, it was a really neat experience, and I'm very excited for the litre of olive oil that we have "made".
On Saturday, the weather was perfect, so we took a long family drive around the surrounding villages and cities after our early morning swim class with Andrew. We started off with a coastal drive into Cannes and ended up in the quaint little village of Biot, where we walked around and got pastry from the local "Patisserie".
Abuelita has arrived!
November 8, 2007
We've long anticipated our first visitor here in France for a multitude of reasons. We miss her and are anxious for her to see how her precious and first and only grandchild is thriving. We want to go on a baby-less date. We want to get caught up on our heaps of mail. And we want to share the beauty and joys of this area with her.
We've long anticipated our first visitor here in France for a multitude of reasons. We miss her and are anxious for her to see how her precious and first and only grandchild is thriving. We want to go on a baby-less date. We want to get caught up on our heaps of mail. And we want to share the beauty and joys of this area with her.
Sleepless in Antibes!
November 2, 2007
Ok, so whoever said that a baby will be sleeping through the night after 3 months must have been smoking some serious crack. I've learned by now to not get excited if he sleeps through one night as the routine will most definitely not continue. And it hasn't. Perhaps the number of major transitions, beds, time zones and climates hasn't helped any, but Andrew has not been a consistent sleeper, daytime or nights. Lately, he is waking up in the night, and ready to play (or cry) for a couple hours. It used to be that I could always just nurse him and within 10 or 15 minutes, he'd be out cold and I'd put him back to sleep. It seems those days are over now too. The good news is that I can call my friends or family back home at 3:00 in the morning my time, and get caught up with everyone. The bad news is that I am rather exhausted and completely brain-dead. In the midst of a conversation with any one of my mom friends, a distraction will cause me to completely forget what I was talking about, and my only consolation is that none of them remember either! I especially like talking to Pam, because I know she can empathize with me better than anyone else out there! (sorry Pam - I do hope that Beckett will eventually like to catch some zzz's throughout the night!) For this reason, I am very glad that I am writing this blog and seriously hope to be able to keep up with it, as I have already learned that I cannot remember the details of Andrew's earlier days. I pulled out the Baby Book the other day and in an attempt to complete the "firsts" section, I sadly discovered that I couldn't remember the specific dates of any of them...the first time he sat up by himself...who knows? The only one I've got licked is his first tooth...as it just came in recently and it is his only one!
Ok, so whoever said that a baby will be sleeping through the night after 3 months must have been smoking some serious crack. I've learned by now to not get excited if he sleeps through one night as the routine will most definitely not continue. And it hasn't. Perhaps the number of major transitions, beds, time zones and climates hasn't helped any, but Andrew has not been a consistent sleeper, daytime or nights. Lately, he is waking up in the night, and ready to play (or cry) for a couple hours. It used to be that I could always just nurse him and within 10 or 15 minutes, he'd be out cold and I'd put him back to sleep. It seems those days are over now too. The good news is that I can call my friends or family back home at 3:00 in the morning my time, and get caught up with everyone. The bad news is that I am rather exhausted and completely brain-dead. In the midst of a conversation with any one of my mom friends, a distraction will cause me to completely forget what I was talking about, and my only consolation is that none of them remember either! I especially like talking to Pam, because I know she can empathize with me better than anyone else out there! (sorry Pam - I do hope that Beckett will eventually like to catch some zzz's throughout the night!) For this reason, I am very glad that I am writing this blog and seriously hope to be able to keep up with it, as I have already learned that I cannot remember the details of Andrew's earlier days. I pulled out the Baby Book the other day and in an attempt to complete the "firsts" section, I sadly discovered that I couldn't remember the specific dates of any of them...the first time he sat up by himself...who knows? The only one I've got licked is his first tooth...as it just came in recently and it is his only one!
Halloween
October 31, 2007
Not knowing if and what France does in celebration of Halloween, I bought Burbujitas an adorable little bumble bee costume before we moved here. I figured that if they didn't celebrate Halloween here, I would make my own celebration...which is exactly what I ended up doing. However, three of the four moms I had invited over for a morning play date had cancelled, two because their babies were ill, and the third (my best friend here to date), to my chagrin, moved back to England the day before rather unexpectedly due to the sudden loss of her husband's job. Nevertheless, I was all excited in the morning, and dressed Andrew up in his costume anyway, and he looked absolutely, absolutely adorable. One of my British friends called me and invited me to a little celebration in the afternoon but it ended up pouring rain, so we couldn't go. In the end, my American friend, someone I've become quite close to now, came over with her 7 month old and we celebrated very low-key and took lots of photos. It was the first time I felt somewhat homesick...I would have paraded Andrew around to everybody I know, treak-or-treating stops at all the neighbours, and especially a visit into work, where I knew the festivities would be blossoming. Every year at Life Care, I dressed up in my famous cow costume, encouraged my department to go all out, and looked like a total fool, but had a million laughs. I was so incredibly touched to receive in the mail, a week later, a slideshow CD of the Life Care Halloween for 2007, that included photos of me in years past, and a special photo of Andrew in his bumble bee costume that I had previously emailed, in addition to all of my work friends and their current year's attire. Next year, I'll be a little more prepared for the lack of celebration here, and perhaps make a bigger effort to celebrate American-style in France. I've been told that the French are resistant to the imposition of American culture but this is one celebration that I am bound and determined to share with my little Burbujitas, no matter where we happen to be living!
