nothing yet.

not much
left to do
but wait
at this point.

at 40 weeks
they estimated
the size
of wee grub
at 3.73 kg
(~8.2 lbs)!
an average
baby size
but it
feels big to me.
grub was 7.8 lbs
and
i was 7.4 lbs
so wee grub
may weigh in
bigger than
both of us.
i blame it on
grub's great
cooking.
he kept
wee grub
well fed this
whole pregnancy.

thanks
for all
the emails...
it's nice to
feel loved...
it's very strange
to have so many
people waiting
for something
to happen to you
that
you have
no control over...

i promise
that once
wee grub
decides
to make
an appearance
we will
let you
all know
as soon
as possible.

more soon...
xo

the suitcase is packed
(that's wee grub's
orange tiger suitcase
from his aunt suzy)...

the celebratory whiskey
is ready to be opened...
the celebratory cuban cigar
is ready to be lit...

all the baby clothes
are cleaned,
labeled,
a put away...



oma is here!

and now
we wait...


nothing yet.
we are all
feeling
anxious.
prepared
(mostly)
but anxious.



xo

finally
38 weeks!
so
grub assembled
all the
baby furniture
and
bassinet
for our room.
then he hung
my many mobiles.


now
it looks
like
a baby room...
but we need
art!
i have been
sitting
in my rocker
in the evening
and imagining
where
the art
will go.
currently
i am
obsessed
with
these
fruit prints

{grub approved}

and
this
colorful poster.

{sadly, vetoed by grub}

grub
is once again
obsessed
with lighting.
we know
that once
wee grub comes
none of this
will matter
but
wee grub
will
have to get
use to parents
that are
a wee bit
obsessed with
such things.
toys and food
can be
all over the floor
but
there will be
art on the walls
and
by god
things will be
properly lit!

more on
the
nursery decor
later this week.

. . . . .

this week
i went
to another
pre-birth
acupuncture visit
and
grub went with me
to a yoga session.
he learned
how to help me
breathe
during labor
and some
positions
during the
stages of labor.

. . . . .

this weekend
we had
a little scare...
i was worried
because
wee grub
was not moving
as much as
he/she normally does...
so
after
fretting and worrying
i finally called
our midwife
who told us
to go into
the hospital
to check it out.
we went in
and
they monitored
wee grub
with a heart monitor.
her/his heartbeat
seemed just fine
and we heard
a big whoosh
every time
she/he moved...
which was more often
than i felt.
apparently,
unbeknownst to me
wee grub had dropped
and so the movements
had changed...
i thought that
i would feel when
she/he dropped
but apparently not.
then the doctor
did a ultrasound
and everything
checked out.
so all is well.

.....

now we wait.

my mom arrives
in less than
a week.
we will wash
the last batch
of baby clothes
and
do our exercises.
we still feel
like we have
a lot to do
but now
wee grub
determines
our schedule.

à bientôt!
xo

here we are
at beef 11...
they pronounce it
beef-onze.
it's a
sort of
swiss county fair.
grub was
very excited
about it
and everything
was beef onze this
and beef onze that
this week...
my colleagues
thought it was
very strange
that a vegetarian
would want
to go to
a meat-oriented
festival.
they apparently
don't understand
the subtle
nuances of
my personality.

we learned
a lot about
cow varieties...



watched sheep dogs
hard at work...



and
checked out
local yarn.

it was hot
which was
a bit tough
on me
but it was
all worth it.
but
i did have to
stick my feet
in the lake
at the
end of the day
to cool off.

. . . . .



aunty astrid
sent
a big package
of her
value village
thrift store
booty
for wee grub.
she knows me
so well
and
sent everything
so pleasingly
color-coordinated
i had to
take a photo.



wee grub is
getting quite
the wardrobe.
i may have to
post
her/his outfit
each day
so everyone
sees what
a stylish baby
wee grub is.

this week
i also had
my first
birth prep
acupuncture visit.
it was very strange
to be stuck
with needles...
especially in
my belly.
wee grub moved
around
a lot...
they have a point
called
the
bon bébé point.
it's suppose
to make
your baby smile
and not cry a lot.
hope it works!
i will have
3 more pre-birth
acupuncture visits
(as long
as wee grub
doesn't
arrive early).

