• Annabelle’s Nursery

    September 19, 2013

    Annabelle Nursery_001 Annabelle Nursery_002Annabelle Nursery_012Annabelle Nursery_009 Annabelle Nursery_010 Annabelle Nursery_011Annabelle Nursery_005Annabelle Nursery_003Annabelle Nursery_007Annabelle Nursery_013

    Credits:
    Artwork: Framed painted artwork on wall with shoes and face by a local artist William Holland bought at a fundraiser
    Artwork: Eiffel Tower and young girl with umbrella painting on top shelf by a local artist Jean Rempfer
    Three Large Framed Artwork (Brick Wall): dekanimal on Etsy
    Other Artwork: DIY inspired by Etsy & Pinterest
    Ceramic Hot Air Balloon: Local Artist Peter Cales
    Large Stuffed Cat: Local Artist Amy Quinn of Plaiderpiller
    Floating shelves: Home Depot
    Rocking Birds: West Elm
    Yellow Pig: Hobby Lobby & spray painted yellow
    Small Yellow Lamp: Target & spray painted yellow
    Rocking Chair: Ikea
    Gray Pouf: Target
    Crib: DaVinci Jenny Lind from Target
    Monkey (hanging from crib): Gift (www.partnersforjusttrade.org/)
    Crib Skirt: DIY (using these directions)
    Baby Quilt & Pillows: DIY
    Dresser/Changing Table: Craigslist
    Round Coiled Basket (Brown): West Elm
    Round Coiled Basket with Lid (Rainbow): Gift (tenthousandvillages.com)
    Photography: Daniel Mueller (All photos taken by Daniel except last two taken by me)

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  • Week Three

    September 17, 2013

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    Each week is getting easier than the next.  Yay!!!  This week’s picture was taken in the same outfit we brought her home in.  She fits into it so much better now that she’s gained a little weight!

    We’ve had a lot of people ask if we have a nickname for Annabelle and if we’ll be calling her Anna or Belle or Elle or Annabelle.  We haven’t really decided what she’ll go by as far as a shortened version of her name but we do have a few nicknames.  As many of you know, we’ve always called our little girl “bambino”.  Bambino is Italian for “baby” or “infant” of either sex.  The feminine is “bambina” but for some reason we never got into calling her “bambina” once we found out we were having a girl.  So, our nickname for Annabelle started out as “bambino” and has morphed into “bino” or “beans” depending on what kind of mood we’re in.  Dusty also likes calling her “Mrs. B” which comes from him calling me “Mrs. D”.

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    Our motto is still “go with the flow”.  We’re feeding her when she’s hungry, we’re letting her sleep when she wants to sleep.  For those that know me, I’m a little OCD as well as a planner but choosing to not put her on a strict schedule has worked really well for us.

    For us though, going with the flow doesn’t mean we’re not making plans.  We’re still doing things, like going to a one-year old birthday party and going to a Labor Day picnic and taking her with me to Book Club and taking her to Whole Foods for date night, but we understand that if it doesn’t happen the way we planned, it’s still alright, we just improvise.  I’m learning fast that feeding Annabelle can really control what’s happening and when because she eats so often.  For example, when the three of us went to Whole Foods, just as we were getting ready to go inside she got fussy (it was getting to be dinner time for her) so we headed back to the car so Annabelle could have a quick snack.  As a side note though, none of this means I don’t dream about the day she’s on some kind of schedule and we can predict with some kind of accuracy when she will eat and sleep.

    When people ask how she’s sleeping my go to answer is that she’s great one night but the next she’s a little devil.  One night she’ll sleep for a stretch of three hours, get up to be fed and then fall right back to sleep.  And then the next she’ll want to be fed constantly and only wants to sleep in our arms or not at all.

    Annabelle eats like a champ.  As I mentioned earlier, she’s not on a strict schedule but most days she’s eating every 2 hours or so with some shorter or longer times in between.  I’ve started reading as much as I can on pumping and asking all of my girlfriends about what they’ve done.  I’m already thinking to myself that I’m going back to work in five weeks and I want to make sure it’s a smooth transition, and that Annabelle doesn’t go hungry.

    This week Annabelle and I started getting a little air!  It finally cooled down and we went on walks through the Old Market and down by the river and park almost every day.  It’s a great release for me because we get out of the apartment and I get some exercise as well.  It’s also nice because on Annabelle’s bad days, when she only wants to be held, I get a small break and she absolutely loves being in the stroller, often falling asleep.  I’ve been walking around 4 miles or about an hour each day and it makes me excited to be able to exercise for “real” and hopefully will make the transition back into a more rigorous exercise routine easier.  Friday I met up with another friend of mine who’s a new mommy for a walk and we were able to chat about new mommy stuff which was another great release for me.