Not knowing if and what France does in celebration of Halloween, I bought Burbujitas an adorable little bumble bee costume before we moved here. I figured that if they didn't celebrate Halloween here, I would make my own celebration...which is exactly what I ended up doing. However, three of the four moms I had invited over for a morning play date had cancelled, two because their babies were ill, and the third (my best friend here to date), to my chagrin, moved back to England the day before rather unexpectedly due to the sudden loss of her husband's job. Nevertheless, I was all excited in the morning, and dressed Andrew up in his costume anyway, and he looked absolutely, absolutely adorable. One of my British friends called me and invited me to a little celebration in the afternoon but it ended up pouring rain, so we couldn't go. In the end, my American friend, someone I've become quite close to now, came over with her 7 month old and we celebrated very low-key and took lots of photos. It was the first time I felt somewhat homesick...I would have paraded Andrew around to everybody I know, treak-or-treating stops at all the neighbours, and especially a visit into work, where I knew the festivities would be blossoming. Every year at Life Care, I dressed up in my famous cow costume, encouraged my department to go all out, and looked like a total fool, but had a million laughs. I was so incredibly touched to receive in the mail, a week later, a slideshow CD of the Life Care Halloween for 2007, that included photos of me in years past, and a special photo of Andrew in his bumble bee costume that I had previously emailed, in addition to all of my work friends and their current year's attire. Next year, I'll be a little more prepared for the lack of celebration here, and perhaps make a bigger effort to celebrate American-style in France. I've been told that the French are resistant to the imposition of American culture but this is one celebration that I am bound and determined to share with my little Burbujitas, no matter where we happen to be living!
It's time to drive in France!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Up until today, I've been quite fine with the idea of walking or taking the bus everywhere I want to go and I'm quite proud of myself for having found the bus routes to all the baby groups, despite the total lack of information provided on the "Envibus" website, let alone the bitchy, unhelpful customer service people on the phone. So "French". The expression "C'est la vie" was definitely invented here...people here just seem to accept the total lack of service and efficiency that you would find back "home". When you call a business, and the person you need is not available, you are told to call back, never once has anyone offered to take my name and number, so I have learned to just continue dialing in the hopes that, eventually, I will get through to the person I need. Anyway, back to driving, the thought of driving here had me paralyzed with fear in May, when I discovered how narrow the roads are, how fast the people drive, how crappy or non-existent the road signs are and how many big, huge scary round-abouts there are, for which Robert, to this day, doesn't know the proper rules and has driven aimlessly in circles in an attempt to take the intended exit. Today, however, I decided I better conquer those fears real fast. We got on the bus at 9:05am (the internet said it came at 8:45, so we were there at 8:40) to go to the Monday morning baby group in Sophia-Antipolis, a 20-minute drive away. We had a wonderful hour and a half play-time, and left promptly at 11:00 am to catch the 11:17 bus home. At noon, still waiting anxiously for the bus, and getting increasingly hungry and cold, I decided I better nurse Andrew as he will be grumpy on the bus ride home otherwise. 12:30 rolls around, and I'm getting anxious and frustrated, hungrier and colder (it was one of the coldest days so far), still no bus. At 1:00, I call Robert on my cell phone, only to discover that his U.S. cell phone number is not working on my phone anymore. Fortunately, I had a jar of baby food and a handful of Cheerios to keep Andrew going for a while, figuring the bus is bound to come by any minute. Nope...no bus. 2:00 rolls around and the other people waiting for a bus had all given up and taken taxis, an option not available to me, as I did not have a car seat for Andrew, and even if I wanted to take the chance, the taxi drivers would not. The only friend's phone number I had memorized, was not available, and even if she was, she doesn't even have a driver's license, so she wouldn't have been much help anyway. Desperate, I started searching through the previous caller displays and found a colleague of Robert's phone number so I called her to see if she could walk to Robert's office and ask him to call me. Fortunately, she answered, but informed me that she was in New York on a business trip. By this point, tears are streaming down my face, but I didn't want to seem too panicked on the phone so I just told her that I really needed to reach Robert and she graciously sent an email to Robert's assistant who paged Robert to call me and by the time I heard Robert's voice, I was hysterical. Deep down, I knew that somehow, someway, I would make it home, but it was a scary feeling to be stranded 10 miles away from home, in a foreign country, with my little boy. Robert immediately asked me where I was so that he could come and pick us up, and I was even more hysterical when I discovered that I really had no idea where I was. All I knew was that I was at a bus stop in Sophia-Antipolis, where the #1 bus is supposed to come and pick us up! After some help from his French colleagues, he got directions to the baby group, which had long since closed, and finally came to the rescue, not before lecturing me on having all of his phone numbers handy, along with specific directions of everywhere I go from now on. I know he was only worried about us, but even without his lecture, I learned many lessons that day. And I realized I needed to conquer the fears and drive in France. As it turned out, the bus drivers went on strike for the rest of the day, something I've now learned happens quite often here. This weekend, we're going driving!
