just no Internet connection and no land line.
Heating working though. Still gaping hole in floor and wall.
Discovered hot spot café -thanks Beate from relocation agency!- but no battery left in computer - Honey, Grrrrr!!!
Will be back tomorrow.
Just wanted to say we are all alive and well, kicking - especially Emma.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Happy Birthday Emma
TWO MONTHS TODAY!
Yipeee!
Yipeee!
1 trip on a plane,
met 2 out of 2 aunties,
wore nappies of 3 different sizes and lived in 3 different "homes",
met 3 out of 4 grand-parents,
driven in 5 different cars,
visited at least 6 apartments...
What an experienced girl I am!
Things can only get better, don't you think?
wore nappies of 3 different sizes and lived in 3 different "homes",
met 3 out of 4 grand-parents,
driven in 5 different cars,
visited at least 6 apartments...
What an experienced girl I am!
Things can only get better, don't you think?
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Poop Show
What is the deal with these toilets?!
Why is it that the more recent Viennese toilets are built like bathtubs for the physically challenged or elderly?
I.e. with a step or "landing" half way down?
Seriously.
The downside?
Increased visibility and smell.
Mmmm.... It is rather off putting, you must admit.
I can't figure out what the plus side of designing toilets this way could be.
Any ideas?
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Welcoming Bratislava
Although you'd think we'd want to discover Vienna, having been here for less than a couple of weeks, on Sunday we opted for a more adventurous outing and decided to visit Bratislava (SlovaKia) after reading about its open shops and cafés on Sundays.
We figured we'd make the 79km road trip (according to Google Earth) for lunch and do a food shop at the 24h mega-huge TESCO so that I wouldn't have to practice pushing Emma's pram and the food troly simultaneously to fill the fridge of our serviced apartment.
lively cafés and ice-cream parlors,
quaint statues...
Bratislava is clearly providing to the needs of the many British and Italian tourists with lots of holes in the wall (ATMs), international press readily available and signage in English everywhere...
Resulting in a less welcoming occurrence which seemingly
only applied to cars with license plates other than SK
And so we discovered that the traffic police in Bratislava
work on Sundays.
A phone call away, they readily came to pocket the (hefty) fine
and enable us to drive back to Vienna.
Bratislava's old town was nice 
nicely restored buildings,
nicely restored buildings, 
lively cafés and ice-cream parlors,
quaint statues...
Bratislava is clearly providing to the needs of the many British and Italian tourists with lots of holes in the wall (ATMs), international press readily available and signage in English everywhere...
Check that. Nearly everywhere...
Resulting in a less welcoming occurrence which seeminglyonly applied to cars with license plates other than SK
And so we discovered that the traffic police in Bratislavawork on Sundays.
A phone call away, they readily came to pocket the (hefty) fine
and enable us to drive back to Vienna.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Marriage and tomorrow's yesterdays
If you think preparing and planning your wedding together tests a marriage, just wait 'till you have a baby!
And if that isn't trying enough, try 3 months (three months today!!) of living out of a suitcase. Make that suitcases, since you're constantly changing sizes in between week 34 of pregnancy and week 40+8, not to mention the change of temperature and season -unless you live somewhere near the equator-, and then there the small matter of the clothes and gear of a fast growing baby...
Add to that, staying with your Mum and your Mum-in-law, while buying and setting up a pad in France (which is great but is also quite a bit of work), before flying out to a new city and house hunting with your lovely newborn while living in a serviced apartment (thankfully equipped with a washing machine)...
And of course, hubs is very much in demand and engrossed in his new position at work and, hey, even traveling....
In the meantime you're desperately trying to sooth yourself with positive thinking and the belief that inner stability is what counts (so what if you've called 5 different places "home" in half as many months and driven as many cars).
So what?