  • Week Two

    September 16, 2013

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    I’m still catching up.  Annabelle is officially 3 weeks old but that’s life as a parent, always late (and I’ve never been really good at being on time).  Here is our picture of sweet Annabelle at two weeks.  Dusty picked her outfit again this week.  She’s wearing a Flywheel onsie (a tribute to Dusty’s company).

    This second week was much better than the first.  There’s no way to express how much better week two was for us, or just how hard week one really was. I’m not sure if I could have survived another week with such little sleep or so much breastfeeding.

    What made a big difference from week one to week two was that we broke some of the rules (really we stopped listening to everything we read or heard) and just went with what worked best.  Our philosophy has always been to do what works best for us, but as new parents, it’s sometimes hard to know what to do and what not to do when you get so many conflicting pieces of advice  (as I mentioned from week one).  Now when I read something or hear something that doesn’t work for us I just save that piece of information in the back of my brain because it might be useful later on.

    The first major change since last week is that we started getting more sleep.  Now, it’s not amazing sleep that lasts a full 8 hours but I’m pretty sure there weren’t any nights where you found Dusty or I sleeping in the rocking chair or on the floor in the nursery.  I don’t think I mentioned it but we’re keeping her in a bassinet (or trying at least) in our room unless she gets really fussy and then one of us takes her to her room so the other can get some sleep.

    Dusty went back to work this week as well.  Our original plan was for him to go into work in the mornings and work from home in the afternoons but we realized that we were both getting enough sleep that him coming home in the afternoon didn’t make sense.  It was a little scary that first day he was back to work and I was all-alone but we all survived.

    For the most part, this week all I did was feed Annabelle, change her dirty diapers, try to take a quick nap when she was snoozing, and try to keep up with some of the small things around the house (if there was time).  This last thing didn’t happen very often and sometimes if it did, it was an unsuccessful attempt.  During week two I was even able to shower a couple of times before Dusty got home (a big accomplishment for me) and even took Annabelle to meet all of my Book Club friends one night.  Going to Book Club was our first outing without Dusty!

    Breastfeeding has gotten much easier this week.  Some of my friends have asked me what I feared most about having Annabelle and my answer was always breastfeeding.  I’ve had some friends who have had a really difficult time with nursing and I always felt this was the one thing I really wanted to be able to do but knew I might not have any control over.  The first week it took a little extra time for my milk to come in so Annabelle was always hungry and just not getting as much to eat as she probably wanted (and I was anxious and always thinking about it) but this second week she’s been putting on the ounces and at her two week check up weighed in at 8 pounds 3 ounces (up from her 7 lbs 9 oz at birth).  Things are getting much better but it’s still an adjustment, getting used to being the only person that can feed her (at the moment).

    I’m also going to pump but someone in the hospital (I can’t remember if it was our pediatrician or a nurse) recommended that we wait at least three weeks before pumping and introducing a bottle to Annabelle.  Of course, everyone, including the internet had different advice for us but Annabelle and I are still getting into a rhythm, so this seems to be the right decision for us (although I did try pumping once this week so that we could go out for my birthday and it’s made me glad we’re not rushing it).

    We had a lot of friends and family visit again this week and so Annabelle is still having a hard time getting into a routine (if this can happen at two weeks old).  And another big thanks to those friends of our who brought us food, it was greatly appreciated.

    This week we also ventured out of the apartment and as a family of three took a few strolls around the Old Market.  This was another one of those moments that we all of a sudden realized that we are now parents and things are going to be different (very similar to our experience at the pediatrician).  Dusty and I got outside with the stroller and Annabelle, looked at each other and smiled.  We had one of those, “who’s going to push the stroller, oh my goodness we have a stroller… and a baby” moments!  Annabelle loves living in the Old Market and even spent her first evening at one of our and her soon-to-be favorite spots, La Buvette.

    Our biggest milestone this week was leaving Annabelle with Grandma Jane for almost three hours while we went to dinner to celebrate my birthday.  I tried for the first time and successfully pumped a few ounces of milk, and we were able to leave her for a few precious hours for our first meal alone.  It was a special birthday dinner!

