Godzilla is coming!

So apparently I am the pregnant woman that everyone feels the need to talk to. AWESOME. It is only April, and I am getting stopped daily by random people on the street. The conversation usually goes something like this:

Stranger (translated): Oh wow! The baby must be coming soon!
Me: Nope. Not due until September.
Stranger: Dis donc! You must be having twins!
Me: Nope. Just one boy.
Stranger: Are you sure?!
Me: Yep. One very big boy. :-)

After hearing this daily from many random people as well as being told by the drs that I was going to have "un grande garcon anglosaxon!" who would be around 4 kg (9 lbs) at birth, I have decided to refer to you, my little boy, as Godzilla. :-)

There are some benefits to being genetically programmed to show off your fertility- the French are super supportive of pregnant women. I always have a place to sit in the metro and everyone smiles at me. That's always nice. I also enjoy freaking out single men. Godzilla enjoys pushing his feet out and making my belly visibly move anytime we are on public transport. As it looks like something out of Alien, anyone not familiar with pregnancy can be slightly freaked out. I enjoy the scared glances as well... And in good news, after 19 weeks I do not feel like tossing my cookies anymore!

How Our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Got His Name...

Finding a name for a boy is sooooo much harder than finding a name for a girl, especially one that we both could agree on! Years ago, when bear and I were pontificating parenthood, we agreed that if we had a girl, her name would be Audrey. It's pretty, works in both languages, and I have always loved Audrey Hepburn. However, for a boy, we were kind of stuck!

At least we knew immediately what we wanted for a potential baby boy's middle names. Here in France, it is common to have two (Thomas's middle names are Bernard Noel). Since we lost both our fathers to cancer as children (me at 15, bear at 4), we decided to honor them by giving our firstborn boy their names- Gary and Francis- as middle names.

When we still had no potential boy's name in February, I started to stress a bit. The day after Christmas, it kinda hit me while I was in the shower that I was having a baby boy. No idea as to why, but I was fairly certain this kiddo was of the male variety. Thomas was not a fan of my name choices (apparently I like old fashioned French names) and vetoed anything fashion-related (Christian, Gabriel, Yves). He also nixed Nicholas because I wanted to use the nickname Nichou (I had joked if we had twin boys, we'd have Michel and Nicholas and call them Michou and Nichou). I was not sold on any of his suggestions either.
So, we decided to go to Buffalo Grill since I wanted some American cuisine to debate name choices. After throwing out lots of names, bear suggested Raphael. He had a childhood friend with that name- he spent many hours playing video games with him- but they had gone their separate ways in high school.

The minute bear suggested Raphael, I launched into the theme song of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Sure, there are the archangel and the artist, but my first thoughts went to the pizza loving sewer heroes. My initial reaction was no way should my son share a name with a cartoon character, but the name itself sounded quite nice... And we both liked said name, which is not something we could say of many other names...

We wanted to keep the name secret, but since I was on the fence due to the TMNT reference, I asked my bff Lauren her opinion. She convinced me it was a good name and only pur generation would think of the cartoon.
It took another week before I was completely convinced. We went to Venice to celebrate Carnivale with the entire Lugnier clan. Bear and I took a day to lose ourselves in the mists and tiny canals of the city. We found this amazing seafood restaurant filled mainly with old local Venetians and over a delicious lunch, the name Raphael was cemented as our choice for a boy! :-) Now I just hoped my mom would not hate it...

Bear and Bunny on the balcony of the awesome place the Lugnier family rented. Cassinova's place is across the canal.

Ah the gondolas of Venice...

View from our romantic gondola ride....

Bear on one of our wanderings through the city, very close to the amazing restaurant we found.

So many bridges to cross...

So many canals to discover...

So excited to be on this new adventure with such an awesome husband! :-) I love you Bear!

A last view from our balcony. My baby bump is just starting to show! End of first trimester! Woo!

Best Christmas Present Ever

For Christmas 2010, I got two things I wanted since childhood- a Steinway piano (courtesy of my HP Christmas bonus) and a Persian cat (courtesy of bear). Bear did a great job choosing the fluffmonster- he is an awesome cat and lets me subject him to lots of snuggles and a dance marathon from time to time. The only possible way to top the previous Christmas would be for me to finally be pregnant.

We made the decision to start trying for a baby back in July. Dr McGinnis gave me a pregnancy readiness assessment, had my insides cleaned, and stuck me on chlomid for a month to get my ovulation regular. After a chemical pregnancy in August and lots of work trips in the fall, I still was not preggers. Each month, I would get all excited and then nothing. Each month, my hormones would get to me and I would cry when my period came again.