* I've learned to be less anxious and get less unhinged by the small stuff
* modern technology is more than helpful, it actually often saves the day; you can read the paper of your city of choice, keep in touch (and sight!) with friends and family practically instantaneously, lose yourself in music and enroll into a local yoga class that is being set up by another newcomer and discussed on a local forum
* having said that, you really can get by with a lot less stuff than you are used to living with...
* which in turn gives you the opportunity to look around you more and (re)discover that which is most important to you
* hopefully, all of this will be another bumpy corner your marriage will bounce off, and, in a few days, you’ll tease each other about your bloody mindedness and short-lived irritability
* remember to cuddle and play as often as possible - it makes you feel so much better
Mostly, all these moves and co-habitations, travels and change in plans, irritations and encounters have convinced me that you really need to live life in the present; communicate (and not only the about the bad, irritating, annoying stuff), express yourself (go yell in the park or sing in the shower), breathe and concentrate on what's going on for you now. Make it as good as you can.
Tomorrow is another day... and, take it from me, a billion things can happen before then, making tomorrow very different from what you thought it would be... You might as well be able to look back and remember the happy yesterdays that you did NOT spend worrying about tomorrow.
As hard as it may be for some of us, this is definitely one lesson worth learning.
And if that isn't trying enough, try 3 months (three months today!!) of living out of a suitcase. Make that suitcases, since you're constantly changing sizes in between week 34 of pregnancy and week 40+8, not to mention the change of temperature and season -unless you live somewhere near the equator-, and then there the small matter of the clothes and gear of a fast growing baby...
Add to that, staying with your Mum and your Mum-in-law, while buying and setting up a pad in France (which is great but is also quite a bit of work), before flying out to a new city and house hunting with your lovely newborn while living in a serviced apartment (thankfully equipped with a washing machine)...
And of course, hubs is very much in demand and engrossed in his new position at work and, hey, even traveling....
In the meantime you're desperately trying to sooth yourself with positive thinking and the belief that inner stability is what counts (so what if you've called 5 different places "home" in half as many months and driven as many cars).
So what?
* I've learned to be less anxious and get less unhinged by the small stuff
* modern technology is more than helpful, it actually often saves the day; you can read the paper of your city of choice, keep in touch (and sight!) with friends and family practically instantaneously, lose yourself in music and enroll into a local yoga class that is being set up by another newcomer and discussed on a local forum
* having said that, you really can get by with a lot less stuff than you are used to living with...
* which in turn gives you the opportunity to look around you more and (re)discover that which is most important to you
* hopefully, all of this will be another bumpy corner your marriage will bounce off, and, in a few days, you’ll tease each other about your bloody mindedness and short-lived irritability
* remember to cuddle and play as often as possible - it makes you feel so much better
Mostly, all these moves and co-habitations, travels and change in plans, irritations and encounters have convinced me that you really need to live life in the present; communicate (and not only the about the bad, irritating, annoying stuff), express yourself (go yell in the park or sing in the shower), breathe and concentrate on what's going on for you now. Make it as good as you can.
Tomorrow is another day... and, take it from me, a billion things can happen before then, making tomorrow very different from what you thought it would be... You might as well be able to look back and remember the happy yesterdays that you did NOT spend worrying about tomorrow.
As hard as it may be for some of us, this is definitely one lesson worth learning.
Friday, September 21, 2007
House hunting with little Emma
The colors of this blog - reminiscent of spring and freshness - just aren't working for me today having woken to "purée de petits pois" mushy grey sky for our second day of house hunting in Vienna.
House hunting just isn't the same when it's grey... A foreign city instantly looks less welcoming and even the most appealing apartments take on a cold and uninspiring allure.
(...)
Luckily, on our third and fourth days of house hunting we have had sunny weather.
House hunting with an eight week old baby has been quite challenging and very different from previous house hunting trips.
Luckily, Emma has been a real star and good company when visiting flats around Vienna with different realtors.
I've been carting her around, in and out of cars and taxis (after setting up the car seat), squeezing her pram into the tiniest lifts, and feeding and changing her just about everywhere! The worst has been getting past the stairs taking us into lots of the buildings (I still need to master the pram over stairs especially if there are more than 3 steps) but it was worth the experience since it led me to add "no stairs" to the agency brief!