  • Week One

    September 15, 2013

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    I’m a few weeks behind but I plan to write weekly updates now that our bambino has arrived.  I’m not sure at what point I’ll transition from weekly updates to monthly updates and then eventually to quarterly or yearly updates but for right now I’m going to write a few things down each week to share with everyone (and to help us remember the small things) about what’s going on with our dear little Annabelle and her parents.  This first outfit was chosen by Dusty and is a tribute to Annabelle’s favorite guy in her life, her daddy!

    So many things happened during our first week of parenthood yet so little.  First, a big thank you to everyone for all of your help during this first week and second and third.  We have some of the best family and friends who helped get us through these first couple of weeks.  I can’t thank my mom and mother-in-law enough for coming over a couple of times this first week to watch Annabelle while Dusty and I took naps and recharged a little.  And thanks to everyone who came to visit us in the hospital and at home.

    And an even bigger thanks to our friends who brought us food! I’m forever going to do this for any new mommies and daddies I know (and feel so guilty I never did it before).  I never realized how glorious this small gesture could be.

    And now for what our first week looked like.  We had our little bambino on Friday and were in the hospital until Sunday.  These were the easy days.  We had some of the best nurses (and doctors) who took such good care of Annabelle as well as mommy (and daddy) that I didn’t want to go home.

    The rest of the week was spent in our apartment (we only left to go to the pediatrician) trying to figure out life with a newborn.  We learned a lot this first week (and still have a lot more to learn) but Dusty and I are doing it together and it makes the adventure so much more fun (or maybe just more tolerable)!  This first week Dusty was so supportive and the best dad.  Without him I would have had a lot more emotional breakdowns but he was so great at being encouraging and knowing the exact things I needed.

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    Here are just a few highlights from Annabelle’s first week and our first week as parents:

    Watching Dusty and Annabelle together. During some of these sleepless nights Dusty would go on “adventures” with Annabelle, walking around the apartment, describing everything from the books on our bookshelves to the food truck across the street to all of the bottles of wine we have.  I love seeing Dusty as a dad.  I’ve never seen him hold a baby and watching him cuddle and care for our little girl makes me love him even more.  I have a feeling Annabelle is going to be daddy’s little girl.

    Going to the pediatrician. Dusty and I went to the pediatrician, looked around at all of the parents and their children, and then had a stark realization that we were like all of those people. Yes, we are parents.  It was such a weird feeling, I looked around and thought, “we’re not like those people” and then looked over at Annabelle and said to myself, “yes, we are like those people… we’re parents!” For the longest time we’ve identified with those couples that don’t have children, that can go out whenever they want, do whatever they want and have no cares in the world.  Our world has turned upside down!

    Not sleeping.  This most definitely is not a highlight of our first week.  I knew we’d get very little sleep these first few weeks but this first week was really hard.  Annabelle wasn’t sleeping much and had a her nights and days switched around.  Of course, people say to sleep when baby sleeps but we had so many guests stopping by that it was almost impossible to sleep during the day and although Dusty was home with us this first week, he still worked and so we both were zombies.  There were a few early mornings I woke up to find Dusty napping on the nursery floor and Annabelle sleeping in her bassinet.

    Learning to be parents.  Dusty and I are pretty darn smart but learning to be parents as well as learning what is right for your specific child is hard work.  So many people (including the internet) have ideas, suggestions, and stories about what you should and shouldn’t do that it can be really hard to decide what works for you.  There have been several times this first week as well as following weeks where someone has told me something (or I’ve read about) and then I’ve started wondering if I should be doing something different, was doing something wrong, or if I should be doing something at all.  I know that we’re doing a great job and Annabelle is quite happy with all of our parenting decisions (at least I think so) but wow, there a lot of conflicting information out there!  As far as parenting goes though, I think Dusty and I are a great pair and we’re figuring it out together!

    Our roles as parents. My primary role is feeding our darling little girl and Dusty’s primary role is diaper changer (and supportive husband).  All Annabelle has done this first week (and weeks to follow) is eat, sleep (infrequently) and dirty her diaper. Dusty and I didn’t realize that since I was breastfeeding that this would mean I am the primary care-giver, which is both a blessing and a curse.  I love all of the bonding I get with her and the connection we are making but it also makes it impossible to let someone else care for her, especially during this first week when she’s hungry all the time (and breastfeeding is still new and difficult).

