Emma's 1st Bolder Boulder

I was going to write about my balcony garden success, but then it hailed the other night and I am still assessing the damage...so, I thought I would write about the Bolder Boulder that Gregory, Emma and I ran today!

I have another Bolder Boulder under the belt. This one I can classify as a huge success! No, I did not PR or set any course records. I actually ran the whole way with a 5 yr old boy and his mom. So why would I be so happy about this BB?

1. I finished
2. I did not pee in my shorts
3. I did not go into labor

10 km at 7 months pregnant (8 months for moms who really know this process is 10 months!) is no easy task! There are so many things you need to worry about! For me, the most stressful part was how to manage texting my loving husband every friggen km!! I was allowed (by my husband) to run the Bolder Boulder under a certain set of rules. It makes me feel better to think he was concerned for my general well-being and his unborn child. In reality, I think he was worried I was still going to beat him.

The first most important rule was doctor’s clearance. 2 weeks ago, I got that. I could see Gregory’s look of disappointment in the doctor’s office when the doctor said “I don’t see why not, as long as you are comfortable and keep the HR down.” Baby’s happy, healthy and measuring up fine!

Second rule was wearing that darn support belt that makes me need to pee every 2 minutes! Trust me, this is a BIG difference from having to pee every 5 min vs 2 min. BUT, I did it because it made my husband happy and it helps stabilize the “jiggle”.

Third rule was that I had to text Gregory every km to let him know Emma and I were doing fine. Why he wouldn’t run with me I don’t know??...hmmm, perhaps a little afraid of what damage his 7 month pregnant wife could do?? Or he was afraid to run with a “fat lady”?

Fourth rule is the “fat lady” needs to eat during the run. So I HAD to take a gel and cliff shots with me for this “long distance” event.

Seems fairly simple and straight forward….

Well, not really…I had a few dilemmas. First, what to wear? When I was renewed in the Brooks ID program last year and had received my racing uniform (size small!) I did not know I was pregnant. The uniform is still in its plastic wrap. Well, I did what any pregnant woman would do; I wore Gregory’s clothes (except for the shorts, they still fit if I wear them low enough…but the shirt has to be long enough to cover my butt crack).

I had a moment yesterday when I was reviewing pictures from this past week and was shocked to find that my butt was really “THAT BIG”…Gregory tried to be nice and tell me it was the camera angle. When I could not roll over in bed that evening and used every ounce of energy to get up, he confirmed that he was lying by calling me “Shamu” and “ how did you get so fat!!??” while laughing his a$$ off at my struggles….as you can tell, Gregory and I have the most loving, caring relationship. I think he was taking his Bolder Boulder insecurities out on me.

Back to race morning. We arrive “early” because Gregory and Mitch have the “fast waves”…. Ouch! That hurt my ego….moved from the AB to the GD…but, I digress again. Gregory does his warm-up and puts on his game face. Mitch and Gregory have an ongoing battle; this is the second year of them racing Bolder Boulder. Gregory tried to sabotage Mitch the day before by having him climb to Ward. I tried to stay out of the testosterone fest and hang with Renan (Mitch’s awesome, very PATIENT wife). However, it was not like Renan was in the most excited mood either; since she found out the day before her husband had signed her up for a 10 km race, not a 5 km race…..

Fun times…

So, it comes Gregory’s and Mitch’s time to line up for their race and I say goodbye to each; then I turn around to wait with Renan and POOF!! She is gone. Just like that, sucked into the crowds of the BB. I am alone, pregnant and people are looking at me weird. That’s right, I am pregnant…why don’t I just put a sign on my back that says “bad mom”…would that make you feel better? What these people don’t realize is that my little Emma is like a puppy waiting to go for a walk. She kicks and moves and gets so excited when it is “run” time…then we run and she sleeps. I wonder who she gets that from??

