Rdv with the clinic's sage femme

She seemed nice but stressed me out a little by saying that I should have contacted her earlier to do all of my labor-prep courses with her. Of course, I DID contact her 3 weeks ago so if I'm starting later than I should it's only due to her poor scheduling. So basically every day next week I get to learn how to souffler and pousser correctly. I also got my packing list of what I'm supposed to bring "in a small suitcase". This is an incredibly detailed list; I don't think I take this much stuff with me when I travel to the States. In fact I know I leave my rectal electronic thermometer (for me) at home.

I'm going downtown to get the last of these must-haves-for-the-clinic and will pack our suitcase tonight. Not much longer...

*souffler blow; pousser push

More info on Boo's OB

Dr. Lefevre is apparently the best! At dinner last night I met someone else who's last two kids were delivered by her and had nothing but good things to say about her -- very reassuring, talking you through everything in the delivery room, fantastic on follow-up, and very attentive to the comfort level of the future father. I'm not too worried about labor itself (drugs and the thought of seeing Boo help with the anxiety) but I don't want Thomas to be traumatized by what he thinks he might see or be asked to do. I keep telling him that I don't want him to deliver the baby himself (that's what our taxes are paying an expert to do) but just to be there for Boo and Mom.

Checklist for the countdown

Stroller - yes
Cradle - yes
Baby carrier - yes
Car seat - yes
An insane amount of 0-3 month baby clothes - yes
Johnson's baby shampoo - NOT TO BE FOUND

I'm sure the French have something that will work just as well but there's no way I can use Boo as a test subject for some unknown product. Her dad and I will sacrifice our eyes until we find something that truly is "tear free".

Such little socks!

Laundry and rangement has started for little Boo. I had to go to three different markets before I found the "correct" soap to wash baby clothes with. And now I'm stressing about the layers of clothes I'm supposed to dress Boo with at the maternite -- here they tell me to use a kimono bodysuit, a sweater, socks, all covered by a one-piece footie and a hat. And that for the first three months baby always has to be very well covered (at least one more layer than what I'm wearing). In my American books they say that the "adjustment period" lasts only a short period of time (no sweaters needed) and that I can quickly dress the Boo "appropriately". What's a new Mom to do? Trust my instincts and listen to my mom, I suppose.

Association La Peau du Ventre Bien Tendue

Yummy... this picture from our day of making homemade pate with our group of crazy food-frenzy friends. The finished product was much more appealing but this makes for a better posting. 

Trop bon...

I opened the windows to the smell of fresh baking bread this morning. Qu'est-ce que j'aime ce pays!

There will be no Baby Shower

Don't be disappointed, but there won't be a baby shower announcement in your inbox any time soon. It's just not something that's done here, much to the surprise of the American girlfriends I had tea with yesterday. You still get tons of presents when the baby arrives but you don't have to suffer through the stupid games associated with such social gatherings. And truth be told, I have a lot of stuff for Boo thanks to hand-me-downs and the early presents that have already arrived. I'm having fun looking for the things that we still need on ebay (car seat, baby bouncer) and the toiletries I'll pick up at the pharmacy next week.

Random thoughts

I had to take my wedding and engagement rings off. My hands are a bit swollen and it was either that or risk having them cut off at a later date. I suppose it's just as well because the clinic doesn't allow jewelry in the delivery room. Still, it was a heart-breaking experience and I can't stop thinking that my left hand looks like it's missing something.

I've also noticed some unconscious modifications of my behavior. I only wear shoes that don't have laces because, let's face it, I can't reach my feet without crushing Boo, having a contraction, and getting all out of breath. Look at the previous post regarding my yoga pants and you can imagine how sexy Thomas must find me these days. I now have small 90 year-old women walking faster than me on Cours Portal when I do my shopping. I bet they'd pass me on our stairs too because I sure don't run up-and-down like I once did. Picking things up off the floor just doesn't happen as often as it used to and, on those rare occasions when it does happen, it involves grunting and precarious postures. And last but not least, my belly button is rapidly disappearing and Thomas checks its effacement every night. (I secretly believe he thinks my water will break at the precise moment that my belly button turns inside out but he won't admit to that.)

Boo's stats with two months to go

Boo
weight 2kilos (4.63 lbs)
head to toes 40.5cm (15.49 inches)

Me
weight 70kilos (154 lbs)
waist size 100cm (39.37 inches)

It never seems like much until I do the conversion. I'm still within a healthy range of weight but I now understand why I'm getting such good use out of my lycra yoga pants.

3rd trimester sonogram

All's well with Boo -- the right size, the right position, incredibly active. Both the sage femme and the radiologue were both surprised at how much Boo was moving during the examinations. I don't think Boo liked their wands because he would either wiggle out from under the pressure or simply push it away with a knee or a foot. The doctor thought it was funny but he wasn't the one getting his insides pushed around.

Dayroom Yellow

The first coat of paint is finished in Boo's future room. It's a beautiful yellow from http://www.farrow-ball.com/ that has managed to bring a lot of light into an otherwise dark room. It was definitely worth splurging on! It feels good to finally be making some progress on Boo's room... only two months to go!

To celebrate we're going to head over to the Colbert outdoor market and take advantage of the beautiful sunshine to have oysters and white wine as our pre-lunch apero. Later tonight we're going to the grandparent's house for tripe (Thomas' making it as a special birthday dinner for his Papa) and the Lyon-Bordeaux football game. Not my ideal Sunday evening but Francesca promised to make something special for the two of us for dinner and I do enjoy the end of the match when the soccer players take off their shirts and run around the field...

Why I love being a piétonne

If I had a car, I would miss out on so many things. For example, today on the tram I saw one of the cutest kid-parades ever. (That's when I call a group of schoolchildren walking in two straight lines with adult supervision to a museum, the park or just to gym class.) This was a group of about 15 kids, all about 5 or 6, accompanied by their maîtresse and two assistantes maternelles, that got on just after I did. All of them were busily chattering away and trying to find seats with their friends while not getting too far away from the adult supervision. One little girl sat down next to me and asked, "Are you having a baby or are you just grosse like my aunt?" with all the charm of an innocent 6 year-old. I told her that I was having a Boo and quickly found myself surrounded by 4 of her friends all talking about their little siblings and asking me all sorts of questions. It didn't last too long, however, because we were on a particularly squeaky tram that sent the whole group of them into a fit of giggles anytime we took a turn. On a grey day like today, a kid-parade like that kept me smiling all afternoon.

*piétonne pedestrian, maîtresse teacher; assistantes maternelles teacher's aides; grosse fat

One for the politicians

They came to an agreement! For once I'm thankful for the "negotiating" done by our elected representatives.

Thomas arrived from New York yesterday morning. After a bisou de bonjour, I promptly handed him a roller and showed him how he was going to help me with the second coat of paint in Boo's room. I did placate with the promise of a lunch featuring a cut of the 20 kilos of fresh meat in our freezer, salad and his favorite cheeses, all accompanied by freshly baked bread from our local bakery. It can be so easy to motive him!

*bisou de bonjour hello kiss