La sucette mysterieuse

The mysterious pacifier... Mysterious, that is, because of the size. Well, here's the old picture of Evan, about 2 months old, and a photo from today--now he's 7 months old. Now will you believe me that the pacifier really isn't enormous? Hard to believe Evan was so small... In the second photo I had to hold the pacifier in his mouth because he hates pacifiers--he started crying and kept spitting it out. So it's hard to see, and yes, the pacifiers are different colors but I assure you they are identical in size!

La sucette mysterieuse... Mysterieuse a cause de sa taille. Voila la vieille photo d'Evan, quand il avait 2 mois, et une photo d'aujourd'hui, a 7 mois. Maintenant est-ce que vous me croyez quand je disais que la sucette n'etait vraiment pas enorme? C'est difficile a imaginer Evan si petit... Dans la seconde photo il falait que je tienne la sucette dans sa bouche, parce qu'il deteste les sucettes--il a commence a pluerer et il la crachait. Oui, c'est dur a voir, et oui, les sucettes ne sont pas la meme couleur, mais je vous assure qu'elles sont la meme taille, exactement!

Oh la la!

Ah ha, j'ai trouve mon beret!
Ah ha, I found my beret!
Petit coquin...
Little flirt...

Hunting Wabbit

Get rolling!

(finally the English version...)

Evan had an appointment with the doctor about a week ago for his 6 month checkup and vaccinations. At the appointment, the pediatrician asked me if Evan could roll over (to his back from his stomach). I said, "no, he hates being on his stomach, and even when I do put him like that, he just cries and doesn't move, he's a lazy butt!" (ok, maybe I didn't say lazy butt but close).

So the pediatrician then gave me a paper with a number--it was called "Early Start" and it's a place to bring Evan to see "experts" on baby development, to see what we can do with him. After all, he's 6 months old, he has to roll over, he's late! I looked at the doctor, speechless, a little overwhelmed by this news. A physical therapist for my baby?! What is this craziness? What are they going to do--force him to do pushups and lift weights? I looked down at his thin little arms and he smiled at me.

When I expained all this to Jean-Robert, he exploded. I was calm at the doctor's and kept my opinions for myself, but being at home, JR was free to let himself go... "That's idiotic! These American doctors are really dumb, they try to scare us, to scare all parents! I don't give a damn about this *&%# 'Early Start'!"

Hmmm...OK....I think JR doesn't like that idea. Actually neither do I. So we didn't call.

And Saturday morning, while I was working on the computer and Evan was on a mat on his stomach, I turned to look at him and he was on his side. "Keep going! C'mon! C'mon, my love, turn over! You're almost there!" I yelled.

And then--VOILA! He rolled over. I laughed, I screamed with joy. He looked at me as if I was totally crazy ("what's wrong with you, Mommy? it's nothing! I could've done it earlier but I just didn't want to...") I put him on his belly again and he rolled over 3 more times as if he was doing it all his life.

Evan will develop his own way, at his own speed. And that's perfect.

Get rolling!

Evan a eu son rendez-vous chez le medecin il y a une semaine pour ses vaccins de 6 mois. A ce rendez-vous, le pediatre m'avait demande si Evan peut se retourner (retourner sur le dos si je le mets sur le ventre). J'ai dis, "non, il deteste etre sur le ventre, et meme quand je le mets comme ca, il pleure sans bouger, c'est une faignasse!" (ok, peut-etre je n'ai pas utilise ce mot mais ce n'etait pas loin ;).)

Alors le pediatre m'a donne un papier avec un numero--ca s'appelait "Early Start", et c'etait un lieu pour emmener Evan voir des "experts" de developpement de bebe, pour voir qu'est-ce qu'on peut faire de lui. Apres tout, il a 6 mois, il faut qu'il se retourne, il est en retard! Je regardais le medecin sans rien dire, un peu bouleversee pars cet nouvel.... Un "physical therapist" pour mon bebe?! C'est quoi cette histoire ridicule? Qu'est qu'ils vont faire--le forcer de faire des pompes, des halteres? J'ai regarde les bras maigres d'Evan et il m'a sourit.