    It also makes it a little difficult as a new dad because Dusty can’t do a lot for Annabelle.  There have been times when I just needed some sleep and Dusty wants to help but the only thing that will soothe Annabelle is to be fed.  This first week Dusty has been a trooper though, taking care of Annabelle when I went to get my hair done and was gone for 2.5 hours (remember how I mentioned that sometimes nothing soothed her but being fed–yep, that happened while I was gone), changing most of her diapers, and taking care of me while I’ve been recuperating.

  • 39 Weeks

    September 2, 2013

    week 39

    As you all know, we’ve welcomed our little Annabelle but I thought I’d update everyone on the last few days of my pregnancy.  My weekly emails say that our little bambino weighs over 7 pounds and about 20 inches long, about the size of a mini-watermelon.  This week has been one of the longest and I keep asking myself, “Are we there yet?”  I spent the last few days finishing up the nursery (yes, it’s finally done) as well as started the school year with a few presentations.  Even though we’re having a baby, life still continues and if she’s not here on Monday, I’ll be working.  Dusty has been working really hard so he can get as much done as he can before our little one arrives.

    Weight Gain: I gained 2.5 pounds this past week and have gained 27 pounds overall.

    Maternity Clothes: Same as last week, clothes are most definitely getting tighter and I’m trying to get as much use out of all of my maternity clothes as I can.

    Sleep: This week I haven’t gotten much sleep, just because I’m getting so excited for everything to happen. On Sunday I decided I’m fully ready for this little girl to join our world and since then I’m just so anxious it’s hard to sleep.  Tuesday night I thought my water might have broken (but accidentally just peed my pants, which is very common) so I didn’t sleep at all hoping it was going to happen at any moment!  And then the following night I started having contractions off and on so again, I got very little sleep.

    Food: Enjoying our walks to Ted & Wally’s for dutch chocolate ice cream.

    Movement:  She’s still a mover and a shaker.  Her movements are more like stretches and pushes than summersaults.

    Belly Button:  We have an outie!  What will it be like to have my old belly button again?

    Mood: I’m super excited knowing that we’re due in less than a week but also anxious that we don’t know when it will come.  At this point we’re all set and ready to go so it’s a waiting game.  Physically and emotionally I’m doing great and am trying to enjoy these last few days.

    Pregnancy Symptoms: Early in the week, I had the usual pregnancy symptoms that come with being 39 weeks pregnant, an achy back and a little heartburn.  Starting early Thursday I finally started to have contractions, the first time I could really say to myself, “that’s what a contraction feels like.”

    Best Moment(s) This Week: We had another doctor’s appointment on Tuesday and I’m dilated to 3 cm.  We talked about what might happen if I need to schedule an induction but she doesn’t seem too worried at this point and neither are we. And the best moment this week was starting to have contractions Thursday and realizing “this is it” later that night!

    Missing Anything: Not missing anything this week, just getting really excited for our little girl.

    Looking Forward To: We’re looking forward to our little girl to arrive but until then I’m looking forward to Omaha Fashion Week this weekend (unless we have an early arrival).

    Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken near our apartment in the Old Market.

    ***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

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  • Introducing Annabelle Marie

    August 26, 2013

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    We’d like you all to meet Annabelle Marie Davidson! She joined our little universe Friday, August 23 at 1:29pm. She weighs 7 lbs 9 oz and is 21″ long. We can’t wait to share more pictures and stories but for right now we’re just happy to be at home as a family of three!

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  • 38 Weeks

    August 20, 2013

    week 38a

    It’s so hard to believe that these weekly posts are getting so close to ending and baby updates will be here before you know it.  Our little bambino weighs almost 7 pounds and around 19 1/2 inches long, about the size of a leek or watermelon or even pumpkin my weekly emails say. Our little girl’s organs are developed and functional so she’s ready to join us anytime! We’ve started to wonder what she’ll look like. Dusty even found a website that can calculate the likelihood of the baby’s eye color.  There’s about an 85% chance she’ll have brown eyes like her daddy and a 15% chance she’ll have blue eyes like me.

    This week I finished up my two summer classes, packed our hospital bags and worked on the nursery (it’s so close to being done and can’t wait to share pictures of the room with everyone).  Dusty’s been working harder than ever but we still found time this weekend to get away from our computers and spend some time together.

    Weight Gain: I gained 1.5 pounds this past week and have gained a little less than 25 pounds overall.

    Maternity Clothes: Same as last week, clothes are most definitely getting tighter and I’m trying to get as much use out of all of my maternity clothes as I can even though I’m sure I’ll be wearing them for a while after our little girl arrives.

