France part 1

The first two posts are going to be just about our trip and what we did. My following post will be about how to survive it with a 2 month old.

We left Saudi for France at 12am and arrived in Amsterdam at 7:05 am.  Our connecting flight to Paris was at 8:00am. Eek! Luckily Amsterdam has an expedited passport control line for those traveling to Paris. When we walked up to get into that line the lady saw Jake and moved us to an even more expedited line! Thus beginning the special treatment you get when you travel with a cute baby. Needless to say we made it to Paris and so did our luggage. Before I go on, let me just say that Jake did amazing on both flights and through the airports. He got way more sleep on the flight to Amsterdam than we did.

Upon arrival in Paris we checked into our hotel, re-situated ourselves, and headed back out. We took the subway up to the Champs-Élysées and started with the Arc de Triumph. (I have a lot more to say on traveling the subways with a baby but that will be in the baby post). The Arc de Triumph is bigger than I expected and had great views of Paris. We used our trusty Rick Steve's book to give us our tour and took turns going up to the very top to look out since there was no easy way to get the stroller up. 

After the Arc we started our walk down the Champs-Élysées. I'm not sure what I expected but it's really just a large street area with lots of sidewalk cafes and fancy shops. We were about half way down the street when it started to rain. Ugh! So we stopped under a random canopy to discuss our new plans and feed Jacob.  We decided to take the subway (out of the rain) to the Orsay museum.

 When we entered the Orsay museum, we assumed they would make us check the stroller but  it was just the opposite. We practically received special treatment with easier time through lines and security and lifts instead of stairs. The Orsay museum is in an old train station and the building itself is beautiful. It is the home to lots of "great" art. I put great in parenthesis because I'll be honest, I have no idea about great art. Honestly, I'm really not that interested in art but it was one of those museums you MUST go see in Paris. Well, about halfway through, jake decided he was done with the art scene and started screaming. So Jacob and I made a quick exit while Micah continued on just a little more.  I will admit that after all the traveling, not much sleep, and lots of walking, I was done with the art scene as well. We were all actually so tired that we went back to the hotel and Micah went to find us dinner to eat in our hotel room. We joked about that being our first Paris meal- sandwich and chips in bed! But all 3 of us needed the rest and good nights sleep.

The next day we all woke up refreshed and in a much better mood. Once again we used our Rick Steves' book to guide us on a historic Paris walk. It started at Notre Dame Cathedral. The cathedral is beautiful. The outside is interesting with the twin towers, the buttresses, and the gargoyles. It doesn't take much to invision the hunchback of Notre Dame.   The inside is filled with beautiful stained glass windows.

After Notre Dame we walked through the city stopping at random places like the Deportation Memorial. This is a memorial for the 200,000 Parisian Jews that were deported during WWII. We walked through the Italian quarter, walked along the river Seine, and through a cute little park. 

Our next big stop was St Chapelle. This old cathedral had a very low ceiling dark depressing entrance but the upstairs opened up into a chapel with great stained glass windows and a huge altar at the end. The altar used to hold the supposed Crown of Thorns that Jesus wore which is now held at Notre Dame but is not always on display. From St. Chapelle we went to an old prison. The idea of it was cooler than the building itself. It was where many people awaited their death by guillotine including Queen Marie Antoinette.

At the end of out historic walk we decided to tackle the Louvre. It is the largest museum in the world and it's all art... The idea of it seemed daunting. When we arrived the line to get in was long but once again we were able to skip it all thanks to Jake!  We used our book to guide us through and get us to the important stuff like the Mona Lisa. Which, as almost everyone says, is smaller than I thought. Micah and I both agreed that the only reason we go to these museums is because we should and to say that we have. Overall, the Louvre is huge and overwhelming.

This is what Jacob thought of the Louvre

The Mona Lisa

The next morning we headed out to Versailles. I found the tour of the palace interesting and it's extravagance mesmerizing.  King Louis XIV was a little over the top.  No wonder the people were angry with his extravagance while they were starving.

The palace grounds were incredible. Today the have 300 working fountains but they used to have 1500!! It was so nice to get to stroll through the park with my little family and enjoy a day of good weather, beautiful scenery, and freedom.

Upon leaving Versailles we decided since it was such a beautiful day it was probably our best bet for the Eiffel tower. So we rode the trains back and went straight into the line for the Eiffel. The views were great!

We were so worn out from all the walking at Versailles that I pretty much didn't want to move anymore so we found ourselves a shady spot in the Champs de Mars park with a view of the Eiffel and took a rest. Micah was such a great husband and went and gathered up dinner for us including a bottle of wine. We sat in the park on the ground and just waited for sunset with the most amazing view of the Eiffel Tower.

 That night Micah took Jacob and I back to the hotel and let us get ready for bed and relax while he went out to get some night pictures of the Louvre and Arc de Triumph.  I was a little nervous letting him go but the man is stubborn.  He did get some great pictures.