Finally I see my wave moving closer to the start and I hop in. Immediately, I have a woman asking me “how far along am I” and I tell her. I was waiting for the “wow, is that safe?” But instead, I was surprised with a “That was me last year! I have a son; this is my first race back”. I instantly start to feel better, more comfortable. Then, looking to the left of me, I see another pregnant runner! OMG, this is “MY WAVE” …made specifically for pregnant runners, I am sure of it! Truth be told, everyone is different and I would never put Emma in jeopardy, but I do know I am the exception. Most pregnant ladies give up the impact sports long before this point. I AM lucky in the way that I carry Emma and that I still have a pretty stable core….for how much longer, I don’t know, but I am thankful for what I have and I am ok carrying around 23 extra pounds for 10 km.

So, to sum it up, the way I felt is similar to the nervous energy you have when you look around at a race (when you are racing) and see all the “fit” people and feel you are different even if you are not and nobody really cares if you are.

Anyhow, back to the race. Feeling a bit more confident in myself I double check to make sure I have everything I need. Gels, check! Cliff block shots , Check! Double knotted shoes, check! Phone, check! Ipod, check! Support belt positioned correctly, check! My butt crack is not showing, check! …

Now all that is left to do is run/walk/crawl to the stadium. It seemed a lot more daunting than it did last year. Yet again, last year, I was 23 lbs lighter and biking over 100 miles the day before was “normal”. Then again, carrying a baby is a unique challenge in itself; dealing with Gregory’s taunts and teasing tops the cake!

Then the gun went off and I started my forward momentum. I had to be careful not to go out too fast, because if I do that, I tend to huff, puff and come to a screaming halt within 50 meters and the day is done. Yes, I can blow my load if I am not careful. I kept telling myself “nice and easy Chewy”……

I must say, there is something a lot more appealing to doing the Bolder Boulder when you don’t go from 0MPH to make your eyes bleed pace within 100 meters. I could get used to it!

Before I knew it I was at 1 km…and I already had to pee. I was supposed to text Gregory at that point, but there was a wee bit of a problem. I can’t text while running and if I stopped, I would most likely pee in my shorts when I started running again. Text update would have to wait until I found a porto-john or a bush. It is kind of hard to be discrete when you are running amongst 40 000 other people and you are a 7 months pregnant…

So, the game was to distract myself from the “need to pee” feeling and keep shuffling along. I LOVE the support on this course. It is so much fun with the live bands and crowd support. So many people were cheering and offering high fives. I actually got into the moment and went to go give a spectator a high five when I realized that I had forgotten for a moment that I was pregnant, but the spectator clearly hadn’t. It was if she was frozen looking at this freak of nature running with a big pregnant belly; for some reason if weird’s people out. She kindly gave me a high five, but with a look of confusion and utter horror that I was running.

Oh well, time to focus on the toilet. 2 km passed and still not toilet; I had to text Gregory or else I would have more to worry about than sore/tired legs at the end of this. I stopped and pulled out my phone and then went to the task of finding G’s contact info and texting. Clearly this was inefficient and making a huge dent into my already slow time. Some people then came to ask if I was ok, because of course, a pregnant lady who stops at 2 km into a 10 km race to pull out her phone must be in labor. I reassured the gathering crowd that I was fine and I was texting my husband because he “would not run with me!”

I then started up again, resolving to myself that no one would notice if I happen to “pee myself” because I am wearing black shorts. Fortunately, I made it to 3 km where I was able to “relieve” the problem without dropping my phone, gels, shots, ipod and any other unnecessary item required for this journey into the toilet. I did not care if my butt crack was showing at this point.

Onward bound!! 7 km to go

Off I went again into the hilly part of the course. I told myself I would be walking the uphill’s should Emma decided to take up residence in my chest and poke my lungs with her feet (a recent favorite activity of hers). Thankfully, she decided to keep napping in my lower belly and only stretch out a few times. Oh, if she knew how hard her mom worked to keep her happy! This subsequently leads to lots of bouncing on the bladder and low and behold at 4 km I had to pee again…oh boy, this is fun!

