Leiden - Take 2!

Made it to Leiden!

Bonjour!  So I’m told that it has been quite some time since I last contributed to the blog.  So I’m told.  Well, what can I tell you, it’s been busy and as an artist and a writer if inspiration isn't there then you can’t force greatness.  But good news, I’ve found good subject matter and finally have the creative juices flowing!  And just like last year I'm here to talk about Leiden.

What is Leiden?  Well, Leiden as you recall is a cute little town in the Netherlands that hosts a marathon race each May.  Click here for Google map of the City. We discovered this town and race last year and had such a wonderful time we decided that we would just have to return.  And return we did to do it all over and see if our first impression was valid.

It was.

By one of the many canals

 A quick refresh in case you forgot and are too lazy to search this very blog for the previous post.  We both entered the half marathon for 2013 and had already booked the weekend when we discovered a bun had been placed into the proverbial oven.  So I ran the half marathon last year while a fan base of one cheered on and we discovered that Leiden was absolutely amazing, beautiful, and fun. 

Returning again in 2014 I entered the half marathon while Cleaver had her sights set on the 10K race.  The bun came out of the oven in a dish called Joséphine and now we were three making the trip.  We also again rented an apartment for the weekend which is our new favorite accommodation when traveling.  Especially with a 5 month old, the added space and comforts of home are a necessity.

View from the Burcht van Leiden Castle

Arriving on Friday afternoon, instantly our memory of last year and initial impressions were validated.  The canals, brick streets, and restaurants were all there just as we remembered.  And as a bonus, this year the weather was absolutely gorgeous sitting around 22 (we do things in Celsius here) and sunny all weekend. 

First order of business, a drink by the canal just down the street from our house.

We also discovered a food website related to Leiden called Leidenfoodie.com which was a great resource for the weekend.  The catch now with Miss JoJo Bean of course is that eating out is not always easy or fun, so take away dinner has become the needed norm.  First night sushi.  Amazingly good for a random spot.  And there is day 1.

Waking up Saturday were two key items on the agenda.  The Saturday market and the race packet pick up.  The Saturday market in particular is fabulous as they have all kinds of fruits, vegetables, Gouda cheese of course, this great dip place we discovered, and Kibbling stands.  Kibbling is basically Dutch fried white fish with a sort of tartar sauce.  All so good, too bad you have to behave with the race on the following day.

Yes, you get a beer when you finish.  Very Dutch

We also discovered this year (thanks internet!) that there is an old castle on top of a hill right in the middle of town with a fairly decent view, though I hear it’s much better in winter when the tree leaves do not block the view.  Literally, that is what I heard someone say when we were there so let’s just go with it.

Our little cheerleader waiting for Mommy

Saturday was a quiet night with the race upcoming on Sunday morning, so take away that night was gyros.  Giant chicken gyros made by sweaty Greek guys with knuckle hair.  It’s delicious, just trust me.

Sunday race day.  My race started at 10:30 for the half marathon, Cleaver had decided to change to the 5K given some initial running pain, which combined with the unusual heat wave was a very smart decision.  So she was starting at 1:30 which meant perfect timing for me to finish cheered on this time by a party of two, then I could take JoJo Bean and Cleaver could go to run her race.

Good run Cleaver!

The event is a very pretty run through the Dutch countryside and back into town past the canals and little villages along the way.  There were a lot of runners and it is a bit crowded but very well organized and a tremendous amount of fun once again.  Both of us completed our races, felt good while running and celebrated at the end with some cheese, dip, Dutch beer, and great weather.

  

Oh, and was great to have a new little cheerleader supporting us both along the way!