Quand j'ai explique tout ca a Jean-Robert, il a explose. Moi, j'etais calme et j'ai garde tous mes opinions pour moi-meme quand j'etais avec le pediatre, mais a la maison, JR etait libre de se lacher... "C'est debile! Ils sont vraiment cons, ces medicins americains, ils essaient de nous faire peur, de faire peur a tous les parents! Je n'ai rien a foutre de cet 'Early Start' de merde!!!"

Hmmm...OK....Je penses que JR n'ai pas d'accord. Moi non plus, d'ailleurs. Alors on n'a pas appelle.

Et ce matin, quand je travaillais sur l'ordi et quand Evan etait sur un tapis sur le ventre, je me suis retournee pour le regarder et il etait sur le cote. "Allez!! Allez, mon amour, tourne-toi! Tu y es presque arrive!!!!" je criais.

Et--VOILA! Il s'est retourne. Je riais, je criais de joie. Il me regardait comme si j'etais completement folle ("qu'est-ce que t'as, Maman? ce n'est rien! j'aurais pu le faire plus tot mais c'est juste que je ne voulais pas...."). Je le posait encore sur le ventre et il s'est retourne 3 fois de plus comme s'il le faisait toute sa vie.

Evan va developper comme il veut, a sa propre vitesse. Et c'est parfait.

Sophie, mon amour

Sophie, mon amour, je t'aimerai, je te tordrai, je te mangerai...
Sophie, my love, I will love you, twist and bend you, and eat you...

La saucisse et le jambon

A hot dog and ham

Bali, le chien de Papi (Alain)--sa chere saucisse:
Bali, Grandpa's (Alain's) dog--his dear hot dog:
Le jambon a la cave que tout le monde mangeait petit a petit... (est-ce qu'il y a un cochon quelque part qui manque une jambe?)
The ham in the garage-like area that everyone nibbled away at slowly... (is there a 3-legged pig somewhere out there?)
(*Alain: c'est une blague, tu sais que j'adore Bali, c'est une saucisse adorable ;) )

More photos....

Clement et Parrain:
Clement and Godfather:
On montre a Evan comment ouvrir ses cadeaux. Il ne comprend pas trop, mais il tire le papier quand meme...
We show Evan how to open his presents. He doesn't really understand but he pulls at the paper anyway...
Hmmm, tres interessant, il y a une girafe dedans....
Hmmm, very interesting, there's a giraffe inside....
Aaaah, je comprends! C'est a moi, tout ca! Chouette!
Aaaah, I get it! All this is for me! Cool!
Le Bebe de Noel fait une pause de biberon:
Baby Santa takes a bottle break:

Et apres une pause de sieste:
And afterwards a nap break:

Some photos of our trip...

J'essaierai d'ecrire en francais et en anglais maintenant. Oui, ca prend plus de temps, mais comment je ne peux pas ecrire en francais, quand il y a tellement de 'fans' de ce blog en France? Il faudra juste apprendre comment mettre des accents (c'est plus difficile avec le clavier americain!)

Clement (le cousin d'Evan) et Evan:
Clement (Evan's cousin--Catherine's son) and Evan:

Le bapteme--fait au Tribunal (chez les grandparents de Jean-Robert). C'etait la a cause de la sante de Mamie. Jean-Pierre, l'oncle de JR, est le pere qui nous a maries.

The baptism (very unconventionally done at JR's grandparent's house, due to his grandmother's poor health):
(JR's uncle, Jean-Pierre, is the same priest who married us):Bisous de Papi!
Grandpa kisses!

Je mettrai plus de photos bientot...
To be continued....

Back home (American home, that is!)

Just a quick note to say the 3 of us got back safely yesterday afternoon, and we're all fine. Evan was the perfect angel baby on the flight home, and the only mishap was we are missing one of our bags (with all our valuable things in it, of course!).

Evan had a shot this morning at the doctor's, then I brought him to daycare. He is so happy, and is starting to laugh a lot more. Sometimes he laughs just when JR or I look at him.

So all is well other than being totally jetlagged! I will add lots of photos of our trip very soon!