    Sleep: Sleeping is difficult but expected.  My body is getting ready for our little girl and all of the sleepless nights I’m going to have. There have been several nights that I wake up at 3am to use the restroom and won’t be able to go back to sleep because I’m wide awake.

    This weekend I decided I was ready for this baby to come and was so excited that she might come that I couldn’t sleep.  I’m feeling very lucky that I’m not working full-time right now and can rest or take a quick nap in the afternoon if I need to.

    Food: No specific food cravings but I still need my desserts.  I’m trying to eat a lot of small meals and drink a lot of water during the day.  I’m still having heartburn and indigestion if I try eating mexican, or eating too late or too much at one time.

    Movement:  She’s ramped up her movements again.  I think she’s fighting her way out or is just getting excited about meeting her wonderful parents!

    Belly Button:  We have an outie!  Starting to really miss my old belly button!

    Mood: I’m excited and a little anxious to meet our little bambino.  It’s such a waiting game at this point that parts of my day go really slow and other parts go really fast.  All of a sudden the last 8 1/2 months seemed to have gone like the blink of an eye and these last two weeks have crawled by at a snails pace.

    Physically I feel really good and am so glad that part has been easy but it still doesn’t mean that I want to wait those last few days (plus some) to meet our little lady.  I’ve convinced myself that she’s not coming early but at the same time I wake up every day and think, “Today may be the day! Are we ready?”

    Pregnancy Symptoms: As I mentioned earlier, I’m having a little heartburn and indigestion, which is normal at this point.  I feel like I’m swelling up a bit but everyone else says that I’m crazy so I’m going to believe them and feel lucky.  My back isn’t hurting nearly as much as it did a few weeks ago but I’m most definitely feeling pressure on my pelvis.

    Best Moment(s) This Week: One of the best moments is being able to say that we only have two weeks left (or around that many). We had another doctor’s appointment on Tuesday and I’m dilated to 2.5 to 2.75 cm.  Not quite a whole centimeter this week but close.

    We had a couple of great things happen this week.  One was getting a surprise from Dusty’s mom and having her come home from a long trip that we thought would keep her out of town until the baby arrived.  We’ve also talked to our dad’s and their families and both are planning on making trips to Omaha in the near future to see the bambino when she arrives.  I feel as though she can come anytime now, knowing that our families are here or will be here shortly after she’s born.

    Other highlights were Dusty going golfing, me visiting friends from college, venturing out to the Maha Music Festival, and then going for a late night dinner date at one of our favorite restaurants on Saturday.  It was a great Saturday away from the house, work and computers.

    Missing Anything: Being able to make plans and know that it’ll actually happen!  Yes, things are changing and we’re about to find out what it’s like to have another human being in charge of our lives (but I’m so excited)!

    Looking Forward To: I’m looking forward to Omaha Fashion Week this weekend (unless we have an early arrival).

    Weekly Picture:  This week’s picture was taken near our apartment in the Old Market.  The dress is from Target.

    ***My weekly posts are written during the week and then posted the following week, after I’ve taken my weekly picture and I’ve had time to edit them.***

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  • Crêpes at Breizh Cafe

    August 17, 2013

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    We’ve read that one of the best places in Paris to get a crêpe is the Breizh Cafe, located in the Marais.  So I put Breizh Cafe on my Paris Bucket List.  On our second day in Paris we thought we’d try to get our first crêpe fix and were disappointed to learn reservations are a must unless you go during non-peak hours but really, to be safe, just make reservations.  Reservations don’t need to be made really far in advance, just the day before or even earlier in the day.  A few days later we went back with reservations and I must agree that the Breizh Cafe does have (in my opinion) the best dessert crêpe and a high quality galette.

    “Breizh” means “Brittany” in the Breton language and the menu includes some of the highlights of the Brittany region. Breizh Cafe specializes in galettes.  Something I learned this summer is that a regular crêpe made with white flour is called a crêpe, and one made with buckwheat flour is called a galette. Desserts are usually served on regular flour crêpes.  Breizh galettes are made with organic buckwheat flour and filled with organic ingredients and the butter is Bordier (our favorite butter).  I don’t think there is any explanation required as to how great for your health organic food and products are.  The beverage of choice is cider, mostly organic from small producers.

    We went while Allison was visiting so Dusty and Allison shared some hard cider and both got one of the galette specials of the day that had smoked duck, white asparagus, egg, and cheese.  I ordered one of the more classic galettes with ham, egg, mushrooms and cheese.  For dessert Dusty got the recommended caramel au beurre salé avec chantilly crêpe (crêpe topped with caramel sauce and homemade whipped cream) and I got a crêpe with chocolate and whipped cream.

