Today's Adventures in Food

You win some, you lose some, today, I am pretty sure I gained some. Baby is making me hungry and I am having a hard time controlling myself. I really need to get a grip. This will be what Ryan might say should our plane go down on the way to Ireland in April.

This morning after drop-off I left the train station and headed down the Bahnhofstrasse to get some shopping done. Had to get a gift for Chance's friends birthday party this weekend. I popped in to Jemoli, a fantsy department store and happened upon their grocery store in the basement. I found Cheerios for $8 per box, nice, and actual containers of real Baking Soda.....I won't have to go and ask the pharmacist anymore for a tiny amount. Do people here not use this stuff? We go thru it like mad with these nasal flushes we have learned about. Not to mention cooking. I also found frozen edamame which you'd never find in the normal grocery store. I was in heaven. I also had to drop off our very late taxes to the tax building of Ryan's company......which just happened to be on the same street as the very best bakery in town which sells HOT SUCCULENT MELT IN YOUR MOUTH Schoggi Gipfeli's - in English that would be HOT SUCCULENT MELT IN YOUR MOUTH CHOCOLATE FILLED CROISSANTS. This picture doesn't even do it justice. The best you'll ever have.....once you have one of these, no other will ever compare. So I just had to get one, I am never over there and the last time I had one was with my mom back in the summer of 07' or was is spring of 08'. I can't remember, but nevermind when, it had been a long time. And should I even dare to mention that it has really been longer than that, cause when mom and I went there to get them, there was only one left, and guess who got to eat it? So I endulged and inhaled that down while in line for my decaf latte at Starbucks. I'd really like to be able to buy a better one from a different store but Starbucks is the only place I can find decaf these days, so baby is forcing me to pay double for a lesser tasting cup of joe. Dropped off our taxes and prayed that they get them done on time....I don't like having to go to the post office to sign for threatening letters from the city saying we hadn't yet filed our taxes. Ryan's been a little busy with work, clearly. So then, I hopped a tram, rode home and the postman buzzed the door with my long awaited package from mom. She sent me the books I had ordered for Chance on "Becoming a Big Brother" among other things that I'll get to in a moment. We plan to tell Chance tomorrow, he knows that he is getting a surprise but poor kid might be disappointed when he realizes it's not the toy he thinks I've been hiding in the "cupboard" or the "big giant present I've always wanted"! He's soon to find out that his life will be forever changed and it's about to get a lot worse for him before it gets better. Poor kid. One day he'll appreciate this gift we are giving him. Back to the other contents of the box. I was expecting some Malt-O-Meal, a comfort food from my childhood that we would often have for breakfast. This pregnancy I am craving all sorts of comfort foods and malt-o-meal really satisfies at night before bed when my tummy is rumbling and indigestion is a flowing. I tore open the box, not to find malt-o-meal but

Mom, you are a god-send. I tore open the big bag and proceeded to eat the whole thing, and as I write I am clearly regretting this, as I am reminded of the cheetos every time they decide to run up my esophagus. TUMS PLEASE. You can't get cheetos here, it's a high commodity that must not be wasted......time wasted that is on eating them. So my nutrition today is quite lacking and I think my ass is growing at rates faster than my belly, but tomorrow's a new day. Today, I still have to go to an ice cream party after Chance's school. I think I'll go walk the hill now.

Question of the Day

My question of the day is how did my beautiful new Ireland book, to which I was nicely keeping on the bathroom floor so I could plan our upcoming trip at night while I relax in the bath, get about 50 pages and the front cover all bent and creased, like someone carelessly stepped on it? Guess the bathroom floor wasnt the best place to house such a find, but come on! There's only 2 culprits and the little one swore it wasn't him. That just leaves the big guy.

Going Insane

Tonight is one of those nights where I am ruled by shear panic of the fall to come. Wondering why did I decide to pick up my dragging feet off of the floor and have another child? They were doing pretty good just dragging along, dreaming of one day completing this family, but keeping me in the clear of any real reality of it.

The first week back from any school break is hard on Chance to readjust himself, and realize that during the school week, there just isn't much time do much besides sleep, eat, go to school and start it all over again. Poor kid really wants more time to just relax in front of the TV, play a computer game, build a lego tower. I get it. I do. But I am constantly pulled between letting him do what he wants to make him happy, and making him go to bed cause he really does need WAY more sleep than any other kid I know. And not to mention my patience levels at night start to wane, RAPIDLY, and so I am just as ready as his body is for him to go to bed.

This evening was just one of those times where I said to myself, "how will I be able to do this with 2 kids, no husband for months on end, while at the same time keeping my cool and keeping my sanity." EEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKK. NEVERMIND, I was just kidding. Is it possible to send it back?

Tonight went a little like this: Chance, it's time to brush your teeth when that show is over. OKAY MOM. Chance the shows over, turn off the TV and meet me in the bathroom. WAIT MOM, I AM SEEING WHAT'S ON NEXT. OH PLEASE MOM JUST ONE MORE SHOW, ITS VERY SHORT, I PROMISE ONLY ONE STORY IF I WATCH THIS SHOW. Ok, one show and one story, but that's it! OK MOM, I PROMISE. (shows over, we brush teeth, change clothes and begin to read. Story 1, and only, is over.) PLEASE MOM JUST ONE MORE STORY. WE DIDNT READ MY CURIOUS GEORGE BOOK AND I REALLY WANT TO. PLEASE MOM PLEASE. No Chance, a deal's a deal. CAN I HAVE SOME RUBS. THEY HELP ME RELAX. PLEASE MOM I REALLY WANT THEM, I AM SORE FROM ATHLETICS. Ok fine, a couple rubs. (Rubs are over). Time for bed, buddy, climb up in to your bed. NO MOM, I WANT MORE RUBS. JUST DO MY FEET AND HANDS NOW. (At this point by blood is about to boil over and soak his sheets). No Chance climb up in to your bed. Ok, lay down and I'll tuck you in. (Goodnights given, I leave the room). MOM, I NEED FRESH WATER. MOM, WHERE'S BA? CAN YOU HELP ME FIND HIM? (I come in to search for Ba, who after 5 minutes I figure out is hidden under Chance in an effort just to procrastinate bed time) Goodnight, this is enough. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOM. YOU DIDNT TUCK ME IN. MY COVERS ARE ALL MESSED UP.

