Thursday 14 April 2011

When will it happen?

In our attempts at preparing for the moment when our family grows, we have got absolutely everything ready for the baby: a fully-furnished and decorated room, plenty of clothes and toys, a pushchair, car seat, a baby bath and various creams and products to clean and care for the little guy. The only thing that is missing is the baby himself.

At the time of writing, the baby is now two days overdue. Not that I blame him* for that, however, as I can understand the attraction of staying in the warm, comfortable home that he has made inside his mum instead of forcing his way out into a big, scary world, especially when you have to squeeze your entire body through a tiny little hole (possibly the equivalent of us trying to fit our head into an empty toilet roll?).

We had the nine month control checkup at the hospital this week (on the due date), to make sure the baby is well and that there are no problems. I think that we were both secretly hoping that they would say to us, "we need to induce this baby NOW" so that we could finally meet the little guy. Instead, they basically told us that the baby is doing well, and to come back in a week's time. That, my friends, is a very long time to wait.

Monday 11 April 2011

Carnaval

When I left my house this morning to go to work I had a brief moment of bewilderment - after glancing at the road ahead of me, I thought it had snowed.

This would not normally be such a surprise in Switzerland, given that it is April. However, after being blessed with glorious sunshine and temperatures of over 20°C for the last couple of weeks, one could forgive the feeling of surprise I felt at the prospect of snow on the ground (especially as I didn't bother to put a coat on when I left the house).

Glad I'm not cleaning this up
The shock didn't last long; after a comedic double-take, I realised that it was not a dusting of snow that lay on the ground, but it was in fact confetti. The annual Carnaval de Bussigny took place this weekend, with marching bands, guggenmuzik, fairground rides, beer, churros, and - most importantly - confetti canons (hence the debris shown in the picture).

These air-powered pumps are designed to spread the carnaval atmosphere to onlookers and innocent bystanders in the streets by showering them with tiny bits of paper cut into little stars, hearts and other assorted shapes.

Thursday 7 April 2011

An Anniversary Treat

April 6th is a special day for Christelle and me, as it was the day we first got together all those years ago on Fraser Island in Australia. It may have been an alcohol-fuelled beginning to our relationship, but even then there was something much deeper that has kept us together ever since.

Chris enjoying our dinner
This year marked our 6th year as a couple. When I look back over our time together, it is remarkable to see just how big an impact Chris has had on my life; if it weren't for her I would not be in Switzerland now, for example, nor would I be impatiently awaiting the birth of my first child.

Cheers!
It has been an exciting journey full of ups and downs (mostly ups, fortunately), but I have the feeling that the real journey will begin when the little one comes out to meet us in the very near future.
 
We decided to treat ourselves to a meal in a nice restaurant for our anniversary, which would also be the last restaurant meal as a mere "couple" before the baby arrives (after which the romance might be somewhat disturbed by the presence of a screaming child flinging food everywhere).

We chose to book a table at Les Chevreuils, a restaurant we know well - it was where we held the reception after our wedding in 2009.

Wednesday 6 April 2011

A bit too much sun...

Last weekend the weather men (and women) all predicted clear skies with lots of sun and temperatures of up to 24°C. Given that it was chilly and wintery only a few weeks ago, this was the perfect opportunity for us to get outside and really enjoy some fresh air.

Enjoying the sun and the
view at Signal de Bougy
So, Chris and I headed to a place called Signal de Bougy, which is north of Rolle in the Canton Vaud (and roughly 20 minutes by car from where we live). Chris had been here in the past with her family when she was younger, and remembered it as a very nice place to spend a few hours.

She was right - masses of open parkland, plenty of outdoor playgrounds and games areas for the kids, a restaurant and several wooded areas make Signal de Bougy an ideal place to come, especially for kids (must make a mental note of this for future reference).