Moving

Sorry, blogger, but the time has come to leave you. So, avid readers, set your bookmarks to my new address:

C'est ma vie

I was tired of not being able to easily put links in my blogs, and Typepad seems more non-computer literate friendly for people like me. It might take some time for me to get everything up and running such as layouts and the sidebar, but I'll be posting regularly and no longer using this address. Enjoy!

Lucky?

I've been complaining of being tired because Louise gets me up at around 3 or 4 am and then around 7 or 8 to eat, but all she does is eat, go back to sleep, and that's it and in between feedings I am getting 3-4 hours of sleep. I read a recent blog entry about a couple with a newborn who only got 20 minutes of sleep because their daughter didn't want to go back to sleep. And, I've read all these articles about driving baby around in the car, sitting baby on the washing machine on spin cycle, using a swing, rocking baby and I am thinking- why? With Gab and Louise we have never had to do any of those things, in fact, Louise doesn't like the car so much, but now I know why all of these tactics were invented and we are just pretty lucky to not have to use them. We'll get our revenge, I'm sure...probably when the kids are teenagers or with the 3rd one who will probably keep us up all hours of the night but for right now, I am going to look at the bright side of Louise not doing her nights because to some, she is doing her nights, so it could be much worse.

"You are fighting too loudly"

Etienne and I are, let's say, choleric. When we disagree about something, we let it out (usually try and do it when the kids aren't around) and rather loudly because we are both passionate people whose nerves can run on the short end. Then, when it's all let out, it's over, we've said what we need to say and we move on and make peace.

Last night, or yesterday morning, at 2 am, Etienne came home with Gab from his trip to Nancy. Gab didn't want to go to bed because he had slept in the car and thought it was morning, so we had to leave him in his room to throw a temper tantrum. I was half asleep because Louise had woken me up at 1 am and I had just gotten back to sleep when they got home, and Etienne was very worn out from his drive and tiring weekend. When he told me "There is still stuff in the car to get, but since you never clean up the car anyway, I'll get it tomorrow" or something along those lines, it just rubbed me the wrong way and I went off at him. So, we ended up having a heated debate. BUT I must admit that I didn't think that debate was as loud as we have been known to be- until our neighbor from the 10th floor paid us a visit today.

I get a knock on the door, 'Hi I'm your neighbor from the 10th floor'. That's nice of her to come and introduce herself, I am thinking. 'And last night at 2 am I heard a cry from your apartment and your son was throwing a fit too'. That's funny, I thought, I don't remember crying out last night, even though I did remember Gab throwing a very loud fit, so I apologize to her saying that our son is going through the terrible twos stage right now and that we will try and calm him down. 'No' she says 'It was you and your husband's fighting that woke my whole family up and that's the second time since you've moved here, if this is going to become a habit, then I am going to have to file a complaint with the company that manages the building.'

How embarassing is that to have someone come to your door, and have them tell you that they think that basically you are a dysfunctional family? And what's all this stuff about the second time? I am usually in a coma by 10 pm every night from fatigue, so I never remember quarrelling at 2 am before last night. I can understand how Gab's tantrum, which was totally exterior to Etienne's and my fight, mixed with our debating probably sounded. And, honestly, I don't remember being loud because while Etienne and I were talking, yelling, debating, quarrelling whatever you want to call it, Gab did happen to fall asleep, so it can't have been too loud. Besides we're humans, married humans that find it healthy to debate a little from time to time, but we're also healthy married humans that live in Paris, and in Paris, you have neighbors. Guess we'll have to revamp our debating tactics- either that, or find another place to have heated discussions. And if she thinks that was bad, we just better not have Etienne's mom over here because when they get into a debate, I run for cover.