At this point the covers are thrown over him, I storm out of the room, and wonder why my prayers for more patience aren't working. And then I say to myself again.....how in the hell will I do this? All these other moms do this and seem fine, why am I such a woos?

SUN!

Today the sun is out, and that makes me so happy. It's been a long winter. The past couple winters we have escaped the grey gloomy coldness of Zurich to sled in the mountains where it is usually sunny and beautiful. But with baby on board, mama ain't sleddin anymore. The Baganz family has a need for speed, and careening down the mountains at top flight isn't all that conducive to the potential health of the baby. So needless to say, I've been a little pouty about being trapped in Zurich. I've decided we need a vacation, so I booked us Ireland for my birthday. That oughta do it.

Today I went and walked the lake to soak up the rays. It was so beautiful down there and I seem to be more nostalgic these days knowing we only have a year left, and I really need to soak up this city (when it's sunny and not grey!) as much as I can. The more that I worry about my commute to school with this baby, the more I am anxious to move back home where I'll have help and the familiarity of driving - I thought I would never say that! And room for the kids to play in the backyard. This apartment is becoming smaller and smaller! But until then, I need to really appreciate where we are and enjoy every minute of it. We may never get back here!

Chance has been worried lately that this is the last week of his athletics and drama classes after school. He's decided that since Irish Dancing is the only thing on offer, he wants to give it a try. I think this is hilarious. And this morning while we all 3 were in the kitchen eating, he whispered in my ear reminding me to sign him up. He was too embarrassed to tell Ryan. Luckily when we finally did tell him, his reaction was positive and encouraging, even though I know he was thinking otherwise. Well, at least Chance will be able to show his moves to the Irishmen when we go there in a couple months.

Quote of the Evening

Chance likes to wear a watch now, ALL THE TIME, and especially to sleep in cause he knows that if it shows 7 am then he can get out of bed. He was just getting up way to early, we had to put an end to that! Now he just waits quietly in his bed for his watch to turn to 7!

So tonight's quote.....
It's 7 p.m. Chance is in his bed, having just been tucked in, he calls out from his bed to me in the kitchen:

Chance: Mommy, what time do you go to bed?
Me: Around 9 (that was a lie)
Chance: Why do you get to go to bed so late?
Me: Well, the older you get, the less sleep you need. As you get older you'll get to stay up later.
Chance: okay, goodnight.

after 15 minutes of silence, he calls out: "What will I do when I get really old? Will I have to stay up all night long?"

THE BAGANZ FAMILY IS GROWING!!!

We are so excited to FINALLY be spreading the news of our new little one. I just went in for the 12 week appointment today and came home with this adorable picture. I just can't stop looking at it. It's only 5 cm long!



I've been so eager to start blogging about all this, but we just wanted to wait for the "all clear" from the 12 week appt. All is clear!

It's such a different experience here in Switzerland than I had with Chance in Austin. It's been quite a roller coaster initially......I went in at 6 weeks and the sonogram showed an empty sack. The doctor basically said nothing with such a straight face and told me to come back a week later and try again. So that week was the loooooooongest week of my life, in which I mistakenly spent most of it googling. I highly advise against that, you'll come up with all sorts of wacko ideas of what could possibly be wrong. But then at 7 weeks there it was......all was good but still the very straight Swiss doctor face warning me to remember that we weren't "in the clear" until 12 weeks. So today I saw the real OB who said it all looked great! Phew!

The doctors office is such a different experience.....first of all on time! I had all by blood work taken there and results in minutes. The doc has his own super high tech 3D sonogram machine right in his office, and as I laid there during the sonogram I got to watch the show on the big flat screen TV. Then at the end he pulls a CD out of his hard drive that he was burned for me to take home to Ryan. He took more measurements of the little one that you could imagine, so thorough!

So far I am feeling pretty good. It's been a slightly rough, yet better than it was with Chance, first 3 months. Basically just general stomach queasy-ness but overall not too bad. I am sure Ryan will contest that, and tell you he is about done with the complaining!

Next appointment is March 31. Hopefully we'll be able to know the sex of the baby in time for my birthday. That'd be a pretty good present!

More Muscles

Continuing the Chance/Lavinia saga (see below posts).....Athletics was again today. I just crack up every time these conversations start...it's just so priceless. Today it went a little like this as we were changing for class....

Lavinia: "Hi Chance are you going to athletics today?"
Chance: "Yip, today's my last day, I am so sad"
Lavinia: "Chance, are you going to show me those muscles again?"
Chance: "You know, I have to take off my shirt to see them"
SHIRT COMES OFF, CHANCE FLEXES his skinny little body, LAVINIA PUTS HER HANDS ON HIS CHEST
Lavinia: "WOW Chance, your muscles are really hard. I don't have muscles like that"
HUGE SMILE ON BOTH OF THEIR FACES.
Chance: See ya Lavinia.
CHANCE RUNS OFF.

These kids are 5, geez. It just gets better every week. And the funniest part is the way she says it all...so shy and innocently, yet totally mesmerized by Chance. And he's just so small and tiny. Too funny.