Growing Up Too Fast!

I know, I know... He's only 8 weeks old. But I swear my little Oliver is HUGE! He had his two-month doctor's appointment today, and while at the hospital I saw a little three-week old baby, and I feel like my child is a giant now. I'm SO thankful that he's growing and healthy, but I'm SO sad that he won't ever be tiny again! Pathetic, right? So I've been going back and comparing his early pictures to his more recent ones...

Exhibit A: Oliver's adorably crooked nose, as seen on Day 2:

And another of him sleeping in his little swaddler on Day 2:

Exhibit B: Oliver (still adorable, mind you) with straight nose and swaddler... So big!

Next, Oliver with eyes open on Day 2:

And Oliver with eyes open just a few days ago. I'm loving how much more he is awake and alert now, but he seems so old!

Oliver making faces at his mommy on day 2:

Oliver making faces at his daddy the other day (notice the growing chub!!):

I know I'm biased, but could he be any more adorable?!?! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my child as he is now... But I miss him as he was. You can really see the difference in these pictures. Below is a shot of his "skinny-phase" while hanging out in his monkey seat:

And just the other day in the monkey seat (slightly out of focus, sorry):

Anyway, you can laugh all you want, but I'm sure there are some moms out there who can empathize with my semi-psychotic sadness at the growth of my child (despite utter joy at the same time, of course). If so, show me some support and tell me I'm not completely crazy!

Living in Paris... (Ups and Downs #1)

Has its perks. And its downsides. For example:

Perk #1: Today, July 14, is a national holiday - Bastille Day. And, rather than hanging out in some boring backyard (downside: we don't have backyards), we can picnic in the gardens of one of the most famous palaces in the world - Versailles.

Downside #1a: We didn't have July 4 (or 5th in the case of this year) off. For those of you who are feeling a bit slow today, we don't have Thanksgiving here either.

Downside #1b: It's raining, so instead of picnicking by the canal in the gorgeous palatial gardens, we are sitting in our living room watching the downpour.

Perk #2: It's July 14, and it's only 70 degrees outside.

Downside #2: Last week it was 90+ and Paris doesn't really believe in AC.

Perk #3: The metro system is fabulous.

Downside #3: I was sitting in one of the fold-down seats by the door on the metro the other day (it faces forward in the car, so the door was immediately to my right), and as we pulled into a station, I noticed a middle-aged guy in a blue polo stretching and scratching his hairy stomach (which happened to pudge past the top of his jeans a bit). I thought to myself, "Not so attractive, buddy; why don't you keep that to yourself?" He then got on the train one door behind me. As the train was moving, though, he made his way to the open area in front of me, faced the front of the train, and put his hand on the door handle, poised for a quick exit at the next stop. Then, for some reason that escaped me, he proceeded to bed forward... at the waist... far... with his back to me.... approximately 12" from my face... Wow. We're talking a good SIX INCHES of hairy crack. Seriously. All I could do was stand up so at least I was no longer eye-level with the thing. Thankfully, Oliver was sleeping; he doesn't need to see things like that. Neither do I, for that matter.

Perk #4: Boulangeries (bakeries) and tartes frambroises (raspberry tarts).

Downside #4: No Sonic ice. No slushes. Almost no ice period, for that matter. (And consider this in light of Downside #2 above.)

Perk #5: I get to shop in the shadow of the Eiffel tower twice a week, browsing BEAUTIFULLY fresh produce and meats. The guys at my charcuterie call out, "Oliver!" as I walk up, and one of them asks after my parents and brother whom he met when they visited. My fruit-stand man asks after "le bebe," and the Greeks running my veggie stand smile and look at him adoringly. I hear "Bonne journee" at least 5 times, and I walk home with deliciously flavorful food.

Downside #5: I'm not always sure what I'm buying when I shop. Thankfully, I have managed to avoid the pigs' feet and cow tongues so far, at least.

I'll try to keep you posted as I discover more... Maybe this will be a regular post: Ups and Downs. I've got good intentions, at least. :)

Dear Oliver...

In my current sleep-deprived state, I am sure there are many things that I am forgetting about these difficult but oh-so-special days, but here are a few I'd like to remember:

• the way you purse your lips when you're sleeping
• your terrible bald spots that make you look like the world's youngest monk
• the way you cross your eyes when trying to focus really hard on something
• your silky smooth skin, especially on your back
• the way you calmed down and fell asleep instantly when I picked you up last night... despite the screaming you were doing before that
• how afraid I was when you weren't gaining weight... and my current inability to hide your double chin in most photos
• the way you open your mouth and lean forward as soon as I start to sing "patty-cake"
• your awkward, bowl-legged "walk" when Daddy holds your arms
• the way you look me straight in the eye and talk to me
• your love of the Moby
• how I can be so frustrated that you won't go to sleep and then you smile, and all I can do is laugh
• the amazement on your face when you figured out that kicking your legs makes the monkeys move on your bouncer
• how STINKIN' CUTE you are!!!