Up until today, I've been quite fine with the idea of walking or taking the bus everywhere I want to go and I'm quite proud of myself for having found the bus routes to all the baby groups, despite the total lack of information provided on the "Envibus" website, let alone the bitchy, unhelpful customer service people on the phone. So "French". The expression "C'est la vie" was definitely invented here...people here just seem to accept the total lack of service and efficiency that you would find back "home". When you call a business, and the person you need is not available, you are told to call back, never once has anyone offered to take my name and number, so I have learned to just continue dialing in the hopes that, eventually, I will get through to the person I need. Anyway, back to driving, the thought of driving here had me paralyzed with fear in May, when I discovered how narrow the roads are, how fast the people drive, how crappy or non-existent the road signs are and how many big, huge scary round-abouts there are, for which Robert, to this day, doesn't know the proper rules and has driven aimlessly in circles in an attempt to take the intended exit. Today, however, I decided I better conquer those fears real fast. We got on the bus at 9:05am (the internet said it came at 8:45, so we were there at 8:40) to go to the Monday morning baby group in Sophia-Antipolis, a 20-minute drive away. We had a wonderful hour and a half play-time, and left promptly at 11:00 am to catch the 11:17 bus home. At noon, still waiting anxiously for the bus, and getting increasingly hungry and cold, I decided I better nurse Andrew as he will be grumpy on the bus ride home otherwise. 12:30 rolls around, and I'm getting anxious and frustrated, hungrier and colder (it was one of the coldest days so far), still no bus. At 1:00, I call Robert on my cell phone, only to discover that his U.S. cell phone number is not working on my phone anymore. Fortunately, I had a jar of baby food and a handful of Cheerios to keep Andrew going for a while, figuring the bus is bound to come by any minute. Nope...no bus. 2:00 rolls around and the other people waiting for a bus had all given up and taken taxis, an option not available to me, as I did not have a car seat for Andrew, and even if I wanted to take the chance, the taxi drivers would not. The only friend's phone number I had memorized, was not available, and even if she was, she doesn't even have a driver's license, so she wouldn't have been much help anyway. Desperate, I started searching through the previous caller displays and found a colleague of Robert's phone number so I called her to see if she could walk to Robert's office and ask him to call me. Fortunately, she answered, but informed me that she was in New York on a business trip. By this point, tears are streaming down my face, but I didn't want to seem too panicked on the phone so I just told her that I really needed to reach Robert and she graciously sent an email to Robert's assistant who paged Robert to call me and by the time I heard Robert's voice, I was hysterical. Deep down, I knew that somehow, someway, I would make it home, but it was a scary feeling to be stranded 10 miles away from home, in a foreign country, with my little boy. Robert immediately asked me where I was so that he could come and pick us up, and I was even more hysterical when I discovered that I really had no idea where I was. All I knew was that I was at a bus stop in Sophia-Antipolis, where the #1 bus is supposed to come and pick us up! After some help from his French colleagues, he got directions to the baby group, which had long since closed, and finally came to the rescue, not before lecturing me on having all of his phone numbers handy, along with specific directions of everywhere I go from now on. I know he was only worried about us, but even without his lecture, I learned many lessons that day. And I realized I needed to conquer the fears and drive in France. As it turned out, the bus drivers went on strike for the rest of the day, something I've now learned happens quite often here. This weekend, we're going driving!
Our first family 10K!