Anyway, hopefully we have now found our new home; a three bedroom apartment in a new building with a view (rare), not far from the Wiener Wald, in a green area, on a street with a lovely name, a fireplace, lots of windows, light and a lovely parquet....and with absolutely NO STEPS on the way!
If all goes well, the contract will be signed on Monday and if we're really lucky the owner might even let us move in just before October 1st!
Yippee!
House hunting just isn't the same when it's grey... A foreign city instantly looks less welcoming and even the most appealing apartments take on a cold and uninspiring allure.
(...)
Luckily, on our third and fourth days of house hunting we have had sunny weather.
House hunting with an eight week old baby has been quite challenging and very different from previous house hunting trips.
Luckily, Emma has been a real star and good company when visiting flats around Vienna with different realtors.
I've been carting her around, in and out of cars and taxis (after setting up the car seat), squeezing her pram into the tiniest lifts, and feeding and changing her just about everywhere! The worst has been getting past the stairs taking us into lots of the buildings (I still need to master the pram over stairs especially if there are more than 3 steps) but it was worth the experience since it led me to add "no stairs" to the agency brief!Anyway, hopefully we have now found our new home; a three bedroom apartment in a new building with a view (rare), not far from the Wiener Wald, in a green area, on a street with a lovely name, a fireplace, lots of windows, light and a lovely parquet....and with absolutely NO STEPS on the way!
If all goes well, the contract will be signed on Monday and if we're really lucky the owner might even let us move in just before October 1st!
Yippee!
Monday, September 17, 2007
September 17th
Today three years ago we got married!
Wow! How time flies...
Last year for our anniversary we were living in Turkey and now we are settling in Vienna... who knows where are future anniversaries will be?
Wow! How time flies...
Last year for our anniversary we were living in Turkey and now we are settling in Vienna... who knows where are future anniversaries will be?
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Come fly with me
Today will be Emma's first time in a plane... and my first time flying with her (packing clothes for a fast growing baby with this year's crazy weather plus all the baby gear: not fun!)
Kind of daunting, but luckily it's a short flight and she doesn't have a cold so hopefully take-off and landing will not be too painful for her tiny ears.
We're off to Vienna -where hubs is already- on a house-hunting trip.
More soon....
Kind of daunting, but luckily it's a short flight and she doesn't have a cold so hopefully take-off and landing will not be too painful for her tiny ears.
We're off to Vienna -where hubs is already- on a house-hunting trip.
More soon....
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Pre-preggers body...
well, uh, getting there...
Today for the first time I was able to button up a pair of jeans I owned and wore way before I got pregnant. YAY!!!
OK, so it doesn't fit me in the same way it used to... This particular pair of Levis (W30 L30) was my baggiest pair and it now fits me rather snuggly... BUT the IMPORTANT thing is I can button it up all the way without any tricks or belts or tummy wraps... and I can actually breathe! (I wore them all day, and if you know me at all, you know I cannot stand anything tight for over 3 minutes)
Not too bad five weeks after giving birth, huh? Not that I can take any credit for this, but nevertheless, it's encouraging!
Still, I look forward to the day my joints (and especially my knees and feet) will feel more like they did before the relaxin hit them... soon I hope!
Today for the first time I was able to button up a pair of jeans I owned and wore way before I got pregnant. YAY!!!
OK, so it doesn't fit me in the same way it used to... This particular pair of Levis (W30 L30) was my baggiest pair and it now fits me rather snuggly... BUT the IMPORTANT thing is I can button it up all the way without any tricks or belts or tummy wraps... and I can actually breathe! (I wore them all day, and if you know me at all, you know I cannot stand anything tight for over 3 minutes)
Not too bad five weeks after giving birth, huh? Not that I can take any credit for this, but nevertheless, it's encouraging!