Josephine: The American Tour

We knew that we wanted to take Josephine back to the US to meet all of her friends and family back there.  And we figured that after she was a few months old and before I went back to work from maternity leave would be a good time to do that.  Therefore, at the end of March we packed up our things (it’s amazing how a tiny baby can add so much stuff to your suitcase) and boarded a plane headed for SFO.  We were a bit worried and anxious about how the flight would go and after talking to a few friends that had recently done the International flight with their infants, we decided that it shouldn’t be too bad. The worst she can do is cry but that won’t last forever.  From what I hear, it’s much easier to travel with a 3 month old than a baby who is crawling or walking.  And it turns out, Josephine did an amazing job on the flight there….which is about 11 hours.  I mean, as good as we could ask any little baby to do.  She slept for a few hours, ate, played, slept some more and really only started to get fussy towards the end.  But let’s be real, how many of us adults are fussy at the end of an 11 hour flight as well.  So yay Josephine for being so good!

We arrived at SFO, picked up our rental car and headed to my parents’ house in San Miguel.  Our American tour would start out with 5 nights in San Miguel visiting family.  We also baptized Josephine that weekend so it was a good excuse to have everyone gather together.  We had a great visit over several days to see Nate’s parents, my sister and her family, my brother and his family and many aunts and uncles and cousins.  Nate even managed to run the Paso Robles half marathon that weekend with my cousin Catherine.

Nate's mom made Josephine's dress

Congrats Nate and Catherine!

After that we headed up to the Bay Area where we split our time among a few friends’ houses staying in Morgan Hill, San Francisco and Alamo (thank you again Jenn & Casey, Christian and Kristine & Aaron!).  We had to spend at least one night in San Francisco since we never made it there during our last two trips to the US.  My how we have missed that city!!!  It didn’t hurt that we got to play around in the middle of a week day either.  We spent our time in the Bay Area catching up with friends and eating lots of good food.  It was so good to be back!

We then had one more stop to make before we headed back to Paris and that was to visit Nate’s Grandma in Arizona.  So we hopped on a flight to Phoenix to spend the last 3 nights with her.  Afterall, she had to meet her great-granddaughter.  And Grandma (or GG as she likes to be called) was thrilled to meet Josephine.  We had a wonderful visit with lots of cuddle time for GG with Josephine.  Nate even snuck in a Diamondbacks/Giants game on opening day.  Most likely his only Giants game for the season so you can imagine how excited he was to go to the game.

And after almost 2 weeks it was time to say goodbye to the US and head back home to Paris.  We had a great time and while we were indeed busy and moving around it felt like the perfect amount of time and itinerary.  And Josephine was an awesome trooper through it all.  She only had maybe 1-2 nights when we first arrived where she had to adjust to the jet lag but then slept wonderfully the rest of the time, no matter where we were.  She did so well meeting all sorts of new people too.  Returning home to Paris was a little bit more rough though.  As we always find, adjusting to the jet lag coming this way is much more difficult and it was no different with Josephine.  We had a pretty tough week with her but she finally slept a normal night one full week after returning.  Whew...what a trip!!!  

A Winter of Visitors

As we settled into the new year and our new routine we were able to look forward to a number of visitors coming our way in January and February.  It started with my friend April who was in London for work and decided to take the Eurostar over for a quick 24 hour visit before heading back to SF.  Her only request was for some cheese, bread, wine and croissants and we delivered on all of those (while getting out for a few walks in the neighborhood).

A week or so after April’s visit we had a visit from our friend Matt.  For as much as he’s traveled, and that’s quite a bit, he had never been to Paris.  So he spent a week with us and got out to discover Paris and get a good feel for the city and what it has to offer.  During that time, Louis was here again for work so we got in a couple of good dinners with him as well.  We tried this Moroccan place called 404 that’s just a block away from our apartment and it was delicious!  Josephine was a perfect angel and slept the entire time.  And the boys even made it out to a bar to watch the Super Bowl live (starting at 12:30am here).  It was the same place we all watched the Niners last year.  Josephine and I had our own girls night back at home.  it was a great visit and we're so glad Matt finally got to see a city we love so much!

