Michael's been sleeping very poorly of late. He'll sleep for a few hours and then wake up all throughout the night. Then he whines for a bit, which was new, and we never knew why. Well, we think we have the reason now.
Phuong gives him the knuckle test to see if he is hungry. If he dives at the knuckle, then he is hungry; otherwise, something else is likely bothering him. Well, yesterday, fat little baby tries to eat the entire knuckle and Phuong jumps back in pain. We look in his mouth and he has his first tooth poking through his lower gums. And there is another one right next to it that is about to burst through. So I guess we're in for a long few years until we die.
That's pretty much it.

Who here has a go-zillion digital pictures on their computer in a jumbled mess? Who here DOESN'T? We don't want to know who you are.

In one of my scrapbooking message boards, a friend of mine recommended this free service by Google called Picasa. It is a program you download onto your computer that locates every image you have on your computer and helps you organize them. Cool right?

Well, with my limited free time, I have managed to download it, but have not managed to use it yet? So I throw a poll out for those who want to try something new...use this Picasa thing and let me know if it is SUPER fantastic or not so super fantastic. I am hoping it is the former!

Here is a link to it on the web:

http://picasa.google.com/index.html

Post in the comments sections your thoughts!

My non-mobile baby play group was cancelled today. Boo.

Love,

P

Brian is the only person that ever calls me on my cell phone. Yes, feel sorry for me.

So imagine my surprise when "Unknown" showed up on my callerID! Since I have no idea how to check my messages, I actually picked up and VOILA! It was David Simcik, my old friend from college and senior plant design group mate!

He was actually visiting Paris right now and proposed to this fine young lady in the picture, Laura Goldman! And that ring was BEAUTIFUL! Talk about the BLING! :o)

Anyways, they were so nice to take time out of their trip to come and visit us in our new place. We caught up on what we had been up to, and Brian and I were most impressed with this great couple! It was a wonderful and welcome surprise to visit with an old friend from home!

We were lucky to get this pic of all of us by carefully balancing David's Canon camera on a bunch of boxes (we have PLENTY of those around). And let me tell you, if you need a digital point and shoot, get a Canon. David's looked like it had been dropped in a chemical bath and it still took this fabulous pic!

Love,
P

Four Month Teddy Bear Pictures!




What Michael normally does with all of his toys:

If you have a baby and want a great camera, get the Nikon D50 or D80 DSLR.

It is FANTASTIC and will not miss any of baby's funniest moments. I am LOVIN' mine.

More pics are available in our photo album, linked to the right. See March 2007 Album.

Enjoy,

P

Today, Michael is talking! He is starting to babble, "ba..ba...ptha...da...pttthhhaaa....ba..." It is amazing! He is an actual PERSON now and not just a mini-bioreactor! We are constantly surprised by this little fat baby!

After breakfast, our nuclear family went to the market on Rue Mouffetard, where we invested in our most favorite item: FOOD.

1. Rotisserie chicken, pork tenderloin, pork ribs
2. Small potatoes seasoned with the fat drippings of the above things roasting in the rotisserie
3. Croissant, sugar brioche, baguette, small apricot tarte
4. 6 different cheeses
5. Milk
6. Bananas, apples, pears
7. Fresh french salad greens

We also went to another open air market at Place Monge. Next week, we will go again and I will post pictures.

Until then, revel in Brian's favorite way to hold The Boy. I call it The Football Hold:

Voila,
P

Items accomplished in one day PRIOR to getting internet in the house:
Took care of Michael, played with him, and moisturized him 4 times a day
Ate my 2 day time meals
Dinner/baguette for the day purchased
5-6 loads of laundry washed/dried/folded/put away
4 boxes unpacked

Items accomplished in one day AFTER getting internet in the house:
Took care of Michael, played with him, moisturized him 4 times a day
Ate my 2 day time meals
Dinner/baguette for the day purchased

In other words, my efficiency and accomplishments has drastically reduced. But on the UP side, I get to keep in touch with my most fabulous family and friends from back home.

Love to all,
P

Brian is at IKEA today buying us buttloads of stuff for our apartment! In France, almost everything is closed on Sunday EXCEPT IKEA! So last Sunday, we rented our Citroen C4 and went as a nuclear family to check things out. IKEA is as crazy here as it is in the U.S.


I felt like I was in a river where the current of people took you through the store, and the only way to stop was to grab onto a branch, which at IKEA is like grabbing onto the armoire that you are looking at.

We are getting this couch and matching "recliners." Unfortunately, they will not arrive until AFTER April 13th, so we will be sitting in our Target camping folding chairs until then! YEAH Target!
Yesterday, Michael had his first cell phone conversation! I put Brian on the speakerphone of my cell phone and Michael would laugh and coo back every time Brian would say something! It was hilarious. And to make sure Michael wasn't just laughing at the cell phone, I put it on the voice message voice and he just stared at it with a furrowed brow. How neat that he knows his Dad's voice, even on a cell phone!

Speaking of cell phones, I got the girliest cell phone I have ever seen:

Random Finding for Today:
There are MORE Outback Steakhouses in Korea than all of Europe. NONE in Paris. :o(

A free night stay at the Besancon Paris B&B for the person who knows where this quote comes from:
"How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been: how gloriously different the saints."

Post your answers in the "Comments!" Thanks goes out to Amy Bowman who noticed that I didn't enable Comments in my blog! Now, everyone can post to their desire...

Have a most GLORIOUS FRIDAY!
P

Welcome to the Paris Besancons Blog!

I decided that instead of bombarding everyone's e-mail Inbox with family SPAM and shameless pictures of Baby Michael, I would start a blog where people can check in on us at their own leisure.

I do solemnly swear to post often (at least 2-3 times a week) so that it would be worth your while to visit. No one likes to go to a blog and find that it's not been updated in the last 30 days. :o)

So welcome to our lives and we hope you enjoy! Post comments too!

Love,
B&P