Inventory

To come back to my last post, this is just to give you an example. This morning I decided to do an inventory of the most recent gifts we've acquired, mostly being clothes, so that I don't get lost on who we need to thank and who gave what. Out of 7 outfits that Louise received, 4 of them I am putting aside and keeping with the tags because more than likely they won't fit when the time comes for her to wear them or they are already too small. Is it because Louise is a girl that I am running into this problem and people just see adorable girl stuff and buy it without thinking about sizes and seasons? Because I seriously did not run into this problem with Gab and for the most part seasons and sizes were respected. And I am complexed about this situation because I feel badly regifting 4 adorable outfits that were meant for Louise. Should I tactfully tell the people who gave them that I don't think Louise will be able to fit into them? I don't want to make anyone feel badly but at the same time I feel really badly about people spending the time to pick out a gift and then not using it. If you have any experience on this, then comments are welcome!

Baby Gifting 101

People, when you are going to buy a baby gift of clothes, please, please, please, keep a couple of things in mind because it will save the mother a lot of uneasiness when she has to regift those precious garments that would have looked so cute on her little angel, had it been the right season.

First, sizing ain't what it seems. 0-3 months is closer to 1 month, 3-6 months actually means 3 months and so on for most babies. Surprisingly, most babies are ahead one size, meaning that at 6 months, Gab was wearing 9 months, 12 months he was wearing 18 months etc... More than likely, a newborn is going to stay in pyjamas a lot that first month and barely have time to wear her three month clothes. Louise got so many precious 3 month outfits that I'm afraid she won't be able to wear all of them because she is growing so fast. A new mother will appreciate bigger sized clothing and I'm talking 18 months and 24 months.

This is where the tricky part comes in. The season. If you are buying 18 month clothing you can expect to calculate what season the child will be in when he/she is one and please do not think they are going to wear 12 months when they are one! I know the sizing is deceiving but that's the way it is.

I ran into this problem less with Gab than I am now with Louise. Etienne brought a whole car full of gifts home from his family and they are all clothes. Granted, I said that we don't have many 12 month items and that's what I needed and granted, it is the beginning of winter so those are the types of clothing found now, and I know the intention is there, but use your brains people! She will be one in September, so I am thinking the wool sweater and cardigan that go with the long sleeve shirts and pants that are as adorable as anything, by the way, might not fit her at all in the right season unless she grows exponentially this winter or unless we have a blizzard in the months of June/July/August next year because they are sized 12 months. Etienne said I should have told his aunt, but that would have hurt her feelings I think and it's just not something you say to someone. Besides it wasn't just her, it was also her daughter-in-law and they both went out together and bought these outfits. We also got another winter outfit size 12 months from one of his friends. All 3 might be cases for regifting, which I hate to do, but what can you do? And, then the new mother, who asks for clothes when people inquire what she needs, ends up with nothing in the end because of the season/size difference.

So, this is your lesson from Baby Gifting 101: If you want the baby you intend the gfit for to actually wear your gift and not end up on someone else's baby, do a little math first. And, if in doubt, there's always the excellent idea of a gift certificate. Unfortunately, though, that idea hasn't so much made it across the Atlantic yet.

Back to Ballet

I no health freak by any means. If there's no one to cook for, I've been known to munch on chocolate the whole day. But, I do like to exercise because I like the feeling it provides. During my pregnancy, I had to stop pretty much any form of exercise because of all the complications and now, seeing that a lot of my clothes don't fit and I have 2 kilos or about 5 pounds to really lose, I am itching to get back into some sort of activity. Running is something I really enjoyed after I had Gab and we had a huge park where I would go every morning during the week before Gab and Etienne were up. These more intense workouts will probably have to wait, though, until my body gets a little more in shape after the delivery. Until then, I am going back to ballet. I have the New York Ballet Workout and being an active dancer in high-school, college, and even in Paris my first couple years here with jazz classes in the Marais, it's a treat to be able to exercise and dance at the same time. Along with this, I am really going to try and eat healthier, at least until I lose a couple pounds!

I Heart Fall

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. One good thing about living in France is that you really get the 4 seasons here. I remember in Oklahoma that sometimes the Fall and Winter would be on the meager side and mixed with summer like weather whereas here, you really get a taste of each season. After our typical indian summer in September, the weather is starting to cool down and we're getting a taste of autumn. This means pumpkin soup, bringing out the cinnamon spice candle to make the apartment smell like the season, Loreena Mckinnett (I know, I'm a geek, but it just makes me feel cozy), and a lot more motivation to sit with a good book or New Yorker or knit with a cup of tea or coffee at hand.

