'If someone wants a sheep, then that means that he exists.' Antoine de Saint-Exupery, "The Little Prince"

The boy is getting really good at reaching for things. Not, however, to be confused with grabbing things, that skill is currently at only about 10% accuracy, though it's getting better quite quickly.

He loves this toy, and keeps trying to get his mouth around it. This is, mercifully, quite impossible as the top part spins and when he gets his mouth on it, it moves. Needless to say it's quite frustrating for him and I have to take the toy away after about 10 minutes because he really starts to wail.

To feed or not to feed is the question these days. Aidric's pediatrician says not til he's 6 months old. The French are watching with horror the obesity crisis in the US and so are holding back on starting babies on solids too soon, babies, they say, can get all of their nutrients with just breast milk/formula. Combine that with the increase in food allergies and you get some very cautious French pediatricians.

However, Sean is a stick and always has been and I was a cambodian boat child well into my 20's (Except for when I was pregnant) so I'm not too worried about the obesity thing. There are so many other factors to consider though, the varying opinions are mind boggling. And then if you decide to go ahead and introduce solids there are a plethora of opinions on what to start feeding first. Can I just say that I do not remember it being this confusing the first time around, or is J just lucky to be alive because I played it fast and loose while rasing her?

Aidric is doing plenty of traveling with us. We did a long weekend in Madrid a few weeks back and last weekend we visited Montpellier. We are suddenly very aware of how very little time we have left and Aidric's birth really threw a monkey wrench into our travel schedule. So we are getting in as many weekends away as possible while at the same time starting to make lists of things to sell, things to ship ahead, things to pack to take with and a whole collection of lists about the move itself.

Aidric is a stoic traveler, he takes it all in stride and seems to understand his parents manic love of seeing new places. Maybe he'll catch the bug too.
A view of Biaritz. Doesn't it look just like La Jolla! There were tons of American surfers there on this day.



The men in blue on the road to Madrid



There were 10 of these number sculptures, 0-9, and yes I made the boys take a picture in front of every one of them. I won't post them all though.



The Parque del Retiro is in downtown Madrid. The park is huge and has something for everyone. We took Aidric to the playground for his first trip down a slide.



Aidric kicking back in the hotel in Montpellier. It was darn near 90 outside and poor Aidric dind't know what to make of it. He was a cranky kid so we got back to the room and the air conditioning.

Leave the Gun. Take the Cannoli

Dear Big Sister J,

How you doin'? Thanks for the new sweats. I luv dem, and they fit me real good, know what I mean?

Ma says I look like a wise guy on the Sopranos...Does that mean she thinks I'm smart? I think I look real sharp.

Couldn't find my gold medallion, I think someone lifted it. Don't worry I'll find the guy and take care of him.

Love,

Big Aidric

Strong upward trend...

Reality check:

1 gallon = 3.78541 liters

1.45 €/liter x 3.78541 liters/gallon = 5.4888 €/gallon

1€ = $ 1.23

so...

1.23 $/€ x 5.4888 €/gallon = 6.75 $/gallon

That’s right folks, we're already paying almost $7.00 for a gallon of gas in France and that's only going to go up. See, that's really why 'French Women Don't Get Fat'. It's because they walk everywhere. Of course they do it with class and sophistication in their ultra-pointy-sure-to-give-you-bunions fancy shoes. But France is set up for that isn't it? Small town village feel with grocery stores and butchers’ and post offices all within walking distance. You take your little rolling grocery basket and head into town and do your banking and shopping and posting and then head home. A cardiovascular and weight bearing workout all in one 45 minute outing. Something to think about folks. I'm thinking of a slogan like "Feet! The alternate fuel!"

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I took Aidric to the doctor on Thursday for his first round of vaccinations. In France the doctor writes a prescription for the vaccinations and you pick them up at the pharmacy and bring them with you to the appointment. Also prescribed are little analgesic pads that you put on the area to be injected an hour before hand to numb the area. So a pain relieving pad on each thigh and Aidric was set to resume his long forgotten role as human pin cushion.

He still screamed bloody murder though. And they make you hold your kid while they needle him so he looks at YOU with that eloquent look that says "Mommy, how could you do this to me?" Quivering bottom lip in full pout and actual tears streaming down his adorable little face with that hurt, bewildered and unbelieving look in his eyes. It's enough to reduce any mortal to tears...so you know me, I was crying too while trying to tell him it was all alright. He didn't seem convinced by my unconvincing stab at bravery. All this to be repeated again next month.