I was resolved not to pee again for another couple of km..even if it does induce Braxton hicks. This is where I draw the line! There are only so many porto-potty’s I will enter in the time frame of a couple hours.

How to distract oneself?? Well, just keep clicking away at songs on the Ipod; listen to about 30 seconds and move onto a new one. Keep looking around at the people around you, which is when I realized that I was matching stride for stride with a 5 year old boy and his mom. His name was “Ryan” and it was his 1st BB. He was having fun and just cute as a button.

At 5 km there was another toilet and I think I knocked out some other runners making a sprint for one. Didn’t drop anything in the toilet, yet I did leave behind my cliff shots because they were “weighing me down” and it seemed like an outrageous Gregory request at the time. It wasn’t a big deal because I still had a gel and then a bunch of college students were handing out chips!

Emma loves chips! We had to stop and eat a few chips….then…oh wait! Crap, I need to text Gregory!

I stop again and whip out the phone. I repeat the process of texting and reassuring the spectators that I was not popping a baby out; I just had to text my husband who thought I was “too slow for him and he needed to run faster to get his testosterone fix!”

Ok, time to get moving again….Cue in Rocky Music at km 6 where there is a hill. I made it 10 steps and then started walking. Well, better than nothing, right?

Top of the hill and then down we go! Downhill’s are so fun…until you realize you have to pee…again! Now this is getting on my nerves, but when you only have 4 km left to go and the only thing bugging you is your bladder and the intensifying craving for more chips and ice-cream. Solution: finish, pee and eat.

I don’t know where km 7-8 went, but I ran them…then I stopped for the 3rd time…no more details needed here. Obviously I hydrated well!

I was then able to smile for the big pictures taken at 8 km….I am sure there were a few extra shots taken of me, because who could miss “Shamu?”

I decided I would hold off until 9km to text Gregory so that he would know I was in the home stretch and ready waiting for me. I pulled out my phone only to see I had a text message from him.

I was expecting something really encouraging like “good job hon! Almost there” or “I am so proud of you”….

Instead, I got “Hurry up Chewy”….

Yes, I have a very supportive husband who would never relish in the fact that he is beating me for the FIRST and ONLY time in a running race….Mark my word on this!

Add to that the fact that my index toe was going numb….don’t ask me why. Never happened before, and I was ready to be done! There is something very strange knowing you only have 1 km left and everyone is sprinting past and you CAN’T! The rule: keep it conversational….deep down inside, I knew Emma was taunting me “just do it mom! Can’t we just go for it?” But no, I behaved…..that is part of becoming a mom, learning patience.

Up that final hill and into the stadium….looking at the crowds and experiencing it from a totally different perspective. I crossed that line with a huge smile and an enormous feeling of accomplishment that I usually only get after those “big events.” For me, this was HUGE! I set my goal and stuck to it (while putting Emma first of course). I took care of my body and prepared wisely for it. I also went in with a realistic set of expectations knowing that I had already met my goal when I was able to toe that starting line. Finishing is icing on the cake. 7 months pregnant and just finished a 10 km run isn’t too shabby.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the race today, the opportunity to “Take it all in” and take my time. There are many things that I experienced today that I wouldn’t have if I were not pregnant and actually “racing.” It reminds me of why I originally got into the sport and really renews my desire.

All of this being said, it does not take away my slight bitterness when I found out my time and realized it was only 6 minutes slower than Gregory’s!! I think I was sabotaged with all this “texting” BS…..

Once again, this is all Gregory’s fault!!

I Love you Gregory dearest! Congrats on your race and I am so sad you lost your breakfast at 9km…that must have been REALLY tough.

And no, I am not bitter that you took my chips away from me after the race…and told my friends that I could not eat any more because that is why I got so big!