The good news is that FINALLY we are making, or Etienne has made, plans to start hauling stuff to his mom's in Normandy. Basically we lost motivation to finish our apartment because 1/ Our landlord has not given us back the 3000 deposit from our old apartment and that's another post in itself, so we don't have any money to buy our new bed and other random furniture, for example and 2/ We literally have enough stuff to fill a basement sitting in the middle of our living room (in other words, there are hideous and dangerous pieces of furniture that both I and Etienne's mom have pleaded him to get rid of, we have 5, yes 5 old Macs sitting there too as well as boxes full of printers from 20 years ago, old gas cans etc... that Etienne insists on keeping) I say fine, but get it out of our apartment! We have probably 3 good trips to make, but the big stuff is officially going on Wednesday- yay! Maybe soon we will actually be able to get to our balcony and enjoy it.

Etienne and Gab get back tonight, Louise and I are just going to chill today, maybe take a walk and enjoy the weather, read, knit and be merry.

Girl's Weekend In

It seems like we have been running to get to so many places lately in our lives and we just can't seem to get there. Our list of things to do just keeps getting bigger, more boxes get moved around and piled up rather than put away, the studying for PhD exams is just not happening even though I was supposed to use this free time to do at least some work, and our work in this apartment has more or less stopped since Louise was born, making it liveable but almost unbearable. We haven't even planned our trip to the US, my Christmas knitting projects are just not taking off as planned, and there are so many things to be done that my mind just can't get it organized. Where has all of our time gone?

That's why Louise and I needed a girl's weekend in, and Etienne recognized this need. We planned a trip to his hometown of Nancy this weekend, but since Etienne will be doing research on his family with his uncle, he offered to keep Gab and have me take the train back to Paris with Louise so that I can relax and do whatever I want, meaning sleeping when the baby sleeps instead of having to go get Gab or make dinner or do laundry. Besides a knitting session tomorrow with the KNOTS gang, my plans include sleeping, sleeping, sleeping, and maybe watching a movie or two- and all of that with my little Louise hanging out with me. I'm introducing her to knitting early in her young life.

Great

After some grueling internet research, now I know why the doctor seemed so uncomfortable giving Louise's shot today and why it was different than when Gab had his. This is a new version of the vaccination that came on the market in 2006, the old method not meeting international standards. Doctors have to have special training in administering this new version, as the needle is just barely under the skin, and apparently, it's such a hard shot to give that if it is given too deep under the skin, it will cause an abscess that has caused many young children to end up in the hospital for surgical removal. AND apparently it's normal for a little ball of hard skin to form where the shot was given about a month later and sometimes, an ulcer forms and puss pours out, which is supposed to be normal. Some doctors even refuse to give this vaccine, but mine didn't say anything because it was the hospital who had given me the prescription, so I just showed up at his office with it. Great, another thing to worry about during our trip to the US, my little girl with a 1 cm ulcer on her skin that is supposed to be normal. By the way, France is one of the few countries that requires this vaccination to enter daycare or school, whichever comes first, even though its efficiency hasn't been proven.

Louise's New Ride

Louise's New Ride
Originally uploaded by afoos.

I'm a big Maclaren fan. In Paris, it's a necessity because it's one of the few strollers that fits through the metro turnstills and in the narrow rows of the bus not to mention how easily it manoeuvers through the airport. I had made a mistake when we bought Gab's Maclaren 2 years ago and didn't get the one that reclines. When I saw this one on sale for 99 euros, I quickly decided to sell Gab's old one on ebay and get this since Gab will quickly grow out of a stroller. The baby carrier is nice, but for these next couple months I wanted something to be able to run errands in our neighborhood. Now, they say "from 3 months and up", but with a snugly for her head and the seat in the reclined position, Louise is fine and doesn't complain, as you can see from the pic. Anyway, all that to say that I highly recommend this brand of stroller for new parents- it's compact, light, and goes anywhere.