Sunday, October 8, 2007
This morning he headed off to the Cap d'Antibes, the famous celebrity vacation destination, to compete in our first family 10K race: "Courrir pour des Fleurs d'Antibes" - translates to "Run for the flowers" and each person crossing the finish line was given a pretty little flower. Before doing so however, there were a lot of preparations, the least of which were the actual training. In France, a medical certificate is required to participate in any sporting event; therefore, both Robert and I had to find a family doctor and get a "physical", along with a letter stating that we were fit to run in the upcoming race! Then of course we had to prepare for Andrew. Since we decided in advance that Daddy was going to push the jogging stroller, and this was the first time we've done such an event, I wanted to make sure that Andrew's bag was well stocked: diapers, wipes, bananas, fruit jars, vegetable jars, Arrowroot cookies, Cheerios, blankets, sweaters, toys...not realizing how much weight I was actually adding to the load. The course was absolutely breathtaking, with the Mediterranean and mountains surrounding us, I was so distracted by the beauty of it all, that the rather hilly course didn't seem too bad. When I crossed the finish line, I found I still had some energy so I started to run the course backwards in search of Daddy and Burbujitas. To my surprise, they were not too far away and from the distance, I could see the smile on Robert's face and hear the crowd cheering away for the "bebe". Andrew slept nearly the whole way, all the while fellow runners and fans cheered him on. I've never seen Robert so proud in my life! When I approached them, I asked Robert if he wanted me to push the stroller to the finish line to give him a break and he said quite succintly, "not a chance - Andrew and I are finishing this thing together"! Despite the total lack of training, the 50 lb diaper bag I threw in the stroller and the steep hills, Robert completed the course in record timing, all thanks to the little Mr. Motivation, fast asleep in the stroller that he was pushing along.
After the race, we went for a long walk along the boardwalk in Juan-Les-Pins, the neighboring city to Antibes, and sat for a while to watch a beach Foot-Volley tournament. Foot-Volley is like Volleyball, but the rules are like soccer. You kick the ball to serve from a mound built up on the beach and only your feet, head and chest may touch the ball. It was quite cool to see how good these guys were.
When we got home, we had a nice breakfast in our back yard and read all of the race brochures to decide which one(s) to register for next!
This morning he headed off to the Cap d'Antibes, the famous celebrity vacation destination, to compete in our first family 10K race: "Courrir pour des Fleurs d'Antibes" - translates to "Run for the flowers" and each person crossing the finish line was given a pretty little flower. Before doing so however, there were a lot of preparations, the least of which were the actual training. In France, a medical certificate is required to participate in any sporting event; therefore, both Robert and I had to find a family doctor and get a "physical", along with a letter stating that we were fit to run in the upcoming race! Then of course we had to prepare for Andrew. Since we decided in advance that Daddy was going to push the jogging stroller, and this was the first time we've done such an event, I wanted to make sure that Andrew's bag was well stocked: diapers, wipes, bananas, fruit jars, vegetable jars, Arrowroot cookies, Cheerios, blankets, sweaters, toys...not realizing how much weight I was actually adding to the load. The course was absolutely breathtaking, with the Mediterranean and mountains surrounding us, I was so distracted by the beauty of it all, that the rather hilly course didn't seem too bad. When I crossed the finish line, I found I still had some energy so I started to run the course backwards in search of Daddy and Burbujitas. To my surprise, they were not too far away and from the distance, I could see the smile on Robert's face and hear the crowd cheering away for the "bebe". Andrew slept nearly the whole way, all the while fellow runners and fans cheered him on. I've never seen Robert so proud in my life! When I approached them, I asked Robert if he wanted me to push the stroller to the finish line to give him a break and he said quite succintly, "not a chance - Andrew and I are finishing this thing together"! Despite the total lack of training, the 50 lb diaper bag I threw in the stroller and the steep hills, Robert completed the course in record timing, all thanks to the little Mr. Motivation, fast asleep in the stroller that he was pushing along.
After the race, we went for a long walk along the boardwalk in Juan-Les-Pins, the neighboring city to Antibes, and sat for a while to watch a beach Foot-Volley tournament. Foot-Volley is like Volleyball, but the rules are like soccer. You kick the ball to serve from a mound built up on the beach and only your feet, head and chest may touch the ball. It was quite cool to see how good these guys were.
When we got home, we had a nice breakfast in our back yard and read all of the race brochures to decide which one(s) to register for next!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Staying busy...and social!
This Friday will mark the 6th week of our new life in France and we are still wondering when things will slow down! It's amazing how much time it takes to relocate to a new country. I logged on to the internet to research how to exchange our driver's licenses and got a little sidetracked by my blog. It's been great to hear the wonderful comments on my blog and I'm thrilled to know that so many people back home are thinking of us and enjoying my blog.