The Naming Game

Alright…so, if having a child is not overwhelming enough, naming that child is even harder! And trust me, Gregory and I spent a LONG time deciding on what to name our girl. Well, not really…for those of you who know us well, you will probably think it came down to a coin toss….

You are almost correct….

I must say, I have some wonderful friends lending me support throughout this pregnancy and transition in my life. One of these friends kindly lent me some of her books, including one with thousands of name options. I spent a long time searching and digging through that book looking for names that would be acceptable in French and English.

Gregory jokingly suggested Latrine as our first option…..I told him to look at the book.

Well, all of my time researching names came to use when Gregory opened the book, read the first page and said “holy crap, no way…too much!” ..and then he got stuck on some mythological name which was not in the book, at which point in time I removed the book from his hands and shared what I liked name-wise

Erin: “How about Madeleine”

Gregory: “That is nice, it French…but hon, are you sure you want to name her that or is it just your craving for cookies?”

Erin: “Shut-up”

…..a few days pass…

I bring up the name subject again. At this point in time, I am more determined to find a name, with a post- it and pencil in hand, I tell Gregory to write.

He comes up with 4 names, which for him is a HUGE accomplishment. I love Gregory to death, but trust me, he has the creativity of somebody in the field of physics (not that organic chemists hate physics…)…well, he is a software programmer, so I guess that explains a lot. Anyhow, I liked one of the names…actually LOVED one of them and so our little girl was named:

EMMA

Yes, 4 letters, simple, beautiful and just what we wanted. And no, we don’t care if your dog is named Emma.

Emma was supposed to be our little secret. The one in which husband-wife cherish and keep everyone guessing!

Until Joelle called. You see, Joelle and Claude are a wee bit excited about this baby and had their own naming game going on in France. Over the phone, about a week after Gregory and I decided on Emma as a name, Joelle proceeds to inform Gregory that if it were her choice, she would name our girl “Emma”

….yes, a bit freaky….

So, what is one to do in this situation? Well, we pondered for a while and decided it best to inform immediate family of our name choice. Thankfully, everyone loved Emma as a name….and so began the “identity” of our girl and trying to keep it secret from everyone except family.

This lead to some interesting conversations. Gregory took great pride in telling everyone our girl would be named “latrine, croissant, bon-bon…” you name it; Gregory was throwing it all out there for s&*ts and giggles just to annoy people. I thought he had reached his “funny name limit” until our good friend Mark (and soon to be God Father of Emma) visited in March. I don’t know how the conversation started…all I know is how it ended….

Our little girl was going to be named “Rherpes” (with a silent R). I think Gregory and Mark almost peed themselves laughing over this one. You have to give them credit, it is unique and nobody else would be named that.

Then we went to France. I was already finding it hard not to spill the beans on our girl’s name. There comes a point where you talk to “Emma” (the little moster in my belly) everyday/night and you catch yourself “slipping” or forgetting that it is secret.

Well, that was taken care of when we arrived in France. I think we arrived just in time for the national French broadcast of “Emma”…yes, a mildy excited MIL and auntie-in-law had informed some friends, friends kids, friends kids dogs, cats, fish, hairdressers, grocery store clerks….you get the picture.. of “Emma.”

Gregory was tempted to tell Joelle and Claude we had changed the name to Rherpes, but then he decided against it as he didn’t want to get the crap beat out of him.

So, we then figured it really wasn’t worth it to keep the name a secret anymore and have slowly started informing people as the topic comes up. This lead to the issue that some people might feel left out, so what better way to reach the public than blogging; I know that I live such an interesting and influential life that everyone wants to know about….LOL

On a very sentimental and serious note; Emma’s middle name will be Lee, after my Nan (grandmother). Words cannot describe was a strong, kind, loving and genuinely amazing person my Nan is. Gregory and I only found it fitting to pass that on to our girl. If she possesses even a fraction of the strength and love my Nan does, she will grow into an amazing woman.