Lastly, my cousin Nicole came to visit right after Matt left.  She wanted to of course see the new baby and get a chance to explore Paris a bit more.  Nate, Nicole and I had come here a few years back when she visited us in Zurich but that was just a quick weekend trip.  She now had a whole week to hang out with us and see more of Paris.  Josephine and I tagged along on a few of the things she did like going on the ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde for a great view of Paris, walking through the Tuilieres Garden and along the river near our house.  The Saturday that she was here, all of us took a day trip to Champagne.  This was the first time Josephine had been outside of Paris which means it was the first time we had taken her on a train for an all day trip.  We were kind of testing the waters on how it would be to travel with her.  And in the meantime, Nicole got to see a different part of France, taste some amazing champagne and we got to meet up with our friend Rachel and her boyfriend Alexis.  Josephine was again a perfect angel on the trip.  She slept on the train, when she was awake she happily sat in our laps and smiled at the French women that just adored her and then slept some more.  All in all a great day!  Nicole then had a few more days left before she too had to head back home.

Our winter has been quite fun with all of the friendly faces we got to see.  And now the weather is turning spring-like with temperatures in the 60s and we are crossing our fingers that it’s going to stick and winter is done.  Bring on spring and summer in Paris!!

View from ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde

Christmas in Paris

So let me first preface this post by saying that it is extremely overdue. I have been meaning to write and post this for at least a month now and am finally getting around to it. I guess I'm still adjusting to having a little one and trying to get things done. So with that being said, here we go...

With Josephine being born at the end of November, we decided that this year we would spend Christmas in Paris.  My parents joined us here as well to both meet their newest (and 7th!) granddaughter and spend the holiday with us.  It was wonderful having them here for the extra help but they also made our Christmas even more special to be able to share it with them.  Christmas day brought beautiful weather with blue skies so after our morning of exchanging gifts we took a walk down and around Notre Dame.  It’s funny how two years ago when we spent Christmas in Zurich, we also took a walk on Christmas day and saw maybe just one person the entire time we were out.  Not so here in Paris.  I couldn’t believe how many people were out walking around and how crowded it was.  I suppose the beautiful day and the plain fact that it’s Paris will do that.  That evening Nate cooked up a fabulous turkey meal complete with a fresh turkey from the boucherie as well as our imported Stovetop stuffing (so delicious!).  It was a wonderful Christmas and one we’ll never forget as it was Josephine’s first.  So special!!

My parents were here for another week which was filled with continuing to adjust to having a newborn and getting sleep where we could.  New Year’s Eve was a much different one than we’ve had in many years.  We did make it to midnight and then Josephine woke up and we proceeded to stay up until 2am.  Not quite like the New Year’s Eve’s we have celebrated in the past but at least we woke up with no hangover this year.  

My parents then left on January 1 and it was back to reality for both of us starting on the 6th with Nate having to go back to work after 2 weeks off and me being home alone with Josephine.  I definitely got the better end of that deal.

And now look who is almost 3 months old! The blanket was a gift from my team at work. I can't believe how quickly she's growing. She's getting so big!

Bienvenue Joséphine

In the hospital

Well I’m a little late on welcoming our little Joséphine as she is now almost 6 weeks old but I figure better late than never. Josephine Nancy was born on November 28 2013 at 10:16pm. After a long wait all day in the delivery room (we arrived at the hospital at 8:15am) we were delighted to finally meet our little girl. She was born at Hopital Saint-Joseph in the 14th arrondissement of Paris and after spending 3 nights in the hospital we brought her home. It was so nice to get out of the hospital and into the comforts of our home.

My parents came a week after we got home and just left on the 1st. More to come later on our visit with them and Josephine’s first Christmas.

We are now a family of three and while it's taken some adjustment, we are loving every minute of it.

