Versailles

France, 2013

When I did an internship in Paris, er, thirteen years ago, I knew no one; on the weekends, I'd often put a pin in the map and head wherever sounded interesting that day...the Rodin Museum, Chartres, and Versailles, a place I kept going back to.

It sounds counterintuitive, because the chateau itself is so jam packed with tour groups. But the grounds  beyond it are huge and completely idyllic. There are spots where you don't see another soul for an hour, and tons of Parisians head there to ride bikes, picnic, and just soak up the sun in a gorgeous setting.

We walked and walked and walked and are now home, freshly showered. Definitely one of my favorite days of our trip so far so it's bittersweet that tomorrow is our last full day.

Wanderings

France, 2013

I can't believe it's Thursday already. It's finally cooled off and we've had a lovely day wandering around the Marais. I did some research before we came (naturally), so we've headed off most mornings for breakfast and then made plans for the day over coffee and baked goods.

This morning began at Rose Bakery, where they were busy making the most delicious looking savory tarts for lunch. Tomatoes, goat cheese, and black olives, mushrooms and spinach...

Yesterday we went to the Musee D'Orsay and the Jardins du Luxembourg before naps and a picnic dinner on the Champ du Mars with (so it seemed) all of Paris and some friends.

It's hard to say exactly if Paris is baby friendly...I think so. Every neighborhood has it's little park and playground, and there are often policies at museums etc. that you can skip the line if you are with a baby. More than a few places have had high chairs, and the ones that haven't have been perfectly happy to have the three of us, even the posh Les Deux Magots and the swanky bar at the top of the Pompidou Center.

I guess I feel it's baby friendly in the same way that New York is. Most people imagine the city to be hell with little kids, but at the same time, babies thrive there too.

Birthdaversary

France, 2013

It's Will's birthday and our second wedding anniversary, so we had an action packed day in Paris with (iced!) coffee at Cafe Pinson, a trip to the zoo at the Jardin des Plantes, a long long walk and dinner at Les Bouquinistes.

I'm quite glad that Paris is relatively familiar territory, so it doesn't seem too odd to spend a day looking at flamingos rather than, say, combing through the Louvre. That said, we may do something a bit more culture-ish tomorrow. Plus, shopping for twee French baby wares.

Cue sleep.

Provence to Paris

France, 2013

Happily installed in Paris, where it's broiling hot. Missing iced coffee and air conditioning, but surviving (I kid!) regardless...

Kids in Paris

via Hip Paris

In just over two weeks, we leave for Paris. I've been amusing myself reading up on baby-friendly activities in the city; many of the guides mention the carousel at Le 104, the Jardin des Plantes, and the playground in the Jardins du Luxembourg.

Here are some of the posts I've been reading in anticipation of our travels:

Paul et Paula: Playtime Paris

Babyccino City Guides: Paris

Dinner a Love Story: Paris With Kids, Our List

Oh Happy Day: Paris With Kids

Hither and Thither: Vilac Toys

Luvaville: Best Things to Do With Babies in Paris

Ahhhh, Paris

via Hip Paris

Today was one of my first iced coffees of the season, which has me thinking of summer, which has me thinking of Paris.

This is the view from the little apartment we're renting on the Place des Vosges this July, and I can't wait. I found it on Hip Paris, and it's teeny but perfect. We'll be there for a few days after attending our friends' christening and belated wedding party in the south of France.

Although we've had a good bit of extended family time this year, we haven't taken any big holidays as a family of three. I'm imagining Axel enjoying the swings in the little park, chomping on baguettes, and toddling around with all the oh-so-well-behaved French kiddies.

It will also be Will's birthday and our second wedding anniversary, and since we spent part of our honeymoon in Paris, it seems appropriate. We had a blast, as you can see.

Paris, 2011

Rainy Friday

Axel, 2012

I feel like we've had a few long weeks of racing from this to that, so it's kind of a pleasure to wake up to the sound of rain on the windows. To celebrate the gloomy weather, Axel is sporting his goldfish pjs, which I bought at Arthur in Paris a few years back as a gift for our nephew Leo...long before we had a baby (but when I couldn't resist shopping for one.) It's surreal and fun to see our little boy wearing it as a hand me down.

Other than that, we're enjoying the quiet afternoon and planning for a night in.

The good news is that the babe seems to have had something of a sleep breakthrough this week. I don't know if it's that he's hit 11 pounds (um, he's a giant...) and is just ready to sleep a little longer at night or if putting him in his crib had something to do with it.

Either way, instead of waking every 2 hours throughout the night, once we put Axel in his own room to sleep he slept from 8 'til 12, 12:30ish 'til 5, and 5 'til 8. For two nights running. Let me tell you, it's amazing. I really do miss having him in the bassinet but I think I'll be able to think a little more clearly with some good chunks of sleep under my belt.

Dragon Babies

Pop the champagne...

It's been nearly seven months since my husband and I were married on a showstopping day in July on the coast of Maine.

Seven months that took us to Paris, Istanbul, London, and Prague and has had us planning even more improbable adventures; that had me grappling with the word "husband," which seemed to trip over my tongue even as it made me incredibly happy to say. In seven months, we've had our share of ordinary Brooklyn days as well, sleeping late, lusting over unattainable real estate, watching Breaking Bad in excess, or debating the merits of the lattes at the Verb versus those at Blue Bottle. All serious business and the sort of thing that two relatively untethered 30-somethings can discuss quite seriously.

For the record, we are Verb loyalists.

And, oh yeah, sometime in the last seven months, we also invented a new human.

My due date is August 9, 2012. The year of the dragon; the day after my 34th birthday. I am just about 14 weeks along, and in the phase I'll call terrified. Well, in any given day I swing from awe to terror and back again.

For most of the first trimester, I've hibernated as much as possible, but it's nearly 50 degrees in February, I'm beginning to feel like myself again, and some of the fog has lifted. Whatever innate creative energies I had, they were slumbering these past few months, but I can feel a pleasant little itch to get going again.

I hope you'll come along for the ride.