Jetting off...

Have passport, will travel!

Beatrice and I have been busy packing for this weekend's trip to see Alexis, Amy & Adrien in their new home in southern France. Tomorrow will be lots of firsts for her - first time on a train, first time on a plane, first time in France. Ah, the life of a four month old jet-setter...
No comparison to her friend Chase who had been in 14 (19?) countries by the time she was a year old (www.thechaseison.blogspot.com), but still, little Beatrice is quite excited.
At least I think that's what trying to put the passport in her mouth means! She may also be teething, poor girl.

4 months old!

Today Beatrice hit the big 4 month mark. She celebrated by finding her feet,

getting her last set of immunization shots (poor girl), staring at the fruit and veg offerings at Panzer's for about 10 minutes,

finally getting that slippery Rubber Ducky into her mouth,

and, of course, dressing up for pictures with Flat Bear!

And for comparison we have the 2 days old photo, 1 month, 2 months and 3 months photos with Flat Bear:

At 4 months, Beatrice weighs 14lbs 4ozs and is 25.5 inches long. And is getting very ready to sit up!

A Year Ago Today...

A year ago today, Zack and I found out we were going to be parents. We were a bit surprised, but luckily the test was idiot-proof:

I had just arrived back in London from an overnight flight (very uncomfortable) from the US where I had been working for a week (Dallas, Philly and New Jersey) and visiting my friend Linda. I admit I thought I might be pregnant that previous week when I almost threw up on a client, but Zack forbade me from taking the test without him. It was wonderful to find out together.

That day I remember thinking, "Wow, in a year we'll have a 4.5 month old baby." (I still think Beatrice was actually 2 weeks overdue, not 3 days early. 8lb 13oz - seriously, don't you think that at least suggests she was overdue?)

It is funny to think back because the baby I daydreamed about is nothing compared to "The Beatrice", as Zack sometimes calls her (better than Poo!). Idyllic Baby was small, and certainly much lighter to carry than Queen Bea actually is.

Idyllic Baby was also always dressed in white, and definitely not covered in drool and spit-up.

Idyllic Baby and Mommy (of course back to her pre-pregnancy shape) were always walking in the sunshine or looking intently at each other; not so with the real deal Beatrice and her actual Mommy who spent today in the park battling wind and watching the swans fight, after a screaming-I-don't-want-to-nurse-I-want-the-bottle fit. Who knew I would end up despising a breast pump?

Compared to the real Beatrice, Idyllic Baby is boring! The real Beatrice can arch one eyebrow and give you the most inquisitive look. She can also wet her entire outfit - both layers - down to her skin in about 5 minutes just with her drool alone. The real Bea often forgets you are in the room with her, and then when she sees you again, startles and then her face lights up with a big smile. How could I possibly have daydreamed something so wonderful?

And I much prefer the actual motherhood I have to the idealized version I daydreamed about. Though I wouldn't mind fitting into my old jeans!

Busy Weekend

Beatrice had a ver busy weekend. After an early start on Saturday, she inspired us to look at photo albums, rotate her toys (again), and ...

...FILE! Beatrice oversaw the entire operation, except for a few management-naps breaks.

We also all went out to brunch on Saturday at Carluccio's with Cristina, Christer & Sofia, and Karina & Diego. And Beatrice wore a dress! Christer & Cristina (Sofia's parents) took lots of good photos of the girls in their finery, so hopefully I can post those soon.


Then we had a visit from Emerson, Emma & Felix. Hard to believe Felix is already 13 months old!

After all of the visitors Beatrice was a little overwhelmed, but luckily Aunt Jasandra came by for dinner and Beatrice was HAPPY again! They nose-kissed, a favorite activity of Queen Bea's, for quite a while.

On Sunday...we filed and filed and filed. By then management (Beatrice) was bored, so we had to supplement with other activities.

In the late afternoon we made good use of our annual zoo passes and went to see the wild animals: vultures, giraffes, and sleeping babies.

Beatrice did wake-up to see a few animals. Though she didn't even notice the lions (they noticed her), she was entranced by the fighting, prancing donkeys.

We also got to see my new favorite sign in London: