Bad fog but amazing packages!

Wow, last week seemed to crawl by but now I feel like it flew by!  I got a lot of things done that I've been putting off so that has felt nice.  I've started emailing midwives to find one for postnatal care.  Basic insurance here covers 10 days of it and they recommend using it.  Basically the midwife just comes to check on you at home and help with any questions or worries which sounds amazing since we probably wont have that kind of help close by.  Next will be finalizing a name so we can put him on our insurance and also find a pediatrician that has room for him.  You have to have one picked out and ready by the time you leave the hospital and sometimes it can be hard to find a space.

We also found out that you can put in your renewal for residence permits 3 months in advance!  That is great news because our renewal date is Jan 20 and I did not want to have to deal with that and a newborn at the same time.  Oh, and tomorrow starts my third trimester!  Yay! :)

In other news, THANK YOU AUNT KAY AND CALLIE!!!  The big box of clothes was an amazing surprise!  I sent Paul to pick up the package Saturday morning because we are always at work when the Post comes during the week and I figured it was probably my family's birthday package.  Paul just glanced at the name and didn't realize so when I looked it was an awesome surprise that I couldn't wait to open- after finishing the pancakes of course.  ;)  The package was PACKED with adorable clothes.  I can't wait to get something to put all these clothes in.  It was so cute when Paul pulled out the last piece and it said 'I love my daddy.'  He smiled big.  :)

Today we were going to visit 'the biggest waterfall in Europe' (according to Wiki-Paul)  ;)  but the crappy fog and cold kept us in.  We did have to clean out the bathroom for the renovation and cook a few things but oh, well.  We'll hope for better weather next weekend but people at work tell me autumn is when the fog rolls in and everyone goes to the top of the mountains for sunshine.  Not cool.  The leaves are falling though and trees are turning so at least that is really pretty.  Here's some pictures out of our apartment.

Yesterday we finally got everything we needed to frame our watercolor painting we bought from a painter lady in Cinque Terre.  I love it and it adds a little something nice to our living room.  We also made cheeseburgers!!  I know it sounds lame but all the hamburgers we've had here have not been great.  So we finally made our own and they were pretty good.  We'll definitely be doing it again in the near future.  :)

Oh, and Paul's parents left some half caf coffee and I found some cocoa in the cupboard from when I was making tons of biscotti.  So homemade mochas were born!!  And man are they tastey.  As soon as I find some peppermint, they are going to get even better.  :) 

Fall is definitely here!

So things feel really busy for some reason but Im gonna give a quick update.  :)

Nothing too special about the last 2 weeks.  We're getting closer to buying baby furniture soon and a few other items.  Ive been watching the expat forums and have snagged a breastfeeding/whatever pillow.  It is a loosely shaped 'U' with nice beans in it so it can be molded really easily.  It is Swiss made and usually very expensive but I got it for Sfr. 25!  :)  I also got a baby food cooker/steamer for pretty cheap.  I know we wont be needing it for awhile but I figured if I was already getting one thing I might as well get both.  I wouldn't be surprised if I cook with it beforehand just because I dont think canned pumpkin is readily available here and if I can steam and puree some pumpkin in it for Thanksgiving dishes that would be awesome!  Hopefully a really nice crib and changing table will be in our future because someone needs to get rid of them and is just giving them away but Im waiting on measurements since we are very limited on space.  Today a guy Paul works with brought us some bottles he didn't need anymore.  He has twin girls.  So now we have some bottles and to-go formula holders just in case.

Anyway, a couple weekends ago we went to a gathering/party and I got to see the girls from Paul's group.  That was nice since I havent seen them since August.  I made a dessert and they were DELICIOUS.  I seriously dont know why I never tried this recipe but it is pretty easy and I've had it for years and they are pretty much melt-in-your-mouth brownies with nuts in cookie form.  YUM!  Here's a picture.  It's a good thing other people liked them so much too because it would have been really bad if I ate them all myself.  ;)

I had a checkup about a week ago and everything looks good.  She was checking the heartbeat and our little dude kicked the stick thingy.  We all laughed and he did it again.  I thought he might do something like that because if anything rests on my belly or pushes in he pushes/kicks back.  Just a little attitude.  ha  But it's cute and Im enjoying his craziness.  Next checkup we get another ultrasound.  Im super excited for that!  Only 1 more week of this trimester and then only 12 weeks left!  Holy cow...

Monday our bathroom should be in the process of a renovation.  Crossing our fingers that everything actually goes through and they are finished by next Friday since that's what they've told us!  We might be showering in the cellar or at our neighbors for the week but it will all be worth it.  :)

Last weekend we even got our eye exams completed.  So now all we have to do is fill out the forms and get some pictures made and then we can send everything in for our Swiss drivers licenses.  We need to do it soon though because we have to do it before we've lived here one year which is at the end of January but we still need drivers licenses for driving rental vans for all the furniture we'll be buying.  So maybe we'll send it all in a month or so...

Oh, and my family has plane tickets for Christmas!!!  Im so excited they are actually coming now.  They'll come for 2 weeks and leave the day before my due date (because of school).  But hopefully the freezing weather and all the walking that we'll be doing will get things started while they are here.  That would be awesome.

Well, I guess that's good for now.  It's definitely fall here and I love it.  Not very much rain, red leaves everywhere and 50's-60's for temperatures.  Beautiful.  I even found a maternity winter coat for under Sfr. 100 last weekend!  Very proud of my purchase.  :)