Paris and a 6 year anniversary!

When we realized we would be living in Europe during our 6 year anniversary, and that the anniversary was on a weekend - we started thinking of all the great places we could visit for the occasion. Then, Paul found out the Tour de France finished in Paris the same weekend and our plans were set.

I was nervous that Paris is overrated and crowded and sometimes I like mountains better than cities, but it ended up being a really really great weekend!

We took a train from Bonn Friday night. Paul's international data plan stopped working and we had a few moments of freaking out since we had no idea how to get to our hotel at 11 pm in a shady neighborhood of Paris. Luckily we figured it out with the sweet blessing of train wi-fi and arrived at our hotel safely.

Saturday we spent a lot of the day at the Palace of Versailles. It was opulent and nuts, and neat to see but we ended up feeling much more comfortable in the quiet gardens and little servant villages and farms that were out on the grounds. We walked 15,000 miles or so through the 17 acres and at the time I thought my feet would never be the same again, but it was WORTH IT.

I was just starting to get a tiny bump (19 weeks and 2 days pregnant here) and we thought these bushes looked kind of pregnant too. 

HOGGIES!

 

 


Saturday night we checked into our "Knight Bus" hotel (tall, skinny, and quirky), the Hotel Roubaix and rode the tiny, old fashioned elevator to our room. Then went to an amazing restaurant, L'ange 20, for our anniversary dinner. We didn't have reservations but luckily a reservation fell through and they let us in! We had stuffed King Prawns as an appetizer, then for the main dishes I had lamb that had been slow cooked for 24 hours and Paul had rabbit stuffed with chorizo. The sides were perfect. We shared pistachio creme brulee for dessert. I've never seen plates eaten that clean! Everything tasted so perfect.

After dinner we went down to see the Eiffel Tower. We arrived close to sunset and sat on the lawn and chatted for a while until we could watch the Tower lit up. Besides being asked if we wanted to buy champagne and souvenirs every couple minutes, it was the perfect chance to sit and reminisce on the past 6 years together.

 

 

(stinking strangers and their blurry picture taking skills! oh well! this restaurant had to be documented.)

Sunday we walked from our hotel to "downtown" Paris to see the Louvre. We walked through the Touileres Gardens and staked out a spot there for the Women's race and then the Tour! We ended up with a great spot overlooking the Champs-Elysses. We borrowed the green chairs from the Gardens so we weren't standing all day. We took turns walking around the city (while one saved our spots), and bringing each other ice cream. It was no neat to see my high school/ward friend Tayler Wiles compete on cycling's biggest stage with her team Specialized-Lululemon. Watching the final stage of the men's race was great too! It was a really neat experience to be at something so iconic.

That's Tayler! Leading the Peloton!!)

 

After the race we had some daylight left to see some other iconic sites in Paris. There were some stressful moments at Notre Dame with hunger, fatigue, and an urgent need for a restroom but we survived and checked out the gargoyles and loved walking along the Seine.

We ate dinner at a little restaurant on our walk back to the hotel. Paul got pizza and I got the worst risotto ever. It put me in a grumpy mood for the next hour or two until Paul convinced me that I couldn't let that be my last taste of Paris and we scouted out some gelato. :)

Monday morning we had a rainy walk to the train station then took a very early train back to Bonn and said au revoir to the city of love.

24 weeks!

 24 weeks is feeling good!

I feel like my body is starting to really look pregnant, which has been fun and sometimes confusing? Somedays clothing options are tricky because I'm typically a slightly-loose shirt type of gal, which isn't always flattering for a medium sized belly. Some of my jeans still button fine, but I'm starting to appreciate more and more the maternity loans from nice friends and family.

Our little boy is kicking and rolling and jumping around all day. I love feeling him keep me company at work and during my commute. Sometimes I'll even see a kick make my stomach move a bit! I am excited to "check in" on him at my monthly Doctor's appointment this coming Tuesday.

I am feeling healthy, well, and have normal amounts of energy most days. Paul and I went on a nice jog around campus this morning which felt really great. The first few months I couldn't run without throwing up, so it's nice to have the ability again with just a little stiff and "stretched out" feeling instead of puking. The not so fun "symptoms" right now are headaches, acne, and one million bathroom breaks a day.

My favorite moments of the last four weeks:

• The Goates family visit and their excitement about our little dude. Reuben even "tickled" the baby (my belly) to try to make him kick. :) Valerie gave us the cutest pair of tiny little Minnetonka moccasins that are happily sitting on a shelf until they can be put on tiny tiny feet.

• Paul having his hand in the perfect spot to feel a giant movement (we never know quite what we are feeling happen but maybe a bum as it rolled around?). He has been feeling him move for 4 weeks now. One day I was realizing he wasn't moving around as much as usual for that time of day, so Paul put his hand on my belly and told him to wake up he started kicking up a storm.

• Finding solutions to my constant sugar craving (not uncommon pre-pregancy, but maybe amplified and more easily justified now?). One day all I wanted was a Coney's milkshake (unfortunately Coney's is in Provo, UT). Luckily, we gave the Friendly's milkshake a try and it was almost identical. Also, eating cheddar cheese again. I missed it so much in Germany!

• End of summer adventures: a beach trip, a Phillies game, firefly walks, and reading outside. 

• Having my first "Are you pregnant?" question based on the looks of my body. The poor lady who asked (at church) was so nervous and so relieved that her guess was right.

• Hitting the "5 month mark"! Everyone seems to calculate it differently, but I'm doing the most conservative method I can think of with 9 months being the due date and counting back from there. Less than 4 months to go now!

• The baby hitting two big milestones - over a foot long and weighing in at over a pound! Grow baby grow! The "food comparisons" variation across different sources is so funny. This week he is apparently the size of... an ear of corn, a cantelope, an eggplant, a grapefruit, a pineapple, and a sub sandwich! :) Pick your favorite I guess!