Robert spent last week in Germany on business (Munich and Hamburg) and loved it...said I would really love it too, so now I am looking forward to joining him on his next trip. He spent the first night being entertained by a client at the REAL Oktoberfest...he drank so much beer that he thought he heard his boss speaking German in the taxi ride home...in the morning, he found out that his boss DOES speak German and realized he wasn't as drunk as he thought he was! It was great to hear about it...sounds like a massive version of the Waterloo Oktoberfest experience. Beer companies have huge warehouses filled with long tables, live music, and of course all of the typical German cheers, chants and dances that make the event so much fun.
Meanwhile, Mommy stayed home with Burbujitas, who came down with a bad case of larengitis. I was very worried when I woke up to him crying and wheezing, and immediately called Nurse Grandma (in the middle of the night back home) for advice. I ended up waiting until the doctor's office opened, who saw him immediately, and gave me a prescription for god knows what, but whatever it was, it worked, as he was much better within a couple days. I must say that it was a little scary to be alone in a Foreign country, with a sick baby. I had to get my dictionary out before calling the doctor so that I could properly describe Andrew's symptoms. We laid pretty low for the entire week, which was kinda nice, as I got some things done at home, in addition to some much needed rest. Robert changed his flight to come home on Thursday night instead of Friday, but because of bad weather in Nice, his plane had to land in Marseilles, where he got a rental car and drove home to Antibes.
On Friday, Robert picked up our new car, and made it back home just in time for our (mine and his) doctor's appointments, that were required in order to get our medical certificate, a required document to enter into the annual 10K race in the Cap d'Antibes, called "Courir de Fleurs" which is this coming Sunday. We've had little time to train, but the entry fee was only 4 euros, and it is apparently a beautiful course. We did our first family run this Sunday, an absolutely beautiful morning, so we took out the jogging stroller and headed to the beach where we ran along side for approximately 2 hours (with plenty of walk breaks in between). After our run, we strolled into old town where we sat in an outside cafe and had a typical French breakfast of coffee, juice and croissants. (I call it more of a snack than a breakfast, but maybe that's why I'm not as skinny as all the other women around me!)
When we got home, we noticed Andrew was twisting and turning his tongue in his mouth and when I poked my finger in, I felt something a little sharp along the bottom...his first two teeth are starting to come in! Surprisingly, he doesn't seem to be too bothered by it, I think he endured more teething pain long before they started to come through. In his high chair that evening, we were clapping away, and he joined in...since then, he's been little Mr. Copycat, immitating many of my movements, (claps, splashing in the bath tub, etc) and it's hysterical to see!
On Tuesday, I met up with a Turkish friend, who took me to a new baby group, and we had a wonderful time. I met a South African girl who happens to live in the complex right next door to me, so we walked home together. She has an 8 month old boy, Noah, and we have plans to meet at the bus stop Friday so that I can introduce her to the baby group I go to every Friday. Tuesday night I went to see the movie Hairspray at the theatre in Antibes, with Antje (German girl who has a daughter, Kaya, 20 months) and Mette (Danish girl who has a daughter Maya, I think around two). Every Tuesday night in Antibes, they play "V.O." movies, that is, Version Originale, i.e. the version before it gets dubbed over by French voices. We had a great time, and loved the movie (though disappointing that they do not sell popcorn - another reason I am fatter than everybody here I guess), but I was a little distracted worrying about whether Daddy was going to be able to put Andrew down to sleep without being nursed. Since Robert had a 7:00 am flight to Madrid this morning, I was concerned that he wouldn't be able to get to bed at a decent hour. As it turns out, Andrew fell asleep on the way home from the cinema (they dropped me off there) and stayed asleep all night, well almost all night, he woke up at 4 cuz he was a tad cold as Daddy forgot to put him in his sleeping bag thingy! (I think Daddy's still feeling bad about it too!)
This morning Andrew and I went for a run along the beach, came home, ate lunch and napped together until after 3:00. I think Daddy and I have started a bit of a bad habit of having naptime, with Andrew on our chest. Last week I discovered that every day at 1:35 pm (all tv shows start on the 5 or 10 minutes - very weird) they play a chick flick, usually the type made for tv, and most are American-made, and about 10 years old, but good mindless entertainment that is also good french practice for me. So...I tune in, have cuddles with Andrew, and he sleeps like a log, and so do I! I haven't yet seen the ending to one movie, which is great for me, as I've never been able to take a nap in my life. Robert kept up with the pattern both Saturday and Sunday, and I've done it everyday this week. I should of course be using the time doing something productive, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the rest, cuddles and bonding time. I love to stare at him, while he's snoring away on me, and just gawk at how adorable he is. So anyway, we wake up and a few minutes later, my new friend Karin (from California) and Lucas (6 months) came over for a playdate. Karin is a colleague of Robert's, who introduced herself to me a few weeks ago, and took me to the local babystore and the mall in Nice. We hit it off instantly and are becoming very good friends. Andrew and Lucas were giggling a lot together, it was so funny, Andrew would jump up and down, putting on a little show in his exersaucer and Lucas would burst out laughing and then Andrew would follow suit. Then they started stealing each other's pacifiers from each other's mouths and exchanged them once or twice. Too funny! I kinda wish I would have got out the video camera too show Daddy when he gets back from Spain (tomorrow).