Still, I look forward to the day my joints (and especially my knees and feet) will feel more like they did before the relaxin hit them... soon I hope!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
The tricks your mind plays
My first memory of one of my mind's tricks goes back to when I was a little girl and staying with my grandmother (aka "Baba") in Grocka on the outskirts of Belgrade.
I don't recall my age, but I was definitely "toilet trained" and most likely under the age of 4 or 5. When I stayed with Baba, I slept in her room (u plavoj sobici), which was conveniently located opposite the bathroom.
One morning I awoke quite mortified to discover I was lying in a wet bed. Baba made no fuss and what I recall most vividly is the proverbial trick my mind played; at the time I distinctly remembered waking up needing to go to the bathroom, getting out of bed and going to the loo... so naturally when I woke up wet in my bed I was more than surprised!
It dawned on us that I had awoken, then fallen asleep again and dreamt the part where I got out of bed and went to the bathroom.
Recently in a similar vein, I have been waking startled at 3 or 4am when I hear Emma crying and have wondered (sometimes aloud!) where she is because a second ago, in my dream, she was in my arms and I was already feeding her.
It seems my mind has created a mechanism of defense against getting out of bed in the middle of the night...
I don't recall my age, but I was definitely "toilet trained" and most likely under the age of 4 or 5. When I stayed with Baba, I slept in her room (u plavoj sobici), which was conveniently located opposite the bathroom.
One morning I awoke quite mortified to discover I was lying in a wet bed. Baba made no fuss and what I recall most vividly is the proverbial trick my mind played; at the time I distinctly remembered waking up needing to go to the bathroom, getting out of bed and going to the loo... so naturally when I woke up wet in my bed I was more than surprised!
It dawned on us that I had awoken, then fallen asleep again and dreamt the part where I got out of bed and went to the bathroom.
Recently in a similar vein, I have been waking startled at 3 or 4am when I hear Emma crying and have wondered (sometimes aloud!) where she is because a second ago, in my dream, she was in my arms and I was already feeding her.
It seems my mind has created a mechanism of defense against getting out of bed in the middle of the night...
Thursday, August 30, 2007
One month!
We have survived! one month of:
I think this definitely deserved some Champagne!
- lack of sleep
- lots of nappies
- hours (it ads up!) of breast-feeding
- cuddles, burps and farts
- family visits, comments, compliments, "suggestions", etc.
- getting to know Emma
- grown 3 cm (now 53cm)
- gained 1kg since we left the clinic (now 4,3kg) Apparently this is very good especially on breast milk!
- once again fully mobile having received Emma's passport and ID card
- officially first time owners having received the keys to our pad in France!
I think this definitely deserved some Champagne!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
baby's own passport if you please
Yesterday I finally managed to get Emma's passport pics done. Hurrah!She does not look exceedingly happy, but it meets the requirements.
We had tried before, but getting a newborn to keep her eyes open and "sit" with her head upright (or at least look like it) is no easy task!
Unbelievably, newborns now have their own passports - they last 3 years!!! which is crazy seeing as they change so much in 3 weeks!
Whatever....
If you ever have to do this, here are a few tips:
- don't try to do take the picture yourself - instead go to a proper photographer who will have done this a few times and know all about the requirements for a biometric passport
- take a white scarf or shawl with you to wrap your left hand in (this will hide the hand that holds the head)
- dress your little one in a top that opens in the front allowing you to hide your other hand while you hold her/him steady across the tummy
- sit down and cross your legs so that you can balance your babe on the knee of your upper leg, holding her/him away from your body
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Thriller at Prison Break
Fellow blogger and Mum Duke from Confessions of an Expat's Wife, recently wrote a post on an innovative exercise routine carried out by inmates of the CPDRC (Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center) in the Philippines.
Granted, I am a music and dance fan and am convinced that both dancing and music are great ways to chill and get rid of any negative vibes, but I think this is absolutely brilliant!
