Past week

Kdogg has come and gone, hence my lack of updates. I wouldn't say we were uber-busy, but just having somebody else around meant that computer time was limited. We did a lot of lazing around in the mornings, and then by mid- or late-afternoon we would usually start in on some activity (generally involving a lot of walking) which would tide us over to dinner. Of course, I had to go to work or school a few times, but she was able to entertain herself when that was the case (and I had worked around my schedule so that I had Friday afternoon off, so it wasn't too bad). It was a very laid-back visit and the week just flew by. She left this morning and I am spending the day catching up on a variety of tasks, the next of which will be a thorough cleaning of the house.

Kdogg also taught me to sew a little, and we made the cutest little BRIGHT ORANGE outfit for little Romulus. It's not perfect, but I am pretty happy with how it turned out. It's a fleece ensemble with little mitten hands and a itty bitty hat (from the red pattern -- without all those appliqu�s -- at the bottom of this page). So cute! Plus, it's the first real thing I've managed to sew, and we whipped it up pretty quickly. It's definetly given me more confidence for the future. I've got a second pattern I would like to tackle in the coming weeks, but I am having a bit of a hard time finding the right material. It seems all I can find around town is deco material -- it's hard to find sweatshirt, terry cloth, etc. Any Parisians have a good address?

Otherwise, I went to the doctor last week. Besides gaining a little too much weight, everything looks perfect. I'm still feeling great, and have been able to maintain my activity levels without too much difficulty. I can feel that I am a little heavy on my feet -- my only complaint is that my legs are a little sore where they attach to my pelvis, but the doctor says it's normal and is most likely due to the baby's position. The more active I am, the better they feel, usually feeling the worst when I first start moving for the day. I'm still sleeping through the night, my back is doing fine, and I am able to concentrate and keep with it without any troubles. It's awesome. At this point, I am still enjoying the pregnancy and, from what I gather, it's a bit unusual to still feel so good, so I am counting my blessings.

The Boy has had a bit of a miserable week, however, as he got some sort of toe infection and his big toe ballooned to about three times its normal size. It was completely disgusting, but, mysteriously, despite going to the ER, a doctor's, and a clinic, he was not able to get it treated. At each place, he waited 4 - 6 hours to see someone, only to be told "Sorry, we can't help you." Yesterday, somebody finally had mercy on him and did a sort of mini-operation -- now his foot is all bandaged up and he's hopped up on painkillers. Thank God, too, because he is much more pleasant than he was on the extra-strength aspirin the hospital originally prescribed.

Oh! And! I'm super amazed because I went to the social security office and the woman was REALLY friendly and incredibly competent, and I was able to get all of my paperwork taken care of in one visit. It was totally shocking, and Kdogg said afterwards, "I don't see why you complain so much about French administration, that seemed really smooth..." and I said, stupefied, "Yeah, it was. What was that about?" Fortunately, we went to the post office a few days later and she was able to witness French incompetence at its finest, so she knows I am not making this stuff up. But STILL, I'm so happy that the dreaded social security visit went ok and everything seems to be en route for my maternity leave pay. ALRIGHT!

Can I also say that hot weather + coconut sorbet = deliciousness.