later this week
we will finally
put the nursery
together
because
wee grub
is full term
and
now is
allowed
to arrive
at any time
(according to grub).
i am hoping
wee grub waits
until after
her/his oma
arrives
on the 4th!

xo

this week
we hit
the 1 month
mark.
i can't
believe
that
in 4 weeks
or so
we will be
holding
wee grub!

we had
our 36 week
consultation
at the hospital.
we are very lucky
that it is
only
a 4 minute walk
from
our apartment.



the hospital
appears to be
quaint and old
from the outside
but you walk
in through
the old part
and it opens up
into a big spacious
lobby and
a very modern,
recently renovated
hospital.
our room will have
a view of the lake
but of course
we will only
have eyes
for wee grub!







the interview
process
was a bit bizarre
because it was
all in french.
we had
an interesting time
explaining
our family medical
history
and learning
about hospital
procedures.

although
we requested
an english-speaking
mid-wife
for the delivery,
it will all be
a crap-shoot
depending on luck
and what time
i arrive
at the hospital
to deliver.

i use
to be worried
about it...
but now
i think
we will manage
just fine.

it will be
a very different
experience
than delivering
in the USA.
i feel like
i have more options here
from my hospital delivery
assisted
by just a midwife
(doctors on hand
if necessary)
to acupuncture
for pain relief
instead of an epidural
(although an epidural
will be an option
if i need/want it)...

. . . . .

as i knitted
in the waiting area,
i saw a man
walk with his
new little baby
up and down
the hallway...
i tried
to imagine
grub walking
with wee grub
in a month's time.

still
so hard
to imagine.



à bientôt!
xo

another week.
yep.
just trudging
along
at this point.

not much
else
to say...
wee grub is
demanding
more space
and
more food
and the hills
and steps
get harder
for me
to climb
each day.
but
i am happy
as long
as
wee grub
is growing
and
i can put
my feet up
and
knit
when
i get home.

. . . . .

grub and i
are in love
with
T’es fou Louloup.
a
collection
from france.
we bought
one of
their toys
when
we were
in antibes:

Source: ebulobo.com via gwen on Pinterest

the story
is
a bizarre twist
of the classic
tale of
red riding hood
and the big
bad wolf.
oh, and
red riding hood
carries
a cell phone
of course.

check out
this
hysterical
video
of a guy
with a super thick
french accent
reading
the
wolf story:




these toys
are
almost
impossible
to find here
but
there is
a store
that sells them
in the usa
(hint hint).

c'est tout!
xo

each week
i find myself
with less
and less
to say.
as the weeks
until the due date
are fewer and fewer
grub and i
try to absorb
the reality
of wee grub
making his/her
entrance into
our world.

as we listen
to our midwife
tell us the details
of birth
or
i go
to yoga sessions
and practice
exercises,
it's no more
real to us
then it was
a week ago
or a month ago.

we find ourselves
reminding
each other
of what changes
are to come.
for example,
the other day
as we sat
on the balcony
quietly eating
our
dinner
and chatting
as the sun set,
grub said,
soon we won't
have this quiet time
anymore.
almost more
to himself
than to me.

. . . . .

this week
we went to
a MEGA baby store
to look for
some sort
of bassinet
for by our bed.
we were overwhelmed
with how much
everything costs,
all the stuff
that
you are convinced
that
you need to buy,
and
all the parents
filling their carts
with all
these accessories
they hope will make
the transition
to parenthood
easier.
all i knew was
i wanted
out of there
as soon as possible.
after some debate
and
price-comparing
we settled on
the
stokke daybed:


i am a bit
embarrassed
since
i am painfully aware
that they market
this line
specifically
to people like
grub & i...
as shown in
this lovely advert
of mom working
on her mac
as she watches
the baby:


oh well.
i couldn't take
all the
pink and blue
anymore.
i had
to.
get.
out.
of.
there.

c'est tout.
xo


{outtake}

i have heard
that
the third trimester
drags
and
by the end of it
you just want
that baby out!
that's not how
i feel at all...