Granted, I am a music and dance fan and am convinced that both dancing and music are great ways to chill and get rid of any negative vibes, but I think this is absolutely brilliant!
I'd have cut the final scene though - I'm not sure I'd have prison inmates carrying out a murder even if it is in a theatrical form....
Friday, August 10, 2007
Whose nose is it then?
Very often when a baby is born into a family people start looking for resemblance to themselves and other family members - a way no doubt of linking this little miracle of life to the rest of the pack...
Of course babies change so quickly and so constantly that it's mission impossible to try to pin them down to someone in particular but themselves - which is just fine! - Nevertheless it is kind of fun to try to read a babe's traits and expressions and trace a feature back to a gran's or an uncle's chin, a grandfather's nose or a parent's eyes or hands or feet...
Yesterday was once of those rare family moments - rare not only 'cause a few of us were in the same country/ city/ room together at the same time, but also because there was a kind of easy "togetherness" where there was no tension nor fuss, just easy going time together. My Mom got out a whole bunch of pics from when sis and I and some of our cousins where tiny and so L, D, Mom and I started looking for similarities between our kids and ourselves as well as out cousins when we were toddlers.
We had a bit of a laugh at our parents' hairdo's and my mother's once-upon-a-time impressive bust. Mom recalled the funky Mothercare changing mat my parents had for me, and exclaimed that she still had the yellow baby blanket I was wrapped in and would get it out for me to use for Emma.
Funny to think we are now the parents and no doubt, if we're lucky, one day we'll be showing our kids their baby pics. Wow!
Anyway, back to family traits: on the left a pic of me and on the right is Emma - both feature my Mum's hands- any resemblance?
Of course babies change so quickly and so constantly that it's mission impossible to try to pin them down to someone in particular but themselves - which is just fine! - Nevertheless it is kind of fun to try to read a babe's traits and expressions and trace a feature back to a gran's or an uncle's chin, a grandfather's nose or a parent's eyes or hands or feet...
Yesterday was once of those rare family moments - rare not only 'cause a few of us were in the same country/ city/ room together at the same time, but also because there was a kind of easy "togetherness" where there was no tension nor fuss, just easy going time together. My Mom got out a whole bunch of pics from when sis and I and some of our cousins where tiny and so L, D, Mom and I started looking for similarities between our kids and ourselves as well as out cousins when we were toddlers.
We had a bit of a laugh at our parents' hairdo's and my mother's once-upon-a-time impressive bust. Mom recalled the funky Mothercare changing mat my parents had for me, and exclaimed that she still had the yellow baby blanket I was wrapped in and would get it out for me to use for Emma.
Funny to think we are now the parents and no doubt, if we're lucky, one day we'll be showing our kids their baby pics. Wow!
Anyway, back to family traits: on the left a pic of me and on the right is Emma - both feature my Mum's hands- any resemblance?
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Emma and I "out there"
Emma and I left the Clinic on Friday and have been learning the life of new Mom & Baby around home and in town (where are all the pram friendly sidewalks, lifts, parking exits???!!!).
Let me tell you, those clinics have organization down to a tee. Not only is the staff superbly friendly and efficient – they really know their stuff – but the layout of anything you might need is really well thought out and makes your life so much more practical. Staying there for a few days post delivery means that you can learn from the mid-wives and nurses (breast-feeding positions, burping, bathing, creaming, nappy changing…) but also observe how to set up your gear at home so that your new routines can be as streamlined as possible and leave less space for careless accidents (where did I put that clean nappy?!)
So a great big cheer for the Clinique Générale Beaulieu (if we're anywhere around here next time around I will definitely do my best to go back there– but a bit soon to be talking about that now!)
Yesterday, Emma’s birth announcement came out in the Tribune de Genève.
I was surprised at my joy to see her name there in a little box with all the other baby announcements. It was like an official welcome to her as well as letting the world know (ok, Geneva!) that she’s arrived.
I always thought birth announcements in the papers were a bit “so what-?” but I actually bought 2 copies and am going to cut the announcement out and paste it in her baby book. Proud Mummy or what?!