So, here we are, Wednesday night, and I suppose I should finish my research so that I can tell Daddy that I did do SOMETHING productive while he was away! I would have done the laundry today, but realized after I filled the machine with clothes and put soap in, that Daddy blew the fuse trying to get one of our American lamps to work in our apartment here!
Robert spent last week in Germany on business (Munich and Hamburg) and loved it...said I would really love it too, so now I am looking forward to joining him on his next trip. He spent the first night being entertained by a client at the REAL Oktoberfest...he drank so much beer that he thought he heard his boss speaking German in the taxi ride home...in the morning, he found out that his boss DOES speak German and realized he wasn't as drunk as he thought he was! It was great to hear about it...sounds like a massive version of the Waterloo Oktoberfest experience. Beer companies have huge warehouses filled with long tables, live music, and of course all of the typical German cheers, chants and dances that make the event so much fun.
Meanwhile, Mommy stayed home with Burbujitas, who came down with a bad case of larengitis. I was very worried when I woke up to him crying and wheezing, and immediately called Nurse Grandma (in the middle of the night back home) for advice. I ended up waiting until the doctor's office opened, who saw him immediately, and gave me a prescription for god knows what, but whatever it was, it worked, as he was much better within a couple days. I must say that it was a little scary to be alone in a Foreign country, with a sick baby. I had to get my dictionary out before calling the doctor so that I could properly describe Andrew's symptoms. We laid pretty low for the entire week, which was kinda nice, as I got some things done at home, in addition to some much needed rest. Robert changed his flight to come home on Thursday night instead of Friday, but because of bad weather in Nice, his plane had to land in Marseilles, where he got a rental car and drove home to Antibes.
On Friday, Robert picked up our new car, and made it back home just in time for our (mine and his) doctor's appointments, that were required in order to get our medical certificate, a required document to enter into the annual 10K race in the Cap d'Antibes, called "Courir de Fleurs" which is this coming Sunday. We've had little time to train, but the entry fee was only 4 euros, and it is apparently a beautiful course. We did our first family run this Sunday, an absolutely beautiful morning, so we took out the jogging stroller and headed to the beach where we ran along side for approximately 2 hours (with plenty of walk breaks in between). After our run, we strolled into old town where we sat in an outside cafe and had a typical French breakfast of coffee, juice and croissants. (I call it more of a snack than a breakfast, but maybe that's why I'm not as skinny as all the other women around me!)
When we got home, we noticed Andrew was twisting and turning his tongue in his mouth and when I poked my finger in, I felt something a little sharp along the bottom...his first two teeth are starting to come in! Surprisingly, he doesn't seem to be too bothered by it, I think he endured more teething pain long before they started to come through. In his high chair that evening, we were clapping away, and he joined in...since then, he's been little Mr. Copycat, immitating many of my movements, (claps, splashing in the bath tub, etc) and it's hysterical to see!
On Tuesday, I met up with a Turkish friend, who took me to a new baby group, and we had a wonderful time. I met a South African girl who happens to live in the complex right next door to me, so we walked home together. She has an 8 month old boy, Noah, and we have plans to meet at the bus stop Friday so that I can introduce her to the baby group I go to every Friday. Tuesday night I went to see the movie Hairspray at the theatre in Antibes, with Antje (German girl who has a daughter, Kaya, 20 months) and Mette (Danish girl who has a daughter Maya, I think around two). Every Tuesday night in Antibes, they play "V.O." movies, that is, Version Originale, i.e. the version before it gets dubbed over by French voices. We had a great time, and loved the movie (though disappointing that they do not sell popcorn - another reason I am fatter than everybody here I guess), but I was a little distracted worrying about whether Daddy was going to be able to put Andrew down to sleep without being nursed. Since Robert had a 7:00 am flight to Madrid this morning, I was concerned that he wouldn't be able to get to bed at a decent hour. As it turns out, Andrew fell asleep on the way home from the cinema (they dropped me off there) and stayed asleep all night, well almost all night, he woke up at 4 cuz he was a tad cold as Daddy forgot to put him in his sleeping bag thingy! (I think Daddy's still feeling bad about it too!)