5 Weeks Old

The Waiting Game

I am now in my second week of maternity leave and it feels like a waiting game.  Just waiting for this little girl to decide to make her arrival into the world.  Last week I planned all the things I really wanted to get done and was just hoping she would give me at least one week of maternity leave to accomplish these things.  I got a haircut, went to the dentist and even had lunch with some new friends….all that stuff I had been putting off until I had more free time.  And luckily I got through that week and was quite productive.  Besides catching up on appointments I’m trying to get as much as I can prepared for Christmas as well.  My parents arrive on December 10 and will be here for the holidays to celebrate with us, which we are so looking forward to.  And since I have no idea how our life will be after Baby Ross comes, I’m trying to get as much done and purchased as possible. I’ve slowly marked things off my to-do list and now I feel like I’m just waiting.  This little girl could really come any day now so I hate to plan anything else.  

The tree is up at Galeries Lafayette

I’m feeling great, or as good as can be expected.  I’m getting up every 2-3 hours at night and I definitely get tired more easily after a few hours walking around.  And this bump seems to get in the way….bending over to put on my shoes or even just dry off after the shower is all sorts of work now.  But really overall, I can’t complain.  I go to the hospital now once a week so they can monitor the baby’s heartrate and check on me.  And everything looks good with the baby (although she is still on the small end of the normal range).  I’ll be 40 weeks on Sunday, which I have determined to be my US due date (November 24).  My French due date is December 3.  I think I’ve finally figured out the system here as the due date confused me for some time.  The French go off of a 41 week system while the US uses a 40 week system.  So if I make it to December 3 with still no baby, it’s highly likely I will be induced that day.  Let’s hope this little one makes her appearance though before that happens!

Maternity leave has been great so far.  I’ve definitely enjoyed the free time and the chance to be out in Paris in the middle of the day in the middle of the week.  It feels like a whole new world!  But it’s also a strange feeling.  Because I’m not on vacation and I’m not working of course so really my only purpose is to wait for this baby to come.  And I of course get tired after walking around for 2-3 hours so I try to remind myself that I can’t do all the things I would normally love to do if I had all this time in the city.  

It’s crazy to think that pregnancy will be coming to an end soon.  It’s been quite the adventure doing this here in Paris and we’ll follow up with another post after the baby comes to sum up this experience.  Overall I feel that I’ve been really lucky with my pregnancy and how easy it has been and can only hope that extends into labor and delivery and then to an easy baby.  Am I asking too much?  :)  

One last tidbit to leave you with before I finish.  All of the wine bottles here in France have a picture of a pregnant lady with a line through her basically saying that you shouldn’t drink while pregnant.  Well ever since I got pregnant Nate has been wanting me to re-create this picture.  And now that I’m probably the biggest that I’m going to get, here goes.

Until next time….when we will be a family of 3!!!  Eek!  

One Last European Rendezvous with Stacey & Alex

As you may recall, Stacey and Alex are our friends from Basel.  They moved to Basel from SF about the same time that Nate and I moved to Zurich and over the past 2+ years we’ve traveled with them to numerous European destinations.  Some highlights have been Oktoberfest in Munich, Dublin, Istanbul, Zermatt, Normandy and so many more!  Anyways, the time has come for Stacey and Alex to move back to SF in just a few weeks and before leaving they were able to fit in one last weekend with us, this time here in Paris.  We were thrilled to see them one more time!  And on top of it, Stacey is also pregnant and due in early January.  So we could compare notes as well.

They arrived last Saturday in time for us to take them to our favorite little noodle shop, Happy Nouilles, for lunch.  We spent the afternoon walking around Paris...had to visit a few Parisian baby shops over in the 17th so they could take something home for their little girl.  We then ended up at Place de la Concorde, walked through the Jardin de Tuileries and over to Rue Montorgueil for a brief rest and a drink.  They had been to Paris once before for a long weekend so they saw most of the iconic sights at that time.  We had a lovely dinner near our neighborhood that evening and on Sunday, brunch with their friends DA and Kelly.  After that we were off to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur to show them an area they had never seen before.  We got lucky with the weather as it was just beautiful with sun and blue skies.  And before we knew it, it was time for us to head back to our apartment and for them to head back home.

Stacey and Alex will forever be our European travel partners and will hold a huge part in our European adventure memories.  See you back in SF someday!!