For pics of babies born at the CGB- including one of Emma in her car seat gear (enter July 2007 in the date field and click on "ok")
Let me tell you, those clinics have organization down to a tee. Not only is the staff superbly friendly and efficient – they really know their stuff – but the layout of anything you might need is really well thought out and makes your life so much more practical. Staying there for a few days post delivery means that you can learn from the mid-wives and nurses (breast-feeding positions, burping, bathing, creaming, nappy changing…) but also observe how to set up your gear at home so that your new routines can be as streamlined as possible and leave less space for careless accidents (where did I put that clean nappy?!)
So a great big cheer for the Clinique Générale Beaulieu (if we're anywhere around here next time around I will definitely do my best to go back there– but a bit soon to be talking about that now!)
Yesterday, Emma’s birth announcement came out in the Tribune de Genève.
I was surprised at my joy to see her name there in a little box with all the other baby announcements. It was like an official welcome to her as well as letting the world know (ok, Geneva!) that she’s arrived. I always thought birth announcements in the papers were a bit “so what-?” but I actually bought 2 copies and am going to cut the announcement out and paste it in her baby book. Proud Mummy or what?!
For pics of babies born at the CGB- including one of Emma in her car seat gear (enter July 2007 in the date field and click on "ok")
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Welcome Emma!
Live from the maternity clinic - so no pics yet I'm afraid, you'll have to wait until I can download them on my mac - I just wanted to let the world know that we welcomed our little Emma on July 30th at 6h09 am as she made a rather speedy entrance to the world.
At birth she weighed 3,450kg and measured 50cm, had some brownish hair, dark blue eyes as well as the cutest, though by no means little, nose.
We are over the moon with joy and look forward to a lifetime of love and adventure with the youngest member of our family.
Welcome Emma, we are so happy to have you!
Update: a pic of Emma taken as we were leaving the clinic on Friday, August 3rd 2007
Update: a pic of Emma taken as we were leaving the clinic on Friday, August 3rd 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
No Champagne... yet!
Just in case you were wondering whether our train had come in...Nope, no cigar, champagne, mademoiselle yet. Not even an inkling.
Too bad, I kind of liked the 27.07.2007 but, hey, tomorrow would be fine too....
Anyhow, it was nice to be able to go to my third aqua-gym class and enjoy a dinner for two with my honey.
Tomorrow is another day....
Off to enjoy a full night's sleep!
Too bad, I kind of liked the 27.07.2007 but, hey, tomorrow would be fine too....
Anyhow, it was nice to be able to go to my third aqua-gym class and enjoy a dinner for two with my honey.
Tomorrow is another day....
Off to enjoy a full night's sleep!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
2 days left....but does she know it? also: from Izmir to Vienna via Geneva and a pad in France
Well into week 39 and I have totally had enough of being pregnant thank you very much.
According to the very first due date we were given (27th July) there are 2 days left. We were also given August 4th as EDD which takes us to Saturday next week.
Honestly, the past 4 weeks have seemed longer than the previous 8 months!
It's a bit of a shame really as I hadn't found it at all difficult to be pregnant until then. On the contrary. Now days I'm finding it no fun at all and my looking-forward-to-meeting-you-baby feeling has been superseded by a can't-bloody-wait-to feel lighter/ able-to-breathe/sleep /feel stable on my feet - longing.
A shame. But I guess that also means that I'm not thinking about giving birth as something daunting, rather like something vital and liberating. De-li-ve-ry. I've never liked that wording in English, but I guess it's not far from what I think I will feel.
According to the very first due date we were given (27th July) there are 2 days left. We were also given August 4th as EDD which takes us to Saturday next week.
Honestly, the past 4 weeks have seemed longer than the previous 8 months!