when
we couldn't
tell anyone
i was pregnant
and
we were waiting
to clear
the first trimester
that seemed to drag
(well except for
the dissertation-
writing part)
but
the third trimester
is speeding by
so fast
i barely have time
to experience it.
wee grub can stay
in there
'til the
last
possible
minute
because
i have
so much research
to get done
i need every week.

so please
wee grub
no early exits,
okay?!

we finally
bought some
furniture
for the baby room.
i would have liked
to buy
all used furniture
but
i searched and searched
but found nothing
that suited
our aesthetics
or was
in our price range.
so
we
we became
slaves
to the
ikea showroom.

i was pretty excited
to get
the crib and
dresser/changing table
assembled
so i could
unpack and organize
all the
stuff
that has been
in boxes
all over
the floor
in the baby room.
so when grub
asked
if we could
wait until
38 weeks
to assemble
the crib
because
he feels
a little superstitious...
well,
let's just say
i wasn't wild
about the idea.
but
i took it
pretty well.



honestly,
i can relate
to where he's
coming from...
in many cultural
traditions
it's bad luck
to bring baby things
into the house
before
the baby is born.
normally
i like the idea
but
i have been feeling
particularly
antsy
about being prepared.
so we will
assemble the dresser
so i can put
things away
but
wait on the crib
for a
few
more
weeks.

. . . . .

we met our
new midwife
this past sunday.
she is great.
i like her a lot
and
she was very helpful.
you can see her
website here.

so now
i have
yoga
and
we have
midwife lessons
every week
for the next
few weeks.
she is taking
us on a tour
of the hospital
next week.
fortunately
the hospital
is only
a
4 minute walk
from
our apartment!

. . . . .

well,
that's
the news
from here.
until
next time.



xo

the countdown
continues...
8 weeks
to go.

i was just
telling
my colleague
(and
wee grub)
that
she/he is not
allowed
to be early.
or at least
she/he
has to wait
until
my mom arrives
on the
4th of september!

this past week
wee grub
has been
growing fast
and my belly
feels stretched
beyond its limits.
i often have
to rub my belly
because
a foot, butt,
or hand
is pressed
hard against
my belly.
it's uncomfortable
but also
really cool.

it's strange
to think that
i am growing
this baby inside
but when
she/he comes
out i will have
to get to know
her/him
the same way
grub will...
i have no advantage
because i carried
wee grub...
she/he will still
be a stranger to us
at first
with a personality
that slowly unfolds.

i had
a brief ultrasound
on thursday
to check
wee grub's growth:


{click to enlarge}

she/he weighed in
at 2050 grams
or 4.5 lbs!
just average-
not too big,
not too small.

on monday
i went
to
the cute little
town nearby-
Auvernier


{not my photo!
photo from here}

nested
among vineyards
overlooking
the lake
for my
private
yoga class.
i learned
all about
my cervix
and exercises
to try
to open it up
just a bit
so wee grub
can get out
with the least
resistance possible.
my teacher was great
and even had
a reproduction
skeletal pelvis
to show me
different parts
and what i was
trying to move
and stretch.
it reminded me
of when i taught
human evolution
& bipedality.
i will go to her
every week for the next
5 weeks...
grub will join me
the last week
to learn some ways
he can help me
during labor.

this sunday
we will meet
our new midwife.
i had another
midwife
but she was not
right for me
so i decided
to go with someone new.
she works at the hospital
where i will deliver
so if my luck is with me
i may have her
as my midwife for
delivery
(fingers crossed)
because you get
whomever is
on duty.

i am starting
to feel
a little
more prepared.

this weekend
we are off
to ikea
to buy a crib
and some baby stuff
along
with
our bed
and
dining room table
woohoo!

xo

the countdown
begins...
only
9 weeks
(or so)
to go!

it is
totally
freaking me out.
how did
31 weeks
zoom by?!
oh yeah,
i wrote my
dissertation,
we moved
to switzerland,
and
i started
a post-doc
all in the last
31 weeks.

i guess
it's been a busy
31 weeks.

still,
i am
no where
near ready
{guess you never
really are}
i told grub
that i am
sure i will
prepare
in the typical
bugheart-way,
i.e.
cram everything
into
the very last
possible minute.
so typical.