So, for the record, Emma Lee Menvielle (not to be confused with Emily, although we know it sounds like that…but believe me, we don’t care, just like we don’t care if your dog is named Emma) will be arriving in 10 weeks.

Holy Crap!! 10 weeks…..

Change the subject…next blog post is about my new garden on the balcony. The flowers/herbs have been there for 3 days and are not dead yet. This is progress folks.

My Favorite Store

It’s been one week since we returned home from France…and it’s like nothing changed. We are back at where we left off; going a zillion miles a minute getting ready for baby, work and basically life. It is really good to be back home; and just in time! I just entered my 30th week and in my mind, the final countdown has begun. That means lots of preparation.

Now, we all know how much I LOVE babies R us; I mean, I could spend all day in that store! It is like a nursery on steroids; and of course everything is laid out in that store in an easy to find/make a decision manner…..That is the exact reason we tried to order everything we needed for the nursery online while in France so it arrived when we returned and we would not have to step into that crazy-house one more time. I spent days researching and putting together a list; coupon searching/cutting and whittling down the costs for shipping. I even worked out a deal over the phone with a representative to give us a discount. Finally, I placed the order, but apparently the clearing house did not like the fact we were placing an order from France; DENIED. Now, I knew there might be issues with me marrying a French man, but isn’t money, money? I mean are we now against profiting from the French?

No worries, we had a back-up plan: Take the list of items we wanted from the registry and go to the store in person to purchase our supplies. The goal was to get in-and-out of the store as fast as possible on Saturday (the day after we got back). So after 20 hrs of travel, a missed flight in Chicago and some major “Chewy swelling” and baby hates to sit still so she decided to “kick the s*&t out of me” we got a few hours of sleep and headed out to Babies R Us. Maybe it is not a good idea to enter that store jet-lagged; perhaps that is why I have such a bias against a place full of pastels and employees that wear puke-purple shirts? Of all the items on the list, I think they had about 3 of what we had chosen in-stock. No, problem, the can order them and then pick them up in the store the next week? WRONG

Well, apparently the online store is a “separate entity” and they cannot order into the store. They can only place an order online (like we tried to do in France) which then adds on 200% in shipping costs (which they cannot discount when orders are placed in the store and the coupons I used in France were no longer valid because I had used them already) that will arrive 2 weeks later. Good news for those women who leave their baby shopping until last minute. I mean, what should one expect? To enter a store called Babies R Us and find the supplies they need for their baby? God forbid the store actually stock the items they have on display (kid you not, over 8 items we wanted that were on display in the store were not in stock!). Babies R Us is hell for pregnant women…and their husbands. You want to know why all the demo strollers are broken?? It is because angry husbands get mad and decide to break the “clickable” handles that allow for folding of the strollers. I am not pointing any fingers, but a few strollers never made it back to their original states after a certain “husband” decided to try them out.

So, we were left in Babies R Us for over 3 hours picking out what we could from their limited supply because basically, we were fed-up and figured our girl would not even remember the color/brand of what we bought for her. And really, was all that research into the safest and lightest stroller necessary when we were going to pay $100 shipping on it (dude! That is a changing table!)? Well, in the heat of the moment, the answer was NO. Anything stocked at Babies R Us has to be safe and approved, right? Even if it does weigh as much as a dump truck?

Gee, I wonder why I have such intense feelings towards this store…..

To add trauma to this experience, I purchased a breast pump! Do you know how scary it is to get a breast pump? A mechanical thing that will be attached to your boobs? I know many women do it and actually swear by it, but it is like giving-birth; a terrifying experience when you think about it until it actually happens. So I will leave it at that…..at least I did not leave the darn thing on my registry list that would have for sure traumatized my friends!

