thrifting for vee

i am
on the constant
search
for
beautiful
wooden toys
and things
for vee.



i found
a set of
wooden animals
in the
à donner
(free) box
at the secondhand store
(just like
this set online).
vee loves them.
especially
le chat.



the little people
in this fire truck
fascinate vee.
the green pawn
came with the truck
but
i found
the painted lady
in the
à donner box.



these stackable
wooden
haba toys
are
vee favorites
as well.



i found
a little
carpenter bench
that i set up
in the kitchen
so vee can
work next
to her papa
while he cooks.



i suppose
some toys
are more
interesting
to me
that to vee,
like this cool
old naef
ptt postes suisses bus.



xo

this week
we purchased
our plane tickets
to mexico.
it was a strange feeling
to fill in vee's
info for her ticket.
so many
firsts
for her.
it is
a bit overwhelming.

with the
purchase of
those plane tickets
i am beginning
to confront
the reality
of working again
and being away
from vee for
longer stretches
of time.
it makes me
sick
to my stomach.
it makes me
want to cry.
but
i know
i must do this.
it's just
going to be
so difficult.
i have to remind
myself how lucky
i am that
she will spent
the whole day
with her dad
{who is much
nicer
and more patient
than her mom}.

i am trying
to focus on
enjoying
this month
with
our little
family.

. . . . .



she now holds
onto things
like her stuffed
animals.
she tries
to pull
her animals
to
her mouth.
she still
does not have
a lot of control
of her arms
but
she definitely
knows they
belong to her
{although
they still
freak her out
occasionally}.



tummy time
is traumatic
for her
{& her parents}
and
quickly
disintegrates
into
blood-curdling
screams.
but
ever-so-slowly
she is getting
a little more
comfortable
on her stomach
and
is quite strong.
she can hold
herself up
{note her
rippling muscles}.



we have been
taking
more
day-trips
with her.
she is
getting use
to riding the train
{and getting
lots of
attention
from
adoring
swiss strangers}.



. . . . .

vee received
a few packages
this week!



an adorable
knitted elephant
from katie!
i want
to keep it
for myself
but
i suppose
i will have
to hand it
over to vee.



katie also
sent
this stylish
onesie.
you would be
amazed how
many college
students
could use
one of these-
maybe then
they could
properly use
a microscope.

thank you katie!



evan sent vee
this awesome
dinosaur.
more importantly
he sent
vee's parents
their favorite
rye whiskey.

thank you evan!!!



vee's omi
sent
an old steiff
with which
we use to
{abusively} play.
the poor bear
needs some
reconstructive
surgery.
she also sent
a book of
german lullabies.

thank you omi!

. . . . .

my father,
vee's grandpa,
turned
81 yesterday.
some days
i want vee
to quickly
grow up
so she can
get to know
the people
i love so much.
other days
i ache
and
already miss
what
has passed
as she grows
bigger
and plumper
{over 5 kgs).
i think
of what
it must be like
for my father
to see
his own
youngest daughter
have
a little daughter
when what seems
like
only yesterday
he held me,
a tiny screaming newborn,
in his arms.

happy belated
birthday daddy.

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

{click to enlarge}

today
we deal
with a very important
topic.
wee grub's
wardrobe.


{click to enlarge}

i finally
had a chance
to sit and
draw
my
wee grub closet
planner
{thus far}
this weekend.


{click to enlarge}

i had some
quiet time
to organize.


{click to enlarge}

i gravitate
towards
solids & stripes
and
bold patterns.
i don't really
like cutsie
with the occasional
exception.

grub
would
prefer to
have
everything
in
white.
surprised?
thought not.
when our friend
annemarie
brought us
nijntje clothes
from the netherlands,
grub reconsidered
and now
wants
wee grub
to wear all
nijntje clothes.

some of
the clothes
i love:


{from our dc neighbors}


{thrifted
by aunty kiyomi-
i love
the aden and anais brand}


{thrifted
by aunty astrid}


{from
aunty eliza}


{a decadent
purchase of
something new}

also
all our new
nijntje
and
jip & janneke
clothes
from
aunty annemarie!

. . . . .

i think grub
thought
i had bought
too many clothes
but when
we graphed it out
we realized
we have very little...
especially considering
our bizarre
laundry schedule
{we can only use
the machine
every 10 days}!
also
all the thrift stores
are closed
for july vacations
so i can't
thrift shop again
until
early august.
how can they
do this to me?!

so yes,
we do still
need clothes
so feel free
to thrift
some stylish
baby clothes
for us.



so experienced
mamas & papas...
what are some
essentials?

some things
to consider:
month 1 - 2.5:
swiss autumn
(sept to mid-nov)
month 2.5 - 6:
hot mexico weather
(mid-nov to mid-feb)
month 6 & onward:
swiss late winter & beyond
(mid feb & on)

any advice?

i will post
a 32 week update
in a day or two...
a lot has happened...
wee grub had
a doctor's appt.,
went on a long swim
with me,
and
i had
my first
birth preparation
yoga class!

more soon.
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
wee grub
is the length of
an english cucumber
and about
1-2/3 pounds.



we found that
taking photos
with the appropriate
vegetable
(we could find
a rutabaga last week)
for wee grub's size
can be particularly
challenging...
especially
when you decide
to start with
the most phallic
of all vegetables.
let's just
say we laughed
an awful lot
at some
of the photos.

the increase in
my size is becoming
ever more apparent
as i try to
lug myself
up
the steep
hill
& stairs
to our home
in
the jardin botanique
each evening.
for the most
part i feel
pretty good.
tomorrow
i go in to
the doctor
to have
my blood sugar
tested...
and we'll see
how i do.

as for preparing
for the
baby on the way...
it's hard
when you don't
have a real home yet
but
grub and i
are putting
together
our ideas
here (me)
and
here (grub).

i have started
to thrift shop
for clothes.
most baby clothes
are only 1 chf-
not bad for
switzerland.
i'll post
about baby clothes
soon.

and
we've been talking
about
the dreaded
diaper issue...
our biggest
challenge here
in the diaper department
is that most
buildings have
crazy laundry schedules.
the general
policy is
that each resident
gets to use
the washer
once a week
or 2-3 days
in a row
every 10 days or so.
this is a big
obstacle
to cloth diapers.
plus there's no
diaper service
in
neuchâtel...
plus we will live
in mexico
for 3 months
(for my field work)
when wee grub
is only
2 months old.
so...
we are struggling
with what
the best option is.



the network
of nerves
in wee grub's ears
are also
more developed
now
so he/she
may be able
to hear us talk
and hear music.

so what music
does wee grub like?
good question?
i think
talking heads
and
david bowie
are essentials.
grub begs to differ.
what would
you play
for wee grub?

well
the wee grub vessel
is tired
so i am off to bed.

good night.
xo