Our last day in Paris I hadn't planned anything just in case we needed some make-up time because Jacob.  We decided to return to the Champs Élysées and finish our walk and then head out to the Montmartme area where Moulin Rouge is located. This area of Paris is full of sketchy people, adult entertainment, and just plain old dirty. We did our walking tour and then made our way back to the prettier side of Paris.  For our last night in Paris we ate at a cute sidewalk cafe and people watched and then drank a bottle of wine in the park looking at the Eiffel tower. Then it was time to pack and prepare for our train trip to Normandy.

This took some careful planning because we had to get through the subways to the train station with all of our luggage and Jacob. We condensed down as much as we could, I put Jake in the carrier and off we went. It was morning rush hour so the trains were full and one time we split which car we got on to have enough room, but in the end we made! I think Micah and I made a pretty spectacular team to survive that as well as we did. Our train ride took us to Caen, Normandy where we rented a car and headed to Bayeaux.

And Jacob really was with us the whole time :)

France Perparation

Preparing for a vacation with a 2 month old is COMPLETELY different from Micah's and my previous, child-free, vacations.  Our typical vacations include many locations, lots of hotel room changes, rugged terrain, small towns, lots of driving, jam packed days,  etc.  While these types are a blast and we get to see lots of places and do lots of things we realize those days may be over for a while.  The idea of having to pack all 3 of us up every day to switch locations does not sound fun.  Also, the idea of a remote location with a 2 month old is a little scary.  So we decided on a location not too far from home, very civilized, and minimal traveling during the trip.  We have one hotel in Paris for 4 days and one hotel in the Normandy area for 4 days.  In Paris our days are somewhat planned but with no "group tours" and with flexibility in mind.  We understand that everything might not go as fast as we are used to or as planned.  I mean, we have to stop at least every 3 hours just to feed the little guy.  In Normandy we are renting a car and driving to Mount St. Michel for a day and doing a D-Day tour.  The D-day tour is the only group tour we have planned that I'm a little nervous about.  I don't want our baby to put anyone else out so I've already been praying.

Another thing that is different is packing.  Typically I pack either the day we leave or the day before but with little man, I started packing days ago.  There is just so much more to think about when taking a baby along.  For example, I'm bringing a couple of bottles which means I need dish soap and a bottle brush to wash them. Then there is the question of how much of everything do we need? I was so consumed with packing Jacob's stuff that I was forgetting lots of my own.  I thought I was mostly done packing myself and realized I didn't pack make-up or jewelry.  Both of course I could live without but I'm happier to have them.  I'm just hoping I didn't forget anything important for Jacob. At least if I do, we will be in Paris and I'm sure we can buy what we need. 

Although getting ready with Jacob now is difficult, I can only imagine that it will get more difficult in the next year or so when he starts to have more needs.  Right now he is still pretty happy with eating, sleeping, and a little bit of play time. 

All that being said, I cannot wait to be in Paris and have my hubby and my baby all to myself for a week. I can't wait for the family photos with the Eiffel Tower, wearing normal clothes, sipping wine, and being outside in pleasant weather. 

Au Revoir!

Evan Jay Sperling

Micah and I are the proud new Aunt and Uncle of Evan Jay Sperling.  He was born August 21 at 8:11am.  He is 7lbs. 7oz , 18 3/4" long and a cutie.

We just can't wait to get to be in Oklahoma and meet the little guy and let our both of our little guys "hang-out".   Even though it is hard to not be able to be there now to meet Evan, we were able to facetime with everyone at the hospital.  Technology really helps when you live over-seas.

We are so happy for our wonderful family!

Bahrain

Finally! I was finally able to leave this oppressive country for a day. Even just a day out of Saudi can do a lot for the morale. Micah was able to take this Monday off for a quick trip to Bahrain. We had to take this trip to activate our visas (when we get our Saudi visas we have to leave the country within a certain number of days). Plus I just really needed to get out of Saudi and off of Murjan. We left Murjan at 7:30am and headed for the land of the slightly free.  Our original plan was to eat breakfast at Ric's but the causeway customs was busy and took longer than we had hoped so we headed straight for City Center mall. It was a little sad to not get biscuits and gravy and pork bacon but we will be in the US soon so I guess it can wait.

Shopping in Bahrain is amazing compared to Saudi except for one issue, the prices. I guess we pay a premium to shop in a bright pretty mall with modern clean restrooms and places to actually try on clothes. However, in the end I didn't really buy much because I kept thinking about how much cheaper I could get everything in the US or even Saudi. It's still fun to shop in freedom with no prayer time closings and no abaya.