And, if that is not enough, did you know that if you buy a Medela pump, you need to buy an adapter so you can use other bottles? And the other bottles only fit into a specific sterilizer…and the electric sterilizer we wanted was not in stock so we had to get a microwave one because it would have been $20 shipping on the original $50 electric sterilizer.

But that is ok, because they were fully stocked on nipple pads…

There was only one place to head after our excellent experience at Babies R Us; usually it would have been the liquor store, but for the next couple months, we top off traumatic experiences with chocolate…lots of it..

Good thing my diabeties test came back normal….yes, good news is I don’t have gestational diabetes!

However, I am anemic and struggling with a chest infection that my general practitioner (who is male; I was not allowed into the women’s clinic with my symptoms) refuses to give/recommend any medication for because it is bad for the baby….but, don’t get me started on this stuff…the post might go on forever….I will follow up on this later.

So, as you can see, never a dull moment in the Menvielle household!

Bonjour From Dieppe

Bonjour from Dieppe. Gregory has a work appointment this morning and we are going to do some sight-seeing afterwards. It’s amazing to believe that my own Pop fought here during the war. It really puts things in perspective.

Since I have fallen a bit behind on my posts of late, I figured I would take another moment to share how things are going in general and in France. I am doing this from the car; while Gregory is inside an office talking to some potential clients, I am waiting in the car. It is bad business practice to bring your wife/employee to a meeting full of French people when she does not speak French very well other than in the boulangerie. So, I am left to my own device with a bottle of water, a couple of croissants, a computer and the window cracked open a bit. If Gregory takes too long, he might have to call in some re-enforcements to feed me, LOL.

Yesterday I realized that I may have come across a little “harsh “with the running comments and given the impression that I put my running/exercise above my babies health. If that were the case, I would be drinking wine AND running (both at the same time). To make it clear, I would never, ever do anything that I knew would jeopardize our girls health, hence why I check with my doctor and have my own set of guidelines for “exercise.” Truth be told, I am slowing down, yes, that is right, I am seeing the end in sight of my “running ”days. The funny thing is it has not been gradual; it seems like it happened overnight. One day I was fine running to the park and around the pond, then 2 days later (contrary to what it sounds like, I only run every other day at most) I felt like I was going to keel over; that was a “walking day”. I like to say that I am going out to “run” but realistically, it is usually 70% walk, 30% jog/shuffle. The 100% walking is near, and I AM ok with that. Now that just leaves me with swimming….no comment.

The thing that does not cease to amaze me is how quickly things are happening now. For 25 weeks I waited and waited for my belly to grow, for my little “pot belly” to resemble the “bump” rather than “too many turkey buns.” But our little girl took her time, until she got the notice that she is supposed to grow and grow she did. In the past 2.5 weeks, my “frowning” belly button has started to smile and even pop out. My skin is stretching, including my belly tattoo…oh man, that is going to be hilarious at 9 months! I am obviously pregnant now! Going up stairs for me is like a death march; Gregory has to push/pull my “large” self up every subway stop and by the time we get to the top I sound as if I smoked 3 packs of cigarettes and was headed for my death bed. I left Boulder wearing a “B-cup” bra and arrived in Paris needing a “C-cup.” And no folks, it was not the induced swelling from the long flight, because it has not gone away and continues to grow. Not that I am complaining about that! Can I keep them when all of this is said and done?

Speaking of said and done, eventually this baby will have to come out…and let’s just say that that is one scary thought; especially realizing how big our baby is getting! One of my good friends just had a baby a week and a half ago and what a little charm he is! But, let me tell you while sparing details that it was one hell of a delivery that gives me nightmares. I have already have a plan of action for my delivery…one word: epidural; perhaps a few shots of gin before that to calm the nerves (they said no food, but nothing about drink). All kidding aside, I will not try to be a hero through the process and WILL have an epidural (if that is an option) for several reasons, first, why put myself through the pain when I don’t have to? Second, why put my husband through that? I want to continue our amazing marriage with intimacy; how on earth couples manage to get that back after such a process is beyond me. I am sure we will learn (people have been doing it for centuries) and figure that part out, but I have already given Gregory the option to leave the room should he choose.

