Saturday, April 20, 2013

Au Revior France, Howdy Texas!


Well .... this is my last post written from France.  We are heading up to PARIS today to spend the weekend with our good friends Lorenzo and Marie Alice Monge.  They have started a church and we have been wanting to go visit ever since we moved here... Nothing like checking things off the bucket list 3 days before you leave! 

We are also going to go into Paris one day to take pictures of Little Miss Frenchy in all her French glory.  Next time we are in France she will probably be a toddler, so we wanted to make sure to have pictures of her at the Eiffel Tower when she will still a tiny baby since she was, indeed, born in France. We are crossing our fingers for gorgeous spring weather! 
We leave for Dallas on Tuesday morning and should arrive around 3:45pm Texas time :) I have so much anxiety about the flight over that I've had nightmares.  It will either go great and Stella will sleep like a baby (pun intended) OR we will be buying drinks for all the passengers to help them endure the 10 hour flight.  Either way, we will probably never see these people again, so we've got that going for us right? 
Who knows what the jet lag mixed with the unpredictability of a 3 month old baby will have to offer us once we touch down...but I know we will get through it! BIG LIFE CHANGES coming Stella's way and she is clueless! 

See you all stateside! We are finally coming... HOME. 

XO,

Mrs Frenchy 

Friday, April 19, 2013

Stella Rose: 3 Months Old!!!

Stella Rose is 3 months old and this has been my favorite month BY FAR!!! (And hooray for us making it through the "Fourth trimiester!") 
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Now that we have switched to full on formula, our girl is HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY! She no longer has her "Happy Hours" at night, she sleeps 10 hours every night consitently, and when she is awake she is just smiling, cooing, and discovering the world around her.  I also finally feel like she really does acknowledge me, knows my voice, and knows that I am her Mom. There is not a more rewarding feeling in the world!

This month you have discovered your HANDS and you suck on them all the time.  Many times you try to fit your entire fist into your mouth and then settle for your thumb :) I much prefer this to the pacifier because you are able to "self soothe" in your crib without Mommy or Daddy coming upstairs to put your paci back in your mouth. 
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Because our girl has gained weight RAPIDLY this month (we think she was playing catch up from being hungry and tiny the first 2 months of her life) she no longer knows how to roll over! Haha! I think she doesn't know what to do with all these extra pounds.  She still despises tummy time and the only way we can make her do it is to lay her on the Boppy instead of flat on her tummy.  
This month Stella went sightseeing, to various birthday parties, out to eat, and to a basketball game and did GREAT!!! This has given me the confidence to take her out more often... and the improving weather helps as well :) 
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You have your very first French friend Annabella :) 
You were sad when they had to leave... haha (I LOVE this picture!!!) 
She is on the VERGE of laughing... I just know it! I do a "choo choo" train on our soft fur blanket and she gives me the wildest grin the entire time.  She just loves how soft it is and the funny noises I make! I think the baby laugh could happen at any moment and I can't wait! I love that she is now smiling as a reaction to something in her environment rather than as a reflex, it just makes me feel like we are doing okay as parents and that she truly is happy and content. 
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She's eating 5 ounces every 3 hours during the day around 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm with a dream feed around 10:30 to help her get through the night.  Not sure when you are supposed to drop that last feeding...we are too scared to at this point because we gotten spoiled with her sleeping until 8am each morning!  You are SO SO happy in the mornings and Dad & I sometimes fight over who gets to come get you up ...but whichever one of us stays downstairs still watches you on the monitor because you give the wildest grin and "I'm so happy to see you, good morning!" face.  I melt every single time.  
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You are a MOVER!!! You love to kick your arms around and your legs go CRAZY sometimes when you are lying on your back.  It is so cute because you raise your eyebrows and breathe really heavy because you are SO concentrated!
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You now prefer to be held facing forward... the only time you snuggle on our shoulders is if you are REALLY sleepy or right after eating.  You want to see everything going on around you and it is so fun to see you take it all in.  
We still have our best conversations on her changing table! She finally outgrew her newborn clothes at about 9 weeks and is now fitting perfectly into her 3 month clothes and a few 3-6 month outfits but those are still a bit big on her.  
Nicknames: I call you Stella Bug, Lil Pumpkin, and Sweetheart ... those are the 3 that are sticking so far! 
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You are babbling ALL THE TIME.  It is hilarious to watch you talk... Dad will sometimes pretend to know what you are saying and talk back to you.  Evidence is below:


Here are your official 3 month stats:
Length-  24 inches  (72.6 percentile) - You grew 2 inches! 
Weight-  13 pounds 2 oz (57.9 percentile- WAY TO GO GIRL!!! You gained almost 4 lbs in a month! Way to play catch up! Formula: It does a body good! ) 
Head Circumference - 16 inches (81.6 percentile) 

We love you so much little BUG!!! Month 4 has some HUGE life changes in store for you, but I know you will conquer them like a champ! I can't wait for you to meet Aunt Katy next week and all of my girlfriends and extended family.  It is going to be such a sweet reunion.  
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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Top 10 Life Lessons from France


10.  Work to live, don't live to work.  The French work to pay the bills, but they prefer to spend their valuable time with FRIENDS and FAMILY.  Work is not the center of the universe... relationships are.