Micah and I had learned previously that city center was opening a Potbelly Sandwich shop. We LOVE Potbelly. It was our lucky day because it was finally open. Yes, we did eat there for lunch and dinner.... This was Jakes first Potbelly experience. Doesn't he look excited?

Another task on our agenda was to attempt to see a movie. I know, we are crazy thinking we could take a 2 month old to a movie, and not just any movie....we went to see Batman.  I was fully prepared to have to leave the movie at some point with a crying baby. However, I'm proud to say that Jake's schedule worked out perfectly and he slept through most of the movie and ate through the end. We were able to watch the whole movie without a peep from him!

Jacob did awesome the whole day including all the car time. He slept in his stroller while we shopped, he ate when it was time to eat, and played and smiled at us when he was awake. I'm hoping this is a good sign for our trip to France in 9 days!!!

2 Months

Our little man is 2 months old today! Not much has changed since I did the 8 weeks post a few days ago so I won't repeat too much.    We went to the doctor yesterday for his 2 month appointment and vaccinations.  Since he wasn't sick and it is Ramadan I decided to go to the local hospital here in Jubail.  Needless to say I wasn't too impressed.  My doctor in Khobar at SAAD really checks Jacob out. Takes off his diaper to and clothes to check for diaper rash, etc. He really looks at his whole body and explains to me what he is doing while he does it.  This doctor in Jubail listened to Jacob's heart beat for about 2 seconds, looked up his nose, and signed the vaccine forms. Didn't ask me how much he weighed at birth, didn't check length or head circumference and pretty much didn't do anything.  Ohh well, I was really just there for the shots anyway.  We have an appointment with a pediatrician in the US the day after we get back so I will save my questions for that appointment.  One positive thing is that Jake hasn't really had any bad side-effects from the shots except for maybe sleeping more.

Now that I'm done with my doctor rant, he did start sleeping through the night 2 nights ago.  He slept from 10:30pm-5:30am and then eats and goes back to sleep until 7:30 or 8:00.  I'm loving the 7 hours straight. He is a little bit fussier today than normal and wants to sleep more but I was still able to get his 2 month pictures done. Enjoy!

 Age: 2 months

Weight: 11 lbs.

Length: 22”

Eye Color: still blue

Hair Color: still dirty blonde

Eating Schedule: every 3 hours

Night Time Schedule: 7 hours!

Clothing Size: 0-3 (bigger ones) or 3 month

New Activities: He smiles and giggles often, starting to find his hands

8 weeks Insanity!

Jacob is officially 8 weeks old.  Every day I still can't believe he is a part of our lives now and I can't believe how much I love him.  He is such a precious little boy. Jake is starting to grow out of his newborn outfits which makes me really sad.  Of course I have some favorites that I'm not ready for him to not wear anymore. I guess with each size clothing I will have new favorites. He has become such a smiley boy and I love seeing his beautiful smile every day. Click here to read more about Jake at 8 weeks.

This week I also decided to start the Insanity work out.  I tried to start it at 6 weeks but realized my body had not recovered enough yet for that intense of a work-out. So I headed to the gym for lower impact cardio on the eliptical and slowly worked in weights. After my doctors appointment last week and the other exercising I decided to try again.  Today was just the fit test but I actually made it through this time so I think I'm good to go. We will see just how "insane" this work-out is post baby. 

Routine

Now that I'm finally a little over being alone, Jacob and I are starting to find our routine. He really is a great baby and makes it easy to get in a routine.  He is pretty consistently going to bed around 10:30-11 and sleeps till 4:30 or so then eats and goes back to sleep until around 8.  I am one lucky Momma! He then eats, stays awake for little while, and takes a nap on about a 3 hour rotation. It's still hard to get used to living life in 3 hour segments and sometimes hard to get motivated to get things done while he is asleep but I guess thats life. 


First thing in the mornings we head for the gym. He is typically awake during this time but enjoys the walk to the gym and seems to find me on the elliptical entertaining. Only occasionally do I have to get off to walk him around or give him his pacifier. After the workout, we head back home and I put him down for a nap so that I can shower and get ready for the rest of the day.


The rest of our day is very laid back. I let him be on his schedule and at some point find time to eat, do laundry, cook dinner, etc.  I don't have much to do outside the house since it is so stinkin hot (120 AND HUMID) and since it's Ramadan.  Ramadan essentially means stores are open strange hours and no restaurants or food places are open during the day. This makes it even more difficult to go anywhere and it be enjoyable.  Also, most of my friends are back in the US so our social calendar is a little slow.   


I realize my routine will change some when Ramadan is over and my friends are back.  We will have way more social activities then :)  I also know that the routine will always be a moving target as he grows and his needs change but I'm ready for the challenge. 

On a side note, I started a blog for Jacob.  The main purpose of this blog is to be able to make it into a book for his 1 year birthday. So for the most part it's just for me but if anyone is interested it is:

Jacob's World