It just so happened my next period was due Christmas Eve, so I felt like this could be a sign. I had a feeling I was preggers this time (even though I had been convinced every month prior) because I had some serious crying for no reason- first when I saw Sound of Music with my sister in law and niece and second when I was toy shopping. Maria had found the Penguin game I had as a kid and when I went to buy one for me, the store was out. Even though they were getting more in, I cried hysterically on the street for 15 minutes.
Of course, being impatient I took a pregnancy test on the 20th and it came back negative. So I had to just hope that it was too soon to tell. I was going to try to wait for Christmas Eve, but on the morning of the 23rd, I could not take it any longer. Whaddya know? It was positive! I was on cloud nine with excitement. Of course I wanted to tell Thomas in person. I got impatient for him to arrive home, so I called to check his progress. He totally knew something was up when I called because I was totally weird on the phone.

As soon as he got in the door, I told him "Guess what?!" and handed him the pregnancy test. Thomas lifted me up in the air with excitement. He made me take two more the next day just to be sure before we told our families. So Raphaël, you are mommy and daddy's best Christmas present ever! Too bad we would have to wait another 8 months to actually meet you!

PS: Your journey began at your Godmama Anna's wedding in Finland.
PPSS: Your big brother Fluff Diddy is going to be in for a big shock when you arrive. However, he is excited that mommy will have someone else to torture with cute outfits soon. Daddy keeps telling me that I don't really want a baby, I want a doll to play dress up with.

"Ho ho ho... I cannot believe mommy is making me wear this ridiculous reindeer outfit. I plan to retaliate later by peeing on her bed.... heh heh heh Merry Christmas!"

"Look! I am Santa Claws! Hah hah! And mommy is getting extra kitten fluff fur on the couch for Christmas!"

"I am so ashamed to be in this outfit mommy. I can't believe you made me wear both outfits for the family Christmas party... And now there is photographic evidence..."

A Bientot Chez Nous!

Bonjour Blogsphere!

So it is official! After nearly two years of debating and searching, Thomas and I are finally buying an apartment of our own here in the Paris metro area! :-) As long as we make it through all of the French bureaucracy (the process here is very different than in the US) and red tape over the next 2 and a half months (a small forest has already given its life for the first round of paperwork), we should be able to move into our new home by October 15! And what an apartment we found!

We found a beautiful 3 piece apartment (in Paris, apartments are sized by pieces, ie rooms) which has a big living area (pictured) and two bedrooms. The apartment is on the 7th (and top) floor of a 1930's art deco style building (with elevator) and in addition to being full of light, has a long balcony with an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower and Paris. How lucky can a girl be? That large window you see in the picture leads to the balcony which goes the full length of the wall. I can already envision watching the New Year's and Bastille Day fireworks with friends.

The bedroom pictured here is the larger of the two. Both bedrooms are quite long in length- only a third of the bedroom is actually pictured. In the main bedroom, there is a large closet (YAY!), while the smaller bedroom has light wood paneling, which reminds me of my childhood home (no western PA house built in the 1960s-70s is complete without wood paneling- although our guest bedroom's is a much lighter shade). We'll probably use the smaller bedroom for now as a guest bedroom and office.


The kitchen is small, but it has enough room for a dishwasher, a washing machine, an oven, a fridge, and everything else I could need. I really like how it is open into the main salon area, and love the big window. Ah.... :-) I'm so excited.

The apartment also has a cute little bathroom which has a decent bathtub and shower. No photo of that yet, but we'll post one after we move in. Keep in mind that all the furniture and decoration you see pictured belongs to the current owner. I have so many ideas for decorating already!




But where is this fabulous apartment, you ask? For those of you familiar with Paris, the apartment itself is actually in the city of Issy Les Moulineaux, right by Porte de Versailles (and a five minute walk to the Metro 12, T-2, and T-3). If you cross the street, you are in Paris's 15th arrondisement. The building is pictured here. The VERY top balcony and window you can kind of see in the photo will be ours. Woo! There is a cute cafe downstairs, and the quarter is brimming with life- lots of restaurants, markets, bakeries, etc. The more we visit the quarter, the more I like it. It is also a 10 minute walk to my favorite gym and an 8 minute tram ride to the HP office. The metro gets us to St. Lazare (where we live now) in about 25 minutes, and stops at a lot of great places. Issy Les Moulineaux is also cool because it is one of the main business districts of Paris.Most of the media companies have their offices here, as do many tech companies because the price is lower than in Paris proper and because there are not the building restrictions. (There are a lot of larger office buildings in Issy, in fact there are about 85,000 jobs in the city and 60,000 inhabitants). So, it mixes the modern urban feel with classic Parisian.