9. STOP RUSHING!!!! Americans are always in a hurry.... to be here, do this, do that... The French relax.  They take their time.  The best evidence of this is during meals. Waiters are not pressuring you to leave so they can turn your table. They are enjoyed rather than rushed through. 

8. Eating In.  I am not sure this is typically "French" or just where we live in the countryside, but we do not eat out.  Like... ever.  Maybe 2 times per month (You think I am kidding...) In Dallas, we were eating out about 5 times at least PER WEEK.  Think of how much money we will save if we can continue this habit in the states!

7.  Healthier living. In our area of France we do not have "Fast Food."  The nearest McDonald's is a 30 minute drive away.  I have broken the habit of Chick-fil-A and Wendy's because it wasn't available and I would love to keep that to a minimum once we get back.  The convenience, price, and speed of it all makes it tempting, but see #9 above.  Why are we in a hurry all the time?

6. Simplicity.  We also do not have a mall in our area.  With the exception of 2 boutiques in town, we don't really even have shopping here.  If you think about it... We don't NEED a lot of extra STUFF.  I loved purging before we moved to France and while we were over here I didn't even wear 1/2 of the clothes I brought over! We really don't NEED that much.  I hope I can remember this when I spot "Target" in the distance... :)

5.  Hosting people.  I have always loved planning parties and supper clubs, but have never felt confident cooking for a group of people.  After my experience in the kitchen here at The Colorado, I have much less anxiety cooking for a crowd.

4. Beauty.  Don't take beauty for granted.  Our drive to the grocery store is lined with tall pine trees and snow-capped mountains in the distance.  I told Logan after we got here that I hoped I'd never grow numb to the beauty that surrounds us here in the French countryside.   I think I am going to miss it, but I will make a point to find and recognize beauty that surrounds me wherever I am.

3. Respecting cultures. It is GOOD to get out of your comfort zone.  I have cherished meeting people and making friends who have different beliefs than I do.  It challenges me in my faith and makes me search for answers to tough questions as well.  I love that I got out of the "Bible Belt" and "Christian Bubble" for a few years.  It made my faith more real... one that I chose rather than what was convenient and expected of me.

2. Family time.  In Dallas, Logan and I had plans almost every single night of the week.  Although I don't like NEVER having plans, I do appreciate "down" time where he and I can just be together.  Now that we have Stella, its so nice to just spend time together, put her to bed, and then just watch a movie and unwind.  I am going to need "nights in" to help balance out a packed social schedule.

1. Gratitude.  In addition to having numerous amazing experiences over here, we have had seasons of difficulty as well.  France was not a fairytale... but nothing in life really is.  We have been through highs and lows and in each place we made a decision to try to be present. Be here. Be grateful. Be okay with where we are instead of living in the past or living for the future.  Lonely days made me appreciate my friendships and family more than ever.  Losing our first baby(ies) made me love Stella with an even deeper love.

Overall these have been a WONDERFUL 2 years.  I wouldn't trade them for the world. I have grown, learn, & changed so much. I am truly coming back a new woman and a Mom! Would I do it again? Absolutely! We have ZERO regrets moving over here but we also know that without a doubt it is time for us to come back home to Texas.  I have bittersweet feelings about this season coming to a close, but I am so hopeful and excited about what the future has in store! 


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Our FIRST Day of SPRING!!!

On Sunday, we had the VERY FIRST day of blue skies, sunshine, and Spring weather where no jacket was necessary! It is CRAZY how much I have missed good weather. This year has been a record winter for France. (like since 1940-something-seriously?!?!?! Not ideal for this Texas gal!) In addition to that, our area has had 40 additional "grey" days than usual.  That means OVER A MONTH EXTRA of dreary days this winter...

All that to say - Everyone all over France was celebrating outdoors on Sunday! We ate lunch on our front porch (I am going to miss our makeshift barrel table), loaded up the car and headed out to Gimel.
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Stella honestly didn't know what to make of the sunshine and light breeze.  She has been cooped up inside most of her life! Gimel is famous for its castle ruins and waterfalls... we had a blast just being outdoors and walking around town, even if she slept through most of the afternoon :) 
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It was such a cheerful, wonderful, HAPPY day! I sure am going to miss all the neat things we have to go and see in our area. This little village is a quick 20 minute drive from our place. I guess we always have White Rock Lake and the Arboretum in Dallas when we get back... but its not quite the same! ;) 

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