    Hands down, Dusty’s crêpe drizzled with salted butter caramel was the best crêpe I’ve ever had.  Now, there will always be a place in my heart for a nutella and banana crêpe from a street vendor but nothing will compare to the salted butter caramel topping at the Breizh Cafe.  I don’t often regret not ordering something but this was one of those times (even though mine was excellent).  We loved the caramel au beurre salé crêpe so much that a couple of days before we left Paris we went back during one of those off hours and ordered two delicious crêpes drizzled with caramel sauce.  This is the kind of crêpe that you don’t share because it’s that good.  I’m still wishing we would have gone there at least a few more times.

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  • Frenchie Bar à Vins

    August 15, 2013

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    One of our new favorite places to eat/drink in Paris is Frenchie Wine Bar.  I’ve talked about Frenchie a couple of times, the reservation only, 20-seat restaurant with prix fixe menu but I haven’t had a chance to talk about the no reservation, first-come first-serve wine bar across the street.  The doors open at 7pm and if you want to get a seat you should arrive early because before the door opens there’s often a line.

    We went during the middle of the week and arrived shortly after 7pm.  We got a table easily but spots filled up fast.  Once we were seated we were given a lengthy list of delicious shared plates served from the open kitchen and a list of some exceptional wines by the glass or bottle.  Of course, with so many of our favorite Paris restaurants, the menu changes constantly.

    I can’t say enough good things about this place, the staff was attentive and had great recommendations, and the food was simple but inventive.  Everything was absolutely delicious.  The ingredients were fresh and each dish was perfectly portioned.  Our favorite dish of the evening was the warmed spring vegetable salad.  Not something we would order but recommended by our waiter and it absolutely blew our minds.

    Frenchie Wine Bar will be one of our go-to places in Paris for so many reasons including the great food, wine and atmosphere.  I’m just a little disappointed that we didn’t try it out until late in our stay this summer and weren’t able to go back.  It’s no surprise that once people arrive and start eating, drinking and socializing, they don’t leave for quite some time.

    frenchiewinebar_002 frenchiewinebar_003Jambon Iberico di Bellota AOC Dehesa de Extremadura, affine 60 mois (60 months aged spanish ham)

    frenchiewinebar_004Oeuf poche, asperges, Keen’s cheddar, girolles (Poached egg, asparagus, cheddar, mushrooms)

    frenchiewinebar_005Salade tiède de légumes de printemps, petit épeautre (Spring vegetable salad)

    frenchiewinebar_006Tortelli ricotta, petite pois, menthe, ricotta salata, (Ricotta tortellini, green peas, mint)

    frenchiewinebar_007Merlu de ligne de Sain-Jean de Luz, asperges, anchois fume (Line-caught hake, asparagus, smoked anchovies)

    frenchiewinebar_008Nuggets de ris de veau, carottes, arroche (Sweetbread nuggets, carrots, 0rach)

    1 Comment | Posted in: Food, Paris | Tagged with: ,
  • Happy 6 Years Together

    August 14, 2013

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    We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary in Paris again this year.  It just so happens that we’re in such a beautiful place when our anniversary comes around but I’m so glad that it does.  Really, we spent over a month celebrating our marriage in my eyes and hope we can continue to do it with our little girl.  It’s a time for us to be a couple and in the future, to be a family, to reconnect after so many months of being busy with work, friends, family, and the outside world.

    It’s almost as though we’re on another planet for a short while when we’re in Paris, not knowing anyone, not understanding the language, and it’s wonderful!  We do speak a little French but at the same time we’re able to go to a restaurant and not feel like we’re always listening to the conversations happening near us, thinking about what’s going on around us instead of what’s going on at our own table.  Of course we miss our family and friends and on occasion want to feel as though we have some kind of human connection outside of the two of us but that’s what’s exciting about coming home, about reconnecting with others.

    And while I’m thinking about our anniversary, I want to thank Dusty for being the perfect partner and companion.  I’m so lucky to have found someone that makes me a better person and brings the best out of me.  I hope I do the same for him.

    Every year we get our pictures taken to celebrate our anniversary and this year we took them a bit late (and the reason this post didn’t come in June, although I never think it’s too late to celebrate another year of wedding bliss), deciding that the maternity pictures were going to be a great time to also celebrate the big event that was happening during year six of our marriage.  I shared a few of the beautiful pictures on another post but here’s just one more.

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