Proof of the last one:

Ownby Visit: Day 7

Our last day of touring took us outside the city to a small town which has been the location of many a pilgrimage for almost 800 years - Chartres. Chartres is a charming town which was important in the 1200's and 1300's because of its magnificent cathedral. It was a PERFECT day with perfect weather, and the town was perfectly charming.

Unfortunately, the cathedral's face was covered with scaffolding (and the sound of construction heard within the church didn't really enhance the ambiance), but the church was fascinating nonetheless.
Inside, the cathedral had much of the grandeur of Notre Dame de Paris (see previous post) without much of the touristy-trap feeling.
The stones in the floor possessed a labyrinth: a spiritual journey, often done on the knees of the pilgrim, to reach the center of the maze.
The light streaming through the windows was breathtaking (view this picture larger to see the actual beams of light coming from the center window).
The church was built to house "Mary's Veil," supposedly the clothing worn by Mary when giving birth to Jesus (and housed in the wooden altar below). After a recent birth myself, all I can say is YUCK.
The stone choir screen was so intricately carved.
And displayed many scenes from scripture, including this one of Simeon's celebration and prayer over the dedication of Jesus at the Temple.
We enjoyed a lovely lunch outside a cafe in the shadow of the cathedral. Really, the weather was INCREDIBLE.
And the flowers in the town were gorgeous, as well... Couldn't complain!
We ended the evening back in Paris with a visit to our favorite Creperie, a small restaurant in the shadow of Les Invalides (about a 10 minute walk from our apartment). As we realized that we had not taken a single picture of all 5 of us during the entire trip, sweet Chris took one for us.
And then he snapped this fabulous picture of my mother - is she gorgeous or what?!?!?!
You'd think that more than a week of 6 people (including a newborn) in a two-bedroom, 850 square-foot apartment would be tough. Maybe a little tension, frustration, or boredom. But no, we had a FABULOUS time. My only complaint concerning their trip is that they had to leave! :-( I miss them already!

Ownby Visit: Days 5-6

So anyone who knows how to count has probably realized that my previous post about this trip (Ownby Visit: Days 1-3) was actually FOUR days; my apologies. We turn now, therefore, to day 5 of the trip. It was Sunday, their last day to be able to use their 4-day museum pass, and use it they did.

The day began with a return to Les Invalides (Napoleon's tomb) for my mother and father; my mom simply could not leave Paris without paying her respects to the little man. Richard and I, however, took a trip to the Orsay Museum, home of French art from about 1850-1920... Most importantly, that includes the Impressionists. Unfortunately, they have changed the rules since I was last there, and photographs are not allowed. Richard and I managed to slip this one in before scary lady (entering picture stage right) scolded us. And my parents joined us there when finished at Invalides.
I then headed home to relieve Chris and feed Oliver, and my parents and brother continued on to visit the Medieval Museum, home of the famous Unicorn Tapestries. That was a highlight of the trip, especially for my dad, as the Unicorn Tapestries were a favorite of my grandmother, his mom, who passed away earlier this year.

That evening (after church which meets in the afternoon), we visited one of our favorite Paris restaurants: Carmine's, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. They have great food, friendly service, and a comfortable atmosphere; what more could you ask for??
The following day (yes, that's right, day SIX), we toured Montmartre, the Bohemian capital of the worlds of art and music. L'Eglise du Sacre Coeur (Church of the Sacred Heart) tops the hill with its white-domed majesty.
The windy streets are full of artists, creperies, and tourists.
This scene happens to be a famous painting by Utrillo (minus my family, of course), an impressionist artist who specialized in scenes of Montmartre. Apparently, this "free spirit" (i.e. drunk) artist once exposed himself to passersby and claimed, "I paint with this!" Just a fun fact...
One of only two windmills left in the Montmartre area and the scene of Renoir's famous painting.
The other windmill still standing in Montmartre, one familiar to many thanks to Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
That afternoon, we walked a little in my neighborhood, making a necessary stop at Cafes Richard, where we bought my brother a little espresso cup bearing his name.
This is the same street (the major one that runs behind our neighborhood); it is one this street that I do most of my daily shopping, etc.

It was such a joy to share those things with my family, especially the stuff close to home for me. After 25 years of living so close to my family, it's been strange these past six months that everything I do is foreign to them: they didn't really know what my apartment looked like (pictures can only do so much); they had never seen my neighborhood; they had never shopped where I shop weekly, and it's all in a different language! It can make a girl feel a little lonely sometimes... But no longer! It was FABULOUS to share it with them. One more post on their trip coming soon...