Anyway, current Aidric stats: He now weighs 13 lbs 11 oz. this is a gain of 4 lbs. 12 oz. since birth. He is 24.4 inches long which is a gain of 3.6 inches. This places him in the 90% range for (French) boys his age for height and weight. He’s a big boy by French standards. You wouldn’t think he’d be this big if you judged him by how hard it is to get him to eat.

He’s like his mom, he just can’t be bothered to sit still for a meal, or rather how I was when I was growing up. Eating was too time consuming and I had better things to do. Like read!

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We're spending the afternoon out on the back porch today for the first time this season. S is asleep in my 'chaise longe' and Aidric is dozing in his swing. I'm sitting at the table typing this and soaking up my 10 minutes of vitamin D. Well, considerably more than 10 minutes from inception to post of this (and every other) blog entry, but considering how pasty the winter has made me, I could use the sunshine.







P.S. For those of you waiting for return e-mails I appologize, I'm working on it. Shelly, Pete, Em, Tris, Ky, Shannon and 'handsome stranger' I'm not ignoring you I swear. I still love you.

Long Live Whats-her-name!

So I have to say first of all, I don't know who invented the 'Cradle Swing' but whoever did deserves every penny of the millions she's surely made off of the idea.

When my mom was here she said we should get one, that it would free me up a bit and that Aidric would love it. I said I'd look into it and then fate came into play by way of S's co-workers who gave us some cash for a baby gift. So we went out on Saturday and we found a really nice swing from Fisher-Price.

It's the Ocean Wonders Aquarium Cradle Swing and it is fabulous! It plays music or ocean sounds or rain sounds or babbling brook sounds and it rocks side to side or front to back and it has six speeds and it has a mobile that lights up and turns AND Aidric loves it. He falls asleep in it and he likes watching the fishies turn on the mobile. It is the greatest thing since sliced bread I tell you.





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Daddy took Aidric to the park today for a guys bonding day out. As you can tell from the photos below Aidric was really impressed and had a great time ;)







I guess some people are just really hard to impress

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On Friday Aidric and I met my friend Ellian for lunch in downtown Toulouse. Friday was the first day of the Easter Holidays and starting at noon everyone was trying to get out of town. Traffic was IMPOSSIBLE and downtown was a sea of people.

Now, these days I hesitate to go out much because of having to tote the diaper bag and stroller and all the stuff that comes with traveling with a baby.

Our stroller is one of those all inclusive mondo strollers where the baby's car seat snaps into it so I don't have to take the baby out of one seat and transfer him to another. The thing is so big that it takes up most of the room in my trunk. The basket underneath carries the diaper bag and my purse with room to spare for shopping and it's double canopy keeps Aidric warm and out of the weather. It's heavy and cumbersome, but let me tell you that after Friday’s adventures I'll never complain about its size again.

We had a great time just bulldozing down the sidewalk behind the stroller. I tell you what, at one point I was cutting through the crowds like a hot knife through butter, I was making such good time that there was a another mom drafting me with her tiny umbrella stroller it was great.

Aidric loves company

Since birth Aidric (and Mommy) have had a string of visitors dropping in to tell Aidric how adorable he is and to help mommy deal with His Highness.



Many photos have been taken, here are some of Aidric and his adoring public.





Aidric's first visitor was his sister. She tried to take him home with her. Aidric adored her and I caught them whispering together several times. I just know that J was filling him in on all the things that drive mommy crazy. The two of them plotting against me and getting that brother/sister bond going.




Maggie came to say hello and...





...she brought Vincent with her. He was really, truly afraid to hold Aidric, but offered to teach him the finer points of rugby when he's older.





Grandma Rosella came for two weeks at the end of February. We dragged her away from Florida to the cold south of France to be with us. It was fun to have her around. Aidric enjoyed every moment of the attention and mommy appreciated the company.




Paula came by to meet Aidric and he fell absolutely in love with her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her even when we dragged him away from her, he continued to follow her with his eyes. S thinks it was Aidric's first crush, I think he was just drawn to the contrast of her dark hair and light skin; he still loves mommy best.




