This is an odd time of year for some, riding the holiday anticipation and preparation wave, squeezing in seasonal social events, finishing up work projects in attempts to have some assimilation of a break before the New Year, this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas turns out to be tricky as we all try to keep the inherent overwhelming pressure and stress at bay while still soaking up the spirit of giving, hope and gratitude---and this year it's a 'tween-time' for us in an additional way.
'Waiting for baby' is obviously the predominant 'anticipation'.....we have been playing the due-date game with both my OB's calculations (later not sooner) and my body's symptoms of readiness (sooner not later) and there is a 3 week discrepency between both of our calculations--and neither one of us will budge.....stubborn woman with baby inside vs. stubborn doctor with slide-rule EDD chart that differs from the way we have previously calculatted EDD with our other babies... and at the end of the day, baby will come when baby comes. Est-ce vrai?
But I just couldn't get my head around it...since our last appointment and the most recent one....I had a check-up just after Halloween and then a 5 week wait until the next that was at the end of last week.....(the next appointment is set for the end of this month--which to my calculation is past my due date and I will have a baby in arms by then and not a baby in tummy, but oh well!) And I am trying to get over the fact that by now in the US I would be seeing an OB every single week at this stage and not going every 4 weeks up until D-day....again I say, "Oh well!"
So I thought maybe in France babies just 'cook longer'....you know, kinda like the baguette traditionnel, lovely golden-crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.....absolutely perfect. I would accept this explanation entirely.....but not the explanation that somehow since departing the US and settling in France there have been two to three random weeks of third trimester discomfort, aches and pains, sleeplessness and a-n-t-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n just arbitrarily ADDED to my pregnancy!
And at Christmas time no-less! I would much prefer to be focusing on the true spirit of the holiday than the thoughts described above....and lately as we get closer to la fin, la ligne d'arrivée, I have to say that my tentative and tepid relationship with my French-only speaking OB has gotten a might frosty as she no longer explains things to me--but rather falls back on giving me a look of exasperation and in an ever-so-slight condesending tone states, "Well that is just how we do it in France!" to which I look at the darling spouse (aka-French Guy) and say, "What did she just say!?!"
So I have been trying to work up the right attitude and peaceful spirit to write some beautiful and inspirational thoughts about Christmas in France...(between contractions) and I have re-discovered the importance of getting out of the house at least once a week, if not more with my camera.
Christmas in France just sounds so idealic, non? A few nights ago we packed the family into the car and took a quick swing through neigboring towns to check out the holiday light displays--it was a chilly Sunday evening just after 5 pm and the streets were quiet...it was nice, I shot about a dozen pics hoping to begin the collection of images of this December...
(hopefully!).........!
We shall see!
Joyeuses Fêtes---Mes chers amis!
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