6 Weeks

So I am just now sitting down to eat my dinner which I fixed (and was hot) almost 2 1/2 hours ago... The joy of adjusting to life with a little one. However, despite the fact that it is sometimes very difficult, I am so pleased to rejoice today that Oliver is 6 weeks old. That's right, he was born 6 weeks ago to the day (and almost to the hour, as he was born at 8:57 and it is now 8:58 by my clock... crazy!).

Anyway, here is our precious boy just two days ago, smiling up at his Nana (who, I'm sad to say, flew back to Houston today... pray for me!!):

Ownby Visit: Days 1-3

Ah Paris! I love to play tour guide to this magical city, alive with history, art, architecture, beauty, culture, and interest. And, for the record, Rick Steve's Paris is my favorite trusty guidebook when a little extra help is needed (no contest - it's fabulous!). So, as you can imagine, I was determined to show off my beloved city to my father and brother upon their visit, and I cannot tell you how cooperative Oliver was in allowing me to do so. In fact, he helped to establish a very comfortable pace for us, and the result was a wonderfully memorable trip. There are way too many pictures for one post, so I have three coming...

They arrived Wednesday, and we spent the day taking a walk to Invalides (Napoleon's tomb) and visiting boulangeries (an activity that carried over to each day of our trip) - a very slow, comfortable day to allow them to overcome jet lag. Thursday morning, though, we started bright and early with a visit to my spectacular neighborhood market (see Shopping: Parisian Style for more on the market). And my fellow-foodie family members loved it, of course.
Next stop: Rodin Museum, home of The Thinker and many of his other works, housed in his old mansion and beautiful gardens.
Right next door to Rodin is the gold-topped Les Invalides, wherein reside the bones of a short man with his hand in his coat.
Unfortunately, my mother, Oliver, and I did not get to pay our respects to that little man that day because we had to attend my mother's doctor's appointment, which brings us to our drama of the week. To make a long story short, my mother had a little cuticle infection (the kind you normally treat with a little neosporin and it goes away in a few days), which progressed into a major tissue infection and had to be addressed with surgery. We were only slightly concerned when the redness did not go away after a few days, but when the skin turned white, then black, and she started having chills... Anyway, we called a doctor to the house (pretty cool system they have here - you can get a house call within 10 minutes at 11 pm), and he set up an appointment at the Victor Hugo Hand Clinic, which is where my mother and I went that afternoon. Once there, the doctor said she had to have major surgery to remove all the infected tissue, so we were at the hospital until about 11 that night, and mom finally left with a major bandage, her arm numb up to her elbow, and painkillers with caffeine and opium... Quite an adventure!

The following day (after her appointment back at the hospital to have her bandages changed), we tackled the Arc de Triomphe (Napoleon's need to compensate for something), Champs Elysees (with fashionable Parisian shopping and great people watching), Place de La Concorde (where Lady Guillotine made thousands one foot shorter during the revolution), Tuileries Gardens (former royal gardens now public park), the Orangerie Museum (home of Monet's famous Waterlilies), and the Louvre. That spectacular day was perfect: tons to see and do, but at a slow enough pace not to collapse at the end. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera that day...

Saturday was another fun-filled day that began with a visit to the Latin Quarter for some Pita Grec (delicious and cheap! Greek pitas that we discovered on our trip in 2008).
After lunch, we crossed the Seine to Notre Dame - probably the most famous Gothic cathedral in the world.

Though we did not see any hunchbacks, I had a blast playing with my new camera - its ability to take pictures in low light astounds me!
Though not photographed nearly as often, I love the back of the cathedral with its characteristic flying buttresses.Across the street from Notre Dame is a moving memorial in honor of the 200,000 French deported and killed by the Nazis.
A view of Notre Dame from the other side of the river, the Left Bank.
On the Left Bank reside the bouquinistes, green stalls selling used books and tourist items right on the bank of the Seine, where they have been for hundreds of years.
We also visited a little park across the river from Notre Dame, home of the oldest living resident in Paris: a tree planted in the early 1600's. My parents are ADORABLE, no? And hilarious looking with their various medical equipment.
Of course every English teacher and book lover must visit the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore, the haunt of the likes of Ernest Hemingway and other American ex-patriots of the Lost Generation.
Back to the Latin Quarter for ice cream, where my mother, holding my dad's cane while he orders ice cream, looks like she was hit by a bus:
Still enjoying ourselves after hours of sightseeing, we rested outside another Gothic church in the area while Chris fed Oliver.
And we ended our little tour at the Place St. Michel, with the beautiful fountain showing St. Michael's defeat of the devil.

From there, my parents and brother went on to visit St. Chapelle, a beautiful 13th century chapel with stained glass telling the story of the whole Bible, while Chris and I took Oliver home. Quite a start to their visit!!