nothing new
to report.
i use to
feel bigger
than i looked.
now i
look bigger
than i feel.
i caught a
glimpse
of myself
in a window
this weekend
and
i thought
holy moly
i look BIG.
grub said,
well...YEAH!
but he looks
at me every day.

wee grub
has been
pushing
her/his
little
feet and hands
hard into my sides.
it's kung fu
in my belly.
it
can be
pretty uncomfortable.
i feel bad
because
i know
it must be
getting crowded
in there.

well,
that's all to report.
i will do a post
mid-week
this weekend
on
our baby clothing
update
for all of you
who are
dying
to know
how my
thrift shopping
for the baby
in switzerland
is going...
i am doing it
in the style of
my travel planners-
something like
this:


until then...
xo

this week
i
turned
37 years,
grub
went
to paris,
and
wee grub
turned
30 weeks.

i'd be a liar
if i said
i wasn't
a little worried
about having
a baby over 35
but then
at the same time
i don't think
that it would
have been
right for us
any time sooner.
we wouldn't
give up the years
we had with
just
the
2 of us.

now we are
ready
to be 3.

wee grub
definitely
has
a personality
and
a schedule.
she/he
is quite
the little
night owl!
kicking
a pushing
his/her
little feet against
my belly
when i am
in positions
that don't
suit
her/him.
i am hitting
another
growth spurt
and
i feel like
my belly is
stretching
by the minute-
feels like
what
happened
to aunt marge.

this week
was also
the week of nesting.
we are trying
to make
our huge apartment
a home
little by little.
most rooms
are empty or sparse
but
grub is enjoying
it while he can.


{living room}

{dining area}

{guest room/office}

{wee grub's room}

{our room}

later this month
we hope
to get
a crib,
dining room table
and
our bed.
for now
we are sleeping
in the guest room.
the baby room
and
our bedroom
are pretty much
empty.
we have to be
patient.
we checked out
some thrift stores
this weekend
and thrifted
a hallway
bench.



unfortunately
several
thrift stores
we closed due
to some
bizarre
incomprehensible
holiday
schedule.

for now
we are
living sparsely
and
enjoying our view.




xo

p.s.
wee grub's
current
favorite song:
paris 2004.

this week
grub and i
were in
côte d'azur
for
my bug conference.

wee grub
swam with me
in
the mediterranean sea.
the water
was cool
and
clear clear blue.
it was strange
to swim
with a big belly.
i thought
wee grub
would wiggle
around
because
it was
so cold
in the water
at first
but
no wiggles or kicks.
i told
grub that
wee grub
would start
learning
to swim
when she/he
was very small.
i grew up
by the ocean
and feel
learning
to swim young
is incredibly
important.
i look forward
to teaching
wee grub.



in antibes
we found
an amazing
toy store
with lots of
great european
baby toys...
we fell in love
with a
stuffed chicken
with removable
drumsticks
and lots of
other cooking
toys but
alas
they are
for
3 year olds
so we had to pass.
grub
picked out
a squeeky toy
and a large
mobile
with white birds
designed by
a japanese artist..
if the baby
has grub's genes
she/he will like
this minimal white
mobile.




otherwise
it was an
uneventful
week in
wee grub's
world i think.
just growing
and making me
uncomfortable.
the pregnancy honeymoon
is over and
all
the
uncomfortableness
of pregnancy
have set in...
but
i feel
pretty lucky
overall-
things haven't
been too bad.
it's fun
to feel
wee grub move
around
all the time.
it makes
it feel
more real to me.
to grub too.

i am beginning
to organize
the apartment
and get things
out of wee grub's room
so it only has
baby stuff.
grub and i
picked out
some toys
and
a travel baby cot
(for mexico)
at a garage sale.
mostly we agree on
toys but grub
says nothing is
allowed that
makes noise-
i wonder how long
that will last...

grub is in paris
for a few days
so i am hoping
with him out
of my way
i can get cracking
on some serious
cleaning
and organization.
next month
we will be able
to buy some
baby furniture
and start making
wee grub's room
look more
like a real
baby room.
more posts
on that soon.

xo