Also, I am not one of those “zen” people who even consider the natural birth with bathtubs, incense, chirping birds music, bouncy balls and all that other “feel-good” stuff. I am a scientist at heart and scientists are process related; A + B = C; we don’ t do “calm”. Perhaps it is my type A personality? I know the process won’t be fun, but I am taking the approach of grin and bear it and hope for it to be over sooner than later, kind of like Ironman. I will walk this kid out till I can’t bear it anymore, then ask for drugs, watch a few Ironman Hawaii re-runs and then pop the kid out. If they go C-section, that might be even better because it only takes an hour! May sound kind of cold and un-emotional, but I don’t really want to “embrace” such an experience, I would rather save that energy for our girl after the fact.

I am also learning that naivety is bliss; when you are given too many options/information, things become awfully confusing and complicated fast! I made it through 2 pregnancy books before I decided to throw in the towel and only glimpse at them time to time if I have questions. Turns out that if you read those books, your baby will have every disease and problem known to mankind and the birthing process will take 24 hours and it might get nasty and….you get the picture. So, for that reason I am not doing any “classes” or reading anymore books unless I have a specific need to do so. Let’s face it, we all experience some sort of discomfort in our lives and reading a book about it doesn’t always help nor does it always apply. I would rather spend my time worrying about what sort of sushi and martini I am going to order after delivery rather than taking a class/reading on “breathing/delivery” techniques when I may need a c-section. Like I said folks, naivety is bliss…at least for me. Plus I don’t think Gregory could tolerate me obsessing about such things….I am already as crazy and pregnant as he can handle!

Oh yeah, and since I am still in this car and going crazy, well, I am crazy…ok…let’s talk about crazy. Pregnancy MAKES YOU CRAZY!! Talk about out of control! I cried yesterday because I did not get my croissant, I cry when I can’t take a crap..heck, I cry about almost anything these days. And the fun part is it is totally unpredictable. One minute I could be laughing and joking with Gregory and then he says something totally neutral and I burst out in tears. There are also situations where you know it might be difficult and you prepare yourself, but there is no stopping it. We knew our first flight to Paris would most likely be cancelled and I was ready for that. But, when it actually was do you think I could act rationally like I had told myself I would? No, of course not! It was like being on a highway and totally knowing which exit you need to take but then you keep driving past it. Yes, the tears were flowing that day too. Thankfully I have a very patient husband who tries to understand. Heck, even I understood; between sobs and tears were bursts of laughter of the absurdity of it all. Yes folks, I was crazy to begin with, but even crazier now. I think I might have to lock myself up somewhere until this kid is delivered.

And now…I just had a lapse of thought….see this happens when you are pregnant. One minute you have something great to write/say and poof! The next minute it is gone. I am sure it was a good one…maybe it will revisit me in the future. But, for the time being I think I am done and am ready to eat again…

I know most of you are waiting for pictures which I am needing to put in a photo album and hope to get around to it soon or when we get home.

Alright, over and out from a car parked in Dieppe!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day! Wow…it’s kind of hard to believe that today marks my first mother’s day. And for all of those nay-Sayers who think you can’t celebrate until you have the baby, then you have either never had a baby, or if you have, you are one of those “I loved being pregnant” people (ugghhh….I cannot relate). I fully deserve this mother’s day! Because, believe me, the restless nights and no sleep has already started for me. Pile on top of that hormones, being in a foreign country trying to learn a new language, dealing with the culture, work, the in-laws…..well, you get the picture. I am taking this day all for myself!