Mita came in mid March for a month of total spoiling. Aidric visited the doctor while she was here and was prodded and measured. By mid March he had gained 4 lbs. and grown 3 inches.

Mita brought along...



...Aunt Charlotte. Aunt Charlotte was great for horsey rides and rocking Aidric to sleep and taking care of the daily exercise sessions.

We visited a few sights in France and we went to Andorra. In the middle of the visit Mita and Aunt Charlotte went to Rome for a few days. They went home this morning and boy do we miss them. There is no one there to pick Aidric up at the first sound of a whimper and he's a little ticked about that. It'll be a few days of adjustment, at least I hope it's only a few days.




Daddy came home from two weeks in the US to find that baby 'Cal' was bigger and more alert than when he'd left. Aidric was so happy to see dad and enjoyed some quality time with him.




Currently accepting applications for position of spoiler in chief sooo...who's next?

Hello

Aidric sits in his little bouncy seat and watches me play on the computer. His hands are still too small to use the mouse, but we're working on it. I figure by 2 he'll be using the mouse and we can start working on his keyboarding skills. By 4 he'll be posting to his own blog.

I'm thinking of getting him his own iPod for his first birthday, and then maybe a Blackberry for his 2nd.

Too much?

Booger

When J was little I had a really cute nickname for her. Well, she doesn't think it was cute now, and I guess it wasn't terribly complimentary, but it was used with all the sentiments behind a mother’s pet name for her child. I won’t tell you what I used to call her though, because she would be embarrassed.

Anyway, I've been trying out some nicknames for Aidric but haven't quite hit upon the perfect one yet.

One of them is 'frog boy' on account of the way he looks when he lays on my chest with his little legs pulled up under him. He looks like one of those little rainforest tree frogs. See here is a picture of him at a few days old in his frog pose.



I know huh!!!!! What a cutie!!!!!

Yeah, well, anyway, ‘frog boy’ seems too long for a nickname. The other one I’ve been using is also too long, it’s ‘lizard boy’ because of the way he sticks his tongue out repeatedly when he’s hungry, as if he’s testing the air for the nearness of his next meal.

Of course there are always the obvious favorites like ‘Poopie Pants’ or the more generic ‘stinker’, but they seem to lack the cuteness and charm called for in a nickname, not to mention that, like J’s nickname, they’re not something you want to own up to when you get older.

Oh, well, I’ll keep looking.

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Sometimes when I’m feeding him or changing his diaper Aidric seems to focus on something just over my right shoulder. He coos at whatever it is he sees there and sometimes smiles or even laughs; sometimes he makes that knitted eyebrow concerned look too.

I imagine that he sees my grandmother there watching him from over my shoulder. When he laughs and smiles I imagine that she is singing that tune she used to sing to us when we were small, the one she sang to every baby she ever held. Do you know which one I mean?

When he gets that concerned look I think she must be doling out all of those words of wisdom she used to pepper us with as we were growing up.

I know she would have been absolutely nuts over Aidric and I’m sorry that she never new him or off him. And I’m sorry that Aidric will never really get to know her like all the rest of us did.

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I need an English speaking baby consultant. I mean if I need advice I can call the midwife who I went to for birthing training, but it’s hard to really ask questions and fully comprehend the answers in French.

Stuff like how do I get the little monster to burp? He hates to burp, it takes longer to burp the kid than it does to feed him. Is it normal for him to get so red in the face and work so hard to poop? While we were still in the hospital they insisted that I bathe the kid every day, but Margaret always told us that it was bad to bathe a kid every day because it dried out their skin to much, that every other day would suffice. Who’s right?

Do you think that Laverne would move to France to be my personal baby consultant/nanny?

Well, that’s all for now. I have to move quickly during the times that he sleeps. So much to do and so little uninterrupted time.

Dude!

Who knew that my best days would be spent in my favorite chair by the window watching the world go by with a baby sleeping on my chest for hours on end.

Who knew that a baby could produce something so foul smelling I want to call a haz-mat team to come deal with it.

Who knew I could talk non-stop to someone who's only response is to fall asleep in self defense.

Who knew you could fall so totally in love with one person so quickly.

Who knew you could fill a 256 MB memory card with pictures of one person in so little time.

Hello Everyone

Ta-da!