We're very happy with the apartment. Now onto the paperwork. Our offer was accepted and today we signed a contract which is a permission to buy the apartment (after going through the full diagnostic of the apartment and hammering out additional contract details). Next, we send the permission to buy to the bank to secure our loan. Then we work out with the lawyer the final contract and finally sign it (and transfer the money) to the buyer. So, it won't be ours officially until October, but we're off to a good start!

And now, I'm exhausted after going through an evening of contracts and formalities in French. Time for bed!

A bientot,
Liz Anne

Fashionable French and their Wedding Ensembles

Bonjour Blogsphere!

So, this post is a little late- like a week or two late. ;-) The whole buying an apartment and new job has sapped a lot out of me! Anyway...

Recently we celebrated my husband's birthday with the my in-laws. (Side note: did you know that the French don't use the term "step" or "in-law"? Instead, they use "belle famille", which translates directly as beautiful family. I think it is kind of nice.) We tried to have a picnic in Parc Monceau, near the apartment, but mid-dessert we got kicked and had to finish the festivities outside the gates. (We joked that it was a party homeless style, although I don't think many homeless are fortunate enough to have real champagne!) Good times were had by all.
Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour

Kudos to Karen Millen by Lapin a la Mode featuring Karen Millen

As I mentioned in my last post, Thomas and I are headed to a wedding in two weeks. Like our wedding last year, this wedding is going to be quite the destination wedding event, this time taking place near the lovely city of Montpelier. But where to get a dress? Right now, the hottest formal dress designer (in the affordable mid-tier market) in France is Karen Millen, a British label that has absolutely taken Paris by storm. I know of at least three girls who will be sporting Karen Millen to the wedding, and more who are looking! The nice thing about Karen Millen is that most of the dresses are designed with matching shoes and handbags, making accessorizing fast and easy. (It's nice to not have to endlessly search for the perfect pair of matching shoes!) There are a few Karen Millen stores in the US these days and of course there is always the faithful online shop. The dresses make a definite statement- check out my lovely maid of honor Katie in her matching Karen Millen ensemble at our wedding last year. True class. :-) UPDATE: I saw at least four Karen Millen dresses, including two lovely ones sported by the lovely Iris and Katie.


Click of French (European) Culture
When Thomas and I were in the US, we were actually pleasantly surprised at how many people were watching the World Cup. It is true that in Europe, soccer (ie football to Europeans) is THE sport. One of my coworkers posted the following status awhile back, "Hello World Cup! Goodbye all work in Europe," and it's true that while the World Cup (which only takes place every four years) is on, a lot of people stop working, especially during the first week. As the French (absolutely no comment) and now the US are both out, I'm cheering for Germany.

Much like my beloved American football team (the Pittsburgh Steelers), the individual countries have their own songs supporting their teams. This year's UK Song is Shout featuring Dizee Rascal, which is essentially a ghetto remixed version of the classic Tears for Fears song. I personally prefer the classic Three Lions. Germany must have also decided that since the world cup is in Africa, they also needed a rap song as their official 2010 World Cup Song. Their old song (which I am searching for) was really cute. The overall theme song for the World Cup is Shakira's Waka Waka (This Time for Africa). I must admit I'm slightly disappointed that they gave the theme song to a non-African singer. (But then again, 2006's Dance with Somebody remix with Fatman Scoop and Lumidee is not exactly German either, nor was the Euro 2008's song, Feel the Rush, Swiss or Austrian.) This song, Wavin' Flag, better captures the spirit of the games- everyone in Europe is out waving their flags for their countries- it's the most patriotic time of the year!

Soccer's still growing on me, but I prefer more violent sports, like rugby. The Paris team's rugby music video may convert many of you female readers into fans with the nice shots of the players. But there's only one rugby player for this girl- my handsome husband!

A bientot!
-Liz Anne

Burning Up and Cooling Down

Bonjour blogsphere!

Woo! Like the Ladyhawke song, Paris has been burning during the last few days. While it is nothing like the 98 degrees and insane humidity my husband and I experienced in Washington DC last week, 90 degrees with light humidity can still be brutal when you don't have air-conditioning!

The bi-annual French sales also started on Wednesday, but sadly I won't be a huge participant this year. :-( With the big trip to the US, the upcoming whirlwind tour of France with Brandon and Nicci (can I just say that I will never be able to move back to the US because I would never be able to give up my six weeks of vacation?) and our plans to buy an apartment this summer, my shopping budget has been greatly reduced. But in a way it is good- if I stick to my intensive weight loss program, I will not be the same size next summer (my goal = size 6-8 US. In high school at one point I was a size 4, but that will be my stretch goal). However, I am in need of a dress for a wedding later this month... and some new gym clothes to inspire me to go to the gym...

Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour

Save Me From Sunburn! by Lapin a la Mode on Polyvore.com

Even the most prudent sunscreen reappliers can get burned. This always drives my husband crazy when we go to Florida- he constantly reapplies his sunscreen and stays under the umbrella while I do maybe two applications and practically live in the water, and he is the one that ends up resembling a cooked lobster. For the most serious of burns, I like the traditional Elizabth Arden 8 hour cream, which they are now marketing as hand cream (Elizabeth Arden - Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturizing Hand..., $17). L'Occitane Verbena Soothing Body Ice Gel, $22 has a refreshing scent and feels lovely after a day in the sun. For a little bit of some extra self-tanning kick, I use Clarins Sunscreen Cooling Gel Rapid Tanning SPF 8 6.8 fl oz, $34. (Clarins, in my humble opinion, makes the best sun-related products, whether it is self-tanning, sunscreen, or after sun) I am also a fan of , $20 as I am known to burn my lips. Even if you are not the same color as a tomato, using after sun products and moisturizers (especially body butters) will help you retain your tan longer.

Click of French Culture

Unlike in the US where we load up our cars with lots of food, the French tend to only grocery shop for a few days at a time. They also tend to eat specific fruits and vegetables when they are fresh and in season. Summer means lots of yummy melons! One of my husband's and my favorite meals is melon with parma ham. The salty ham mixed with the sweet watery melon (we use any kind of melon other than watermelon) is just absolutely delectible! For a fancier recipe, try this.

And with that, I am off to the grocery store to find some melon and ham for our dinners this weekend!

A bientot!

-Liz Anne

Reboot, Refreshed.

Bonjour blogsphere!

Ah. Change is in the air for this chickie. :-) I've just come back from a fabulous visit to the northeast of the US, and feel refreshed and ready for a reboot! Today marks a turning point for me- I have a new job (within the same tech company, but with an entirely new team) which has the benefits of being A) European (meaning no more conference calls at 11 pm and crazy working hours), B) Strategy/Consulting related (meaning no more battling with various data systems or working with massive amounts of data), and C) Part of Sales/Business Development (an area which my company is expanding and investing in, which gives me much more job security). Possibly the best part of my new job is that with normal working hours, I can get myself onto a regular schedule and start on a work-out routine which will enable me to shed all of this excess weight I've gained over the past 8 years. It's also a relief to be going back to the kind of work I've previously enjoyed in my first position within my company (as opposed to the data-driven reporting I've been doing the last year and a half thanks to a company reorg). Part of this reboot will hopefully see me blogging more regularly as well, as I also want to develop a better work-life balance, and that means disconnecting from my job and doing other things!

Lapin a la Mode Tip du Jour

Summer Scrubbers by Lapin a la Mode on Polyvore.com

With the sun's rays beaming down on us and regardless of the unending skin cancer warnings, most of us girls will probably work on achieving a healthy bronze glow. A little known fact- just like when self-tanning, you will develop color more quickly and evenly when you have exfoliated before sunbathing. My personal favorite body exfoliators are the Sephora line of Gommage Corps (Coconut is my summer choice as it is absolutely delicious in smell) or Clinique's Sparkle Skin. I also like the Fat Girl Scrub from Bliss, because it helps to promote circulation in the massage process, which helps to reduce the appearance of the dreaded cellulite. After exfoliating, don't forget your sunblock- the worst sun damage to our skin is a result of sunburns and new skin is more susceptible to burning!

Click of French Culture

For those of you who know me well, you know that I do not drink "flat" water. I just have never liked it, unless it has a plethora of ice cubes and from the town I grew up in. (It is also a fact that the water from my hometown is apparently some of the best tasting water in the US. Maybe this has mentally blocked my ability to drink tap water from anywhere else?) My beverage of choice, however, is sparkling water, which most Europeans adore! (They even had free sparkling water on tap in the German offices of my company) France's most iconic sparkling water is of course Perrier. The water itself is naturally carbonated and comes from a spring in Vergeze. The spring has been used as a spa since Roman times (legend has it that Hannibal and his army found the drinking water to be quite refreshing), but it was an Englishman who bought the spring around 1900. In order to get a return on his investment, he first started selling the sparkling water to the British army in India. Once the British Colonies became big patrons, he then went on to conquer the English market at a time when anything French was considered super chic. So, ironically, it was the English who first became addicted to the bubbly beverage in the pretty green bottles. Today, Perrier is now owned by Nestle and has a few different varieties. The normal Perrier still contains the same level of carbonation of the original water in Vergeze, while Eau de Perrier is lighter with less carbonation. For more on the story of Perrier (and some of the other flavors), click here.

All right, it is the birthday of my lovely husband (and most devoted reader), so I must run! Enjoy the sunshine!

A bientot!

Liz Anne