It's a bit of a shame really as I hadn't found it at all difficult to be pregnant until then. On the contrary. Now days I'm finding it no fun at all and my looking-forward-to-meeting-you-baby feeling has been superseded by a can't-bloody-wait-to feel lighter/ able-to-breathe/sleep /feel stable on my feet - longing.
A shame. But I guess that also means that I'm not thinking about giving birth as something daunting, rather like something vital and liberating. De-li-ve-ry. I've never liked that wording in English, but I guess it's not far from what I think I will feel.
So, a part from that, I might mention that we are now temporarily in Geneva and have been for just over a month.
Our house in Izmir is no longer ours at all and our belongings -including baby's room- are traveling around Europe somewhere and hopefully heading towards Vienna. Mmmm.
Vienna. Yup, that's where were moving to next. Sometime this autumn.
In the meantime we're expecting baby and doing our best not to feel too "SDF" as the French say (=sans domicile fixe, literally "without fixed abode" according to the Inter Active Terminology for Europe dictionary) - To be honest and hopefully not sound ungrateful, although we are lucky enough to be in a city where we are able to stay with family members, have friends and know our way around, I've had moments where I've found it rather unsettling to be expecting a baby and be in between locations/jobs at this moment in time.
I guess this is where you feel how stable you feel as a person and a couple. Boy, am I glad we didn't do this a couple of years ago; life treats you with what you can handle, thankfully. But back to us doing our best so as not to feel totally nomad. A huge contribution to putting down some kind of roots has been the decision followed by the opportunity of finding and buying a small flat in near by France (about 15 minutes to down town Geneva with a gorgeous view of fields and the lake). Yay!
We're swamped in paper work and catalogs (choosing tiles, etc.) and it probably won't be ours until September, but it's a super exciting project and really nice to know that somewhere in the world we'll have a HQ / base / pad.
Happy me.
A good thing the sales are now on....Checking out plates, cutlery and furniture in various places has definitely helped keep my mind off my bladder's decreasing capacity to guarantee any kind of serious autonomy, as well as kept me away from buying baby clothes galore.
And baby, you're welcome any time now, really... I'm sure you're quite happy in there and all, but there are loads of people waiting to meet you outside my belly. It's time to come out and have a look at the outside world now.
Our house in Izmir is no longer ours at all and our belongings -including baby's room- are traveling around Europe somewhere and hopefully heading towards Vienna. Mmmm.
Vienna. Yup, that's where were moving to next. Sometime this autumn.
In the meantime we're expecting baby and doing our best not to feel too "SDF" as the French say (=sans domicile fixe, literally "without fixed abode" according to the Inter Active Terminology for Europe dictionary) - To be honest and hopefully not sound ungrateful, although we are lucky enough to be in a city where we are able to stay with family members, have friends and know our way around, I've had moments where I've found it rather unsettling to be expecting a baby and be in between locations/jobs at this moment in time.
I guess this is where you feel how stable you feel as a person and a couple. Boy, am I glad we didn't do this a couple of years ago; life treats you with what you can handle, thankfully. But back to us doing our best so as not to feel totally nomad. A huge contribution to putting down some kind of roots has been the decision followed by the opportunity of finding and buying a small flat in near by France (about 15 minutes to down town Geneva with a gorgeous view of fields and the lake). Yay!
We're swamped in paper work and catalogs (choosing tiles, etc.) and it probably won't be ours until September, but it's a super exciting project and really nice to know that somewhere in the world we'll have a HQ / base / pad.
Happy me.
A good thing the sales are now on....Checking out plates, cutlery and furniture in various places has definitely helped keep my mind off my bladder's decreasing capacity to guarantee any kind of serious autonomy, as well as kept me away from buying baby clothes galore.
And baby, you're welcome any time now, really... I'm sure you're quite happy in there and all, but there are loads of people waiting to meet you outside my belly. It's time to come out and have a look at the outside world now.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Bureaucracy-schmureaucracy
Who would have thought that having a baby "back home" (Switzerland) would mean you actually have to ask the embassy in your host country (Turkey) to grant your home city (Geneva) permission to issue the baby a passport? I'm not kidding!