Now, before I go any further, I must put some disclaimers in this blog. First and foremost; I may not like being pregnant, but I would not give it up for the world! Something changes when you are mom-to-be and nothing will ever, ever, EVER take the place of feeling your little one move around in your belly at 2-3-4-5-6-7 am…..it is so reassuring and the most amazing feeling. This week I had a treat; I got to feel our girls hands and feet at the same time; she must have been vertical in my belly because there was a push by my ribs and one down by my pelvis. We must have a long baby…not sure where that is coming from!


Second disclaimer, I love Paris, France and my family! I am so lucky to have support and love from both sides of the family during this exciting time in our lives. I am also SO fortunate to have the opportunity to stay in Paris for 3 weeks; many people only dream of having this type of experience.


But, you caught me in and off-mood this morning because I was going to kick off my mother’s day with a fresh almond croissant and coffee from the bakery. Well, it was closed, yes, CLOSED…as in FERME!! Now, I don’t mind when the pool is closed, but when the patisserie is closed and I want some croissant, you are dealing with fire. I said a few choice words in French…then came back to the apartment and sulked for a bit. I am almost over it….almost…


We have been in Europe for over two weeks now and having a blast. Amazing how the time flies. This Friday we are returning to Boulder for what I like to call the “home stretch.” That is right; I am now in my 3rd trimester, the 28th week to be exact. Now marks the time where I go in for a whole slew of tests including diabetes, more thyroid monitoring and getting my Rh factor fixed so my blood does not hurt the baby. It also marks the “panic period” for me in terms of the nursery and being ready. The truth is, you never know what may happen after 30 weeks and I would rather be stuck on bed-rest/hospital etc… with a prepared nursery (oh Lord help us if Gregory has to decorate it, no offense LOL). Knowing most likely that I will be the lady whose child just won’t want to come out and they will induce at 42 weeks and I will still be running and swimming at that time.


However, I have learned an interesting fact during my stay in Paris that may alleviate the dreaded over-due child. Did you know that if you run while pregnant, your baby will fall out of your vagina and have brain damage? I kid you not, it is true! Many people have informed me of this phenomenon while I have been in France. So what is one to do if they cannot run, nor do any sort of “exertion”? Well, the solution seems to be lots and lots of rest along with some red wine. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I wouldn’t want to drink some wine at the moment, but I would prefer to run (plus, I have been brainwashed by the American culture that a glass of wine will give your baby FAS). We went for dinner the other night with friends and it seemed perfectly acceptable for the waiter to attempt to pour a clearly pregnant woman a glass of wine. My eyes wide with fear, I almost shouted “no”; I mean, that is FORBIDDEN in the United States. I settled for a small sip. Amazing what cultural differences lie across a sea.


There are so many differences I note every time I visit France, some of which I adore, some of which I prefer to disregard. That is one of the beauties of having a multi-cultural marriage; the amount of patience and open-mindedness you must embrace in order to make it work. I am sure my amazing husband feels the same about the Canadians, eh?? While I may not be able to iron a shirt very well, and when I do try it turns out disastrous, I can use an electric drill and fix almost anything, get my hands dirty, cook in a chemical lab or kitchen, bake a great cake/cookie and most important, demonstrate my love for him every day just as he does for me.


There was a cute little Mother’s day card awaiting me when I woke up this morning from Gregory. These little gestures make my heart melt; the other day while running, our wedding song came on my shuffle which was “Little Wonders” by Rob Thomas. The song pretty much sums up that whether it be a relationship, difficult situation or just life in general, it will be all these little “wonders/things” and the feelings they evoke that you will remember. I cannot tell you the little details about our wedding such as how many flowers on the cake or how we prepared or even how many flower arrangements we had; I can only convey what a wonderful day it was and the overwhelming feeling of love I had and still have for my husband. And this love grows every day….he has given me one of the most amazing gifts of all; a child. In less than 3 months we will be looking at our beautiful baby girl and entering an exciting new phase of our lives together, experiences totally new and intense feelings that we will never forget….and for that I thank my husband, for giving me this mother’s day….