The Worst Trip to the Doctor Ever

Gab was scheduled for a vaccination, Louise was too, so I decided to take them both this morning on the way to drop off Gab at daycare. It's really difficult to find a doctor you like and feel comfortable with. I found a great one in our old neighborhood- he's young and just starting his practice, sometimes a little forgetful, but he's not the brush-off, snobby Parisian doctor you often find. He has a human touch and has been seeing Gab ever since he was 8 months old. I told Etienne that trying to find a doctor around here is going to be difficult because we live in a rather snobby neighborhood. So, we both agreed that this year at least while I take the kids to the daycare which is on our old side of town, I could do the usual appointments with him and then if a kid is sick and I'm not going on that side of town, I'll find someone here.

At 8:15 this morning we loaded up the van, but I should have known that when it rains, the traffic is always bad, so we didn't get there until 9:30! The doctor is on a walk-in basis from 9 to 10:30, so we waited our turn and finally got in at 10 (the time when I was supposed to have Gab at the daycare). Gab got his shot in the butt, only cried for a brief second then got over it. Then, it was Louise's turn and man, I do not remember it being this bad with Gab. She was up for her BCG, or controversial anti-tuberculosis shot that doesn't exist in the US. Since she's entering the daycare December 4, we had to get it done now. The doctor kept saying this shot is really difficult and badly made, but I just thought it was going to take a second like Gab's did. He told me to hold her arm steady, which I thought was strange because I don't remember it being in the arm with Gab, or was it, I don't know. He proceeded to administer the vaccination inside the arm between the wrist and the elbow. I am sitting there holding Louise's arm, keeping an eye on Gab who was getting into everything and the shot just went on and on, I swear for at least a minute. Louise was screaming, and I thought the doctor had messed up or something, but no, it's just a really long shot. At the same time I am feeling really faint and saying to myself, is it over yet? I can't imagine how poor Miss Bliss was feeling! Finally, it was finished, both Louise and I had to lay down on the table, and the doctor tells me that with this shot, she might very well get an infection because it's so difficult to heal. I am not allowed to put any bandages or alcohol on it to heal and must avoid getting her arm wet during bathtime. And, the poor thing is not in her best mood today. I haven't mustered up the courage to look at her arm, in fear that I will faint, but it sounds bad. Well, after having a needle in a tiny arm for at least a minute (it really was a minute, I kid you not), it can't look pretty.

Finally, at 11 am we got in the car, got to the daycare at 11:30 and Louise is screaming out of starvation. What a morning! The next time, I am taking each kid individually- I think the doctor will appreciate that too- he was a little stressed having the two kids at once- Louise screaming and Gab about to pull down his blinds in the office saying "Bye Bye" ever 5 seconds because he wants to leave. I'm glad to be home!

Catching up on some ZZZs

Catching up on some ZZZs
Originally uploaded by afoos.

Going Home Without a Home

For the first time, when we go to my hometown of Bartlesville, OK, we are going to have to get a hotel room. That feels weird. I grew up from the age of 3 until leaving for college in this small oil town of 35,000. During my first year of college, my parents got transferred to Houston, then to Saudi Arabia, then back to Houston, now they live in Dubai. My grandmother stayed in Bartlesville, and my grandparents' house was just as much our home situated only a half a mile from our house. I would go back and visit her often during college and then when Etienne and I came back with Gab in 2004, we stayed with her. But, last year she sold her house and moved into an apartment in a retirement community. It's as if a chapter has been closed on my life and going back to Bartlesville will never be the same. Although we are planning on staying 3-4 days to visit my grandmother, we are going to be just as much tourists now, seeing things from the outside in an unoriginial hotel room rather than from inside a cozy cocoon called home. I am dreading the day when we'll have no reason to go back- will Gab and Louise ever know where their momma grew up? People are all about moving and leaving things behind, changing jobs, going from city to city, state to state, country to country, but what about roots?

Our trip will be 3 weeks long- we leave October 25 and come back November 19. Land in Houston, rest a couple days, then get mom's minivan and head up North to Oklahoma, Kansas, and then Wisconsin to visit relatives up there. We are looking forward to it but haven't even had time to sit down and plan who we are going to see and when! Hopefully, we'll get to it this week.