Swiss law says newborn's passports must be issued in stated country of residence - no matter the nationality of the parents or baby's place of birth. Duh.
But we can't travel from the birth country back to the host country without said passport. How twisted is that?
Luckily, the lovely lady from the Istanbul based Swiss embassy will grant passport issuing authorization to Geneva asap after delivery. Pheew!
I am soooo glad she remembers me and my sis-in-law from our visit a year ago!
Administrative bureaucracy is tailored to text book cases... I guess we tend to fit in loop holes more...
We're off to the airport now - pray my tummy looks small enough to board!!!!!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Baby Birth Announcements
Typically, although we're still not 100% set on the name, I've recently started thinking about announcing our baby's birth.
It's easy to forgo the paper ones because modern technology serves us well and traditional birth announcements can a) require some organization (like a camera when you need one, an up-to-date address book and a stock of stamps) b) be expensive c) be boring or at least unoriginal d) be old-fashioned ...
Now that I think about it, I was informed of friends' kids' births by text messages, emails, and digital pics sent electronically. Efficient. Gets the message across. But in a way it's a bit of a shame. Text messages and emails are so virtual and short-lived.
Granted, I'm sure no-body but close family members keep the cards or pics, but something more tangible and long-lived is simply more inspiring to me than using sms. As long as it's kind of fun. And versatile (so we could do a mix -part email part airmail- depending on the generation we're writing to). And original but not over-the-top. And doesn't make us bankrupt or take ages to organize.
Then there's the visual content: although I might feel otherwise on D-day, most newborns I've seen wouldn't win a beauty contest until maybe a few days/weeks later (unless they were born by C-section) so a picture of a baby foot or hand is often way more aesthetic than a "portrait". However it's super frustrating if you're on the receiving end! So you might as well use a printed card featuring someone else's foot. But then it's really pointless and is definitely neither fun nor original....
What do you think about Movie Poster announcements? (not necessarily in movie poster size!) The idea is kind of fun and original but setting up your newborn as a star from day one, isn't that um, like a bit presumptuous? or maybe it's just the idea of associating baby to a blockbuster movie... mhh....
Well, if you have any ideas or have found or used a fun, original, not overly complicated way to tell the world baby is born, I'm all ears (I mean, eyes....)
baby birth announcements baby birth announcements
It's easy to forgo the paper ones because modern technology serves us well and traditional birth announcements can a) require some organization (like a camera when you need one, an up-to-date address book and a stock of stamps) b) be expensive c) be boring or at least unoriginal d) be old-fashioned ...
Now that I think about it, I was informed of friends' kids' births by text messages, emails, and digital pics sent electronically. Efficient. Gets the message across. But in a way it's a bit of a shame. Text messages and emails are so virtual and short-lived.
Granted, I'm sure no-body but close family members keep the cards or pics, but something more tangible and long-lived is simply more inspiring to me than using sms. As long as it's kind of fun. And versatile (so we could do a mix -part email part airmail- depending on the generation we're writing to). And original but not over-the-top. And doesn't make us bankrupt or take ages to organize.
Then there's the visual content: although I might feel otherwise on D-day, most newborns I've seen wouldn't win a beauty contest until maybe a few days/weeks later (unless they were born by C-section) so a picture of a baby foot or hand is often way more aesthetic than a "portrait". However it's super frustrating if you're on the receiving end! So you might as well use a printed card featuring someone else's foot. But then it's really pointless and is definitely neither fun nor original....
What do you think about Movie Poster announcements? (not necessarily in movie poster size!) The idea is kind of fun and original but setting up your newborn as a star from day one, isn't that um, like a bit presumptuous? or maybe it's just the idea of associating baby to a blockbuster movie... mhh....
Well, if you have any ideas or have found or used a fun, original, not overly complicated way to tell the world baby is born, I'm all ears (I mean, eyes....)
baby birth announcements baby birth announcements
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