THE PARIS LETTER: The Whole Story

5 weeks old yeah!

Well, I’m back, and there’s a whole new person living in my house now. Her name is Sophia and I love her to pieces even though she’s been known to projectile poop on me. She is almost six weeks old, and while Matt and I are tired, we are pretty much thinking this whole parenting thing is one of the best ideas we’ve had.

I had a really tough labor and delivery, the subtitle of which could be “expect the unexpected”. The word I’ve used the most often to describe it is “insane” – this might be hyperbole (not something I’m a stranger to), but despite my best efforts at preparation the whole thing really threw me for a loop. I’m going to tell all here, because I need to both for my memory and for myself.  If you’re not into details you may want to skip this post, it is up to you. I will give you the short version now: Sophia is here and she is healthy and gorgeous. I had a difficult labor with a few complications but am on the mend, and both Matt and I are crazy in love with our little girl.

Okay, now all you people not into oversharing can go do the Sunday crossword or something –

For the rest of you, here is what happened, after the jump:

THE PARIS LETTER: Nesting...

37 Weeks preggo, with toys

Happy Fall Sunday everyone -

Paris has finally been visited by those sunny, crisp fall days that just make you want to walk by the Seine and stop in at a cafe to share a hot chocolate or a bottle of wine. It is just beautiful out, and today Matt and I are hopefully going on another date of sorts, if I can come up with some good ideas - I have two drawbacks currently: I can't walk much farther than 10 blocks at a stretch, and I don't have a coat that covers my bump - BUT hey, if I plan things right neither of these should really be a problem. I just have to build in plenty of places for us to stop ...

Right now, Matt is at an Irish pub watching the Rugby World Cup final - New Zealand and France battle it out!  Neither of us had ever watched rugby before, which is - apparently - a big sport in the rest of the world ;). New Zealand beat Australia last week; these are usually the two best teams, and nobody can understand how France made it into the final -not even the French!  Parisians are not really the most team-spirited in any case, but their response still seems to be "I don't know how Les Bleus are in the final, they are not a very good team" - and now they're playing the New Zealand All Blacks, the best team in the world.

THE PARIS LETTER: The Princess Phase

Hello All:

Sacre Coeur

Hmmm, let's see - it's been a pretty slow week for me here, as I guess befits the end of summer. Matt's really the one who has lots to report - he's been in New York this week dealing with our apartment there, handling the move out of the old tenants and the move in of the new ones, and making sure some minor repairs get done - plus, of course, eating a lot of barbecue and drinking a lot of beer. He actually told me last night that he's done with beer and hamburgers for a little while - like me, he gorged himself on them while in the US and now needs a break. Well, at least from the hamburgers ;) I'm not convinced he'll need much of a break from the beer.

THE PARIS LETTER: The Big Announcement

Hello all -

Yes, just in time for Mother's Day, we've got a big announcement to make - I'm PREGNANT. Otherwise known as - with child, knocked up, expecting, with bun in oven. I'm finally out of the first trimester, so we are letting more people know (though truth be told, some of you know already - I'm looking at you, Mom. Now you can start telling the neighbors...:) I just had my first sonogram this week, and the baby is moving around and waving its arms and legs, which is incredible considering he/she is still only about 3 inches long. I'm due around Thanksgiving, and Matt and I are both really happy and excited.

Also, I'm so happy to get to finally announce this in the letter, because there are so many funny stories to tell you that have come up in the last few months that I've been HIDING. Being pregnant for the first time is strange enough, and doing it in a foreign country brings with it all sorts of other new things that basically are hilarious - well, now they are. At the time, some not so much. But NOW - hilarious. A warning - as with lots of talk about pregnancy and such, there will be some personal stuff coming up. No, not that personal! But I will be talking about birthing centers and pregnancy tests and whatnot. Avert your eyes if you want.