This morning Andrew and I went for a run along the beach, came home, ate lunch and napped together until after 3:00. I think Daddy and I have started a bit of a bad habit of having naptime, with Andrew on our chest. Last week I discovered that every day at 1:35 pm (all tv shows start on the 5 or 10 minutes - very weird) they play a chick flick, usually the type made for tv, and most are American-made, and about 10 years old, but good mindless entertainment that is also good french practice for me. So...I tune in, have cuddles with Andrew, and he sleeps like a log, and so do I! I haven't yet seen the ending to one movie, which is great for me, as I've never been able to take a nap in my life. Robert kept up with the pattern both Saturday and Sunday, and I've done it everyday this week. I should of course be using the time doing something productive, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the rest, cuddles and bonding time. I love to stare at him, while he's snoring away on me, and just gawk at how adorable he is. So anyway, we wake up and a few minutes later, my new friend Karin (from California) and Lucas (6 months) came over for a playdate. Karin is a colleague of Robert's, who introduced herself to me a few weeks ago, and took me to the local babystore and the mall in Nice. We hit it off instantly and are becoming very good friends. Andrew and Lucas were giggling a lot together, it was so funny, Andrew would jump up and down, putting on a little show in his exersaucer and Lucas would burst out laughing and then Andrew would follow suit. Then they started stealing each other's pacifiers from each other's mouths and exchanged them once or twice. Too funny! I kinda wish I would have got out the video camera too show Daddy when he gets back from Spain (tomorrow).
So, here we are, Wednesday night, and I suppose I should finish my research so that I can tell Daddy that I did do SOMETHING productive while he was away! I would have done the laundry today, but realized after I filled the machine with clothes and put soap in, that Daddy blew the fuse trying to get one of our American lamps to work in our apartment here!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
We've booked our first French vacation!!!
Robert came home from work the other day with a pamphlet of ski vacations that are offered through his Employee Club at a significantly reduced (company-subsidized) price. We both read it through, looked at each other, and said "Let's Go!". It is a one-week stay in an all-inclusive, absolutely beautiful ski resort in the Alps. It includes day care (and tons of activities for children ages 3 months and up - there are various different programs for kids in each age group), one week ski pass, equipment rental, all meals (and of course wine with every meal), skating rink, toboganning, tropican swimming pool, jacuzzi, nightly entertainment and accommodation. Andrew - this will be your first (of many) ski trips!
Yippee!
Yippee!
Monday, September 24, 2007
What I have learned in France...part 1
-that if you are standing at a bus stop waiting for a bus and you want to get on it, you must flag the bus driver like you are hailing a cab
-that an Americano cafe is NOTHING like an American coffee
-that the bread, wine and cheese is REALLY yummy
-that you find milk in the unrefrigerated section of the grocery store
-that if you order take-out pizza, you must ask for it to be sliced
-that common pizza toppings include tuna, eggs, anchovies, potatoes and NO pizza sauce
-that men (4 month old babies included) are required to wear a Speedo in the swimming pool (and you will be asked to exit the pool without one)
-that a woman with a bikini top on at the beach is a minority
-that French women are very skinny
-that nobody will give you a grocery bag at the store, let alone bag your groceries and push your cart to the car
-that it is an AMAZING place to raise children
-that there are a million and one vacation destinations within a short train ride or drive a way
-that healthcare costs are 100% reimbursed
-that a 3 or 4 week "holiday"/vacation is the norm and you take several throughout the year
-that you can be admitted, treated and discharged from a hospital without presenting any form of identification, let alone a checkbook
-that when you visit a pediatrician, he greets you at the front door, does the entire examination himself (i.e. weight/measurements/invoice, follow-up appointment booking included)
-that a "carte de sante" (health care booklet) is given to every child and is updated by the physician with every single medical visit until the age of 18
-that if your child is in need of a vaccination, then you must get the vaccine from a drugstore and bring it with you to the doctor
-that an Americano cafe is NOTHING like an American coffee
-that the bread, wine and cheese is REALLY yummy
-that you find milk in the unrefrigerated section of the grocery store
-that if you order take-out pizza, you must ask for it to be sliced
-that common pizza toppings include tuna, eggs, anchovies, potatoes and NO pizza sauce
-that men (4 month old babies included) are required to wear a Speedo in the swimming pool (and you will be asked to exit the pool without one)
-that a woman with a bikini top on at the beach is a minority
-that French women are very skinny
-that nobody will give you a grocery bag at the store, let alone bag your groceries and push your cart to the car
-that it is an AMAZING place to raise children
-that there are a million and one vacation destinations within a short train ride or drive a way
-that healthcare costs are 100% reimbursed
-that a 3 or 4 week "holiday"/vacation is the norm and you take several throughout the year
-that you can be admitted, treated and discharged from a hospital without presenting any form of identification, let alone a checkbook
-that when you visit a pediatrician, he greets you at the front door, does the entire examination himself (i.e. weight/measurements/invoice, follow-up appointment booking included)
-that a "carte de sante" (health care booklet) is given to every child and is updated by the physician with every single medical visit until the age of 18
-that if your child is in need of a vaccination, then you must get the vaccine from a drugstore and bring it with you to the doctor
-that 9 kilos (Andrew's current weight) is approximately 18 pounds
-that nobody in tech support for your internet services speak English
-that customer service calls are not free (including tech support for your internet services)
-that it is not uncommon to be on hold with customer service until your phone batteries die
-that customer service representatives, doctor's office receptionists, etc. answer phone calls by saying nothing but "J'ecoute" - translation = I'm listening!
-that you can go out to eat at 6:00 pm but you cannot order until 7:00, when the "kitchen" opens
-that the Early Bird menu ends at 8:00 pm
-that if the price of an item is 18 euros, then it will cost you exactly 18 euros, and there is no tax, gratuity, etc. added on later
-that 15 kilometres is still considered "walking distance" away
-that an "unfurnished" apartment includes NOTHING but the floors, the walls, and the kitchen sink. NO counters, cabinets, light fixtures, etc.
-that there are a ton of expats living here, always anxious to make new friends
-that there are a million other things I have yet to learn in France...
Do I miss working? Answer: Yes and No
In a rather philosophical, late night conversation I had with my sister Lo at the cottage this summer, we talked about how we would be remembered when we die and, among other things, including my sense of humour and crazy antics, she stated that I would be remembered as an excellent sister, daughter, aunt, mom and accountant. I've always been an ambitious type and achieving success in my career has always been high on my priority list. Despite all the partying I did in university, I worked my butt off to graduate at the top of the class. After having completed two full months of not working at all (in the workplace, that is), there have been days where I do miss working and the realization that I am far less exhausted from a day at the office, than from a day with my little Burbujitas. On the flip side, being there to hear each and every new syllable that comes from his mouth, to see and hear each and every smile and giggle, to comfort and snuggle him from each and every scary noise or sight, to kiss and cuddle the hurt away from a fall, or a bang on the head, and to watch him grow from an 8 pound little newborn to the toddler that he is becoming...well...that is worth all the paychecks, bonuses and pats on the back in the world. I am SO loving the playgroups, the songs, the little toys and games that make him burst into hysterics, and also meeting so many other wonderful moms who are sharing these same experiences. His personality is coming out more and more everyday...he is a sociable, flirtatious, curious, busy, strong, happy little soul... his face lights up when I enter the room and his lungs fire up when I exit! I realize that I have the rest of my life to work and only a few precious years at home with him. I still have my sights on completing some accounting certifications and courses...when time permits...and I hope that will help fulfill my "stimulation" needs. I can't say that I am missing the "adult" social interaction, thanks to the very sociable and friendly people I have already met, all ages, all nationalities.
Reasons for this blog
September 24, 2007
Although I thoroughly enjoyed making frequent entries into my online pregnancy journal, I have never before been very good at keeping up with a diary. I do love to write however, hence the frequent update emails to everybody I know (and their brothers!). It dawned on me that not only will Andrew not remember this most amazing time in his life, but lately, I can't even remember to bring home the groceries I just purchased at the grocery store. As a new mom, in a new country, there are way too many precious memories being formed everyday and I don't want them to escape me. Each 24 hour period is new to me, to Robert and to Andrew and I want to document this wonderful chapter in our lives and to share it with those who care to read it. This blog is meant to be a personal diary - a collection of thoughts - and will not be spell-checked, edited, or proof-read. It will reflect on recent experiences, Andrew's childhood, and my life in a foreign country as a new mom.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed making frequent entries into my online pregnancy journal, I have never before been very good at keeping up with a diary. I do love to write however, hence the frequent update emails to everybody I know (and their brothers!). It dawned on me that not only will Andrew not remember this most amazing time in his life, but lately, I can't even remember to bring home the groceries I just purchased at the grocery store. As a new mom, in a new country, there are way too many precious memories being formed everyday and I don't want them to escape me. Each 24 hour period is new to me, to Robert and to Andrew and I want to document this wonderful chapter in our lives and to share it with those who care to read it. This blog is meant to be a personal diary - a collection of thoughts - and will not be spell-checked, edited, or proof-read. It will reflect on recent experiences, Andrew's childhood, and my life in a foreign country as a new mom.
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